Chapter 29

For most of my young life, I think I misunderstood the concept of love. It always struck me as a curious thing when I’d hear the fairy tales and stories growing up.

Love could be beautiful, or it could be cruel, depending on the story being told. It could make one a fool, throwing everything away only to lose everything, or at times, gain it all.

I could never find a true reason in it either. It just seemed to happen, whether the one in the story was looking for it or not.

I wonder if that was where I’d come up with the notion that I didn’t need it when I aimed to find an alpha to call me his own. Love could complicate things, so it was better just to keep the relationship to lust and mutual understanding.

I’d been so determined to do that, yet it had gone out of the window so quickly after I met Rayne.

This thought drifted through my mind as I slowly awoke. The cabin was quiet save for the gentle rain that had begun to fall outside and the equally gentle sound of Rayne’s heartbeat in my ear.

We’d arrived home about three hours before, and ended up settling on the fainting couch and drifting off to sleep there. I had this sense that Rayne was exhausted, though he’d done his best not to show it.

He may not have slept at all since our fight and what had happened to me. As for me, I was content to lie there with him, and it was so comfortable that I’d drifted off too, though I confess that I was a bit nervous about my father’s continued interference.

I frowned as I ran my fingers in circles over Rayne’s strong chest, recalling the times before when I’d heard that voice. Each time, that beast of a creature pushed me to turn to my most primal desires, and it was so hard for me to stop it from happening.

Well, it wasn’t like I hadn’t been falling into that anyway, though I didn’t like the idea that he was pushing me to be more of a succubus. I wanted to remain more to my Fae side.

Aside from that, shouldn’t I have desired Rayne as I did? He was my alpha, and I knew how much he desired me.

A relationship such as ours needed sexual desire. A resigned smile crossed my face as I closed my eyes and huffed.

Look at me, letting my mind drift like this. I needed to stop thinking so much and just go with things more.

Rayne drew in a long breath and I felt him stretch under me. I was careful as I lifted my head to look at him, not wishing to accidentally hit him with my horns, which I hoped I’d be able to get rid of soon.

“Are you awake?” I asked, keeping my voice soft.

“Partially.” Rayne yawned. He stretched a little more and his tail caressed my leg. “Sorry about that. I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.”

“It’s fine. I know you were tired. You didn’t sleep at all after what happened, did you?” I guessed as I rested my head on his shoulder.

“No. There was no way I could go back to sleep after that argument and your leaving,” Rayne confessed.

“Were you waiting for me to come back?”

“I waited for about an hour, then I couldn’t take it anymore and went to find you, but Emelio beat me to it. Damn if he didn’t have a lot to say to me too. Sometimes he’s tougher than my father when he becomes angry with us.”

“That’s a bit surprising considering you injured him before.”

“That was only because I caught him by surprise when he was trying to help Aurora. If it had been any other time then I never would’ve been able to even scratch him, not to mention would never want to. I respect him as much as my father.”

“Really?”

Rayne shifted slightly to face me better. “It is true. The mages are specialized creatures created to serve the rulers and are on par with them. Think of it as a failsafe in case a ruler goes out of control for whatever reason, even if it’s never anticipated that we’ll have that problem,” he explained to me.

“But if that’s true, then why have things gotten out of control before? I’ve heard stories that the different lands have had their share of strife even with the rulers in place, and the Eastern Lands even had a ruler that wasn’t right for them. Why wouldn’t the Mage have simply taken out that ruler and stayed in that position until a new one was found?” I asked him.

“Rin and I asked Emelio the same question recently. We had always been told those things, yet it felt like the mages didn’t step in when they should have. But he assured us that they did. It simply wasn’t their place to take a leadership role unless the situation was absolutely dire. At the time they were dealing with that errant ruler, the Mage of the Eastern Lands had been ready to step in and be rid of him, but he was told to hold back. The new, rightful ruler was about to be born, and he could help him defeat the ogre and take his rightful place. He did as he was told, and Lyric has been ruling the Eastern Lands for centuries now,” Rayne explained.

“So you’re saying that they’re guided in what they do, and won’t go against that guidance,” I surmised.

“In a sense, though Emelio assured us that they do have their own discretion about things, not to mention he does tend to guide Father and take control of certain situations when he sees fit. Father always says that he doesn’t mind in the least too. Having Emelio’s support helps him tremendously, and the other rulers feel the same way with their mages from what he’s told us,” Rayne corrected.

“It’s a hard position to be in. You have these vast lands and all these creatures who count on you for protection and support. I can’t imagine the pressure your father must feel at times, or you and your mother and siblings,” I pointed out.

