Page 61 of Cursed Dreams (Shadow and Dreams #1)

His words coiled around her spine like silk and fire. Her body responded before her mind could catch up, aching, pulsing, needing. She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his jaw, then his throat, her lips trailing lower as his hands gripped her hips in a silent plea.

When she rose slightly to align them, Caelum sucked in a sharp breath, his head tipping back into the moss. She teased the length of him with the heat of her body, their connection hovering on the edge, the barest inch between them.

“Thalia…” he groaned, his grip tightening. “Don’t torture me.”

But she wasn’t ready yet, not until she had burned this moment into her soul.

She rocked her hips against him, slowly, deliberately, feeling his impressive length nudge at her entrance, again and again, not quite enough to satisfy either of them. His entire body was trembling beneath her now, each breath a ragged effort of restraint.

“You said to take what I need,” she murmured into his ear. “I need this. I need you.”

She sank down on him slowly, inch by torturous inch, her breath catching as he filled her completely.

The stretch of him was exquisite, too much and just right, overwhelming and perfect.

Caelum’s groan was guttural, almost a growl, as his hands slid up her back, holding her to him as though he feared she might vanish.

“You were made for me,” he rasped. “Every part of you… you’re mine, Thalia.”

Her body arched at his words, and she began to move, slowly at first, seeking rhythm, seeking the edge.

Caelum’s hands found the curve of her backside, guiding her with maddening control, meeting every movement with an upward roll of his hips that made her cry out softly.

He was deep, so deep it felt like he reached into her soul with every stroke.

His thumb found her clit and pressed firmly, circling in tight strokes that matched the thrust of his hips.

The added pressure sent her spiralling. Thalia cried out as pleasure tore through her, her body clenching hard around him.

She came with a cry that broke against his mouth as he kissed her through it, swallowing every moan, every gasp.

His cock hit that sweet spot again, sharper, fiercer.

Her muscles seized around him as a second orgasm rolled through her, her body trembling uncontrollably while he kept fucking her deep and steady, driving her higher until she was wrecked and shaking in his arms

“Eyes to me,” he rasped, voice thick with lust. “I want to see you come. I want to watch every second as you break for me.”

She forced her eyes open, locking on his. The second their gazes met, she saw stars—felt something primal and powerful rise up in her. He was so beautiful, so hers, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. Her name was a prayer on his lips, and his was a curse and a blessing on hers.

Their bodies moved faster, more desperate, the rhythm unravelling as pleasure built to a breaking point.

Thalia clung to him, riding him hard, gasping his name with every roll of her hips.

Her thighs burned with effort, her breath came ragged, and still, she couldn’t get enough.

The feel of him deep inside her, the stretch, the way his hands guided her, grounding her, it was all too much.

She was close. So close.

With a guttural roar, Caelum shifted beneath her, his arms tightening.

Before she could catch her breath, he moved, lifting her off him in one swift motion.

A cry tore from her throat at the sudden loss.

Her back hit the moss, but only for a heartbeat.

He flipped her smoothly onto her hands and knees, his body pressing up behind her, hot and solid and ready.

Thalia gasped, her heart slamming in her chest. His hand slid up her spine, firm and possessive, until his fingers tangled in her hair. He wrapped it once around his hand and pulled, just enough to tilt her head back and make her breath hitch.

The head of his cock slid along her entrance, teasing her, soaked and aching. He pushed into her, deep and slow, stretching her all over again. She moaned, loud, open, shameless as her body took him fully, trembling at the force of it.

Every thrust drove her forward, into the earth, into the stars above. Her fingers dug into the moss as he fucked her from behind, hard and deep, the sound of their bodies slapping together loud in the stillness of the forest.

“Gods,” she gasped. “Caelum…”

His hand slid from her hair to her throat, claiming her, guiding her upright. Her back arched into him, chest heaving, her head resting on his shoulder as he pulled her close, never breaking rhythm.

He turned her face toward his, and kissed her, hard, consuming, tongue and teeth and breathless groans.

The pressure between her legs was unbearable.

His cock hit that perfect spot again and again, and with the rough glide of his hand between her thighs, stroking her clit with firm, filthy precision, her entire body lit up.

She shattered around him, crying out into his mouth, her body clenching so hard it dragged him deeper. Her legs trembled as pleasure flooded her in violent, beautiful waves. He held her through it, still moving inside her, still kissing her like he couldn’t bear to stop.

And gods, she never wanted him to

She was trembling, breathless and boneless against him, when Caelum’s rhythm faltered. His grip on her hips tightened, bruising and desperate, his chest rising fast against her back as he drove into her with hard, relentless strokes.

“Thalia,” he groaned, voice wrecked, breath hot against her ear. “I can’t, gods, I can’t hold back.”

She moaned, still sensitive, still pulsing around him, but needing every thrust, every bit of him. She reached back, her hand curling around his jaw, pulling his face to hers. “Then don’t,” she whispered.

His entire body tensed. His hands gripped her harder.

And with a final deep thrust, he spilled into her, groaning her name like a prayer broken open on his tongue.

She felt the heat of him flood inside her, the way his body shuddered behind her, locked tight as he emptied himself in slow, pulsing waves.

