6. Chapter 5 Rhianelle
Chapter 5 Rhianelle
I ’ve always been good at hiding.
No one could ever find me.
Not my family.
Not my knights.
Not the villagers who want to kill me.
Not the monsters that dwell in the swamps and shadows.
Not even the gods and the Un.
I am silent.
I could have just stayed hidden in the forest and the vampire would never catch me. But something tugged in my chest as I was watching Svenn frantically searching for me earlier.
Nel, please come back. I need you.
The fear and pain in his face does unpleasant things to my heart.
You trust too easily, Blaire once said after our food stash got raided by an army of squirrels.
I settle in front of the dresser and lift the blue crystal bottle of salve from its resting place. A mesmerizing scent of lotus petals fills the air the instant I twist the cap. There’s a small note of wild orchids in the fragrance too, cleverly woven with fae magic.
I rub them over my ankle to soothe the ache there. I use them sparingly because this is the last bottle. Fae items are not exactly restricted in Aelfheim but they are scarce. Rainer would usually order this for me, but I doubt he remembers. I don’t think my uncle even knows what day it is these days.
Is he aware that his Grimsbanes are using Asterdust?
I love the smart Tluryan elves for inventing glorious architectures, elvenlights, and the amazing water system. But their brilliance was once used by the Aeonians to create this vile drug as a weapon to destroy Avalon.
In the end the Asterdust is about as useless as sand in defeating the fae, but it has detrimental effects to other species. It’s addictive and causes loss of inhibition in elves and orcs. The Asterdust has been banned in Aelfheim for years. I hope my uncle is not getting into any trouble.
Svenn strides into the room without his shirt again. There’s a certain savage beauty about him that makes my throat dry. My eyes trail over the slick muscles of his abdomen and the defined line that disappears beneath the leather breeches that hang low on his hips.
What am I doing?
Walls of bricks, not of straw.
I continue combing my hair and removing the jewelry and trinkets from my ears to get ready for bed.
“Little fawn.”
I whirl around at the strange nickname he gave me.
Svenn is perched on the table with his arms folded across his chest, his dark eyes are staring straight at me. I wonder if he knew how frightening he is. Even Lord Wesley, the flag bearer for my mother’s warband, was intimidated by his presence earlier.
“The nightmares… are they new?” he asks, his voice as dark as smoke.
I’ve had night terrors for a long time, but last night was the absolute worse.
I give a slow shake of my head. “No.”
Svenn search my eyes for more answers.
“Two days ago, the Aeonians decided that Blaire’s life is not worth the gold and silver. They didn’t bother paying her ransom,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “So, I’ve been on edge waiting for bad news, for something terrible…”
My lower lip trembles as I recall the dread I felt yesterday.
“Nel, you know I can destroy your enemies for you.” Svenn lets out a long exhale.
“I’m not going to use the Rhunhraefn on you,” I say softly.
He studies me with those dark eyes. “Consider it a favor.”
I blink.
The devil himself is offering to help me.
“Ask whatever you need and it shall be done.” His voice drops lower. More dangerous.
A ringing silence follows his words as I stare at him.
“How do you plan on saving Blaire?” I tread carefully.
“Give me an accurate description of this girl. I will kill everything else in that fortress.”
I keep my face neutral at the brutal promise, spoken with such casual grace. Sometimes I forget that I married a vicious Nightwalker. He’s not just any vampire, but a Strigon, the sire of his kind.
“There are other folks taken by the bandits, the faeries from Avalon, the orcs of Myrkheim, and the dwarves from Darvan,” I say calmly. “There are so many things at stake if we do this wrong.”
A wave of surprise flashes across his face at my rejection.
“You don’t have to worry. I won’t be screaming in my sleep tonight,” I assure him quickly. “We received a letter from Blaire this morning. She told us she is safe.”
Darkness seems to shift in his eyes for a moment as he stares at me. “Your friend could be forced to say that.”
I almost smile at that. No one can force Blaire to do anything she doesn’t want to do.
