Chapter 82 Restrained Control
Ella’s back was pressed against the cold wall, her heart hammering in her chest. Valen was too close, his presence overwhelming, his eyes burning with something raw and untamed. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her breathing, but it was useless. The air between them felt electric, charged with an intensity she couldn’t escape.
“You can’t just say things like that,” Ella whispered, her voice trembling. She didn’t even recognize her own tone—half-defiant, half-surrendering.
Valen tilted his head, his gaze never leaving hers. “Like what?” he asked, his voice low and rich, a seductive challenge in every syllable.
“‘You’re mine,’” she repeated, her heart racing. The words had affected her more than she wanted to admit, and she hated the way her body betrayed her, responding to his presence like a flame to oxygen.
Valen’s lips quirked into a dangerous smirk. “But you are,” he said simply, leaning closer until his nose brushed hers. “And you know it.”
Ella felt like the ground beneath her had vanished. She wanted to argue, to push him away, but her hands betrayed her, flattening against his chest instead. She could feel the steady thrum of his heart beneath her palms, and it made her dizzy, knowing it beat for her.
“Valen,” she started, her voice a soft warning, but he cut her off with a finger beneath her chin, tilting her face up to meet his.
“I won’t hurt you,” he murmured, his voice barely audible, as though afraid to break the spell between them.
The intensity of his gaze made her knees weaken, and her wolf, Lila, practically howled within her.
This is bad, Ella thought, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.
“Say the word,” Valen murmured, his lips dangerously close to her ear. “And I’ll stop.”
She didn’t say anything. God, she couldn't
Her silence was all the permission he needed.
In a flash, his hands were on her waist, pulling her against him. The towel slipped slightly, but neither of them cared. His lips found hers, firm yet searching, claiming her in a way that left no room for doubt.
Ella gasped against his mouth, her hands instinctively finding his chest, where the hard planes of muscle beneath his shirt made her head spin. She tried to push him away, but her strength faltered as his lips moved with precision, coaxing a response from her she couldn’t hold back.
The kiss deepened, and Valen’s restraint slipped. Ella gasped into the kiss, feeling the heat of his body against hers. Her thoughts blurred into a haze as his lips moved with a skill that left her powerless to do anything but respond.
Her hands found their way into his hair, tugging slightly, and he groaned against her mouth, the sound sending a thrill down her spine.
“Ella,” he murmured, his voice thick with longing as he pulled back just enough to look at her. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes wide with desire and uncertainty.
“What are you doing to me?” he asked breathlessly, his voice laced with frustration. His lips descended on hers again, this time more urgent, more desperate. He kissed her like a man who’d been starved, like he couldn’t get enough of her, and Ella felt herself melting into him.
A soft moan escaped her lips, and she hated how much she wanted this, wanted him.
“Valen…” she whispered, her voice trembling.
His name on her lips was his undoing. His hand slipped lower, gripping her hips with a possessiveness that made her breath catch. She could feel the strength in his hold, the barely restrained power that simmered beneath the surface.
“Gosh, you’re mine Ella,” he growled against her neck, his voice laced with raw emotion.
Ella shivered, her resolve crumbling. She tilted her head back, her eyes fluttering shut as his lips explored her skin. The towel that had been her shield fell away, pooling at her feet, leaving her bare and vulnerable.
She should’ve felt exposed, but under his gaze, she felt anything but that.
Valen stepped back for a brief moment, his eyes raking over her body with an intensity that made her heart pound. She could see the struggle in his eyes, the war between his desire and his need to protect her from himself.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, his voice raw, reverent.
Ella’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t have time to respond. Valen closed the distance again, lifting her effortlessly into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck instinctively as he carried her to the bed with inhuman speed. Ella barely registered the movement, her mind too clouded by his touch, his scent, his everything.
He laid her down gently, hovering over her like a predator watching its prey. The intensity in his eyes made her shiver, but it wasn’t fear she felt—it was anticipation.
“Ella please tell me to stop,” he pleaded, his voice hoarse and trembling with restraint.
Ella stared up at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her mind screamed at her to say the words, but her lips betrayed her. “Don’t stop,” she whispered.
That was all he needed.
Valen’s lips were everywhere—her neck, her collarbone, trailing fire down her skin. His hands explored her curves, and Ella felt like her body wasn’t her own anymore. Every touch, every kiss, every movement set her nerves alight, and she couldn’t hold back the soft moans that escaped her lips.
His name fell from her lips like a prayer, and Valen growled low in his throat, the sound vibrating through her as his kisses grew hungrier. Ella’s hands gripped his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as if she needed something to anchor her to reality.
He deepened the kiss, his hand sliding up her back, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. The warmth of his touch made her head tilt back, giving him access to the curve of her neck. His lips moved there next, pressing hot kisses against her skin, his fangs grazing lightly.
He swallowed hard and groaned loudly as he tried to control himself from taking a bite, but it was not working.
His fangs rubbed and grazed her neck, and at a time almost pressed in but—
“Argh! Fuck!” He cursed as he tried making his fangs go in.
His body shivered on top of her from trying to control himself from claiming her.
His eyes turned blood red from thirst. He looked down at the girl who still didn't know his struggle but was already a moaning mess.
Valen suddenly froze, pulling back slightly. His eyes were wild, his chest heaving as he tried to rein in the storm of emotions swirling inside him.
“What’s wrong?” Ella asked, her voice shaky, her body still trembling from his touch.
Valen closed his eyes, his jaw clenching, his fangs retracing as he fought for control. “You have no idea how hard this is for me,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ella frowned, her hand reaching up to cup his cheek. “Then don’t stop,” she said softly, her eyes searching his.
Valen opened his eyes, and the raw vulnerability she saw there made her heart ache. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said.
“You won’t,” she assured him, her voice firm despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her.
But Valen wasn’t convinced. He leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead before pulling away entirely. Ella watched him with wide, confused eyes as he stood at the edge of the bed, his back to her.
“This isn’t about just what I want,” he said, his voice tight with barely restrained emotion. “You deserve better than half-truths and secrets.”
Ella sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest as she watched him. “Valen—”
“Not tonight,” he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I can’t do this until you know everything.”
The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, and Ella felt her heart sink.
As he turned to leave, she called out to him. “Valen, wait.”
He paused, his hand on the doorframe, but he didn’t look back.
“Why does it feel like you’re running away?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly.
Valen exhaled shakily. “Because if I don’t, I’ll ruin everything,” he said before walking out, leaving Ella alone with no room to retort.