Chapter 24
Archer
I’m not sure what I was dreaming about. At first it was something normal, like going to class or fencing practice.
But then things just sort of went dark. The only thing I was aware of was a warmth pressed against me.
And it felt good, so I pulled it closer in the dark.
The closeness created a spark of pleasure that coursed through my body and I pushed into it harder, wanting more.
That was when consciousness began to seep in around the edges of my world. I realized something more was happening, that my body was moving of its own accord. It wasn’t until I opened my eyes at last that I realized what was happening.
“Oh fuck…” Valen groaned, his back pressed against my chest. His hand was on my hip, guiding me in slow, rhythmic thrusts. “Good boy.”
“Valen?” I said, still groggy. “What’s—”
“You were grinding against me in your sleep,” he grinned, glancing back at me over his shoulder. “So I let you have what you wanted.”
It was only then that I realized where all this pleasure coursing through my body was coming from. I glanced down and saw Valen’s ass pressed tight against my hips, my cock buried to the hilt inside him.
“Oh god…” I moaned, forcing myself deeper inside. “Fuck you’re so tight.”
The feeling was incredible, like nothing I’d ever experienced. Being inside Valen while still half-asleep, my body moving on pure instinct, created this dreamlike haze of pleasure that made everything feel heightened and surreal.
“That’s it,” Valen breathed, pushing back against me with each thrust. “Just like that, darling. You feel so good inside me.”
I was still trying to process what was happening, my brain foggy with sleep and arousal. “Did I really... in my sleep?”
“Mmm,” he hummed, the sound vibrating through his body and straight into my cock. “You were so hard, pressing against me, making these little desperate sounds. I couldn’t resist helping you out.”
The thought that I’d been unconsciously seeking him out, my body knowing what it wanted even when my mind was gone, sent heat coursing through me. I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him tighter against me as I found a steady rhythm.
“Fuck, you’re incredible,” I groaned, burying my face in his neck. His skin was cool against my overheated face, and I could smell his unique pheromones that always drove me crazy. “I can’t believe you let me...”
“Let you?” He laughed softly, the sound rough with pleasure. “Darling, I’ve been awake for an hour just watching you sleep. When you started grinding against me like that, looking so beautiful and needy... I would have been crazy to stop you.”
I could feel that familiar energy connection sparking to life between us, but it was different this time. Gentler, more intimate somehow. Like waking up slowly on a sunny Sunday morning instead of being struck by lightning.
“Are you feeding?” I asked, pressing kisses to his shoulder as I moved inside him.
“Just a little,” he admitted, his voice catching as I hit a particularly good angle. “Your arousal tastes different when you’re half-asleep. Sweeter. More pure somehow.”
The idea that even unconscious I could nourish him, could give him what he needed, made my heart race. I shifted slightly, trying to get deeper, and was rewarded with a low moan that made my toes curl.
“I love you,” I whispered against his ear, the words slipping out as naturally as breathing. “I love waking up with you, love being inside you like this.”
“I love you too,” he replied, his hand covering mine where it rested on his stomach. “More than I ever thought possible.”
We moved together slowly, savoring the lazy intimacy of it. There was no urgency, no desperate need to reach the peak. Just the two of us, connected in the most fundamental way, sharing pleasure and energy in the light of early dawn filtering through the curtains.
I could feel my orgasm building gradually, a slow burn that started in my toes and worked its way up through my entire body. Every thrust sent waves of sensation through both of us via the feeding bond, creating this perfect feedback loop that made everything more intense.
“I’m getting close,” I warned, my hips stuttering slightly as the pleasure became almost overwhelming.
“Me too,” Valen gasped, his body clenching around my cock in a way that made my breath catch. “Don’t stop, Archer. Please don’t stop.”
I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted to. My body was moving on its own now, chasing that perfect orgasm that was building between us. When it finally hit, it was like drowning in honey, sweet and all-consuming and absolutely fucking perfect.
I came with a broken cry, my cock pulsing inside him as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through me. Through the bond, I felt Valen’s own climax, felt him spill across the sheets as his body milked every drop from mine.
We lay there afterward, still connected, both of us breathing hard and trembling from the intensity of it. I pressed my face against his neck, inhaling his scent and trying to memorize this perfect moment.
“Wow…” I started, then trailed off, not having words for what we’d just shared.
“Not bad,” Valen smiled, his voice soft with satisfaction. “I could wake up like that every day.”
“Every day?” I repeated, a smile tugging at my lips despite how thoroughly wrecked I felt. “That’s a dangerous promise to make to someone like me.”
“Someone like you?” Valen shifted in my arms, turning slightly so he could see my face. Those amber eyes were soft with post-orgasmic bliss, but there was genuine curiosity there too.
“Someone who’s going to hold you to it,” I said, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “Someone who’s going to want this every morning and probably most nights too.”
He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest and straight into my cock, which was still buried inside him. “I think I can handle that level of commitment.”
The word ‘commitment’ hung in the air between us, loaded with implications neither of us had really addressed yet. We’d said we loved each other, we’d claimed each other in the most intimate way possible, but we hadn’t talked about what any of that actually meant for our future.
“Valen,” I started, then hesitated. The last thing I wanted was to ruin this perfect moment with heavy conversations about logistics and consequences.
