Chapter 27 Pure Need
ARYA
Lean was practically purring in my head. ‘Yes. Want. Need.’
‘Control yourself,’ I told her.
‘Why? He’s OURS.’
‘Because I said so.’
She started going off about all the things he would like to do with him instead, making me hotter than I already was. Thankfully, dinner was brought out by an older woman who smiled knowingly at us before disappearing.
The food was incredible. Roasted chicken with herbs I couldn’t identify, vegetables that tasted like they’d been picked that morning, fresh bread that was still warm.
But I could barely taste it. Every time I looked up, Luca was watching me with an intensity that made breathing difficult.
“Tell me about your mother,” I said, desperate for conversation that would distract from the way my body was responding to his proximity. “What was she like?”
His expression softened. “Brilliant. Kind but fierce. She could command a room without raising her voice.” He paused. “She would have adored you.”
“You don’t know that.” He’d said that earlier too. It was hard to hide my blush. Crazy how I was seeking the approval of a dead woman. One, I was denying my attraction to her son.
“I do. Because you’re exactly the kind of strong, stubborn, magnificent creature she always said I’d need.” His hand reached across the table, fingers tracing the rim of my wine glass. “She told me once that my mate would be someone I’d have to earn. Someone who wouldn’t bow just because of the crown.”
“She was right about that.”
“She usually was.” His finger moved from the glass to the table, inching closer to where my hand rested. “May I ask you something personal?”
“You can ask. I might not answer.”
“Fair enough.” His golden eyes found mine. “When you were with him did you ever feel this?”
“Feel what?” My throat felt dry. I knew exactly what he was asking.
“This.” His finger finally touched mine. Just the lightest contact, but it sent shockwaves through my entire body. “This pull. This need. This certainty that if I don’t touch you properly soon, I might lose my mind.”
My breath caught and I shook my head. My mouth moved before I gave it permission. “No. Never.”
“Good.” The word was almost a growl. “Because what’s between us, Aeliana—” he used my real name deliberately, increasing the intensity of that fire burning inside me, “—this is rare. Even among fated mates. This intensity.”
“It scares me.”
“I know.” His hand covered mine fully now, warm and solid. “But I’ll never hurt you. Never betray you. Never make you feel less than the goddess you are.”
I wanted to pull away. I wanted to maintain some distance, some control. Instead, I turned my hand over, lacing my fingers with his. I couldn’t even blame Lean for that. I fully wanted to.
The moment our palms touched, the bond snapped. Pure electricity, pure rightness, pure everything.
Luca’s eyes flashed molten gold, his Lycan rising to the surface. “Aeliana,” he warned, his voice rough. “If you keep touching me like this, my control is going to slip.”
“Maybe I want it to.”
The words were out before I could stop them.
He was out of his chair in an instant, pulling me up with him. We stood there, inches apart, his hand still holding mine while his other came up to cup my face.
“Tell me to stop,” he whispered, his thumb tracing my lower lip. “Tell me it’s too soon, too fast, too much. And I’ll walk away. I’ll give you all the space you need.”
I should have said it. Should have been sensible. But I wasn't controlling my body anymore. Pure need rolled through me. It must be why I whispered my next words.
“Don’t stop.”
The words were barely out of my mouth before his lips pressed against mine. Soft lips claiming with intensity of pent up want.
His kiss was everything I’d never known I needed. There was too much hunger, too much pent up longing for it to be gentle. It wasn’t rough either. It was claiming, possessive, and absolutely devastating.
His lips moved over mine with the skill of centuries, coaxing my mouth open, his tongue sliding against mine in a way that made my knees weak. One hand tangled in my hair, angling my head for deeper access, while the other slid down to my waist, pulling me flush against him.
I could feel every hard plane of his body pressed against mine. Could feel the evidence of exactly how much he wanted me throbbing against my hips. He groaned when my fingers tangled in his hair. I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw him.
It was as soft as I had imagined.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, his eyes were pure molten gold.
“Bedroom,” he growled. “Now. Or I’m taking you on this table, and you deserve better for your first time with me.”
The promise in those words made me clench with need.
“Bedroom,” I agreed breathlessly.
He lifted me effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carried me from the room. I could feel his arousal pressing against me, could feel my own body responding with a hunger I’d never experienced.
Jaime had never made me feel like this. Never made me desperate and needy and absolutely certain I’d die if we didn’t connect.
Luca kicked open a door. We were in his bedroom, massive and dominated by a bed that could easily fit four people.
He laid me down gently, following me onto the mattress, his body covering mine. The weight of him, the heat, it was overwhelming in the best way.
“I’ve waited eight hundred years for you,” he murmured against my neck, his lips trailing fire down my throat. “And you’re worth every moment of that wait.”
His hands slid under my dress. He felt hot, branding me with just a touch as his fingers traced up my thighs in a way that made me arch into him.
“Luca,” I gasped.
“Say it again.” His teeth grazed my pulse point. “Say my name like that again.”
“Luca, please—”
Loud knocking broke up whatever I was going to say. Not that I knew what I was begging for.