Page 27 of Faeheart (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #2)
Wild
I was too tired to think about the implications of Atlas’s words.
And so was everyone else. After using up all our energy to protect the mansion and put the dead back to sleep, all I could think about was getting some rest myself.
Atlas helped Elias get me back to my room before he and Caden went to their own chamber.
Elias stayed with me, helping me undress as I crawled into bed.
“You can’t wear your jeans to bed,” he huffed, pulling the blankets away from me. “It’s unsanitary.”
“I haven’t been exactly rolling in the mud today,” I groaned, reaching down and undoing the button at my waist. “I think you’re just trying to get me naked.” I leaned back, throwing a hand dramatically over my forehead. “And take advantage of my weakened state.”
“I am not,” he snapped, but I could see the red rising in his cheeks.
I just stared at him, a grin curling over my lips. After such a serious and frankly disturbing afternoon, I let myself give into the jokes. Something had to lighten the mood. I wasn’t made for such severity all the time. I needed fun to survive.
“Oh no,” I said, coughing lightly. “I don’t think I have the strength to get these pesky jeans off. Whatever will I do?”
Elias rolled his eyes, but I could feel his amusement rippling through our bond despite his attempt at exasperation. “You’re impossible,” he muttered, but his hands were already moving to help me with my jeans.
The moment his fingers brushed against my skin as he worked the denim down my legs, a different kind of energy sparked between us.
Not the overwhelming magical power we’d wielded earlier, but something softer, more intimate.
Through our connection, I felt his breath catch as he took in the sight of me in just my tight briefs, exhausted but still very much affected by his touch.
“Better?” he asked, his voice rougher than it had been moments before.
“Much,” I replied, catching his wrist as he started to pull away. “But I’m still feeling rather... vulnerable. Might need someone to keep an eye on me. Make sure I don’t have any magical aftershocks or anything.”
Elias’s pulse jumped beneath my fingers, and through our bond I felt his desire war with his lingering nervousness. But something had shifted today. Seeing me in my true fae form, fighting alongside me, protecting each other... it had changed something fundamental between us.
“Magical aftershocks,” he repeated, his brown eyes darkening as they met mine. “Is that a real thing?”
“Absolutely,” I said solemnly, tugging him gently toward the bed. “Very serious condition. Requires close monitoring.”
He let me pull him down beside me, his academic curiosity warring with growing arousal as I guided his hand to rest against my chest, right over my heart.
“Your heart is racing,” he observed, his palm warm against my skin.
“Aftershocks,” I confirmed, unable to suppress my grin. “Definitely need a healer’s attention.”
This time, when Elias leaned down to kiss me, there was something different in his touch.
Less hesitation, more certainty. As if seeing me channel that wild fae magic, watching me protect all of us with everything I had, had finally convinced him that whatever this was between us was worth the risk.
“Will you lay with me?” I asked, the taste of him still on my lips. “I don’t want to be alone after... everything.”
Through our bond, I felt his answer before he spoke it. The walls he’d been carefully maintaining around his heart had cracked during the battle, and now tenderness flooded through our connection like warm honey.
“Of course,” he whispered, already reaching for the buttons of his shirt. “I don’t want to be alone either.”
I watched through heavy-lidded eyes as he undressed, my exhaustion making everything feel dreamlike and soft around the edges. When he slipped into bed beside me, wearing only his boxers, the warmth of his skin against mine sent a shiver of contentment through our bond.
“Is this okay?” he asked, settling against me with careful consideration for my depleted state.
Instead of answering with words, I pushed back against him, getting as close as possible. I pulled his arms tight around me, breathing in his scent. Through our connection, I felt his surprise at my sudden vulnerability, followed immediately by a fierce protectiveness that made my chest tight.
“You were incredible today,” he murmured, his fingers curling gently through my hair. “The way you called the spirits, protected all of us... I’ve never seen magic like that.”
“Scared you, didn’t it?” I asked quietly, some of my old insecurities surfacing despite my exhaustion.
“Terrified me,” he admitted honestly. “Not because of what you did, but because I realized how much I had to lose. How much you mean to me.”
