24. Sorcha

Chapter twenty-four

I slammed the door to the room, my hands shaking. Blood coated them, as it did my face and body.

I knew there would be blood. Of course, there would be blood, but knowing it and seeing it were two different things. Though I'd done everything to prepare for combat, nothing could have truly prepared me for it. It wasn't even that I was upset about the killing, it just felt…different than I could have ever expected.

I sat, staring at the sword I'd found. It was on the ground next to one of the fallen men. I was toe-to-toe with one of them, and when I blocked with the small dagger, I was sent to the ground. I'd managed to get the other sword in my hand before he struck again, parrying him away. It was heavier than my blade, but it worked all the same.

I stood there, going over it again and again. My adrenaline was fading quickly. Not only that, but I was left out of the interrogation. This fight proved what I could handle, and he still cast me aside. My fists balled in anger.

The door opened. On instinct, I picked up the blade, getting ready to attack anyone coming through. Zarios stood there, hands out.

I dropped the sword. "Sorry," I said. "I'm a bit on edge."

"We all are." His metal breastplate had blood smeared across it. None of it could be seen against his dark fur, but I was sure he was covered the same way I was.

"I'm going to shower," I said. Now that the initial fear was gone, I was still mad.

"Wait." He grabbed my arm, and I let him, looking right at him. "I didn't tell you to leave because I don't trust you or your abilities."

His words surprised me, but I held firm. "Then why did you? I thought you weren't changing your mind anymore?"

"I'm not," he said. "It's because I'm not. I didn't want you to see me that way."

I cocked my head. "What way?"

"I was prepared to torture that man," he said honestly. "I would have done anything to get the information to end all of this. I didn't want you to see me as a monster afterward. None of it matters, though. He managed to off himself before we even got the chance."

I could feel my anger evaporate. "I wouldn't have," I said honestly. "I'm sure my mothers and even maybe my sister have made hard choices, even bad choices, for the good of Peradona, and I'd never hold it against them."

"Yes, but seeing and knowing are different."

"I understand," I said. "But we're partners. Equals. I don't want to be left out. I will never think differently of you."

He looked at me for a long time, or maybe only a few seconds. I only realized when he came at me, pulling me into a heated kiss that I melted into .

"We should shower," I said against his lips. Though his kiss was nice, the blood between us was sticky, making me uncomfortable.

"I agree." He lifted me, hands under my thighs to hold me up. He carried us into the bathroom and set me down before running the water. He undressed, his metal armor clinking to the hard ground.

His muscular body was gorgeous. I could have stared for days.

His hands reached for the tie holding the top together. "May I?"

"Yes."

He peeled it from me, tossing it with his own clothes until we both stood naked. He helped me in, and the water came down, not too hot, not too cold. I scrubbed myself, ready to get rid of all the blood.

Zarios scrubbed himself clean before stepping into the spray to rinse off.

I reached for the soap, but Zarios held it out of reach. He lathered his hands before working them over my shoulders, down each of my arms, scrubbing the grime away with each pass.

"I haven't been bathed since I was a child," I said.

His hands moved to my chest, down my belly. My breath caught when he rubbed over my cunt for a moment before scrubbing my thighs all the way down to my feet. Seeing him kneel in front of me had me hot in the best way.

He stood and added more soap before telling me to turn. When I did, he scrubbed my hair, running his fingers through the strands. My eyes closed. It was so relaxing.

"Rinse," he instructed when he felt I was clean enough. I stepped under the water, letting all the soap and grime wash away down the drain, leaving this whole night behind.

When I was done, I turned the water off. Zarios stepped out, grabbing the towel and passing it to me. I wrapped it around myself before stepping out.

There wasn't a mat on the floor, and I slipped, almost falling on the floor. Zarios managed to catch me easily, though my towel fell to the ground.

"You know, Princess, for a knight, you're a bit clumsy."

"Shut up," I said, shoving him lightly, though there was no real malice behind my words. In truth, I wasn't clumsy, at all. Even before I was a knight, I'd always been steady on my feet. But something about being around this man threw me off balance.

He set me on the counter, the cool stone pressing against my behind. He fit his body against mine, sliding between my thighs. I could feel his heavy cock against my thigh.

"You are gorgeous," he said, his voice hoarse.

My throat choked up a bit at that. I'd been called pretty before, but that wasn't really my thing. I'd never wanted to be seen as attractive. I thought it was a weakness. But having this man find me attractive and powerful at the same time didn't make me feel weak. It made me feel unbreakable.

He brought his lips to mine in a searing kiss. My eyes fluttered closed as his tongue licked across my mouth. I opened for him and let him taste me. Something about this kiss felt different. It felt real .

Zarios wasted no time, dropping to his knees in front of me and spreading my thighs. Seeing this powerful man kneel for me, for my pleasure, was its own wet dream.

He planted kisses from one of my knees up my thigh. I ran my hand through his hair, savoring the feeling. The anticipation ramped up as he reached the top of my inner thighs. I could feel how wet he made me.

Instead of going where I wanted, he kissed the crease where my thigh ended and moved to the other knee.