“I want to show you something.” I rise from my seat and rush to the table. “Come look.”
I open the heavy tome I’ve been carrying all day. “This is the Book of Bindings taken from the Arawynn temple. I wanted to check for our bond, but I found something else.”
“Blaire made an Arawynn contract with Vayne Aeldrath Malgorth. The orcs are worshippers of the seventy-seven gods, just like us. Every single orc has the Mother as their Prime God. They have a custom of honoring a new bride for the first one hundred days of marriage. Not even the bandits would dare disrespect this tradition.”
I am safe.
Trust me, Rhianelle.
I look at the letter again.
I can almost see my friend winking and grinning while writing that. I’ve always loved her confident smile. “I trust her. Blaire always has a plan.”
I just need to make sure the council of Aldarelfs and the Aeonians will not ruin it first.
Svenn narrows his eyes. “Is our name in there?”
My breath stills in my lungs at the question.
I count and skim the lines to show him our Arawynn agreement. His face is unreadable as he traces my name with his long fingers.
He is so close I can feel his breath over the back of my neck. His peaceful scent of warm ocean breeze rolls over me. It is mixed with leather and steel after our training. I lean in closer to inhale it deep into my lungs.
My hand accidentally brushes his and a jolt of lightning spark through my senses. I miss the way those arms held me like I’m the most precious thing in the world. I miss our wedding night. I miss being held, but most of all, I miss being wanted by him.
I look up to him to find him staring at me with a heated gaze. No, he’s not looking at me…
He’s staring at my neck.
That’s right…
We made another personal deal. Unbounded by any bond but our words. I’ll be his personal donor, and in exchange he’ll spare the innocents. He’s finally claiming it today.
This is it.
Without words, I slide my hair to the side, revealing my neck. He leans down and my body straightens with anticipation. His lips settle over my feverish skin, drawing a soft gasp from my throat. I hadn’t realized my neck has so many sensitive nerve endings. My body is prickling with awareness, focussing on that burning at that spot where he kissed me.
He inhales deeply, then releases it slowly. Goosebumps erupt on my skin at the feel of his breath running down my back. It’s taking a while…
Instead of sinking his teeth into me, Svenn just lingers there.
“Wait… you’re not going to bite?” I ask nervously.
“Do you want me to?” he asks with a raised brow.
Embarrassment heats my face. “Don’t you need to feed?”
“Not really.”
I clench my fist with determination. I have to confront him about this sooner or later.
“There have been multiple death in Windhaven,” I say, unable to meet his eyes. “I need to know if you’re responsible—”
“I didn’t do it,” he says, his jaw tightening.
Strangely enough… I believe him.
“We had a deal. I’ll only take from you,” he adds.
“Then why haven’t you?” He has not taken a drop of my blood since that morning.
“I don’t need it yet.”
I don’t need you.
I lower my head and look away from him.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he says in a voice that sounds like the darkest of lullabies.
You already did. If I still cared, I might have challenged him and quip with that. But now that I know we have no chance, I don’t bother.
I am a disgusting curse bearer…
Svenn suddenly wraps his arms around me.
A small inaudible ‘What?’ escapes from my lips.
I cease to breathe knowing he can easily crush me if he wants to. I’m beginning to feel like the silly first pig again, or even more foolish than that. I didn’t just build my walls out of straw; I got captured by the wolf twice today.
“I noticed you were in pain this morning,” he says, his breath dancing on my neck, sending tremors down to my spine.
I nod softly.
It almost sounds like he cares. My pulse quickens the moment I feel his calloused hand over my back.
“If you’re not planning to send me to crush your enemies, then let me help you with this at least,” he murmurs in my ear.
A wordless gasp falls from my lips as his hands dig into my sore muscles.
What kind of help is this? I don’t trust my voice enough to speak.
His fingers continue their leisure, unhurried exploration over my body. I have seen his hands rip apart people to pieces and yet they’re being so delicate and gentle with me.
