Chapter 183 My man too

Chapter 183 Last time we got interrupted

Ira's POV

I stand by the window, pulling my robe tighter as cold slips through the frame.

Outside, the wind cries loud enough to announce a very cold night.

Unlike the days I spent in the forest, I don't feel cold tonight. I understand better, knowing now that it's not because I have shelter but because I have him.

According to what I've read, having a mate for a sempyr is like having a power bank. Someone you can use in recharging your strength when it depletes.

There must have been abuse of this power for people to say so many bad things about us.

After that night when I kissed Ruel and he became unconscious, I've learned to be careful. I can't imagine actually losing him for real. Irrespective of how he tried to assure me he was fine, I just can't help but remind myself to never get carried away again.

Ruel is still in the meeting with Cael and Alpha Davan.

“He is in a room with people on our side.” I verbally remind myself, feeling drops of water from my hair, sliding down my back.

“The plan is already moving. He will be safe.” I add quietly, needing to silence the alternative thought in my mind.

The part of me that can't help but wander everything that could possibly go wrong.

Still, it does not completely help.

Ruel sounded so certain when he spoke about this. And I don't doubt his ability to actually execute it but… Somehow, fear has managed to settle in the same place with my faith, and right now my chest feels too full of both.

Andre will send warriors. That's for sure. They will come for us.

What if things go wrong? What if…

But what if everything goes right? What if Andre is defeated and we get to live without fear of his attack for the rest of our lives? What if somehow the hate Vahl has for strays can be eradicated?

Then, as if my mind is hard bent on not thinking anything good, I remember Kami's words.

Surely a mark on my neck would have shut her up instantly.

The wind rattles the window, the trees outside dance under its weight.

I inhale slowly. And just then the door opens behind me.

The tension in my shoulders loosens instantly.

I turn, crossing the room, and walking straight into him.

His arms open to me before I fully reach him, tenderly engulfing me once he makes contact with me.

I simply press my face into his chest and breathe.

So warm.

He always runs warm, like the cold is scared of him.

“You alright?” he asks, resting his chin on my head.

“Yes,” I say, holding on tightly.

And somehow, the moment I say it, it becomes true.

His arms tighten around me for a second before he leans back just enough to press his lips beneath my chin, right at that soft spot where my jaw meets my throat.

A quiet shiver slips through me before I can stop it.

The feeling travels straight down my spine.

He does it so casually, so naturally that I can actually see this happening everyday.

Then he reaches for the hem of his shirt and I step closer, helping him pull it over his head.

My hands move slower than they should, lingering at his ribs.

The flat warmth of his stomach.

I trace nothing in particular and somehow everything at once.

His brow lifts slightly. Then the corner of his mouth follows.

“What?” I ask, pretending to be ignorant of the message I'm silently passing on.

“Nothing,” he mutters but the look on his face says he knows what I'm trying to do.

I narrow my eyes a little.

“You’re terrible at pretending.” A quiet huff of amusement leaves him.

“You’re staring,” I whisper, allowing my hands play with his waistband.

“You’re right in front of me,” he smiles, running his hands through my wet hair and I take a moment to admire how handsome he is.

I exhale through my nose, trying and failing to look innocent.

Dear goddess, I want to eat this man up.

“The last time we got interrupted,” I start carefully, lifting my gaze to meet him, “I was not exactly happy about it.”

Something shifts in his expression immediately.

The warmth from moments ago fades, and something quieter settles in its place. Something more focused.

His eyes search mine the way they always do, like he’s reading me faster than I can keep up, paying so much attention it nearly makes it hard to hold his gaze.

For a while, he only stares at me.

Then suddenly, he moves, stepping around me and heading straight for the bathroom.

“Two minutes,” he calls over his shoulder right before the door closes behind him.

Almost immediately, the sound of running water follows.

I press my lips together, trying not to laugh. Still, I end up smiling at the floor anyway.

I stride to the door of my room, locking it.

For a second, I simply stand there, listening to the muted sound of water beyond the bathroom wall.

The room feels quieter now.

My heart pounds as I rest my hand against the knot of my robe, trying to breathe slowly.

I want this.

Not just the restless wanting under my skin, though that is there too, impossible to ignore.

I want what it means.

I want the certainty that comes with it.

I want to be his in a way that leaves no room for question. Not just tonight, not just in this room, but in every room we step into.

I want his name carved into my skin. I want my scent wound around him so completely that the whole world understands without being told that he is mine.

I want to be the person he returns to every night, the one he reaches for on days when he needs someone to lean on.

I want to be the only name rolling off his tongue whenever he cums.

I want to hold him the way he holds me. I want us to be something that cannot be undone.

I want his mark on my skin. I want to be so proudly his.

This desire, it sits just below my ribs… warm and then burning until it's unbearable.

And standing here now, listening to the sound of him on the other side of that door, I realize I have no reason to keep waiting.

I move toward the bathroom letting my robe fall to the floor.

My hand settles on the handle as I gently push it open and step inside.

Ruel pauses his movement in the tub. He drops the bowl back in the bucket beside him and fully looks at me.

The surprise on his face is real. His lips part slightly, and then his gaze moves, gradually, taking in every part of me with an attention that makes my skin tingle with awareness.

I hold his gaze, making no move to cover myself.