Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Delicate

Rose

“Rose,” he whimpers, his eyes sad and tired. “I-I… There could be other options.”

“Asking anyone else would be sending them to their slaughter,” I insist. “I must be the one to do it. I’m the only one who can.”

“But what if-”

I press my finger on his lips. “No what ifs. You know the truth. That’s why you came here today. You must’ve picked up on something about me, something strange. Something that made you think I could be the one to beat her. Right?”

The way his body deflates and he won’t look at me tells me all I need to know.

“Asher,” I tell him, grabbing his face and pulling it to face me. “I will challenge her.”

“But how?” He asks. “How could a vampire challenge a Luna? Is that possible? What about your Council?”

“I will figure all that out, but this is our only shot to be free of her. And we can’t have the life we want until we are.”

“But you could get hurt.”

“I could get hurt if we don’t get rid of her,” I tell him, stroking his cheek gently. “I know you want to keep me safe, which is admirable. I appreciate it and love that protective side of you. But we both know this is something I have to do.”

His breath shakes as he rests his forehead against mine, his hands on my hips.

He knows I’m right.

“I’ll be her challenger.”

“You’ll-” He stammers, clearing his throat. “You’ll be her challenger.”

I kiss him, draping my arms around his neck as I breathe him in, hoping to steal away his pain. The guilt he must be feeling as he gives in to my request. I know the risk, and I know it’s dangerous. And I know the consequences of my death will be much harder for him than for me. That’s the truth of it.

“I love you, Ash,” I remind him. “We’ll get through this.”

“I love you, too.”

He pulls me closer, his lips attached sweetly to mine. I walk us backward, leading us to the bed in this small office of mine. I have one if I need to nap or stay here for a few days of peace and quiet. I have a kitchen, too. Most importantly, a wine cellar.

But now, the bed is where I want us to be. The truth is finally hanging in the air, my body entirely unburdened by lies and deceit.

Condoms in my bedside drawer.

“Rose,” he whispers, this time a little more lustfully as if he’s drinking in my name like a bottle of red.

“I want you,” I practically beg, my voice singing for him as I fall onto the bed, him on top of me. “Nothing is holding us back.”

He kisses my neck, pulling us to the center of the bed.

“I don’t want to wait,” I tell him. “Please.”

He sits up, pulling his shirt over his head, the light coming from the central area of the office warm enough to show off his tan skin, the shadows complimenting the rest of him. He’s in perfect lighting, his body a masterpiece as I take it in with my hands and eyes.

“You’re so sexy, Asher,” I praise, feeling the coarseness of his hair against my fingertips. “All mine.”

“All yours,” he reiterates as I sit up and allow him to pull my shirt over my head. I reach behind me and unclasp my bra.

He growls, his eyes glued to my chest as he attaches his lips to one of my nipples, flicking it with his tongue as he undoes my pants. I kick them off, desperate to be naked under him. Desperate to finally let him see all of me physically now that I’m emotionally bare for him.

I rip off his belt, tearing his pants off, both of our movements more frantic as he nips at my nipple. I whine, my breath sharp when he sits up and pulls down his pants and underwear.

He then tears my underwear down my legs, his eyes glowing both blue and brown as we stay perched in front of each other, completely naked, clothes strewn on the bedroom floor.

“It’s in the drawer,” I tell him, not having to explicitly say what I’m talking about.

He knows.

He reaches into the drawer, finding the small box of condoms that I’ve kept in there in case anything ever happened.

He pulls one out of the box and tears the wrapper with his teeth, pulling the rubber out of the packet and rolling it over his incredible length. Even though I’ve had him in my mouth, I’m still shocked by his size, my body still trembling at the sight of it.

How will he fit? I’m the most aroused I’ve ever been in my life, so I’m as prepared for him as I’ll ever be.

I can’t fucking wait.

He licks his fingers, rubbing my clit gently as he pumps his hand up and down his length.

“Are you ready, my love?” He asks.

“Y-Yes, Alpha.”

“Don’t call me that tonight,” he requests with a soft smile. “Call me by my name. The name that belongs to your lips, tongue, and breath. To your heart.”

