Page 22

ARIA

T rue to his word, Malik didn’t let me out of his sight. Not in the hours when they returned to the cottage. Nor the days following the full moon.

I didn’t mind. In fact, I lavished in the time we spent together.

My life had never felt so full. Nothing had ever felt so complete as when we lounged in bed two days after the night of the full moon, naked and spent and content to live in our own little world.

We didn’t leave the house those first two days, and no one came to visit.

Once, I asked for a cellphone to call my father with, but that summarized the entirety of our communication with the outside world.

When Malik could no longer ignore his duties as general, we begrudgingly popped our blissful bubble and reentered society.

“You know, I think Estelle is short-staffed at the clinic,” I mused and flopped onto my stomach on the bed, resting my chin on my crossed arms as I admired Malik’s tight, bare backside from across the room .

He glanced up at me before continuing to rummage through his dresser for a pair of boxer briefs, clothing himself for the first time in several days. I smiled and continued. “Maybe while you’re at the training grounds today, I could return to work as a nurse?”

Malik stiffened, and his movements became slow as he pulled up his boxers before facing me again. A tortured mixture of trepidation and fervor filled his gaze, like he fought his natural inclination to outright refuse my request.

Of course, you can work in the clinic, he answered, raking a hand through his locks. Tension pulsed off of him in waves. You can always do what you want, Aria.

His words didn’t align with his body language. There was more that he was not telling me. Frowning, I pushed up onto my elbows and prompted him to continue. But…?

Things feel a bit, he paused, rubbing the back of his neck. A loud sigh pushed past his mouth. Intense right now. The thought of letting you out of my sight...

He trailed off, but I understood. The mate bond forced every instinct into overdrive.

Malik already possessed heightened protective tendencies, so adding in our fluctuating hormones and the sheer strength of our connection…

Well, he hadn’t even let me go to the bathroom by myself over the last two days.

I gave him a soft, sympathetic smile. The clinic overlooks the training grounds. You’ll always be in my sight.

You don’t understand. A soft, pained chuckle filled my head, but he wouldn’t look at me. Everything I’ve ever loved has always been taken from me. By Roman, my father, circumstance…

Pain splintered through my chest. I pushed off of the mattress, clamoring to my feet before closing the space between us and wrapping my arms around his waist.

You’re the first thing that has ever truly been mine, Aria, he whispered into our bond, and my heart ached at the palpable trepidation in his voice. I’m terrified of losing you. I’m terrified that someone—something—will take you from me.

“Oh, Malik,” I murmured against his chest, tightening my hold around his toned waistline. My fingers curled into fists, combating an overbearing urge to punish the world and every occupant who ever made my mate feel this way.

His hands stroked up and down my bare back, fingers spread wide as if desperate to touch more of me.

The thought of letting you out of my sight makes me physically sick.

Every instinct is screaming at me to keep you here.

Right here. His arms tightened around me, stressing the point.

The only time I can breathe is when I’m touching you.

When I can hear your heart and feel your warmth and smell my come inside of you ? —

My thighs clamped together at the reminder.

It will get better, he solemnly vowed. I don’t know if it will ever go away, but I’ll learn to manage it. Just awhile longer, please stay with me.

I peered up at him, wishing I could somehow mold our bodies into one being, if only to ease the stress and fear churning in his mind.

I felt it through our bond, a relentless battle between need and reason.

A battle that I didn’t want him to have to wage.

Not when I wanted to stay by his side as much as he desired me to.

Tipping onto my toes, I brushed a kiss to his collarbone, just beneath the mark I’d left on his neck. Then I’ll stay at the training grounds with you. My teeth nipped the mark, and he shuddered. Maybe I’ll ask Estelle for a basket of supplies to treat small injuries on the sidelines.

The tension fell away from his shoulders. Thank you, little dove. This won’t be forever. I just need a bit more time to learn to control ? —

“You don’t need to control anything,” I purred, cupping his cheek and drawing his lips to mine .

He kissed me, slow and practiced, ripping a small moan from my throat when his tongue traced the seam of my lips. I could still taste my own arousal on his lips from our last coupling, musky and earthy and not altogether unpleasant.

Malik had spent countless hours over the last two days worshiping me with his mouth and tongue.

It had become a ritual of sorts. He’d bury his face between my thighs, lapping and teasing and consuming me until I shattered and shattered again.

Only then would he climb on top of me and seek his own pleasure.

But, in all of our mating, I had yet to do the same for him. And I wanted to. Goddess, I wanted to.

Tearing my lips away from Malik’s, a smile pulled on my lips as I slowly slid down his body. My front brushed his abdomen and groin as I dropped to my knees in front of him.

His eye flared wild, even as little lines formed on his brow. Aria?

With a Cheshire grin, I hooked my fingers on the hem of his boxer briefs, but he gripped both of my wrists, stopping me in my tracks. You don’t have to ? —

I know, but I want to do this, I interrupted. Let me do this. I want the entire pack to know that I took you in my mouth this morning.

The filthy words felt unnatural and clumsy from my mouth. Until two days ago, such a sinful thought had never even crossed my mind. Still, I leaned into the newfound carnal knowledge that Malik and I were exploring together.

