Aurelia
His breathing had gotten heavier as his softness built around me like a cocoon, his gaze lingering on the handiwork of his bite as I felt the indented decoration of his fangs beginning to heal across my neck. The medicinal attributes of his saliva felt hot against my skin just like the intentions written along the structure of his face. A vein pulsed on his forehead, the muscle in his jaw ticking like a bomb with a short fuse as he swallowed down whatever feelings he was trying to prove he was in control of.
I pursed my lips as I watched his eyes reflect the flames that were flickering beside us and the fire that was burning through me, but I didn't want to slow down like he was telling me to. I wanted everything he could offer me, and I wanted it all at once. The desperation of my wolf was aching for the roughened feel of his hands, waiting for him to push me down and take me in any position he desired.
It was everything I had ever wanted, but my wild energy was flailing under his need to tame me.
Our bond was solidifying with every act of worship he bestowed on me, and even with each shuddering breath he thought he was hiding under his cool façade, I knew that he was struggling with the will of his wolf too. Despite how much he wanted to savour these first moments between us, there was only so much time before he'd reach the point of no return—until he pounded inside of me with no remorse and filled me to the brim with a new life and a new reason for love.
A whine released from my throat as his thumb brushed over my cheekbones and I pushed my hips against his again in retaliation, craving the friction between our skin more than anything. If only there wasn't so much fabric between us—if only we weren't sitting on this stone seat with me on top of him. This would be easier if he moved me, if he took his claws and tore through the lace of my dress and acted on the impulse of his wolf.
Instead, he chuckled darkly at my teasing movements. "Have you always been this needy for me, little moon?" He rasped, his hands moving from my face to the tops of my thighs to stop me from rocking against him, but it was no use.
If I continued to show him how much I needed him, would he forgo the patience he was clutching onto and give me exactly what I had been deprived of for so long?
His eyes were slowly losing their greyish hue as he took in my widened gaze, his hands tightening their grip on me as I continued to defy his instruction. I let out a breathy moan as I felt the heat of his fingers through the flimsy material of my dress, but it wasn't enough.
Why couldn't he see that I had waited too long for this, and that I didn't want to wait any longer for him to have me?
"Yes," I gasped, "I've never wanted anything as badly as I want you," I admitted as I tried to push myself against him once again, even despite the way his hands had locked around my thighs.
He hummed in delight at the sound of my revealing words, closing his eyes so that he could bask in them. My heart was beating in a frenzy as I watched him. With him this close to me I could see every perfect line of his face, and I wanted to run my tongue over the honed curve of his cheekbones and then along the sharpened edge of his jaw until I reached the tendons of his neck, but my words seemed to mean more to him than his need for my touch.
"I prayed for you every night," I assured him in a softened voice, my hands moving from his shoulders and dragging down his chest. "I begged the highest power and pleaded with the moon, and now that you are here under the palms of my hands, it looks like they've finally answered me."
I swallowed down the sorrow of the years of my loneliness, my hands moving along the structure of his tightened muscles before they reached the beginning of his trousers that were draped around the low ridge of his abdomen.
His deep groan wrapped around me as I got more intimate with my touch, my hands descending further until they reached the culprit of his arousal. My heart skipped a beat as my hand settled against the bulge straining against the thick layer of fabric that separated us, his breaths getting louder and louder as I pushed the base of my palm against his erection, testing the waters and waiting for his reaction.
A deep moan travelled from the base of his throat, his eyes opening to take me in once again, but this time my gaze was focused downwards.
"You're all mine now—all fucking mine." He let out a guttural snarl and I preened under his possessive words, my hands moving again, this time more confidently as I felt his legs widening in response to my touch.
My body shifted against his, and I gasped as my palms curved around the size of him, my words pushing past my lips before my mind could comprehend them.
"You feel so big," I murmured, sensing the way he froze under my unintentional praise.
It was like time stopped as he simmered under it, the mirth in his eyes dispersing as the heavy hold of his hands slackened against my legs. He pulled one of them back completely before he let out a feral growl, his fingers tipping my head back as the sound of his wolf echoed across the smooth stone and vibrated in my bones.
"Get up." He told me, my gaze glassy as I took in the sudden seriousness of his demeanour.
"What?" I stuttered stupidly, not understanding the intention behind his command.