“Engraved in my soul,” I add as he positions himself in front of my entrance.

“Mate,” I whisper, repeating the oath, no longer a secret.

“Mate.” With the word, he slips into me, and I cry out in pleasure, my back arching as I cling to the bedsheets, his hands holding my hips tightly.

“O-Oh God!” I moan. “A-Asher!”

“You’re taking it so well, baby,” he coos, and I can feel he’s only about halfway inside me. He presses his chest against mine, kissing me sweetly as he brushes my hair. He lifts my leg with his other hand, changing the angle for me as he strokes the side of my thigh with a lover’s touch.

Our lips connect and pull apart in short kisses with long pauses, where we stare into each other’s eyes. I stroke his hair, marveling at the feeling of being so connected to him. My heart beats a few times, in sync with his.

“Is that yours?” He asks, a little surprised.

“My heart?” I ask. “It has beaten a few times because of you. This is the most it has, though.”

“Incredible,” he whispers, kissing me slowly and passionately, savoring the taste of each other as he pushes in a little further. My toes curl slightly as I whimper, holding on tight to him as he kisses my neck again, our chests pressed together, the heat between our bodies growing. I feel the tickle of his breath against my skin as he moans, pushing himself into me and stroking into me in long, slow movements—his hips like molasses, sweet and luxurious.

He continues pumping in and out of me as he moves his hand from the side of my thigh to between my legs, stimulating my clit gently as we keep kissing.

I hold back whines as I hold his face close, desperate to keep him near. Desperate for his lips to breathe the life into me that they have for so long. I’ve never wanted to mark him so badly.

For a split second, it feels like our souls leave our mouths, intertwining and dancing with each other, leaving traces as we breathe them back in. I own a part of him, at least spiritually. And he owns a part of me.

He quickens the pace of his thrusts, growling with each movement as his fingers quicken their pace, rubbing the stem of my sensitive bud with growing pressure.

I scream with pleasure, throwing my head back as he kisses my extended neck as Dracula does to the fair, naive maiden in the movies. It’s as if we’re swapping species momentarily, his canines dragging against my skin. I know he’s struggling to hold himself back from marking me.

“Oh God!” I cry as my eyes roll in the back of my head, the pleasure building up to more than I can take. I need release, and I need satisfaction.

My muscle clench as he slams into me, stroking my G-spot with expert precision, his cock throbbing inside me and stretching me to the point where I know I’ll feel numb for the rest of the day.

“Ah!” I whine as I reach the pinnacle of our connection, the peak of earthly and otherworldly pleasure, my orgasm ripping through my body and taking my mind somewhere else for a split second. Somewhere cosmic. Somewhere I’ve never been before, even when I’ve brought myself to climax.

Asher grunts a few times, and I feel a hot liquid spill inside the condom as he pulls out, his body coated in sweat as he gasps for breath. I come down from my high, my eyes hooded, my mouth dry from breathing so heavily.

He rests his forehead on my stomach, gasping for a few seconds as he takes a minute to recover. He kisses my hips as he removes his condom, throwing it in the trash.

“That was amazing,” he tells me through kisses, trailing up the valley of my breasts before he makes it to my smiling lips. “I love seeing your cheeks blushing even in the dark.”

“I’m not blushing that hard,” I resist, biting my lip coyly.

He chuckles, peppering my cheek with kisses. “Oh, just admit it.”

“Fine, I am. You make me blush.”

“You make me blush, too,” he replies, his glowing eyes showing off the dimples on his happy face. “I love you.”

I stroke his jaw, caressing his face like a delicate relic. A piece of history we can’t stand to see perish.

Then his eyes falter briefly, a quick frown flashing across his face.

“You have to go back, don’t you?”

He nods, blinking a few times. “Things are delicate.”

Delicate as your precious face and heart. Delicate as my heart that shatters every time he leaves my side, but I’ll hide it each time. I’ll spare him the guilt I already know he feels so deeply.

“I’m sorry,” he adds, the words so soft they’re more like whisps of wind.

“Don’t be,” I reassure him. “I’ll see you soon.”

“That you can count on,” he promises, kissing my nose sweetly. “Always.”