Page 18 of Her Fated Alpha Prince (Royal Dragons of Blackwater Islands #1)

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ARIANA

Ariana’s breath hitched the moment Kael’s fingers brushed the nape of her neck, slow and deliberate.

They had moved to the room, although just barely.

Heat pooled deep inside her, spreading like wildfire beneath skin that suddenly felt too thin, too alive.

She didn’t pull away. She couldn’t. Every nerve ending was alight, humming with the memory of his touch, hungry for more.

His gaze held hers—dark, fierce, and so impossibly close it felt like he was reaching into her soul. The world around them slipped away, leaving only the sharp, urgent pulse between them. She swallowed hard, voice barely a whisper as it tangled with the rising tension. “Kael...”

He smiled, slow and dangerous, a promise laced in every curve of his mouth. “Ariana.” The sound of her name on his lips was like a spell, wrapping around her, binding her.

His hands traced the line of her jaw, tilting her face up to meet his. She shivered, not from cold but from the raw, electric charge crackling in the space between them. His touch was both possessive and reverent, like she was the rarest thing he’d ever held.

When his lips finally found hers, it was like crashing into something both terrifying and beautiful—wild and consuming.

She melted into him, the world narrowing to the fire sparked by their kiss.

Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, desperate to feel every inch of him, every whispered promise beneath the surface.

Their bodies pressed together, skin against skin, every movement slow and deliberate. Ariana’s heart hammered against her ribs, fierce and unsteady. The heat between them was a living thing—hungry, demanding.

He slid his hands down her back, pulling her flush against him, and she could feel the taut strength beneath his shirt, the steady thrum of his heartbeat mirroring her own.

She gasped against his mouth, lost in the dizzying rush of sensation—soft lips, rough fingertips, the scent of him that filled her senses like a drug.

His breath was hot against her neck as he traced a path of fire down her skin. “You’re mine,” he murmured, voice low and filled with need. “Every part of you.”

A shiver raced down her spine, and she whispered back, voice trembling with want, “Only yours.”

The room spun, time folding in on itself as they moved together, a slow dance of discovery and surrender. Every touch, every sigh, every whispered word was a promise—and a confession.

Ariana’s world contracted to the curve of his arm around her waist, the press of his lips against hers, the steady heat that roared between them. In that moment, nothing else mattered.

She let go.

And for the first time in a long time, she felt completely, utterly alive.

Ariana’s hands trembled as they slid down Kael’s chest, tracing the taut muscles beneath his shirt.

The heat radiating from him was intoxicating, pulling her deeper into a world where nothing else existed but this moment, this need.

Every breath they shared was a promise, every touch a whispered confession.

Kael’s lips left hers to trail slow, burning kisses down her neck. She tilted her head back, exposing her throat, surrendering completely to the fire spreading through her veins. Her pulse thundered so loud she was sure he could hear it.

“You don’t have to be afraid here,” Kael murmured, voice rough with desire and something softer, something almost like reverence.

Ariana closed her eyes, letting the sound of his voice anchor her. She had spent so long hiding, running from parts of herself that scared her. But now, with him, she felt safe enough to let those walls crumble. Let the fire inside her blaze unchecked.

Her fingers found the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head, breath hitching at the bare skin revealed. He caught her gaze, his dark eyes heavy with something raw, something desperate.

“We don’t have to hold back,” he said, voice barely more than a growl.

Her answer was a whispered plea, a promise: “I don’t want to.”

Their bodies pressed closer, skin igniting wherever they touched. The world outside faded into shadows as they explored, hands and lips charting new territory—slow, urgent, and impossibly tender all at once.

Kael’s hands slid beneath her blouse, the cool air of the room contrasting with the heat of his touch. Ariana’s breath caught, heart hammering like a wild drum. Each brush of his fingertips was electric, setting her skin ablaze.

She let out a soft, shuddering sigh when his lips found hers again—this time deeper, more claiming. The taste of him was addictive, the way he moved against her both gentle and commanding.

“I’ve wanted this,” Kael confessed against her lips, “since the moment I saw you.”

