Chapter 35
There's a single moment of hesitation. A moment where our lips pause together, frozen, and then his mouth moves and I'm melting. As if I'm endlessly free falling, my feet unable to find purchase.
His hands release my wrists and slip down around my waist, scooping me closer, so every part of me is pressed into him, and I can't help but sigh into his mouth.
My hands slink up into his silky, still-damp hair and I bite back a moan.
I pull slightly, and a deep rumble comes from Tane's chest. He tilts my head, and I open for him.
His tongue meets mine, hungry and exploring, and as that first taste hits me, I know I'm lost. I couldn't stop this if I wanted to.
I am unraveling, and it feels terrifying––but also a bit like being set free.
His hands explore with commanding reverence.
Everywhere they touch, tingles ripple across my body.
It's like he's trying to memorize every bare inch of my skin with his fingertips.
His hand skates beneath my shirt, and under my bra, skimming the underside of my breast. I whimper into his mouth, the ghost of his touch threatening to undo me.
The sounds I'm making are all the encouragement he needs as he groans, grabbing my thighs, lifting me onto the table. I hear things crash off behind us, but I can't even bring myself to look, our mouths never leaving each other.
Tane's entire body feels tense, almost like he's willing himself to behave, but I want more.
I break our kiss, instead using my lips to make a path down his neck, to his chest. I trail my fingers lazily across his sculpted abs, slipping my hands under his shirt, and fully appreciating every thick muscle on the way down.
When I hit the top of his pants, I skim playfully, causing Tane to hiss.
He sucks in a breath as I slip my hand down his front; he pulls back, eyes wide, chest heaving.
He grabs my jaw and kisses me ferociously.
I dip my hand into his underwear, but instead of grabbing him, I skirt around his length, exploring and teasing everywhere, watching as he reacts to every touch.
His hips buck and I grin into another kiss.
"What... are... you doing, you little menace?" he breathes out, eyes black with lust.
"I'm earning my nickname," I whisper back as I lightly graze against him. He sucks in a breath, biting down a groan, and I let out a husky laugh. There's something wildly powerful about seeing him so wound up.
"Oh, you think this is funny?" he grits out.
Before I can answer, he's spinning us, lifting me, my legs wrapping around his waist as he slams my back against the wall, pinning me in place.
His eyes connect with mine as he moves against me, thrusting himself against my core, while his fingers grip my hips.
He's not being gentle anymore, and it sets something inside me on fire.
The friction takes my breath away and I'm melting again as I meet every thrust of his with my own, begging for more.
One of his hands holds me in place while the other wanders under my shirt.
This time there is no teasing, as he applies perfect pressure to my painfully peaked nipple, and I arch into him with a moan.
His mouth devours the noise, and he works me until pleasure is coiling around my spine.
He kisses and nips his way down my neck, his teeth scraping hungrily.
I am utterly lost in whatever madness this is.
"I... I need... Please..." I whimper, unable to form a coherent thought.
Tane lets out a hoarse laugh.
"What do you need? Whatever you want, it's yours," he replies, his eyes locking with mine, a fervency in his voice that unravels me. It's too much. My head tilts back against the wall as he continues to move against me.
"You..." is all I manage to get out through a throaty moan.
"Let go for me, Maple," he commands with a growl, his teeth sinking into the hollow of my throat. He follows the sting with his mouth, his tongue laving at the sensitive spot.
And I do. My vision blacks and stars shatter behind my eyes as my entire body ignites. He swallows my moan with his mouth, groaning as he devours me.
Tane never stops— touching, and kissing, and moving as I come down. When I'm finally able to open my eyes, I find him staring at me, awe rippling across his features.
"So beautiful..." he whispers, as his thumb slides along my jaw, then he kisses me again, achingly slowly this time. I have no words, so I kiss him back, arms wrapping around his neck. All I know is that I want more. I need more.
Just as I'm about to demand he take off all his clothes, a loud banging erupts from behind the door.
Our heads both snap towards it.
His head slumps, resting on my chest as he sighs.
"Go away! I'm busy," he growls, unwilling to move back even as I squirm to try and get off of from him.
"Open the door right now!"
