Sparks.
They were intoxicating. The first soft brush of his lips against mine had me gasping in surprise. He growled in approval, releasing my chin and pulling back.
Strong arms wrapped around my thighs, pressing into my back as he lifted me. My thighs landed on his shoulders and I squealed in surprise, clutching onto the first thing I could reach in an attempt to gain my balance. I gripped onto his horns, and those red eyes glared up at me.
"Sorry," I released his horns, the fear creeping back in.
"I didn't ask you to stop," A wicked grin spread those full lips that were hovering so closely to where I wanted him, "You're going to need to hold onto something, Maeve."
That was the only warning I got. Hot breath puffed against my center, quickly followed by his mouth. He pressed his lips against me gently, those red eyes still watching me as I stared at him. Knox's tongue darted out, teasing me. I gripped his horns again, any thought scattering like the snow when he pressed his tongue right-
"Fuck!" I gasped, my hips twitching against him, trying to encourage him.
He let out a guttural groan, continuing to torcher my flesh with those soft, slow strokes. I could feel my sex getting slicker. Every teasing touch from him had the pleasure, the heat building. I gripped his cool horns tighter, pulling him closer to me, urging him harder.
The pressure against my sex increased, and without warning those sparks spread across my insides. My back arched, trying to create distance and get closer. He let me pull him away by the horns. Those red eyes fully lit once more.
"What was that?" I gasped, my legs still trembling around his shoulders.
"Have you never..." He trailed off, a slow smile filled with male satisfaction curling his lips.
I released his horns and he set me back on the bed. His face was covered with the evidence of my excitement dripping down his chest. My eyes continued lower as he stood, stretching again. Or maybe he just wanted me to watch all of his muscles flexing and bunching. His manhood jutted out, as dark as the rest of him and twitching the longer I stared.
I tore my eyes away, my face heating even after what we had just done. What he had just done for me.
"Don't get shy now," He rumbled, those hands that had just pressed me against his face grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do with..." I crinkle my nose, "That thing."
Laughter rattled out of his chest, my ears perking up at the new sound. A large grin stretched his face, those fiery eyes still glowing with warmth. He released my chin, his hand going right to his manhood. He clutched himself tightly, and I couldn't look away as he stroked himself once, twice.
"Do you want to try?"
No.
This is not how this is supposed to work. I need to get this over with before the trembling panic sets in. Before I realize just how big he is and how much this will hurt.
"No," I pulled away, scooching back on the bed to give him room.
His brows pulled together in confusion. The fire in his eyes dimmed slightly, flaring back to life when I let my legs fall open. He still didn't move though, instead studying my face like he was looking for something. I flashed a smile, get this over with.
"Are you going to fuck me or not?" I finally snapped, glaring at him.
He pressed a knee into the bed, slowly crawling over me, holding himself up with one hand. My legs widened to fit the bulk of him, and his manhood was nestled against my sex. Pressing down hard and heavy. Just like in my dream.
"Promise me," He gritted out, one of those large hands gripping the back of my thigh, wrapping it around his waist, "If I hurt you too much you tell me to stop. Your body is not built to fit a Dradan."
The beast beneath my skin purred, and I could almost feel that side of me taking his words as a challenge instead of a warning. I wrapped my other leg around him, pressing my core tighter against his manhood. Those molten eyes slid shut, the muscles in his jaw ticking.
"I promise."
Liar.
He pulled back, hands gripping my thighs as he slid against me. Covering himself in the slick that coated my skin. Pleasure began to build again, with every slippery stroke against me I got closer to that land where want and need combined.
Knox released one of my thighs, gripping himself and pining me with his stare. He pushed against my entrance, eyes hooded as he slowly stretched me around his head. Pain immediately took over the pleasure I had felt, and I winced. He pulled back, gritting his teeth together as he fought for control. Again, he slowly pressed into me a little deeper this time.
"Touch yourself," He ordered, watching me with those hooded eyes.
"I don't-" I began to protest, but was cut off with a gasp when he pressed deeper this time.
"It will help with the pain," He grunts, his gaze drifting down to where we were joined.
I listened to him, letting my hand drift down to that spot he had been licking at earlier. He growled in approval, and the burn of him stretching me eased slightly. I rubbed at myself in slow circles, tilting my hips so the slow thrusts would reach deeper.
Inch by painful inch he got closer to seating himself inside me. One hand gripped my thigh, the other moved over my head. He leaned over me, burying his face in my neck and taking deep drags of my scent. Every rattling breath had me growing wetter, his soft moans encouraging me to let him deeper. Making me want him to find his satisfaction in me.
"More," I breathed when he stilled inside me, finally filling me to excess.
He grunted, pulling his hips back and leaving me almost empty before filling me to the brim. I pulsed around him, arching up into him. With a growl he began to thrust harder, faster. My eyes watered at the pain, but I didn't ask him to slow or stop.
Just need to get it over with. I tried to remind myself, but when he nipped at my neck my own need for him rose. My beast lunged to the surface as my control slipped, bones cracking as I let out a pained scream. He pulsed inside me, and before I could resist teeth were buried in my neck, searing agony ripping through my body even as I sunk into his shoulder.
He's mine now. The thought rippled through me. Tears dripped down my cheeks. It hurts.
The scent of our blood covered me and I gagged, twitching around his slowly softening cock. He pulled back, the fire in his eyes finally quenched. A scowl cut across his face. More pain sparked through me when he pulled out, quickly followed by the feeling of his seed spilling out of me.
