Behind the Mask

27. A chance

Mel

“Are you feeling well, Melinda?” 

“Yes, I am feeling better, but I am extremely tired and sleepy,” I replied, without opening my eyes, they felt heavy, my entire body felt heavy and numb with sleepiness. 

“You are not going to the Olympic Games?” I asked, imagining that it should already be late in the morning. 

“No, I want to stay here to protect you and in case you need anything or feel bad again.”

I opened my sleepy eyes and looked intently at him, certainly not expecting his answer

“I will stay with you. I will always stay, Melinda. Get used to that, having me leaving in the morning won’t be ever part of our lives again,” he told me, reading the surprise in my eyes, “You should eat something and sleep, carrying hybrids twins take a heavy toll on your body,” he said, caressing my hair and snuggling me into his na.ked chest. Then I too noticed that I had no clothes on, after our swimming pool moment. 

“Tina will bring you a smoothie,” he said after his eyes went cloudy for a moment. He was mind-linking someone and asked them to talk to Tina. 

I nodded and he planted a soft kiss on the top of my head, wrapping me in his warm embrace. 

I fell asleep soon after drinking the passionfruit smooth, as Maximus wrapped me in his arms once again. 

*

My mate was on top of me. I was only wearing my bra and my underwear. It was the first time I’ve been that close to a man, and it made me nervous and giddy at the same time. My body was burning for him, my heart needed his embrace. 

But I was wearing that mask, I couldn’t see him, I couldn’t have him completely. How could I make love with him like this? I swallowed the lump in my throat and welcomed his kisses, unable to resist him. The moment that we shared yesterday, drew me even more to him. 

I haven’t even really talked to him, but I felt as if I had shared my heart with him and now I was sharing my body too, at least until a certain point. 

A soft cry left my lips, as my whole body trembled softly. I felt as if butterflies were fluttering their delicate wings all over my skin, as he ran his hand through my waist and pulled me closer to him. 

It was heavenly. 

Being with him was always heavenly and sad. After all, he always left the next morning, leaving me cold and lonely. 

*

I woke up with a jolt, gasping for air. This dream was some sort of flashback from the first time we made love. He stirred in his sleep, turning to look at me, his amber eyes filled with worry as his hand stroked across my swollen stomach almost inadvertently.

“Are you feeling sick?” he asked, looking into my eyes.

“No, it was just a dream.” 

A dream that wouldn’t repeat itself, and it was good for my children’s sake. Maximus would stay and my boys would have a real father, a family. 

I breathed deeply, I had to do it for my children, to give them what neither I nor my daughters truly had while growing up, a complete family. 

“Maximus, I will stay with you. I will give you a chance, as you’ve asked for, try again for the twins,” I told him.  

He caressed my face gently and sighed deeply, looking away for a moment. After a few minutes of silence and contemplation, his eyes met mine once again. 

“I want you to try again, to be with me because of yourself, not because of our children, Melinda,” he said. 

I breathed deeply, not knowing what to say. I didn’t know if it was the right decision for me, for my sake. But it was the right thing to do for my babies and it was enough, at least right now. 

“It’s all I can say right now, Maximus,” I told him, holding his gaze. Looking into their deep golden. 

“I will stay with you, Melinda. I won’t leave you or the babies, regardless of anything,” he replied, planting a kiss on my forehead and pulling him closer to him. 

I believed his words. 

My decision was taken, we would stay close until the babies were born, try again. 

My heart still hesitated in fear and was attached to the habit of not expecting anything from Maximus. Yet giving him a chance was the right thing to do. 

 ~ * ~

PAST: 

Maximus

I was hovering over her, she was only in her bra and underwear. I moved slightly, pressing my bulge against her groin. Melinda gasped and pushed me away.

“No, we shouldn’t… I can’t…not like this,” she muttered.

I moved away from her and she turned to lay on her side, curling up beside me. I kissed her lips tentatively, waiting for her reaction, to see if she would push me away again or let me kiss her, let it go further.

She welcomed my kiss and the series of lingering kisses I pressed on her face, neck, and shoulders. She was only making some small sound of pleasure and it emboldened me to go forward. 

I cupped her breast and she moaned softly as I continued kissing her neck and collarbone, my hands roamed over her soft milky skin. She had some pretty freckles on her left rib, I was eager to kiss them, and so I did it. She entangled her fingers in my shoulders-long silver hair, making me groan, as she arched her back towards me.

I reached for the opening of her bra on her back and my hands lingered there for some seconds, waiting to see if she would react if she would stop me. Fortunately, she didn’t, and I unclasped her bra, bearing her beautiful breasts and her small and pink n*****s to my eyes. 

