Chapter 34

L ater that night, Kaxim returned to the royal compound after inspecting his troops.

He turned and saw Liana’s familiar figure silhouetted by the k?lajan’s walls, backlit by the roaring fire in the war room.

His heart lurched, and with a growl, he strode toward her.

He found her alone, bent over maps. Pushing her long hair from her eyes as she studied the various íkan suffused and moving pieces on the surface, signifying their warriors on the move.

He ghosted behind her, looming over her, waiting until she gave a small gasp and twisted to see him smoldering at her.

Without a word, he lifted her into his arms.

‘Kaxim,’ she warned. ‘What are you -?’

He offered her no answer.

Instead, he canted his eyes skyward, and his lodestone released a force that unfurled the íkan infused ceiling.

With a leap, he took off into the darkened skies.

In shock, Liana gripped his neck.

He sensed her worry and sent a reassuring caress of energy across their soul bond.

She relaxed in his clasp, curled up into his muscled strength, and watched as his wings powered further away from camp.

Minutes later, he landed.

Setting her down, he banded a hand around her waist and walked along a ledge towards the shadowy maw of a cave.

Sensing this was no time for words, Liana let him lead her.

Nestled into the curve of a quiet hillside, the grotto was small and unassuming from the outside.

Its entrance was veiled by trailing plants that swayed in the evening breeze. Stepping inside, the air was cooler, thick with the scent of earth and ancient stone.

The ground was soft and covered in a plush layer of deep green moss, so dense that it was like walking on velvet.

Each step gave way to the softness beneath, a natural carpet that seemed to hum with life.

Liana gasped at the sight of the cave’s smooth walls, speckled with subtle glowing veins of minerals.

Delicate, translucent vines hung from the ceiling and crept along granite dividers. Their silver leaves fluttered in an unseen breeze. The plants emitted a soft, otherworldly glow, illuminating the cave in ethereal light.

A small pool of crystal-clear liquid shimmered at the back, its surface reflecting the gentle glow. Tiny golden motes floated like sparks before vanishing into the air. Water trickled faintly down the stone walls, adding to the soothing atmosphere.

In the cave’s center, a moss-draped stone served as a seat, surrounded by clusters of soft, vibrant wildflowers.

The air hummed with ancient magic, a hidden sanctuary where time seemed to stand still, a place of deep peace and connection to nature.

Still lost in wonder, Liana sighed when Kaxim turned her to face him, lowered his head, and kissed her.

Liana fell into him, hungry, craving his essence.

Her soft moans filled the ambiance as his warm, strong hands caressed her body, sending shivers down her spine as they moved together in a primal dance.

He pulled her clothes off with such savagery they almost ripped open even as she fought to take his fitted suit off.

With a cry, their naked bodies fused once more as they battled to pleasure each other.

Liana reached for his mushroomed cock, pumping it hard. He brought her to the edge of ecstasy, suckling her puffy nipples and plumping her other tit with one hand while the other plundered her pussy.

She couldn’t help but thrust into his fingers and plead for more. ‘I implore you, my love. I need you inside me now. Please fokk me.’

He chuckled at her husky begging, giving in to her desires.

As he trailed kisses down her neck, she wrapped her thighs around him. She let out a low moan as he pressed her against the floor of the cave into the soft moss.

She gasped at the scorching heat of his naked cock on her skin as he sat up, eyes glowing, lodestone pulsing as his eyes raked over her.

‘You’re so beautiful, sahasí ,’ he murmured in a seductive grunt. ‘So fokkin’ mine.’

With no warning, he plunged his shaft into her, splitting her.

She arched into the welcome invasion, panting.

‘Scream, woman,’ he urged from above as he began to thrust into her with abandon. ‘No one will hear us in the wilds of outer KySyene.’

She gave in to the primal urge, and her cries echoed off the cave walls as his thickness plowed into her.

Kaxim lowered his head, and Liana gasped as his rough tongue flicked against her hard nipple. Her moans grew louder as he bit down on one and then the other, sending waves of pleasure through her body.

With her head thrown back in ecstasy, she ground her pelvis into his, seeking relief, urging him to thrust back into her.

He groaned at the feeling of their hot, wet bodies gyrating on each other. Looking into her half-closed eyes filled with desire, he couldn’t tell who was more turned on.

‘Harder, Kwen? ?’ he growled, grinding more forcefully.

‘ Naam ,’ she breathed out. ‘I want it rougher.’

Their tongues tangled in a passionate kiss as he circled his hands on her ass and pulled her hips closer, pistoning so fast he was a blur.

As Kaxim plunged with more abandon, flicking her clit and thumbing her nipples, Liana’s legs began to tremble.

Her thighs held onto him tighter for support as her orgasm built up in her.

‘I’m going to cum,’ she gasped out, unable to speak in coherence.

‘Cum for me, my Kwen? ,’ he growled. ‘Fokk yourself on me.’

With a loud moan, Liana’s body quivered with pleasure as she pistoned herself on him. Her climax washed over her with the force that shook her.

