Chapter 35
Liri nodded. She didn’t care what was involved in becoming his mate. She would do it.
Abe let go of her and tugged his jacket off. His shirt was next, and she felt a rush go through her when his bare chest was exposed. She’d seen men without shirts before, even admired them, but this one—this one she got to touch.
She placed her hands on his shoulders and ran them down over his warm flesh. The muscles flexed beneath her touch, and heat went through her. She could feel her soul brushing against his and realized she probably should have asked someone at some point how one shared their soul with another. He was sharing his blood with her, and she, her soul with him—and no one could ever take back what they decided to do after this point.
When he held a knife to his chest, she bit her lip so she wouldn’t stop him from marking such a perfect chest. She told herself that it had to be part of the ritual, or he wouldn’t do it. He didn’t utter a sound as he dragged the blade over his flesh and then coaxed her head to move closer. She dipped her tongue into the blood and was shocked that the taste of it didn’t turn her off. If anything, taking his blood inside of her seemed to amplify the buzzing of her soul’s reaction to him. She suckled on the cut until she felt it close up. Lifting her head, she looked up at him and gasped at the intense look in his red eyes.
She wanted to tell him to feed on her, but he grasped a handful of her hair and brought her face closer to his. His mouth crushed hers and demanded that she open it to give him access. She clung to his head, letting herself be taken away with the heat of their souls moving against each other. She had no idea why she had ever thought it would be a clinical thing, but right now, she was feeling so many sensations all at once. She felt like she was spinning.
Liri was sure it was going to be the most combustible mating ever, the blood, their souls, and the heat between them. She should have worried she may not survive, but honestly couldn’t have done anything to stop it.
She felt him tugging at her jacket and released his head to shrug out of it. His mouth left hers as he tugged her shirt up and over her head, and then he leaned down and licked along the side of her throat. He released the clasp of her bra, and she was so annoyed that she had to move away from him to get her arms free. As she shook the tangled strap from her arm, Abe put his hand behind her bottom and pulled her tight into his body. She could feel the hardness of his erection, and she wished she was wearing a lot less clothing.
When his mouth closed over one sensitive nipple, she gasped. She could feel a sharp fang scrap against it and clutched his head to keep him there. When he moved to the other one, the cool air seemed to intensify the feelings. She squirmed against him, needing to feel more. She knew she should tell him she’d never done this in her entire life, but couldn’t bring herself to use words right now.
The only sounds were gasps, moans, and panting, mostly all on her part, as he moved his mouth over her body. He lifted her up, and then she found herself lying on her back on the blanket. Abe tugged her pants over her hips and had them stripped and her boots off before she could focus on anything but the feeling inside her. “Our souls,” she whispered.
He paused above her and then grasped her hand. “I feel it,” raising it to his mouth; he kissed it softly before he lowered his weight on top of her. The feeling of his skin against her skin made her moan. The air might have been cool around them, but it felt like an inferno between them. Running her hands down his back, she stopped when she reached the material of his pants. She shoved at it, needing to feel all of him. He lifted his body from hers, reached between them, and undid them, allowing Liri to shove them over his hips.
“Have you,” he leaned on his elbows and pushed the hair back from her face.
Liri shook her head, hoping he wasn’t expecting long explanations of males fearing they’d be banished or worse for touching a woman in Solrelm.
“I’ll be gentle,” he leaned down and kissed her mouth, “or try to be. All these sensations are overwhelming.”
Liri touched his lip, so she could see his fangs. “It’s not always like this?”
Abe gently nipped her finger, his fang scrapping along it. “It has never been like this.”
Later she’d think about that, but she wanted to feel more right now. She wanted to know what she had held out these many years for. Knowing it was different for her meant more than she could explain, and with all the sensations, just trying to think was a struggle.
