Chapter 11

CHAPTER11

Sera

That night,I drifted slowly up from void-like sleep into soft moonlight, the last shreds of confusing nightmares fading away. As waking awareness grew, the hair on my neck prickled—I was not alone. Tension coiled through me until my eyes focused on the silent figure sitting vigil at my bedside, watching over me as I slept. Rhys.

My heart swelled with gratitude and wonder to find him, this dark angel who had saved me in so many unseen ways. I longed to lay bare my soul completely to him.

Relief swept through me as my foggy mind clung to the last vestiges of my dream—the snarevine’s attack, the arduous journey back, collapsing exhausted and battered into Rhys’ protective arms... We’d been through so much on our own and now faced these trials together.

Sensing my return to consciousness, Rhys leaned in, the depths of his dark eyes roiling with emotions too profound to grasp. “Forgive me, I couldn’t bear to leave you unguarded,” he rasped, shaking fingers brushing a lock of hair from my face.

My heart stuttered, nerves sparking wherever we made contact. “There’s nothing to forgive,” I whispered. Being near him was comfort enough to chase away the lingering night’s shadows. I lifted my hand to his cheek, drawing him down to me.

Rhys inhaled sharply as our lips met, then wrapped me in his powerful embrace, one clawed hand tangling gently in my hair. I sighed into his mouth, the kiss affirming we were both miraculously whole and alive after the narrowest of escapes from oblivion’s maw.

We clung hungrily together, flooded with relief and the dizzying realization of how much we stood to lose. I traced my fingertips over the sharp angles of his beloved face, relearning every curve and hard plane, before losing myself once more in his searing kiss.

The evening drifted unheeded as we lavished one another with tenderness, hands gliding reverently over backs, hips, shoulders... any patch of vulnerable skin laid bare, exulting in the ability to still give and receive touch. The snarevine had come so close to rending us violently apart. But now, we healed each other with gentle caresses, reassuring our battered hearts with breath and lips and whispered words of solace. The rest of the world faded away outside this sheltering circle.

“I want you, Seraphina,” Rhys murmured, warm breath fanning my cheek. His hand rose to cup my jaw with exquisite tenderness, lethal claws whisper-soft against my skin.

I swayed helplessly into his orbit, powerless to resist his gravity. “Then claim me,” I replied fervently. Our lips hovered a hair’s breadth apart, electricity charging the scant air between them.

Rhys leaned in for another kiss, but this time there was a sense of urgency to it, his hands roaming my body. His tail came up to caress my thigh, its ridged tip leaving trails of fire on my skin. I could feel his need pressing against me. I was just as hungry for him.

Before we knew it, our clothes were scattered, the fire casting flickering shadows across our bare bodies. Rhys’ wings unfurled, their membrane glowing in the firelight. I couldn’t resist running my hands over them, feeling the warmth of his firm skin beneath my fingers.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his eyes searching mine for any sign of hesitation.

I nodded. Everything I felt for him was too big, too powerful for mere words. So instead, I kissed him, pouring all my love and longing into it. Rhys returned my kiss, his fingers tracing patterns on my skin as he slowly snuck into the bed.

We took our time exploring one another, hands gliding reverently over each curve and plane. Our kisses deepened, speaking wordless volumes. I treasured the feel of his strong body against my own, the heat of his skin setting my nerves alight. My breath grew ragged with anticipation for what was to come.

Rhys’ eyes were dark with desire, his restraint hanging by a thread as his hands and mouth claimed me. I was similarly consumed, desperate to show him the depths of my passion. Guiding his hand lower, I sighed in encouragement, signaling my readiness.

As our passion mounted, Rhys’ tail slid up my inner thigh, the ridged tip teasing my most sensitive areas. I gasped at the unique sensation, arching into his touch. With dexterous flicks, his tail stroked and explored my slick folds, quickly building my desire.

His voice was thick, rumbling with a dark craving when he said, “Do you want this, my love? Me, inside of you?” His fierce yet tantalizing tone shot a thrill through my being, and his ridged tail snaked around my calf, squeezing lightly in reassurance.

My fingertips lingered on his hard, toned body. His skin was like a master sculptor’s work of art, smooth and unblemished granite. My breaths grew heavy with anticipation of uncovering the secrets that lay beneath the lingering fabric of his boxer shorts. “Yes,” I murmured in awe, barely believing that this night was really happening.

Rhys tore off his briefs with feline grace, and I gasped at the sight before me. His arousal was undeniable—not of cold stone, but glistening, masculine flesh that shattered all bounds of my imagination. But there was something else too... Something that left me trembling with uncertainty.

“You’re...” I barely managed as he moved on top of me, his hard body yielding to my softness and blending at last like a ripple of water. “So… big.” A hint of trepidation laced the words, though I could not control it.

A confident smirk danced on his lips. “Don’t worry...” he purred against my ear, sending a shudder down my spine. His finger brushed gently across my cheek as he tucked away a strand of hair. “I’ll be gentle.”

A rumbling purr sounded low in his chest. I bit my lower lip, certain he could feel my heart’s frantic gallop against his taut chest. He then moved over me, his strength pressing my thighs wide. His hardness teased at my entrance, pushing against it until he finally slipped in and I let out a gasp of pleasure as I stretched to accommodate him, my nails raking down his back.

“Rhys...” I breathed, my eyes locking with his.

His lips curled up in a grin of satisfaction as he moved inside me, thrusting deeper and deeper with every passing second. All worries melted away in the night. Nothing mattered but the intense pleasure that coursed through us like electricity.

