25. Zarios

Chapter twenty-five

When I woke the next morning, Sorcha was in the same spot I left her. I ran my hand over her raven hair, taking in her clean, earthy scent.

I went to roll and realized my cock was still inside her. Though it was mostly soft, my ridge kept it in place. Being inside of her was the closest I'd ever felt to the After. Every part of my being felt awakened by this woman. I didn't know what it meant for the future, but I didn't know how easily I'd be able to let her go afterwards.

I pulled out a slight bit and pushed back in, testing the waters. My cock hardened quickly, needing to rut her.

"Sorcha," I said lightly, hoping not to wake her fully. Something about using her this freely sent pleasure spiraling through me.

She moaned, the sound making my cock twitch inside of her. "Can I have you?" I asked.

Her eyes cracked a fraction. "Zarios?" she said.

I dropped a kiss to her forehead, and her lashes fluttered shut once again. "Can I fuck you, Princess?"

She squirmed around a bit. "Yes," she said clearly.

I kissed her forehead before thrusting out of her slowly. I buried myself once again, feeling her tight cunt squeeze around me. Every time I pushed into her, it felt like coming home.

She moaned lightly but didn't stir any more. Something about her being so out of it turned on part of my brain I didn't know existed, but I sort of liked it.

One I should be ashamed of, but I relished now, the same way I did in the tailors. The thrill of getting caught washed over me in the same way.

I lashed my tongue over her breast before sucking the pointed tip into my mouth. She tasted like a dream, an addiction no drug could compete with.

I needed her to come for me like I needed my next breath. She did nothing but moan slightly, her breath picking up a bit, as if she was dreaming of me.

I circled her clit the way she liked, the way I knew I could get her off. She let out a loud moan as I felt her walls tighten, strangling my cock.

I felt a tingling at the base of my spine. A few more thrusts, and my balls drew up as I came deep inside of her. I groaned low, feeling her pussy milk me for everything I had. And I would give it all up easily.

When I finished, I pulled all the way out of her, watching my cum drip from her cunt. I ran my finger through it, through our shared release.

"There are much less dirty ways to say good morning," she mumbled.

I gazed up, and she was looking over at me. I pushed up and dropped my lips to hers. "But I prefer the dirty way."

She smiled. "I think I do as well. "

"Let's wash up. We need to get going early this morning."

She groaned, rolling over into the pillow. "Fine, but you need to carry me. Someone put my legs out of commission."

I laughed low and swept her out of bed, carrying her bridal style. It made me think of this being reality. Carrying her like this across the threshold of our home. Giving her everything she's ever desired. It seemed like such a faraway possibility, but at the same time, it felt like something attainable. Maybe we could have this. I wanted this, I realized. The thought came so suddenly, it almost scared me, but I was having a hard time pushing it away.

We washed up quickly and dressed for the trip. Though last night was perfect, we still had a job to finish. I hoped to find the proof I needed easily and put an end to all of this.

Sorcha wore a pair of green flowy pants, a white tunic tucked into the waistline. Though I wanted her to wear what she was comfortable in, I couldn't deny my love for seeing her in pants. They hugged her curves just right, giving me a better look at everything.

When we arrived at the foyer, Naram was there, along with Damyr and Kiaza.

"Sir," Kiaza greeted. "Do you still plan to move forward with the tour?"

I cocked my head. "Why wouldn't we?"

She looked to Damyr. "We just thought it may be safer to head back. I'm sure Prator would understand with these circumstances."

I kept my face neutral, but her words sent alarm bells off in my head. Was there another reason she was keeping us away?

"What do you think, Damyr?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Whatever decision you make, my men and I will keep you safe."

Naram scoffed. "It was a close call last night."

"Because your guards were caught off guard," Damyr defended. "If they were better prepared, it wouldn't have happened."

Naram turned to him. "My guards were outnumbered. Many of their lives were lost. How dare you—"

"Okay," I cut in. "Kiaza, I appreciate your concern, but we will be continuing. Please send all the other advisors back. We will make the journey alone. Send half of the guards with them."

Her eyes widened. "Are you sure, sir? We don't want to leave you and your intended unprotected."

"Half of the guards are plenty for the journey. Get my advisors back safely. We will finish the trip and deal with everything when we get to Ashmore."

She cast her eyes down, scribbling in her book. "Understood."

Her hooves clicked as she scurried away to complete my orders. Naram and Damyr were still in a starring match.

I clapped them each on the shoulder, drawing their attention. "I know this was hard, but anyone could have done one thing differently to stop it. If we turn on each other, they win. "

They looked back to each other. "You're right," Naram sighed first. I was surprised. He was normally the more bullheaded one, unwilling to apologize.

"I apologize," Damyr said. "I should have respected your losses more."

