The most awaited chapter. *sighs* I can just hope that it meets the standards.
********
I could feel his pain and it tore my heart to shreds. He thought he had lost me. That he would never see me again.
And to save me, I knew what he did. He nearly wrecked the East Tribe to nothing but dust. I knew it because I saw it all in his memories.
As a gasp left me, I realised that I felt not only his pain but his fear. He used that gasp and slipped his tongue into my mouth and swirled it with mine.
I lost my control. My fingers curled around his head and my other hand scraped his back. A slight metallic tinge filled the air before lingering like an early morning hazy fog.
He growled into the kiss and I could feel myself get wetter. The scent of our arousal intertwined with the scent if his tarrying blood.
I was getting high just from smelling that. One of his hands gripped my waist and the other went further down, caressing my butt.
I moaned and sucked his tongue. As much as we were close, we weren't close enough. I pulled him further into me.
And without a complaint, he moved with me, but I could feel him take over the kiss.
It was great being a pulsar. Things like the air was no longer a bother, but since I was still stuck in this form, my lungs groaned with the lack of oxygen.
I broke off the kiss and gasped.
The sight before me, it just took my heart away. His lips were bruised from the intensity of the kiss and his cheeks had the lightest shade of pink.
Under the moonlight, his silver eyes shone brighter as he saw me with tenderness. The emotions behind his eyes stole my breath than his kiss.
"Lyra," he whispered. "Lyra."
He was not merely whispering my name. He was telling my name like a prayer.
I moved my hand that was locked in his dark hair to his face and touched his cheeks. "I am here."
"I thought," he said, his hold getting tighter. "I thought I lost you to the Maze."
I shook my head, my hair falling on my face. "It can't keep me from you."
He pushed the hair strands back. "You have no idea what the Maze can do. Both the Maze and Dungeon are designed to capture felons. They trap them within and release them only when their soul is sucked out and your mind is shattered. You have no idea how grateful I am to hold you again."
I simply rested my face over his beating heart and inhaled a deep breath if his scent. It had a hint of the scent those white flowers gave in the Maze.
"Aries?" I called, listening to that wonderful sound. "When were you going to tell me that you Soul-Bonded with me?"
He froze for a minute before he relaxed. Closing his eyes, he rested his head on my shoulder.
"Must I ask how you know that?" he asked softly matching the coolness of the night.
I moved my head a little back to look him in his eyes. Those silver reflecting the flat disk above was looking at me curiously.
He was not angry, merely curious with a hint of amusement. What amused him here?
"I will say the second you say," I said.
He sighed and touched our foreheads together. "That night... I spent with you."
I frowned. "Which night?"
He cleared his throat. "As a cat."
I could hear the embarrassment in his voice and I could not help but smile. The faint redness of his cheeks became a tone brighter as he closed his eyes and groaned.
"Oh! That!" I said, biting my lips.
He opened his eyes and tried to glare at me. "Laugh all you want."
I chuckled. "But I never-"
"I should have asked you before initiating the damn bond," he mumbled. "But I could not control myself that night, Lyra. I could not. You held me in your arms and to initiate the bond that acceptance was enough. Your scent was driving me mad. I had abandoned all rationality ever since I saw you. That was the reason why I fled after initiating the bond. I was ashamed for I had to ask you but I did not."
A heaviness settled in my throat as I stared at the beautiful male who stood before me, laying his heart bare to me.
His voice matched the softness of midnight moon and just like the clouds that played hide and seek with it, his voice quivered and grew bold, again and again. His hands that held me, tightened, just enough, as if he knew how much pressure I could take. His fingers either traced my skin or played with the corners of my tattered shirt.
Vulnerability painted itself over his eyes, as he hid nothing. Nothing at all. If I could look in his eyes, I knew I would be able to see a whole world in them, see what he had seen, gaze on those mighty nebulae and stardust, admire the nothingness space had to offer.
His eyes were not merely silver under this light. Was it because I was accepting that I was a pulsar that my gaze grew sharper or was it the light? I could never tell. But I could indeed see a darker shade of silver pigmenting the cambial ring and shade between that dark shade and the colour of his iris, usupering the flecks that rollicked with the darkness of night.
"That's why I left that night," he said. "I had to leave. How can I take away your choice? Soul-Bonds are not like mate bonds, Lyra. Mate bonds can be changed but you can't change the Soul-Bonds. I should not have done it."
I licked my lips. "Then the event after that. Where I supposedly claimed you-"
"I will admit," he said, grinning wickedly. "I loved every second of that. While that night I initiated the bond with you when you agreed to claimed me in that food court, you finalised it. You literally said you agree to the bond. Only after that, it was finalised. You see, when the bond has been initiated, and not accepted by you, the bond will still be there, but you would not feel any effects of the bond. But only after you accept it, will you be bound to me."
