Page 65

His eyes glow with warmth, a subtle hunger stirring beneath. He sets aside the wooden bowl, then reaches for me. Our fingers entwine, and the closeness ignites a spark deep in my belly.Two years, and his touch still sends currents through me.

He leans in, brushing a kiss along my jaw, voice hushed with reverence. “I savor you every day, Elyria,” he whispers. “But if you want to remind ourselves how far we’ve come…”

Heat blooms under my skin. “I do,” I answer softly, pressing my forehead to his, letting our breath mingle.No fear or constraints, just the promise of a night that belongs solely to us.

Slowly, gently, we shed the day’s dust and the remnants of old burdens. Each kiss is unhurried, each touch reverent, as though we are memorizing the map of our devotion anew. My heart pounds in my chest, recalling frantic couplings in caves and ruinous fortresses, overshadowed by danger. But tonight, in the hush of our home, we have only the flicker of firelight to bear witness.

Korrin’s hands glide along my sides, exploring the curves that hold two years of peace instead of scars. I let out a trembling sigh, burying my fingers in his dark hair, relishing the closeness of our bodies. The unspoken vow hums between us, the vow we made to choose each other in every breath.

We sink onto the woven blanket near the hearth, the heat of the flames dancing across our skin. His lips travel over my neck, stirring memories of the moment he shattered his wings to spare my life. A flood of gratitude and longing envelop me. I arch closer, pressing kisses to his shoulder. He hisses a bit as mynails skim the edges of his stumps—still sensitive. I lift my head, apology brimming.

He exhales, pain flickering but overshadowed by devotion. “I’m all right,” he murmurs, voice thick. “Don’t hold back. I want to feel every bit of you.”

Tears slip from my eyes as I gently cradle his face, pressing my lips to his in a passionate kiss that speaks of more than lust—it’s the testament of two exiles choosing love over flight or fear.Our breathing grows ragged, the crackle of the hearth a steady counterpoint.

In the flickering firelight, we let ourselves surrender to the moment. His hands slide down my waist, fingers tracing the dip of my hips before gripping my thighs. I arch against him, breath hitching as his cock brushes my stomach, hard and hot.

“How much do you want me?” Korrin murmurs, voice rough. I obey, meeting his darkened eyes as he guides himself to my entrance. His thumb strokes my clit in slow circles, coaxing a whimper from my throat. “Tell me you want us, this.”

“Always,” I gasp, nails digging into his shoulders. “Every part of you.”

He sinks into me with a groan, our bodies joining in a slow, searing slide. The stretch is exquisite, the fullness stealing my breath. I clutch him tighter, thighs trembling around his hips.

“Gods, Elyria—” His forehead drops to mine, his rhythm deliberate, each thrust deep and unhurried. “You feel… fuck, you feel like paradise, my home, my everything.”

Heat coils low in my belly, building with every roll of his hips. My pussy clenches around him, drawing a ragged curse from his lips. The wooden ring on my finger glints in the firelight, a vow etched in every movement—our bodies speaking what words cannot.

“Korrin…” I moan, my heart swelling with so much love, it’s overflowing.

His kisses trail down my throat, teeth grazing my collarbone. “I love the sounds you make,” he growls, grinding deeper. “Love how you take me, so perfect and so beautiful. I love the way you taste, the way you smile, the way you comb your hair, even the way you talk… I can listen to you all day, all night…”

“I love you… I love you…” I repeat over and over as he pistons inside me, moving as if we only have tonight. But I know we have a lifetime… and forever.

Korrin ignites my body with ecstasy, driving me to the point of insanity. Pleasure crests, sharp and sweet. My back bows as my climax crashes over me, a silent cry tearing from my lips.

“Elyria!” Korrin follows, his cock pulsing inside me as he comes in me with a shuddering groan, his broken wings twitching behind him in instinctive reflex.

For a heartbeat, there’s only the sound of our ragged breaths, the crackle of the hearth. Then he collapses beside me, pulling me into his arms. His fingers trace my spine, reverent.

“You are my home,” he whispers, voice thick. “My mate. My everything. My world.”

I press a kiss to his sweat-damp chest. “And you’re mine. No matter where we roam, we carry each other.”

The fire dims to embers, but the warmth between us lingers—a quiet, unshakable truth.

A wave of contentment drapes over us, an afterglow so serene it eclipses the memory of pain. We remain locked in each other’s arms, the fire dying to embers, the forest hush lulling us into a state of blissful exhaustion.

Sometime past midnight, I stir, reluctant to break the warmth of his embrace. The cabin is dark except for the faint glow of dying coals. I peer at his sleeping face: the strong line of his jaw, the faint quirk of a smile even in slumber. My chest tightens with renewed love.We shape our own destiny—where no chain or vow can overshadow the freedom we claimed.

Outside, the wind moans softly. I ease from his arms, slipping on a simple robe. At the cabin doorway, I gaze out at the moonlit clearing, breath catching at the sight of starlight dusting the pines. My mind drifts to the vow we sealed hours earlier with our bodies—like a reaffirmation of the vow we once made under the battered sky, after we fled the alpha’s fortress. But tonight, there was no desperation in our lovemaking, only quiet joy.

Behind me, Korrin murmurs, stirring awake. He rises, staff in hand, silhouette strong despite his wingless form. My heart soars, bridging the two-year journey from tortured executioner to free man who stands by my side. He hobbles over, chest still bare, eyes reflecting the gentle moonlight.

With a shy grin, he wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me against him. We stand in the doorway, overlooking the forest we learned to cultivate and love. “Tomorrow,” he says softly, “we’ll check the new orchard sprouts, right? Your magic coaxed them to blossom early.”

I nod, tears brimming, unstoppable. “Yes. And we can expand the garden. Maybe find a second clearing for more vegetables. We can even set up a small watchtower on the ridge if you want.” My voice shakes with excitement.So many possibilities.

He presses a tender kiss to my temple. “We have all the time in the world,” he murmurs. “No masters, no hunts, no forced oaths. Just… us.”

A sob escapes me, but it’s a sob of happiness. I tighten my arms around his waist, cheek pressed to his chest. “Yes,” I whisper, voice thick. “We walk forward, side by side, shaping each day with love instead of fear.”

He holds me in that hush, the forest echoing our vow. Our final image is thus: two battered exiles, now equals, stepping beyond all we once were—her purna magic, my severed wings—forging a gentle future in a land free of tyranny. The moonlightbathes us, the hush of night resonating with the gentle throbbing of our hearts.This is our destiny, sealed in love, unstoppable.

No chain, no collar, no decree. Only us, mates in freedom, forging a new dawn with each sunrise.