Page 19

Maris’s eyes lowered until they were hooded. Her gaze never left Valda’s as she slowly lifted her leg to rest it on top of the armchair, exposing herself. Maris could feel the other woman’s desire, thrashing about like a caged beast, ready to be freed with the sole purpose of devouring its prey.

Maris wanted nothing more than to be eaten.

“On your knees, darling.” Maris’s voice did not quiver even as fire coursed through her, settling low in her belly. Her excitement peeked as Valda’s body tensed at her command. Gods, Valda looked so delicious when she was confused.

Valda’s lips parted slightly, surprise flickering in her honeyed gaze before narrowing into a smoldering glare. Maris couldn’t help but relish the rebellious spark in her expression. She knew Valda was fighting with herself. Should she give in to Maris or play along? Maybe she needed a little more encouragement.

“Do not make me repeat myself, Valda.”

The rumble of a warning escaped Valda’s chest, but she obeyed. Slowly, her left knee lowered to the floor, followed by her right.

“Come closer.”

Valda didn’t speak. She moved forward on her knees, slowly, the wooden ground groaning, until her face was just inches from Maris’s.

“Such a good girl,” Maris whispered, leaning forward to brush an errant strand of hair away from Valda’s forehead.

Her fingertips traced the curve of Valda’s jaw, lingering just long enough to make the other woman shudder. Maris’s thumb brushed against Valda’s lips, then pressed gently against them, coaxing them open.

“Submission suits you, Valda.”

Valda exhaled, her entire body trembling. Her tongue darted out to brush against Maris’s thumb, sending an electric bolt through Maris, but she held on to firmly. She wanted, and needed, to have control now, and if Valda would give it up, she would take it.

“I am simply playing your game, Maris,” Valda whispered, her gaze never breaking with Maris’s.

Maris tilted her head, a wicked smile curling her lips. “I’d rather you call me Your Highness .”

Valda leaned even closer, forcing Maris to move back against the chair. Maris could see the desperation in her lover’s body and the tight grip of the chairs’ arms .

“ Your Highness ?” Valda muttered.

Maris tilted her chin upward, spreading her legs just enough to pull her tunic aside, revealing the glistening wetness of her arousal. Yet Valda’s gaze never wavered, locked fiercely on hers.

“What is it, Valda?” Maris asked, a hint of mockery in her voice. Yet, she was delighted at seeing Valda struggling to contain herself… She reveled in the way Valda’s muscles tightened as she grasped the armrests.

“If I don’t taste your cunt in the next minute, I will go absolutely insane.”

Maris’s lips parted in faux shock, her tongue clicking against her teeth. “ Valda! Language! ” she teased, running her fingers lazily through Valda’s hair. “Perhaps I should make you wait five more minutes. Let’s see if you really do lose your mind.”

A guttural growl escaped Valda’s throat. The ticking of a nearby clock punctuated the silence, broken only by Maris’s steady breathing.

Maris’s smirk deepened as she cupped the back of Valda’s head, her fingers slipping into the freshly cropped strands. She tugged sharply, forcing Valda’s head back just enough to keep her teetering on the edge of control.

“Patience, darling,” Maris whispered, inspecting her handiwork. The pull of silky locks between her fingers sent a thrill coursing through her veins. “Thank the gods I am a fair queen, darling.”

Valda finally released the breath she’d been holding, her honeyed eyes lowering to gaze at her prize. The low, shuddering moan that escaped her lips made Maris’s smirk widen with delight.

“Please,” Valda said, her voice breaking. “Please, let me…”

“Let you what?”

Valda’s gaze flicked back up to meet Maris’s, raw and desperate. “Let me taste you, Seashell. I need to taste you again,” she said, her words trembling. “I need to make sure—“

Valda’s face inched closer, her warm breath brushing against Maris’s thighs, sending sparks across her skin. But just as she thought she might get what she craved, Maris’s firm hand pressed against her cheek, pulling her back.

“Make sure of what?”

A sharp hiss escaped Valda’s lips, her frustration palpable. Maris knew Valda had the strength to take what she wanted in seconds, yet she didn’t. She stayed on her knees, yielding. For now, Maris had total control.