His mouth captured hers, and he kissed her with such passion and tenderness at the same time she felt light-headed. He lifted his head for a second. “Share your soul with me, Aliria.” He nipped at her bottom lip, and then his warm mouth trailed over her jaw to the side of her neck. Liri turned her head and granted him access. He grasped her wrist and held her hand over her head as he licked along her neck. She was sure her body was going to be engulfed in flames at any moment.
The warmth started in her chest and traveled the length of her arm toward his hand. She couldn’t explain it if anyone had asked, but she felt like she was glowing, which she would probably laugh about later. The sensation radiated through the rest of her body, and all she was aware of was Abraham and the heat from his skin. It was as if their hearts were beating together, their breathing in synch. It was incredible to her.
A low guttural sound came from him, and he put his hand under her hips and lifted her body into his. She could feel his hardness rub against her and sucked in a breath, anticipating what came next. She’d heard stories. His fangs scraped along her neck, and she moaned. Whatever came next had better happen soon, she thought, because this feeling building inside was almost too much.
As his fangs pierced her skin, he entered her body, and she was overwhelmed with all the sensations. The burning of their souls seemed to move from through her again. She moaned loud and grabbed a handful of his hair so he wouldn’t stop.
With a jerk of his head, he pulled his teeth from her and then began moving his hips with slow, hard strokes. Liri tried to move with him, but he still held his hand behind her, and she couldn’t. Each time their bodies connected, her breath caught in her throat. The feelings kept building inside her, and she thought she might die if they didn’t release her soon.
Abe leaned down and sucked on the bite mark on her neck, and everything exploded at once. Her entire body was engulfed and began shaking. She opened her eyes and thought for a moment that she was actually glowing, but as he thrust into her again, she moaned and grabbed his hair to bring his mouth back to hers.
As his mouth consumed hers, wave after wave flowed through her. She was quivering and floating all at once. She could feel his soul moving inside of hers, entwining with her own, and the tingling in her arm where their hands connected made her limb feel as if it was no longer a part of her body.
Abe stiffened and crushed her against him, and she felt the same vibrations that had taken her move through him. He tore his mouth from hers and put his face against the side of her neck, and then she felt his tongue move over where he had bitten. Move waves of pleasure hit her with each stroke of his tongue.
If this was what mating and soul sharing were like, how did couples ever have the energy to get out of their bed?
“You’re probably cold,” he gasped to breathe, “I’ll get us to the fire in a moment.”
Cold? She lifted her arm to see if she was on fire. Her arm. She had a tattoo like the Alterealm women. “Abraham,” She hugged him.
“Mmm?”
“I didn’t know,” she lifted her arm again, “I didn’t know I’d get the tattoo.”
Abe propped himself up and looked down at her, “what?”
She wiggled to turn her head and looked at his arm. “You have one too.”
Leaning on one arm, he looked at his left arm. “I didn’t know if,” he grinned, “there’s no hiding that.”
Liri lifted her arm and turned it so the moonlight would reveal the intricate pattern that was now part of her. “I’m not hiding it.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down so she could kiss him. She froze and then lifted her shoulder, trying to look at it, “my mark from the chamber of truth, is it still there?”
Abe lifted his weight from hers, and the cool air replaced the warmth of his body; he leaned over and examined her arm, “It’s worked into the design somehow.” He lifted his arm and looked at his own, “I have a space.” He shrugged.
Liri sat up and reached for her pants, “right after we go eat some of that,” she pointed to the basket, “I’m starving now.” She smirked and felt her face heat, “we’re going to go fill that space.” She nodded.
“We’re what?” He stood up and reached down to pull her to her feet.
“We’re going over to Solrelm, and you are going into the chamber of truth.”
He picked up the basket and then the blanket. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
She chuffed and tossed her bra down the hatch. “Let someone try to stop me.”
He held out his hand and helped her start down the ladder, “that’s what I’m afraid of, someone will try to stop you, and I’ll have to beat them into a bloody pulp.”
The grin she gave him was the cheekiest he’d ever seen.