He didn't speak, just slowly moved off the bed, his hand covering the bloody mark I had left on him. His hand fell from his shoulder when he turned, the scent of sex and blood covered my body. As soon as he turned his back the memories began to crash in. Gasping breaths ripped through my chest, I tried to stay in the present. Tried not to drown. But there was no way out.
"I always knew you were a whore." He snarled, pinning me down with his weight. "I'm going to enjoy teaching you a lesson, princess. One you won't ever forget."
"Hey," I lifted my eyes to his, focusing on the burning color, "Where did you go?"
"Just tired," I whispered the words, sitting up slowly, the pain in my center and shoulder already fading to a dull throb.
"Come here," Knox held up a washcloth, "I'll help you."
"Oh." I blinked, slowly processing his words, "Okay."
He spread my legs gently, eyes narrowing in on my swollen and thoroughly used sex. He clenched his jaw, movements stilling as those eyes flicked up. This is wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. The overwhelming feeling of panic built. Guilt like I had done something horrible attempted to strangle me. My heart beating faster with every passing second those eyes stayed locked on me.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He finally gritted out, my hips twitching when he finally began to clean me.
"It isn't that -" I gasped, pushing away from him when the towel got too close to my center.
"You are bleeding," He snarled, eyes flaring before he gained his composure, shoulders slumping.
"I-I'm sorry," A sob escaped before I could stop it, but it was like that one noise opened the floodgates.
I curled up away from him. Wrapping my arms around myself tightly to hold myself together before I completely fell apart. My shoulder shook with the force of my sobs. Pain splintered through my center with every movement.
"Damn it," Knox huffed, seconds later I was being scooped up.
Cool coiled muscles pressed me to his chest. My face grew hotter, and he began mumbling something in a different language. What did I do? I can't-
He began swaying gently side to side. Rocking me like a baby cradled in his arms, completely dwarfed by him. The overwhelming feeling of wrongness slowly faded the longer I was rocked by him. Tears cooled on my face, and I half heartedly wiped off the ones that spilled on his chest.
"You are ugly when you cry," He muttered, a startled laugh bubbling out of my throat. "I will clean you up, then you can sleep and stop crying."
"I stopped crying," I huffed, my eyes growing heavy now that the panic had faded. "It-it didn't hurt that badly."
His grip tightened, and he shifted me around, freeing one hand that he dipped into the cool water. Within seconds steam was curling off the water. He smirked at my startled expression. Knox lifted me higher in his arms, stepping over the edge of the tub easily and lowering us into the warm water. My muscles clenched preparing for the sting of pain on my sex.
"Relax," He soothed, settling us into the water. "Tensing won't help anything."
I hummed in acknowledgement, shifting against him, "You aren't like what I thought you would be."
"Neither are you." He grunted, stretching his arms out on the side of the tub.
I took the opportunity to push off of his lap. Focusing on the crackling fire instead of the broad expanse of his chest. I pressed a hand to my shoulder, relieved to find the blood had already dried, and judging by how itchy the skin there felt I was beginning to heal. I risked a glance over to him, he was watching the snow pile up outside the temple.
His sharp jawline highlighted by the glowing fire, those muscular arms that had just pressed me against his face stretched out on either side of him. Full lips slightly pursed as he thought. Horns that I had just clutched spiraling out from his scalp, surrounded by tight curly hair. He truly was an attractive male.
It is too bad he is stuck with me.
It was then that I vowed to bother him as little as possible. He bore my mark as I bore his, we didn't need to actually bond. It would be impossible anyways. No matter the lust I felt for him, it wouldn't turn into love.
But he's mine now. The angry thought slashed through me. Surprising me with the intensity of it. The beast beneath my skin snarled and snapped, attempting to take control so it could prove just how thoroughly mine Knox would be.
"Have you eaten anything tonight?" His deep voice pulled me out of my internal argument and it took a minute to process what he had said.
"No," I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten. Maybe it was yesterday when Maina had given me tea.
"Come here," He growled, holding out a hand to me.
"Why?" I furrowed my brows, resisting the immediate urge to curl up against him again.
"I will feed you."
A laugh bubbled out of my throat. He scowled, but didn't seem angry. More amused as my laughter continued to fill the room.
"Why is that funny?" He finally asked, "You have not eaten so I will feed you."
"I can feed myself," I answered, sucking in deep breaths as I resisted the urge to laugh again, "Besides I am not hungry."
"Nonsense," He growled, his eyes beginning to glow brighter, "Do you not remember what we just did-"
"Knox." I flushed, sinking a little deeper into the water.
"You need food to heal." He narrowed his eyes, "If you did not wish for me to feed you you must feed yourself."
"Fine," I snapped, rising up onto my knees and moving towards him.
His eyes widened, lips parted slightly. My breasts swayed with every jerky movement, and those eyes glowed brighter the closer I got to him. I could feel my nipples harden in the cold. His tongue sweeped over his lips, eyes finally lifting to meet mine.
"What are you doing?" He rasped out.
I had reached him. The desires of my beast were stronger than I was able to control, though maybe they were my own desires as well. I sank down beside him, reaching for one of the cubes of hard cheese.
"You told me to eat." I replied, surprised at how steady my voice was, "So I am eating."
"Good," He rumbled, eyes tracking my movements when I popped the cheese into my mouth.
Swallowing, I gave him a forced smile, "Satisfied?"
"Not yet," His eyes dipped to where the tops of my breasts showed, "But I'm sure I will be."
"Knox," I breathed, heat flushing through my entire body, my core giving a dull throb of interest.
"Keep eating." He smirked, tilting his head back, "You will need your strength for the journey tomorrow."