“You know what I want, Maris. Please. ”

“Are you begging?” Maris asked, trying to hide her disbelief, but she knew Valda could look past her serious facade and see the doubt in her eyes. As the other woman’s piercing eyes crumbled her walls, Maris could do nothing more than cup her face, look through her and dip her gaze down to her lips trying to escape the inquisitorial eyes.

Valda bunched up the oversized tunic over Maris’s supple thighs, her fingers trailing lightly, leaving a path of goosebumps on Maris’s heated skin. She leaned in closer, her breath mingling with Maris’s trembling exhales.

“I am begging you, Maris,” Valda whispered, sealing her plea with a kiss that burned like fire.

Maris’s hands shot up, gripping Valda’s face tightly as she deepened the kiss, tilting Valda’s head to take everything she offered. Valda didn’t resist—she surrendered entirely, her hands deftly pushing the tunic higher and higher. The fabric slid over Maris’s soft stomach, her heavy breasts, and finally past her shoulders before it fluttered to the ground, forgotten.

Panting, Maris tightened her hold, pulling Valda’s lips back to hers in a desperate kiss. She parted her lips, her tongue slipping inside, tasting the warmth and need that radiated from Valda.

This kiss wasn’t like the one in the cave. No, this was molten, blistering with intensity. As conflicted as Maris felt, she couldn’t deny the fact that she burned for Valda.

Only Valda could set her ablaze like this. Only Valda could soothe her burning ache.

No one else.

Breaking the kiss, Maris opened her eyes to see Valda staring back at her, brows knitted together in bewilderment and pain.

Maris’s heart clenched as she realized how much she was hurting the woman before her. The pain etched in Valda’s features—she had caused that.

“Maris, please,” Valda begged, her voice cracking as her head dipped lower in submission. “Please, Seashell, let me make you come.”

Maris’s voice trembled as she swallowed hard, leaning back in the chair. Her grip tightened on Valda’s dark hair, guiding her lower, until she was a mere breath away from where she wanted her to be.

“Make me come, Valda.”

At the first stroke of Valda’s tongue, Maris’s eyes fluttered shut, her breath hitching as her lips parted in a moan. Valda’s touch was deliberate, slow, and devastating. Her tongue dipped and teased between Maris’s folds. Gods , it had been too long. Why in Tartarus did she torture herself for so long?

This is what she needed. Valda, kneeling between her legs, her head bowed as if in worship, her hands firm and possessive on her thighs.

She needed her mate.

A low groan escaped her as Valda’s tongue trailed a languid path along her wetness, savoring every inch. Maris felt herself dissolving, her walls crumbling into nothingness as Valda’s firm hands gripped her thighs.

Valda shifted, hooking her hands under Maris’s legs and lifting them. With a firm press, she folded Maris’s knees to her chest, positioning her so her ass perched on the edge of the chair.

Stiffening her tongue, Valda plunged into her opening, and the sound that escaped Valda was pure, unadulterated music. Maris could make out Valda’s moans as their panting and mewls mingled in the bedroom’s silence.

Maris’s eyes fluttered open, and when she looked down, she saw Valda worshipping her, stroking her pussy lewdly, eating her out as if she was the most exquisite fruit in existence.

But it wasn’t enough. Maris wanted more.

She tangled her fingers tighter in Valda’s hair, pulling her closer, urging her to consume every part of her. Valda obliged without hesitation, nuzzling deeper. Each flick, each press, each stroke drove Maris to the edge, leaving her gasping for air.

Turning her head to the side, Maris caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror. Her breath hitched. The reflection showed her flushed body, the desperate grip of her thighs around Valda’s head, and Valda’s dark hair spilling over her.

Then Valda paused, her glistening lips breaking contact just enough to smirk at the reflection.

Her honey-colored eyes burned as they locked with Maris’s in the mirror. “Enjoying the show?” Valda asked.

“Hush.” Maris laughed and pushed Valda’s face back between her thighs. “You are not allowed to speak until you are done.”

Before she could finish talking, Valda’s deep rumbling chuckle coursed through her. The vibration flowed through her, settling on the tightness of her lower stomach just as Valda parted her lips and closed them over her clit. Her hands lost their grip on Valda’s hair as she melted in the chair. Maris’s labored pants and soft mewls overpowered Valda’s moans. Maris turned again to face the mirror, watching how focused Valda was on making her lose herself in the ecstasy of her mouth.

