Mated to the Warrior Beast

They had agreed, right at the beginning… she held the power. When they were with others, she held dominance and he would support her in public, even if he didn’t in private. But when they were alone… when they were alone Aaryn’s dominance led. He was her safe place—the hands she could trust herself to, and the mind and heart that only ever sought her good.

He was her place to rest… and to release.

So as he growled the plea to her, Elreth nodded and let herself relax into his arms, because she knew there was nowhere in Creation that she was safer. Breathing in deeply, Elreth let Aaryn lever her knees wider and nip at her neck. Then, just as he slid his fingers from her core up to that bundle of nerves, he also took her breast in his hand, pinching her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

Elreth’s breath rushed out of her and she tipped forward, almost coming, her body trembling and breath heaving.

Without missing a beat, Aaryn turned them both so she faced the nearby couch and then, as she continued to pant his name, he pressed her forward with his body so she was bent over the wide arm.

Her heart spasmed—this was one of her favorite positions and even though she’d thought after the day they’d had that this might be a rather more… gentle coupling, she couldn’t deny that her body ached for him and the thrill that danced through her when he bent her forward was delicious.

To her delight, Aaryn didn’t pause, didn’t even warn her, just gripped her shoulder in one hand and her hip in the other, then thrust into her with one, long guttural moan.

Elreth cried out, her toes curling as her body bore in and down, holding him so tightly that she felt even the tiniest movement.

.....

And then he stroked her back, whispered his love, and began to take her. Leaning over her, he reached for her breast again, his hands trembling as he kneaded and rolled that nub between his thumb and forefinger, at the same time he thrust into her, harder, and harder.

Soon her cries were involuntary—torn out of her each time he pounded into her, echoing off the walls of the cave and dancing in her ears to mock her. But she didn’t care. She couldn’t care. Her world had become nothing but love and pleasure—her mate’s skillful fingers wringing every last ounce of bliss from her as she climbed that impossible cliff toward her peak.

Then, amid her cries, his large hands gripped her hips so hard she felt the bite in her skin, and he became frantic, breath hissing through his teeth, groaning her name, pulling all the way out, then plunging back in until she felt every inch of him and her knees began to shake again.

“El… fuck…” He couldn’t stop touching her, drawing fingers down her spine, then reaching around to her stomach, her breasts, his fingers leaving pebbled trails of delicious goosebumps everywhere he touched.

Elreth’s entire skin throbbed, her body reaching, stretching for that glaring sunlight of pleasure that was just out of reach. Then, without stopping, Aaryn gathered up her hair, twisted it around his hand, and pulled her head back until her throat was exposed.

With a possessive growl, he dove for that tender, pale skin, nipping and licking, sucking, while still plunging into her with every-increasing intensity.

Elreth could barely think. She needed him. Bracing on the couch, she began to resist, to give him leverage, shoving herself backwards against him, pleading with him.

Aaryn’s breath was a ragged rhythm on the back of her neck, his hands played her like a musical instrument, and under his touch she felt the pressure rising.

She was about to blow.

“Yes… Aaryn… please… don’t stop.” He’d released her hair to slide his hand up her stomach again, so she dropped her head between her elbows and closed her eyes, feeling every inch of him as he thrust again. She could feel her body shaking—and bouncing from their lovemaking—but she couldn’t care.

He loved her. She knew he loved her. And she loved him. They were True Mates. It didn’t matter if she sounded like a howling cat—she was shuddering on that edge, deliciously, impossibly abandoned.

“Forever, El,” he rasped then, gripping her shoulder again and pulling her back against him. “Forever. Never… never… anyone else… mine. You’re mine!”

“Yes!”

Then with a tormented groan he tightened his grip on her hip. No longer working for control, his thighs slapped into her, harder and harder, and he began to shake, groaning the mating call over and over.

Elreth’s keening cry rose and fell as he reached the limits within her, deeper and harder than ever before. Her body tightened around him, pulling him to her, then Elreth screamed his name and lost herself.

Waves and waves of prickling, fizzing pleasure played up and down her back as she tumbled over the cliff of her orgasm and into the seemingly bottomless sea of bliss.

“Aaryn!”

“You’re so beautiful,” he rasped. “So fucking beautiful, El.”

As her body cascaded in impossible joy, Aaryn flattened his hand between her shoulder blades and used the leverage to pound even harder until he shattered too, growling her name, bellowing the mating call, body shuddering and jerking as he lost himself.

When they finally slumped, it was with heaving chests and bodies shining with sweat. Elreth couldn’t find her wits for a long moment. Instead she lay there, boneless and warm, pressed over the arm of the couch by his weight.

His mouth was open and he panted against the back of her neck, but his hands—grasping and frantic before, now tender and sweet—stroked her like the cat that she was, following the lines of her skin and muscle, trailing his fingers until she tingled again, impossibly.

But still neither of them moved.

The only sound in the cave was both of them panting until Aaryn gave a small grunt and pushed himself up so he wouldn’t crush her.

But instead of immediately pulling out of her and leaving her cold, instead he whispered her name and kissed the back of her neck, then her shoulders, then down her spine… and with every soft touch of his lips, he told her again how he loved her. How he could never lose her. And how deeply, deeply sorry he was that he had frightened her.

Elreth stiffened at those words—not because she was still angry, she didn’t have energy to be angry just then. But because the image flashed in her mind again of him caged and snarling… and the steel-cold chill she’d felt. The utter certainty that she would have given anything for him.

Anything.

Thank you, she prayed to the Creator. Thank you that we’re here again. Thank you.

And even when Aaryn did pull away from her, it was only to turn her and lift her into his arms and carry her to the bathing pools, where he made very, very certain that every inch of her body was clean.

*****

Hours later, she thought he was asleep when they lay in the furs together.

They’d talked a little about the day—about the tentative peace and whether they could trust it. He’d commended her for thinking clearly and moving ahead even when she was so frightened. And she’d admitted her fear, even cried a little bit.

But while Aaryn had nodded off easily when they’d finally gotten into bed, Elreth found herself laying there on her side, watching him sleep, and staring at the cave wall over his shoulder.

They’d carefully stepped around the subject of him leaving her, taking action without her, crossing the lines when there was threat of war.

And she knew why… because they both knew he’d acted as a mate, not as a King. In that moment… he’d failed his people. And her.

He’d lost his trust for her ability to handle what they were facing and taken things into his own hands. And he’d almost gotten them to war.

If it hadn’t been for Sasha…

Elreth shivered and Aaryn reached for her in his sleep, pulling her closer.

She relaxed into him, squeezing her eyes to keep back the tears. Because even though they hadn’t talked about her anger on that point… they also hadn’t talked about her fear.

Aaryn held her tightly, even in his sleep. She brushed the hair back from his face and let her lips trail across his shoulder. Her heart squeezed with relief and with fear. And with quite a bit of self-loathing.

She had to figure this out. She had to get them through this.

Because when she lay here in the silent dark, she knew… she knew with total clarity that it was her fault. Even Zev’s overzealous rage was a result of her actions.

She’d pushed everyone to the end of their limits—including herself. And it had almost gone wrong.

It could still go wrong.

And there would be no one to blame but herself if it did.