Empty Without It

Empty Without It
Mara

It’s not my body that wakes me up. Not the sunlight filtering into the room that awakens me from my sleep.

It’s the magic.

It hits me so suddenly that my eyes fly open. But I’m not in the bed next to Kaelith. I’m standing, my bare feet in moss. It feels cold beneath my toes and I wiggle them, relishing in the sensation.

I look around, but there is no sign of the dead, cracked earth I’ve grown used to seeing. There is only green. Trees stand around me, but they are massive. Their trunks are much too big for me to place my arms around them, taller than skyscrapers.

My mouth parts as I take it all in.

Soft, silver light filters through the leaves, catching on thousands of crystals growing from the earth. They cover the roots of the trees and stick out from the moss.

I turn slowly.

Coming face to face with something so beautiful that every thought leaves my head. It’s a massive stone, almost like a diamond, but black. It sticks out from the earth, thousands of facets catching the light and reflecting it around the space.

I take a step toward it, and the ground beneath my feet seems to hum. Four smaller stones surround the massive stone, one at each point.

My pulse begins to race. I know this place, something inside me recognizing it.

I step closer to it when I’m taken aback by the familiar scent of ash and vanilla. It’s so clear that I swear Kaelith is standing right beside me. I spin on my heels, expecting to find him.

But I’m alone.

“My light.”

My head snaps around at the sound of his voice. But he’s not there. Heat crawls up my back, like his body is pressed up against mine. Magic stirs in my chest, a pull deep inside me. It feels strong and urgent, throbbing and pulsing.

I look back at the stone, but it starts to blur at the edges. Kaelith takes over, the only thing I can think of.

Kaelith.

Kaelith.

Kaelith.

Everything shatters. My body jerks, my lungs dragging in a desperate breath as if I’ve been underwater. My chest heaves, but the air won’t seem to reach the bottom of my lungs.

I suck in another breath, and it catches painfully in my throat. Kaelith is behind me, a heavy arm wrapped around my waist as he slowly licks my neck. His chest is plastered to my back, his hips rocking into me.

I’m unable to speak, heat crawling low in my belly. The vision of the stone thrums in the back of my head, but all can feel right now is every inch of his cock as he slowly pulls it out and thrusts back in.

“Kaelith,” I moan.

He licks his way up to my ear, nibbling there for a second. “My light.”

When he lowers his fingers to my clit, circling it as he continues to slowly rock into me. Our bodies melt into each other perfectly, sweaty and hot.

“You saw the stone?” he whispers, his breath sending a shudder down my spine.

I nod, whimpering from the absolute pleasure rushing through me.

“I could smell you, feel the magic inside you.”

“Kaelith,” I whimper, throwing my hips back, chasing more friction.

“It called for me, my light,” he growls, pulling out of me.

I gasp from the shock of his absence, but I don’t manage to say anything as he grips my hip and pushes me onto my stomach. He lays his body over mine, and in one movement, sheathes himself inside me again.

I cry out, gripping the furs as he mercilessly fucks me. I reach inside, feeling the magic that gave me the vision, and I let it out. It seeps through me, taking over every end of my nerves.

It’s enough to send me over the edge.

I pulse around him, my walls sucking him in deeper. My body goes numb, stars flying in my vision. Kaelith grabs onto my hips, holding me down as hot stripes of cum paint my insides.

My lungs ache for oxygen, not enough in the air I suck in.

“I’ll never get enough of you, Mara.”

Tears sting my eyes, my body still completely useless to me. Kaelith helps me onto my back and he gently lays himself over me, holding most of his weight on his elbow.

I stare up at him, taking in his red eyes, the tense muscle in his jaw. His gaze searches my face, sweeping down my neck. “What did you see?”

The image of the vision is burned into my mind. “Trees.”

He blows out a heavy stream of air, a quiet laugh. “And?”

“Silver light.”

He hums, like he was expecting that answer, lowering his head to press a kiss between my collarbones. I shiver, wrapping my hands around his shoulders.

“It was beautiful, Kaelith.”

“So beautiful,” he mutters, moving his lips down my skin until he wraps them around my nipple.

My back arches, need building again in the pit of my stomach even after that bone shattering orgasm. It doesn’t scare me, and it doesn’t annoy me. Wanting Kaelith is a part of me that I will never deny, magic or not.

Kaelith worships me, licking, sucking, and biting my nipple until it’s red and raw. But even that doesn’t stop him. It’s only a sign for him to move to my other nipple. I whimper beneath his touch, the overwhelming sensation clouding my mind.

“I didn’t want to leave.”

I feel him still, his body tight. As he lifts his gaze to mine, he slowly unrolls my nipple from his mouth. “The stone is calling you.”

My lip trembles, and his gaze shifts, the hunger, and heat replaced with worry. “Mara?”

I dig my fingers into his arms, needing his touch to ground me, even as his cum leaks from me. “I feel empty without it.”

His eyes soften, and he tucks my hair behind my ear, letting his touch linger. “You’re craving the ritual, your mate.”

I shake my head. “But—”

“You will feel it when we leave this place tomorrow, you will know where to guide us to.”

I close my eyes, breathing in his scent. We will leave here and head toward the stone. My magic might crave to find it, but now I feel fear.

True fear.

What if Kaelith isn’t named as my mate?