I whined as he started all over again, kissing slowly up my leg. He let out a dark chuckle. "Patience, Princess. I'll give you what you need."

I grabbed hold of his horns, hoping to use them as a guide. Unfortunately, he was in full control of this ride, and I was just along for it.

His pace was painfully slow as he reached the top insides of my thighs. The skin was so sensitive, each touch sent shivers down my spine.

He finally kissed the seam of my thigh and moved to stare at my center. "Moons, this pussy is perfection."

He ran a single finger through me, the wet sound filling the space around us. I let out a small sigh of relief, finally getting what I needed.

"I could live between these thighs," he said. "I would never tire of this taste." He ran his tongue from my opening all the way up to the top.

He sucked my clit in his mouth hard before moving back down to my opening. The way he fucked me with his tongue made me yearn for something different, something bigger.

I held his horns tighter, moaning in pleasure. One of his hands reached up to pluck at my nipple, and the sensation went right down to my clit, sending me careening towards my release.

He moved back up to my clit and quickly replaced his tongue with his fingers. He plunged two in, stretching me impossibly wide.

"Zarios!" I cried his name like he was my deity.

"Fuck, you're tight. I'll need to stretch you to take me."

And I wanted that. I wanted him to take me. A few more circles around my clit was all it took, and I was free falling through my pleasure. My whole body caught ablaze, leaving nothing behind but my need for him.

When I came back down, I released Zarios' horns and fell back against the vanity.

He stood, towering over me, before he lifted me into his arms and carried me to bed, laying me down gently. His silhouette was illuminated by the moons' light, making him look almost ethereal.

His fingers circled me again. "If I'm going to fit, I need you to come for me again." It was as if he'd figured me out already. With only a few strokes, pleasure was rushing through me, throwing me over the edge.

"Good girl," he purred.

He buried his fingers in me and gathered my wetness before slathering it all over his length. I was ready for him, I needed him. Though it had only been a short time, it felt like we'd been through so much together, and I was ready to take this next step with him, ready to let him have me in all the ways I wanted .

"Ready, Princess?" he asked, lining himself up. His thick tip roamed over my cunt, making me feel empty. I needed him to fill me.

"Moons, yes."

Zarios began to gently glide his length into me. It felt as if it would be impossible to fit. He was stretching me more than I thought I could be. He pulled out and eased back in, fitting a bit more each time. My whole body broke out in a light sheen of sweat as my fingers dug into his shoulders, scratching beneath the fur.

He got to the ridge in the middle, and my breath caught. I could feel not only the bar to his piercing, but also the ridge of his cock. I tensed instinctually.

"Relax for me," he said. "I promise not to hurt you."

I brought my hand up against his cheek. "I trust you."

He bent down and kissed me, distracting me enough to enter me further. The ridge went in with a slight pop, and he covered my moan with his kiss as he pushed the rest of the way in.

I felt when he bottomed out, his large balls slapping against my ass. He let out a sated huff I'd yet to hear. "You feel incredible," he said, his voice wobbly.

We sat there like that for a moment, letting me adjust to his size. When I felt comfortable, I shifted experimentally. His ridge rubbed against my g-spot with no effort. Moons, this was going to be good.

"Can I move?" he asked.

I nodded, biting my lip. "Please fuck me."

He growled and pulled out to his ridge before slamming back in. My hands flew to his back, clawing at it. Each time, he got a little faster, fucking me a little harder.

The feeling was addicting.

He held onto my thighs, keeping them spread as he took me how he wanted. "You're so fucking tight, Princess," he said. "I have never known pleasure as good as this."

The mouth on this minotaur was going to be my end.

He fucked into me so hard, the bed began hitting the wall, the sound filling the room between our moans.

"I'm so close," I cried out.

His moved to my clit, circling it perfectly. It felt as if we were in perfect sync, reading each other's bodies and bringing us closer together.

"I want to come inside you," he said. "I want to see you round with my calves."

That statement came out of nowhere. I expected it to throw me off balance, but instead, I found it strangely enticing. The image of him claiming me in every way had me careening closer to the edge. His mouth found my nipple and finished me. My insides tightened around him impossibly more, and I was soaring through the stars.

"Yes, Princess, milk my cock." Zarios continued thrusting into me with abandon until he thrust once more and filled me. I could feel his cum coating my insides, stretching me slightly.

He rocked back and forth, emptying himself fully until I felt the cum trickle out of me .

Zarios flopped down and rolled us to the side, my head resting on his arm. I cuddled into him, pushing his still-hard cock in more. I gasped at the further intrusion.

"Moons, what have you done to me?" he said.

I smiled. "I was just thinking the same thing."

I nuzzled into his chest, embracing his warmth. I could feel myself getting dangerously close to sleeping, but I knew I should get up and clean off.

"If you want," he said, "we could stay like this."

I opened my eyes. "Together?" I asked.

He nodded. "Only if you want."

Did I want it? He felt so good inside me, and the thought of disconnecting from him was a hard thought. I pushed down on him a bit, loving how full he made me. "I want."

He wrapped me in his arms. "Goodnight, Princess."

"Goodnight."