Thirty Nights Forgotten

Chapter 27: Moving Forward

Addy’s POV

Why does it hurt so much?

After Elijah marked me last night, I thought that all of our problems would be solved. Marking me was supposed to allow our relationship to move forward and erase any doubts that I had about who my mate actually was.

If Elijah is my true mate, then why do I feel like I’ve lost a piece of my soul?

I ran out of Elijah’s room last night in tears, and I’ve been hiding in my bedroom ever since. Honestly, I didn’t even know it was possible to cry this much, but it feels like the sorrow is threatening to swallow me whole. There’s this aching in my chest that won’t go away, like someone’s squeezing my heart in their fist and won’t let go.

I can’t breathe, let alone eat or sleep.

A soft knock at the door catches my attention, but I’m in no mood to face anyone right now.

“Go away.”

But my voice is so weak that it comes out like a croaked whisper. Perhaps my mysterious visitor didn’t hear me – or they don’t care – because the door slowly opens to reveal Elijah’s strong, muscular frame filling the doorway.

One look at me and he’s kneeling beside my bed, grasping my hand in his.

“Sayah says you’ve refused all your meals today.”

Closing my eyes, I turn my face into the pillow. I can’t stand seeing his pity and concern for me all over his face.

“If we love each other,” I whisper, “then why does it hurt so much?”

Elijah lets out a long sigh as he rubs gentle circles on the back of my hand.

“Being marked is an emotional experience, my darling. But know that I am here to help you through it. Don’t shut me out, Annabelle.”

“It wasn’t supposed to feel like this,” I answer hoarsely. “You said it would be pleasurable. You promised.”

“I know I did, and I’m so sorry. There’s nothing typical about your situation, so this reaction was…unexpected.”

Finally, I turn my face just enough to take a peek at him and blink away the tears to bring him into focus. Those glacial blue eyes, which always gaze at me with unnerving intensity, are now filled with sadness and desperation.

“Tell me what I can do to make you feel better, Annabelle. Anything you want or need, just name it. I will travel to the far ends of the realm if that’s what it takes to make this pain of yours disappear.”

What could he possibly do to take this pain away? It seems that every time we take a step forward in our relationship, I’m brought to my knees in agony or grief.

A thought pops into my head, and even though this moment seems like a wildly inappropriate time to test this theory, I am willing to try anything and everything to distract me from this depression that’s set in.

“Do you think you’re able to touch me now?”

My question hangs in the air between us as his eyes widen with surprise.

“I think so,” he finally says, mulling it over. “I’ve marked you as mine.”

Sitting up suddenly, I wipe the remaining tears from my cheeks quickly as determination settles in.

“I want to find out for sure.”

“Annabelle, are you certain now is a good time? You’ve been through so much these past few days…”

“I’m sure,” I answer definitively. “I want to know that the pain is over. No, I have to know that all this anguish and pain was worth it. That we can finally be together without any barriers between us.”

Taking a deep breath, Elijah runs his other hand across his stubbled jawline. It’s obvious he’s conflicted about what to do next, and I don’t blame him.

I just went from being depressed to begging him to touch me. I mean, I’d probably be a bit alarmed too if I was in his shoes right now.

“You want me to make you feel good, Annabelle?”

His voice comes out a little strained, full of promise while fighting his primal desires. It’s like he’s offering me a chance to back down…but he doesn’t want me to.

“Yes, Elijah. I want you to erase this pain.”

He remains in a kneeling position at the side of my bed, licking his lips as his eyes wander down my body. The way he’s devouring me with his hooded gaze begins to stir something within me, and all I want is for him to make me forget this pain ever existed in the first place.

Finally, his hand releases mine and begins to move toward the hem of my nightdress. He keeps glancing up at my face as if waiting for me to change my mind, but I give him a nod of encouragement to keep going.

His hands burrow beneath the hem of my nightdress, trailing his rough, calloused fingertips along my inner thigh, setting a fire beneath my skin. Instinctively, I spread my legs apart, urging him to explore me even further.

When his fingers brush against my most intimate area, I suck in a sharp breath of anticipation. This is the moment when we’ll find out if we can move forward together – or if we’re right back to where we started.

