Chapter 25: Longing for His Warmth

FREYA

The afternoon had a chill, but the fire in the center of the camp was strong. Freya rejoiced in the heat while standing as close to the fire as was safe.

She was getting a few obvious stares, but it didn’t feel malicious, just curious. They had all been expecting an Adaryn with wings, so she was aware they would have questions. Freya was the only one of her kind here, after all.

Amaya and Lorraine had already found partners to dance with as the drums started to go. The glow of the fire and beat of the music had a powerful pull to get them moving.

Vargar moved their bodies in a way that Freya had never seen before. Adaryn dancing was so stiff compared to the way the wolves moved. Freya was envious of how magnificent the she-wolves looked as they wrapped around their partners in such an intimate way.

She was going to need some of that mead that had been pulled out for the night. It didn’t take her long to find a large mug. This batch being served was far stronger than anything she’d ever had before, and the liquid burned her throat as she swallowed.

It didn’t take long for the mead to start to course through her. Soon she felt less awkward about the tiny outfit she’d been pushed into wearing. She searched for Cain in the crowd.

They hadn’t been near each other since they were both still asleep in bed. That was a long time ago. She longed to feel his warmth again.

Then she saw him on the other side of the firepit. His hair hung limp around his shoulders in evidence of a recent wash. He wore only trousers.

Freya gaped at him. Cain’s dark eyes locked on hers and she thought she was going to melt.

As if he was being summoned, Cain turned and made a slow progression toward Freya. His eyes never left her as he easily maneuvered around the crowd of writhing dancers to get to her. Freya felt her body stiffen in anticipation as he made his way to her.

The last time they’d actually talked, he had been under the influence of a serious fever. There was no way he knew what he’d said or done while he was asleep. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

***

It felt like an eternity had passed. Finally he was standing before her.

His body was close to hers and she could feel the fire at her back and his heat radiating against her front. She felt surrounded by warmth.

Cain’s dark eyes were swirling with different shades of black and red. From her time with the Vargar, she knew his beast was surfacing. He was holding it back.

Freya didn’t know what it meant that he was fighting back his beastly side. She meant it when she had told Cain that she wasn’t afraid of him, but the feathers on her neck started to raise. Her hand went to her neck as if to hide them.

Cain raised an eyebrow.

“Thank you,” he said. “Vistra told me you were at my side for the past two days, and I appreciate your attention.”

“It was no problem at all. From what I’ve heard and seen, the Vargar men are too stubborn to notice when they’re sick or need help.” Freya looked over the rim of her mug as she took another swig of mead.

Cain lightly chuckled and turned his head to look at the bonfire.

“Would you like to dance with me?” Cain asked. His eyes were a bright red at this point.

“I don’t know how to dance like—” She looked around the hundreds of dancers surrounding them and grinding on each other to the heavy music. “Like that.”

“Just let the music flow through you. I’ll lead,” Cain reached out and gently grasped Freya’s hand, then pulled her body close to his.

She sighed at the physical contact between them. It felt so natural. She bit her bottom lip as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Freya’s body was pressed flush against Cain’s bare chest. Only the thin blue material she’d been dressed in separated them.

Cain swept Freya literally off her feet as he tightened his grip around her. They started to sway to the beat of the drums. True to his word, he led her, and it was easy to dance to their music.

This was nothing like the dancing she’d known growing up. Adaryn dancing was all stiff armed and calculated movements. But now that she was experiencing the freedom and heat of movement taught by Cain, Freya never wanted to go back.

She was so glad she’d been given away to the people she once considered beasts. Here, she felt like she belonged. Everyone was equal living on the ground. She could contribute, and she felt wanted. And the way she was feeling around Cain, Freya knew she’d never find anyone to make her feel like this if for some reason she had to go back.

Aurik never stood a chance. All he could ever offer her was being his consort. No Adaryn noble would allow her to become queen, and Freya didn’t want to be the woman behind the scenes.

Freya would never be the warrior her sister was, and she would never be the perfect daughter her parents wanted. But at least today, dancing with Cain, and surrounded by new friends, she felt like she belonged.

No, they didn’t know much about each other or how this arrangement would be long term. But she felt warm and good. She felt there was now an undeniable pull between the bird and the wolf.

Cain spun Freya around, and she landed back in his arms with her back pressed to his chest. His hands were still urging her hips to move with the music. The hardness of his muscles against her were driving her feral.