I licked around her areola before capturing her pebbled n.ipple in my mouth, making her cry out in pleasure. My hand wandered down from her other breast to her navel, before it lingered above the hem of her underwear. Once again, I waited for a word, a sign, and nothing came. So, my hand entered her underwear and I found her pulsating clit, rolled it gently between my thumb and my forefinger, as I continued sucking and licking her n****e.

She was wriggling and moaning, as she arched her back towards me and threw her head back. I could read her body perfectly, she was enjoying it as much as I was.  

I moved down and my forefinger circled her wet entrance, she was already leaking with arousal. I entered my finger into her very tight channel, slowly and tentatively, without stopping flicking her clit with my thumb.

As I entered her a bit further, I felt a barrier against my finger, and she flinched. She was a virgin, as I had suspected. I moved my finger back, not wanting to hurt her, as I kissed her face in a soothing way. My other hand didn’t stop fondling her beautiful breast.

 ~ * ~ 

Mel

His hand wandered down my belly, leaving tingles and sparks in their way. Touching me as no one has ever before. His palm was above the line of my panties, it lingered there for some time, as he didn’t stop kissing and licking my n*****s.

I was lost in pleasure, in desire, and more than my body, my soul begged for it. My soul begged for him, for his touch, for anything I could have from him. I couldn’t deny my very soul. I couldn’t deny what I wanted more than anything in my life.

He slid his hand into my underwear, touching my private parts, and blazing and overwhelming pleasure radiated through my whole body when his finger elicited a tingling and delicious sensation on my folds. He touched me there further, as he continued caressing my breast with his warm mouth, his amazing moistened and heated kisses.

I was quivering as soft sounds escaped my throat and my back arched a bit, my body wanted to be closer to his body, to be closer to him.

He moved his finger down my entrance, I opened my eyes shocked behind the mask. I was startled at the unfamiliar sensation of having something inside me, being filled. It felt raw and so very tight as if it would stop fitting at any moment. His finger moved deeper inside me and I felt a pang, which made me flinch. He took his finger out of my insides and kissed my face gently.

He pressed a kiss on my neck and moved downwards, hovering over me once again. His fingers hooked the hem of my panties. I should have told him to stop, but I couldn’t. I had to feel this tingling blaze again, I had to have him filling me.

I was out of my mind. I shouldn’t, I couldn't, do it.

But I also couldn’t not have it. I couldn’t stop.

After waiting for almost a whole minute, he pulled my panties down slowly and parted my thighs. I gulped hard at the thought that he could see me, all of me, while I couldn’t see any of him.

This thought freed me from my haze, and I was about to move away. But I felt his warm breath so close to my v.agina, sending shivers of delight down my spine and making butterflies fly in a frenzy from the bottom of my back to the top of my head.

I’ve never felt so exposed before, it shouldn’t be happening, not like this.  

I should have moved away, gone away, closed my legs at least. But his hot breath only made the fog of desire that was overwhelming my mind, grow tenfold. He pressed an open mouth kiss on my folds and my back arched towards him, as a deep cry of pleasure left my lips. I was sure I would go insane, get lost in this cloud of desire forever.

He moved upwards and his body covered mine. I breathed deeply, in relief and frustration. I placed my palm against his chest and felt that he was shirtless, I ran my fingers across an endless sea of hard muscles. Up to his hard pectoral, to his 6 pack. He was chiselled to perfection.

Touching his skin, made the crazy butterflies that decided to fly around my overwhelmed body fly like crazy and unappropriated creatures directly to my private parts. It was throbbing, aching like never before. I thought that I was about to explode in fever and tingles at any moment.

He pressed his hard chest against my breasts and sounds of pleasure left my dry lips. He captured them with his and gave me a scorching kiss, letting me know that he desired me as much as I wanted him.

His hands reached down, and soon I could feel his naked and strong thighs against mine and something hard poking my leg. He took my hand in his and wrapped my palm around his member.

“Oh,” I gasped.

I didn’t know how to react or how to touch a male. I didn’t move my hand away, and I think he took it as I sign that I wanted to continue with whatever we were about to do. He moved my hand up and down his length. It felt very warm and hard against my palm. But his skin there felt soft and it was quite long, more than I expected. But I didn’t have much of a reference, besides studying reproduction at school.

I quivered at the thought that he probably wanted to put this… long thing in me. I was unsure if it would even work.

Besides that, I shouldn’t be doing it. “I shouldn’t…we shouldn’t,” I muttered, sounding as hesitant and confused as I was feeling.

