My shaft fought with Aras's, bouncing with eagerness. All of me was eager. And nervous. After what he said, I needed this to be special. Should I dominate him? I didn't want to. I wanted this time to be tender. But what if he wanted that? What if I disappointed him with my gentleness? What if—
“Ly!” Aras cupped my face. “Stop it.”
“Stop what?”
He grimaced at me. “We just went over how our bond connects us. You can't hide from me anymore.”
I grinned sheepishly. “I've spent too long hiding from you. It's about time I fully embraced our mating.”
Instead of wondering what my mate wanted, I simply felt for him down our bond. And there I found relief. We were in harmony. Aras wanted this to be real lovemaking. It would be afirst for both of us. And domination had no place in it. Blood and pain had no place in it. They were great to get us off, but we were celebrating more than physical pleasure. And we needed to keep that simple.
“I love you,” I said, my voice strong and clear.
“I love you too, Ly,” Aras said. “Now make love to me. Let's forget about war, death, and the Gods for a while.”
“Agreed.” I pulled him on top of me, spreading my legs around him.
Aras wasn't surprised. As I said, this wasn't about dominance. I didn't feel the need to assert myself anymore. My mate knew who I was and loved all of me. Having him above me wasn't demeaning. It was wonderful. Freedom.
When Aras bent his head to suck me into his mouth, that wonderful emotion grew. And I didn't rush it. I luxuriated in the feel of his wet warmth, the soft texture of his tongue, and the smooth pressure of his fangs. It felt natural to draw my knees up as he pleasured me. Natural to angle myself for his ease.
Aras groaned and drew off me. We were so in harmony that I simultaneously gripped the backs of my knees to pull my legs out and down. His cock shone with arousal, and he gathered that lubrication onto a finger. Watching me, Aras smoothed his essence over my entrance, then prodded me gently.
“You're clenching around my finger, Mate,” Aras said. “Do you need my cock so badly?”
Mate. He had called me "Mate." My heart pounded exuberantly and that ring of muscles clenched around him again.
“If you don't give it to me soon, I'll push you onto your back and mount you,” I threatened.
“No. I want you like this.” He slid out of me to grip the base of his shaft. “Just seeing you with your legs out and your pink hole begging me to fuck it makes my sacs clench. You're beautiful like this.”
“You have me any way you want me, Mate. If you want me to lie here like this forever, I will.” I grinned and added, “But I will be very disappointed.”
“We can't have that.” Aras bent over me, setting his other hand on the bed beside me. He prodded me with the tip of his cock, then gently pushed in. “Oh, fuck,” he whispered. “Lyrandir.” He went deeper. “Oh, fuck, your channel is the perfect tightness. I swear you were made to hold me.”
“I was.” I hooked my legs over his arms and grabbed his shoulders. “And you were made to fill me. Go deeper, Mate.”
“Ly,” he groaned and pumped deeper. His head bent to press our foreheads together. “I love you so much.”
“I don't deserve it, but I'll take it anyway.” I angled myself up to meet his thrusts. “I'll take all of you, and I will treasure you until my last breath.”
“You will never take that breath,” Aras growled, his thrusts coming faster. “And we will never be parted. Swear it!”
It might be a lie, but I didn't care. “I swear it, Mate. I will win the war for you. Because you command it.”
Aras bared his teeth, then said, “Yes, you fucking will.” His hips slammed against me. But then he remembered that wewere making love, not fucking, and slowed down. His expression softened, his stare coasting over my face adoringly. “Lyrandir.”
“Aras, I can hardly believe you're mine.” My hands slid up the sides of his neck to cup his face. “You're more than I could have hoped for. A gift from the Goddess. Thank you, Mate. Thank you for loving me despite everything I put you through.”
“Lyrandir,” Aras whispered and brushed his lips over mine. “Don't you understand? I've been yours from the first touch. That tiny promise that we could become this held my heart hostage, keeping it from all others until you claimed it. Once I knew you wanted me, I didn't want another.”
“But your lover. You kept him.”
Aras snorted. “I kept him but didn't fuck him. I didn't even try.” He grinned and rubbed our noses together while he continued to gently slide in and out of me. “Unlike you, I knew I wouldn't be satisfied with anyone else.”
I looked away.
He bent to nudge my face forward again. “I love that you tried to take other men and couldn't.” He smirked. “It proves that I had your heart caged as well, right from the start.”
