The fire between us.
Darius’s POV
The forest is alive under the silver gaze of the moon, every leaf, every snap of twig, every rustle of underbrush sharp. Aria walks beside me, steps light and deliberate, her senses keen, her body moving with the quiet precision of a predator. She has healed quickly under my care. Even as we travel on foot toward the castle, along paths I have scouted, I feel her presence as acutely as my own heartbeat. Every brush of her arm against mine, every tilt of her head to scan the shadows, sets a fire through me I cannot temper.
Her hair falls loose over her shoulders, dark and wild, catching the moonlight, and the faint scent of pine and damp earth clings to her. But beneath that, there is her own scent: wildflowers and sweet spice, delicate yet intoxicating, and it curls through my senses, binding me. My wolf growls low, stirring with hunger and desire, eager for what my body dares only think. I want her, fully, even knowing she is untouched, her body unclaimed, her innocence fragile beneath the force of this fire between us. I know as our wolves whisper to each other the secrets we do not dare to speak. By the time we reach the castle, my control has thinned dangerously. Guards bow, recognize me, yet my attention is entirely on Aria. She climbs the stone steps beside me, the subtle sway of her hips igniting a need I cannot deny. I take her to her room, closing the door behind us. The tension between us thickens, a tangible weight in the quiet. My gaze sweeps over her, drinking her in, the curve of her shoulders, the tilt of her neck, the way her chest rises and falls with uneven breaths.
Without words, I step closer. My fingers brush her jaw, down her neck, over her shoulders, eliciting a shiver that ripples through her. Her pulse beats fast beneath my touch, her lips parting slightly, hesitant but responding, and the need surges through me. I press my lips to hers, first a teasing brush, then deeper, claiming her mouth. She yields, trembling, her hands threading into my hair, and my growl vibrates through me as my body presses to hers.
I lift her gently yet with purpose, carrying her to the bed, letting the fire between us thrum and pulse. Her wide, anxious eyes meet mine, questioning, brimming with trust and vulnerability, and I feel a surge of protective heat. “Darius…” she whispers, breathless, and I press my forehead to hers. “I’m… I’ve never …. I can’t … I don’t want a mate.”
“I know,” I murmur, voice low, almost a growl. “I will be careful. But I want you… all of you. You don’t have to be my mate yet, but let us extinguish this fire between us before it burns both of us to ashes.”
She nods. I know she desires me as much as I desire her. Her scent floods me, wildflowers and sweet spice, capturing me even as my body aches with need. I slowly remove her clothing. As I remove my pants, my dick jumps to attention. She stares at me, and it makes me harder. I move over her, sucking her nipples, teasing them until they are hard. I take the hard point of her nipple and wet my fingers as I play with them, making her moan. I bend my head down and plant kisses over her body to the hot, wet spot between her legs. My tongue licks the length of her slit, making her moan. Then my tongue works its way inside, and she threads her fingers through my hair as I lick and suck her clit. I move up again. I position myself, and as I enter her, there is a gasp, a sharp, pained cry that sets my teeth on edge and my wolf howling. She bites her lip, clinging to me, and I move slowly, carefully, giving her time to adjust, to take me in without tearing her trust.
Her moans are mingled with sharp breaths, pain twisting into pleasure as her body slowly yields. I hold her close, rocking us together, whispering her name, letting her know with every movement that I am hers, that I will not hurt her beyond the first sting. Every brush of my lips over hers, every low groan, every heartbeat shared is a promise. As she relaxes and I know she feels no more pain, I start to move faster.
"You feel so good," She whispers, and then I cannot hold back any longer. I plunged inside her, deep into that maddening clutch, that heat. Aria moans. Her hands lock onto my shoulders, her breath against my face, her voice in my ear, urging me on.
"Oh my goddess ...Please, deeper... I want to feel all of you," Aria moans.
"Oh, my precious Queen... Do not be so greedy ... stop being impatient... I want this to last...I have waited for you my whole life..." I moan as she puts her lips against my ear, whispering my name over and over like a chant or a song. Aria slides her hands down over my back, slick with sweat. I press my mouth against her neck and kiss her, my tongue working over her sensitive skin. I want to make her remember the first time we made love. Her first time. I want to take it slow and make our first time romantic, something she can think back on and remember with a sweet smile. I move slowly against her, teasing her with my dick. I am holding back.
She presses herself against me. Making me want her more. She thrusts her hips against me and takes all of me inside her. She groans and arches her back, forcing me to speed up to a faster pace. My fingers clench over her thigh, and I move harder, deeper, shafting her in long, fast strokes. She meets my every stroke as we start tumbling into the abyss of pure pleasure and joy. I feel her walls closing harder around my dick as she cums. I feel myself going over the edge. It feels like I am free-falling. I explode inside her, releasing myself into her. I fall on top of her. Breathless.
“I’ve wanted you like this,” I whisper against her hair, voice rough and intimate. “Every moment since I first saw you.”
She puts her forehead to mine, breath mingling with mine, softness and fire entwined. “I know,” she whispers. Even in that single word, there is surrender, defiance, and acknowledgment all at once.
Tonight, there is only us. Tonight, she is mine in a way no one else can claim. As I hold her, feeling the weight and warmth of her body against mine, I know that nothing outside this room, outside this castle, outside this night, can touch what we have forged. She is mine. I am hers. Together, nothing can break us. I will make her my Queen when she is ready to fulfil our destiny as mates and accept our bond fully. When she is ready for my mark.
