39. Midnight

thirty-nine

Midnight

*FLORA*

I let Elden use the bathroom first, mainly because I know I will take longer, plus I selfishly prefer for him to wait for me, instead of the other way round. Once I am in the bathroom, I decide to take a swift shower. The water of the shower warms up fast, and I let it wash away the stress of the day.

I am not sure if I will be a good luna or even a good mate, but this is my life, with all its chances that were gifted to me, and I would be a fool not to grasp these opportunities and try to make the best out of them. I know I am weird. I know sometimes people are turned off by how I look, and by the things I say. But being like that has also made me resistant and taught me how to manipulate others into underestimating me, before making a fool out of them.

Elden calls it my own little superpower. I am not sure if it’s a superpower or not, but it certainly can be fun to mess with idiots.

I feel refreshed and clean when I step out of the shower and wrap myself into a towel. I take a moment to look into the mirror. Elden always looks at me as if I am special, although there are so many women who are more beautiful and sexier than I am. For years I felt insecure of my boyish body, the small breasts and my small height, but Elden never treats me like I am just a pretty doll. He always treats me with respect and would punch anyone who wouldn’t.

Our personality makes up for our small height, Celeste says confidentially.

I grin. You are right. Let’s get our man!

I tug the towel away and drop it to the floor, before walking out of the bathroom. Elden has sat down at the edge of the bed, a hint of nervosity on his face when he looks up. He keeps staring at me until I can’t help but grin. “You have seen me naked before, Alpha!”

“Not like that,” he says, his voice husky to my ears.

“Do you like how I look?” I ask.

“Of course! You are stunning,” Elden says. “Why are you asking? You know how much I want you.”

“I think I just wanted to hear it,” I admit. Most of the time, I don’t feel insecure anymore, yet, it’s still nice to hear Elden say it.

“Then, I will make sure to say it every time,” he promises.

“So, why aren’t you naked yet?” I ask in return. “I also want to tell you how hot you are!”

Elden laughs. “You are so weird,” he says while unbuttoning his shirt.

Our little exchange completely breaks the awkwardness. I am not feeling nervous or self-conscious anymore, and the hint of anxiety on Elden’s face has been wiped away, too. I help him get out of his clothes, which proves to be more difficult than expected because he decides this is the right moment to grope my ass, and other parts of my body.

I shiver slightly at his touches. Elden has touched me before, but not like this. It seems like I am addicted to his touch already, arching my back into it, then I finally tug his shirt off and open his pants, pushing them down.

Elden easily tugs them down further and kicks them to the side before grabbing me and pressing me against his body. My whole body feels so drawn to him, as if it was made for him, and his for me. I allow my hands to roam over him, for the first time feeling his muscles and skin, and trying to get a sense for how his body moves under my fingers.

I poke his six-pack, grinning when his muscles flex under my touch. “I like this,” I exclaim.

“So, now it’s my turn?” Elden asks.

I spread my arms. “Go ahead! I am all yours.”

His eyes darken at my words, and to emphasize the meaning of them I settle down on the bed, waiting for Elden to sit down in front of me. Even in that position, he is so much taller and broader, but I don’t feel intimidated at all. This is my mate here, and I have known him for so long. I feel so privileged to be mated to a man like him.

Elden’s hands move over my body, feeling every inch of my skin, until one of his hands starts massaging my breasts. “I like that,” I breathe out.

“Yeah?” Elden asks, doubling his efforts. He bends forward, finally kissing me, before he moves his lips down. I allow myself to drop back onto my back, the soft mattress beneath me, while Elden hovers above me, his lips painting a trail down my neck and chest. His tongue is soft sometimes, sometimes rough. Placing butterfly kisses he finally reaches my nether regions. There is a throbbing I feel there, much more intense than whenever I touched myself.

“Can I touch you?” Elden asks, his hands on my thighs now.

“Yes.”

Elden pulls my legs apart, his thumb brushing over my core. He keeps probing with his fingers, before using his lips and tongue for more sensations. When he adds some pressure to the touches, I can feel a jolt going through my body. “There, I think that’s my clit!” I exclaim. “Whatever you did, do it again!”

Elden repeats the movement, making me shiver and moan. “This is amazing,” I pant.

Something about my reaction must have motivated him further, because he uses his tongue now too, circling the spot that feels so amazing.