Rhys growled, a low and deep sound that reverberated against my skin. His breath was ragged, hot whispers against my ear. “Do you want more, love?” His voice was thick with desire, like velvet against my senses. “D’you want allof me?”

Every panting breath was a battle, every motion like an ecstatic ripple that carried me closer and closer to a pleasure I’d never experienced before. “Yes!” I begged, too far gone to care that tears slid down my cheeks. This blissful sensation of finally having him—my beloved dark guardian—was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

He roared in delight as he pushed deeper, sending tremors of pleasure through my body. Skin on skin, we moved together in perfect harmony, his feral desire creating a symphony of ecstasy between us. Rhys kissed away my tears as they fell—blissful at first, then filled with sadness at this feeling that was both so beautiful and so fleeting.

His tail tightened around my thigh as we rode out the waves of pleasure together.We were dancing in a sultry trance as one, and the air around us hummed with electricity. My heart quickened, calling out to him with every beat, until without warning his movements grew more frenzied and intense.

His groan of pleasure pierced through me like an arrow, and I shuddered in his arms, feeling every bit of his desperate need for me echoing within.

“D’you want more?” he asked in a low, sultry voice.

“Yes,” I begged, swept in a flood of sensation. “Yes!”

When I was dripping with need, his tail finally delved inside, thrusting in rhythm with his hardness. I cried out at the dual stimulation, overwhelmed by the ecstasy of being filled so completely. Rhys growled his approval, increasing his pace.

His ridged tail stroked secret places inside me no lover had reached before, the texture and movement an intoxicating contrast to his smooth hardness. We moved as one, his tail and shaft driving me to previously unfathomed heights of bliss.

I clutched his shoulders, teetering at the brink, every nerve alight. With a final deep stroke of his tail, I came undone, pleasure exploding through me in powerful waves. Rhys held me close through each shuddering contraction, our bodies still joined in fathomless rapture.

As I spiraled down from the heights of ecstasy, Rhys gently withdrew his tail, caressing my skin as he slid free. I mewled at the loss, already missing the unique fullness. But he wasn’t done with me yet. Gripping my hips, he drove into me anew, determined to prolong our connection.

“Oh, gods!” I moaned, and wrapped myself around him, eager to give him the same rapture he’d shown me. As we moved together, I knew our bond was unbreakable.

The world around us seemed to slow as we held each other tightly, our passion reaching its peak before finally coming to rest in a blissful embrace. I clung to him, giving him all the love and passion locked inside me, my body quaking beneath his.

“Seraphina...” Rhys breathed, my name on his lips laden with holy reverence.

His fingers tenderly brushed the hair away from my face. Our eyes locked, and as he touched his brow to mine, he whispered between panting breaths, “Gods... I love you.”

As my eyes slid close, a flood of certainty came over me. I would never find anyone like him again. No one could compare to his strength, his tenderness, or his fiery passion. Rhys was the only one for me.

“I’ll never let you go,” he breathed against my lips, as I clung to him one last time, the echoes of pleasure still thrumming through my core.

I wanted to tell him I felt the same, but my throat tightened with emotion. So instead, I just held him close and savored the moment for all that it was worth. In response, he ran his thumb across my lips, then drew me into a long, passionate kiss, our quickened hearts beating against each other in perfect unison.

We lay entwined in perfect rapture, locked in fathomless bliss. Even though our lovemaking had been over for a while, Rhys still filled me completely. After a moment, I tried to glide away, but something oddly unfamiliar held me in place.

“What is it?” I murmured hoarsely as Rhys seized my wrists with desperate intensity, pinning me beneath him.

“Don’t move,” he rasped out. “Please.” He winced, as if in pain.

“Rhys?” My brows furrowed in confusion. “What’s—”

“It’s a… gargoyle thing,” he whispered hesitantly as his gaze remained trained on mine. “A knotted bond.”

I gasped as realization struck me.

He nodded, a hint of a smile gracing his lips. “It’s a ritual between gargoyles and their mates,” he explained softly. “We’re connected now until the knot is undone.”

I blinked at him in awe as my heart raced in my chest. “Oh... wow,” I breathed out, barely able to comprehend what was happening.

Rhys smiled tenderly at me, his dark eyes sparkling with love and adoration. “So, uh... do you still love me?” he asked quietly, almost as if he was afraid of the answer.

A smile ghosted my lips. Could this perfect man really think he wasn’t worthy of my love? Tears blurred my vision as warmth radiated from my being—for the first time in my life, I felt so completely safe and loved. “More than anything in this world,” I whispered sincerely.

He grinned widely back at me, a radiant, heart-stopping smile. His lips grazed my forehead in a soft kiss of contentment. “Me too,” he murmured against my brow.

Elated, I clung tightly to him again, allowing myself to bask in this moment, filled with safety and unending love.

“I can think of many ways to pass the time while we wait...” he murmured mischievously.

My cheeks grew hot as my heart fluttered in anticipation. I looked up into his eyes and smiled. “Oh, really?” I challenged. “Such as?”

His mouth curved devilishly as he leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine, sending sparks of electricity through my body. He pulled slightly away and grinned. “That’s one of them,” he said quietly, his gaze never straying from me.

I smiled and kissed him back, slow and passionate, not wanting the moment to end. And as our kiss deepened, I savored every moment, allowing myself to get lost in the warmth and safety of his embrace. Nothing else mattered, and I never wanted it to end.