Chapter 17

17

ARIA

A s we dispersed to have the day off from training, which was a thoughtful move on Elowen's part in my mind, I found myself wandering towards Chris's room with him.

"Need to talk?" he asked softly as I leaned into his side, focusing on his warm hand around mine.

"Yes." My mind was a whirlwind of doubts and fears, all of which were becoming overwhelming now.

"I'm going to chat with the other feline shifters I think," Lydia said as we reached the shifter hall, a frown marring her brow.

"Okay," I said softly, trying to focus on her, but my own thoughts were causing too much of a mess inside my mind.

"I'll catch up with you all later," Zephyr added, glancing at Chris and I before he nodded and headed off to his hall. Many others stood or sat around the large communal area, talking quietly amongst themselves. All of us were overwhelmed right now.

Chris led me to his room and opened the door, letting me step inside. I headed straight for the bed and sunk down, hating how my hands were trembling.

"Aria." He shut the door and moved to stand before me, taking my hands in his and tracing circles on my palms to ease the shakes. "What's going on?"

The words tumbled out of me in a rush. "What if we got it all wrong, Chris? What if I can't do this? I can barely manage a wisp of magic, how am I supposed to awaken an ancient dragon? What if I fail? What if I'm the only one who fails?"

I stared up at him, furious at the lump in my throat as he offered me a small smile.

He pulled me up and into his arms, and I melted into his embrace, drawing comfort from his solid presence and his uniquely wild and earthy scent. It made me think of the forests and mountains, and I adored it.

"Hey, hey," he murmured soothingly. "You're not alone in this, Aria. We all have doubts, we're all scared. Some of us are just better at hiding it."

I pulled back slightly to look at him. "Even you?"

He nodded, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Especially me. I may be a werewolf, but this... this is way beyond anything I've ever faced."

I sighed, resting my forehead against his chest. "I miss home," I admitted. "All of this - the magic, the different realms, ancient dragons - it's so much. I feel so out of place here sometimes, other times, I feel oddly at home."

Chris's hand came up to cup my cheek, gently tilting my face up to meet his gaze. "You're not alone, you never will be, I promise you that. We will get through this."

Before I could respond, he leaned down and captured my lips in a kiss. It was soft at first, tentative, but quickly grew more heated. I found myself responding with an intensity that surprised me, all my fears and doubts momentarily forgotten in the warmth of his embrace.

Maybe it was the emotional rollercoaster, or the fact that we'd done this dance so much, stolen kisses that had gotten so hot and heavy, but something had always gotten in the way, whether it was exhaustion or interruptions.

With the Trial so close, I wanted to finally see what it was I'd been missing. To be with him the way I sometimes wondered about.

One kiss led to another, and soon we were tumbling onto his bed, hands exploring, breaths mingling. As Chris's lips trailed down my neck, a small voice in the back of my mind whispered that I should be worried, more focused on everything else. But the feeling of his skin against mine, the way he looked at me with such warmth and desire, silenced that voice completely. I needed to forget everything, and we'd been playing a devilish game of teasing and wondering, never fully giving in.

Well, I wanted to give in now.

Chris's hand gently cupped my face, his hazel eyes holding mine with an intensity that took my breath away. "Aria," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, "I've wanted this from the moment I first saw you. The need to be with you has been overwhelming. But I fought it, I resisted because I didn't want to scare you off or make you uncomfortable. And we had so much else going on. Every time we've kissed, I've wanted more, wanted to be with you completely…"

Warmth spread through my body at his confession, my heart racing with a mixture of nerves and anticipation. "Chris," I breathed, my fingers tracing the contours of his chest, "I want this too. I want you."

His lips crashed onto mine with a hunger that sent shockwaves through my entire being. The kiss was deep and passionate, a promise of what was to come. As our tongues danced together, I could feel the tension coiling inside him, like a spring wound too tight.

He broke away, his breathing heavy as he gazed down at me. "I need you to know," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "that this isn't just a one off thing. It's you, Aria. Your strength, your courage, your kindness—it's all drawn me to you. I want this to be more than some moment we share. I want it to be more."