Grandma told me how the female body works, and she bought me books about our anatomy. I know that most girls in my class never had any real sex education, and it was really weird when Grandma talked to me about it, but now I am so glad! It helps so much for me to understand my body at least a little.

Elden’s fingers, meanwhile, brush over my folds, then one of them moving past them and pressing inside me.

“You are so wet,” Elden groans. “And you smell heavenly, Flora. I can feel you so much stronger all of a sudden.”

“Because we are approaching midnight,” I say breathlessly. “I want you inside me.”

“Isn’t it too soon?” he asks. “I am scared to hurt you.”

I gaze down his body. He is well endowed. I have seen the other wolves when they shift, and Elden really carries quite the package, but my body feels so heated already.

Go for it! Celeste says. Trust your instinct.

I reach out my hand. “I want to try it now,” I reassure him.

Elden takes my hand, settling between my legs. I feel him fumble slightly, hearing him tear something before he slips on a condom.

“You practiced that, didn’t you?” I ask.

“I did,” he grins. “I wanted to be prepared too.”

“So, you were looking forward to it like I was?”

He looks at me like I have lost my mind. “I was counting the days,” he blurts out. “Of course I was looking forward to making you mine.”

I let out a shaky breath, feeling the nerves in my stomach tugging all at once. He will be all mine in a couple of minutes. This is insane! One of Elden’s hands keeps holding mine, while the other gently rests against my cheek as he starts to push into me. It feels like I am split open, a surge of pain jolts through me, but feeling Elden so close to me, and the way he whispers words of love to me, makes my heart swell with so much love that it helps me relax.

“I think I am fully inside you,” Elden groans. “Fuck, this feels amazing. Are you okay?”

I take a couple of breaths, waiting for the burn to subside. “I think it’s okay now,” I say, a bit surprised myself. I have heard all kinds of stories about the infamous first time, ranging from a horrifying experience with blood, to not feeling much aside from some slight awkwardness of being filled up. Aside from the initial discomfort, I am leaning towards the latter. I have grown so close to Elden, it’s easy for me to relax with him even when I am naked. Now I am so glad I waited until I was emotionally fully ready. Maybe it made it easier for my body to truly relax and make this a better experience.

I wrap my legs around him. “It actually doesn’t feel too bad! Just a bit… weird. How is for you?”

“Pretty amazing,” he says promptly.

I grin, wrapping my hands around his neck. “Well then, let’s do some more.”

“Tell me when I hurt you or when it doesn’t feel good.” Elden moves his hips, slowly and a bit awkwardly at first, before he gains his confidence. He varies his angle and the strength of his thrusts, making me moan at the sensation.

“Touch me again,” I beg.

His hand moves between our bodies, his thumb pressing against my clit, making me arch my back. It feels so intense to have him inside me but also all around me. “You look so hot,” Elden growls. “Fuck, Flora, the way you look now, it’s so hot!”

“I want to see more,” I blurt out. “I want to ride you!”

Elden pauses momentarily. “Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

With one movement Elden has turned us over, without pulling out of me. He is buried so deep inside me now that it sends another shiver down my spine. “Fuck, it’s so amazing to feel you like this,” I pant. I need a moment to find my rhythm, and to understand what I am supposed to do while on top of him. Elden’s hands on my waist guide me slightly, probably instinctively. It’s as if our bodies were made for each other.

Elden lets me find my pace, before he tightens his grip and starts fucking me from below. It momentarily makes me see stars. In my mind, I can feel Celeste growing stronger, her want mixing with my own. I feel how Elden pushes himself up into a sitting position, all the while making sure to hold me tight. His lips are on mine, while I move my hips forward, riding his cock as the clock strikes midnight. Exactly when I was born. It starts like a breeze, and then I feel it like a wave washing over us. Tingles are spreading through my body wherever Elden is touching me.

It's like an explosion.

Elden pushes my hair to the side, the gesture making my stomach backflip in anticipation. Finally! He buries his fangs in my neck, a sharp surge of pain jolting my body, before making way for something different, something much stronger and more intense, almost taking my breath away. Before I can get lost in this new sensation, I want to mark him too.

Celeste, are you strong enough to-

Now I am! she exclaims, pushing forward, her teeth elongating as she marks Elden and Regis as ours. My head spins, my mouth hanging open at the intensity of it all. Around Elden and me, I can suddenly see the beings of light fluttering around. Recently, they have remained in the background more, as I didn’t need as much guidance. But now they are here, as I explode with all my emotions.