Wait—he’s giving me a massage?
His technique is a little untrained, as if Svenn had just learned this from a book and decided to test it out on me. But still, this feels like utter perfection to me. Every stroke of his hands leaves a burning fire in their wake. They move to work lower over the base of my spine.
Oh gods. That feels so good.
My whole body is awakened by a strange sense of familiarity over his presence. It’s humming with delight.
Hey, I remember you.
Every nerve in me resurrects to life after being starved of his attention for so long. I focus on anything else in the room to avoid myself from responding inappropriately to the feel of him. But my brain suddenly decides now is the time to list all the things I want from Svenn.
I want to feel the weight of him pressed against me. I want his large, capable hands wrapped around me. I want to bury my face in his neck and breathe in his scent. I want to trace my fingertips over his chest, his back—over every inch of him. I want him to lean down and whisper dirty things to my ears. But the thing I want most is for him to look me in the eye the way he did that night.
Fool. All the things I want are the things I can’t have.
He’s being nice again. This could be a trap, a way for him to shatter me into a million pieces so I can never rebuild.
I know enough not to trust him anymore.
Walls of bricks, not of straw.
He pulls back to look at me. “Does it still hurt?”
“Less,” I admit.
If his touch hasn’t unraveled me already, that tender look certainly does.
His sincerity pokes at the heart I’m supposed to be protecting. I hate how I’m completely vulnerable to his charm.
My heart begins to hammer wildly until my ribcage starts to ache. I touch that tender spot on my chest. Pain is not foreign to me. I’ve been through the worst of it when I was young, and I dealt with it every day because of my maimed leg. I know I can handle most pain, but Svenn can hurt me in a way I didn’t know I was capable of hurting.
I don’t want to fall apart. I don’t want to shatter into pieces.
If I trust him again, he’ll destroy me the way he did the last time. That cold fact makes it unbearable for me to continue indulging in his kindness.
“I appreciate what you’re doing, but I have a council session early in the morning.” I try to find my voice.
He removes his hand abruptly and my body chills from the loss of his touch. I climb onto the bed, and like always, Svenn doesn’t join me.
I sneak another glance at him from under the blanket. “Goodnight, Svenn.”
“Goodnight, Rhianelle,” he whispers quietly.
I am dreaming.
At least, I think I am.
I’ve been trying to figure out what this strange experience means ever since the first time I’ve had it. Lady Deirdre said dreams could be premonitions for the things to come.
I hardly think this is a memory or the future.
I’m still in my bedchamber in Lord Wesley’s keep. Everything is the same as it was just before I went to bed, from the placement of books on the shelves, to the half-eaten porridge on the table, my bottle of salve on the dresser, and the crumple of the rug over the hearth. Not a single thing out of place.
Perhaps I’m just stuck somewhere that exists between dreams and nightmares.
And I say nightmares because I am now staring into the merciless eyes of a handsome, broad-shouldered male, with raven black hair that seems to swallow the light in the room.
Perched on the long table in nothing but his leather breeches, the Strigon looks as if he just came straight out of hell, ready to carry out the devil’s bidding.
I call this vampire Dream Svenn.
I assign him a name because he is like a different beast from my husband in real life. This version is somehow more cruel and vicious. I have the inherent need to run away from him.
A sardonic smirk pulls at the corner of his lips. “You’re not still mad about last time, are you?”
I shoot him a glare.
The last time he was referring to is a dream in which he chased me through the entire keep and finally made love to me in the Great Hall.
“Fine. Stay mad at me, Nel,” he says, his rough voice edges against my skin. “It’s more fun to fuck you this way.”
His slow prowl raises the hairs along my arms.
“Go on, run. I’ll give you a longer head start this time,” he taunts, eyes glittering in the light.
“I’m not playing your games anymore,” I tell him.
He lets out a dark, cruel laugh. “You seemed to enjoy our last play.”
I will my legs to move, to run, to do something. But it’s like I am spellbound by his presence alone.
