Chapter 14- Let the Nightmares, Begin

Warning: There's going to be some sexy time in this chapter, thought I'd give you a heads up ;)

"When I dream of you,

I dream of a never-ending embrace,

A never have I ever,

But in my nightmares;

In the darkest depths of my despair,

I dream of someone else calling you theirs."

Chapter 14

River's POV

"I love you, too."

I froze.

He froze.

It slipped out. It was almost as if my lips had spoken it before my brain could have allowed it.

This was not how I wanted it to happen, no. I had expected for it to have been in a setting a lot more romantic than this, but clearly, it was meant to happen this way and there was no way to take it back now.

"You do?" His eyes softened as he placed his hand on mine and squeezed gently.

Did he think I didn't? I may not have verbally expressed it but it must have been obvious by the way I acted, the way I looked at him.

"Of course, I do," I smiled.

He smiled such a large smile I became almost afraid his mouth would rip in two.

He grabbed my face rather roughly before crashing his lips to mine. Our teeth clinked briefly but we both ignored it as he pried my lips open and delved into my mouth. I gasped for air as he wrapped his tongue around mine.

"Again." He gasped into my mouth.

I tried but through his demand he raided my mouth of all my breath and sanity until I was left boneless and mute, shaking and gasping through it all. His tongue glided gently across my mouth soaking in all he could before biting gently on my lip. I let out an embarrassing moan as he bit my lip in a way that brought upon a shock of both pain and pleasure; a mixture I didn't think was possible.

My pants become painfully tight as he kissed down my neck and bit my collarbone with a moan of his own.

Oh, what a beautiful sound.

I want more. More.

I pulled at his shirt earning myself a small laugh.

"Impatient aren't we, love?"

I would have blushed if I wasn't so caught up in the haze of pleasure floating through the room, "Off."

He gave a crooked smile as he slowly but sensually untied his shirt and glided it down his muscular figure.

I reached up and ran my fingers down his muscular chest, feeling his breath accelerate as I got lower and lower until I traced the curves of his V-line. He roughly pulled my hands away, placing them above my head as he lifted my shirt above my head and threw it across the room in haste. One hand held my hands above my head as the other explored my body, touching as he did, squeezing as he did.

I let out a shaky breath as he glided his fingers lightly against my bulge.

"N-no!" I turned my head away.

He pulled my head towards him, "what's the matter, love?"

"E-embarrassed," I whimpered.

His eyes softened as he let go of his grip on my hands, pulling one down until I felt something hard and warm beneath my fingertips.

He let out a shaky breath against my ear, "No need to feel embarrassed, my love. I'm hard for you as well," I shivered against his warm breath.

I pulled my hand away as I covered my flushed face.

He laughed softly as he peeled my hands from my face and pecked my lips with a smile.

"What a sight, a blushing beauty laying sprawled across my bed." His voice was husky and caressed me in the most sensual of ways.

He leaned down slowly, eyes connected with mine as he made a path with his tongue from my collarbone down to my perky nipples.

I let out a hiss as he gently bit into one, only to lick away the sting in a gentle manner which earned him a soft moan. He repeated the torturous pattern over and over again until I had begun to forget what his mouth had done prior to.

I held my breath as he grazed lightly down my V path until he reached my straining member.

I whimpered as he gently caressed it, no pulling no tugging, just soft, warm touches as he kissed my now flushed skin up to my neck.

His hand stopped its soft movement as he grazed the line of my pants and slowly pulled them down.

My voice hitched in my throat as his hand slowly peeked into my underwear.

"N-no."

"Shh, love." Alastair kissed the crease between my brows leaving small pecks on my nose and lips.

His fingers reached in slowly caressing me in a slow, torturous manner.

I bit my hand in an attempt to suppress the embarrassing moans that were escaping me as he stroked me slowly.

He began to kiss up my chest to my neck as he bit gently on my soft spot. I felt a deep moan begin to form in my throat as I bit hard into my hand before it could escape my lips. A metallic taste began to fill my mouth and I felt my mate stiffen on top of me.

"You're bleeding," He raised himself up, ending his escapade as he scanned my body worriedly before locking eyes with me and seeing my hold on my hand. His brows creased together as he gently pried my mouth off my hand and examined the injury, "why did you bite yourself, love?"

