Chapter 15

Night had fallen by the time Rayne and I returned to the glen we had been calling home. As he lowered me from his embrace, I surveyed the surroundings, absorbing the familiar tranquility of the setting.

The full moon hung high, casting its glow over the clearing and creating shadows from the encircling trees and those scattered within. Above, the sky was a tapestry of twinkling stars.

Yes, the palace had been beautiful, but this place was equally so to me.

I was pulled away from all of this as Rayne held me from behind. His embrace was gentle yet tight, and I felt him rest his head on my shoulder.

“Rayne?” I whispered, sounding as uncertain as I felt.

“Please allow me a few minutes. It’s been a rough afternoon and evening,” Rayne whispered back.

I rested my head against his as I relaxed in his arms, running my hand through his hair and feeling his ears, which were laid back. I’d seen him do this at times before, and though he would quickly try to correct it, I knew that it happened when he felt remorseful about something.

It was awfully cute when I thought about it, not to mention a good signal of how he felt inside.

“I know, and I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you what was happening,” I apologized again.

“You need not keep apologizing. I understand why you didn’t, and I was just as wrong. I’ve left you alone far too much and didn’t even know the pain you had been feeling. How can I say I am good to you when I’ve messed up so badly?” Rayne countered.

“I don’t see it that way.” I turned in his arms and hugged him. “We both will make mistakes with one another, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t care for each other, and even if their words hurt deeply, I have always known that you would never think those things about me or abandon me.”

“I will never, ever abandon you. You are so precious to me, and I could never lose you,” Rayne insisted.

He was so sweet and had been since we’d met. Was this why so many females had hoped to attract him?

It was a reasonable assumption, but at the same time, I felt like it was the wrong way to look at this kind of relationship now. I guess I was beginning to learn that there was more to being a beta than simply attraction and convenience.

“And I will never leave you, no matter what happens,” I promised him. I gave him a soft kiss. “Let’s go inside. It’s late and we could both use some rest.”

Rayne agreed, and the two of us headed into the cabin. Everything was quiet as Rayne clicked on the light, and he opened two of the windows since it was a bit stuffy from being closed up all day.

I pushed my hair back, fanning myself a little. I hoped this aired out soon. If not, then sleep might be rough for a while.

“I think I’ll get cleaned up and lay back. Do you want to join me?” Rayne asked me.

I returned the smile he gave me. “I’d love to.”

Rayne and I had taken baths and showers together off and on since I’d come to be with him. It had been shortly after I’d first arrived when he’d decided to have some of the bathroom redone.

Of course, it was to our benefit to be together too. He’d made the shower larger and had a new in-ground bath set into the back of the room.

I confess that I liked this new bath a lot. It was very large and comfortable, easy to lie back in and relax, whether it was just one of us or both.

There had been quite a few times when we’d bathed together, enjoying each other’s company both innocently and erotically.

Rayne appeared more relaxed as he settled back into the warm water with me, his eyes closed as he drew in and let out a long breath. I snuggled against him, closing my eyes and letting myself unwind.

He was right. This was nice, and definitely what we needed.

“This is more like it,” Rayne sighed.

“Yes. The palace was nice, but this feels like home,” I whispered, running my fingers lightly over his strong chest.

“It does,” Rayne agreed. I felt him caress my back, tracing circles over my skin under the water. “I’ve never had anything against being home with my family, but I like how it feels being on my own. There’s a freedom to it unlike what I’d known before, and having you with me makes everything feel complete.”

I opened my eyes, still caressing his chest. “You really knew when you saw me that I was the one that was meant for you?”

“I did, and I know you did too.”

I couldn’t deny it. I’d never felt anything like what I had when Rayne and I caught eyes that day. It was like the most intense attraction one could ever imagine.

That was why I had accepted his wanting me as his beta so quickly. My heart told me that it was right.

“I did,” I relented, shifting a little so that I could snuggle more against him. “That’s why I can’t listen to what they say, even if it hurts. I just can’t see not being with you.”

“Please don’t worry so much over all of that. We’ll figure it out, and I’m going to be looking into it myself too. While I appreciate my father and brother’s efforts, and my mother and sister’s too, this is something I should take care of for you,” Rayne stated.

“You don’t need to worry so much about it, Rayne. I’m sure they’ll take care of it,” I insisted as I sat up.

Rayne sat up with me. “They can, but I’m not letting this go. I refuse to allow any to drag you down simply because they feel more entitled than they are.”

The thought crossed my mind that Rayne might’ve known a little more about this than he was saying. He sounded too confident in how he spoke. I had to ask about it.

“You have suspicions about some of them, don’t you?” I guessed.

“I may,” was all Rayne would allow. “But there is no need to continue speaking of it tonight. I will see to it that it’s taken care of in the coming days with them, and you can feel secure that they will leave you be.”

I sensed that there was no pushing this subject, and if I was honest with myself, I didn’t want to. Not tonight.

All I wanted was to be with Rayne and happy with this life I’d been making with him.

“Very well, then we will drop the subject,” I relented.

Rayne pulled me onto his lap, flashing me a seductive smile. “As I said, there is no need to keep worrying about it. Besides, wouldn’t you rather enjoy our night as we usually do?” he suggested.

“You are rather needy, aren’t you?” I teased, pressing against him. I could already feel where he was becoming aroused, the hardness pressing against my inner thigh.

“How can I help it when I have a beautiful woman naked in front of me?” Rayne teased back.

