Page 25 of Once Written in Gilded Blood

“I’m starving for you,” he says, picking me up and setting me on my feet before he starts removing his sweater and placing it on the ground. He nods for me to lie down on it.

I do as he wants and try not to let my cheeks flush more than they already are as he settles between my thighs. He looks up at me as he drags his tongue, agonizingly slow, through my center with one long stroke.

My head falls back as the pleasure shoots through my entire body. My hands fist, and my thighs are trying to close together over his head. Kalel moans as he laps at my pussy, sucking on my clit between every few strokes of his hot tongue.

I cry out, trembling and trying not to be too loud. My eyes dash to the cave entrance, making sure we’re still alone before I let them fall shut again.

“Go ahead, Alira. Scream all you want; no one will hear the things we do to one another in this cave.” His breath is hot over my core.

I suck in my lower lip and bite it as he returns to feasting on me. He lets go of one of my legs and fists his cock, pumping it in time with his tongue and pushing precum to his tip.

My moans grow more uncontrolled, and he can tell. His smile is evidence of his amusement and enjoyment in hearing what he does to me.

“It feels so good,” I cry, threading my fingers through his hair and trying not to buck my hips into his face like I desperately want to.

He groans, and his fingers dig into my skin. “I’ve only just started, godling.”

Kalel shoves his tongue deep inside me, filling me partially as he swirls his thumb over my clit. My eyes roll to the back of my head. It feels so good, and being so far away from the kingdom only makes it better. Knowing that no one will disturb us is a nice plus.

My cries echo louder as he devours my pussy. He works me to my orgasm and groans deep in his chest as I come, hips shaking and legs trembling as I soak his face.

“That’s a good little godling. Now you’re nice and ready for me,” Kalel murmurs, pressing kisses up my thigh and chest until he reaches my lips. He palms my breasts as he rolls me on top of him. His back is against the ground, but there’s not a single care in the world in his eyes.

I splay my hands over his muscular chest and lean down to tease him, placing his tip at my entrance but not fully seating myself on it yet.

“You want to be inside of me?” I whisper against the shell of his ear. He groans and pushes his tip against my entrance more.

“More than you know.” His voice is raspy.

I giggle and slowly push back on him. His hands fly to my hips, and he grips me tightly and spreads me open.

My core aches with the need to be filled by him, and he must see the turmoil on my expression because with one big thrust, he shoves his entire length into me. I cry out and lean back so that I’m fully seated on him.

Kalel lifts his hips to meet each of my bounces, pounding into me from below. I brace my hands against his chest like my life depends on it. Euphoria blooms across my heart and my mind. Filling every part of my body and soul with him.

“I love you, my godling.” His voice is lustful but also filled with anguish.

I glance down at him and see tears in his eyes as his thrusts slow. His hands grip my sides harder, like he never wants to let me go.

My brows pinch, and I lean down so we are nose to nose. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

He wraps his arms around me and holds me close.

“Nothing. I just want you to know that I love you,” he whispers and picks up his pace again.

But I think about it well after our kisses have ended and we’re satisfied. I think about the vision and what Kalel’s hiding long into the night.

“You idiot, it’s supposed to be like this.” Nina, my first maid, shoos Nikolai out of the room and tells him to bring us some water from the kitchen as she takes over fixing the last of the flowers on my dress. She’s my favorite maid and one of my closest acquaintances here. Her rich brown hair looks like cocoa powder, falling in big waves and curls down her back. The freckles across her cheeks and nose bring out the green in her eyes, and she always has the friendliest smile.

Nikolai was waiting for us at the bridge early this morning, just like he said he would be. In a fresh deep-blue uniform for the festival this evening. The expression on his face wasn’t exactly inviting, so at first, I worried that he was going to tell us Tessa hadn’t made it back yet and was lost in the snowstorm.

But that wasn’t it, he reassured us. Kalel nodded for me to head to the palace to prepare for the festival tonight while he spoke with Nikolai.

That was hours ago. The festival will begin soon, and I haven’t seen Kalel since we parted ways. There’s a heaviness in the air around Nik, but he won’t tell me anything. Will I always be in the dark like this with them? A sense of loneliness moves through my chest.

I stare at myself in the full-length mirror, dressed in a lovely pink dress that has long lace sleeves and exposes my shoulders. Gorgeous soft blush-toned layers under the dress make the fabric harmonious as it shifts and flicks when I walk. The flowers are real, freshly brought in from the gardens, and were sewn onto my gown delicately for only one evening.

I’m not sure how to feel about the vision the goddess showed me. Nothing necessarily awful was revealed, only that bones were used to grow the peonies and erect the veil. It could very well be that I wasn’t supposed to know that the two are connected, but then why did she give me the laurel leaf?