25. Mira

twenty-five

Mira

For hours I pace the length of my appointed rooms, waiting. For what… for whom… I'd rather not admit to myself, but I can't get his face out of my mind. The terror and shock as he stumbled away from me, like I'd just stabbed him with a poison tipped blade. Eventually, I climb into bed and notice something is different.

I press my hands into the bed. Once. Twice.

A grin blossoms, spreading from cheek to cheek. Tairyn replaced my feather mattress with memory foam. I shake my head, amazed, as I pull back the sheets to inspect it. Sure enough, I see a set of tags that I've seen tons of commercials for.

How did he get this here and with such short notice?

Another mystery I'm not likely to get the answer to. The moon hangs high against the starry sky when I finally give up trying to sleep, wrapping myself inside a thin white bathrobe and pad down the eerie corridors. Down two sets of stairs.

I bite my lip, second-guessing myself. No, this is dumb.

But as I turn to go, the handle to the door twists, and Callum's bleary gaze falls on me. In an instant their wide, fully awake as he throws open the door to take me in top to bottom, as if scanning me for injury.

"I'm fine," I assure him. "I couldn't sleep. I'm sorry-"

I trail off, heat prickling up my chest. I shouldn't have come here. Without a word, he grabs my wrist and pulls me into his room. It's much smaller than mine but still very cozy. A plush maroon area rug covers most of the marble floors. A canopy bed carved from rich mahogany with long drapes on either side sits in the middle of the far wall.

But the thing that catches my eye is the balcony on the far wall. I smile at the well-worn chair surrounded by stacks of books, like an outdoor reading nook.

"What's the smile for?" Callum asks, glancing over his shoulder towards my gaze. "Ah, my haven."

I simply nod and settle onto the edge of his bed, looking around a bit more. The room is littered with books and scrolls, most of them piled haphazardly on every available surface.

"Looks like you've been living here for years, not days," I tease him as he takes the spot beside me. The heat of him pressing into my side makes me acutely aware of how close we are, how scantily clad I am under this robe, and how very much alone we are in the dead of night.

"Are you… cold?" He asks suddenly, a faint blush spreading across his usually stoic face, as if he just realized the same thing. He quickly averts his gaze as if my barely clothed form has suddenly become a dangerous minefield.

"No," I respond, crossing my arms self-consciously. The silence that falls between us is so thick I could probably cut it with a knife. He coughs awkwardly, and I almost laugh at his discomfort. Callum, the great scholar, brought down by a simple bathrobe. Fate has a weird sense of humor.

"Callum, have you heard the words nin anto anna before?"

He shifts uncomfortably beside me. "Where did you hear that?"

Shrugging, I try to act more nonchalant than I feel. "Tairyn called me that. I figured it's a cuss word, and I usually try to learn a language's curses first."

I give him a mischievous grin, but he doesn't return it. Instead, his eyes glaze over, as if seeing something in the distance. "Not a curse."

Not wanting to press him, I let silence fall around us, but it's not our usual comfortable quiet. Urged on by the desire to fill the space, I ask "Is he the one who gave you that scar?"

I regret the words almost immediately, seeing the shame flash across his face. His fingers fly to his cheek, caressing the puckered scar. Finally, he responds by shaking his head. "It happened right before I met him. A bar fight if you can believe it. The owner had a wondering eye and a grabby hand with the servant girls. I was much smaller than him, but it didn't stop me from trying." He lets out a sad sigh. "It didn't help them in the end anyway, so it was meaningless, I suppose."

"It's never meaningless to stand up for what you think is right."

Meeting my gaze, he bobs his head. "I know."

My hand finds his, the way we often sit in comfortable silence in our long talks of everything and nothing. But this seems different somehow, and I realize that I want it to be different.

I stroke my thumb across the back of his knuckles, making a slow circle as I lift my gaze to his. A subtle invitation. His throat bobs as he turns to face forward, completely motionless as I caress his hand.

Pausing, I ask, "Is this okay?"

Eyes still locked on something across the room, he nods once with enthusiasm, but stays silent. I can't help but chuckle at his reaction, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a nervous tension that's surprisingly endearing. All I want to do is close the small distance between us, but I continue tracing patterns on his hand, my heart pounding in my chest like a wild drum.

After a few moments, I bring my fingers to his chin and turn him to face me. He looks incredibly, achingly vulnerable in this moment. His hooded eyes are a tempest of emotions that I can't quite decipher. A heady cocktail of desire, confusion, and a touch of fear.

"Callum," I find myself whispering, my voice barely above a hush, as if terrified to break the spell that's fallen over us.

He swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing under the pressure. "Yes?" His voice comes out shaky, unsteady.

"Can I kiss you?"

His face is a thunderstorm, electric and charged with a passion that had been simmering beneath the surface. Like a dam breaking, his face rushes towards mine with an urgency and intensity that overwhelmed every sense. His lips meet mine with a raw and urgent hunger. It's a kiss that feels like the return from a long journey, a homecoming that ignites a fire within us both.

I moan into his mouth, feeling his body respond to me.

My hands reach up to tangle in his hair, pulling him closer as his fingers clutch the fabric of my robe, holding me against him. His touch is scorching, making me forget everything but the feel of his mouth on mine.

