Chapter 99: Make Me Forget
The weight of everything pressed down on Isla, Brienne’s absence, the looming war, the mysteries of her own bloodline and now, the growing awareness that something about her pregnancy wasn’t normal.
Damian had sensed it, and she couldn’t hide it from him any longer.
But before she could face that conversation, there was something else demanding attention.
Leo had returned with news, but his mind wasn’t on Vincent’s movements or battle strategies.
It was on her.
Alaine.
She had been impossible from the start, sharp, calculating and always a step ahead in their exchanges. She had pushed him to the limits, taunting him, but now she was the one recoiling. But there was something else under her fire, something he wanted to unravel.
They stood in the training yard, both under the pretense of shaking off the tension of the day. But neither had drawn their weapons.
"You’ve been avoiding me," Leo said casually, arms crossed as he leaned against the wooden post.
Alaine scoffed. "I have a war to help plan."
"Yes, however, you’re still out here."
Her gaze flicked to his, challenging. "So are you."
Leo smirked. "Maybe I wanted to see if you’d finally admit it."
Alaine tilted her head. "Admit what?"
He took a step closer. "That you feel it too."
For once, she didn’t have a quick retort. Instead, her breathing shifted, something flickering in her eyes.
Leo reached out, his fingers barely brushing her wrist. It was a challenge.
Alaine should have pulled away.
She didn’t.
Instead, her lips parted, and Leo took his chance. He closed the distance between them, his mouth hovering just above hers. "Tell me to stop," he murmured.
She didn’t.
So he kissed her and Alaine burned.
Her body tensed at first, caught between instinct and resistance. But as his lips moved over hers. slow, firm and hungry, her resolve cracked. Her hands fisted into his shirt, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away.
Leo groaned against her mouth, deepening the kiss, his hand sliding up her back. She tasted like war and wildfire and he wanted more.
When they finally pulled apart, their breaths ragged, Alaine’s eyes were dark with something dangerous.
"This doesn’t mean anything," she murmured.
Leo chuckled, brushing his thumb over her swollen lips. "Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart."
In the dim candlelight of their chambers, Damian watched Isla.
She was exhausted, but still standing, still fighting.
He couldn’t take it anymore.
"You need rest," he said, stepping behind her, his hands sliding over her arms.
"I need answers," she whispered.
Damian turned her toward him. "We’ll find them."
Her eyes searched for his, lingering on the concern that shadowed his gaze.
She reached up, brushing her fingers over his jaw. "You’re afraid."
"For you," he admitted.
Her heart clenched. She knew that no matter what, he would protect her. But tonight, she didn’t want to think about war or bloodlines or the dangers creeping closer.
She just wanted him.
She lifted herself onto her toes, pressing her lips to his in a slow, lingering kiss. Damian groaned low in his throat, his arms tightening around her as he pulled her flush against him.
"Isla…"
"Make me forget," she whispered.
He didn’t hesitate.
His mouth claimed her mouth, deeper this time, needing. His hands moved over her body, mapping her curves with reverence and hunger, as if memorizing every inch of her. She gasped as he lifted her effortlessly, carrying her to the bed.
"Say you’re mine," he murmured against her skin, his voice thick with possession.
"I’ve always been yours," she breathed.
As the night stretched on, Damian made sure she never forgot it. He returned to her slowly, the space between them electrically charged. His hand slid to the curve of her waist, drawing her against him with a hunger barely restrained. His lips hovered over hers, close enough to feel her breath falter. He didn’t kiss her right away. He lingered, watching her fall apart just from the anticipation.
When his mouth claimed her swollen lips, it was deep and consuming. There was no hesitation, only possession. Isla moaned into him, her fingers tangling in his hair as he pressed her to the wall, his thigh slipping between hers.
She felt his need in the way his hands roamed, rough at first, then softer. His fingers roamed around her body, dipping into her heat and wetness, when he felt her tremble, he growled low in his throat.
He lifted her easily, her legs wrapping around him by instinct. The bed was robust and held both of them up. Isla nipped Damian anywhere she could, his earlobe, neck and chest. She was insatiable and was burning up.
“Please, I need to feel you at once” Isla confessed
As the clothes were discarded everywhere and their breath mingling in the hot air, he kissed every inch of her, her collarbone, the inside of her thigh, the tender swell of her stomach. When he finally sank into her, it was with reverence and fire, his name falling from her lips in a gasp that turned into a moan.
They moved in sync, like they were made for this, him suckling at her perked nipples and her grasping for whatever she could, in this case his sturdy ass. Every stroke was a promise, every whisper a confession. His hand slid beneath her thigh, lifting her to meet him stronger, his rhythm deepening, pulling her closer to the edge, making sure to reach the right angle to avoid her feeling uncomfortable with her slightly protruding belly. Her fingers dug into his back and ass, anchoring herself to him, desperate to stay in the moment as long as she could and when she came undone beneath him, he followed, eyes locked on hers, as if her pleasure were his only purpose.
They lay tangled together in the aftermath, her head on his chest, their breathing slowing in the quiet. But even then, his fingers continued to trace her skin, a reminder that the night wasn’t over, only paused.
By dawn, a messenger arrived.
Silas and Raven had uncovered something about Isla’s bloodline abd it wasn’t what anyone expected.
Meanwhile, Vincent had sent a message of his own. One that confirmed their worst fears.
Brienne was alive.
But for how much longer, no one knew.