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I want him.

I want magic to make us fit.

The moss beneath us pulses in time with my movements, each motion leaving a trail of glowing flowers in its wake. Their petals brush against my skin with a thousand silken caresses.

Oren watches me, his eyes bright, his fingers tightening around my waist as if he’s holding on for dear life. “Lily,” he breathes, my name a plea, and a promise all at once.

I remove my dress and panties and position myself, hovering over this beautiful and kind giant. And then it happens—just like he said, magic compensates. I slide down on him, slowly, impossibly, stretching and filling me in a way that should be painful, should be terrifying, but it isn’t. It feels like the most natural thing in the world, and I cry out, not in fear, but in shock, relief, and overwhelming pleasure at the feel of his ribbed-like texture.

Oren's eyes widen, and his breath hitches. I can feel his ecstatic pleasure as if it is my own. Our bodies relax, melting into each other, as he fills me completely.

“Perfect fit,” Oren whispers, his voice rough and beautiful.

He moves beneath me, inside me, slowly at first, as this is surely new for him, too. I let out a soft moan, grinding myself down along his length. His rhythm increases, matching the pulsing moss and the pounding of my heart; we are the very heartbeat of the forest. He fills me again and again, each thrust sending shockwaves of pleasure through my entire being, each movement blooming with flowers that trace the outline of our joined bodies.

I lean forward, pressing our chests together, and the contact makes us both gasp. It’s like touching a power source—all the energy, emotion, and raw, electric life force of the heart tree crackling between us. I feel his emotions, his strength, and the weight of his ancient, unending eternity, and it undoes me completely.

The sensations build and build, an entire forest’s worth of life and magic crashing over us in waves. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt or imagined or dreamed, and I know he’s holding back, making it easier, softer, less intense than it could be. But thisis all I can take right now. The connection is so much deeper than physical. It feels as though our very souls are touching. The feeling is exquisite.

“Oren,” I cry out, my voice cracking, body stretching deliciously, everything inside me shattering.

He kisses me with impossible tenderness, his mouth gentle and sweet on mine, until the whole world dissolves into light and pleasure. The feeling of him holding me as I fall apart assures my body that it is safe for me to completely let go. My head falls back as I ride out the most stunningly beautiful orgasm, waves of pleasure sending me to unforeseen heights, until I am overwhelmed by the pure bliss.

Just as I am cresting the wave, I feel his body tense beneath me, and his cock pulses thick inside me pumping me full of his sweet, honeyed nectar. I feel his release dripping down my thighs as he lets out a deep, rumbling moan that vibrates through my body drawing out and intensifying my pleasure.

When the world comes back into focus, the stars are spinning overhead; the moss is a glowing, breathing carpet beneath us, and Oren is cradling me against his chest, still holding me like I’m the most precious thing in the forest. We’re breathless and covered in tiny, perfect flowers.

I let out a shaky laugh, half delirious and entirely happy. “Magic,” I whisper, leaning my forehead against his chest.

He brushes the hair back from my face, his touch infinitely tender. “With you,” he says, the wonder in his voice as deep as the forest, “everything.”

We lay there, still joined, connected, and buzzing with life. I don’t know how long it is before he finally slides out of me, before I finally collapse against him, completely spent and completely content.

I lean against his solid form, watching the stars through the canopy as my breathing returns to normal. The moss beneath uscontinues to pulse with gentle light, synchronized now with our heartbeats.

“Will you show me more of the forest heart?” I ask after a while, curiosity overcoming my post-orgasmic lethargy.

“Yes.” He helps me to my feet, then assists me with my dress, straightening it delicately for such massive hands. “Much to see. Much to learn.”

We spend hours exploring the sacred grove. Oren shows me ancient stones carved with symbols, trees that have witnessed millennia pass, and pools of water that reflect more than just what stands before them. Throughout it all, he treats me not as a fragile human or a temporary amusement, but as an equal worthy of sharing these secrets.

When he finally leads me back toward the cabin, the night is deep, the moon high overhead. My body still hums with residual pleasure, my mind expanded by glimpses into a world I never knew existed.

“Thank you,” I tell him as the cabin comes into view. “For showing me your world.”

“Our world,” he corrects gently. “Always been. Few humans remember how to see.”

He stops at the forest’s edge, not approaching the cabin directly. I know without asking that he’s respecting territorial and personal boundaries.

“Tomorrow night,” I say, remembering my promise to Kaelen. “I—”

“Wolf’s turn,” Oren confirms, no jealousy in his voice, only a kind of acceptance. “Different pleasure. Different connection.”

“Does that bother you?” I ask, slightly apprehensive.

He considers this, his glowing eyes thoughtful. “Not bothered,” he finally says. “Ancient ones understand. Different kinds of love. Different bonds. Wolf offers what I cannot. Water-dweller too.”

His words strike me. Love? Is that what this is becoming?