I scoot further onto the bed, dragging him with me. As he moves to hover over me, the tension in the room shifts from nervous anticipation to raw, unfiltered desire. But he hesitates, staring deep into my eyes. "I've never… I…I don't… uhmm-"

I almost laugh at his stammering, the scholar at a loss for words because of me. I've never taken anyone's virginity before. Even my high school boyfriend had someone before me. My heart swells at the idea of being his first. Instead, I say, "It's okay. We don't have to rush anything."

He pauses, eyes tracing my lips as if pained. He shakes his head, a deep guttural sound thrumming through his chest as his lips take mine again. "No, I want you now. Like this."

His hot breath clouds around me in the cold air with a hint of mint. His lips press to mine as one arm curls beneath my waist. As his hands roam over my body, eliciting a delicious shiver that travels down my spine, I surrender to the overwhelming desire that courses through my veins.

"Let me worship you," he whispers against my skin. My breasts become heavy, aching with fullness as he shoves me down on the pillowy mattress. I melt beneath his touch, my body responding to his every caress as he lovingly explores my every curve. I writhe beneath him, each kiss and touch burning me with an intensity so strong.

I gasp as he rips my shirt from my body. "That was my only shirt," I laugh as he takes my bra next.

"You can have mine," he says as he takes his off. His body is lean and tight, muscles defined but not bulky.

"Oh," I breathe, the word escaping me like a breath.

As I feel the cool night breeze brush against my heated skin, I lift my hips so he can shimmy my panties off me, leaving me naked before him. My heart races as his eyes drink in the sight of me, his hunger unmistakable.

The air between us grows heavier, thrumming with a primal heat that is both intoxicating and impossible to ignore. His fingers trail down my body, tracing the dips and hollows of my torso like he's memorizing every moment, stopping at the mound between my legs.

"May I?" he asks. His voice is a deep baritone, whispering promises of pleasure and release on every note. My reply is almost unintelligible, but I nod my head for clarity.

It's all the permission he needs. I moan, swallowed within a gasp as his fingers daringly spread me open for him to admire. The sensation of cool air tickling my wet core sends jolts of pleasure coursing through me, reducing me to nothing more than pure carnal desire.

My eyes spark with determination as I roll onto my knees and swiftly strip away the last of his clothes. When his hard cock springs free, I'm nearly overcome with desire. It's thick and curves slightly to one side. Absolutely Perfect.

With determination, I push him onto his back and crawl towards him, intent on kissing every inch of his body. I start at his lips, trailing kisses down his neck where I can feel his pulse thrumming under the surface of his skin. He inhales sharply as I run my fingers down his chest, playing with the little hairs that line his stomach.

His eyes widen as I slink down, taking him in my hand. His breath hitches when I flick my eyes back up to his, a challenge in my gaze. "Are you sure?" My voice is hoarse, filled with wanton desire.

He swallows, eyes blazing with a heat that sends a shiver down my spine. "Yes," he breathes, his voice thick with need.

With a smile, I straddle him, taking control of him like a majestic stallion. His fingers lace through my hair as I lower myself onto him, the sensation of him stretching me, causing a gasp to escape our entwined lips.

The room fills with the sound of our panting breaths and soft sighs. I move, slowly at first, allowing us both to adjust to the new sensations. His body tenses beneath mine, his fingers squeezing my hips as if he's unsure whether to pull me closer or lift me higher.

I ride him slowly, clamping my legs tight against him to keep him buried deep within me.

"There's no rush," I whisper into his kiss, slowly lifting my body from his before dropping back down. Every movement is calculated, drawn out, meant to make him feel every touch, every sensation. His first time should be special, and I want him to remember this forever.

So I take my time, sitting up tall to let him admire my full body. I slide up and down his length, grinding my clit against him with a low, sweeping motion. I marvel at the feel of him inside me. Each stroke sends waves of pleasure radiating through my body, grounding me in this moment.

"Mira," he says my name like a prayer. "You are amazing. Fuck."

I lean down to capture his lips, reassuring him without words. His arms snake around me, holding me close as we move together in a slow rhythm that quickens with time.

He groans beneath me, his fingers digging into my hips as he bucks underneath me. His movements are unpredictable, uncontrolled. Like a storm-tossed sea under a canopy of stars. The contrast between our movements only serves to heighten the tension building in my core.

I gasp his name almost reverently as I clutch his shoulders, fingers digging into his heated skin as I chase my climax on his cock. His hot breath fans across my skin, sending shivers racing down my spine. He's all I can feel. All I can hear. All I can taste as I scream out my release. Scream his name as my orgasm rips through me.

Our rhythm falters as he groans, an animalistic sound that drives me wild. His control slips and he grips my hips tighter, driving into me with a force that has me seeing stars. My name spills from his lips as he empties deep inside me.

Panting, I slow down as my waves of crushing pleasure subside. I eek out every drop of his essence with my final movements before collapsing beside him, our bodies slick with sweat and desire.

He holds me to his chest, his breath slowing as he runs his fingers through my hair, tangling it further. But I don't care. All I care about is the comforting beat of his heart beneath my ear, the steady rhythm lulling me into a sleepy daze.

His lips press lightly against my hair, over and over. "That was incredible."

With the Dampening Shield around us, there is no surge of blinding colorful Chroma swirling. No joyous celebration of our new mate bond. I can only assume it's there. Hope.

Stillness settles around us. For a moment, it's almost normal. Like I'm back home. There's no magic in this room. No otherworldly power. Just two people falling in love.