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"Thought so." He chuckled. "Wake me in two hours, boss."
"Go on, get some rest."
In the darkness, Sariel shifted, her breathing a soft whisper against my chest. She moaned quietly and I wondered if she was dreaming. I let my hand drift through her hair, and it seemed to soothe her. I’d heard about fated mates since I was young, but I’d always put it down to a biological draw, a physical connection between two people. I definitely had that. Just having her in my arms seemed to settle my hound, and I felt calmer and more in control of myself than I could ever remember. Her very presence seemed to ease him. Other physical inclinations had definitely made themselves known, but then they had since the day I’d met her. Although I wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone, her stubborn independence infuriated and excited me at the same time, and her defiance brought out desires in me that had my mind darkening with what I would do to her if she was mine.
What I hadn’t expected was the way her smile made my heart race. Or the way I craved her attention, her eyes on me. The way I needed her safe, and felt almost paralysing fear when she’d been attacked, but at the same time the admiration and awe I’d felt as she’d fought those hellions off single handed. She’d been a glorious sight to behold, divine grace amongst the carnage she had wrought, and part of me longed to see her fight again. Aworthy mate for a hellhound. I only hoped I could prove to be worthy of her.
Chapter Twenty-Three
SARIEL
Ihad never been one to sleep long hours. As a warrior we were trained to fight on little sleep, so it didn’t surprise me when I awoke before the others. I wasn’t sure who had been on watch duty, but by the sounds of slow, steady breathing from the other side of the cavern, I expected whoever it was had succumbed to their own exhaustion, much as I had.
I let my awareness drift over my body, searching for pain or discomfort, and thankfully finding none. The food and water, and the rest had allowed my own healing abilities to take care of the minor injuries I’d sustained. Even the more serious gash along my arm was very nearly healed, leaving only a pink linewhere the cut had been. Carlisle’s treatment of it had certainly helped with that. And Alastor’s care with the rest, I thought, a warmth spreading through my chest at the memory.
As though he’d sensed me thinking about him, Alastor shifted behind me. His arms tightened around me, pulling me closer, and I let him. Guilt and shame nagged at the back of my mind, but I pushed them away. Right now, here in the dark, the feel of his arms around me felt… beautiful. I couldn’t describe it properly. It felt so right to be in his arms, and I didn’t want to think about anything else. I snuggled back against him, getting closer but trying not to wake him. He sighed, burrowing his face into the back of my neck, his breath warm on my skin, making the tiny hairs stand on end. His hand lifted, trailing down my arm and along my side, curling around my hip.
I let out a quiet breath, my heartbeat quickening in response. I closed my eyes, savouring the sensation of his touch. It was intimate and welcoming in a way I was unaccustomed to. His thumb moved in lazy circles in the indent next to my hip bone, and the caress sent heat to my lower belly. I lay still, knowing I should stop him, but not wanting to. This feeling was exquisite, and I wanted more. I could tell he was still asleep, his breathing even, his movements reactive rather than planned. He’d never know that I’d let him get this close… he shifted again, pulling my hip back and pressing himself against me and I gasped at the feel of his morning arousal pressing against my ass.
A shudder ran through me, and my heart picked up its pace. Without even realising what I was doing, I pressed back against him and the quiet groan that spilled from his lips had me doing it again. Rational thought seemed to have left me, and only curiosity and my own desire remained. I pressed again and his hand tightened on my hip bone, holding me there.
"Alastor," I whispered, but there was no response. Was he asleep? I wasn’t sure now. My body responded before my mindhad time to catch up, pressing harder into his. His entire body tensed against me. He was awake now. His breath hitched in his throat, and he bit out a curse. I froze, expecting him to push me away and demand an explanation for why I had let this go on, but then I felt his lips moving down the side of my neck, kissing me, his tongue flicking against my skin sending shivers down my spine. The feel of his body against mine, the heat radiating from him—it was intoxicating.
Before either of us fully realised what was happening, our bodies were moving together in a slow rhythm, his hands gripping my waist as he slowly rocked against me. His knee pushed between mine, his thigh sliding between my legs, and I gasped.
