She waded through the water until her feet met a soft bed of sand, like silk beneath her feet.
Time to get this hat off. She gently coaxed Felix into the water like she had weeks ago in the bath. The memory brought a soft smile to her face. He clung to her hair, taking some of it with him as she lowered him towards the water. “You can shift back now.”
Felix made a displeased hiss as his paws met the water. For a moment, he flailed as she held him afloat. Then he shifted, looking exactly like the day she met him, wet and pissed off. This time, she wasn’t scared. This time, his eyes had softened just a touch. She slid her hands over his chest, the red glow of the water reflecting in his eyes. As much as he hated getting wet, he looked so handsome when he was absolutely drenched. Water streamed down his face, dripping from his hair onto his shoulders, making his skin gleam in the strange light. Avery let out a laugh as she moved a piece of his hair from his face.
“See? Not so bad, is it?” she teased.
“You terrify me,” he said softly, so quiet she almost missed it.
“A magicless witch scares a shifter? Someone call the news.”
“You are not magicless anymore, not with me.”
For how much longer?She wanted to ask. But she didn’t. Instead, she looked away from him, not able to keep the emotion from drenching every feature. It was futile. He knew. He always knew. He caught her chin and brought her back to face him, cocking his head.
Despite her mind telling her not to, the words tumbled from her lips. “What happens when we break the bond?”
Felix swallowed, as if he were hesitating. “Do you want that?” he asked. The tone in his voice had a fracture forming in her chest.
“I…” Avery hesitated. She knew what she wanted. She wanted him.
Without him, she had no magic. She would go back to being useless, or at least she would be by her mother’s standards. It wasn’t about the magic anymore, not really. She had gone her whole life without magic; she could survive without it. But the thought of not being bonded to Felix?
That bond was her now. Woven into her skin and bones. It was a far scarier reality than being magicless ever was.
But when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.
A sad smile fell onto Felix’s face.
No, say something!Her heart screamed at her to fix it, to tell him not to break the bond, for them to figure it out. But before she could speak, Felix was kissing her. He didn’t ask for permission; he took what he wanted and stole her breath along with the last string of her heart that was still holding onto a world where she could live without him in it.
“Just one more,” he said, stealing a quick kiss before pulling away. It must have been close to midnight. Close to when the goddess would break the bond.
An unspoken feeling bloomed between them that they would be bonded until that time. And they were going to fucking act like it.
“One more,” he said.
He didn’t waste any more time. A fervent heat overtook them as his lips found hers again. It wasn’t delicate by any means; he was hungry. No.Ravenousfor her. Their tongues twisted over each other, his rough one playing with the soft parts of hermouth. Nerves sang as Felix devoured her with the savageness of a man who had nothing left to lose. Nothing else would ever feel this good again. She was absolutely sure of it.
His hands tightened around her waist as he pulled her closer, goose bumps exploding over her skin. She wrapped her legs around him as he walked them back through the glowing water to the cave wall, the water lapping at their waists. Her back met the cold stone, but she didn’t care, not when this man was in front of her.
Hands explored her body like he couldn’t get enough of it, grabbing and pulling, desperate for her to be closer. His shadow pants fell away, dissolving into the water and forgotten entirely. Not long after, her dress was coming over her head, flung somewhere she didn’t care. All she cared about was that every inch of her was touched, and even still, it wasn’t enough.
He tore away again, his eyes burning into hers. “Fuck my pride, fuck everything. I want you. No, I fucking need you, Avery.”
Her heart soared at the words, flooding her with warmth and need. Because she needed him, too. It wasn’t a question anymore. The bond whipped between them, wild and untamed, demanding that they collide. That they meld into one.
“Come back to the den with me,” he said, softer this time. “Please.”
He wanted her to come back to the den with her?
The vulnerability in his gaze broke something in her. How could she say no?
Before she could answer, his claws raked against her ass—not hard enough to cut, but enough to make her gasp, taking any sort of coherent thought away from her. The scrape of them against her skin sent shivers racing up her spine, making her arch into him. Using his shadows, he slid down her panties, careful not to shred them this time.
Goddess, how she needed him to touch her. Mind, body, spirit, and pussy, the holy quadrinity needed him. Impatient, she rubbed her bare mound against his hard length, the barbs creating the perfect friction. A moan tumbled from her, echoing around the cave. The water swelled around them, the tide coming and going in a gentle lapping motion. The red glow pulsed brighter with each wave, turning everything dreamlike. He held her hips back, so she couldn’t do it again. A frustrated groan escaped her.
Using his tongue, he made atut tutsound. “Good things come to kittens who wait, little witch.”
