9. Chapter NineMelina
Chapter Nine
Melina
D awn peeked out from the cracks of the curtains, waking me. I blinked rapidly and turned over to see Aaron, already awake and staring at me through hooded eyes.
“Good morning, lovely,” he greeted me.
I snorted. “You tell lies in the morning, I see.”
He moved closer, moving an arm around my lower back, pulling me slightly to him. It was our usual ritual, him wrapping his arms around me to gather my scent and spread his on me. I hated to admit it, but I looked forward to his embrace. It felt too good. “I’m not that skillful this early,” he replied.
He glanced down at my chest, which had pulled at the top of my nightgown, exposing more of my cleavage than I noticed. However, I resisted the urge to shift my clothes. I enjoyed his lustful gaze over my body. I liked being desired by him. It ignited my core.
He lifted his eyes back to mine, the steel color darkening and the white rim brightening before my eyes. “I want to do things to you, Little Rabbit, but you never let me. I want to bring you to the edge and watch you fall over. Your body exploding in pleasure just for me. I want to feel you wrapped around me. Squeezing me until I fucking spend everything I have inside of you. Do you want that as bad as I do?”
My brain malfunctioned for a moment, unprepared for the early morning words. I could feel my pussy drip, leaking slick as it readied itself for his entry. This was not our usual morning banter. And yet, despite my better judgment, I did want it. I wanted him inside me. Perhaps just once wouldn’t hurt. I would resist the pull to place him in my heart. Only focus on the physical. I’d done it before.
I gulped, my throat dry, and nodded, too buzzy from his words to speak.
He closed his eyes and gave a satisfied smile. “Thank you,” he whispered.
It was the sexist thing I’d ever seen, my nipples hardening at just the sight of what almost seemed like gratefulness. Before I could ponder my next move, he moved his hand to the back of my head and pressed his lips to mine, stealing the air from my lungs. His mouth devoured mine, curling my toes and causing a building euphoria in my body, with just his lips.
He climbed on top of me, moving between my legs as he leaned toward my neck. I gasped as I felt his hot mouth suck on the skin. His teeth lightly grazed me, and I trembled in response, his intoxicating woodsy scent filling my nose. He had me in his hands, literally, and if he chose to bite me, I wouldn’t move away. I would be claimed, and I didn’t care at the moment. His smooth tongue ran up my neck, and I moaned, spreading my thighs, my nightgown now bunched against my hips with just my thin panties and his pajamas separating us. He ground his covered hardness onto my dripping core. I rubbed over his length and clenched air with frustration, wishing he was inside of me .
Aaron tossed his head back, eyelids fluttering. “Oh, Rabbit, you smell so delicious,” he groaned, the bass of his voice dripping down my spine.
He reached between us and slid his fingers into my panties, dipping a finger inside of me. I lifted my hips as he did a come-hither motion with his finger, caressing my inner spot. My legs tensed at the fiery touch against my sensitive walls. I ached for him, wanting something more. However, he did just the opposite, removing his finger.
He ran his tongue up and down the index finger that had just been inside me, savoring the taste I had left on him. I could have come just watching him. “Just like strawberries and cream.”
I wanted to taste him as well. I moved my hand between us and attempted to slide my hand inside his pants, but an invisible force lifted my hand in the air and laid it above my head, my other hand soon joining it.
I yelped in surprise. “Why?” I asked although I didn’t struggle against the invisible grip.
He didn’t respond as he silently surveyed my body and then slid down my panties. He momentarily lowered my arms, then moved the straps of my nightgown off my shoulders and removed it along with my panties. A cool air glided across my clit, and I bit my lower lip as if it would contain the building pleasure between my thighs.
He dipped his head down, tracing my erect nipple with his tongue. This time, I did squirm against my invisible restraints, my body winding tight with the need for release. “Aaron,” I cried.
“I like it when you say my name,” he said before moving to my other breast.
I tossed my head from side to side, unable to keep up with the dueling ecstasy from the magical tickling of my clit and his heated mouth on my chest. I was already on the brink, toes curling; he could easily manipulate my body.
He locked eyes with mine, his face a mix of innocence and yearning that captured my soul. “Can I be inside you now?”
My core tightened at his request. He asked as if he were requesting something so precious and rare. I felt like a goddess underneath him. Consent was really his thing, and I was enjoying it. “Yes, please.”
He wasted no time pushing his bottoms down. His dick was hard and already leaking a generous amount of pre-cum from the tip. It dripped onto my thigh, hot. I wrapped my legs around his waist, eyeing his member as he plunged into me. He was slow at first, his magical cool air on my clit still working on me, loosening me. He was an impressive size, long and thick, and I wasn’t surprised that the fit stretched me slightly beyond my comfort. But I was so wet, it didn’t last long. He soon increased his pace, filling me thoroughly. It felt right.