“There is much pressure in being part of the royal family,” Rayne acknowledged. He turned onto his back, looking at the skylight above us.

“I know Father has tried to shield us probably a bit more than he should have, but he has always been the protective type, even if it comes out the wrong way at times. We’re the only blood family he has, and he has much pride in us and love for us. Rin is also the son of his closest and most trusted friend, and he has always looked at him as his own as well. But he’s always known the expectations for us. We are the heirs, all three of us. I suppose it’s just hard for him to stand back and watch us possibly end up in more trouble.”

That made me feel bad. Even if it wasn’t truly my fault, I knew that things were going to be tough on Rayne because of me and my heritage.

“I’m surprised your father accepts me. My heritage is bringing you a lot of trouble,” I admitted.

“I don’t see it that way at all, and neither does he,” Rayne assured me. “Father knows that both Rin and I do not take the choice of a beta lightly, and he’s told me several times now that he respects you tremendously for how strong you are inside. He’s said that he can tell that you’re a gentle soul and there’s nothing evil about you, so he’s not that worried that you’ll lose yourself to your Fallen heritage. Neither is Emelio, which only strengthens our resolve about the matter.”

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “I suppose if Emelio is comfortable with things, then there’s no reason to worry. He would’ve been told otherwise.”

“Definitely.” Rayne turned to face me again, a pleasant smile gracing his face as he stroked my hair back. “It’ll be nice when things get a little more settled too, and I am looking forward to us having this gathering at the palace. I want them all to be able to meet you and get to know you. They’ll see that you’re nothing like those rumors have tried to say, and I know they’ll love you as much as they love Mother and Aurora.”

“I hope they will. The only thing I want is a happy life with you,” I told him.

“And we can have that. Things will settle down, and we’ll stay together no matter what. We can even have a few pups of our own one day,” Rayne went on.

I wasn’t expecting that one. “You want to have pups with me? Are you certain that will be okay?”

“It will be fine, Luna,” Rayne promised with a reassuring smile. “The Luna Dog bloodline is strong enough to be dominant, and I know you’ll be a great mother.”

I looked away in a vain effort to hide the blush that was creeping across my cheeks. “Maybe, but that will still be a while away. Emelio did tell me that they have no need for anymore heirs right now.”

Rayne laughed at my embarrassment. “No, they do not, and it isn’t something we need to think of for the immediate future. It’s simply a nice thought to have a family later in our lives.”

“It is,” I agreed, sitting up and looking around the darkened room. “More rain has set in, so I suppose it’ll just be us for a while.”

“More than likely. It should be moving out later this afternoon, so we can go out then if you’d like, or we can simply stay around here,” Rayne offered.

I took a few seconds to think about it. “Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like to visit with Rin and Aurora. I think it might be better if we do it after what’s happened. You know they’ll probably hear about it soon enough, and it may be better if we handled it first,” I suggested.

“No kidding. I won’t be hearing the end of it from Rin for quite a while either way, but maybe I deserve that too. I was the one who made everything worse,” Rayne relented.

“You know you don’t have to shoulder all the blame. I was just as much at fault for taking off as I did,” I reminded him.

“I still should’ve gone after you,” Rayne countered.

There was no reasoning with him about this one. Rayne was determined to take all of the blame on himself.

So, I decided to let it go instead of pushing the issue. “Either way, things are as they are, and I’ll be okay, even if I hate the idea of these horns right now,” I said as I slowly stood up.

Rayne stood with me, embracing me from behind, and my eyes fluttered closed as he gently kissed the left side of my neck and shoulder.

“It will be fine. We’ll figure that out, and you’re still just as beautiful with them,” he whispered.

I felt that familiar pleasant shiver go down my spine as he kissed my bare shoulder again. He was such an irresistible Luna Dog, even with just these small shows of affection.

“You woke up amorous, didn’t you?” I teased.

“Why not? Pleasure helps relieve stress, doesn’t it?” Rayne teased back.

“More like you wish for a makeup session.”

But honestly, who was I to resist this? There had been far too much tension, and I did love being with him in every way.

A soft moan escaped my throat as I turned my head and kissed him fully. I could feel his hands roaming up my body, cupping my breasts through my thin dress.

The familiar fire was igniting in my veins, and all I wanted was to feel his skin against mine, to feel his hands on my body along with his lips.

“So beautiful. I want to enjoy every part of you,” Rayne whispered as I felt him untie the back of my dress.