In the blink of an eye, he is in front of me, his arm wrapped around my waist. “Guess I’ll just catch you then.”
My heart is still racing, but it’s for an entirely different reason now. His expression smolders as he hauls me against his chest. “Come here, sweetheart.”
He captures my mouth into a ravenous kiss, one that has me weaving on my feet. His tongue dances with mine with passion and fire.
“I just can’t get enough of you,” he whispers into my mouth before deepening the kiss. This frantic need from him invokes a strange feeling in my heart.
I feel anxious being in my own body during this strange dream.
No, I can’t do this.
Since this is just a dream, I can easily step myself out from the dream version of me. I take a deep breath and slip out from my physical body. Like an invisible spirit, I move away from them without being seen.
The sensation of being disembodied is weird. I watch in fascination as Dream Nel and Dream Svenn kiss one another. It feels like I’m a stalker for a moment, intruding on two persons’ private moment.
What is even more messed up is that even though I’m not in that body, I can still feel Dream Nel’s feelings and every bit of pleasure she’s experiencing. We are one and the same person after all.
I can taste his mouth, every stroke and dance between our tongues, the hard press of his body. Heat travels from my chest and settles between my thighs.
It’s infuriating.
Well, I might as well grab a chair and watch.
Dream Nel pulls away from him, breathless. “Let’s make it fair this time.”
A soft chuckle, but his grip on her is anything but. “What are you up to, little fawn?”
“If this is a game, then we should at least take turns,” she says, looking straight into his eyes.
Smart move, I compliment Dream Nel silently. If we leave it up to this guy, I’ll end up drowning in pleasure until the break of dawn.
“Turns?” He lifts a brow.
“Yes. I’ll go first.” She pushes him to the chaise. At least she tries to.
I expect him to refuse, but Dream Svenn indulges her request by settling down. His face is full of confusion. I think I like that vulnerable look on him for once. I should have taken charge like this from the very beginning. If I did, I wouldn’t have lost in the other two dreams.
Dream Nel kneels between his legs.
A deliciously, wicked smile stretches across his cheeks. “This is a surprise.”
His voice trickles on my skin like warm honey. He is watching her with fire in his eyes.
“Are you really going to get me off with your mouth?” The mocking tone in that question fills me and Dream Nel with a surging determination.
She tugs his belt with trembling fingers and I can feel every bit of her embarrassment heating my cheeks.
Dream Svenn doesn’t help her. He laces his hand behind his head as he stares down at her with a smirk. “We haven’t discussed the rule of this game. No hands.”
She pauses and glares at him with a fiery hatred.
Just stop, I want to tell Dream Nel. He seems to get off on that stare.
She lowers her head, trying to pull the laces to his leather breeches with her teeth. I am glad I’m not in that body to face this humiliation, but I feel it anyway.
He finally frees his length from the confines of his breeches, either out of pity or impatience. Dream Nel and I study what lay before us silently. It’s enormous, hard. Heavens above, I think it’s angry too.
My dream version may keep a brave fa?ade, but she is still me through and through. Fear slips into our guts.
Come on… I’ve never done this. What are we even doing? This is something we’ve only ever read in Blaire’s stash of secret novels. I want to back out. I know it simply takes a single thought from me and Dream Nel will stop. But I want to win this.
“Can I use hands now?” Dream Nel asks, her voice trembling.
He nods like the benevolence of some cruel god. “I’ll allow it.”
She kisses the tip, dragging her lips up and down his hard length, teasing him.
He attempts to keep a still expression on his face. It does nothing to hide the heat in his eyes.
“Easy, Nel.” He strokes her hair gently. His callused hand toys with her ear and my own sensitive ear twitches at the touch.
“Tap my thigh if it gets unbearable,” he says, his voice thick and strained.
I keep pretending to know what I’m doing together with Dream Nel. She licks her lips and lower her head to devour him in her mouth. I think we accidentally graze him.
The man growls but he doesn’t pull back. Instead, another dark chuckle leaves him. “Be careful with your teeth. It’s not food… don’t chew.”
