Chapter 48 Cassian Varkis's Arrival

Chapter 48 Cassian Varkis's Arrival
Aurelia

The pack-house was a storm of noise, shouts, running boots, panicked whispers bouncing off the stone walls. Everyone was asking the same thing: why was the Alpha pulling our forces back from the border? Why were we letting the enemy walk right in?

Zhayad didn’t answer anyone. His grip on my wrist was tight, almost too tight as he pulled me through the chaos and up the stairs toward our bedroom.

I thought he just needed to change, to wash the tension off him. But the second the door slammed shut behind us, he spun me around and pinned me against it, his body caging mine, his breath hot against my cheek.

“You hid your suspicions from me, your mate,” he said, voice low and rough, edged with something that wasn’t quite anger, more like hurt wrapped in frustration.

“I didn’t hide it,” I shot back, my chest heaving. “I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to accuse the pack matron without proof.”

“Mace told you war was coming and you didn’t think to tell me.”

His eyes searched mine, dark and stormy. “That alone makes me want to punish you, Aurelia.”

I lifted my chin, refusing to show him any hint of fear. “Then maybe you should.”

He went still. For one long second he just stared at me, like he was trying to decide whether I was serious or just pushing him on purpose.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he said quietly.
“My wolf is clawing at me to remind you we are mates. I should be the first person you run to when something feels off.”

I swallowed hard, but the words came out anyway.
“Then stop acting like a bully.”

“Your mouth is always running, Aurelia,” Zhayad said, voice low and rough, still edged with that leftover frustration from downstairs. “Even minutes away from battle, you’re running your mouth, asking for trouble.”

I lifted my hand and touched his chest, stroking upward until my fingers found his nipple and rubbed it in lazy circles.

He hissed out a curse, his body jerking under my touch.

“Maybe I want you to give me the trouble I’m asking for, Zhayad,” I said softly, watching his eyes darken.

He exhaled hard through his nose, like he was fighting himself.

“My wolf usually needs sex to recharge for battle. Aurelia… I’m dangerous in bed right now.”

“Good for me.” I flashed him a tempting smile, the kind I knew drove him crazy.

My fingers hooked the neckline of my dress and tugged it down in one smooth pull.

My breasts spilled free between us, heavy, aching, nipples already tight and begging for his mouth.

Zhayad’s breath caught. His eyes darkened, pupils swallowing the green until only black remained.

“I want to tie you up and do bad things to you,” he said, his voice low and thick with restraint.
“I want you bound and spread open for me so I can take you over and over. Aurelia… if this isn’t what you want right now, please cover yourself.”

The words stung more than they should have. Hurt flashed hot in my chest.

He thought I couldn’t handle this side of him?
After he’d already tied my wrists before? After I’d secretly loved every dark, filthy second of it?

I squeezed my breasts together, pushing them up, my nipples turning into two hard, pointed nubs under my own touch.

I pinched them, rolled them, licked my lips as I bounced them gently, watching his jaw tighten.

“You don’t want to lose this battle, Zhayad,” I said, my voice coming out different, bold, confident, seductive in a way I didn’t even know I had in me.

“You should recharge.”

“I’m not happy with you, Aurelia.” He said in a strained voice. “You think trying to tempt me will just make me dismiss what happened?”

“Why don’t you punish me then?” I challenged, slapping my breasts lightly, once, then twice, pinching the nipples hard enough that pleasure-pain shot straight to my core.

“I’ve taken punishments from you before. I know how dark your desires are. How lethal. And I love it.”

His growl came out deep and gravelly, vibrating through the room.

He grabbed my breasts with one massive hand, squeezing, kneading, slapping, pinching, all at once, rough but controlled, like he was testing how much I could take.

I moaned, arching into his touch. With his other hand he lifted my knee, hooking my leg around his hip so only one foot stayed on the floor.

Ropes appeared out of nowhere, thin, shimmering silver cords that looked almost like moonlight made solid.

I sucked in a sharp gasp as they slithered around my breasts, coiling tight, lifting and binding them until they stood high and flushed, aching under the sudden pressure.

Zhayad wasn’t done. He captured each nipple between careful fingers, looped a separate rope around the swollen peaks, and tugged them upward until he could hook the ends to the empty picture frame above my head.

The pull was immediate. Sharp. Sweet. Taking my breath away.

My breasts were stretched upward, nipples throbbing, every tiny shift sending sparks straight between my legs.

“Zhayad, touch me,” I begged, my voice already cracking.

“Not yet,” he said, his voice growing thicker the longer he stared at me. “You wanted trouble.
So you’ll get trouble first.”

One hand cupped my chin, tilted my face up.
The other slid down my body, tracing the rope around my breast, then lower, over my stomach, between my thighs.

I gasped when his fingers found me slick, swollen, and dripping.

“Always so ready for me. You love this, don’t you? Being tied. Being at my mercy.”

“Yes,” I breathed. “Please—”

He kissed me then, his tongue stroking mine while his fingers circled my clit in lazy, maddening spirals. In this position, with his arm holding my leg up as if we were dancing ballet, I felt everything deeply.

I moaned into his mouth, my breaths coming in rushed pants. I wanted him to claim me now before I went mad with want and need.

I heard the buckle of his belt, that sharp metallic click, then the whoosh of leather sliding free from the loops.

Without warning, he tugged me closer, my stomach brushing his thigh as he thrust into me in one smooth, deep motion.

I gasped, my head falling back against the wall, my leg trembling as he filled me completely. The position caused the rope tied around my breasts to pull. The pain lasted for only a second, pleasure flooding my veins.

He didn’t rush. He held still inside me for a long second, letting me feel every thick inch, every vein, every pulse before he started moving.

Not just moving, Zhayad started pounding into me.

The tattoos on his chest and arms which I'd forgotten about earlier were now glowing, matching the glowing vines on my breasts.

“We were destined for this, Aurelia. See how your pussy clenches around my tattooed cock?” He grunted, his eyes holding my gaze as he fucked me relentlessly.

I could barely breathe, could barely say his name out aloud.

He shifted me so that the ropes pulled even harder.

“Oh, Zhayad, it's too much!” I explained when he began fucking me sideways. I could swear he was reaching my womb.

“Take it all, Aurelia. I want to hear you scream, let all the males around feel you come.” Each word matched with each of his thrusts, his balls slapping against my entrance.

“I'm going to come, Zhayad.” I rasped out, trying to hold back the orgasm, but I just couldn't.

“Come, Aurelia. Let me hear your scream of pleasure.” He ordered, stroking one nipple and pinching.

I came with a loud scream that caused the tattoos to burst into rays of light that nearly blinded me.

The door burst open beside us, and Lance's traumatized face greeted us.

We were still joined, and even despite the intrusion, Zhayad didn't stop thrusting. He covered my front totally to block Vance's view of my breasts. But Lance had seen them, the pull of the Goddess's mark had caused his eyes to wander to my nipples.

Lance closed the door, muttering inaudible apologies.

Zhayad came with a quiet roar. “I can't get enough of you, Aurelia, no matter how hard I try.” He whispered after shooting hot spurts of semen inside me.

After a minute of catching our breaths, he untied me, kissed me again, then turned to the door to seek out Vance.

“With all due respect, we're supposed to be building reinforcement against Cassian Varkis.” I heard Lance's unimpressed voice through the tiny slit Zhayad left open.

“I needed to spend quality time with my mate.” Zhayad said in a clipped tone.

“Her father has arrived, Alpha.” Lance announced in an equally annoyed tone.