The words hit her like a wave, stirring a fierce ache deep inside. She pulled back just enough to meet his gaze, her voice shaking with honesty. “Me too.”

Every barrier dissolved then. No more hesitation, no more fear. Just two souls colliding in a perfect storm of need and longing.

Their hands roamed freely now, seeking, learning, memorizing. Ariana’s skin tingled under his touch, her body humming with a delicious tension that begged to be released. The soft gasp she couldn’t hold back was swallowed by his mouth.

With a slow, deliberate movement, Kael eased her down onto the bed, eyes never leaving hers. The sheets were cool beneath her, but the fire he sparked within was endless.

As his hands continued their exploration, Ariana surrendered fully—body, mind, and heart. She let herself feel everything: the heat, the hunger, the vulnerability.

This was no longer just about desire. It was about trust. Connection. Becoming something new, together.

Her fingers tangled in his hair once more as they moved in perfect rhythm—slow and steady at first, then urgent and fierce. Every kiss, every touch was a question and an answer all at once.

Time lost meaning.

There was only this: the soft whisper of skin against skin, the steady drum of two hearts beating wild and free.

And in that beautiful, breathless space, Ariana knew—without a doubt—that she had found something worth holding onto.

Something worth fighting for.

Kael.

The first thing Ariana noticed was the cold. It wasn’t the usual chill of early morning but something sharper—like the breath of winter had slipped in through the cracks. She blinked awake, heart hammering. The room was dim, the faint glow of dawn barely pushing through the heavy curtains.

But it wasn’t the cold that made her sit up. It was the folded note on her bedside table, sitting too still, too deliberate.

She didn’t recognize the paper or the handwriting. The script was jagged, hurried, but each letter was sharp, demanding attention.

“They’re closer than you think. Trust no one but the flame. The watchers move at dawn. Prepare.”

Ariana’s fingers trembled as she read the words over and over. The flame. The watchers. The same words her dreams had whispered, the warnings V had hinted at. But this was new. This was urgent.

Her pulse quickened. How had the note gotten here? Who had slipped it under her door?

Before she could gather her thoughts, the soft creak of the floorboards pulled her gaze toward the doorway. Kael stepped in, his dark eyes immediately scanning the room, catching sight of the note in her hand.

“You got it too,” he said quietly, closing the door behind him.

Ariana nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “They’re moving. At dawn.”

Kael’s jaw clenched. “It’s earlier than we thought. The watchers must be growing desperate.”

They exchanged a look heavy with unspoken fears. The danger was no longer a shadow at the edges of their lives—it was closing in, tangible and immediate.

Ariana rose, the warmth of the bed replaced by the cold certainty settling in her bones. “We need to find the flame.”

Kael’s brow furrowed. “The flame... What does it mean? The silver-white fire from your dream?”

She nodded, recalling the flickering light that had felt like both a warning and a promise. “It’s something ancient, something tied to me. Maybe it’s the key to stopping them.”

Kael crossed the room to the small table where her journal lay, flipping it open to the pages filled with sketches and fragments of dreams. “If the watchers are moving at dawn, we don’t have much time.”

Ariana’s gaze drifted to the window, where the first hints of morning stretched across the sky. Her mind raced, piecing together the fragments of warnings, the strange new powers waking inside her, and the people lurking in the shadows.

Suddenly, a sharp noise shattered the tense silence—a faint scraping at the door.

Kael’s hand went to the dagger at his belt. “Stay here.”

She shook her head, her voice firm. “No. Whatever happens, I’m not hiding anymore.”

The door creaked open, revealing a figure cloaked in deep shadows. The stranger stepped inside, a face half-hidden beneath a hood.

“I’m not your enemy,” the voice was low but urgent. “But time is short. You need to come with me if you want to survive.”

Ariana’s breath caught. Trust felt impossible. But the fear in the stranger’s eyes was real.

Kael’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t move to strike.

Ariana took a step forward, heart pounding with a mixture of dread and hope.

This was no longer just about her.

It was about the war she had been drawn into, whether she was ready or not.

And the flame—the flicker of something more—was waiting to be found.