Vera. Of course. I glare at Tane as I slink to the ground, pushing away from him, and he looks at me, pleading.
Another pound at the door. This time it sounds like she's kicked it.
I straighten my clothes as I walk over to the front door, opening it wide.
Vera comes barging through like she lives here, and a surge of jealousy sweeps through me—completely irrational, but undeniable.
I am half-hidden behind the door; she takes a second to see me, so I bow and sarcastically sweep my arm.
"He's all yours," I say, not waiting for a response as I shut the door behind me, shame heating my cheeks.
I am barely a floor down when I hear Vera's raucous laughter echoing down the hall.
Just fucking perfect.
I'm lying in bed like a corpse, frozen, replaying this morning's events in my head over and over.
What was I thinking? I seem to lose all common sense around Tane, but there's also something oddly liberating about it.
Part of me is disappointed to be leaving him behind, but the logical part of my brain is thankful, because I know he's not who I should be with.
The fact that I just ignored the blood and gore all over him and hopped onto his lap is frankly alarming.
That I was so willing to overlook all the awful things he's done.
He'd probably just gotten back from murdering an entire village, and I didn't even care to get answers before shoving my tongue down his throat.
Maybe it was the despair I saw written over his face, maybe it's wishful thinking, but I suspect he doesn't like being the Council's puppet.
Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm leaving. I repeat to myself like my own personal mantra, trying to drown out the memory of the heat of his hands against my skin.
My spiralling thoughts are interrupted when Farra pops in.
"Hey, where have you been? You skipped lunch."
"I wasn't hungry," I say honestly.
She throws a muffin at me, and I grunt.
"Eat something, and stop sulking," she demands. I smile. I haven't told her yet about this morning. She doesn't even know why I'm out of sorts. Doesn't demand to know, either.
I nibble on the muffin's edge, thinking about how grateful I am for her.
I sit up, ready to explain the reason I've been off today, when Leo comes fumbling into the room.
We both glare at him. We've probably told him a dozen times he needs to knock, and yet here we are. Right away, I notice something's wrong. He looks twitchy.
"How are you two today?" he asks, bobbing his head, like he's listening to us respond even though neither of us has said a word.
My eyes narrow.
"Well, that's great, for sure. But anyway. I, um, I have something to tell you. And I wasn't even sure I should tell you. Because of what happened last time," he looks up at Farra, and guilt rides his features.
Her face softens. "Leo, we've talked about this. That wasn't your fault. Now spill whatever nonsense you're inevitably going to tell us, and save us this song and dance." She throws her hands up in the air at him, like she's already exhausted by him.
He nods again.
"Well, I know you say that now, but I'm wondering if you'll change your mind..." He looks utterly perplexed, like he can't decide what the best course of action is. It's unnerving, coming from him.
"Leo," I reprimand, also tired of his stalling.
He's going to tell us eventually, otherwise he would not have brought it up. He just wants us to demand it so he can be relieved of the guilt.
He unstraps the canteen that was looped around his body. He uncorks the lid, and then he starts dumping the water onto his hand in the middle of the room.
"Leo!" we both yell at once.
"Shhh. You'll scare him," he scolds us.
Farra hops up to rip the canteen out of his hands, and I frown. Leo is talking into the hole, droplets still plopping out over his hands.
"Come on, don't make me look like an asshole," he mutters.
Just as I'm about to take Leo to the infirmary for absolutely losing his mind, a thick glob of water slops out of the canteen and into Leo's hand.
I watch, utterly in awe, as the water blob twirls in his hand.
It looks like water, clear and faintly blue at once, but the consistency is different.
Gelatinous, almost. My eyes widen as Leo whispers to it, and it sways.
Taking form in his hand is a tiny being.
Arms and legs sprout, and drip with water.
Its round middle bounces from side to side as it finds its balance.
A head pops out from the round center. It glows faintly, reflecting any light that it catches.
Tiny eyes blink open, while it stretches and yawns.
It fucking yawns. Like it's just waking up from a lovely nap.
Farra squeals, backing up.
I can do nothing but blink, standing at the edge of my bed like a statue.
"So, umm. I found this little guy lurking. In my cup. In my room. He's a..." Leo seems a little lost for words.