23. Xavier

Chapter 23

Xavier

I managed to land before she could pass out, but it was a near thing. She slid from my claws to the ground at the edge of the falls, tears streaming down her face.

"It's okay, my little Luxa. You're safe."

She let out a little mirthless chuckle, the spray from the falls, coating her leathers and hair almost instantly. "What about any of this is safe, Xavier?"

It felt like I was hallucinating. Had she just answered me? Shock made me freeze, my brain working overtime to catch up.

"Tell me you can hear me, Vale. Please. Gods, please don't let this be a fluke."

She stood on shaky legs, confusion stamped all over her face. "Of course I can hear you. I heard you in the caverns. I hear you now. What are you freaking out about?"

My shift back to human form was painfully slow, but I took every bit of agony and swallowed it down so I could wrap her in my arms. Lifting her off her feet, I did not care that I was naked as the day I was born or that the water from the falls was damn near freezing. I didn't care that the rapid shifts had left me starving and weak.

I needed to kiss her more than I needed air.

Sliding my mouth over hers, I captured those luscious full lips with mine and tasted her with my tongue. She let out a soft, surprised sigh, kissing me back like she'd done at the inn, falling into me as if she never wanted to come up for air. It was like coming home. Her arms wound around my neck, her legs around my back, and I didn't want to know anything but her.

My kisses drifted to her neck as I nibbled her fluttering pulse, aching to have her carry my mark. She was my mate, too, and the peace it gave me nearly brought me to my knees.

"Xavier," she moaned, her little pleas making me want to devour her until she screamed for me. "What's going on? Why?—"

I still needed that mouth. I'd answer her in a minute, I just needed a little more.

More kisses, more moans, more of her. Needed it so bad I didn't know if I could come up for air. She reached between our bodies and gripped my cock in her tight fist. It wasn't hard enough to hurt, but it did get my attention.

Breaking the kiss, I let out a needy groan but managed to focus on her.

"Xavier. I need you to answer me. What is going on?" She gently stroked me as she asked the question, and I fought off the urge to thrust in her hand. Gods, this woman had me wrapped around her finger.

"You can hear me," I whispered against her mouth, relishing the tight gasp that came from her. "Only mates can do that. I thought with you hearing Kian and Idris, I would be on the outside looking in for the rest of my life—always wanting you, always needing you, and never having your light again. I thought?—"

This time it was her kiss that shut me up. And when it broke, I knew she was mine, really mine.

"I thought you knew in the cavern," she murmured, clutching me tighter, closer. "I never wanted you to feel excluded. I thought after the inn maybe you didn't want me anymore. You'd been keeping your distance… I should have just asked you."

I gripped her tighter as I captured her lips again, directing my feet around the warm pool to the hidden cabin situated at its shore. One of these days, I wanted to fuck her in the water, lap at her sexy pussy on the shore, but for now, she needed no clothes and a warm cabin.

Waving my hand, the wards cocooned us in their protection, and we entered my one oasis away from the castle. It wasn't as lush or comfortable, but it was quiet and safe, and a part of me was kicking myself because I hadn't brought her here days ago. With a flick of my fingers, the fire burned hot in the grate, warming the room almost instantly.

But even as curious a being as she was, she still wanted me more. Her fingers flew to the fastenings of her leathers as she yanked them off her arms, and I set her on the small wooden table to help her take off the rest. Each stitch of clothing removed made my cock harder, my need higher, her scent surrounding me as it mingled with mine.

Her shirt went first, her perfect tits fuller since I'd seen them last. Tipped with rosy nipples, I closed my lips over them. The moan that came out of her made my cock ache, the urge to make her do it again nearly overwhelming. And when she was completely naked with her perfect ass on my kitchen table, I decided to make her my breakfast.

Latching onto her hips, I yanked her to the edge and knelt at her feet, draping her lithe legs over my shoulders.

"Your taste is burned in my brain, my little witch," I growled against the skin of her thigh, my fangs lengthening as I ached to mark her. "I've been dying for seconds."

The first taste was heaven, better than I remembered, and damn if that memory hadn't gotten me through some lonely nights without her. Her scent filled my nose as I licked her slick little pussy, her need coating my lips. Curling my tongue around her clit, I sucked her little bud into my mouth, and the sounds she made drove me past ravenous.

I set out to make her scream, knowing what she needed. Sucking her clit until she was writhing on the table, I thrust two fingers inside her wet, greedy pussy. Hips bucking, she rode my fingers and my face, gripping my hair in her fists as she took her pleasure. I curled my fingers, adding a third as I stretched her, getting her ready to take me.

Her tight little hole clamped down on my fingers as her release hit her, light bursting from her skin as she rode out the wave of her orgasm.

