Chapter 180 The claiming
Chapter 180
DARIUS
I took a breath, and it caught in my chest like something sharp and painful.
The words were right there. I had been holding them back for so long, burying them under pride and anger and fear.
But now, sitting here with her in my arms, her body warm and soft against mine, I couldn't keep them in anymore.
"I love you."
The words came out quieter than I meant them to, rough and raw, but they were the truest thing I had ever said.
Ravenna went completely still.
Her eyes widened, her lips parting slightly, and for a second I wondered if I had said it wrong. If I had ruined everything.
But then I saw the way her breath hitched. The way her chest rose and fell faster. The way her eyes filled with something that made my own chest ache.
I pressed on before I could lose my nerve.
"I realized I was deeply in love with you when you started hanging out with Caleb." My voice came out rougher now, the memory of it still burning. "I was so jealous I could barely breathe. I wanted to tear him apart every time he touched you. Every time he made you laugh. Every time he looked at you the way only I should be allowed to."
My hands tightened on her waist.
"I hated it," I admitted. "I hated him. But most of all, I hated myself for feeling that way when I had been the one pushing you away."
I leaned forward and kissed her.
Softly and carefully first. Like she might break if I wasn't gentle enough.
Her lips were warm and soft beneath mine, and the moment they parted slightly, something inside me snapped.
I pulled her closer, my hands wrapping around her waist, my fingers spreading across the small of her back.
She kissed me back just as hard, her hands sliding up to tangle in my hair, pulling me closer like she couldn't get enough.
When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard.
I rested my forehead against hers, my eyes closed, trying to steady myself.
"Do you still love me?" I asked quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.
She let out a soft, breathless laugh. "I wouldn't have risked my life to save yours if I didn't."
I opened my eyes and looked at her.
Her smile faded slightly, and her expression turned more serious.
"I know I fucked up," she said quietly. "A lot. I never thought I would come to this academy and fall in love with the very same person my sister asked me to get revenge on."
She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. "But I love you so much it hurts."
My chest tightened so hard I thought my ribs might crack.
I smiled despite the ache and pulled her fully onto my lap so she was straddling me, her thighs on either side of mine.
"I want to make you mine forever," I said, my voice low and rough. "I don't want to waste time anymore. I want to claim every inch of you. Brand you as mine. Mark you so the entire world knows you belong to me."
Her eyes darkened, her pupils dilating, and I saw the desire flare in them: hot and unmistakable.
"You're already mine," I continued, my hands sliding up her sides slowly, deliberately. "And I'm yours, nothing will ever separate us."
I searched her face, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. "Do you want this?"
She nodded, her breathing uneven now. "I've waited for this my whole life."
She paused, her cheeks flushing slightly, and then she added in a whisper, "I want to feel like a woman."
Something primal and possessive surged through me.
I smiled, my hands tightening on her hips. "I'll make you feel like a woman."
She bit her lip, hesitating for just a second. "What about your father? Your mother?"
I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. "I'm not a child anymore. I'm legal to do whatever I want. My mother doesn't have an issue with me accepting you. If my father wants to make it a problem, then that's his problem."
I leaned forward, my forehead resting against hers, my voice dropping lower. "Nothing on this earth is going to make me leave you alone."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
I caught it with my thumb, wiping it away gently. "Don't worry about him. I'm going to protect you with everything I have. Even if it means getting disowned and losing everything. I don't care. I just want to be with you. Forever."
I paused, my voice breaking slightly. "I want to own your heart. And I want you to own mine."
She smiled through her tears, her hands cupping my face, her thumbs brushing over my cheekbones.
I pulled her close and kissed her again.
Deeper this time and more slower. My fingers traced the curve of her spine, feeling every dip and rise, memorizing the way she fit against me.
Ravenna broke the kiss, her breathing uneven, her lips swollen.
She smiled at me, her eyes bright and full of something that made my chest ache all over again.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to say it even though every part of me was screaming to keep going. "I can wait if you're not ready yet."
She raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Are you chickening out?"
I let out a breathless laugh. "Never."
She held my gaze for a long moment.
And then she reached down and pulled her shirt over her head slowly, deliberately, her eyes never leaving mine.
She wasn't wearing anything underneath.
I had known that. Of course I had known that.
But seeing it now.... seeing her now, bare and beautiful and looking at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered did something to me.
My breath caught in my throat.
My hands twitched on her hips, my fingers digging in slightly.
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.
And I felt myself harden beneath her.