I waited for the blush to take over my cheeks but instead, I found myself smirking. "So, I was right. When I meant you were mine to do whatever I wanted to do. When I said I wanted to mark you, you would have let me."
He touched his forehead against mine. "I was sure it was the bond speaking that day."
I shook my head. "It was all me."
His eyes widened.
I smiled. "It was me, Aries. Trust me. What I felt for you, what I feel, it has nothing to do with the bond we have. The bond might strengthen it, but it did not cause me to fall in love with you."
He heaved. "What did you just say?"
"I love you," I said. "I have no idea why I have-"
He cut me off by tilting my head up and kissing me again. I did not know how much longer, but he released my lips and touched his forehead with mine.
He pushed a rogue strand of hair from my face. How did that simple action make my heart beat fast?
"I have wandered so many years alone in the cosmos, Lyra", he whispered, pressing his lips against the shell of my ear. " And I have never met anybody who would make my soul chant their name like yours does."
He paused as he sucked my ear, pulling a moan from me, a sound I never knew I was capable of making.
"I thought of love to be the salvation, Lyra," he continued. "But only after meeting you, I understood what it means. You are not my calm nor spring breeze. You are the storm sent to wreak me. The wildfire to reign over me. You are not the white hole of the space that combusts to form galaxies. No, you are too selfish. You are the blackest hole I have had the chance to meet. You sucked me in mercilessly and refused to give me up. You are wreaking me, Lyra."
How could one possibly reply to such a confession? Not to mention the wandering hands. The hands that were beneath my ragged top, caressing my sides, halting my thinking process.
"But," he said. "If being wrecked by you is the only way for me to live another second, I would gladly be wreaked."
He pulled away just an inch to look into my eyes with those silver eyes where I could track time if I wanted to. The eyes that spoke louder than his voice did.
"Wreak me."
At that, my hands ripped his shirt. Only when I heard the tear of the fabric did I realise that I had done.
I bit my lip and saw the shredded shirt. "I will get you another."
He laughed. "As if I care about that shirt."
I grinned at him as I purposefully dragged my fingers over his muscles. "Amazing."
His hands slipped inside my shirt and caressed the side of my breast through the flimsy bra. "It is, isn't it?"
I could not help but moan in response. "It is."
He whispered in my ear. "Do you care about this shirt?"
I nodded. "Yes. When I return, I need to look decent. I need this."
He scowled. "How it is fair that you get to destroy my shirt and I get not to destroy yours?"
I laughed at his pettiness. "When we get back home, you can destroy as many clothes you like."
The smirk that was fading away resurfaced again. "I would love that."
With that, he urged me to wrap my legs around his waist. I could feel his erection through the thick layers of fabric. His hardness brushed against my core with each step he took.
Was he walking? I could not tell. I was busy kissing and nipping the skin over his neck and shoulder. This was an addiction that I knew I had no treatment for.
I could feel myself leek and my jeans would no doubt be stained with my arousal. But did I care? No. He seemed to love that scent, the scent of our desires mixing and to be honest, I did too.
One of his hands left my thigh and for a second he literally held me with just one hand. Was I that thin or was he too strong?
"You aren't that thin," Aries said.
I paused my actions. "You read my mind?"
He shook his head. "I felt that was what you would be thinking."
I hummed. "Are you calling me fat then?"
He gave me a deadpanned look. "And... your weight bothers me?"
I shrugged. "Good, it does not."
Then I felt my back being pressed against a door. Now, where did that spring from?
Aries opened the door and shut it behind him. I craned my neck away from him to see where I was, but I made no move to move away from where I was. As much as arousing it was, I was quite comfortable.
"Where are we?" I asked, looking at him.
"My house," he said simply.
I frowned. "What?"
He nodded. "Where did you think I stayed when I was not there in Varian's house?"
"I don't know. Somewhere near Steel. But here?" I asked. "But where?"
"Close enough. Close enough for me to run to Varian's house in less than a minute."
"How close and how fast you running are we talking about?" I said, raising my eyebrow.
He shrugged. "Could be the speed of light."
"Light travels three multiplied by ten power eight meters per second," I said. "So how far?"
He shook his head. "Not leaving me are you?"
"Nope."
"Two days drive," he admitted.
I nodded. "Far away from the nearest city?"
He gave me a smirk, something so sinful like that should not be so arousing. Yet there I was, nearly moaning from that sight.
He gently took off my shirt and cast it aside. Seeing my sports bra he gave me a look. I merely shrugged.
That wildness Ant said he possessed, I was able to see it in the gleam in his eyes. Though the house was dark enough to cripple a human, I could see everything.
One of the finger that traced patterns on my back, grew to a claw and it tore the bra. I rolled my eyes at the victory I saw in his eyes and shrugged out of the flimsy material.