“Va— Valda!” She shuddered, her ass hanging lower from the edge. Her position became bothersome, but Valda’s mouth worked wonders. Seeing her from the mirror added to the debauchery and excitement. Then Valda shifted her position and raised her gaze to lock with Maris’s in the mirror again. A dark smirk stretched over her mouth as she flicked her tongue over Maris’s sensitive clit one last time before she pulled away.

Maris’s desperate cry amused Valda, especially with her sad attempt to get her back between her thighs. Valda did not budge, and Maris realized that this woman, this insanely strong woman, was playing along with her game. She could change the roles anytime she wanted to.

Valda picked her up from the chair before she sat down on it. She then settled Maris on her lap, wrapping a powerful arm across her chest. Her palm pressed firmly over Maris’s collar bone while the other spread her legs open. When Maris gathered her senses, she found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. The lewd image burned into her mind. She could see her legs spread out obscenely, her wetness evident on the skin of the inside of her thighs.

“Look,” Valda whispered against Maris’s ear. “Look at yourself. Do you see what I see?”

Maris whimpered, unable to tear her eyes away from the mirror. Her body trembled in Valda’s hold, her heart pounding against the muscular arm that bound her.

“What do you see?” Valda asked again, her lips brushing against the sensitive skin beneath Maris’s ear. Her hand on Maris’s chest shifted slightly, fingertips grazing her throat in a silent reminder of her control.

Maris swallowed hard. “I see… myself,” she whispered.

“And?” Valda’s hand slid lower, teasing the soft skin of her inner thigh.

“And…” Maris bit her lip, her gaze flicking to the reflection of Valda’s honeyed eyes, darkened with hunger and something deeper. “I see your Seashell.”

Valda’s breath hitched, her smirk softening. “That’s right,” she murmured, her grip tightening as her hand began its journey lower. “Mine. Always mine.”

Valda pressed her lips to Maris’s neck, and for a moment, she could feel the other woman trembling.

“Gorgeous,” Valda whispered, her eyes never leaving the mirror before them. “Perfect…” she added, her hand cupping Maris’s pussy. “I already played your silly game. You wa nted me to submit. I did, I begged. Now I want to hear that pretty little mouth doing the same thing for me.”

Maris nodded desperately as Valda’s thick, long digits rubbed the already sensitive skin. Her eyes fluttered shut as Valda gathered some wetness in her opening and rubbed it against her clit. Her gasp was loud, and she felt Valda’s smile pressing on her neck, yet she couldn’t watch herself take it. Maris’s face was already burning red. Seeing her reflection would undo her.

“Open your eyes, Seashell. See how well you take me,” Valda commanded against the curve of her ear, the skin of her neck and shoulder prickling with goosebumps.

Maris opened her eyes long enough to see Valda’s finger slip inside of her opening, and with it came the delicious stretch and fullness only her hand could bring. Valda’s big hands were a gift from the gods, and it didn’t matter how many fingers Maris used to touch herself in Valda’s absence. It didn’t hold a candle to Valda’s hands.

If one finger was enough to make her feel full, when Valda added another, she couldn’t help but lean her head against the other woman’s broad shoulder and moan, her eyes shut, her body melting into her stronger one.

“I swear to Ouranos, if you don’t open your eyes and watch yourself take me, I will stop right now and leave your cunt sopping wet.”

Fuck .

Maris opened her eyes, her gaze lost, staring at the ceiling above her until Valda’s other hand clamped around her jaw and forced her to face forward. If the first image of her was lewd, this one was simply lascivious. Valda slowly pumped her fingers inside her and breathed her need against her neck while rocking her hips against Maris with the same rhythm as her hand. For a second, their eyes locked, and Valda gifted her an open-mouthed smile.

“That’s my good girl. Always following her queen’s order. Such a good girl.”

Maris panted at Valda’s praises. The shift of dynamics left her breathless, exposed, and sensitive. Each stroke of the other woman’s hand, each grind of their bodies together, stoked the fire of her orgasm, pushing her to the edge. Maris held on to Valda’s strained forearm while clutching her black hair and guiding her to press her mouth to her neck. She couldn’t peel away her gaze from the mirror as she took in how her body moved against Valda’s and how her lover devoured her neck and fucked her with her fingers.

