Bruises
1009 Words
Luca
Rhiannon had kissed me both times and agreed to let me take care of everything, so I felt comfortable in grabbing her waist, walking her toward the bed, biting her lip harder . . . I twined my fingers in her hair and tugged her face closer to mine, and she even moaned into me, but then--
"Wait!"
I jumped backward, releasing her immediately and throwing my hands in the air.
Alaric growled in frustration at the loss of contact, but then his unbridled joy took over my senses.
Keia! He barked excitedly, I feel her!
Rhiannon was clearly deep in conversation with her wolf. I was glad her wolf was back, both for her and for Alaric, who had been desperately waiting to hear from his mate, but I was still concerned about Rhiannon's tone when she'd asked me to wait.
Had I done something wrong? Hurt her somehow? Gone too fast? I'd thought that she was into it, but I wanted to be sure I could read her signals.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, my arms still in the air like an i***t.
"What?" she looked distracted, then her brain seemed to catch up. "Oh! I'm so sorry," she blushed deeply, looking adorably sheepish. "Keia spoke. It's the first time I've heard her since, well, you know."
Since my dad had her drugged and beaten. Yeah, I knew. She still had that silver collar around her neck, keeping her from shifting, from defending herself. My own throat felt scratchy just thinking about it, and I didn't know if that was in my head or a result of the mate bond.
"Keia," Rhiannon blushed deeper, "Keia sensed what we were doing, and it gave her the strength to push forward again."
That means we should continue, Alaric said happily.
Rhiannon stared at me, shocked.
Oh no. "Did Keia tell you what Alaric just said?" I asked, wincing.
She nodded, but then, thank Goddess, she smiled. "I don't disagree with him," she said shyly.
Kiss her. Taste her. Mark her. Alaric urged.
I knew I couldn't mark her; I'd seen what had happened when my dad tried, but I could kiss her, taste her, touch her. I stepped forward, my hands going up to cup her face, "Are you sure?" I asked, a hair-breadth away, but I was already kissing her before she could answer.
She moaned, deepening the kiss, and this time, she pulled me backward to the bed. She lay down on her back, her long dark hair fanning out behind her on the pillow. I hovered over her, careful not to put any weight on her. I was trying to be cognizant of her bruises and injuries, but I also wanted to crush myself against her as tightly as possible. My d**k was growing harder by the second, and I think she noticed because her eyes widened, and she smiled, blushing.
"Happy to see me?" she tried to joke, but I could tell she was embarrassed.
"Very," I smirked. She blushed deeper.
I hadn't told her this, and I hoped she couldn't tell, but I was pretty embarrassed, too. Not ashamed, but embarrassed. I'd never slept with anyone either; this was my first time as well, and I didn't know if Rhiannon realized that or not.
I felt a little like a fraud pretending I knew what I was doing beyond basic biology, but Alaric was urging me forward in my head, so I reached for the hem of her shift dress. "May I?" I asked, slipping my fingers slightly under her dress but waiting for her nod before moving further.
I slid my hands up the skin of her legs, over her thighs, up to her hips, pulling up the shift with me as I went. She was naked underneath, no underwear at all, and it made me sick to think that someone had seen her naked to put this dress on her. I knew it was because she was a wolf when she was captured, but that didn't make me (or Alaric) feel any better. He was growing more and more possessive the more of her body that was revealed to us.
Mine, he was growling over and over again. She and Keia are mine!
I wasn't going to argue, especially as I lifted Rhiannon's shift above her head, and her entire body was exposed to me. She watched my face as I took her in. She was biting her lip nervously, and I knew I had to say something to reassure her.
"You're beautiful," I choked out, which was true, Goddess, was it true, but the main thing overtaking me as I hovered over her was the sight of the bruises up and down her torso from Greeley and my dad's beatings. I blinked back sudden tears at what I knew she'd gone through. Knowing and seeing with my own eyes were very different things.
They were stark against her pale skin, like dark watercolors splashed across her.
Rhiannon seemed nervous, "Keia says they'll heal faster now. I'm sorry I look like this. . ." she trailed off, tears in her eyes.
"Don't apologize!" I said, rather harshly. I added softer, "None of this is your fault, Rhiannon. None of it. You're beautiful."
I reached out reverently to touch her full breasts. They felt so good under my fingers.
She gasped at the touch, arching her back into my hands.
I want to taste her, Alaric growled.
I leaned down, trailing kisses from her collarbone down her neck until I reached her n****e. My hand squeezing her other breast, I pulled her n****e into my mouth, sucking gently.
"Oh," she got out, her voice breathy. "Oh!"
I let her n****e fall from my mouth and looked up at her face. She was staring straight into the air but when she noticed I broke contact she looked at me, meeting my eyes.
"Kiss me?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.
"Gladly." I captured her mouth with mine. Goddess, she'd be the death of me.
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