Page 14

Durin

“What do you need?” I whisper to Rue as she walks through the door.

She looks so drained. I expect her to head straight to her bed. Instead, she heads for the little bed our son slept in for only a few short hours before he was taken from us. I cleared the mess from the shattered chair a while ago, but the bassinet still sits there, waiting for his return.

“Burn it,” she says, staring at the little blanket he was bundled in.

I step up behind her and wrap my arms around her tense frame. “Will that really help?” I ask, concerned she might regret this later.

“It will,” she insists. She turns in my arms and presses her face into my chest. “I can’t bear the scent of him.”

I forget how sensitive shifter’s noses are. Rue must be catching traces of him on the blanket and mattress. They hold the scent of him as a pup. A pup who’s never coming back. I see why that reminder would slow her healing.

I nuzzle the top of her head, then guide her gently backward to the doorway. “Stay here, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Tears well up in her eyes, but she clenches her jaw and nods me on. I caress her cheek and turn to do what she asked.

When I reach the bassinet, I discreetly burn a small section of the blanket off. Regret is a heavy burden to carry. If I can at least spare her from that, I have to try. I tuck the piece inside my sleeve and let my magic flow. The bassinet ignites and is quickly swallowed up by hot, blue flames.

I contain the fire to prevent scorching the walls of the hut. Everything else turns to ashes, settling softly on the floor. Rue wipes her face and takes a deep, steadying breath.

“Thank you,” she says before turning her back on the room and pulling me out the door. She ignores the meal the elves left for us and heads into the bedroom.

Pleasing her body to distract her mind is something I’ve gotten good at over the past few months. I’ve cherished the intimacy, even if it seemed more therapeutic for her than romantic. But this already feels different. Her eyes shine with life when she looks up at me. She slowly undresses herself, something I’ve been having to do for her. Her eyes drop shyly with an innocence that was buried beneath her pain.

She reaches for me with both hands. I step forward to embrace her, but she grabs the fabric of my tunic. With a gentle tug, she opens it wide and slides her hands up my chest before pushing it down over my shoulders.

Her fingers trail softly down my stomach and stop at the ties of my leathers. I softly rub her arms, feeling a rush of pride when chills race along her skin. She leans in and rests her cheek against my chest, breathing in my scent as she unties the strings.

The tickle of her breath makes my cock twitch. He’s eager to be a part of this intimate moment.

A small whimper escapes her lips as she slides her hands around my back and slips them under the band of my leathers. Her palms glide across the globes of my ass as she guides the garment down over them.

The leathers fall and pool at my feet, letting my cock spring free. When it makes contact with the soft skin of her belly, we both moan and cling to each other.

She climbs my body like a tree and wraps her legs tightly around me. My cock is pinned between my stomach and her blazing heat. I want to pin her back against the wall and pound into her soft body.

But she breathes me in and lets out a sweet sigh, slowing me down. Her fingers tangle in my hair as she nips at my shoulder and jaw.

Then, with a fierce growl, she bites down hard on my neck.

The pain jolts me, but I hold her firmly to my chest. This connection has deeper meaning than anything else we could do with our bodies. The bite during her heat was innocent and tentative, driven by a fated bond she didn’t know we had. But this is a conscious choice.

Despite my past and all my mistakes, she’s claiming me.

She continues growling while gripping my flesh possessively in her teeth. She’s given herself over to her instincts, being her truest self with me. It reminds me of her raw beauty during her heat. Giving her what she demanded was difficult then. This time, she’s fully aware of what she’s doing. I won’t let doubt or shame get in the way. I’ll accept her offering and give myself to her completely in return.

I sit down on the edge of the bed as she clings to me, sinking her fangs even deeper into my neck. The burn is more intense than the fire living inside me. If only I could hold onto this feeling. To physically carry the heat of my mate’s love every day.

Her hard nipples are pressed against my chest, and her core is still settled right on top of my shaft. I let my head fall back and groan in pleasure. She responds with a gush of that silky moisture her body makes. It coats my cock, urging me to satisfy her need.