“Look how pretty you look opened up for me…” Valda gasped, pulling her fingers out just enough to give her wet pussy a firm slap. “This is where you belong, Seashell.” Valda br eathed, “Wrapped around my fingers,” she slipped her digits again. “On my tongue, over my body, open for me.” Valda shuddered and curled her fingers, hooking them to the front walls of Maris’s cunt. “I want you to look at yourself when you come all over my fingers. Ingrain that image in your mind.”

“Valda, darling,” Maris whimpered, biting her lower lip to control her broken cries.

“I am your darling, am I, Maris?” Valda asked, her tongue darting to flick over the damp skin behind Maris’s ear. “Gods, you taste like ambrosia. I want to have you on my tongue all the fucking time!” She accentuated her words with a deep stroke of her fingers.

Maris nodded desperately at Valda’s words. To have her every night between her legs, tasting her and vice versa. To wake up with the other woman next to her every single day of her existence and go to sleep with her fingers tangled in her hair and sweet honey eyes staring at her with pure love shining through them.

Maris bit her lower lip, closed her eyes, and squeezed Valda’s forearm again. She could feel the strain and ropes of thick muscle moving as Valda focused on bringing her to the edge.

“Come, Seashell. I am here. I am not going anywhere.”

Maris’s jaw slacked, releasing a broken sob and a soft cry. Her eyes fluttered open, and she watched Valda press her mouth to the back of her shoulder. Her hooded eyes watched her from the mirror’s reflection. A soft tug to her front walls by Valda’s skilled fingers, and she was pushed to the edge.

She broke down as a million tiny freckles of light blinded her. Her cry was loud, calling her lover’s name like a prayer, dissolving into whispers of praise. Valda whispered those praises right back, rubbed her lips over the shell of Maris’s ear, and pulled her further back. Valda looked down at her this time, a smile painted on her gorgeous lips, proud and cocky but satisfied.

Maris quivered, clenching and releasing Valda’s fingers repeatedly as the waves of pleasure coursed through her. Warmth settled on her chest, then traveled through her neck up to her cheeks, settling on her forehead. The soft blue hue of the symbol on her forehead illuminated the room.

Valda kept her fingers inside, slowly easing her down until Maris released her grip on her arm. Valda pulled her hand away, brought it to her mouth, and sucked her fingers clean before cupping Maris’s damp cheek. She hadn’t realized she was crying until Valda brushed the tear away with her thumb. Then a yellow light joined the blue hue in the room, and Valda sneered. She pressed her forehead with Maris, and the warmth grew hotter until it disintegrated into nothing.

Maris felt the connection in her chest tighten and gasped when she opened her eyes. “Valda, I–”

“It’s all right…” the other woman whispered, rubbing her hand down Maris’s neck and breasts. “We have been apart too long; we needed to renew our bond. You are fine. I am fine. We are fine.“ She pressed her hand to Maris’s chest and released a shaky breath. “ We are fine …”

Swallowing hard, Maris imitated Valda’s actions and turned her torso to press her trembling hand to Valda’s still-clothed chest. “I can feel it.”

“I know, Seashell. I can feel everything too.”

“It’s…” Maris bit her lower lip, her fingers slipping to touch Valda’s cleavage. “Overwhelming.”

Valda nodded against her forehead. “It is, yet it feels… right.”

Honeyed eyes trailed over Maris’s face, and although she was still wrapping her mind around what was happening, Maris accepted the comfort Valda’s body could give her. She could feel Valda’s emotion. Valda had an overwhelming need to tell Maris she loved her. The only thing holding her back was that Maris had not forgiven her…

Maris pulled away from Valda, who sat motionless on the chair. “Say it.”

Valda tilted her head and then shook it. “It is not wise now.”

“You can feel I need to hear those words. Or… have your feelings for me changed?”

A chuckle and an eye roll. “Changed?” Valda said, and her face twisted with regret when Maris pulled away. “Maris, don’t you ever doubt my love for you.” She swallowed hard and wrapped her thick arms around Maris’s waist and pulled her closer. Maris straddled her waist, their chests pressed together. “I love you. I probably loved you in my past life, and I will love you in the next one… and the next, and the next, forever. I will find you and love you with the same fucking intensity as I do now, and I will continue loving you until time itself ceases to exist.” Valda’s lower lip quivered. “If I lose you, or if I am apart from you again, it will mean my death.”