Fuck , she was magnificent. Eyes bright, skin flushed, the tips of her rosy nipples so tight they were pebbled points. Golden power shimmered across her skin, reaching for me as her fingers beckoned me to her.

"Take me, Xavier. Fuck me. Mark me. I need you."

I didn't know if she'd actually spoken or if our powers melded our minds together.

My magic answered hers, coating us both in the blue flames as my need nearly drove me to madness. Our powers twined together as I yanked her up in my arms, crossing the room to lay her down on the plush mattress. I wasted no time, spreading her legs wide, guiding the head of my cock to her slick folds.

She shivered in want, her mind calling to me.

"Please. I'll be so good, I promise. I need it. I need you."

I slid into her in one rough stroke, her mental pleas driving me insane.

"You want to be my good girl, huh?" I growled, capturing her gasp with my mouth as I stole a kiss. "Show me what kind of good girl you can be."

Eyes rolling back in her head, she guided my fingers to her mouth, taking the three I'd slipped inside her and sucking them clean one by one. I felt those sucks all the way in the base of my cock, and I fucked her in time with them, her heat burning me from the inside out. I fought off the urge to rut, to fuck.

"Next time, I'll have Kian fuck your pretty mouth while I'm inside this tight little pussy. Or better, I'll let him fuck your ass while I take you. Fill you up so full," I whispered in her ear, her answering moans telling me she not only wanted it, she needed it. She clenched around me, the flutters of her first orgasm reaching for her.

"But right now, you're mine, aren't you?" I growled, taking my fingers from her mouth and wrapping them around her throat. "Say you're mine." The vibration of her moan traveling up my arm and down my spine, tightening my balls.

"I'm yours," she whimpered, the needy sound nearly pulling me under.

I pulled from her, and her magic responded, lashing at me, nearly burning me, and fuck if it didn't drive my need higher.

"I want you back. I need you."

Flipping us over, I draped her across my lap, her luscious ass in my hands, her legs on either side of mine, straddling me.

"Put me inside you, baby," I ordered, and gritted my teeth as she gripped my cock, too far gone to tease me.

Notching the head at her folds, she slowly sank onto me, her eyes widening as she bottomed out. Her breath stuttered, and a needy moan fell from her lips as she rocked to take more of me.

"You're so much bigger like this. So full. So good."

Helping her set the pace, I wrapped my fist in her braid, tilting her head back as I drove up into her. She whimpered so sweet when I pulled, exposing her neck to my teeth. Nibbling on her throat, the tops of her breasts, her nipples, I fucked her until her legs were jelly and her orgasm was so close she clawed at my shoulders.

Then I pulled out again. This time, her magic stung like a whip, and when I flipped her, I spanked her sexy little ass in response.

Once.

Twice.

Three times, her flesh pink and tender, and when I ran my talons over the raised handprints, she shivered and moaned.

"You don't come until I say, my little witch. Not until you beg for it."

Putting her on her hands and knees, I wrapped my hand around her throat pulling her back impaling her on my cock. Setting a punishing rhythm, I fucked her until she was mindless, clawing at my legs, my arms, anything she could reach with her dull little nails.

"Oh gods, please. I'll do anything. Please let me come."

"That's it. Fuck, you beg so pretty. Do it again."

As much as I wanted this to last, her orgasm was bearing down on her. Sweat slicked her skin, her limbs trembled, her pussy sucked at my cock, squeezing me so tight I thought I might die.

"Please, Xavier. I?—"

As soon as she said my name, I brushed her clit with my thumb, and she screamed, her release slamming into her so hard, her power lashed out at the both of us.

My fangs lengthened as her magic called to my dragon, guiding them to the same place Kian had marked her. As soon as I sank them into her skin, a fresh release hit us both. Her blood filled my mouth, drowning us as our magic mingled, mixed, tying us together so tight I didn't know where she ended and I began.

Clutching her to me, I got lost in the pleasure. Time and space meant nothing. The only thing that mattered was her. I didn't need food or water or air. I didn't need the sun or the moon. She was the only thing I needed.

As our magic bound us together, I knew I'd do anything, be anything for her.

I'd even cheat if I had to.

Boneless, we melted into the bed, twisted around each other as her golden light and my blue flames finally dissipated. And when they did, uncertainty filled my belly as I clutched her to me tighter.

"They're going to try to kill you again tomorrow," I murmured, the truth of it cutting through the haze of our pleasure.

The council, Arden, the guild. She was in their crosshairs, and I didn't know what to do to protect her, other than running away.

"I won't turn and run," she whispered, gleaning my thoughts.

Determination replaced the uncertainty.

"Then we need to make sure you're ready for them."