I couldn’t resist the temptation he’d brought out in me, and my blood started to heat up in my veins. That familiar need for intimacy was setting in hard, as it often did now with him.

Sometimes I wondered if Rayne wanted to awaken this part of me because he enjoyed it so much. Although I couldn’t complain. I loved this side of me with him too.

“Well,” I continued as I slowly stood up, “if you wish to have me, then come with me. It’s much more comfortable in a bed, wouldn’t you agree?”

It didn’t take much coaxing for him to follow me out of the bath. I beckoned him as we dried myself off and headed out to our bed.

The only thing on my mind now was how my body craved his.

I let out a small sound as I was picked up from behind and laid on the bed, giggling when Rayne laid lay over me. Ah yes, this felt more like us. I adored the sensual yet sweet attention he gave me.

Our kiss was slow and loving, and I wrapped my arms and legs around him, wanting to feel his body against mine as much as I could. His skin was so soft yet his body felt so strong as my hands traced the contours of his back.

He pushed himself up a little, sweetly kissing my forehead. “Another female could never satisfy me as you do,” he seductively whispered. “I love how I can lose myself within you.”

I gasped as he pushed himself down on me, his hardness now pressing between my legs. The feeling excited me even more, and I felt the heat build within my core as his head pressed against my opening.

“Rayne…,” I moaned, my hips moving so that I could try to have him enter me.

Rayne let out an amused chuckle. “I also love seeing this side of you come out.” He leaned to whisper in my ear, “Beg for me.”

I closed my eyes and tilted my head back as he slowly began kissing and licking the side of my neck. This was a familiar game of seduction he liked to play, and one that I was starting to crave, even if I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of admitting it to him.

He’d make me lie still and do whatever he wanted to me, and dare me to see how long I could last without either climaxing or losing myself to my instincts.

Rayne’s lips moved down my collar, and I felt him grasp my right breast. His grip was tight yet not painful, and I drew in a shuttered breath as he kissed the top of it.

That breath turned into a moan as he took my left nipple into his mouth, sucking on it while he played with my right. I put my arms over my head, gripping the blanket tightly as my body squirmed under him.

He kept switching between my breasts, rolling his tongue around my nipples and squeezing and twisting them until they felt painfully hard. My breathing was becoming harder as my blood felt it boiled, and the heat between my legs was starting to become unbearable.

Rayne wore a pleased smile as he sat up, running his fingers over my stomach and making my skin tingle under them. “You become so aroused when I play with your breasts,” he teased in a low voice.

“Please,” I breathed, “I need…I need more…”

“Now, let’s not go too fast. I am enjoying myself,” Rayne countered. I mewled as he caressed between my legs, my womanhood so sensitive that I felt a spurt of wetness come out of me when he touched me.

“You’re so hot and wet too. I bet you can’t last much longer.”

I cried out as he pressed two fingers into me, my entire body shaking with delight. It took everything I had to stay still, but I was determined to push out our game of seduction for as long as I could.

I knew Rayne wasn’t going to hold out much longer either. Not with how aroused he was too. His manhood was erect and swollen, and I could see the slight gleam in his tip as he was leaking too.

A knowing smile crossed my face, and I moved to my knees in front of him, kissing him as he continued slowly thrusting his fingers inside of me. He let out a low moan as I stroked his manhood at the same time.

“You say I’m at my limit, but how long can you keep this up?” I teased as I continued.

“Luna…,” he whispered breathlessly.

I giggled as I let him go and turned around, getting on my arms and knees and offering myself to him. “Come on. I know you don’t want to draw this out any longer. Not when you’re this hard.”

“As much as I’d love to keep this going, you’ve got me this time,” Rayne acknowledged, his voice strained as he spoke. He leaned over me, gripping my side. “Besides, I cannot stand so much stress. It makes me need release much sooner.”

I pushed back as Rayne positioned himself, allowing him to enter me and shuddering with delight as he did. Rayne let out a long, low moan and quickly began thrusting in and out of me.

He laid lay over me as he continued, pushing my hair to the side and placing a slow, open-mouth kiss on the back of my neck.

I leaned back against him as he pulled me up, his thrusts turning slow and deep as we got closer to our peak. I was lost in the feeling of it all; the way his hands roamed my body, how deeply his manhood was inside of me.

It felt like he was hitting the deepest part of me with each sensual thrust, making me see stars.

Rayne sensed this, holding me tighter against him and thrusting as deeply as he could into me. It was too much, and I couldn’t hold myself anymore.

After just a few thrusts, my climax ripped through me, making my whole body feel like it was floating in ecstasy.

“Yes, that’s it!” Rayne breathed, thrusting faster as I spasmed around him. He let out a loud moan as he buried into me, and I felt his manhood jerk as his climax overtook him.

I was still trying to catch my breath as he let me go and I lay out on the bed, feeling both satisfied and worn out. Rayne moved to lie down behind me, holding me and kissed my shoulder before he whispered in my ear.

“I could never want any other like I want you. Always remember that.”

I managed to nod, turning so that I could rest in his embrace. The afterglow of these acts was always so beautiful, like being in a wonderful dream.

Yet even as I drifted off, I couldn’t deny the slight inkling of worry deep within my mind. Yes, it was great to know that I was the one he’d always want most, but did this mean that our lust was no more than that?

Was it only lust keeping us together?

As I drifted off to sleep, I held onto the hope that it was much more. However, I couldn’t be certain.