If I listened to him I would no longer be in his lap, and if I was no longer in his lap my grasp on him would fall away. I'd been trying my best to close in on the unnecessary distance between us and now—
"Get up, little moon—we're not doing this here and with those desperate sounds you keep on making, I'm not sure if I have much patience left in me." His words were hoarse as he watched the disappointment flicker on my face.
"But I—"
His fingers splayed around my chin, pulling downwards until they wrapped around my throat in a light warning.
"Considering our last two encounters with each other it seems to me that you like the idea of me punishing you. I could bring you over my knee in front of all your friends if you'd like?" He dared me as he straightened his spine, stunning me into silence and distracting me just enough as he moved against my desperate need to cling onto him. In my state of shocked arousal, he guided me from his lap, his hands settling steadily against my hips.
I was on my feet again without much thought, my heartbeat picking up its pace as he stared up at me like this, his nostrils flaring as he took in the sweetened aroma I had created around us.
Without another word he lifted himself from his seat, turning me around and pushing me in front of him as he moved me towards the opening in the corner of the cavern.
"Lead the way, little moon." He said from behind me, the tension falling away and replacing itself with so much anxiety.
In theory, I knew everything that was going to happen next. I craved every part of it, but as I led him to one of the prepared bed chambers in a place where we would be alone and able to memorise every inch of our bodies, the haze of the claiming ceremony was slowly falling away with every step I took.
I was beginning to falter as I moved us towards our new destination, and although I was filled with the excitement of our new bond, and now that my thoughts were starting to clear from the lust, I couldn't help but begin to fester on the fact that our relationship had started out on an outright lie.
If he was so pleased to have me as his mate, why had he chosen to keep quiet about it in the first place?
He pulled me to his chest all of a sudden as I continued to be consumed by my thoughts, almost walking straight into a stone pillar if it hadn't been for his fast reflexes.
"Careful." He scolded, even as his hands rubbed against my sides to comfort me.
"Sorry," I murmured quickly, feeling the heat of his gaze on the back of my neck as I quickened my pace.
The bed chambers used for the claiming ceremonies were spaced out in a reclusive part of the sanctuary which went untouched until the Alphas came, and despite the sudden dampening of my mood, today I was finally going to see inside one of them.
"We're here." I motioned to the door a few steps ahead of us and this time he moved in front of me.
The warmth of his hands fell away from me as I watched the muscles in his back straining against his skin as he pushed at the heavy stone door in front of us. The door screeched with its movement, and I winced at the grating sound it made as I followed him inside. Despite the ancientness of its entrance, I was surprised at what we found inside.
The room was filled to the brim with every type of luxury needed for our shortened stay here. To one side there was a dining table made out of darkened wood and paired with matching chairs that were lined with a plush cushioning. On the table was a platter of food, stuffed with cured meats and bread and fruit, and next to it were two decanters of liquid—one filled with red wine and the other filled with water.
On the other side of the room were a set of sofas covered in a decadent looking material and coloured a lush green. They were large enough to hold two people whilst seated and laying down, and on the floor beside them was a selection of rugs covered in patterns and soft fibres.
But the most important part of the room was the four-poster bed.
It sat in the middle of the space; an ornate structure lined with silks and furs and coloured a gilded cream. It was nothing like the beds I had ever slept in before, but hopefully I wouldn't be doing much sleeping in this case.
"You've gotten awfully quiet." He broke through the silence, barely taking in his surroundings and instead choosing to focus on me.
I didn't move from the entrance of the room like I was supposed to so my mate took the matter into his own hands. In barely a couple of strides he was standing right in front of me again, my eyes easily latching onto the mark on his chest as my heart began to thud in an uncertain rhythm. This was my reality, but at the same time it felt so surreal to have him standing here—to have him touch me without the guilt spearing my insides.
When he had seen my mark whilst I was relaying my prayers to the moon in the spring last night, he had to have known in an instant that I was his—and yet, I still didn't understand why he had refused to tell me.
He lifted his hand to my face, pushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear before he slid his palm along the side of my jaw and gripped me by the back of the neck.
This was a move parents did to their children when they were acting out, and my cheeks flared in embarrassment and irritation.
"Don't hold back from me now, Aurelia. What is it that you want to say to me?" I closed my eyes for a moment, savouring the sound of my name on his lips before I opened my mouth and ruined everything.
"I'm mad at you." He seemed surprised for a moment, but then his hands were in my hair.