I smiled as I let it fall to the floor, leaving me in only my underwear, and stepped over to the bed. I was feeling rather bold now, and I certainly loved egging him on.

“Then go ahead. You can have me however you wish,” I told him.

Rayne pulled off his shirt, pushing me back on the mattress to lie over me.

“You’re such a tease,” he whispered against my lips.

I could already feel the hard bulge pushing between my legs as he spoke.

“Does my teasing excite you so much?” I whispered back.

“It can.” Rayne kissed the tops of my breasts. “Just relax and enjoy this with me. We could both use it.”

My eyes closed as I felt him kiss the top of my right breast again, then gently lick my nipple. He lapped his tongue over the tip several times, making it painfully hard.

I drew in a shaky breath as my body trembled slightly, the anticipation building in my core.

“Rayne…,” I heard myself whisper.

“I do love the smell of your arousal. It’s so very sweet,” Rayne purred.

I gasped as I felt him use his claws to cut away my underwear, leaving me fully exposed under him. I half opened my eyes as he slid down, settling between my legs.

Then there was the gentle feel of his tongue between my folds. I moaned as I laid lay back, opening my legs to give him more access.

My body was heating up as he continued licking me, his tongue pressing inside of me and caressing my inner walls before moving upward to stimulate my clit. My hips moved with him, my mind swimming in the ecstasy that engulfed me.

It felt so incredibly good, but I needed more. It simply wasn’t enough.

“Rayne, please! I want more! Please, be inside me!” I finally begged.

I could hear him chuckle as he stopped, stroking my quivering wet folds.

“You’re rather needy yourself today. I don’t believe I’ve heard you beg for me so fast,” he remarked.

I could make out some strain in his voice as he spoke and was certain that his arousal was getting painful too. That switch in my mind flipped as I envisioned the huge bulge his erection had made in his pants, and I slowly sat up.

“I cannot deny the beast within me either,” I cooed, keeping my legs open for him. My womanhood still quivered from his touch, feeling hot as he opened me to the cool air. “I may not be like him, but I love letting this side of me loose with you.”

Rayne flashed me a seductive smile, kissing my opening. “Well, it is rather painful to look at you like this and ignore myself.”

“Then don’t,” I breathed. “Take us both over the edge.”

Rayne slowly stood up, removing his pants. I didn’t believe I’d ever seen his erection so big and hard before, even though he was usually well-endowed.

Oddly enough, this eagerness was consuming me too, even more than what I normally felt with this act. Was this the succubus within me coming out again, craving all that intimacy had to offer?

I reasoned that it could be, though it felt like slightly more this time.

Rayne pushed my legs up, and I groaned as I felt his erection enter me. It was so big and hot that I thought I might climax right away.

I wasn’t sure how I held back as I wrapped my arms and legs around him.

It was easy for us to fall into a rhythm with his thrusts and my hips meeting them. My heart was pounding so hard that I felt like it would burst out of my chest, and I could feel his doing the same as his chest pressed against mine.

His thrusts became faster and deeper, and I swore his manhood was about in my womb.

“That’s it! Take it!” Rayne breathed as he ground himself into me.

“Oh! I can’t…hold it…!” I cried out.

“Don’t hold out on me! Let me feel it!” Rayne ordered.

I groaned as he thrust even harder, all of this now bordering on pleasure and pain. Heat enveloped my abdomen as he did, and I heard myself begging him to keep going, to release himself into me.

Only that could sate this burning desire.

His climax was intense, and I could feel his manhood pumping as he lay over me, pressing himself all the way into me. I felt my own climax come with it, my walls squeezing him violently and my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

My vision was blurry, and all I could make out were the sounds of our soft moans as we finished.

After a few minutes, Rayne rested himself on top of me, gently kissing my throat. His breath and voice were shaky as he spoke. “I wasn’t intending this to go so quickly, but I couldn’t quite hold myself back.”

“I won’t complain. It felt far too good, but we can take it slower later,” I suggested, just as breathless as he was.

“I’ll agree with that.” Rayne moved to the side so that we could face each other, and we shared a gentle, more loving kiss.

“I won’t keep messing up either. I love you, and I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.”

“You do make me happy, and I love you too. I’ll never leave you, Rayne,” I promised.

“And I won’t leave you. You’ll always be my Luna.”

Though such promises can be fleeting and even pillow talk after that act, I believed every word and I felt that he did too.

Fate had brought us together, and we were determined that nothing would ever tear us apart, no matter what came in the future.

What we weren’t expecting were the surprises the future may have in store.