AARYN

Without letting go of him, she pulled back to meet his gaze, her own eyes hooded. "I think I want to hear more about this," she purred.

His body leapt at the husk in her voice. So, as they walked back to the cave, he told her. Told her about the bliss of it, and that even though the mating was definitely the best part, that there were many, many other parts that were a great deal of fun.

"And our scents won't strengthen?" she asked, picking up her pace.

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure it's the mating that makes that happen."

She looked up at him from the side, her eyes flashing above a mischievous grin.

Both of them walked faster after that.

To his surprise when they made it to the cave, not only did she bar the door after they entered, but she took him by the hand and pulled him all the way through to the main bedchamber. She'd buttoned her blouse again when they left the Weeping Tree, but she was only halfway across the room when she was already tugging it off her shoulders.

Aaryn stopped in the middle of the floor, staring, as she tossed the shirt in the general direction of the closet and started on the buttons to her leathers.

Then he saw her hand shake and realized what was happening.

"Wait, El," he said softly, hurrying over to wrap her in his arms from behind. She froze when his hands slid over hers and he gripped her fingers stopping her. "Just… slow down."

She stood there a moment with her head down, looking at where their hands were entwined over the buckle of her leathers. "Why?"

"Because, just… slow down." Then he used one hand to pull her hair to the side so he could reach her neck with his mouth. "This will always go better if we don't rush," he murmured against her skin, returning his hands to hers, sliding his fingers between hers.

She was pebbling under his lips already, which made him want to howl.

Then, to his utter joy, she dropped her head back to his shoulder, baring her throat and her hands curled, gripping his fingers between her own, as she brought his hands up to her breasts. "I don't want to go slow," she sighed.

Aaryn groaned, but opened his mouth against her neck and let her put his hands on her, kneading her and watching both of them touch her at the same time. He growled with the spike of heat that rose in his belly.

Elreth sighed and leaned back into him. "It's going to be hard to stop," she whispered. "As soon as you touch me I want to just… I want it all."

Aaryn's breath rasped, hot and quick, but he turned her around to face him, pulling her into a kiss, his own skin tingling when she started on his buttons.

Hands in her hair, hands on her back, hands on her ass… He just touched her everywhere and wallowed in the sensation of her hands everywhere on him. It was thoughtless to undo buckles, pop buttons, slide leathers down thighs with fingertips curled into skin. It was instinctive to pull her close, to surround her in heat, to let their bodies begin to dance.

As the chamber began to echo with the sound of their twin, panting breaths, Aaryn shuddered and reminded himself. This was a moment to explore, to show her, but not to make this complete.

Minutes later, a light sheen of sweat coating both of them, kisses frantic and deep, he walked her backwards to the sleeping platform. When it hit the back of her legs she put one arm back, and crawled up onto it, breaking the kiss to stare at him as she did so, her eyes beckoning him to follow.

He was the most blessed male alive, he thought as he crawled after her, cupping her neck and kissing her as he lowered her head to the pillow and settled himself on her.

His body remembered the feel of her already—and his heart sought its True Call, aching, pummeling at him, pulling for the mating.

For minutes they both fought the urge to throw wisdom aside and give in. Grasping hands and thundering breaths, tantalizing slides of skin on skin.

Then Elreth sighed and arched, offering him her throat again and Aaryn groaned, shaking with the turmoil in his chest as one side of his nature screamed at him to take her, and the other urged for caution.

As his kiss deepened, and Elreth began to ripple under him, his trembling worsened. Forcing himself to focus, he braced on tense arms over her, marveling at her flushed cheeks and rumpled hair, the way her breath caught and released when he moved against her, and the way her eyelids fluttered when her own desire peaked.

He couldn't resist any longer. Dragging his fingertips up the outside of her leg and leaning back slightly to give himself room, he reached for her, a guttural moan breaking from his throat when he found her, hot and ready, so ready for him.

"Oh, fuck. Elreth—"

She sucked in, holding her breath when he began to play, sliding the pad of his thumb against her, using his fingers to tease her swollen flesh.

She was immediately tense, arching, her hips rolling in time with his teasing. She grabbed for him and her hand slapped on his neck, cupping the back of it, pulling him in, her kiss hot and insistent, demanding.

"Aaryn." Her voice was high and thin. "I… please…"

"You're so beautiful," he breathed, fascinated to watch her twitch and roll, to see what made her tense and what let her relax, to find which sounds she made when he hit that spot, just there, and when she blew out the breath she'd been holding.

Then he got it just right. Her heel scrabbled on the furs as she arched into his palm. He took her mouth as she gasped, whimpering, pleading, then kissed his way down as he kept the pressure on her, sliding into that little bundle of nerves two, three, four times until she opened her mouth and her entire body tensed.

Feeling her shake, knowing she was so close, he slid a finger into her at the same moment he opened his mouth on her nipple and sucked.

"A-Aaryn!" she cried, arching hard against him in a way that rubbed him so he groaned, but he didn't let go, still sucking and playing, teasing her flesh. The moment seemed to hang there for her for a lifetime and Aaryn groaned again at sheer pleasure of seeing her so undone.

Then, as suddenly as her climax hit, it was over, she jerked and slumped back to the bed, sucking in on his name again, her entire body trembling. He slowed in time with the waves of shudders that racked her body, then let his weight press her into the furs when she threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down, still panting.

"That was… that was…"

"That was nothing compared to when we do this for real," he growled, nipping at her neck while she panted.

She relaxed, still panting, but eyes now open and blinking, smiling at him while she tried to catch her breath.

He combed her hair back off her face. "Are you okay?" he murmured, kissing her softly.

"I am better than okay," she gasped. She put a hand to his face and her eyes shone. "You're amazing."

He snorted. "I promise, of the two of us I am—"

"Wait." She froze and Aaryn stilled. Had he hurt her? Was there a problem?

Then he felt her hand slide between them to where he rested on her stomach. He groaned as she slid her palm along him and he instinctively thrust into it. "You didn't get your moment yet, did you? It must be your turn?" she said with a wicked grin.

He snapped his eyes up to meet hers, swallowing hard. "You don't have to, Elreth," he said, begging the Creator that she might want to anyway. "I wanted you to know what it was like whether… whether we did anything else or not."

She bit her lip and tilted her head, her breathing still labored, and her cheeks pink. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. "You know how you're always bringing up my parents and their advice, Aaryn?"

He nodded, a tiny flare of disappointment lighting in his chest. If she was bringing up them, she wasn't likely—

"I think I just figured out why they're forever telling me that being mated is all about give and take," she giggled and closed her fist on him. He yelped, then shuddered. "Now, tell me what to do."

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