Teeth clenched, Maeve pushed down one last time, and as her back arched, Soren pinched her nipple and clitoris.
Her cunt clenched him so tightly, Soren thought he might break. Maybe he did. Broken and put back together.
Hips thrust up to meet her, he pounded inside her mindlessly, chasing the pleasure, desperate to feel her for as long as he could. It was like chasing the sun and being burned by its warmth, but still he sought her, willing to burn.
They came together, his goddess branding his very soul, and Soren shivered with fear at a happiness so profound.
18
Soren was accustomed to waking up beside another; in the pride and on their travels, he often slept beside at least one of his brothers for safety, comfort, and warmth.
Waking up beside Maeve was all of that and more.
Diffused morning light streamed in through the linen curtains, surrounding them in a halo of warmth. The bedding had ended up in a tangle around their waists, but there was no chance of being chilly with Soren’s right wing covering them both. Beneath the feathers, Maeve fit effortlessly against him, the arch of her back following the bulk of his chest. Reddish-gold hair strewn across the pillow caught the sunlight like gold thread, and the feminine curve of her shoulder was too much to resist.
Soren pressed a kiss to her bare skin, breathing in her warm sweetness.
How had he gotten so lucky? He still felt in a daze from last night, his body buzzing in the afterglow. They’d made love multiple times before falling into each other’s arms, bodiescompletely spent. Soren had poured everything he was into Maeve, and she took it all as though it was her due.
Unused to happiness lasting longer than a few moments, Soren wasn’t sure his heart could bear it. The organ felt too big for his chest, as if he himself needed to be bigger to contain all that Maeve had made it.
He rationalized that the novelty of it bred no small amount of sentimentality. He didn’t dare allow himself to think about what this meant beyond that day or the next. Such thoughts could only bring disappointment.
Still, he couldn’t stop the smallest, most fragile kernel of hope from taking root.
As she came awake slowly in his arms, Soren savored the cozy domesticity of the morning. He could understand why Balar had been desperate to live with Imogen, to sleep in the same bed each night and come awake together each morning. Such a thing could easily become addicting.
He wouldn’t allow himself to get that far, but he could enjoy what he had while he had it, surely.
Soren listened as her breathing and heartbeat rose to wakefulness. She luxuriated in a stretch that arched her back into his chest, and she straightened her arms all the way up to her fingers, splaying them against the sunlight. When she lowered them, it was onto his forearm to pet him there.
“Good morning,” she said, voice low and husky.
“Good morning,inaná,” he replied, bestowing another kiss to her shoulder.
He could just see the tip of her smile, urging him to draw her even closer, tightening his arms around her. Soren kissed along her shoulder to the curve where it met her neck. His whiskers tickled her sensitive skin, and Maeve giggled, lifting her shoulder and squirming in his arms.
“There’s no school today,” she said with another languidstretch.
“No, indeed.” It was his turn to trace her arm, gently running the tops of his claws up to her fingers, which he tangled with his.
There actually wouldn’t be any lessons at all for at least four days. Most schools, businesses, and civil offices were closed for the spring festivals taking place across the Darrowlands and Eirea itself.
Soren and his brothers had attended last year’s festivities; they were a charming celebration of spring, with lots of drinking, dancing, and flower arranging contests. Women and children wore crowns of braided grasses and flowers while men wore blooms across their belts or at their collar. Colorful ribbons were tied around poles in the town square, garlands were hung from gable to gable, and livestock were festooned with bright colors and flowers. There were activities and contests for the children, and some intrepid adults, like rolling down hills in a potato sack, running into the nearby lake for the season’s first swim, and many chances to dance in big circles.
From what he understood, Imogen was determined to enter her prized goats into some sort of contest to decide if she had the best ones. She’d been grooming and brushing them for over a fortnight in preparation—likely why Kiri had been enlisted yesterday to stay with her and Balar and help.
“Were you planning to attend anything in particular?” Maeve asked, fiddling with his fingers.
“Balar has volunteered all of us to help set up tents this afternoon.”
“Good,” she said, rolling onto her other side to face him. “Then we have plenty of time.”
A surprised purr burst from his lips as he watched her kiss his chest and felt her hand snake down his middle. He clutched her closer by the waist, head falling back onto the pillow when she took hold of his very interested cock.
Enket at inan, what a way to start the day.
But before she could get too carried away, he asked, “Can I take you somewhere today?”