Kaxim kept working his cock, prolonging her bliss until it became too much for him to handle.

With a roar, he came, his seed scorching her insides as a bliss he’d never thought possible enveloped his groin and spine.

It was so visceral it was almost violent.

He thrust once more, pushing her over the edge one final time before they both collapsed and convulsed, panting hard, shaking, trembling.

At that moment, they were consumed by each other’s passion and desire, like an eternal flame that burned between them.

The sky outside the enchanted cave glowed as their tumultuous storm of love and lust threatened to engulf them.

Later, as they bathed in the cave’s pool, Kaxim drew her close for a long, lingering kiss. ‘Will that sustain you through this campaign?’

‘All you’ve done is addicted me to your brand of loving, Commander. I’ll be like a fiend now, feverish, shaky, breathless until you fokk me again like you did tonight.’

He chuckled into her neck, cupping her tits, growling at the rightness, the blissful happiness of the moment.

‘Hell yeah.’

The Sāb?r Hawks, Kaxim’s elite warriors, were among the first to mobilize to Kaswa.

With their immense wings outstretched, they prepared for the aerial assault that would sow chaos amid the K?str?ls.

The war camp courtyard was alive—soldiers tightening armor, weapons clinking against leather scabbards.

The sky above was a pale, early morning gray, heavy with the promise of battle.

Liana stood at the edge of it all, her breath steady but her heart racing. Her eyes were fixed on Kaxim, who spoke with his kízíndunas , giving final instructions before leading his men into conflict.

The weight of what was about to happen hung between them like a thread pulled taut, ready to snap.

Kaxim caught her gaze from across the courtyard, his sharp eyes dark beneath the shadow of his helm.

Without a word, he strode toward her.

When he reached her, he delivered her a short bow, his eyes flashing with need, which he masked with a growl.

She flicked her eyes over his hardened face, his strong jaw set and sculpted with purpose.

The lines of his face were harsher now, marked by the weight of what was to come. But an intensity lingered in his eyes, the same fire that had drawn her in from the beginning.

‘Liana, sahasí ,’ he said. His voice was raw and rough, as though the utterance cost him more than he would ever admit. ‘This isn’t goodbye. You know we’ll see each other soon.’

They’d spent the night in each other’s arms, but their sensual intimacy then and the words now didn’t comfort her.

Her chest tightened as she stepped closer, her hand brushing against the hardened breastplate of his armor.

‘I know you will, my Djuik ,’ she whispered. ‘But I can’t help thinking how dangerous this battle will be. You’ll be leading them straight into the K?str?ls’ heart. What if—’

Kaxim cut her off, tipping her chin with his fingers and tilting her face to meet his eyes. ‘What if? There’s no ‘what if,’ my love. I’ll fight. I’ll win. That’s all there is.’

Her lips parted as she looked up at him, the tension between them crackling like a storm ready to break.

She wanted to say more, but no words could capture her feelings. So, instead, she closed the distance and kissed him.

It was not a soft kiss nor one of gentle affection.

It was hard, meshed and passionate, filled with everything they hadn’t yet spoken—desire, fear, longing, and something more profound, unspoken, soul-bonded.

Her hands gripped the back of his neck, pulling him closer as his arms encircled her waist, holding her to him as if he would never let her go.

For a moment, the world around them faded.

No warriors, war drums, or looming battle could separate them.

Only the heat between them. The press of their lips and the desperate way they clung to each other as though the kiss could hold off the inevitable.

With a groan, Kaxim pulled back, his breath heavy, his forehead resting against hers. ‘I have to go, kavisi ,’ he whispered. However, it was clear he didn’t want to. ‘But I’ll send word soon.’

Liana nodded, her fingers still stroking the edge of his jaw. ‘You’d better. We’ll be waiting for your signal.’

Kaxim stepped closer, his hand brushing her own as he passed, an unspoken reassurance in the gesture. ‘I’ll give them hell,’ he murmured, full of promise.

Kaxim retreated from her with one last lingering look, his rachís billowing behind him.

The loss of his warmth was immediate, a chill settling into her skin as he strode toward his men.

The warriors were already gathering, their armor gleaming in the dim light and their dark pinions of power and menace—unfurling above them.

With a silent command, Kaxim’s Sāb?r Hawks began their transformation.

Their humaniforms shifted, their wings expanded, their claws formed, and their bodies elongated into the fearsome shapes of giant hawks and falcons.

The air was alive with the sound of plumage ruffling, beaks snapping, and talons scraping against the stone.

Liana’s breath caught in her throat as she witnessed the transmutation. It was a terrifying, magnificent sight that she never got used to or tired of.

Kaxim loomed at the forefront, his gyrfalcon aerofoils unfurling in a dazzling display of dark potency and deadly power.

His eyes, now sharp and predatory, flicked back to her one last time before he leaped into the sky. His rachís carried him higher until he disappeared into the clouds.

The rest of his men followed their massive forms one by one, cutting through the sky like shadows of death, leaving only a hollow stillness in their wake.

Liana stood alone in the courtyard, her fingers still on her lips where his kiss had lingered.