CHAPTER 45: _THE SIN YOU’LL THANK YOURSELF FOR COMMITTING

(Warning: Aggravatingly slow burn smut that’ll make you punch your pillow in the best way possible.)

Elian’s POV

*****

He stiffened as the rogue king stepped down the steps of the dais, his arms behind his back.

Well, there was not a lot of "stiffening" to be done when he was already held firmly in place by whatever invisible force the rogue king held him with.

The rogue king. His third mate.

Never would he have imagined interacting with him like... THIS. He was naked and vulnerable, while the rogue king eyed him like a predator analysing his next meal.

This was just a projection of his consciousness but still...

"Are you mute?" The rogue king asked, tilting his head while his footsteps echoed on the marble floor.

Each step he took forward seemed to increase the pressure coiling deep in Elian’s chest.

His heart thudded heavily like war drums, his head spinning as he tried to think of every possibility in this situation.

"I... I’m just..." Elian managed to begin speaking, silently wishing he had access to the system in this form. "I didn’t expect our first interaction to be this way either. I... I didn’t expect to—"

"To come to me naked?" The rogue king sniggered, shaking his head. "The name’s Kyren Nochthane, by the way. But today, at this moment... I’m the sin you’ll thank yourself for committing."

The rogue king paused just a few feet in front of Elian, his eyes trailing his body, his jaw tightening with barely suppressed desire.

Elian didn’t have access to the system to check but he could already guess that Kyren’s seduction meter was spiking.

His red eyes glinted with lust as he sniffed Elian even though this wasn’t his actual physical body. "It’s only your consciousness but it still carries a trace of that... Intoxicating scent."

He locked his gaze on Elian, leaning closer and breathing down his face, his lips dangerously close to his.

Elian swallowed hard, his body shaking with arousal. It didn’t take long for blood to rush down his crotch, making his erection stick out to the rogue king.

How the fuck was a physical projection of his consciousness having an erection?!

Kyren’s gaze dropped briefly, then rose back up to Elian’s eyes with a smirk that made every muscle in Elian’s body tighten.

"Oh," Kyren murmured like he’d just stumbled upon the most fascinating treasure in existence. "So it reacts here too. How... honest of you."

Elian’s cheeks burned. "It’s... It’s not like I can control—"

"You can," Kyren interrupted softly, voice curling through the air like smoke, "but you won’t. Not with me."

Before Elian could think of a retort, the Rogue King stepped even closer, until their chests almost brushed.

The armour on the rogue king’s body dissipated like dust, causing Elian’s eyes to widen when his gaze fell on his broad muscles and the faint scars on his glistening skin.

The faint heat radiating from Kyren’s armourless upper torso seeped into him, not enough to touch, but enough to make Elian’s breath falter.

The invisible force holding him eased just enough for Kyren to trail his fingers slowly from the curve of Elian’s jaw down the column of his throat.

Every nerve ending lit up like sparks from a flint.

"You’re trembling."

"I’m cold," Elian lied, hating how his voice came out hoarse.

Kyren chuckled, low and deep, the sound vibrating in Elian’s chest. "No. You’re waiting."

His fingers reached Elian’s collarbone, brushing lightly before dragging lower, trailing his chest like he was memorising every inch.

Elian’s lips parted to breathe, but the air in the throne room suddenly felt heavier. The chandeliers above flickered, shadows stretching like they were leaning closer to watch.

"You came here to see me," Kyren continued, his tone dripping with amusement. "And yet you’re acting like prey that wandered too close to the predator’s den."

"I didn’t—"

Kyren’s thumb pressed lightly into the dip between Elian’s pecs, silencing him with subtle dominance. "Don’t lie to me, Elian Ashford. Your body already told me the truth."

Elian tried to look away, but the Rogue King caught his chin between two fingers, forcing their eyes to meet.

It was unbearable — like staring into molten metal. Red and alive.

"You feel this..." Kyren’s free hand skimmed lower, dangerously close to Elian’s already aching length, "...and you want to pretend you don’t?"

"I—"

Kyren tilted his head, studying him for a heartbeat before leaning in, lips brushing Elian’s ear as he whispered. "Want me to show you what happens when you stop pretending?"

Elian’s knees almost buckled, and they weren’t even touching properly.

The invisible restraint vanished entirely, but Elian didn’t move. He couldn’t. Kyren’s presence was a tether stronger than any magic.

Kyren circled him once, prowling like he was dinner.

When he came back into view, he reached up and slid a single finger from Elian’s temple down the side of his neck, over his shoulder, tracing along the curve of his back until it dipped to the base of his spine.

Every inch he touched felt like it was being branded.

"Do you know what I smell when you’re close to me?" Kyren asked, his voice smooth like silk.

Elian’s breath hitched. "What?"

Kyren’s smirk widened, leaning in so his lips almost grazed Elian’s neck. "Need."

The word slid into Elian’s skin like a blade.

Kyren’s hands finally moved to his front, resting just above his hips but not exactly grabbing him. Not yet. They just rested there, warm and dangerously possessive.

"I could taste it... Your need." Kyren continued. "And it would still not be enough."

Before Elian could fully process the words, Kyren’s palm cupped his dick without warning, sending a bolt of electricity up his spine.

Elian choked on a breath, gripping Kyren’s forearm instinctively. "W-wait—"

"No," Kyren said, calm but absolute. "I’m not here to wait. I’m here to feel... And I’m sure you are too..."

His hand began a slow, teasing stroke, not enough to relieve the ache, just enough to drive it deeper.

Elian bit his lip, a low sound escaping despite himself. His head tilted back slightly, eyes fluttering as he fought against the heat building inside him.

"Look at you," Kyren murmured, watching his face with something between hunger and reverence. "You came to my lands. My palace. My throne room. And now you’ll leave carrying my touch burned into that fragile little consciousness."

The strokes grew firmer, but still maddeningly slow. Kyren’s other hand pressed flat against Elian’s lower back, drawing him in until there was no space left between them.

"You have other mates," Kyren said softly, his lips brushing the corner of Elian’s mouth without kissing. "But none of them will make you ache like I do."

Elian swallowed, his heart thudding with... fear? How did he know about his other mates?!

He tried to speak but the words melted before they could form.

Kyren’s thumb slid over his tip, smearing the slick there with deliberate pressure. Elian’s breath caught sharply, his hips jerking forward instinctively.

"That’s it," Kyren whispered, lips finally grazing down the side of his jaw. "Show me what you are when you stop holding back."

His tongue traced a slow path up to Elian’s ear, then he bit, just enough to make him gasp.

Every inch of him was trembling now, not from fear, but from the spiralling tension winding tighter in his gut.

Kyren’s voice was low, almost gentle now. "You’re close."

Elian’s breathing quickened, every muscle straining.

"Tell me," Kyren said, still stroking him with infuriating control. "Tell me you want it."

Elian’s lips parted. "I—"

Kyren’s grip tightened suddenly, the rhythm changing, building and dragging him closer to the edge.

It was too much... The heat, the scent of him, the sound of his voice curling into every dark corner of Elian’s mind.

Just when his climax was about to explode...

Kyren’s hand vanished.

Elian’s eyes flew open and a heavy gasp escaped his lips as he struggled to catch his breath.

He was lying in his bed back in Lunaria, breathing hard with sweat slicking his skin.

The phantom ache between his legs was unbearable, and the emptiness of Kyren’s absence felt like a missing heartbeat.

And then... a voice, faint but certain, slid through the bond:

"Next time, little mate... I won’t let you wake up so soon."