Page 6

Five

Thornix

I paced the forest floor, my agitation causing the vines in my hair to writhe and twist. The memory of our kiss haunted me, burning through my thoughts like wildfire. Each time I closed my eyes, I felt her lips against mine, tasted her fierce defiance mixed with something sweeter.

"Focus," I muttered to myself, pressing my palm against an ancient oak to ground myself. But even the tree's steady energy couldn't calm the storm inside me.

I had live in relative solitude, finding companionship in the whispers of leaves and the songs of birds. Now, after just a few weeks with Acacia, I felt incomplete when she wasn't near. It was dangerous. Unsettling.

A commotion in the canopy above drew my attention. My heart stopped when I saw her, perched precariously on a branch of the Elder Tree, one of the most sacred and temperamental beings in my territory.

"Acacia!" I shouted, fear turning my voice harsh. "Get down from there immediately!"

She looked down at me, that familiar spark of defiance in her eyes. "Why? You said I needed to learn about the forest. Well, I'm learning!"

"That's not a normal tree," I growled, watching in horror as she climbed higher. The Elder Tree's energy was pulsing with annoyance. "It's ancient and powerful. One wrong move and-"

The branch beneath her foot suddenly withdrew, leaving her scrambling for balance. I moved without thinking, calling to the surrounding trees. Their branches intertwined, creating a net beneath her just as she lost her grip.

She landed safely in the makeshift cradle, but my relief quickly turned to anger. I lowered her to the ground with a thought, stalking toward her as she regained her footing.

"What were you thinking?" I demanded, my voice trembling with barely contained emotion. "Do you have any idea how close you came to-"

"To what?" she challenged, stepping into my space. "To proving I can handle myself in your precious forest? To showing you I'm not some helpless human who needs constant protection?"

"To dying!" I roared, grabbing her shoulders. "That tree could have killed you in an instant! Is that what you want? To throw away your life just to prove a point?"

Her eyes flashed. "Maybe I'm tired of you treating me like a child! Maybe I want you to see me as-"

"As what?" I asked, my voice dropping dangerously low. We were so close now I could feel her breath on my face.

"As your equal," she whispered. "As your mate."

The last of my control snapped. I crushed my lips to hers, pouring all my fear and longing and frustration into the kiss. She responded immediately, her fingers tangling in my vine-woven hair as she pressed herself against me.

This kiss differed from our first. There was no anger now, only raw need. The forest hummed with energy, responding to our passion. Flowers burst into bloom, their sweet scent filling the air.

I broke away just long enough to look into her eyes, searching for any sign of hesitation. What I saw there made my breath catch . Desire, yes, but also trust. Understanding. Connection.

"Acacia," I breathed her name like a prayer.

She silenced me with another kiss. "I want this," she murmured against my lips. "I want you."

The last threads of my resistance dissolved. I gathered her in my arms, carrying her to a soft bed of moss that seemed to appear beneath us of its own accord. The forest itself was responding to our need, creating a private sanctuary beneath the stars.

I laid her down gently, taking a moment to marvel at how beautiful she looked with her hair spread out against the green moss, her eyes bright with desire. The moonlight filtering through the canopy painted her skin in silver patterns that rivaled the most intricate forest magic.

"You're beautiful," I told her, trailing my fingers along her jaw. "So beautiful it hurts to look at you sometimes."

A blush colored her cheeks, but she didn't look away. Instead, she reached up to trace the patterns of leaves that marked my skin. "Show me," she whispered. "Show me how a wood nymph loves."

Her words sent a shiver through me. I leaned down to kiss her again, slower this time, savoring every moment. My hands explored her body with reverence, learning every curve and plane. Where my fingers touched, tiny flowers bloomed on her skin, marking her as mine.

Acacia's hands weren't idle either. She mapped the contours of my chest, her touch sending sparks of pleasure through my entire being. When she found a sensitive spot, the vines in my hair twisted and curled with delight.

"The forest," she gasped as I traced kisses down her neck. "It's responding to us."

She was right. The very air around charged with magic, the trees singing an ancient song of love and union. As our passion built, so did the forest's response. Fireflies danced around us like stars fallen to earth, and the moss beneath us glowed with soft bioluminescence.

I took my time worshipping her body, using centuries of knowledge about pleasure to draw the most exquisite sounds from her lips.

When I finally joined with her, it was like nothing I had ever experienced in all my years.

The forest's magic merged with our passion, creating a connection so deep it took my breath away.

"Thornix," she moaned, her nails digging into my shoulders. "I feel everything. The forest, you, all of it."

"I know," I gasped, overwhelmed by the sensation of our combined energies. "I feel it too."

We moved together in perfect harmony, our bodies finding a rhythm as natural as the wind through the trees. The forest's magic swirled around us, amplifying every touch, every sensation. When we finally reached our climax together, it was like a supernova of pleasure and magic combined.

Afterward, we laid together on the moss, our breathing slowly returning to normal. The forest gradually settled around us, though the air still hummed with residual energy. Tiny glowing flowers had bloomed in a circle around where we lay, marking this spot as sacred in its own way.

Acacia traced patterns on my chest, her touch sending little aftershocks of pleasure through me. "That was intense," she said finally, a smile in her voice.

I chuckled, pulling her closer. "The forest approved of our union. That doesn't happen often."

She propped herself up on an elbow to look at me, her expression curious. "Is it always like that for wood nymphs? With the magic and everything?"

"No," I admitted, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "This was different. Special." I hesitated before adding, "Like you."

Her eyes softened. "I'm sorry I scared you earlier. I just... I needed to prove something to myself, I think. Not just to you."

I sighed, remembering the terror of seeing her in that tree. "I understand. But please, promise me you'll be more careful. I couldn't bear to lose you now."

The admission cost me something, making me feel vulnerable in a way I hadn't in centuries. But as Acacia smiled and leaned down to kiss me softly, I realized that maybe vulnerability wasn't such a terrible thing after all.

"I promise," she whispered against my lips. "Besides, I think I found a much better way to prove myself your equal."

I laughed, rolling us over, so she was beneath me again. "Is that so? Perhaps we should test that theory again, just to be sure."

Her answering laugh turned into a moan as I captured her lips with mine. Above us, the stars twinkled through the canopy, and the forest sang its ancient song of love and magic. For the first time since our matching, I felt truly, completely whole.