Like this? She tilts her head to look at him.
“That’s it, Nel.” His voice and the stimulation give Dream Nel the assertion she needs. He keeps directing her until she falls into a confident rhythm.
“Fuck, that feels so good.” He grips the velvet material of the chaise, needing to hold on to something, anything. His mouth hangs open as he watches her with a lust-filled expression. “You should see how you look right now. The way those pretty lips are wrapped around my cock.”
Dream Svenn doesn’t know that I am seeing what he’s seeing. I am feeling everything too. I think I love the taste of him, the way he throbs against my tongue as he fills my mouth.
He makes a deep, tortured noise when she quickens the pace, his hips jerking forward a little. That reaction is intoxicating. I can’t believe I did that to him.
Me.
But I can tell he’s holding back. Dream Svenn may be cruel, but like the real Svenn he is always careful with me. I know it’s dangerous to drive a beast out of control. But I want to see that look again.
And I’m going to savor the moment this time.
I breathe through my nose and relax my throat. Dream Nel is doing the same thing as she hollows her cheeks, bringing him deeper, testing how much she can take. We’re rewarded with a sharp intake of his breath and the gentle tremble of his body.
He is so perfect, so beautiful.
I lurk closer to them for a better view of his face. I want to sit next to Dream Svenn on the couch but the weapon that I placed after our training lies there. Everything is exactly like the real world in this place.
As I look at the sword, my dream version is apparently doing the same thing. Dream Svenn notices her straying gaze immediately. He arches a brow and I see the shock flashing in his eyes.
The muscles in his jaw tics and he grinds his teeth. “Eyeing for the dagger while my cock is in your mouth?” He tries to pull away from her, but she grips his thigh.
Stupid Svenn. I’m not trying to kill you, you jerk.
Dream Nel tries shaking her head but there’s no way she can tell him that, so she does the only thing she can do. She takes him deeper into her mouth, all the way to the back of her throat. He jolts from the pleasure, his body arching back.
“Nel…” he stammers desperately. The tease drives him crazy.
He fists his hands in her hair, thrusting his hips with complete abandon. Tears spring to her eyes and hence my eyes. I’m gargling, feeling everything Dream Nel is experiencing. There’s no catching my breath at all as he plunges his hips, hitting the back of my throat.
Bless the gods…
Just when I thought I’m about to suffocate to death he explodes in my mouth. Hot liquid shoots to the back of my throat.
“Fucking hell—” he lets out a deep groan.
The taste of him is warm and heady and she can’t—I can’t keep it all inside. She eases off his length quickly and heaves some of it to the floor. I forget how to breathe for a moment.
Moments pass and I feel a caress on my cheek. He lifts her chin with two lean fingers.
“Open up. Show me,” he orders.
His gaze darkens as he inspects her mouth. He lowers his head for a kiss but Dream Nel pushes him away. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and struts to the dining table.
We need to avoid kisses from now on. Even in my dreams I will not forget my pledge.
Walls of bricks, not of straw.
My dream version understands my feelings well. She pours the wine into a glass and drains the entire thing down her throat. At a time like this, we both wish we had fae wine instead.
“Are you all right?” Dream Svenn’s voice accosts her from behind. He pulls her into his arms and gazes at her with a genuine look of concern in his eyes.
She stares right back at him.
“You came,” Dream Nel says with a wide, triumphant grin. “I win.”
He draws her to his chest and she sinks into his embrace. “Yeah, you win, little Fawn,” he mutters.
We did it!
A warm sensation spreads in my chest. I’m proud of Dream Nel. I’m proud of me.
“You’re amazing, Nel,” Dream Svenn praises, stroking her hair. He pulls back to look at her face. A smile tilts his lips as if he is happy for her too. “But it’s my turn now, is it?”
My feeling of victory is short-lived.
“It is…” she mutters as she stares at him.
A soft kindness flashes in his eyes. I don’t like this. Stop it… don’t give me that look.
