Kat Bastion - Forged in Dreams and Magick

An orange glow from the dying fires provided faint illumination on the way to Velloc’s home. The jovial banter of our word identifying had faded into a pall of silence. The tension mounted, suspended between us like the ocean mist in the air, as I worried about how to spend another platonic night with him after our intimate communication breakthrough . . . that had only gotten as far as basic nouns.

Velloc stepped inside first and held the flap open, waiting. With nowhere else to go but into the darkness of the wolf’s den, I followed. The leather covering dropped shut, sealing me into my unknown fate.

Shadows enveloped me. Velloc’s presence pressed in from behind without contact, his innate power charging the small space. Every ounce of the alpha I’d witnessed publicly carried through to the essence of the man in private. Overwhelmed, I struggled for air, moving forward to increase the distance between us.

Hot breath steamed across the back of my neck, and I realized he’d moved in concert with me. He removed the fur wrapped around my shoulders, and I shivered, the response having nothing to do with the cold air. My toes hit the edge of the pallet, and I sank down onto it, pivoting as I pressed my back against the uneven stone wall, folding my legs in front of me as a barrier.

The edge of the cushion shifted under his weight. What felt like the backs of his fingers caressed my cheek. I swallowed, trying to calm myself in an inky darkness where our already-difficult means of communication had been reduced to touch.

Trepidation pumped through my veins, teetering toward full-blown anxiety. My nerves had become a runaway coach. I inhaled, grabbing the reins, refusing to succumb to feeling out of control. Firm hands encircled my wrists, pulling me from the wall, urging me to recline.

I resisted.

He insisted.

His body stretched alongside mine. Evidence of his arousal pressed into my thigh and enormous heat radiating into my skin told me that he’d stripped naked while my back had been turned. Panicked, I tried to scoot back, but the rock wall prevented my retreat.

Trapped. In his world. In a situation not of my making.

“Velloc, I can’t do this.”

I arched away from his touch, only to find I’d given his mouth access to my neck. Frantic to tell him to stop, I pressed a hand to his chest, giving a forceful shove. He grabbed my arm by the wrist again and pinned it over my head, leaning his weight forward. With a quick shift of his body, his legs locked over my shins, spreading my legs. His sheer strength and deft leverage held me restrained. His short, hot breaths steamed my lips. He waited. I tensed. His firm hold gave me no leeway.

Unconsciously, I licked my lips. Velloc growled low in response. I couldn’t figure out if he’d seen the involuntary movement or heard it, because I couldn’t see a thing. He curved his hips into mine, his erection pressing down in perfect alignment to every nerve beginning to light up.

My pulse quickened as heat flooded deep within me. On an instant throb, I arched my hips up without control. The unnerving reaction—born of a fierce arousal I failed to understand—confused me. My body betrayed everything I’d once held sacred and true, but faster than the wingbeat of a hummingbird, fear had transformed into a fiery awakening, instinct ruling my actions.

Tired of being lost and afraid, I clung to the heady drug washing through me as it cleansed away any last obstructing inhibitions. Ravenous hunger overtook me as an all-encompassing sensory awareness poured into my body, seeking to feed until the fire burning through every cell had been quenched.

Velloc growled louder, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss as he plunged his tongue into my mouth. My response matched his fervor, the animal that had been unleashed within me biting his lower lip. I rolled my hips, trying to gain relief from the growing ache inside. He ground down onto me, restricting my movement, but gave me what I sought as he dragged his shaft along sparking nerves.

I moaned at the torturous movements. The contact wasn’t enough. I needed more. He pulled my deerskin halter down beneath my breasts, tracing calloused fingertips across sensitized flesh. A hard pinch of my nipple arced fire between my thighs, and I gasped. His hot mouth seized the other, suckling until teeth bit down. I cried out from the erotic pain.

Moisture slicked down between my bare upper thighs, the undeniable scent of my arousal surrounding us. He scraped up my skirt with his hand, and his erection slid through abundant juices, coating his length as he glided through. I shuddered from the pleasure. He arched and flexed, setting my every nerve ablaze. When he pulled back again, the tip caught at my entrance, and he thrust hard. My loud gasp echoed off the stone walls as he slammed his hips down, filling me completely.

My body tried to accommodate him, stretching around the invasion. I groaned when he stayed motionless, my ache for release intensifying. I squirmed, lighting up a circuit board of nerves. The overload hurtled me over the brink, a powerful orgasm jerking my body.

I cried out into the darkness. Velloc remained embedded, laying claim to me as my pulsing muscles accepted his assertion with pleasure. He rocked back and rammed forward, a hard, bruising impact drenched in urgency. With methodical precision, he withdrew slowly and pounded forcefully. The jarring blows kept my orgasm pulsing, every thrust pulling a soft whimper from my lips. I met every strike with a curve of my hips, charging flaming nerve centers, prolonging the ecstasy.

He freed my clamped wrist, pressing his palms on either side of me, bracing for leverage as he pumped hard. I skimmed my hands down his back, gripping the muscles of his ass as they flexed and released beneath my hold. His body tensed as an animalistic growl ripped from his chest. He thrust once more before collapsing down around me, his body a muscular cage containing a willing prisoner.

His rough beard scratched against my cheek as he shifted, rolling over, pulling me with him. My body sprawled halfway across his as his strong arms locked me tight to his chest. I hid my face into the dip below his collarbone and closed my eyes.

Like I’d done with so many things of late, I surrendered to forces beyond my control, letting the blessed oblivion of sleep be the second thing to claim me tonight.

Regret hung heavy in my chest as harsh consciousness tore into the blissful numbness. Velloc had exerted his ownership, expressing his passion for me repeatedly throughout the night. Raw need fueled my eager participation. I’d drowned in the euphoric chemicals, quenching my body and sedating my mind. I drew in a ragged lungful of air, untangling my limbs as I tried to push him away. His grip around me tightened, crumpling me back down onto him in an inelegant slump. I forced a loud sigh through puffed-out cheeks, marking my protest to an unbelievable scenario.

I’d only been married for eleven days, and already I’d cheated. One could claim I had no choice in the matter. The point could be further argued that I might well have been raped had I not submitted. The glaring reality of the situation, however, refused to be ignored. The moment he’d held me down, I’d wanted him.

How is this possible?

I knew I hadn’t gone from virginal innocent to insatiable slut in under two weeks. Stress had clearly played a role. Loneliness and fear had sought pacification. The solid arms of a warrior, shielding me from harm in a world from which I had no means of escape, had become an intoxicating potion I’d been helpless to resist . . . or so I reasoned.

Tension eased from my rigid shoulders the moment I allowed myself to be human in the least forgiving set of circumstances I’d never imagined. My foundation was shaken as self-sufficient me had become very dependent on not one man, but two in as many weeks. Relying on another for advice or directions had been one thing I’d never minded. But being tethered to a man for all my needs proved a challenging adaptation for an independent woman to handle . . . twice.