"Alastor," I whispered again, and this time he responded, mumbling my name in return. His voice was rough with sleep and something else, something primal that made my heart pound harder. Barely knowing what I was doing I pushed back, and he brought his knee higher, causing his thigh to come into contact with what was between my legs. I moaned as his grip tightened, rocking me back and forth over his thigh, sending shivers of desire through me. I was burning for him. The friction of his leg pressing against me, even through our clothes, was too much and not enough all at the same time. My hips jerked clumsily against him as I moved faster, rubbing myself over him.
“Sariel,” he murmured my name, his mouth fastening on my neck and sucking hard on my skin. Every part of me hummed with this strange sensation, as his teeth grazed against me, I moaned again. His fingers dug into my hip, urging me on faster, as I ground myself down over the powerful muscles of his thigh, and my breath came faster. His cock was rock hard now, digging in as I moved back and forth, and he growled low in my ear.
“Come on, baby, come on… that’s it… such a good girl…” Heat pooled between my legs, and I moaned again. The arm I waslying on shifted and I felt his large hand clamp down over my mouth.
“Keep quiet, baby… but don’t stop…” I couldn’t. Moaning against his hand I rode his thigh harder, seeking something I couldn't even name. His heart hammered against my back.
“Fuck, Sariel… that’s it, fuck yes…”
I barely heard what he was saying. All I could focus on was the feeling of his hard thigh beneath me, my own arousal slickening the inside of my thighs. Shivers danced along my spine at each grinding motion, pleasure flowing through my body.
"Alastor," I gasped his name like a prayer. The world narrowed down to just the two of us in that moment. To every touch, every gasp, and every word whispered into my ear. I was lost in him, in the rhythm of us moving together, in the fusion of our bodies. His hand moved from my mouth to my chest, his fingers finding a hardened nipple through my shirt and pinning it between his fingers. A noise left my mouth, not quite a moan but not quite a gasp either. I pressed back into him even harder as he applied pressure and twisted, causing waves of pleasure to ripple through me.
A thought sliced through my mind like ice. What in Heaven’s name was I doing? This was wrong, so very very wrong…
Alastor’s voice whispered in my ear, low and rough with desire. “Don’t stop, baby… you’re such a good girl… come on baby, make yourself come…”
I can’t… I thought, but it was empty, my body in control. I pushed back against him, needing to feel that hardness, wanting it desperately between my legs. Restricted by his pants, all I could do was lean forward, feeling it press deeper between my legs as he rocked against me. The change in angle sent a new wave of heat over me, and I cried out and something released inside of me. My body bucked and shuddered from the sudden intensity.
"Alastor," I cried out, shaking against him as the pleasure overcame me, leaving me breathless and shaken.
"Hush, love," he soothed, his words whispered against my ear, low enough to be a growl. His arms wrapped around me tighter, holding me as I trembled, waves of pleasure washing over me. “I've got you." He kissed the side of my neck gently, each brush of his lips against my overheated skin sending tiny tremors down my spine. He was murmuring something in my ear, words of encouragement and praise, but they were lost to the rush of ecstasy flooding through me.
Eventually, the waves began to subside and I relaxed back against him, gasping for breath. My body still hummed with a residual afterglow as he gently brushed a stray lock of hair off my face. His hands were soothing on my hips, gently rubbing back and forth. His body remained tense against mine though, his need still obvious.
For several long moments, we laid there in the darkness, Alastor's warmth seeping into me while I recovered from what had just happened. My mind was filled with a whirlpool of thoughts and emotions; shame, guilt, confusion... but also an undeniable sense of satisfaction. Of contentment. But above all, there was a sense of fear. Fear about what might come next.
The silence between us stretched out. I could feel him drawing uneven breaths, the rhythm of his heartbeat erratic against my back. I wanted to turn around and look into his eyes, but something stopped me.
Finally, he broke the silence. "Sariel," he said, his voice a raspy whisper. His fingers traced lazy circles on my stomach, causing goosebumps to spread across my skin.
"Yes?" My voice sounded small and uncertain in the quiet.