"Oh." He made work of untying the ribbon, his other hand joining in on the act as I tried to keep my thoughts from straying as his fingers worked indulgently through my hair.
I sighed as my hair fell against my shoulders, his hands pulling away from me with the piece of ribbon he seemed to have an objection with. He tied it around his wrist carefully, before he looked at me again, this time seemingly satisfied with his handiwork.
"I like your hair like this, now tell me—why are you mad at me?" He took a step away from me this time, moving to one of the sofas on the other end of the room.
I counted the distance he set between us, every bone in my body willing me to follow him like the diligent mate I was supposed to be.
"You knew who I was all along, and you kept it from me." I huffed. "You made me feel guilty that I wanted you and you made me feel like I wasn't yours." He settled in the middle of one of the lush seats, his arms spreading over the top of the structure before he gave me his full attention, but with every simple movement he made the more it seemed to enrage me.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" I snarled. "I almost made a run for it before the ceremony began because I couldn't stomach the thought of you claiming someone else, how could you just watch me breakdown in front of you and now pretend that none of it mattered?" I sulked, but even with each blow I dealt him—nothing seemed to sway the justice he had already held himself against.
I was a whirlwind of emotions, but his temper was nothing like mine. His anger was quiet as he released a softened sigh, his relaxed form melding into something purposeful as he reached for a pillow at his side and placed it on the floor by his feet.
"Come here." He called softly to me, and even with my fury towards him—I started moving without complaint.
His eyes glided down my body with each step I took towards him and when I was at an arm's length, I stopped. He let out another sigh as he rubbed a hand against his jaw and leaned into the back of the sofa again.
"Sit." He told me and I moved to his side, ready to take my seat on the sofa beside him.
"Not there." He said tenderly, my heart stammering in my chest. "On your knees." He inclined his head towards the pillow he had set on the floor only moments ago, and for a second I had forgotten how to breathe.
His legs were wide open for me, and the pillow was set between his feet so that I would fit perfectly between them. I swallowed nervously as I shifted in my dress, my hands grazing his knees as I took my place.
He looked down at me with a small smile, no doubt listening to how fast my heart was beating.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked me and I nodded my head despite the anxiousness wrapping around my limbs, when he was satisfied with my reply he leaned towards me, and I folded into myself on instinct as his legs pushed into me from either side.
His hands moved to my face, willing me to look him in the eye.
"I'm sorry," He murmured, a frown creasing on his forehead as the pads of his thumb brushed away the angry tears that had welled up in my eyes. "It was never my intention to hurt you. I thought it would be better for you to find out through the ceremony, and I didn't want to risk angering the witches by revealing myself to you when it was not meant for you to know. There were rules I was supposed to follow, but I was weak and I could have ruined everything between us. You and I, we might not have ever—"
I lifted myself up on my knees, my mouth moving to his lips before he could finish whatever he was saying.
This arrogant Alpha.
This thoughtful bastard.
This kind-hearted mate of mine.
I knew the rules he was talking about very well, but in his presence I seemed to forget all manners and tradition. Still, he was right—and the witches could have taken everything from us if he did not stay quiet. If he gave into my whims, we might not have made it here and that thought only made me want to kiss him harder.
He seemed shocked as my lips crashed against his, but he didn't waste a single moment. His hand curled around my throat as he pulled me closer, the movement making me moan as he swallowed the sound wholeheartedly. His lips were soft as he allowed me to lean into his control, and harsh when he demanded me to give him more.
For a moment, I hoped he would devour me—but then, he pulled away.
My lips trembled as his attention moved to them, his tongue swiping over the swell of his own. For a moment, I could barely contain myself as I watched the hunger in his eyes ravage through his body, the shuddering breath he let out mimicking the beat of my heart.
I closed my eyes when I felt something inside of me begin to crack, basking in the weight of his presence and the agony he shared with me.
He had hated every moment he had kept his secret from me, I could feel it like the promise of my blood pumping through my body. I knew it like the feeling was my own, and I hated that he felt so torn up over it.
"Apology accepted." My words came out as a whisper. "Now, will you let me kiss you again?" I asked hopefully, watching the laugh that sputtered out of him. A spark of joy fluttered between us both and I couldn't help but grin up at him in return.
"You can kiss me all you'd like, little moon. I would let you do anything you want to me." I searched his gaze for a moment, his pupils were dark and dilated—blown wide with desire. He wanted me, that much was obvious. But a kiss was far too innocent for the type of release we were both searching for.