I dug my nails into his broad shoulders, his muscles bunching under my fingers. My body was so close to crashing. “Aaron, please!”
“Tell me what you want, Rabbit,” he demanded in a trembling voice as he continued to thrust into me. I knew he was barely in control. He’d give in to his release soon, and I wanted it now.
I wanted everything he could give me. “Harder! ”
He quickly complied, burying himself into me until just before his knot, the bulbous section at the base of his dick that would lock us in place and seal his release in me for breeding. I screamed in rapture as he sunk into me over and over again, his hips moving so rapidly I could barely keep up visually. I pushed my hips up to meet his hips, not caring if I was bruised from our joining. I just needed the pressure of him in me. Rough and fast. And then my orgasm took me over. My body spasmed, out of my control, and brought me to blurry-eyed tears.
His body soon followed, jerking against me over and over as he filled me with hot splashes of his seed that brought on another crying climax from me. “Fuck. My Little Rabbit, you are so beautiful. I’ll give you anything. Just ask.”
* ~ * ~ *
I opened my eyes, looking up at the ceiling. When had I fallen asleep? I looked down at myself. I was dressed back in my nightgown, and I had my panties on. They were practically soaked with my slick but still on. Although, I was wetter now. Had Aaron dressed me? I moved slightly, feeling the wetness grow. It almost felt like I peed in the bed.
That wasn’t a fun feeling. However, with the sex we’d just had, I couldn’t be surprised by my messy orgasm. It was amazing. I’d never felt anything that intense in my life. And I wish I hadn’t because now it would be hard to keep my walls up against him. He was charming, attractive, and great sexually. This was a test I was failing.
I looked over at him, but he was still sleeping. He lay serenely on his back, one arm behind his head, his mouth turned up in a slight smile that brought one of my own to my face. My chest felt tight just looking at him. Gods, I was falling for him. I looked down past his chest and stopped at his abs, partially covered in a sticky film. He had cum all over himself. The front of his pajama bottoms was just as soaked as my panties. Some of his release had dripped from his hardness, which was currently peeking from the top of his pajamas and down to the bed. He was as much a mess as me.
I frowned. That was odd. He had come inside of me. I still remembered the heated feeling of him. Thankfully, I had taken a potion that would avoid pregnancy until I took a counter elixir. But that wasn’t the curious matter. If he had come inside of me, why would he have so much release everywhere? And why would he put damp pajamas back on? Aaron was too neat and clean for that. This made no sense. And why didn’t I remember us falling asleep? Just us orgasming from the best sex ever, and then I was staring at the ceiling awake. I should have at least remembered him pulling out of me and then me falling into his arms. Had he sexed me straight to sleep while he was still on top of me? What magic was this?
Or was it magic? Had I not actually had sex with Aaron? Wait. Had I just had a sex dream? No. Could I have just had a dream that made me orgasm so hard in my sleep I squirted? From a dream? But then, did he dream too? The evidence showed that to be the case. Did we both have orgasmic dreams, coincidentally?
No. I didn’t believe in coincidences.
I poked a finger at his side. “Wake up. ”
Aaron shifted but opened his eyes. He was a light sleeper. He knew whenever I would sneak out of bed in the middle of the night to avoid snuggling up to him like I did that fateful morning.
He blinked his eyes and stretched, then stiffened, no doubt feeling the stickiness around him. His eyes widened, and he looked down at himself, muttering a curse. I crossed my arms. He seemed just as shocked as me, but I needed to hear it from him. “Did you have a sex dream, too?”
Still looking at his glistening stomach, he nodded. “Let me clean this up. I apologize.”
I pushed out a hand to stop him. “Wait. Did your dream include me?”
He balanced on his elbows, eyes narrowing. “Perhaps. Did you say ‘too’? Did you also have a sexual dream?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Perhaps.”
He cocked a brow, interest peaked. “What did we do in the dream?”
Of course, he’d want to know that. I felt my cheeks grow hot, and I was thankful he couldn’t see me blush through my deep complexion. “Things.”
He snorted. “Ah, things. I know things.” His eyes quickly lost their playfulness, filling with lust. “Things like me dipping my finger into you and tasting your strawberries and cream scent. Things like me stripping you, manipulating that heavenly bud with my magic, and fucking you.” He groaned in that bass-heavy masculine way of his that made my clit throb. “Gods, you felt so good. I can still feel your tightness squeezing my cock right now. Did your dream have ‘things’ like that?”
I was getting damp all over again hearing him replay my dream. But how did he know? Had we had the same exact dream? That wasn’t normal, even for alphas and omegas. We’d barely been together a month. That wasn’t long enough to have connected with each other on that kind of level. Assuming such a thing was possible.