I want to stay for a bit, Celeste exclaims.

Go ahead.

Elden’s eyes turn black as Regis comes forward. It feels a bit awkward to take the backseat, but I can still feel everything intensely. Regis turns Celeste over, until she is on her knees, before fucking her from behind. Her moans fill the room, while Regis’ panting gets more and more frantic.

Fuck, that’s a cool position too! I want to do that with Elden next time!

Celeste’s breath turns more rapid as she reaches out to me and pulls me forward as well. Feel this with me, she pants.

The newly strengthened mate bond, the marking and everything surrounding it has pushed me to my limits. My skin seems to tingle with all the sensations, while my core tightens. I clench around my mate’s cock, feeling how my first-ever orgasm reaches me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but certainly not that. The intensity of it all makes me almost fall over. There is a kiss on my shoulder. “Mine,” Regis growls, before I feel a slight shift with how the grip on my hips seems to get a bit softer.

“Elden,” I moan.

“Yes,” he groans, his cock pulsating inside me.

My body tenses before my nerves let loose again, filling me with the greatest bliss ever. Elden makes sure to fuck me until I have ridden out my orgasm, before he pulls out of me gently. We both collapse next to each other, not able to do or say anything for a couple of minutes.

“Flora,” Elden says after a while, his voice hoarse. “That was amazing. And I can feel you so strongly now. I thought it was intense before, but now-“

“Now it’s even stronger,” I say, sighing happily.

Elden rests his hand on my naked stomach. It’s such an intimate gesture, and I love it. I can’t wait for us to explore each other – preferably every night from now on!

I don’t know for how long we doze off, but eventually, I find myself returning to my mate, turning to the side to look at him. Elden smiles, his fingertips gently touching my cheek and brushing a strand of hair from my face.

“I am so happy you are my mate,” he says.

I return his smile, feeling butterflies in my stomach at the way he looks at me. “Not as happy as I am.”

“Nope, not letting you win that one,” he chuckles. “I got the luckiest.”

“Look how mushy we have become,” I grin, reaching out my hand to touch his. I can see little strings of light surrounding him when I do that. Interesting. That’s new. Maybe it’s because we have marked each other. “Do you feel different?” I ask. “Since we marked?”

“I feel you so strong now,” he admits. “And when we marked, I swear, I could feel a surge of power going through me.”

“I think they blessed you,” I say. “Or rather accepted you fully.”

“The beings of light?” he asks, surprised.

“Yes, when we marked, they surrounded us with full force.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“Yes, of course,” I smile. “They accepted you as a part of me now. It means they see your worth as my mate and as the future alpha.”

“Talking about mates,” Elden sits up and grabs his backpack, which he had dropped when he came to the room. He takes a red, velvety box out of it and hands it to me. “Happy birthday, Flora.”

I open it curiously, my eyes widening when I see a beautiful necklace with matching earrings and a bracelet. It’s an intricate design with a pure ruby worked into it. “Elden,” I say earnestly. “This is too much.”

“The rubies were my mothers. It was in the belongings which we got from the safe the other day. She left it to me. I had the chains altered so it would fit you more. The man at the jewelry shop was amazing. He made sure to keep its original style while working it into something befitting a young woman. The bracelet I kept since Mom died. She wanted my mate to have it. Oh, and a witch put a spell on it. You can actually wear it even when you shift. You won’t lose it.”

I stare at the items, still in shock. “This is your heirloom,” I say. “How can I accept it?”

“Mom would have loved you,” he says quietly. “I mean, I know she already loved the little you, but I bet she would have been so fond of the current you. And she would have been happy for her son to have been so lucky with finding his mate. She always believed in love, although her chosen mate betrayed her. I just know she would have supported us with all she had. I think I will cherish her memory the best if I gift it to the woman I love and be a better mate than my father was.” He looks flustered. “If you don’t like it, however, then-“

“What, no! I love it!” I blurt out. “Don’t be silly, it’s the best present you could have given me! I wish she could still be here, but I promise I will cherish this forever.”

“So,” Elden says. “I have an idea for the remainder of the night.”

I gaze at the bed.

“I wish,” Elden smirks. “But I think there is something we haven’t done yet, something all four of us are waiting for.”

“Goddess, yes! I want to shift!”