Was ~this~ what love felt like? She had the sense she had a lot to learn.

One of his hands trailed up her right side and Freya felt Cain testing the feel of her light downy feathers against the back of her neck. He leaned his head down and pressed his nose against the back of her ear. She heard his intake of breath.

“Freya.” Cain’s chest rumbled against her back as his husky voice whispered her name.

Her body trembled in response. There was no stopping the moan that slipped past her lips. His body stiffened against hers, and they stopped swaying to the music together.

“Let’s go somewhere a bit quieter.” Cain took her by the hand.

Freya could see his beast swirling for control in his eyes. All she could do was nod her head lightly in response to the man towering over her small frame. Not because she was afraid of him. She wanted to go with him.

***

Cain led Freya away from the noise of the camp into the edge of the forest. He held her hand and kept her close to his side as they moved at a brisk pace. By now the mead was starting to wear off and nerves were budding once more in Freya’s belly. She was so excited to be alone with him.

They stopped once they reached a patch of forest clear of underbrush. A stream quietly trickled nearby, and the silence was tranquil.

She looked up. The stars shone luminously down on the couple through the cracks in the treetops. The cold here made her body shiver.

“It’s colder out here.” She wrapped her arms around herself. Neither of them were wearing much in the way of clothing.

“Ah, I didn’t think of how cold it might be here. We can head back to the fire if you’d prefer?”

“It’s beautiful out here, though.”

“Not as beautiful as you are.” Cain stepped forward to wrap his arms around Freya and enclose her in a warm embrace that made her limbs feel like jelly.

“Cain.” She could only manage to whimper out his name as her body sank back against his. Again, she felt his nose against the back of her ear as he inhaled her scent. She’d learned the Vargar had a fantastic sense of smell, and they could recognize one another by scent. It was important for them to know the scent of their mate. The thought made Freya tremble, and this time it was not from the cold.

“No one could have prepared me for how much I’d want you,” he said. “That first moment I saw you, I knew you were going to be mine. Yet, the look in your eyes told me you were afraid. Please, Freya, I need to know you aren’t afraid of me.” He placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face to turn her head and look up into his eyes.

Freya’s heart softened for him. She needed to address this worry that she was afraid of him. What would she have to do to prove to him she wasn’t scared? What she felt for him was something else. She had feelings for him that she’d never had before.

~Was this how Raga had felt for Alvyna? Was this love?~

Freya turned in Cain’s arms and gingerly rested her head against his chest. She loved the clean musky scent of his bare skin.

“I’m not afraid of you, Cain.” She reached up and ran her fingers along the scruff growing on his chin before placing her hands on the sides of his face. She was being bold, but Freya felt too comfortable with Cain to deny herself this moment with him.

“You were intimidating when I first saw you, of course. You were covered in blood and carrying a carcass. Chicks in my world are taught from a young age that the wolves are monstrous beasts. Yet I knew it would be okay. I’ve never felt like this with anyone else.”

Before she could say anything more, Cain had crashed his lips down onto Freya’s.

His scruff scraped against her face, but she liked the rough feeling as he ravaged her mouth with his own. In one swift movement, Cain lifted Freya up off the ground, holding her as if she weighed no more than a single feather.

She was pressed hard against him as he continued to discover her mouth. She learned along with him as their tongues began to dance together. The feeling was new and exciting. She wanted more of it.

“I want to make you mine, Freya.” Cain pulled back breathless, looking down at her.

“I’m already yours, Cain.”

That was all the invitation he needed. Their lips locked, and Freya let him have all the power over her as he held her against his body as if he would be able to make them one being.

Freya meant what she said. She had accepted Cain’s offering. That was all she needed to have to know that they were together. The Adaryn ceremony didn’t matter. If they were married in the eyes of the Vargar, then he could have all of her. She wanted, needed, him to have all of her.

Freya’s heart was thudding in her ears. She was more nervous now than she’d ever been for anything else in her life. What if he didn’t like her? What if she didn’t like this? She felt weak in the knees.

Freya pulled back from Cain and abruptly grabbed him by the hand to lead him back to the tent. Cain moved slowly, as if he could read her mind.

What happened between them tonight would be important. It would be their first time.

The stars were shining down on them, and Freya could feel the chill of the air against her skin. In the distance, the Vargar cheered and the music thrummed.

“Let’s go back. I want you to be comfortable.”

He led her one slow footstep at a time toward their tent.