Then like we were possessed, we kissed again and I could not tell when he had walked into a room and when my jeans were off.
All I could remember was his tongue that licked my skin down to my navel, pausing at my breasts.
The clothing that separated us finally came off and I was naked and vulnerable before him. Had I not seen the love his silver eyes housed for me now, I would have never been able to give myself completely.
The bond between us thrummed gently, creating a melody for us. I closed my eyes to feel him. To feel that bond that held us together. To bathe in the love he had for me.
He gently kissed my eyelids.
"Lyra," he rasped. "Would you want to continue?"
I thought he was bluffing. After being naked beneath him, he was asking me this question? He could smell my arousal, yet he asked?
He rubbed over my frown. "Just because I can smell your arousal does not mean I have your consent. Consent and being wet are two different things, Lyra. I want you to tell me that you want this."
Tears filled my eyes. If I had not loved him before, I sure did now. My heart thrashed against my ribs.
"I love you so much," I cried.
"I love you too, Lyra," he said.
I nodded my head. "Yes. Yes, you may."
He allowed his canines to grow. "As much as we are already bound by something strong, I need to show this world who owns your heart."
I licked my lips and I could taste him. "I will mark you too."
He grinned and not even the lighting that flashed out had an ounce of light as he did.
Just as he played with the skin over my neck, I licked the spot I wanted my Mark to be placed.
I reached new heights of pleasure as his teeth sunk into my right shoulder, as I Marked him as mine.
The night was young and it thundered just the way my heart did every time we made love that night.
*********
We were wrapped in our own bliss. The rain that began last night died to a faint drizzle by the evening. Yet, I did not want to get up from where I was. Even if I wanted to, Aries' arms literally held me to bed.
"So," he began, as he began to trace a pattern on my arm, the same pattern he had once traced on the back of my skin when Mizar visited and the one he traced yesterday. "A pulsar?"
I took a deep breath in. "You know from my memory. You know about the past we had."
"It's returning to me in bits and pieces," he confessed. "The memory that was taken from me, I mean. I remember sitting on Cosmos' council when you guys came. I remember just gazing at you, for you stabilised me in ways nothing ever had."
"And I remember when your power grew too much and you could not control it any longer," I whispered. "You did not call out for Cosmos or Polaris. You called out to me."
"Well, something said you would be the one I could trust my life with," he said. "I do. I do remember that time when I thought you were dead. I was ready to bond with you if I had to save you."
"Then?" I asked in wonder.
"Then," he muttered. "Now. It does not make a difference. But I am surprised by Cosmos approving of this bond."
I frowned slightly. "Why so? Why is it surprising that she approved?"
I could feel him sigh behind me. "Because stars and Pulsars are not bonded easily. Their bonds are quite rare."
I blinked. "Seriously?"
I felt him nod behind me. "I think it must have something to do with the fact that we are first-generations souls."
I hummed. "So... you do know others. Do you keep in contact with them?"
"Yes. But since Luna's kidnapping, the connections were dwindling and everyone had problems in their galaxies."
"Problems?" I asked. "Like what? What happened when I was out?"
"For example," he said. "Akycha, the Fate-writer of her world, did something she never should have. She saw her own fate, her own future and tried to evade it. It backfired on her. Ever since then, their world was cut off from us, just like ours did when Luna was kidnapped. Lastly, I saw Zircon in the Dungeons when we both had thrown a prisoner there, but we don't know how it is there anymore."
I swallowed. I too knew them. Just like I knew Luna's birth, I knew Akycha's. "What about the others?"
"Internal war came upon the sector where Magena ruled," Aries said. "Some cursed her Soul-Bound and no one knows where he is. Tikris and Kasqua did try their best to be in contact with us, but all failed."
"Wow!" I breathed. "So many things happened in the past three thousand years?"
"Yes, my love," Aries said. "There are. After we find a way to free Luna, we shall travel to all those worlds."
I nearly squealed. "But-"
Aries cleared his throat. "We can visit any part of the universe, Lyra. We just prefer not to, for it would cause problems of domination to the first generations there, despite all of us being equal."
As I predicted, hunger was not something I would be a slave for. I could feel my body pry on the energy of air, of light, of everything. In fact, I could feel myself generate a little about of energy and that rocked my base of physics. How could I generate energy? I must have been taking it from somewhere. That was the only explanation I could give myself.
Food was a luxury. I could eat if I want to, but I did not need to survive on it.
"How..." I drawled, licking my lips. "How is my pack?"
"The last time I checked," Aries coughed a little. "I was... you saw what I did to East Tribe. Only if I got my hands on that Zayin before that warlock did. A warlock named Corvus came from Spring Pack and nearly killed the Zayin of East Tribe for putting you in Maze- had it been me, I would have killed that Zayin and his family for hurting you- Corvus then declared that you had his support and he joined hands with Aspen who may or may not be gathering allies to start a war."