He moved off me and took my hands in his helping me to sit up. He cupped my face gently and kissed my mouth, before he nuzzled my cheek tenderly.

Why did his tenderness arouse me even more than his bold touches? I melted into his touch, and surprising even myself, I placed his hand back below my navel, almost there. There, the burning place between my quivering thighs.

He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and kissed me again, pushing his tongue past my lips and swiping it against mine, as he placed me onto his lap, in front of him. Our chests were touching with every breath I took, I could feel his warmth. I moaned at the delicacy and intimacy of this sensation.

He opened my thighs slowly and tentatively, wrapping them around his waist. I breathed deeply. 

My breath was shaking. 

My mind was foggy. 

My heart was hammering madly against my chest. 

But my soul was overjoyed.

He moved my body upwards, so that I wasn’t sitting on his lap anymore, but hovering over him. My mate touched my lips slightly with his finger before he traced their curves slowly. Then he brushed the tip of his member against my folds, without entering me, only around as his finger just did to my lips.

He entered his finger into my mouth leisurely, as he adjusted himself and held my waist lowering me down. I could feel a bit of ‘it’ entering my throbbing s*x, and this unfamiliar sensation made me quiver.

 ~ * ~ 

Maximus

I tried to show her what I wanted to do without using words, this way I wouldn’t overwhelm my Melinda. I traced her full lips slowly with my forefinger, feeling the warmth and softness of her skin, before I brushed the tip of my d**k around her slick entrance.

I was dying to be inside my mate, her smell and the feeling of her skin against mine were driving me crazy, but I must be patient. I must make this experience as pleasurable and comfortable as possible for her. She was very young, not even a hundred years old, and it was her first time.

I entered a finger into her slightly parted lips very slowly, as I moved her down my shaft gently, entering only the cusp of my d**k inside her tightness.

“Please, gently and slowly,” she murmured.

I breathed deeply, trying to gather self-control, as I entered a finger into her mouth at the same painfully slow pace, I entered her wet channel.

I couldn’t do it faster without hurting her anyway, she was too tight. F.uck, she felt too good, impossibly good! I felt a barrier against the tip of my c.ock as Melinda squealed and moved a bit up and I tried to appease her by kissing her face.

All I wanted to do was to tell her to relax, tell her that I was already starting to fall in love with her. That she was the most graceful, beautiful, and captivating woman that I’ve ever met. That she was perfect for me. Yet I couldn’t, so I tried to convey the message in my kisses and caresses.

I didn’t want to make her pain linger, thus I just entered more inches into her at once, she gasped a moan and her both hands grabbed my shoulders with a firm grip as if she was trying to hold onto me.

I kept moving without picking up speed until I was totally encased inside her wet heat. I kept still for some time, letting her get used to my size, to the sensation of having me inside her. I cupped her face tenderly and kissed her lips, cheeks, and forehead, while my hand wandered down her jaw and I rolled and pulled her perked n****e, making her moan.

After some time, I started thrusting slowly and shallowly and when I felt her body relax and she started to whimper in pleasure, I picked my pace.

Having her, feeling her, filling her, and having my soul closer to her was too much. All I wanted, body and soul, was to be forever like this, with Melinda, inside Melinda.

A guttural word escaped my silent lips, ‘MINE’. 

It was unavoidable, it was a claim of my soul. I dove my face on the crook of her neck and bit my mark on her, my body acting by its own accord. Instinct, deep desire that went beyond any carnal urge overtook me.

I withdrew my teeth from her and looked at what I did. Realising what it meant as I recovered my rational side.

Dammit! I lost control and marked her.

All my rationality faded away again, when I felt my female’s walls spasming, clenching firmly around me; she arched her back, shuddered, and released soft and beautiful cries of pleasure as she or.gasmed around my d.ick. That was enough to make me c.um as well, I felt my balls tightening against my skin and soon I filled my mate with my semen for the first time.

Melinda was panting and placed her head on my shoulder, I ran my fingers across her hair before I started pumping into her again, faster this time, she was so wet with our mixed c.um that my c**k slid in and out of her easily.

She moved her head slightly upwards and I felt her open her mouth against the crook of my neck, her teeth grazing on my skin. She wanted to mark me, as I’d done to her.

I pulled her head back.

“No,” I uttered.

I felt my mate/growing still, tensing. Thus, I cupped her face and kissed her face again, trying to soothe her.

I stopped my thrusts and kept her in my embrace for a couple of minutes, until I felt her muscles relaxing once again. That was the sign that I needed to resume my thrusts and chase my next orgasm while taking her to the peak of her pleasure as well.