It felt as though she was teetering on the edge of a canyon. They were close to doing something they could never undo. Yet, she wanted to be here. Freya was walking away from a painful past, and into the arms of someone who cared about her.

Once at the tent, Cain tied the flap shut for privacy.

Behind her, Freya could hear Cain shifting around. She got down to her knees before him, then she reached out. Her small fingers found the laces of his pants and she swiftly undid them and reached inside.

Cain sucked in a breath.

~Maybe she was going too fast?~

But she wanted to touch him. Cain’s member was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It was thick and long. If she laced her hands together around it, her fingers would barely overlap. Freya reached up to touch it and the motion made it jerk to life. Her heart fluttered, and a new dampness leaked down her thighs.

She began to rub him up and down in one of her hands. Above her, Cain grunted softly. Her fingers were soon sticky and slick with his fluids already leaking from the tip.

Freya had learned a few new things from the Vargar she-wolves, and it was time for her to put their teachings to use. She closed her eyes before she could lose her nerve, and then she began to lick. Placing her tongue against his shaft and dragging it up and down his length, she found he tasted far better than she would have thought.

Inspired by Cain’s noises that told her she was making him feel good, she began to run kisses along his length, especially against the tip and spot she’d been instructed was the most sensitive.

Cain made a rumbling low growl deep in his chest. She felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder. Freya released him and stood up when she felt him caressing the feathers on her shoulder. He wanted something else now.

It only took Cain a moment to untie the excuse for a dress wrapped around her. Gooseflesh raised on her arms and Freya could feel her feathers standing on end.

Instinctively she raised her arms to cover her chest, but Cain gently wrapped his hands around her wrists and pulled them away.

She felt nervous and exposed.

Until she saw the look in his eyes. Those deep-red eyes were staring down longingly at her as if she was the last drop of water in a barren land. Cain’s head came down to her chest. He inhaled.

Something warm and wet went out to tease her left nipple. Freya closed her eyes, knowing his tongue was on her. And then he swept her up into his arms.

Cain’s tongue was soft, tremendously flexible, and warm as it traced its way along her collarbones, down her chest, and up the swell of her right breast. The tip of his tongue swirled over her nipple.

She shook like a leaf ready to fall in a storm. Freya felt a warmth spread throughout her entire body. This was a feeling she’d never be able to put into words.

Cain lifted Freya up and sat her on the bed on top of him, with her legs on his lower stomach. Her hands were flat against his chest.

His staff was pressed against her lower back. Freya paled, realizing the thickness of his member.

It was too big. She wasn’t sure what to do. There was no way that was going to fit.

“Cain. I want to, but it’s too big.”

Cain only chuckled and reached up to undo the braids in her hair. His powerful fingers massaged her scalp briefly. She closed her eyes, and his hand moved down to caress the skin of her cheek.

“You’re so beautiful, little bird.” He placed a hand between her breasts and pushed her back to rest against his thighs. Then he pulled her face to his mouth.

Now the backs of her legs were against his shoulders. She felt dreadfully exposed to him, but even that feeling held a secret excitement. His hands closed over her thighs, and Freya’s breath quickened in anticipation.

Cain’s tongue darted out to tease her slit, and she cried out in surprise. He found her wet center and instead of the light teasing he’d given her chest, this was a forceful pressure. His strong tongue snuck between her lips smoothly, and then it began to flick around inside her. He was stroking her inner walls, making her shudder and gasp.

Now his tongue teased her entrance, running down her lips before burrowing back into the very core of Freya. The tension began to leave her shoulders as she relaxed against Cain’s mouth.

When his tongue withdrew, Freya felt a hollow ache of disappointment throb through her chest. Something powerful had been rising inside of her, and now it ebbed.

“You taste so good, my little bird.”

Freya looked down just in time to see Cain pulling a glistening finger from his mouth and down to her wet folds. His finger prodded gently at her entrance that was already soaking wet. The finger slid in easily.

The feeling was nothing like his tongue. It was firm and stiff, and it filled her up, stretching her. This new feeling of pressure was muddling the thoughts in her head. It felt good, but strange.

Fingers eased into her. Freya found she was holding her breath. The tremble in her voice was audible as she let a sigh escape.

Her body shook on top of Cain’s. The pressure from his fingers inside of her filled her with a pleasure she’d never felt before.