Walls of bricks, not of straw.
Dream Nel detects the agony in my heart. “Let’s head to the bed then and get it over with,” she says, trying to make the whole thing sounds like a chore.
“What’s the rush?” He grasps her arm. “You want me that badly, sweetheart?”
“Don’t kid yourself. That’s not what I meant.” She dismisses. “I don’t want you.”
A dark emotion plays on his face over those last words. Even when he kills, Svenn doesn’t rage. Right now, he is staring at her with a wrath that could swallow the sun.
“Get on the table.” The authoritative command sends a shiver down my spine.
Gone is the tenderness from before, replaced by violence and chaos. It has Dream Nel hesitating and backing away. Before we can think to escape, he pushes her to the table, bending her over. She tries to wriggle free but it’s useless when he locks her arms behind her back. He lifts her nightgown, baring her bottom half.
I watch the scene play out in front of me with a mix of horror and intrigue. He nudges her legs to spread open. My heart skips when his fingers slide down between her thighs. I feel the gentlest of caresses there, like a whisper of the wind.
“You’re soaking wet, Nel.” He shows her the way my arousal is making a thread on his thumb and fingers. Then he brings them to his mouth for a taste. “Sucking my cock turn you on?”
Heat rises to my cheeks at the question and his vulgar act. Poor Dream Nel is blushing like hell too.
It’s nothing, I calm myself. It’s just my body reacting to the way he used me for his pleasure.
He licks his fingers with a reverent expression, as if he’s tasting fine wine. “Fuck, you taste exactly how I imagined.”
“Hurry up and finish this,” Dream Nel says, closing her eyes shut.
Good for her.
While I’m stuck out here to see him positioning himself behind her. He coasts his free hand on her back and her hips. I feel each and every one of his touches burning on my body.
He claims her with one powerful thrust of his hip. I gasp as I watch him fill Dream Nel—me—to the hilt. My knees buckle from the feel of him, filling me to the brim.
“Good gods…” I mutter. Tears spring to my eyes as a scorching heat convulses through my body, unravelling the knot in my very core.
I don’t get to recover from the aftershocks of my quick release as he drives into my dream version in a ferocious, almost feral rhythm. The heavy long table beneath her thumps on the floor with a sound that matches the rhythmic flutter in my chest.
“You’re taking my cock so well, Nel,” he praises, his voice harsh and gravelly with the exertion. Listening to him saying those crude words while pounding into me just heightens every sensation.
He pulls her arms, slamming her into him again and again in a savage thrust. There is no escape. I can’t do anything but take the pleasure he gives me. My muscles tighten as flame courses through my body like a storm of fury once again.
“Nel, have you come yet?” He doesn’t slow his pace while he asks me that.
Of course, I did. Twice.
But wait… he doesn’t know?
Time freezes for a brief eternity. My body is still numb from the pleasure singing in my veins. But through the thick fog of desire and lust, a wicked idea enters my head. The thought seems to cross to Dream Nel too.
That’s right… there’s no way for him to know unless we tell. This is our chance to outsmart his game.
“I haven’t come!” She shakes her head. “I haven’t come.”
The lie doesn’t sound the least bit convincing with her husky voice, but Dream Svenn halts mid-thrust.
He releases her arms, retreating just a little.
“You haven’t…?” he mutters, pausing for a moment. A light surprise filters through his expression as he studies her.
“That’s… too bad.”
Heavens above. He believes it.
We might just win this.
“Let’s give this another go, then.” My mind scatters when he drives into her once again. Tension builds, coiling with every plunge of his hips. The pleasure weaves dangerously faster through me this time.
Dream Nel is trying to hold on as much as I am. A moan gathers in her throat, but she swallows it down, refusing to surrender just yet.
He keeps pounding into her, fast and hard. Each desperate, erratic thrust has me writhing and bucking my hips. This is no longer a game. It’s a savage claiming.