Sensing my bewilderment, Aaron sat up. “You had that dream as well?”
I nodded. “How did we have the same dream?”
He ran a hand over his face, letting out a heavy breath. “I think this is my fault. This hasn’t happened in years.”
I squinted my eyes, suspicious. “What are you talking about?”
“I have the ability to dream connect. Bring in those I’m closest to into my dreams. I’ve never done it intentionally unless asked.”
I rolled my eyes, feeling a steam of anger rising in me. Something about this felt almost like a violation. We hadn’t had sex in real life, but we had connected, and I was unconscious, so there was no agreement. “I didn’t ask for that.”
He dropped his hand, eyes apologetic. “I realize that. I’m sorry, Melina. There is nothing I can say to justify what I did. I should have had better control. I don’t know how I let this happen. But it wasn’t on purpose.”
Did I believe him? I was beginning to like him, against my better judgment, and I almost forgot that he was doing a duty, which was to seduce me. I was resistant to us doing more than that morning together weeks ago, so this could have been his way of breaking down my will. He probably thought he was even doing me a favor after my admission last night. Reward me for my vulnerability. No. He couldn’t believe I was that simple.
I got out of bed and cringed at the feeling of wetness on my bottom and the mess I had left exposed on the bed. I shouldn’t be embarrassed. He was no better. Yet still, I felt unsettled about it all.
“Rabbit, don’t run from me,” he called after me.
I tensed, fighting against the sound of his voice affecting my heart. He sounded so vulnerable, as if it hurt for him to see me move away from him. He was supposed to be seducing me, but it always felt so sincere. The way he looked out for me, the way he respected me, and his patience. It was all so confusing. I even liked his nickname for me. It was silly but sweet. It also made it harder for me to remain upset. “I’m not running. I’m showering. I have to meet Lila later for lunch.”
“You don’t want to talk more about this?”
“No.”
He got up, and suddenly, he was in front of me. Had he teleported? “Are we going to go backward?”
He looked almost pained when he asked me that; his shoulders dropped, and his face scrunched with worry. It made my heart pang. I had to remember that he wasn’t falling for me. He said he couldn’t. That he was hiding some horrible secret that would make me hate him, and so he couldn’t open his heart to me. If I stepped away from him, his heart wouldn’t break. The only heart in danger here was mine. Perhaps it would be easier if I just remembered that he was hiding something that might make me dislike him.
I stepped back from him, his forest scent attempting to entrap me. I wanted to lay my head on his chest and have him wrap those muscular arms around me. It would feel so right, but my head knew better. “We weren’t going forward, Aaron. I will still find a way out of this marriage because I deserve the world. Just like you said.”
He smiled softly with those seemingly earnest eyes, and I almost broke down. “I can give you that.”
That would have been romantic if I knew he would actually fall in love with me.
“No, you can’t,” I replied and walked into the bathroom to try to wash away the memory of our dream together.
* ~ * ~ *
I absentmindedly drove to meet Lila at a restaurant outside the city near a lakeside community she’d asked to try out. The roads were not packed, as it was a weekend, and the Fae copied the work schedule of the humans. For as much as we tried to separate from them, we had no problem incorporating some of the same practices. We didn’t work the same number of days or hours, as we valued our leisure, but it was close enough.
I didn’t want to leave the realm. I found it beautiful. More beautiful than the human realm. Although we had advanced technology, we infused it with magic that worked with our land, not against it. Our streets and water were clean. The air was fresh, and our sun was not clouded in a destroyed layer above us. Our buildings, brightly colored structures giving the land a rainbow effect, remained primarily built in brick, and we avoided the ugly skyscrapers the humans built that obstructed their views. Plant life wrapped around our buildings and trees, and flowers stood up alongside and between the houses and shops, blending into a beautiful landscape.
Our roads were still dirt, but with transportation mainly consisting of hovercars, it wasn’t a problem. Airships floated above us instead of the human planes, taking the Fae to far-off destinations within the Unseelie side of the realm. Although we had fewer animals roaming the city, the suburbs and countryside had more wildlife that could impede traffic from time to time. Still, I loved my realm, my Fae-kind.
Could I leave if I found a way to get out of this arrangement that wouldn’t hurt my family? There would be no way the king and queen would allow me to stay in the realm if we dissolved the marriage somehow. Too many others would try the same thing. They’d have to make it unappealing, like exile. How many would want to give up their home, their businesses, and their family to escape a marriage to a former enemy?