“What is it, darling?” he asked, his hand finding mine and threading our fingers together.
“Nothing,” I said, chickening out. “Just... I’m happy. Really happy.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. I was happy, probably happier than I’d ever been in my life.
But there was also this underlying current of anxiety about everything we still needed to figure out.
The Purity Front attacks, my family’s expectations, and the fact that we were still professor and student with all the complications that entailed.
“But?” Valen prompted, because of course he could read me that well already.
I sighed, finally pulling out of him and immediately missing the connection.
“But I keep thinking about everything else. The attack yesterday, my parents, the end of the semester...” I rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling.
“I love you, and I want this to work, but I have no idea how to make it work.”
Valen turned to face me fully, propping himself up on his elbow. “What specifically are you worried about?”
“Everything,” I admitted with a laugh that sounded a bit hysterical even to my own ears.
“My father is already suspicious about my focus and my attitude. If he finds out about us...” I shuddered.
“And then there’s graduation. What happens when I’m not a student here anymore?
Do I move back home and pretend none of this happened?
Do I try to find some way to stay near Widdershins?
Do we attempt some kind of long-distance relationship? ”
“You’re spiraling,” Valen observed gently, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. “I can practically see the thoughts racing around in that beautiful head of yours.”
“Sorry,” I muttered, leaning into his touch. “I just... I’ve never felt like this before. About anyone. And the idea of losing it, losing you, terrifies me.”
“Hey.” His voice was firm but kind. “Look at me.”
I met his amber gaze, seeing my own fears reflected there along with something that looked like determination.
“We’re going to figure this out,” he said simply. “I don’t know how yet, and I can’t promise it’ll be easy, but we’re going to make this work. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve waited three hundred and sixteen years to find someone who makes me feel the way you do.
I’m not giving up on that without a fight.
” His thumb brushed across my cheekbone.
“And because you’re braver than you give yourself credit for.
You’ve already stood up to your family’s expectations by pursuing what you want instead of what they want. We’ll figure out the rest together.”
The conviction in his voice eased some of the tension in my chest. He was right, though. I had already made choices that went against everything my family expected of me. This was just the next step in that same journey.
“Together,” I repeated, liking the sound of it.
“Together,” he confirmed, sealing the promise with a soft kiss.
We lay there in comfortable silence for a while, just holding each other as the morning light grew stronger outside the curtains. I could hear birds singing in the trees around his cottage, and somewhere in the distance, the faint sounds of campus life beginning to stir.
“We should probably get up soon,” I said reluctantly. “I need to get back to my dorm before people start asking questions about where I spent the night.”
“Probably,” Valen agreed, but he made no move to release me. “Just a few more minutes.”
Those few more minutes stretched into nearly an hour before we finally forced ourselves out of bed.
I watched Valen move around his bedroom, gathering clothes and preparing for the day, and felt this strange sense of belonging wash over me.
Like this was how mornings were supposed to be.
Waking up tangled together, and sharing lazy conversation and gentle touches before facing whatever the day might bring.
“What’s your schedule like today?” I asked as I pulled on my clothes from the night before.
“Classes this morning, then fencing practice this afternoon,” he replied, then paused. “Actually, I’m not sure if practice is happening. The salle is still considered a crime scene.”
The reminder of yesterday’s attack brought reality crashing back down around us. The Purity Front was still out there, still targeting anyone they deemed unworthy of magical society. And that definitely included vampires and the people who cared about them.
“Be careful,” I said, the words coming out more intense than I’d intended. “Promise me you’ll be careful today.”
Valen crossed the room to stand in front of me, his hands coming up to frame my face. “I promise. But you need to promise me the same thing. If anything feels off—”
His words were cut off by a banging on his front door downstairs.
“Are you expecting someone?” I asked, glancing toward the stairs.
“No,” he said, all his tenderness replaced with tension. “Stay here.”
“Valen,” I began. “What if it’s—”
“It’s probably another professor,” he said, cutting me off. “And they can’t know you’re here, remember? We’re still breaking all the rules right now.”
My heart hammered against my ribs as the banging on the door continued, more insistent now.
Valen was right though. If another faculty member found me here, it would raise questions neither of us could afford to answer.
But the thought of hiding while he faced whatever was downstairs alone made my stomach clench with anxiety.
“Just stay put,” he said again, already moving toward the bedroom door. “I’ll handle this.”
I wanted to argue, to insist that we face whatever this was together, but the rational part of my brain knew he was right. Getting caught here would destroy both our school-related careers and any chance we had at a future together. So I nodded reluctantly and watched him disappear down the stairs.
I crept to the window, careful to stay hidden behind the curtain as I peered out toward the front of the cottage. From this angle, I couldn’t see who was at the door, but I could hear muffled voices drifting up through the window. Then I heard the front door open as Valen answered.
The voices got louder immediately, all of them talking over each other at once. Then Valen’s raised above the rest. “I assure you, there’s—”
“Don’t lie to me, bloodsucker!” a familiar voice yelled. “I tracked his student ID!”
My heart sank, my blood turning to ice in an instant. I knew exactly who that voice belonged to.
“ARCHER?!” my father called. “Get your ass down here NOW!”