Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Boreus wasn’t happy with the Highest. There had to be something he could do to defend Autumn against them and their demands.
Their implication that she was nothing other than a means to an end.
Even if that end was protecting the Mountain, she should still have a choice.
He knew she would elect to protect the Mountain and the Song, but they had been far too blunt that they only saw that in her.
Especially when there was so much more that they had blinded themselves to.
She was so much more: fear and bravery, stubborn and kind, always kind, even to those that perhaps were not as deserving of her kindness.
Like him, he hadn’t deserved her kindness, and Auster had almost certainly deserved less than he got.
Autumn stirred, opening her eyes and looking up at him. “It’s going to be fine, Boreus.”
He sighed, pulling her closer to him and closing his eyes. “It will be; we’ll make it fine. You and I together.”
She nodded against his chest. “I do not say I will forgive him quickly, but the Highest have ordered that I put the past down.”
Boreus just held her, feeling her inward struggle. “If you must put it down, then I will help. I am trying to put the bitterness I feel towards him away.”
“Feel the way you feel, love,” she told him softly. “You will be my balance since I cannot allow myself to feel.”
“You can,” he kissed her forehead. “You can still feel; you can be angry. The Highest only said you must accept his help, not that you had to forgive him.”
“I have to do both.” She said, looking up at him again. “If I must have him help with the braid, I have to trust him, and I don’t think trust will be possible without forgiveness.”
“Then I will help.” Boreus said. “We should sleep.”
She moved, coming to hover over him, looking down at him in the dark before her lips came down on his.
It took him a moment to get his brain under him, but he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her back.
He wasn’t going to ask her if she was sure; he was just going to kiss her and see where they would go.
She curled into him dragging her fingers through the hair on his chest, making a little pleased sound when he shuddered. “Can I?”
“Take me, love,” he looked up at her. “Whatever you like, I’m yours.”
She’d learned from him, the same soft touches that he’d used on her, she used on him. Until he was panting, and she had her hand wrapped around his length, stroking softly.
Boreus was a puddle in her hands, and it wasn’t until she let out a tiny whimper that he realized she’d been touching herself the whole time.
“My turn,” he smiled at her, rolling them until he was above her, to kiss her hard and push her hand away from her core. “What’s this, Autumn? Are you taking your pleasure away from me?”
“I,” the rest of the words were lost as he started stroking her. “Boreus, please.”
“Yes, my love,” he murmured to her, kissing his way down her neck. “Please, what?”
“I need-” she was writhing now, hips canting in time with his touch.
“I know what you need,” he crooned, “I’ll give you what you need, but I want to hear you ask me for it.”
“Boreus,” she moaned his name. “Please, I need you.”
“What do you need from me?” he kissed her again, hot and demanding as he circled the little bundle of nerves at her apex. “Do you want to fly for me, or do you want me inside you?”
“Yes,” she cried the word as her body jolted under his hands. “Please, it’s good, but I need more.”
He said nothing; her scent was driving him mad. He tossed the blankets back and moved to lie between her legs, lapping at her as if he was starving and she was the finest feast in existence.
Her hand came down, lacing her fingers through his hair as she bucked against his face. “Boreus!”
Her body spasmed as she cried his name. Her passion covering his face as she flew for him.
He waited, nursing her pleasure, until she calmed. And then he did it again, and then again, until she was too sensitive and had to push him away so she could roll onto her side and shake while the tremors faded.
He moved to hold her, aching to the soul of him and wondering if he’s gone too far. “You, my love, are delicious.”
She rolled in his arms, turning to face him and kiss him again. “I’m ready, Boreus.”
She pushed him back, mounting him to rock slowly over him. Then faster, as the passion grew, and he gripped her hips, helping her find her rhythm as it stuttered before she flew for him again.
The feeling was too much for him. She locked down on him as she flew, making the lightning hit him in the spine as he called her name, filling her with his heat.
They curled down together, relaxing, letting the pleasure tremors fade. Boreus started to think about bathing. He thought he knew where the bathing room was in the villa, but it was also the middle of the day and Auster should be asleep if they hadn’t woken him.
“We need to clean up.” Boreus told her. “Don’t sleep yet, Autumn, we have to clean up.”
She muttered something that he didn’t catch before cuddling closer to him.
Boreus smiled; she was always reluctant to leave the circle of his arms after they’d made love. So he helped her rise, helped her through the living area to the bathing room where they washed the sweat away before they went back and fell into bed.
He wrapped her in his arms, held her close, and felt it when she fell asleep between one breath and the next.
He didn’t make it much longer, falling into rest with a smile curving his lips.
They were going to make it through this. They would do it together.