Chapter 56: More Than Anything

Mara

I stand on shaky legs, not entirely sure what to do now that the magic has slightly slightly dimmed. I leave the water behind me, stepping onto the dry dirt and grass.

Rhydan follows me, his steps heavier, longer than mine. That alone sends a shiver down my spine. It’s a reminder of how big his body is, how capable he is. We both came twice, his endurance a bit frightening.

Reluctance filled my chest as I stare down at my abandoned clothes and wet skin. It reminds me of putting on leggings after a shower, not fun at all.

Rhydan’s front presses against my back, fingers curling around my waist.

A shuddering breath escapes me, my skin breaking out into goosebumps. I wouldn’t put t past him to awaken the magic inside me again.

He chuckles, obviously pleased with my reaction. Before I can take another step, he tugs me flush against him, his cock just as hard before and nestled between my ass cheeks.

“I hope you never get used to my touch,” he whispers, a teasing tilt to his voice. “Watching you react to me is a treat all on it’s own.”

He trails his fingers up my waist until he cups my breasts. Almost immediately, my nipples pebble, hard points under his attention. He pinches them, flicking them until I’m panting, my clit turning back to life.

“Rhydan,” I whisper, pressing my hips back into him.

The scent of oranges and cedar clash, covering us like a dome. The painful need in my stomach ignites, and I whine.

“I need—”

“I know exactly what you need, my light,” he growls.

With his hand on my spine, he guides me onto the floor, on my knees, with my chest on the ground.

“Fuck, you’re a beautiful sight. Like a sacrifice offered to me on a silver platter.”

My stomach clenches, worse now. “Rhydan.”

His chuckle is the only answer I get, the only warning before he thrusts into me. He fills me completely, my hands ripping grass from the ground as he rolls his hips.

He takes me fast and hard, rolling and shifting his hips with every thrust. He reaches places I never expected him to, making sensations rush through me. His fingers never once touch my clit and yet, I’m close to orgasming.

My toes curl, my eyes rolling to the back of my head as he lifts my hips and deepens the reach of his cock. I’m not even worried about the way the dirt digs into my forearms, about the way my knees no longer touch the floor. All I can feel is every inch of his cock.

“Oh-I’m-I’m—”

I can’t get the words out as my pussy begins to convulse around him.

“I feel you, Mara. Fuck. Bloody fucking hell. I’ll never get tired of this. Yes, yes.”

The sound of our skin slapping turns obscenely loud, and then he stops, holding me against him. I scream from coming so hard, his body stiff as he, once again, fills me with his cum.

We fall onto the ground together, my entire body limb even as he turns me to face him. He keeps is arms wrapped around me, his cock buried inside me.

I hum, my eyes beginning to close on their own but they snap open when I feel his fingers brush the side of my neck.

The magic feels cold, a shiver racing down my spine. My entire body jerks, forcing me closer to him. Rhydan frowns slightly, his eyes catching my reaction. I can hardly breathe, my mouth dry, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

I lift a hand to my throat and rub it absently as I nod. “I’m just sensitive there.”

He nods, running his fingertips on the curve of my neck again. “That’s where your mate will mark you, after the ritual.”

I swallow. “That’s what Kaelith told me.”

His gaze drops to my neck, right to where his fingers hover over my skin. The teasing amusement that is usually so quick to appear on his face fades. His eyes remain there for a moment longer than they should, tracing the curve of my throat as though he can already see a mark there. His hand, tightens, drawing me a fraction closer.

His thumb drifts along my jaw, before coming to rest just below my ear. The longing in his eyes is so raw it steals the breath from my lungs.

“I want to be the one that marks you,” he confesses, so softly that I almost miss it.

My eyes widen, not realizing that I was expecting the same deflection and denials that Kaelith shoves my way. “What?”

He lowers his hand to my waist, holding me there as he lowers his lips to my neck. He brushes them against my neck. The sensation is too much, my body reacting before I can comprehend it. I hold onto his shoulders, fingers digging into his muscles as I come around him.

I can only gasp, my body convulsing as he holds me and kisses my skin.

“More than anything, I want the ritual to name me yours.”

Tears prick the back of my eyes. I want those words. I want to hear them. To see the want and the longing, but not from him. Not in bright blue eyes. I want Kaelith to speak like that to me.

“More than anything,” he repeats, inhaling my scent.

I’m surprised by the grave vulnerability in his voice. It’s deep, raspy beneath the depth of his emotions. The honesty steals my breath.

Rhydan looks toward the water for a moment.“I was marked as Vowed before I was old enough to understand what it truly meant. I only knew that many men coveted the position.”

His voice is quieter now.

“We haven’t had many Oracles. You’re the third one, but our existence is impossible without you.”

My heart feels a little crushed under the sudden pressure. I’d been so focused on the Vowed, on my relationship with them, that I forget the reason behind all of this.

“After you had to be taken away, I spent years imagining what you would be like.”

My heart stumbles.

“I dreamed about it, Mara.”

My breath comes short, unable to make up for how fast my heart beats.

His eyes stay locked on mine. “I know I don’t get a say. I know the magic will decide.”

His hand rises again, his knuckles brushing my neck. I shiver, sucking in a trembling breath.

“But if you’re asking whether I want it...” His gaze drops briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes. “There’s never been a future I’ve imagined where I didn’t.”

I find myself studying him, trying to find anything that would point to him exaggerating his feelings. But I see none of that.

He opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something else, when he goes completely still. His eyes lose focus for a second, and a frown pulls at his brow.

“What?” I ask.

His gaze snaps back to mine. “Kaelith.”

I straighten. “Is everything okay?”

Rhydan exhales through his nose and glances toward the house hidden beyond the trees. “Yes, but he’s summoning us back.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

The easy warmth that had surrounded him moments ago has faded, replaced by a tension that wasn’t there before.

He holds my waist as he pulls himself out of me. I can’t help the groan that escapes my lips, pain and the sudden loss of him makes my pussy pulse.

Rhydan pushes himself to his feet in a single fluid movement and extends a hand toward me. “Come on, my light.”

I stare at his hand for a moment before placing mine in it. He helps me dress before pulling on his pants, and then we make our way back toward the house.