My response was to pull him back to me, our lips meeting once more in a fervent kiss that seemed to ignite something within us both. Our hands moved with an urgency that betrayed our need for each other, fumbling with buttons and zippers until, at last, we lay bare before one another.

The feel of his skin against mine was electrifying, each touch sending sparks of pleasure coursing through my veins. Chris's hands explored my body with a tenderness that belied his strength, his fingertips leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

Seeing him fully naked, an expanse of muscle and sinew, a tuft of hair on his chest, it had me burning hot. And I couldn't help it as I let my gaze move to the weapon he wielded between his legs.

My breath hitched at his erection, my core tightening as I reached down to stroke it.

He moaned at my touch, and I ran my thumb over the bead of pre-cum that formed on the head. Fuck, he was big, bigger than the two men I'd been with before. But I had no fear or unease now, our bodies bare and vulnerable before one another, his lips littering my neck in kisses.

I gasped as he cupped my breast, his thumb circling my nipple until it hardened beneath his touch. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, his lips moving to my neck, his breath hot against my skin. I continued to tease his length, slow and rhythmic as he tensed and moaned, the sound becoming a rumbling growl. My heart quickened at that, and he pulled back to stare at me, his eyes flickering golden with his wolf.

"You smell amazing," he rasped as he continued to tease my nipple with soft swirls and gentle tugs.

I arched against him, my body aching for more. "Please, Chris," I moaned.

He needed no further encouragement. He rolled me onto my back, covering me with his body as he claimed my lips once more.

I shuddered as he hiked my leg over his hip, grinding his dick against me.

He shuddered as he skated through my folds, not driving into me just yet.

"Fuck, aren't you wet, you've been wanting me just as badly, haven't you?" he groaned as he kissed my neck.

I arched into him again, wanting him to drive into me, to finally fill me up. All the tension and stress, the months since I'd even touched myself, I needed this, more than anything.

But he moved back instead, kissing down my neck and collarbone, his tongue tracing a path down my stomach while his hands gently parted my thighs. When his lips finally found the most intimate part of me, I cried out softly, my fingers tangling in his hair as waves of pleasure washed over me. I was going to come undone far too quickly for him, everything was too intense, having been untouched for too long.

As he tasted me, worshipped me with his mouth, I trembled and writhed, arching into him. The sensations were overwhelming, unlike anything I'd ever had before. Was this because of the so-called bond we had in his mind? Or was it simply because he cared enough to focus on bringing me bliss rather than his own, unlike my past partners?

"Fuck, Aria," he moaned as he nuzzled my folds. "I need you."

Those words alone nearly did it for me as he suckled my clit, but it was when he eased two fingers inside me and stroked that special spot that I broke, crying out as the orgasm claimed me hard.

It pulsed through me as I clutched at the sheets, trembling and gasping as he lapped me up.

He wasted no time as he slid up my body, claiming my lips as he nudged my entrance with his dick. This was too goddamn good.

"We belong together, Aria," he breathed as he broke the kiss, holding my gaze as he swirled the tip of his length in my folds.

I sucked in desperate breaths, clutching onto him as he stared at me with such affection and desire, it had my heart fluttering.

This was perfect.

When he finally entered me, it felt like coming home. Like all those teasing kisses, holding of hands - it had been the perfect buildup. That this was what it was meant to be.

We moved together in perfect harmony, our bodies joined as one.

"Aria, my mate," he said his voice a low, husky growl that resonated deep within my core. Those hazel eyes were dark, dilated to the extreme as he stared at me, thrusting into me slowly while I bucked up to meet him.

I stared at him, the feel of him inside me more amazing than I remembered sex being. This was something special. This moment, this union. I could feel it in my bones.

He clenched his jaw as he moved faster, dropping low to kiss my neck.

"Aria," he groaned, his pace quickening, "you are mine, and I am yours. I can feel it, can't you?"

"Yes," I gasped, and he let out a low, primal growl as he drove into me harder and faster. The intensity of the moment was more than I could bear.