When I got to the restaurant, I found Lila sitting at a small round table outside near the water with several other tables of patrons and servers bustling about. It was serene outside, bright and sunny, with calming navy blue water lapping against bright green grass. Lila waved me over, an aura of happiness practically bouncing off her. She was dressed in a blue strapped dress that hugged her curves. Her long, curly hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and large hooped earrings adorned her ears. A mix of Fae and human fashion made her stand out.
She made an excellent transition into our realm. She’d left her life and business behind to be with her new pack and seemed happy. Then again, she could always visit the friends she left behind and check in on her business anytime. And she’d started a new business in town that was starting off well.
I took a seat across from her. “This was a good option.”
She nodded in agreement. “Right. I’m starting to like this land. It reminds me of the Netherlands back home. Did you ever visit there when you went to the human realm?”
“No, but you can take me now,” I joked, looking down at the menu.
A waitress arrived with two long-stemmed glasses filled with an orange liquid on the table. We quickly placed our orders before she left and toasted our glasses to enjoy the day.
“Ooh, thanks for this,” I stated before taking an extra-long sip.
Lila shook her head, twisting her lips to the side. “Tough day already?”
I’d kept Lila up-to-date with my failing plan to get Aaron to leave. She was the only one I could talk to about it without worry. My parents would have a fit, and the couple of friends I had would never approve as it went against what the court ordered.
I recapped the shared dream incident, leaving out the details to avoid further mortification .
Lila poked out her chin and squinted her eyes as if she were thinking deeply. “You know Yosef gave me a sex dream once. See- ”
I raised my hands in front of me to stop her. “I’m not drunk enough to hear about you and my cousin.”
She smirked, slouching down. “Fine. The point is, it pissed me off. And he did it on purpose.”
I frowned. I had no idea my cousin was that devious. I knew it was under less-than-friendly circumstances when they first met Lila, but it all worked out in the end. Still, giving her a sex dream was wrong. He was going to hear from me about it.
Lila waved a dismissive hand at me. “I can see the wheels turning in your mind. Don’t yell at Yosef. We’ve resolved it all now, and I love the moody bastard. The point is he did it to connect with me. After he claimed me by accident when he was in his rut, I got pissed off and wouldn’t talk to him. So, he entered my dreams to connect with me, which apparently you can do when a supernatural alpha claims you.”
I wrinkled my nose, still not over his behavior. “You are more forgiving than I am.”
“Maybe, but the bigger issue is, did Aaron claim you?”
I sat back, touching my neck as if I would find a bite there. Theoretically, an alpha could claim an omega against her will, but she or he would know once it was done. I’d feel it. Not just in my body but in my soul. “No, he didn’t.”
Lila nodded thoughtfully. “Well, then maybe get past it. He said it was a mistake. Don’t let this hurt your progress. ”
I gave her an incredulous look, leaning back. Had everyone lost their senses? “What progress? What do you do when someone says they could never fall in love with you? That this is just business, and he’s hiding a secret that could make you hate him.”
Lila put her glass down and straightened, giving me a somber look. “I’m just as stubborn as you are, Mel. If I were in your situation, I would run to the human realm so fast I’d leave dust in my tracks. But I’m also an orphan and had nothing to lose before I met your cousin. Your situation is different. And the king and queen are kind of scary. Forcing people to marry is ridiculous. But I have a certain gut feeling about Aaron. I think patience is what’s needed here.” She held up a hand, already sensing my rising indignation. “Luca thinks he likes you and said it was more than duty. He said he talks about you a lot, and his friend Ivan said it was different than when he had that arranged marriage before. He cares more or something. Time might change him.”
I blinked rapidly to push away the tears threatening to burst through. My stomach felt like it was twisting, and my chest grew tight. Did he talk about me? I suspected he was attracted to me, but that wasn’t the same as having romantic feelings for me. Especially if he was fighting his emotions, could he give in and care enough to fall in love with me one day? How long would I have to wait? “I’m so tired, Lila. I don’t know what to do.”
Lila looked around the space as if looking for eavesdroppers and leaned in. “I know people, Mel. I have some dudes back home that are willing to take out a motherfucker for the right price and or reason.”
I dropped my mouth open in shock. Was she joking? “By take out, do you mean kill?”
She didn’t respond and then sat back with a smile. “I’m just kidding, girl. I don’t know anyone like that. I would never. But, you know, if you wanted me to end him, just say the word.”
What was happening? “What word?”
She raised her hands in surrender. “Fine, play confused. But you know how to reach me.”
I looked at her in silence for a moment. I wasn’t sure if she was joking. Lila’s human humor didn’t always transfer. Then again, she excited the blood Fae, Xander, and it took someone slightly demented to pique his curiosity. Perhaps I needed to be careful about how much I told her. I wanted out of the marriage, but I didn’t want Aaron dead. Unfortunately for me, I was beginning to like him too much.