Pleasure hits me with the force of an erupting volcano. This time Dream Svenn follows me over the edge. He pounds into her one final time before he lets out a long bellowing groan, rattling the windows.
He rests his weight over my dream version and I am drowning in his presence. His scent. His strength. I feel every shuddering breath as he shivers out the rest of his orgasm.
“Nel?” he asks after a while, removing his muscular body from hers.
“I… haven’t… come… yet…” my dream version repeats our lie despite being utterly wrecked by the agonizing wave of desire and bliss.
His perfect eyebrows, slicked with sweat, shoot up at her mumbling.
“I can’t fuck you properly like this.” He gathers her trembling body from the table into his arms. “Up we go.”
The corded muscle of his arms carry her as if she weighs nothing at all.
Svenn settles at the edge of the bed, positioning her so she’s straddling him on his lap. He smooths his hands over her twitching feet. I feel the soothing sensation of his touch on my own skin. “Hey, you’re all right. You’re all right.”
It feels nice and perfect to be held in his arms like this. I’m too overwhelmed by the pleasure singing in my veins to remember the chant to protect my heart.
What was it again? Walls of straw, not of bricks?
He looks at her with a pensive expression on his face. “You’re still not there, sweetheart?”
I should come clean, but we’re so close to winning this game. Dream Nel shakes her head frantically.
“You poor thing.” He touches her cheek. She leans to that touch.
“Now go on. Ride my cock like a good girl.”
What?
“Take whatever you need from me.”
For a moment there, it looks as if Dream Nel is casting a look in my direction for help.
What do we do? What do we do?
All our efforts will be useless if we give up now.
The position ensures that she won’t be able to escape his gaze. I just hope he can’t tell that we’re lying.
She grapples his straining length in her trembling hand and takes him inch by inch. Ripples of orgasm flutter in my belly again at the stretch. I bite my cheeks from screaming his name.
“That’s it. Good girl.” I hate to admit it. But I love his praises. She sinks all the way in and I clasp my hand to my mouth, adjusting to his size.
“Now bring it home for both of us,” he says in a cool command.
What?
Dream Nel’s lips tremble with protest. “Svenn, you’re making me do something so lewd.”
“You can do it. You’re almost there.” He’s giving us encouragements but it’s cruel.
Dream Nel slides up and down carefully. I silently thank her in my heart. I don’t think we can afford another mild blowing orgasm.
Maybe it’s because I’m still overly sensitive, but I can feel every bulging vein and the stretch of his length. Another moan escapes me despite my best effort.
“Nel, neither of us will come at this pace. You need to pick it up a bit.” He strokes up her thigh and squeezes her backside, urging her to move. That small movement sends a cascading wave of sensation that sets my toes curling. I squeeze my eyes shut and whimper.
Heavens save me. This is too much.
“Do you need help?” Svenn finally asks, lifting her chin to look into his eyes. There is so much kindness in his voice and his face when he asks that.
She nods softly.
His hand travels over the curves of her back until it reaches the base of her spine. With one quick jerk, he drags her down, impaling her abruptly on his cock. I yelp as a violent orgasm rips through me, returning me to my body.
Oh gods!
My mind becomes fragmented, dispersing in a kaleidoscope of colors. I’m fully seated on top of him.
This is not the help we need!
He begins thrusting upwards, hard and fast. A sweet moan escapes me, and my eyes nearly roll to the back of my head. I am thrown into a delirious state, bouncing on top of him. My nightgown slides down to my waist and I don’t miss the way his eyes fall to my exposed breasts.
He is pure power.Ruthless and vicious. It’s becoming too unbearable for me. I can’t do more than just cling on to him to keep myself from falling.
This is insanity.
“It feels too good.” I can’t stop the words from flowing out of my mouth.
“And it gets better,” he promises. His fingers dig into my thighs, lifting my hips into an angle that allows him to take me deeper when he plunges.
No more… please, I can’t.