The second orgasm hit me like a tidal wave, tearing a cry from me as the room went hazy, the bliss claiming me. I clung to Chris, my body shuddering with the force of my release. With a final, powerful thrust, Chris found his own finish, burying his face in my neck as he rode out the waves of his own climax.

The room swum over me as I held onto him, blinking through the haze as my body trembled from the high.

In the aftermath, we lay entwined, our bodies hot and slightly sweaty. Well, maybe I was the sweaty one, I wasn't sure, but I was sucking in air like I'd forgotten to breathe through it all.

Chris pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead as he rested on one elbow. "I meant what I said, Aria. You are my everything." He rolled onto his side, pulling me with him, not seeming to care that we'd made a mess. We hadn't even discussed protection, but I had an IUD in, thankfully.

I pursed my lips, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on his chest. "That was amazing, Chris. You said… you said you felt a bond with me before…"

"And I felt it now. It's there Aria, I know it for certain. Normally, shifters will claim one another once they know it's true," he said as he nuzzled me.

"Claim one another?" I questioned.

"We share a mark, a bite, that binds us together." He stiffened a little as he said that, his arms tightening around me.

"Right," I said softly, my mind whirling. Sure, I felt something profound here, something I'd never have felt before, but was this it? Was it something I was ready to do? Was it the bond I felt too?

I had no clue. And it sounded awfully final. Sure, I liked Chris a lot, enough to have slept with him, hell, maybe I was falling for him, but was I ready to commit my life to him?

"There's no rush, Aria. I know it's different for you. We can go at your pace," he said gently, and I relaxed.

"Okay, thank you. It's all still so much for me, supernaturals, along with everything else," I admitted.

"I know." He kissed my temple and pulled me tighter into his chest, and I closed my eyes, the tiredness creeping in.

A little nap sounded good before we focused on spending our last free day with the others and went back to the reality of the situation.

For now, I wanted to enjoy this moment of tenderness and closeness, wrapped up in his arms.

Chris was the one who roused first, and we headed out to see Lydia and Zephyr, wanting to spend time with them and even some of the others we'd spoken to. We ended up spending majority of the day in the communal area, and I couldn't keep from at glancing at Chris, my mind still swimming with what we'd done. It had been so special, so wonderful, and I wanted to feel it as strongly as he did, that it was the be-all-end-all like he'd spoken about. I'd asked Lydia too, and she spoke about the bond like it was the greatest thing there could be.

And yet… I was unsure. I did feel for him quite deeply, it was hard not to. He was supportive, kind, and romantic in his own way, checking on me often and wanting to be with me.

But I had no clue, and after dinner, when nearly everyone was so lost in thought and overwhelmed, he came back to my room with me.

Neither of us wanted to do anything, the dinner conversations of the dining hall having been far too heavy and uneasy, that we just held one another as we drifted off.

Th next day, we were back at it, hard at work training. Our breaks were tense and unsettled, and night came with insane exhaustion and frustration after my magic refused to perform. Chris and my friends had tried so hard to help, but it felt like a lost cause, and I went to my room alone, emotionally spent and drained, wanting to be alone so I could wallow in how useless I felt. Chris hadn't been too keen on allowing me to go alone, but I'd asked him to let me be, that I needed to rest and just wanted a night to myself. He'd looked hurt, and guilt had gnawed at me, but I honestly was getting overwhelmed too much, especially with being around everyone constantly.

I liked my own space, and after my shower, I'd proceeded to pass out instantly from exhaustion.

As night fell on the eve of the trial after another hard day of training with minimal advancement on my part despite my best efforts, sleep eluded me. Despite my attempts to rest, my mind raced with thoughts of the upcoming challenge. Chris and Lydia had invited me to join them for some last-minute magic practice, but I had declined, hoping to get a good night's sleep. That plan, it seemed, had backfired spectacularly.

Unable to lie still any longer, I found myself wandering towards the communal room. It was the first time I'd ventured there since Marcus's attack, and I felt a flutter of nervousness as I approached. To my surprise, I found Zephyr lounging in one of the armchairs, creating a little dragon with his illusion magic and watching it flutter around.