"I-I.." I stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

He licked the wound, gently wiping the blood away before leaving a soft kiss on top of my wound.

"Did you get scared, love?" His eyes filled with worry.

"N-no, I...I just didn't want..." I tried to phrase my words, but they wouldn't come out right, "I-I was making weird noises." I felt tears begin to well in my eyes as I wiped them away feverishly.

What's wrong with me..?

He cupped my face in his large hands, wiping away my tears ever so gently as he peered into my eyes with his bright hazels, "There's no reason for you to suppress your moans, my love. They are but beautiful melodies that urge me on," my eyebrows creased in confusion, "they sound so sexy, my love," my eyes widened as he pressed his soft lips to my ears, "they bring out the beast in me," he growled.

My face heated up and my erection seemed to pulse beneath his husky words.

His fingers seemed to reappear almost immediately around my most sensitive area caressing it as it did, pumping it as it did.

"Aah, aah, A-Alastair...I..I can't." I moaned shakily as I felt a tingling, electric feeling begin to make its way up my legs to my hips and settle right above my pulsing erection.

Alastair began to kiss softly up and down my neck, "that's it, my love, let it out. Play your beautiful melody."

I felt as if I were dangling off the edge of a cliff as an electric current pulled me from the ground and sent me spiraling towards a sea of pleasure.

"Aaah!" I screamed as I exploded against Alastair's gentle touch.

Black stars began to peek from the edges of my vision as exhaustion hit me like a title wave.

"That was beautiful, my love." Alastair praised me as he kissed me passionately, taking with him all that was left of my energy.

"A-Alastair," I let out a shaky breath.

"Shhh," Alastair cooed, "sleep, my love. Don't fight it."

He kissed the top of my head as I curled into his muscular form and allowed the sleep to win over.

..............................................

"How long are you planning to wait until you mate him?!" An angry voice demanded, "are you planning to await the Messiah's arrival?!"

"That is none of your business, father." Alastair growled, "when I make love to my mate is up him and only him."

"It is my business," his father growled, "your incompetence to bed your own mate is sending rumors to flurry across the servant quarters. They're beginning to say that you have gone impotent."

"I don't care what they say-"

"Others are saying he isn't really your mate."

"That's ridiculous, of course-"

"It's not ridiculous. You haven't had sex with him or even had a mating ceremony. It seems as if you're hiding him, that you don't want your people to know of him."

Silence.

"I do want my people to know of him. I just don't think he's ready yet to take on all the stress and responsibility that comes with ruling this kingdom alongside me. He's so fragile. He'll break under the pressure. I won't allow it."

"So what? You'll hide him away in your room for the rest of his life? Because from the look of it, he'll never be ready. He's a weak, tiny creature, he'll never be ready to shoulder the responsibility to rule a kingdom-"

A loud, guttural sound interrupted his father's speaking, "Do not speak of my mate like that. He's been through worse than anyone else. He's stronger than both you and I combined, he just needs time to adjust and then he'll be the best ruler this kingdom has ever seen."

"Hmm, I wouldn't hold my breath, my son."

The sound of harsh footsteps resounded the room until they got farther and farther away until there was nothing left but Alastair's harsh breathing.

I kept my eyes shut in an attempt to play off the role of sleeping as Alastair approached the bed with loud steps.

"At least he didn't wake you," he sighed as I felt a soft pair of lips against the skin of my forehead leaving behind a shock of electricity in its wake.

I felt the bed dip as he laid beside me and traced calming circles against my back.

I felt a soft pair of lips against my shoulder blade and a warm breath against my ear as he breathed lightly against my skin.

"Mine," he sighed before his breathing slowed to a peaceful sleep.

I smiled as I turned ever so slightly into his embrace and nuzzled my nose against his chiseled chest before sighing, "mine."

........................................

I woke up to the sound of moaning.

"Aah! Aah! More, more!" A loud, screeching sound pierced my ears.

A loud moan answered the screeching voice with a hiss a pleasure, "That's right! You feel so good!"

The voice sounded so familiar, a familiar husky voice.