“Are you ready, Annabelle?”

With my breath hitched in my throat, I give him a nod and brace myself against the bed for whatever sensation comes next.

Slowly, he slips one of his fingers inside of me, and I close my eyes. My fingers are gripping the sheets so hard that my knuckles are beginning to turn white, and I wait for my body to erupt with agony.

But instead, all I feel is a little full as my walls clench instinctively around him.

“How does it feel?” he asks hesitantly.

“It feels…good.”

Relief washes over his face as he breaks out into a grin, but it’s quickly replaced with a more mischievous smirk when he realizes what this means for us.

With his finger still submerged inside of me, unmoving, he begins to lean forward. I lift my face just enough to meet him with a kiss, but he leans back before our lips can collide.

“Ah, ah, Annabelle,” he whispers huskily. “I want to watch your face as you become undone at my touch.”

He slips a second finger inside, stretching me further as a gasp escapes my lips. Taking his time, he begins to slowly move in and out, torturing me slowly as he explores inside of me. As I adjust around him, my pleasure begins to build, and my back arches off the mattress to lean into his touch.

Biting my lip, my hips begin to rock, intensifying the sensation as I grind against his fingers.

“Kiss me…” I beg him breathlessly.

He leans closer toward me, but again, he stops just short of reach, and his smirk grows wider as he teases me.

With a huff of frustration, I reach my hands up to wrap around his neck. I want to pull him against me, but he’s too quick.

Suddenly, his fingers exit me, leaving me with an empty, unsatisfied feeling. His hands grab my wrists, and in one swift, aggressive movement, I find my arms pinned above my head against the pillows. Rendered immobile, my body squirms in protest, but it only serves to intensify the mounting pleasure.

With my wrists firmly held in place in one of his large palms, his other hand cups my womanhood, shoving his fingers roughly inside of me once again with increased speed. Gasping for air, my soft whimpers crescendo into a loud moaning that fills the space between us as he continues to f**k me with two fingers.

Soon, the pleasure becomes almost too much to bear, and I finally fall to pieces beneath him as ecstasy washes over me. I’m completely undone as my body shudders uncontrollably, and every nerve ending from my head to my toes is overwhelmed with euphoria.

“You look so beautiful when you come undone,” he murmurs, placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

Once he’s satisfied with his work, he releases my wrists from his grasp and withdraws his fingers. To my utter shock, he sticks his fingers into his mouth, licking my essence clean off of him.

“Mmm, you taste so good…”

His action brings me out of my reverie just enough to speak.

“Do you need me to return the favor…?”

“No need, darling.”

“Are you sure?”

“Darling, my s****l proclivities are rather…specific,” he grins. “Trust me. Watching you come is completely satisfying for me.”

“What do you mean, specific?”

With a mysterious smile tugging at his lips, he rises to his feet, adjusting his pants before turning toward the door.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“I have some royal business to attend to,” he answers, giving me a grin over his shoulder. “I suddenly find myself energized and clear-headed after our encounter. I’ll have Sayah bring up your dinner. I’m sure you’ve worked up quite an appetite now, yes?”

Blushing, I give him a shy nod, which makes a low chuckle escape his throat.

“Tomorrow night, I’m going to introduce you to a world you could never even imagine in your wildest fantasies.”

My eyes widen in surprise as his eyes travel to the junction of my neck and shoulders, and a satisfied, smug expression crosses his face.

My mate mark.

Once the door closes behind him, I gingerly crawl out of bed and head toward the bathroom. I feel a little sore and tender between my legs after what just happened between us, but still, it brings a smile to my face. We can move forward with the intimate aspects of our relationship, and I’m eager to learn what surprises he has in store for me tomorrow.

Standing in front of the mirror, I shrug my nightgown over my shoulder to get a better look at my mate mark. To my surprise, it’s entirely different now. It appears to be a black triangle reminiscent of a snowy mountain or an icy glacier, which seems fitting given Elijah’s status with the Ice Moon Pack.

However, I can still see a hint of the old mark beneath it, although it’s very faded. It’s as though the sun and the moon are in the distance behind the mountain, looming over it like a shadow.