Aspen was doing what? What the hell? She was starting a war? Without me?
And of course, that was expected of Corvus. I could have asked Corvus help when I was banished from West Pack, but my pride did not allow me to. He was a son of an Alpha and a Zayin. I expected nothing less. If he joined hands with Aspen, I would need to worry about my future.
As much as he was calm and composed during our research, he was quite a hot-tempered male. If he saw something that was not fair or evil, he would simply go and take action. He would worry about the consequences later. Of course, he has the Spring Pack and Spring Tribe backing him. What more?
"You have an amazing choice of friends," Aries commented.
I laughed. "That's one way to say it."
"Seriously!" Aries said. "When I met Corvus, it was like I met a male version of someone I know."
I could not hold back and I began to laugh. Corvus should hear this.
"Who might that be?" I asked after I stopped my laughter.
His eyes widened and I could see a hint of fear in that. "Don't ever tell her that I said this. If she hears that I just told this, she will have my head. No matter what."
I badly wanted to meet this female who could make Aries shiver in fear. So bad.
Even when he saw through my memories of who Melantha was and what race she belonged to, he did not flinch. He had merely shrugged his shoulder and said that we would end her as though we were discussing food or weather.
"Who is it?"
"They are different," Aries said. "Very different, yet so alike."
"Aries!" I warned.
"Sagittarius," he whispered. "For a minute he remained me of Sage."
I rose my eyebrows. "She makes you quiver in fear?"
He blinked slowly at me. "You sure have not met her. I am waiting for you to meet her. Then you will know how much a hardass she can be."
I snorted. "What did she do to you? Steal your cookies or hit you on your head?"
He huffed. "She is one of the four Magycs who have the potential to defeat me but never can. Like we were made to be equal. But yeah... she is quite terrifying. Everyone has that one friend who behaves like a mother, you know? Sage is that."
I laughed. "Seeing that I was the one who was like a mother in my group, I think we both would gel pretty fast."
He closed his eyes and groaned. "No! Please don't do that."
"Awww," I cooed. "Is the baby sad?"
"Very much," he said. "It would be a nightmare if you both became close friends."
I then snuggled with him. "Ant said that you, Leo and Sagittarius are made of the same flame as you are. What does that mean?"
"Everyone has three faces," Aries said. "One we show to the world, one we show to the ones we love and the last the is hidden, that even we aren't aware of. So three. We three represent three aspects of fire."
I sucked in my breath. "Wow."
He hummed as he rested his chin over my head. "Yeah. From judging what Luna told you, we still have recognised eleven pulsars on earth. And if you twelve are anything like us, you will have two other companions."
I chuckled. "Let's not go that far in future. Let me deal with what I have in my hands now and then I will move on to find the others."
"Good," he said. "And did I hear you tell Rhaze that you have me to damage West Pack, Lyra?"
I cleared my throat. "Yes."
"Good," he said. "I won't hold back."
I jabbed him lightly with my elbow. "If you don't hold back, I will have no guarantee of life on Earth."
"What I mean is," he said in a wry tone. "I won't hold back whatever power I am allowed to use here. I did not in East Tribe. I won't in West pack."
"Fair," I said.
"And Ethan?" Aries chuckled darkly. "I have no idea how many shreds he is going to be in by the end of this war. So many want to take his blood. Andrew will share the same fate."
"What happened to Varian and Aislynn?" I asked.
"Varian is planning for the battle. There is a reason why he was called the Gamma of Winter Pack." He wound an arm around me and I intertwined our fingers. "Aislynn flew away when Nash died and she is yet to return."
"What-"
He hushed me. "I know that you care for them. I can feel it, Ly. We can return to your pack and others tomorrow. But we owe ourselves another night together. Let me hold you tonight."
I could not have picked a better male for me. I closed my eyes, listening to the childish prattle of the rain and earth, mimicking my heartbeat to the male who held me and inhaling the scent unique to Aries, I fell asleep. I was home.
I know, not R-Rated, no erotica. Sorry guys, I felt highly uncomfortable writing a mature version of this scene.
Perhaps, one day after Aries is over, I might write a mature version of this scene... but who knows? Only time will tell.
Also, look out for Akycha. She might appear in a series that I might begin after three books in this series.
Also, Next update: last chapter of Cain
After that: Mipen! (I know, theirs is the chapter, I am going to work on)
After the two bonus chapters, Again Lyra and Aries fluff (or so I hope)
Let's see.
Okay... who watched c-dramas here? I am watching one here and it is amazing! We can talk about it if you like it too!
Until next update,
~Quill