Chapter 39

Xander was finally back in my arms, and we were alone, under the beautiful glow of the moon and stars. I kissed him fiercely, letting my hands wander the length of his shoulders and chest. I broke away, which made him groan against my mouth. I had wanted to remove the shirt that separated my skin from his. Once it was off and on the ground, he circled his arms and lifted me, positioning me on top of him.

I straddled Xander, grinding my hips on his growing bulge. I needed him, needed to touch him. I wanted to forget and think only of Xander. He brought my breast to his mouth and nipped it, grazing the hardened bud of my nipple. I moaned as he swirled his tongue and kneaded my other breast with his hand. I raked my fingers through his black hair and tugged at it slightly, urging him on. I could feel my muscles contract and pressure building up between my legs.

I slid my hand down along his stomach and gripped his length, taking my time stroking him. It swelled even more. A thin sheen of sweat coated my back and neck. There was a chilly breeze, but I couldn’t feel it. Xander’s touch burned my skin and set fire to my very soul.

Xander kissed the mark on my shoulder, sending delicious ripples of ecstasy that made me wet. He didn’t wait for my approval; he guided his tip at my entrance and thrust in. My breath hitched while I rode him slowly, letting myself get adjusted to his size. Xander bit his bottom lip from the tightness we were both feeling, then pressed me down on him, making his dick slide even further inside.

His speed was increasing, and I saw stars dancing in the back of my eyes. I dug my nails into his skin, trying to hold on while the pressure that I had been building up exploded in me. My head rolled back, and I let out a soft cry.

“We’re not done yet.” Grunted Xander.

He glided his hands down and placed them on my waist, lifting me and taking on my total weight as he moved us within the cover of the trees. I had forgotten that we were somewhere that rebels frequented. My face and the tip of my ears redden at the thought that someone could have walked in on us. Shifters didn’t seem to mind their nakedness, but I wasn’t a shifter, so I appreciated the thought of being less out in the open.

Xander urgently resumed pounding into me. He pressed me on a moss-covered stone, and I wrapped my legs around him to keep myself steady. At one point, Xander lifted my right leg over to his shoulder and placed his thumb on my sensitive bundle of nerves. He pressed and made little circles with it, all the while sliding in and out, which led me to gain a rapid rise of pressure in my lower belly once more.

My legs were shaking when the waves of pleasure hit me. I rode the high, looking at my skin shimmering with tiny specs of blue light. Surely Xander had come by now. I looked up to see his gaze darkening and felt my stomach flutter. It was far from being over. His tongue invaded my mouth at the same time as his fingers slid into my slick passage.

“You’re so wet for me.” He groaned against my mouth.

Xander flipped me around. I pressed my hand on the moss and arched my back, allowing my backside to stick out. He knelt and placed his head in between my legs, sucking hard and lapping his tongue over my pink bud. I was dripping wet from the two climaxes. I could feel my juices sliding on the inside of my thighs. He slid a finger inside me, then took it out almost teasingly. I felt him spread my butt cheeks apart, and his finger pushed over the tight muscle of my ass. I gasped and shuddered as it entered. The feeling was uncomfortable but not unpleasant. Xander kept me distracted with his mouth while his finger pressed deeper into the tight canal.

He removed his finger and stood, sliding up and down the crown of his cock between my wet folds, then pressed and slowly entered. The sensitivity had doubled, which made me catch my breath. He pushed his thumb over my ass. The stimulation of his dick inside my pussy and thumb sliding in and out of my rear was overwhelming.

Xander grabbed my red hair and pulled my head back, forcing me to arch my back even more. His tip kissed my womb with each pump. I cried out when I reached my peak. He removed his thumb and gripped my hips with both hands, forcing my bottom to meet his thrusts at a sped-up pace. I could hear his breath getting heavier. He slammed into me one last time, my walls still pulsing around him as he spilled his hot seed.

He leaned over me and pressed a deep, sensuous kiss at the crook of my neck, and slid out of me. I leaned against the moss-covered rock for some time, letting my legs regain their strength. I felt like a big puddle of goo.

“That was… different,” I said, still trying to catch my breath.

Xander momentarily left and returned to give me the shirt that I had let fall to the ground. He placed a soft kiss on my forehead and took my hand, guiding me back toward the hot spring. He made for the pool entrance and pulled me in it with him, holding me tightly in his arms while he made his way to the center.