This moment reminded me of us as younglings. I always had the coolest demeanor. Damyr would fly off the handle at a moment's notice, and Naram was so stubborn, he would never let things go. I was always the mediator between them, though back then, our biggest issue was who had the most rock skips or who drank the most the night before.

How things had changed.

"As expected, I accept Sorcha Yulean as our Grand Clarak's intended mate," Naram said. "May you prosper in your marriage."

I hugged him. "Thank you, brother."

"Of course. You take care of her. She knows I'll always be waiting," he said with a wink.

I smacked him upside the head. He laughed, and so did Sorcha.

"It's not funny," I grumbled.

Sorcha took my hand. "It's a little funny."

Soon after, we packed up to go. The other council members were loaded up, headed back home on the quickest route.

"Everything's ready," Damyr said. "The trip should only take the day if we don't stop for breaks."

We decided on lesser known and closed routes, hoping to avoid any more trouble.

Sorcha had her nose buried in one of the other books she'd stolen from my room. Though I preferred being up and moving, it felt like I could sit perfectly still for hours, just watching her. Her eyes ran across each page, a slight crinkle sitting between her brows.

I never thought I'd feel this way, not even about an intended mate I chose without the pressures of a ruse. I couldn't help but worry she didn't feel the same. Though she'd said she didn't want me to take it back, that didn't mean she wanted to actually be my intended, and this didn't seem like the most opportune time to ask. But when everything was over and we arrested the ones responsible, where would that leave us? I wanted to ask her to stay with me, but could I give her what she wanted? Though I believed in her abilities fully, could I give her a position on the guard, knowing I was willingly putting my mate at risk?

But if I sent her back, she would become one anyway. Not only would she be at risk, but she would no longer be mine. The push and pull of it made my head spin, but I would need to figure it out sooner rather than later. I would figure it out. There was no other option. To keep Valcor safe, we needed to solve this, and then I would tell her how I truly felt.

"There!" Sorcha said loudly, snapping me from my daze.

"What?" I asked.

She had her finger pointed to the page. "I thought that symbol looked familiar. The one we found on that guy. I had thumbed through this book a bit, but I didn't spend much time looking at it. "

I glanced under at the cover. The History of War in Valcor.

She turned the page to me, and my eyes widened. It was the same symbol he wore. I read the passage below the symbol.

The Inika is a symbol representing strength and the desire to retrieve what one is owed. It tells your opponent they've wronged you in some way and that you're out for revenge. The only options are success or death. There will be no middle ground. It ends when the avenged is satisfied.

I read the passage twice, stunned. "I don't understand," I said. "I can think of no one I've wronged in this way."

She read the passage again, chewing on her lip in thought. "Maybe it's a perceived slight, one you had no idea you were committing."

"Maybe," I agreed. "But this feels drastic. I have no clue how I would wrong someone this impactfully without knowing it."

She shrugged. "Or the person just wants power. Maybe they feel they deserve it and are just taking it out on you."

I pondered that. It was a possibility, but it all felt too pre-meditated for that.

"I have something to say," Sorcha interrupts. "Unrelated."

She set the book aside, and I gave her my full attention. "I know that we haven't talked about what happens…after, but no matter what does, I'm not ready for a kid. I took my yearly tonic to avoid pregnancy, and I have no interest in having kids any time soon. Maybe never."

I cocked my head, unsure where this was coming from. Then, my words from last night dawned on me. "I apologize," I said. "I shouldn't have said that without discussing it with you. I agree. I'm not sure where we're headed, but I have no plans to bring a child into this world any time soon."

Her eyes widened. "But you said—"

I know," I interrupted, not wanting to hear her repeat it. My tail swished against the seat behind me. "I understand your confusion. The truth is, in the moment, I just enjoy the idea of it. It…gets me off more. But I shouldn't have said it without discussing it with you. I apologize."

Her entire face was now red. "It's fine. I must admit, I kind of liked it too. I've liked everything we've done. I just wanted to be on the same page."

"I understand. We should probably go over boundaries at some point, but for now, we should implement a safe word."

"Safe word?" she asked.

I nodded. "It's a word either of us can use to let the other know we want to stop. It stops whatever's happening, and we can either talk about it and continue or stop all together and figure out what went wrong."

I watch the wheels turning. "Doesn't ‘stop' do?"

I smiled. "In most cases, yes, but with the way you like receiving pain and the way I like giving it, you may not always mean it. It should be a word that wouldn't come up during sex. "

If I held up a tomato, it would disappear against her skin. "Got it." She thought some more. "What about turnip?"

I quirked my brow. "Turnip?"

"Yes, they're quite bad. It will kill the mood quickly."

I laughed. "Turnip it is."