The words hit me like a physical blow, so much raw emotion packed into that simple admission. Through our bond, I could feel the truth of it, the depth of feeling he’d been holding back finally spilling over.
“Elias,” I breathed, pulling back just enough to meet his eyes.
“I know we said we’d take things slow,” he continued, his hand coming up to cup my face. “But after today, after nearly losing you... I don’t want to waste any more time being afraid.”
“What are you saying?” I asked, though I could feel the answer thrumming through our connection already.
“I’m saying I think I love you, Wild. Not because of soul recognition or magical bonds or cosmic destiny. Because you’re brave and funny and fierce, and you make me feel alive in ways I never knew were possible.”
The confession hung between us like a bridge neither of us had been brave enough to cross before. Through our bond, I felt his terror at putting himself out there so completely, but also his determination not to let fear rule him anymore.
“I think I might love you too,” I whispered, the words feeling both foreign and completely natural on my tongue. “More than I thought I was capable of loving anyone.”
He kissed the back of my neck and then buried his face in my hair.
We didn’t need to say more, not right now.
Through the bond, I could feel everything I needed to know.
He was telling the truth, his affection for me washing between us like a tidal wave.
I allowed myself to be wrapped up in its warmth.
Between that and his strong arms around me, I slipped into dreams without even realizing I’d fallen asleep.
When I woke, it was dark in the room. The ethereal servants had shut the blinds and doused the fire.
There was nothing but the warmth of Elias pressed against my back and the sounds of his soft breathing filling the room.
I leaned against him, a smile spreading over my face.
Everything felt so… different. But right .
Being close to Elias like this… it was where I belonged, what I wanted more than anything in the world.
I didn’t understand why it had taken me so long to realize it.
But as I snuggled against him, I noticed something else.
Elias was rock hard, his cock nestled perfectly against my butt.
A wave of lust rushed through me, filling my body with a strange but familiar tingling sensation.
It was stronger than normal, much more than my usual hookups.
This was lust, but not because I wanted to get off.
It was lust with the intention of making love , and that was something I’d never experienced before.
I pushed my ass back against Elias, letting out a low moan as I felt his length press against me.
My own cock was already hard, trapped by the tight fabric of my briefs.
I wanted more than anything to reach down and set it free, to touch myself with Elias pressed up against me.
But I knew Elias hadn’t wanted to go that far just yet, and I’d never break his trust like that.
“You woke me up…” Elias whispered against my neck, his warm breath over my skin sending a shiver down my spine.
“S-Sorry,” I whispered back, realizing my thoughts had crossed through our bond. “I just?—”
“You were just thinking about my dick,” he chuckled softly. His cock flexed against my ass, making my heart leap. “I was dreaming about fucking you.”
My entire body lit up at his words, my cock throbbing against my briefs. “It feels like a pretty good dream,” I grinned. I paused for a moment, gathering up my courage. “Do… Do you want to make it a reality?”
He buried his face in my neck, kissing and licking at my pulse point. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Before I knew what was happening, Elias’s hand had snaked around my hips and down the front of my underwear. His fingers wrapped around my cock, giving it a gentle squeeze that drew a moan from my lips.
“Are… Are you sure you want this?” I asked, still worried I was pushing him too fast, even though he was the one touching me.
“I’m sure,” he replied, nibbling at my ear. “Are you?”
“Fuck yes…” I sighed, leaning into his touch. “Please fuck me, Elias. I… I need it.”
His grip tightened around me, and I felt his other hand slide down to push my briefs lower on my hips. The satin sheets against my heated skin made me gasp, but it was nothing compared to the sensation of Elias’s bare hand stroking me slowly, deliberately.
“I’ve been thinking about this,” he murmured against my ear, his voice thick with desire. “About touching you like this, about being inside you. I just… I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it.”
Through our connection, I could feel his arousal mixing with mine, creating a feedback loop that had us both trembling. His cock was pressed firmly against my ass, only the thin fabric of his boxers separating us, and I could feel how badly he wanted to be closer.
“You’ll be perfect,” I breathed, reaching back to hook my fingers in the waistband of his underwear. “You’ll feel everything I want through the bond. Just let me guide you.”