We should strategize, or eat, or at least rest. But none of that seems important right now. It’s dust on the floor we can’t be bothered to sweep up. I need to be inside this perfect creature who, against all odds, wants me back.

She’s given me a pure spirit and body, not ones marked by my mistakes and sacrifices. I feel like the fae I was meant to be–the innocent one, untouched by cruelty. Not the wrathful avenger or defiled protector I became. I thought I’d lost that pure part of myself, but she restored it in me.

Rue pulls away, looking at me with love and longing in her eyes. She quickly licks the mark she left on my neck, then holds my face and kisses me. It’s tender at first, but she soon slips her tongue past my lips and takes control.

I moan into her mouth as she gives me the passion that’s been missing from our mating.

It’s impossible to focus on what she’s doing to my face for long with her warm folds hugging my shaft. I slide my hands to her hips and press her hard against me. She responds immediately, biting my bottom lip and rolling her hips.

There hasn’t been a good time to ask more about knots, but honestly, I don’t care what Alphas do with them. I have my own, and I’ll use it however I want. I go ahead and glamour one before penetrating her this time. I’m hoping the extra pressure against her clit will bring her pleasure.

She squeals as soon as she feels it. Her movements speed up, and she grinds roughly against my knot. Then she slows down, kissing me softly for a moment before grinding against me again.

She falls into a rhythm, retreating briefly before crashing back into me like waves breaking against the rocks.

Without warning, she shifts to her knees and lowers herself onto my cock. I watch her hips roll while she grips my knot with her walls. Her long black hair flows past her beautiful face and over her shoulders, framing her breasts like silk ribbons.

She’s the most breathtaking thing I’ve ever seen.

I grow my knot until she gasps and collapses against my chest. She clings to me, digging her nails into my shoulders.

Her fangs graze the other side of my neck. She bites down, then releases. Then, she sucks on my chest and shoulders to mark me before moving back to my neck.

I flip us over, positioning her on her back. She blinks up at me in surprise. I grasp her knees, spreading her legs wide before pushing back inside. She gasps and grips my wrists, holding on tight as I pound into her.

My thrusts hit deep, making her full breasts rise and fall with each movement. Her eyes roll back in pure ecstasy. She moans and writhes beneath me as the sensations overwhelm her.

Her walls begin to flutter, telling me she’s close to the edge. I slow my pace. She pulls me down so there’s no space between us. Our hips grind together, and my balls rest against her ass as we move.

There are so many points of contact. Each one sends electric jolts of pleasure through my body. It’s all-consuming, yet I still feel like I can’t get enough of her.

She grabs my hair and presses her lips to mine. I kiss her aggressively and grow my knot until it’s impossible to break apart. Yet I still hold her tight as if she might manage to slip away.

Soon, her body responds again. Her hips move in circles while I press deeper, searching for any hidden inch of her I missed.

My pleasure hits its peak. I can’t hold back. I grow my knot just a bit more, stretching her to her limit around me.

She holds my face against hers, keeping our lips locked as I groan out my release. The jolts along my skin fade to the background as pleasure shoots through my cock in bursts.

Her moans fill the air as she finds her own pleasure. She twitches and jerks against me while clinging to our kiss. It stretches on, feeling endless. But she eventually comes down, falling limply against my chest like a warm blanket.

I gently brush the damp hair from her forehead and smile, struck by her soft beauty and incredible strength.

“I’m happy, Durin,” she whispers, stilling my heart. “I can still be happy because of you.”

I’d thought my next mission, after defeating the queen, would be helping Rue find joy again. Somehow, I managed to accomplish that one first. I hug her close, feeling quite victorious.

“Me too,” I whisper into her hair. “I love you, my little treasure.”

Call it selfish, but I’m fighting for Rue now. I want a realm where I can focus on loving and pleasing her without hiding. Where she can explore and enjoy Faerie without facing hatred or fear.

I’m not just killing the queen; I’m ripping her off the throne and putting someone there who actually deserves it. Because Rue is the only true royalty this realm has ever known.