I stroked her slowly, feeling her hips buck against my hand. Her clitoris was responsive, swelling beneath my touch, and when I circled it gently, she gasped and gripped my shoulders.
"More," she demanded, her warrior confidence returning even in vulnerability. "I want more."
I obliged, sliding a finger inside her. She was tight and hot, her inner walls clenching around me. I added a second finger, moving slowly, letting her adjust, feeling her arousal coat my hand. The scent of her—musky and intoxicating—made my head spin.
"You're so beautiful," I murmured, leaning down to kiss her inner thigh. The velvet pelt there was softer, more delicate, and I traced it with my lips as I continued to stroke her. "So perfect."
She was breathing hard now, her hips moving in rhythm with my hand, chasing her pleasure. I could feel her getting closer, feel the tension building in her body. But I wanted to draw this out, wanted to savor every moment of her.
I withdrew my fingers and positioned myself between her thighs. She looked down at me, her golden eyes dark with desire, and I held her gaze as I leaned down and tasted her.
She cried out, her hands flying to my hair, pulling me closer. I worked her slowly, learning what made her moan, what made her hips thrust upward, what made her lose that careful control. The taste of her—salt and sweetness and pure Serna—was addictive. I could have stayed there forever, but she was getting close, her breathing becoming ragged, her moans more urgent.
"Cullen, I need—" she gasped, but couldn't finish the sentence.
"I know," I said, moving back up her body. I kissed her deeply, letting her taste herself on my lips, and she responded with a hunger that matched my own.
She helped me out of my pants, her hands urgent now, and then I was positioned at her entrance. I paused, giving her one last chance to change her mind, but she pulled me closer, wrapping her legs around my waist.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes," she breathed. "Please, Cullen. I need you."
I entered her slowly, feeling her body stretch to accommodate me. She was tight—so incredibly tight—and the sensation of her wrapped around me was almost overwhelming. I had to stop for a moment, breathing hard, fighting for control.
"Okay?" I asked.
"More than okay," she gasped. "Move. Please."
I began to move, slowly at first, letting her adjust. But she met my thrusts with her own, her hips moving in perfect rhythm with mine. The velvet of her pelt rubbed against my chest, a constant reminder of how different she was, how perfect she was. I could feel every muscle in her body, could feel her strength and her vulnerability all at once.
"You feel incredible," I groaned, burying my face in her neck. I could smell her there—that intoxicating scent that was uniquely hers—and I breathed her in as I moved inside her.
She was making sounds now—gasps and moans and my name, over and over. Her nails raked down my back, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to drive me wild. I could feel her getting close again, feel the tension building in her body.
"That's it," I murmured against her skin. "Let go. I've got you."
She came with a cry, her body clenching around me, her hips thrusting upward as waves of pleasure crashed through her. The sensation of her orgasm pushed me over the edge, and I followed her, spilling inside her as I groaned her name.
We stayed like that for a long moment, both of us breathing hard, our bodies still joined. I pressed my forehead against hers, feeling the rapid beat of her heart against my chest—a rhythm that was beginning to synchronize with my own.
"That was—" I started, but couldn't find the words.
"Yes," she agreed softly. "It was."
I pulled back enough to look at her. Her hair was mussed, her lips swollen from kissing, her skin flushed with satisfaction. The velvet of her pelt was slightly damp with sweat, and I found myself wanting to touch her again, to feel that incredible texture against my skin once more.
"What happens now?" I asked.
She reached up, cupping my face in both hands. "I don't know. But whatever it is, we face it together."
I kissed her again, softer this time. Tender. "Together," I agreed.
We stayed in that cave as darkness fell completely, wrapped in each other's arms. Outside, Riuondo was hunting us. Outside, the Alliance was in turmoil. Outside, everything was complicated and dangerous and uncertain.
But in that moment, in that small cave with Serna in my arms, everything felt right.
Chapter 11
