21. Valen

21

VALEN

T he dark elf blood courses through my veins, healing my wounds. My strength returns with each passing second, but I can't take my eyes off Rhea. She stands among the carnage and inspects her handiwork. Her newfound power radiates from her like heat from a flame.

My chest tightens suddenly. The guilt hits me hard. I've taken her humanity. The very thing that made her different from monsters like me. But watching her now, seeing the fierce determination in her eyes burning even brighter, I can't deny the surge of pride that mingles with my remorse.

She turns to me. Her eyes glow with that familiar Vrakken fire, but they're still hers. The transformation hasn't stripped away who she is.

"I'm okay," she says, extending her hand to help me up. "Better than okay." Her grip is strong now, matching my own. "I can feel everything. The power... it's incredible."

I pull myself up, steadying myself against the wall. "You shouldn't have had to make that choice," I mutter.

"I made the only choice I could," she replies. Her voice carries a new edge of steel. "I wasn't going to watch you die."

The words hit me like a physical blow. After centuries of solitude, of letting no one close to me, this woman chose to give up her humanity rather than lose me. The realization both humbles and terrifies me.

"You're mine now," I say, the possessive words escaping before I can stop them. "And I'm yours. There's no going back from this."

She steps closer, her movements fluid with her new grace. "Good. I don't want to go back," she admits.

Her presence stirs something deep within me. My existence up to this point has been fueled by vengeance, a solitary figure consumed by the need to punish those who took everything from me. But now, as I look at her, I realize that my heart has shifted. The emptiness that once defined me is now filled with something entirely different—something I thought was lost forever. Love.

I can't help but feel a surge of possessiveness. She's mine, marked by my venom, bound to me by an unbreakable tie. The thought of anyone trying to harm her again ignites a fierce protectiveness that I've never felt before.

I lean in, my lips grazing her ear as I speak, "You've given me something to fight for beyond revenge, Rhea. You've given me a reason to live."

She pulls back slightly, her eyes locking onto mine. "And you've shown me what it means to fight, to stand up for myself and for what's right. You've given me a future," she says, her voice filled with gratitude.

Rhea's hands extend toward me, a silent offering. I take them in mine and pull her down on top of me, her body colliding with mine with a satisfying thud. She gasps, her breath hot against my neck. "Valen!" she cries out, her voice filled with worry due to my healing injuries.

I silence her protest with a kiss, fierce and claiming. Her lips part beneath mine, her initial resistance melting away as she succumbs to the undeniable heat between us.

When we finally break apart, my gaze sweeps over her, taking in the fierce glow of her transformed eyes, the way her body hums with a power that's as much mine as it is hers.

"Rhea, there's something I need to do now that I turned you into a Vrakken," he says with a low growl.

Her eyebrows arch in silent question, but there's a knowing glint in her eyes. She can feel the electric current that runs between us.

"I want to mate with you," I declare. "Here, now, in this place that couldn't contain our spirits. I want to claim you as mine, fully and irrevocably in your transformed state."

A shiver runs through her, but her gaze doesn't waver. "Valen," she breathes out, her voice a mixture of apprehension and desire. "Are you sure? After everything that's happened..."

My hands cup her face, my thumbs caressing her cheeks. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life," I say firmly. "You are my heart's choice, Rhea. My equal in every way."

Her lips part, and I can see the rapid beat of her pulse in her neck—a rhythm that matches the drumming of my own Vrakken heart. "Yes," she whispers, the single word hanging in the air like a sacred vow.

My control snaps at her acquiescence. My lips crash onto hers with a hunger that's been building since I bit into her neck. She responds with equal fervor, her hands fisting in my tunic, pulling me closer.

We soon break apart, gasping for air. I stand her up and walk her backward until her back hits the cold stone wall. She lets out a soft gasp, her eyes widening with surprise. My hands soon roam over her body, exploring the new strength that lies beneath her supple curves.

"Valen," she whispers, my name a plea upon her lips.

Her voice sends a jolt of desire through me. I can't resist the magnetic pull between us, the bond that has been forged in battle and solidified in blood. I lean in, my breath mingling with hers, our hearts pounding in unison.

She gasps again as I lift her off the ground, her legs wrapping around my waist. I can feel the heat of her through the fabric of our clothes, a tantalizing promise of the inferno that awaits.

"I need to feel you," I murmur against her mouth, my fingers working to free her from the constraints of her clothing. Her own hands fumble with my tunic, tugging it over my head and casting it aside.

Her skin is soft beneath my fingertips, yet there's an undeniable power that courses just beneath the surface. "You're incredible," I say, my voice filled with awe and desire.

Rhea smiles at me, a look of vulnerability flickering across her face. "Show me," she says, her voice a sultry dare.

I claim her mouth in a searing kiss, pouring all of my pent-up desires into the connection. Our tongues tangle in a dance of passion, each stroke fueling the fire that burns between us.

My hands slide down her body, finding the hem of her shirt and pulling it up and over her head. I break our kiss just long enough to toss the garment aside before my lips are on hers once more.

Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as our kiss deepens.

I reach between us, my fingers deftly undoing the fastenings of her pants. She arches into me, a soft moan escaping her lips as I slip my hand beneath the fabric, finding her hot and ready.

"Valen," she breathes, her body trembling with anticipation.

I stroke her slowly, teasingly, reveling in the way her body responds to my touch. "Let go, Rhea," I say, my voice a low growl in her ear.

With a shuddering gasp, she does just that, her body convulsing around my hand as she cries out in ecstasy. The sound of her pleasure is like a symphony to my ears, stirring a primal satisfaction within me.

As she comes down from her high, I withdraw my hand and shed the rest of our clothing, leaving us both bare in the dimly lit chamber.

I lift her once more, aligning our bodies perfectly. With one swift movement, I'm inside her, filling her completely. She gasps, her body stretching to accommodate me.

I begin to move, each thrust drawing a moan from her lips. The sound of our bodies colliding echoes off the stone walls.

Rhea matches me thrust for thrust, her newfound strength adding a fierce intensity to our lovemaking. It's wild and untamed, a reflection of the lives we've led and the bond we share.

As we climb higher and higher, our movements become more frenzied, our breaths coming in short, sharp gasps. I can feel her body tightening around me, her climax building with each passing second.

"Come with me, Rhea," I say, my voice a hoarse plea.

With a final, shuddering cry, she does, her body convulsing around mine as her orgasm crashes over her. The sensation of her clenching around me is too much to bear, and with a guttural groan, I find my own release, spilling myself deeply within her.

For a moment, we stay like that, our bodies joined together in the aftermath of our shared ecstasy. I can feel her heart beating in time with my own.

As I gently set her back on her feet, I can't help but smile at the sight of her—disheveled, flushed, and absolutely radiant. She looks at me with a mixture of adoration and awe.

"That was..." she begins, her voice trailing off as she searches for the right words.

"Amazing," I finish for her, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

The world around us fades. There's only Rhea and the fierce, protective love that she's awakened within me.