 ~ * ~

Mel

“No,” he said, pulling my face off of his neck gently and cupping my face. He covered my face and lips with kisses and I only swallowed hard.

I was shocked, petrified for a few seconds. Why didn't he let me mark him after he marked me? I didn’t understand. Maybe he wanted to mark me later on a special occasion? It wouldn’t make any sense that he marked me, but I couldn’t mark him. If he didn’t want this, if he didn’t want us to be mates fully, he wouldn’t have marked me. I told that to myself, in order to lift my sinking heart up to its chest cage.

He kept moving, sliding in and out of me, as his hands and mouth caressed me tenderly, lovingly. I tried to not think about the marking issue and enjoy the little piece of bliss that I had, in his arms.

His hand traveled down and started caressing that sensitive spot within my folds once again, as he pumped faster into me. Feeling him inside of me was not only pleasurable, it went much beyond that; I felt as if my soul was fluttering, being filled with each thrust.

His caresses, his tenderness, we weren’t having s*x, but making love.

I felt the funny butterflies closing their wings on the base of my spine once more, as the knot on the pit of my stomach got tighter and wave after wave of pleasure broke down, washing me over with my climax. A few seconds after I felt more pleasure than I’d imagined was possible, I felt his body tense up and he groaned as his member spasmed inside me.

I was panting hard and his breath was only a bit more laboured than before. I moved my body even closer to his, as I felt and heard his racing heart.

I couldn’t listen to his voice, but at least I could listen to his heart.

Maybe I was reading too many romances, or maybe I was a fool, but the sound of his heart made my own heart flutter.

After we both climaxed once more, he laid me gently on the bed and wrapped me in his arms. I had a silly smile on my face, even though this situation was bizarre, being with him felt right and so good. Soon I would mark him and we would be one. He kissed my lips and my forehead softly.

“Good night, my mate,” I muttered, my voice was so mushy.

 ~ * ~

The next day I woke up again to an empty bed. Just like yesterday, I could take the mask off easily. A tray with breakfast and a letter was waiting for me on the bedside table, and I opened the letter first thing.

“My dear Melinda,

Last night was the best night of my life and having you in my arms is incredible.

Thank you for staying and for sharing this moment with me.

I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful and captivating mate.

You should know how I treasure and appreciate every moment with you.

Marking each other and completing the bond is something that shouldn’t happen, that would only compromise my secret, in addition to making us both suffer further.

The reason I can’t reveal my identity is something that goes beyond me and my individual wish,  and I can’t compromise it.

I shouldn’t have marked you, but for a fraction of a moment, I’ve lost control. I’m very sorry that this makes matters even more unfair between us, it wasn’t ever my intention.”

I stopped reading this letter with these words. He marked me, but I couldn’t mark him. I sank my face into my hands and started to cry.

The last hint of hope of really having a mate was shattered now. I stood up and got dressed, as the dreadful feelings of regret and brokenness made me feel dizzy, light-headed.

I had to leave this place now but I couldn’t stop crying and sobbing. I went to the bathroom and washed my face, trying to calm myself down. I counted to twenty, breathed deeply many times, but nothing helped. Nothing would help.

I just had to go home and cry on my own bed. I rang the little bell and Cordy came with a very grumpy face.

“Good mo-morning Cor-dy…I want to go home,” I said between sobs. I couldn’t control it, I couldn’t hold my own fall. I was falling apart.

“What?” he asked impatiently.

“I want to go back…may you please take me.” Once again my words were broken and interrupted by some sobs.

“Stop the hysteria and speak properly!” he hissed.

Histeria, the same word my former tutor Miss Southeil used when I was younger and was crying over my parents’ death.

My tutor used to say that I couldn’t ever cry or behave in a  ‘hysteric manner, especially in public’, I couldn’t react this way and must have self-control and always behave like someone of my position, even in private. ‘Because if you are used to doing something in private, it can slip away and when you realize you’re doing it in public as well. You must always behave in a dignifying way, as a Princess, Melinda!’  That was exactly what she used to say.

I sniffed deeply, I didn’t want to be a perfect princess, I just wanted to be me.

Remembering my parents did nothing to placate the intensity of my tears, I was crying even harder.

“I want to go back,” I muttered.

“Let’s go, don’t make me lose more time, Princess Melinda.” He hissed my name bitterly, motioning for me to walk forward, and shook his head in disapproval. This male was a bully.

I followed him and soon I was at my place, my bed. I took a long shower, trying to calm down.  It also didn’t work.

I deeply regretted that I let it happen. I shouldn’t have let it go further. I only wanted to be close to him and appease my soul, not break it and my heart even more.

I was so naïve and stupid.