He looked up as I entered, the dragon dissipating as a warm smile spread across his face. "Aria! Can't sleep either, I take it?"

I shook my head, sinking into the chair opposite him. "Too many thoughts swirling around. What about you?"

Zephyr shrugged. "Fae don't need as much sleep as humans. And tonight... well, let's just say I'm a bit too keyed up for rest."

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of tomorrow's trial hanging heavy in the air between us. Finally, I gathered the courage to ask something that had been nagging at me for a while.

"Zephyr," I began hesitantly, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but... why do the other fae seem to keep their distance from you? I've noticed they don't really interact with you during training, and you said that there was a falling out in your court?"

A shadow passed over Zephyr's face, and for a moment, I feared I'd overstepped. But then he sighed and leaned back, twirling his hand so that a small butterfly fluttered around him, glowing vibrant pink.

"It's a long story," he said, "but the short version is... I made a mistake. A big one."

He went on to explain about the diplomatic meeting between the Summer and Winter Courts, about his ill-fated prank that had gone awry and caused embarrassment to both courts. He'd attempted to perform illusion magic of the grandest scale, but another fae corrupted it with their own magic, someone who wished ill on his family after his sister didn't marry into theirs.

"I didn't think it through, ultimately," he said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I thought it would finally make people take me seriously, that my illusions and magic were grander than they thought. Instead, it just proved what they'd always thought - that I was nothing but a jester, unworthy of real respect or responsibility, and my magic couldn't deflect anything. You see, my family is known for illusion magic, but the rest of my family can make it become defensive if necessary. Mine cannot."

My heart ached for him. I reached out, placing my hand over his. "I'm so sorry, Zephyr. That must have been awful."

He looked at our joined hands, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It was. But in a way, I'm almost grateful. If it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have started venturing from the fae plane, exploring the human world more. Perhaps, it was because deep down, I had this ancient magic lying dormant, this elemental magic from the Dracarians," he said as he conjured up a tiny tornado that swept up his little butterfly so that it spun around madly.

He sighed as both the magics dissipated, and the blue glow of the fire cast flickering shadows around the room. Those green eyes held mine as he smiled softly.

"Aria," Zephyr said softly, "I want you to know... whatever happens tomorrow, you're going to be amazing. You're stronger than you know, braver than you give yourself credit for. We can do this. You can do this."

Before I could respond, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. The touch sent a tingle through me, leaving me confused and breathless.

"Goodnight, Aria," he murmured, rising from his chair. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's a big day."

As he left, I sat there for a long moment, my mind spinning. Just when I thought I had a handle on my feelings, something like this happened to throw everything into chaos again.

Zephyr and I were friends, but when he'd kissed my forehead…

God, I couldn't let that mean anything, not with how close Chris and I were. I shook my head and rose, my stomach knotting at my warring thoughts.

I made my way back to my room, pausing before my door as I thought about everything that had been going on. The men who had gotten tangled in my life, the magic, the dragon shifters, the whole awakening thing.

"Aria."

I flinched, my heart skipping a beat as I turned, only to find Chris headed my way.

Of course, and my stomach tightened even more.

"Thought you wanted to sleep?" he asked as he strode down the hall to me.

"I tried, but couldn't, went and chatted with Zephyr. How was the magic training?" I asked, hating the bitterness that boiled up inside me at my inability to conjure up more than some wispy white mist in my hand.

"It was good," he said as he moved to pull me into a hug.

I melted into his arms, hating the niggling guilt that I'd ever felt a twinge of anything for Zephyr.

Then there was Ossian, lingering at the back of my mind.

Chris kissed the top of my head. "Want some company? I don't think I can sleep either."

I hesitated for a moment, thinking of our passionate encounter just days ago. But the weight of tomorrow's trial seemed to have dampened any such desires for both of us. What we needed now was comfort, not passion.

"That would be nice," I said softly, opening my door.

We curled up together on my bed, Chris's arms wrapped securely around me. No words were needed; we both understood the fears and hopes that filled our hearts.

As I drifted off to sleep, my mind a jumble of ancient dragons, elemental magic, and the three very different men who had come to mean so much to me, I couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would bring.