They lay there for an unknown amount of time, Cain on his back against the bed, Freya on her back atop him. With a vague feeling she should be reciprocating, she reached out above her head with one hand and gripped his member. It was still shockingly huge, but now, less intimidating. Perhaps she was relaxing under his thoughtful touch.

Cain’s movements became quicker and more assured as he responded to what made Freya react the most. His fingers corkscrewed slightly as they slipped inside her, rubbing against different parts.

It felt so good. Freya arched her back and bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from moaning.

Their tent was silent except for the slick sounds of their shared pleasure. She could have stayed there forever, but she knew she wanted more.

“Cain…I want to know you, all of you.” She moved up into a sitting position to look into Cain’s dark eyes.

He lifted his chin, and the scruff of his beard tickled her thigh, causing her lip to twitch in a small smile.

“I’m not afraid, but please be gentle.”

“I’ll let you have me, little bird. You can know me all you please.” He licked her thigh while keeping eye contact. Then he settled back to let Freya take control.

She climbed up into a kneeling position and shimmied down Cain’s belly. His hands raised to grab her hips. She spread her legs to straddle him, trying to control the shaking in her legs.

His member twitched against her belly and Freya swallowed hard. She was no longer the outcast of her world. Freya was going to rule at Cain’s side after their mating. She liked him, and she liked doing this with him. She felt like she belonged here, with the wolves. She felt a surge of confidence with her new destiny in her hands.

Freya lifted herself up on her knees as tall as she could go. With Cain’s hand holding the base of the shaft, they moved together to place the round tip of his member against her wetness. After a deep breath, she began to sink down onto it.

The head slipped into her. Almost immediately, she was filled up with him. The pain from the sudden entrance wasn’t bad. At first, she couldn’t take it all in, but after a shift in her position it felt a lot better.

Cain slipped even farther into her. He grunted and gritted his teeth together, breathing heavily, never taking his eyes off Freya. It was obvious he was trying to control himself.

For the briefest of moments, Freya was paralyzed with the realization of what she was doing. What she was doing with Cain, a supposed dangerous animal. But the Vargar were gentle and moral. If this was being dangerous, then Freya didn’t want to be tamed.

With her hands on his chest, Freya could feel Cain’s heart beating in time with hers. She gently rocked up and down on his shaft as they joined and became one.

They were physically loving each other, soaring to great heights together. She began to roll her hips back and forth just a little.

Even just that small addition to their motion had her cheeks flaming and her heartbeat going more erratic than it already was. Cain’s length still wasn’t fully inside her, but she didn’t think she could take in any more. It was filling her and rubbing her inside and out. The pressure and warmth of him was combined in a mix of sensation that took over her mind.

“Cain!” She didn’t care if anyone in the camp heard her. “Cain, oh sky above me, Cain please don’t stop.”

“Freya, yes, you’re doing so well.” He rumbled up from beneath her with his jaw tight. He let Freya control their mating.

And then there were no more words, just their longing to have each other fully.

Freya bounced faster and faster, picking up a new cadence on Cain’s shaft. His hands squeezed her hips, and she sucked in a breath. Her head rolled back in ecstasy.

A rumbling growl was starting up in Cain’s chest, and his nails were starting to lengthen into claws.

Without slipping out, Cain flipped Freya onto her back on the bed. His form now covered her completely. He settled down between her thighs and moved himself deep inside Freya.

She cried out and her hands flew up to grip Cain’s shoulders as he started to thrust in her, gently at first.

Freya could feel something approaching, some last and wonderful feeling building in her core, and she was ready for it. She knew in her bones that she needed this moment as if it would keep her alive.

She threw her head back into the pillow. It finally hit her, an overwhelming heat that she didn’t know was possible. The feeling was so pleasurable she thought her mind was going to leave her permanently. Any and all speech was stolen from her. Only the ability to cry out with wordless joy was left.

Cain followed her. A deep beastly growl tore from his throat and out between his lips. His clawed fingers bit into the blankets beneath them as his member started to twitch inside of Freya. He spurted out his release inside her.

With a final sigh, Cain collapsed onto Freya, his chest pressing into her face. He pulled her to curl up comfortably at his side with her head tucked into the hollow under his chin. They were breathing hard. Freya was more tired than she’d been in her entire life.

“Little bird,” Cain whispered playfully against Freya’s hair. “My little bird. You’re so wonderful.”

As Freya’s breath began to return to normal, she thought that she could lay here like this in Cain’s arms forever. While still sweaty and stuck together, the new couple fell into the clutches of sleep.