Maris shook her head and cradled Valda’s face. “I won’t allow it. I— I can’t be away. I was fighting with destiny itself when I should’ve known that finding you amidst the chaos shows you were meant to be mine.”

“I am yours, Maris Era. Never doubt that. ”

Maris released the breath she was holding, pulled Valda’s face in, and planted a deep kiss on her lips. The kiss was short and sweet as she came down from the clouds Valda had put her in. “I love you, Valda Aither, no one else. Only you…”

Valda let out a raspy breath before nodding. “That’s good… Because I was about to kill Eyphah when she went to the latrine earlier.”

Maris’s smile vanished. “You what?”

“She needed a quick reminder of what she had done. That deed should not have gone unpunished.”

“A— are you insane?”

“I haven’t tasted your cunt… your real cunt , not in dreams, for eight fucking months, Seashell. Am I insane? Yes.”

“Valda, I am serious,”

“So am I. Also, I hope you enjoyed me playing into your submission. It is a once in a lifetime thing.”

“I–I doubt it! Hey! Wait— “ Maris could barely catch her breath when Valda scooped her off the chair, carrying her to the bed before throwing her in it.

Valda’s hand found her jaw, gripping it firmly, and before Maris could even move the damp strands of hair from her face, Valda’s mouth was on hers.

Valda kissed her like she was claiming her soul. Her tongue slipped past Maris’s lips with ease, swallowing the groan that escaped her chest. The immense weight of Valda’s body pressed against her, pinning her to the bed as if she might escape. Maris’s hands scrambled against Valda’s back, first clawing at the fabric of her blouse before slipping beneath it. The warmth of Valda’s skin met her fingertips, and any thought of resistance dissolved into pure, aching need.

But then Valda pulled back, her eyes gleaming with mischief. Maris instinctively leaned forward, chasing her lips, desperate to touch and have her again. Valda chuckled low in her throat, leaning just far enough away to keep her from catching her lips again.

“You want to act high and mighty, hmm?” Valda taunted, her voice like molten honey. “It’s torture, isn’t it?” She grinned, baring her teeth. “Wanting to touch the person you love more than anything… to kiss them… and they pull away?” She tilted her head, the grin morphing into a smirk as her voice dropped. “Complete torture.”

“Valda…” Maris whimpered, her hands traced gentle, pleading circles over the warm planes of Valda’s back.

“You want to taste me, too, don’t you?” Valda teased, her smirk widening .

The words made Maris’s thoughts blur and her body flush. She swallowed hard as her eyes searched Valda’s, her lips parting to reply, but nothing came out.

Valda leaned closer, her lips just brushing Maris’s ear. “You’re dying to know… Do I taste the same?” Her voice was a whisper, her breath hot against Maris’s skin. Valda leaned back enough to bite her lower lip, her sharp gaze never leaving Maris’s.

The tension between them thickened like the air before a storm.

“As much as I want to eat you out again…” Valda’s hands slid down Maris’s sides, brushing the sensitive skin just beneath her tunic. “I think I deserve to be taken care of.”

Maris’s breath hitched, her body trembling under the weight of Valda’s body.

Valda tilted her head and grinned. “After all, I’m a queen, too, Your Highness .”

“Not right now, you are not,” Maris blurted out, knowing damn well that the statement alone would fuck with Valda’s pride. “You are being persecuted… don’t you remember?”

“Maris…” Valda growled her name in a warning. “You are still playing with fire.”

“A queen without a throne.” Maris breathed a laugh she soon regretted when Valda’s eyes darkened.

“No, Seashell.” The calmness in Valda’s voice sent a shiver down Maris’s spine and another wave of arousal straight at the junction of her thighs. “I have my throne right here.”

“Oh?” Maris arched her brow, feigning ignorance, though the tension in her body betrayed her. She glanced around dramatically, her tone dripping with mockery. “Where is it?”

“Have you forgotten already?” Valda rolled the tip of her tongue over her lower lip, and Maris forgot how to breathe. Valda leaned closer until she was a mere inch away. “It’s your face.”