I opened my eyes to a scene that caused my heart to fall and shatter into more pieces than I could ever fix.

There, beside me was Alastair pounding a small woman into the bed, moaning as he did.

No...

How could he...?

He said he loved me...he said he...

'Worthless.'

No. No. No.

Tears began to fall down my face in a stream of misery as he continued to pound the young blonde with fierce thrusts.

"No." I sobbed.

Alastair turned to me as the broken word escaped my mouth, "Aah, look who has awoken. Good morning, love." He voiced in a mocking voice.

"W-why..?" I stammered.

"You didn't really think I'd wait did you?" He mocked, "There's only so long I could bare to be around a prude before I seek another to fulfill my desires."

My eyes widened as the never ending stream of tears carved their way down my fallen face.

"You're so selfish, River. You just take and take and take. I pleasured you, yet you never returned the favor. Did you think I enjoyed touching you?"

I choked on a sob as I cupped my mouth with a pair of shaking hands.

"Disgusting, with your loud, vile moans. I almost puked at the horrid sounds." He laughed.

My body shook as I cried and cried in agonizing pain. It felt as if his words were stabbing me repeatedly in the heart as he left me open to bleed out as he chuckled and continued to fuck the girl beneath him.

"Worthless," He laughed.

"Disgusting," the girl beneath him giggled, "his crying face is gross. I can't bare to watch."

"So don't," Alastair said as he connected his mouth with hers, "you're no longer my mate," he growled in my direction.

No. No. No. No.

"River," Alastair hissed.

No. No. No.

"River."

No. No. No.

"River," his voice softened.

No. No. No.

"River, wake up, my love." His gentle voice seemed to encase me.

No. No. No.

"River."

I looked up but suddenly the previous scene was gone. There was no vicious Alastair or giggling girl, all that was before me was a gentle face peering down at mine, worry clear in his hazel eyes.

My breathing was heavy and labored as if I had just run a thousand miles. My throat felt raw and dry as if I had screamed for more hours than one could count.

He gently swept his finger beneath my eyes, wiping the liquid pain from my face.

"You were having a nightmare, my love." His eyes shone with worry.

A nightmare..?

I peered around the silent, serene room as sunlight streamed in through the open window. The bed only housing Alastair and me in its comforting embrace.

I looked up at Alastair's worried face with tears gliding down, but this time not in grief but in happiness. It wasn't real. It was just a dream. A horrible dream.

He hadn't been with another. He hadn't slept with another.

"Do you still love me?" My voice cracked.

His brows scrunched together before he pulled me into his lap, connecting his lips to mine in a passionate embrace.

"Only you," he sighed into my mouth, "I will only love you."

I pulled away.

"Forever..?"

His eyes softened as he smiled, "Forever." He rubbed his nose against mine as he closed his eyes.

I smiled as I returned the butterfly kiss.

Forever...

"Alastair..?"

"Yes, my love?"

Silence.

He pulled away from his gentle touch as he searched my eyes, "what is it?"

"Would you.."

"Yes..?" He urged me on.

"Can we...have our mating ceremony?"

His brows scrunched together before realization hit him, "You were awake."

My eyes widened, "No, that's-"

"You were awake," He stood up from the bed, releasing me from his embrace as he began to pace along the bed with his hand placed on his forehead, "No, I will not allow you to be swayed by my father's idiocy," he growled as he stopped his pacing and stared in my eyes with anger etched on them.

"No," I stood up from the bed, wrapping my arms around his waist. Or at least, attempting to. "I'm not going to lie, your father did put the idea in my head but it was of my own volition to come to this-"

"No, that's what you think. You don't really-"

"I do," I interrupted him, I stretched onto my tippy toes as I cupped his face in my small hands, "I want you to be mine."

His face softened as he placed his hand on top of mine, "I am yours."

"I want you to be mine officially. I want everyone to know you're mine."

His eyes widened at my statement, "My little love is quite possessive, huh?"

"I am."

I'm not going to allow anyone else to have him. I want the whole kingdom to know we belong to one another.

"Okay," he smiled, "we'll have one."

My face lit up as I jumped up and connected my lips with his. He laughed into the kiss as he cupped my face.

Mine. Only mine.