"Anything?" I asked, a slight tease in my voice.
His eyes narrowed on me for a moment, like he was almost thinking through my proposition. My hand moved to his chest, my fingers circling around his mark as I watched him calculate my moves. My heart picked up pace with his as my hands smoothed over the panes of his chest. There were so many possibilities between us, and yet there was only one that was so very obvious. Almost as if he had already orchestrated this moment from the second he had thrown the pillow onto the floor.
There was a slight charge in the air, filling the atmosphere with the same sexual need we had cut short in the cavern. My hands moved eagerly against his toned stomach before they settled just below his abdomen, my fingers teasing the material of his trousers as I looked up to him for his permission.
"Go on then. Unbuckle my belt, show me what you can do." He rasped, barely holding himself together and I had hardly even begun.
My hands fumbled against the soft leather as I pulled against the strap and gave way to the opening of his trousers. A giddiness filled my chest as I unbuttoned them before he could tell me otherwise, pulling down the zip without his instruction.
He groaned as my fingers brushed against his underwear and my heart skipped a beat before I pulled him free from the restraint of the fabric. His length sprung free without much help as I gasped, my fingers wrapping around his girth in surprise. It throbbed in my hand and my entire being simpered in awe of it.
"Aurelia—fuck." He groaned, his breathing ragged as his head fell against the back of the sofa like he was in pain.
My brain short-circuited as I pulled away from him in mortification, but as soon as my touch fell away his eyes shot open, and he pinned me with his gaze.
"Why did you stop?" He asked hoarsely and my gaze flickered to his lap as I took in the way his cock was pressed against his stomach—hard and ready.
"I've never—" My cheeks flared in embarrassment as I looked away from him.
In truth I had never been intimate with a man, I had learnt everything from the matrons and their diagrams, and from books and the giggling of girls in the sanctuary, and despite my will to get fucked by him, I knew that I might not be what he wanted. "I don't want to disappoint you." I settled on finally, my insecurities tightening around me in the worst of moments.
"I could never be disappointed by anything you do, little moon." He said with full conviction, then his voice lowered an octave. "And it pleases me that you have never experienced this with another man before." I lifted my gaze again and he gave me a strained smile, his sweetness fluttering inside of me as I pushed myself towards him again.
He took my hand and guided it back to him. "Touch me in whatever way you want, I am yours to do what you please." I bit my lip at the sound of his words, they were a vow like the ones I had promised to him not so long ago, but there was nothing holy about the one he recited for me now.
My hands wrapped around his hardened length, and he sucked in a breath as I began to explore him. His eyes burned against my skin as I played, but he didn't stop me. Instead, I assessed my handiwork by the sounds he made. When he groaned it meant I was doing something good and when he growled it meant that he wanted more.
The more I touched him the more slippery he seemed to become, the beads of his release on the crown of his cock leaving a stream of discontent.
"That's enough," He growled finally, his hand moving to my throat as his thumb pushed against my lips. "Open your mouth for me now," I gasped when he pressed against the seam of my lips and my mouth opened on instinct, but it was barely a moment before he pushed my face to his lap.
I had gotten comfortable touching him with my hands, but now my heart was racing all over again. I took in a shuddering breath as my lips pressed against the side of his length, before I tentatively licked towards the tip of his cock, tasting the saltiness of his arousal.
And when he growled in satisfaction, I pushed him past my lips, taking a small amount of him into my mouth. He moved all at once when he had me where he wanted me. His hand moved to my scalp, threading through the strands of my hair before he gripped my head in a heavy-handed hold, his other hand moving to clutch my jaw as he pushed his thumb and forefinger into the hollows of my cheeks whilst the head of his cock was still inside my mouth.
My saliva mixed with the taste of him leaked from the corners of my lips, my own moan of satisfaction shuddering between the two of us.
"You look so good with me in your mouth, little moon." He murmured in appreciation, and I tried to say something in return, but he only smirked as he pushed himself further past my lips.
I could feel my entire body flush from his praise and his attention, but something told me that this was barely the beginning.
"Do you want me to be gentle with you, Aurelia?" I whined, trying my best to shake my head in response and he laughed at my struggle. "Are you sure you can handle that?" He asked again and this time I nodded my head in reply, whimpering as he filled my mouth until my cheeks began to hurt.
"Good because after you make me come, I'm going to do the same to you."
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