He buried his face in her neck, panting against her skin, his hips giving a few final lazy rolls, drawing out every last sensation. She stayed there, on all fours, flushed and shaking, with him wrapped around her, their breaths tangled, their bodies still joined, slick and warm and spent.

The world was quiet again, except for the pounding of their hearts and the soft rustle of leaves above them. His arms slid around her middle as he eased them both down to the moss, pulling her close to his chest.

Thalia let herself be gathered into him, her cheek resting against his shoulder, his breath still warm against her hair

They were both breathless, tangled in sweat and heat and starlight. And even in this dream realm, the moment felt real, achingly, beautifully real.

“I’m at the temple,” she whispered, lifting her head just enough to look into his eyes. “In the fae lands. We arrived yesterday. Tomorrow… we leave for the forest.”

His gaze shimmered with emotion, those piercing pale blue eyes shining with something soft and unguarded.

“You’ve come so far,” he murmured, brushing a thumb across her cheek. “Every step you’ve taken… I’ve felt it like a pull on my soul. I knew you would do it.”

His words struck something deep in her. She blinked back the sudden sting in her eyes.

Caelum pulled her closer, his voice like warm velvet. “You’ve been so brave. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been. But you’ve never stopped. You’ve honoured me with your strength, Thalia. With your heart.”

She shivered against him, emotion pooling thick in her chest. “I just want to free you. It’s not fair, what happened to you. What the dragons did, what they took.”

His expression darkened, the flicker of light in his eyes swallowed by something far more dangerous. “The dragon,” he said, voice strained. “Vaelith.” He spat the name like poison. “If I weren’t bound here, I’d rip him apart with my bare hands.”

He looked at her then, jaw clenched, fury simmering just beneath the surface. “He’s hurt you. Hunted you. Twisted everything. And I can’t do a damn thing about it, yet.”

His hand curled around hers, “But when I’m free I vow… he’ll pay for what he’s done to us. If he so much as breathes in your direction again, I’ll make sure it’s the last thing he ever does.

Something shifted in Thalia’s chest. Caelum’s protectiveness wasn’t new, but there was a lethal edge to his voice now, a quiet finality that made her breath catch. It wasn’t just a promise. It was a warning, to anyone who dared to hurt her, she knew they wouldn’t live long enough to regret it.

“I’ll be careful,” she whispered, resting her cheek against his shoulder again. “I just want this to be over. I want to be with you. Always.”

He stroked her hair gently. “You will be soon. You’re so close, Thalia. And once we’re together, I’ll never let you go. My goddess. My heart.”

The warmth of his touch, the strength of his arms around her, lulled her, dulled the sharp edges of worry and fear. Her eyes began to flutter closed, heavy with sleep.

Caelum leaned down, lips brushing her ear.

“My goddess,” he whispered, voice thick with reverence. “My princess. My future queen.”

She smiled faintly as sleep pulled her under, sated and safe in his arms.

Thalia blinked awake to the soft flicker of candlelight casting long shadows on the smooth stone walls of the temple’s prayer hall.

It was still night, perhaps the hour just before dawn.

She sat up slowly, the stone beneath her cold and uncomfortable.

Her limbs felt heavy, loose, and languid, her body still humming with the aftershocks of Caelum’s touch, the sound of his voice echoing through her chest like a promise.

Her lips tingled from his kisses, and warmth still bloomed low in her belly.

She let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. Of course she’d fallen asleep inside a dream. That was her life now, where dreams had become more than sleep bound visions. They were bridges, stitched together by memory and magic, shifting with emotion and will.

The thought made her smile as she rose to her feet.

She longed to stay with Caelum a little longer, but the comfort of being connected to him again settled something inside her.

After so many restless nights, the bond between them felt like a balm, a steady thread grounding her through the chaos of everything else.

The temple halls were quiet as she padded through them, her feet silent against cool marble.

A few sconces still burned along the walls, their golden light painting dancing shapes that followed her down the corridor.

Outside, a breeze stirred faintly against the high windows, carrying the scent of dew and the hint of approaching dawn.

When she reached their room, she eased the door open quietly, careful not to wake anyone.

The sight that greeted her, made her pause in the doorway, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

In the far corner of the room, nestled together under one blanket, were Marand and Cellen.

Cellen’s arm was draped protectively over Marand’s waist, his face buried in the wild spill of her hair.

Marand’s hand rested lightly against his chest, both were sound asleep, the rise and fall of their breathing in perfect sync.

Thalia’s heart warmed at the sight. Finally, she thought, her smile deepening. It was so like Cellen to hide behind jokes and flippant words, and so like Marand to quietly hold her feelings close. But they had found each other, despite it all, and that brought a flicker of hope to her chest.

She moved quietly to her own bed, sliding beneath the blanket and curling onto her side. The stone walls no longer felt quite so cold. Her thoughts drifted to Caelum, to the way his fingers had brushed her cheek, the awe in his voice when he’d called her his goddess… his queen.

Her heart skipped at the memory. Soon. If the gods were kind, if luck stayed with them, she would be in his arms again, this time in the waking world.

That thought settled her like nothing else had in weeks.

With a soft sigh, she let her eyes drift closed once more, peace blooming in her chest as sleep pulled her under.