The sensation becomes too great. I need to hold on to something. I loop my arms around his neck, pressing my face into the nook of his shoulder. A whirlwind of pleasure sweeps over me and I sink my teeth into his skin, tasting the decadent, sweet ocean salt taste.
This is incredible. I’m losing control.
I keep biting, weathering through the hurricane of sensations until I feel a gentle tug on my head.
Dream Svenn has one hand on my waist, the other tangling in my hair to pull me from him.
“Let me have a look at that face.” His eyes are back on me again. A crooked smirk tugs his lips. “No hiding, Nel.”
I want to wipe that arrogant look off his face. I make the mistake of leaning my head and he claims my mouth immediately. With Svenn, kisses aren’t just an awkward pressing of lips. He completely devours me.
He breaks the kiss and traces his mouth along my jawline. “Are you close, sweetheart? Because I am.”
I don’t get a chance to reply or catch a full breath when he slams me down to his length again and again. He is impossibly deep in me in this position. The wild movement of his hips leaves me gasping. I feel weightless, gloriously spent, and sated.
A smirk appears on his face as he watches me turn into a mess of shivers and tremors in his arms.
“Show me what a good girl you are.” He drives slower but only for him to start worshipping my breast, sucking it in a gentle rhythm between his lips. The pleasure inside me draws tighter and tighter until I lose sense of myself entirely.
This feels too good. The kind of feeling I don’t want to ever end, but I can’t keep up with this lie for much longer.
“I came—” I cry out as wave after wave of pleasure courses through me. “Please… I came!”
“Well said,” he mutters.
But he doesn’t stop thrusting.
I’m trapped in this sea of endless pleasure, completely at his non-existent mercy. My head falls back in pure bliss and my hands slump to the side. Despite his cruelty, I know he will never let me fall. In his hands I am safe. Always.
Another rough stroke and the stars start to come. The inferno melts every bone in my body, and this time it claims him too. He shudders and jerks against me, groaning loudly into the crook of my neck.
“You are perfect. Mine and perfect.” I’m too far gone to hear the words on his lips. My mind is cloudy and I’m losing consciousness.
When the fog of pleasure gradually lifts, I open my eyes to meet his. He is staring at me like I’m the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.
No, no, no—I can’t. Because this is the part that I can’t handle most about these weird dreams.
Not the kisses, not the silly games, not the making love part.
This.
I quickly crawl out of my body once more. Shivers of pleasure still ripple through me and I nearly stumble at the bedpost. I quickly hide behind the bookshelf. Slowly, I peer at the two of them.
Dream Svenn is taking care of the dream version of me, handling her carefully like she is something fragile. Her eyes are closed tight, her breathing is ragged, and her legs are still quivering from the force of that last orgasm—just as mine are right now.
She opens her eyes slowly, a smile tugging her lips. “I won.”
A gentler emotion takes over him.
“You sure did.” This Svenn treats me like I am precious to him. He looks at the dream version of me like he would rearrange the stars, move the heavens and the earth for her.
Dream Nel doesn’t notice, of course. She’s still in a daze of pleasure. “You came three times. That means we’re even now…”
“Yeah,” he mutters like our game doesn’t even matter to him. Svenn presses a kiss to the top of her head with affection. My heart squeezes in my chest. I touch the place where his lips land and feel the tingling burn there.
Here in this dream, I am loved. I am cherished. This isn’t a memory or the future. It’s just a desperate wish conjured by my mind.
Dream Nel raises her head, demanding a kiss from him. He obliges and I feel the searing heat on my lips. She is bold because she knows he wants her. I was once like her on my wedding night. There is no abhorrent curse tattooed on my belly. I was just me back then, and Svenn wanted me.
He runs his hand on her back with soothing strokes, showering her with all his attention. I’m happy for her, but it hurts a little knowing I can never have that.
Because the truth remains that I’m a curse bearer and Svenn hates me.
This is the main reason why I don’t want to stay in my body during these weird dreams.
Because if Svenn looks at me directly with that tender look in his eyes, I’ll start dreaming we will be together in the real world too.