I took the time to look at his face, gently sliding my fingers over the contours of his jaw and lips. I didn’t know how it was possible for him to still be alive. The mark on my shoulder had turned red. From what his mother, Lady Lucia, had told me, this only happened when your mate died. I was looking at mine and thanked the Faiths for whatever had brought him back to me.

“W-what happened to you? I thought you were killed.” I gently placed my head on his chest and shivered as he tickled my skin by playing with my wet hair.

“I did die,” Xander said in a sombre voice. “From what I was told, Leo found me in the warehouse's rubble. However, I was untouched by the flames. I was stuck under something. It had crushed my legs and incapacitated me; I could not move, and the heat and smoke took their toll on me. Some people had gathered after the initial explosion, and they could help Leo. They dragged me out from the wreckage and then declared me dead.

“The poor kid had been white as a sheet until I started coughing and wheezing. A good chance he didn’t listen when I had asked him to go back to our room and wait for me. If he hadn’t followed us and used his nose to find me, I might not be here with you at this moment!”

“Where is Leo?”

“He’s with Gideon. They should arrive tomorrow morning, as was planned. When Gideon came and found us the day following the blast, he helped us hide since I needed to recuperate a bit. My lungs hurt and burned, and my legs were weak. I had to bandage myself up a bit before appearing in front of Baron Mallard. I have a feeling that my surviving that blast was all thanks to you, Ida. But it looked suspicious not having any burned marks on me. I mentioned in my report that the warehouse had been a setup and that Mr. Hawk had been with me when it exploded. The search team that was put together found nothing of him. He’s most likely a pile of cinder.” He sighed and ran his wet hand over his face.

“When Gideon told me what had happened to you that night and that we were to leave for Perch in the morning, my Lycan just shifted us right there on the spot and I ran for hours, straight to you. I couldn’t wait for a second longer.”

I twiddled my forefinger on his chest hair and relaxed a bit.

“You shouldn’t take unnecessary risks for me, Xander. Someone could have seen and reported you.”

“I could say the same thing about you. You made the earth shake! I felt it right before that bastard rebel punched me in the face! Who the fuck is Lord Starling? He tried to have me killed!”

The colours from my face drained at the mention of Silas. What a weasel! Was he responsible for hurting Xander? Was he that desperate to ensure I would marry him?That must have been why he did that; he thought it was a clear win.

“I thought Gideon had told you everything,” I said in a sad, low voice. “Silas Starling was the man my father had arranged for me to marry before the uprising. I didn’t know who my suitor was until I learned about it when I met with the rebellion. Most of the rebel leaders were still inclined that I marry him now. I refused, of course, but I didn’t think he would go to this length to remove you from the picture and secure his position with me. You are not the only one he hurt. But don’t worry, I took care of him.”

“What do you mean by 'I was not the only one he hurt'? Did he do something to you?” Xander grabbed my arms a little too tight for my taste. He was getting agitated, and his gray eyes were darkening by the second.

I didn’t think it was a good idea to tell Xander what Silas had done that night. Everything pointed to him leaving and killing the man on his hospital bed, so I settled on telling him half the truth. I would say to him everything once he had calmed down and we were no longer in Perch. That was the small mercy I was giving Silas, not that he deserved it, but it was the sensible thing to do to keep the peace between us and the rebellion. War amongst us would do no good against Osprey.

“On the night they set you up, Silas came to me here while I was recuperating from my day of training.” It was not a lie, but it wasn’t the complete truth. I just hoped it would be enough. “He made a move on me, and when I did not reciprocate his advances, he broke my nose.”

“I can’t take all the credit since I still don’t understand what took hold of me, but I threw him on the boulder right there and broke his ribs and drowned him. He was lucky that people came to his rescue quick enough.” I said that last part a little more annoyed than I would have liked, but I thought he was lucky to have survived.
Although some dark part of me wished he would have died, I hated that feeling. I wasn’t the vengeful sort of person. My father had always told me that people make mistakes and shouldn’t be judged on a single act.

Xander’s eyes became small slits, and his grip on me tightened.

“Why didn’t Gideon tell me this! Exactly how did he break your nose?”

I squirmed a bit and took a deep breath.

“He head-butted me after I bit his lip. He tried to force a kiss on me.” Xander stiffened, and I regretted it. “I’m fine now! The spring here has magical properties that helped me heal. See, it even healed my hand.” I showed him my fingers and tried to reassure him.

If the spring didn’t create steam, I would have seen some coming off Xander. He growled and pressed me closer to him possessively.

“I’ll kill that bastard when I see him. No one hurts, much less makes a move on my mate and lives to talk about it.”
Flight of the cardinal
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