Malik’s gaze darkened, his grip on my wrists loosening, and the cotton of his boxer briefs stretched as blood pumped to his cock anew. I rode out the swell of confidence and tugged the fabric down his thighs.

His massive length bobbed as the fabric released it, then it settled.

A silk-covered rod that nearly reached his navel.

It pulsed as he adjusted his stance, thighs rippling with power.

It still awed me that something so big could fit so seamlessly inside of my body.

That something so hard and unyielding could offer me such pleasure.

My tongue darted out to wet my lips, and I focused all my attention on the job ahead of me. I wanted to do this right. Wanted to give him even a fraction of the ecstasy his mouth gave me.

With confident hands, I grasped him at the root. My thumb and index finger didn’t quite touch at this widest point, though my hands were admittedly small. I slid the un-finished circle higher on his shaft, then dragged it back down again, noting the way his breathing quickened above me.

Continuing like that with one hand, I allowed my other to investigate the heavy sack hanging below his cock. The twin orbs were hard and tight in my palm, covered by silky skin. I cupped them, then allowed their weight to drop down again, jerking on the flesh.

Malik’s cock pulsed, and I giggled. Emboldened, I sat up on my knees and leaned forward, pressing a featherlight kiss to one ball, then the other.

A ragged sigh ripped from his chest, and a sudden eagerness to wrap my mouth around the bulbous head at his tip gripped me. Unfortunately, now that I sat on my knees, I realized that his height would make it difficult. The top of my head barely reached the base of his manhood.

“Bed,” I directed, nudging him toward the furniture.

He obliged without objection, boxers still clinging to his thighs. The mattress sank beneath his weight as he perched on the edge.

I crawled after him, widening his legs so the long, powerful limbs stretched on either side of me. I took up position between his thighs, my hands rubbing the slabs of muscle lining the hairy inner parts of his legs.

You’re beautiful, I told him, the honest words slipping into our bond before I could stop them. My eyes trailed up the length of his body. His heaving chest. Broad shoulders. Arms that held him in a sitting position, slightly leaned back so he had a better view of me on the floor.

I didn’t give him the chance to respond.

I leaned over him, running my tongue up every inch of his erection. When I reached the tip, I swept over the little seam, gathering the glaze of pre-cum onto the tip of my tongue. Salty.

Then, allowing instinct to guide me, I wrapped my mouth around the swollen bulb. It was thick and imposing in my mouth, but I took care to avoid grazing the sensitive ridges with my teeth.

A string of curses filled our bond, and I sucked, bobbing my head up and down. Each time, I tried to draw him deeper into my mouth, but by the time he reached the back of my throat, I’d still only taken half of him.

Saliva dripped from the corners of my mouth, and my throat began to strain, but I continued, urged on by the ragged breaths tearing from my mate.

A quick peek up at him revealed a mask of ecstasy covering his features, eyes half-lidded and mouth parted as he watched me.

His hands gripped the quilt, claws ripping through the fabric.

When I needed a break, I withdrew his cock from my mouth and focused on the tip.

On the spot where the bulb came together into a tight ridge on the bottom.

When I sucked here, salty whiteness leaked from his seam, coating my tongue.

Then, when I felt he was close, I started moving up and down his length again.

As I drew him into my mouth, Malik’s hips jerked, jamming further down my throat than ever before. I gagged .

Fuck! He gasped, eyes clamping shut, even as he attempted to withdraw and apologize. I’m sorry ? —

I shook my head, placing both hands on his thighs to stop him from receding. Fuck me… Please.

Hesitation crossed his eyes, and I thought he might refuse. Instead, after several long moments, his jaw clamped tight and he began to thrust into my mouth. Each time, his cock slid further back, hitting the back of my throat. Saliva ran from my mouth, tears dripping from my cheeks. My jaw ached.

I was a mess, and yet, I didn’t think I’d ever been so aroused as Malik chased his orgasm, pounding into me with fervor.

Soft grunts filled my head, his or mine I didn’t know.

Blood rushed to my clitoris, and I wished I had something—anything—between my legs to rub against. Instead, I rocked against nothing.

Malik’s entire body went still. His teeth clamped on his bottom lip before they peeled open, releasing a silent cry.

Spurts of liquid shot from his tip, salty and musky, coating the back of my throat. I gagged at the sheer volume of his spend, unable to swallow it all down, but unable to spit it out either because he plugged my mouth.

I could scarcely breathe by the time Malik withdrew. I gasped, white seed and mucus dripping down my chin. Before I knew it, Malik pulled me onto his lap.

He spread my thighs around his hips, and hiss of air flew from my lips as he forced me down on his still-spurting erection. Malik!

Warmth filled my womb as I clamped down on his swelling knot, just in time for our bodies to lock. I giggled at his unwillingness to waste even an ounce of his seed outside of my body.

Malik cradled me against his chest and whispered sweet nothings in our bond. You’re incredible. Did I hurt you? Goddess— I’ve never… I didn’t think it would— Aria? Little dove ?

I giggled again at his worry. Of course you didn’t hurt me. That was…

Disgusting? He cringed, fear tainting the word.

Sexy, I finished, wiping at the corner of my mouth. Let’s do that again.

Not so fast, little dove. He chuckled, and the sound was filled with palpable relief. His hand slipped between our bodies, deft fingers seeking out my clit and pinching the engorged nub once. It’s your turn now.