CHAPTER 233: SEEDS (+18)

Aira had no intention to allow the kiss to continue for longer than it had to. She had already decided in her mind that this was a mistake, a dangerous slope she would not let herself fall into. But it didn’t help that she could feel Zyren’s tongue, cool and insistent, moving vigorously against her own. The sensation was maddening, icy fire threading through her veins, awakening heat she desperately wanted to extinguish.

His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, claws disguised as hands, pulling her closer until there was no space between them. Every muscle of his chest pressed against her, firm and unyielding, and the hardness of him reminded her just how inescapable he could be when he wanted something.

"Zy..." she barely got out of her mouth, a half-formed plea, when she felt him deepen the kiss, his tongue claiming, demanding, overwhelming. At the same time, his thigh pressed firmly between hers, rubbing against her inner legs, forcing a friction that stole her breath.

By the time he allowed her even a second to breathe, Aira had tears in her eyes. She tried to turn away, desperate for distance, but his arms stopped her easily, tightening around her like chains that would never break.

His face was only inches from hers now, eyes glowing with crimson light as he stared directly into her soul. The words he spoke next landed like a hammer against her fragile defenses.

"I want you!"

The three words slammed into her chest with seismic force, her heart rattling inside her ribcage. She shoved at his chest on instinct, anger and panic blurring together, and her response came out sharp and immediate, without pause.

"Hell no! We’re in public!" she fired back, her voice edged with defiance. But it soon became clear that Zyren didn’t care at all.

She was shocked to watch him shrug off his coat, letting it fall carelessly to the ground, as though nothing else in the world mattered but her. In the same motion he scooped her up effortlessly, the strength in his arms making resistance feel foolish, and shoved her own coat off her shoulders despite her frantic attempts to cling to it.

"Wa...wait!" she gasped, clinging desperately, but in vain. The fabric slid from her fingers, joining his coat on the ground. And then his hands were against her thighs, hot and commanding, leaving no doubt about what he intended.

Annoyed by his stubborn streak—one she knew too well by now, one she knew she couldn’t convince him out of—Aira’s frustration turned to cold fury. She glared at him, meeting his eyes directly, even as her back slammed against the rough bark of a tree. His hands pressed higher up her thighs, claiming territory she didn’t want to surrender.

"Wa...wait!" she gasped again, breathless, as he leaned into her, pressing her firmly against the tree. His lips trailed along her neck, scattering kisses that burned like brands against her pale skin.

It wasn’t the fact that he wanted to sleep with her in public that unsettled her the most—though that in itself was humiliating. What tore her apart was the knowledge that once it began, once he broke through her resolve, her clothes would not remain on her body for long. And worse—she knew she would be powerless to stop him.

"I can just use my hand!" she offered in desperation, the words spilling out before she could stop herself. Her voice trembled, though she tried to sound steady.

Zyren chuckled against her neck, the sound reverberating against her skin, mocking her attempt at compromise. His mouth lingered there, teeth grazing lightly, just before his hand slid higher. Then he grabbed her breast, squeezing firmly, making her frown in both pain and unwilling pleasure.

The feeling of excitement she had been trying so hard to ignore since the kiss only seemed to double with every passing second of his touch. His hunger seeped into her, fueling the unwanted fire burning inside her belly. The pressure grew fierce, unbearable, so much so that she feared her brain might spasm, leaving her incapable of constructing a meaningful thought.

This damn bond! she screamed inwardly. She could feel it pulsing between them, amplifying every sensation, blurring the line between her own will and his. He knew it too—she could hear it in his breath, feel it in his deliberate, unhurried movements.

The longer they touched, the more the pleasure grew. The bond ensured it, cursed her with it.

"Why should I settle for your hands when I can have something better?" he whispered, his voice low and taunting. His fingers glided gently against her center, teasing, making her back arch and stiffen involuntarily. She caught the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, cruel and confident.

"We have a deal!"

"In exchange for allowing you to join the temple as a messenger you can’t refuse!"

"The temple is useless to me at this..." she began, but she didn’t get the chance to finish her protest. With one swift, merciless motion, he ripped her underwear to shreds beneath her gown. The sound of tearing fabric echoed in her ears, her stomach twisting as his face lowered toward hers again, crimson eyes gleaming as though daring her to continue speaking.

She glared at him, fury burning hot in her chest. But her breath hitched as his fingers slid into her, two of them pressing firmly, filling her, sending an electric jolt racing up her spine.

"You’re wet!" he said, his voice husky, thick with restrained excitement. The hoarseness of it made her legs tremble, made her body shiver in shame at the truth of his words.

It’s the stupid bond! It’s nothing but the stupid bond! she raged silently, clenching her teeth as he leaned closer, holding her easily against the tree while his fingers thrust in and out with practiced precision. The pleasure assaulted her relentlessly, her eyelids fluttering despite her efforts to resist, a soft moan escaping her lips before she could silence it. And then, just as suddenly, he withdrew, leaving her breathless and shaking.

"Wrap your legs against me!" he ordered, his eyes glowing with a depth that allowed no refusal. His command was absolute, the bond urging her compliance.

"I could use my mouth!" Aira blurted, shocking herself with the words. The thought horrified her, but she had heard of harlots doing it, of men whispering about it with lustful fascination. And Zyren, cold-hearted though he was, was still a man. Perhaps it would stall him, perhaps distract him long enough to keep him from—

His eyes flickered in surprise, a pause breaking his relentless advance. He studied her face, his hand lifting her chin so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. "You would take me into your mouth?" he asked, his tone unusually serious. His eyes burned with suspicion, as though he saw through her stalling for time.

"If you let me down! We’re in public and—" she began, but her plea was cut short as he hoisted both her legs, wrapping them around his waist with terrifying ease. Her back pressed harder into the tree as he leaned into her, the heat of his body colliding with her own.

And then she felt it—him—pushing into her slowly, deliberately.

He was slower than usual, something she was grudgingly thankful for, though the ease with which he entered her made her heart ache with humiliation. She squeezed her eyes shut, terrified someone might stumble upon them, terrified of being seen like this. The place was secluded, yes, but not invulnerable.

His thrusts began with precision, each one dragging a gasp from her throat despite her desperate attempts at silence. She tried to stifle the sounds, biting her lip until it bled, but the bond made it impossible. Pleasure burned through her body like wildfire, climbing higher and higher until it was unbearable.

She could hear nothing but the pounding of her pulse, feel nothing but the relentless rhythm of his body inside hers. Her fingers clutched at his shoulders, half in resistance, half in surrender, as his pace quickened.

When the climax hit her, it was like an explosion behind her eyes. Her body spasmed, walls clenching tight around him, toes curling as she shuddered violently. A broken moan escaped her lips before she could bite it back.

But Zyren did not stop. Even as she shook in the aftershocks of pleasure, he continued, faster, harder, driving into her until she could hardly breathe. And then, with one final, deep thrust, she felt him spill into her, filling her as he always did, never once pulling out.

It’s a good thing vampires can’t breed with humans, she thought desperately, clinging to that belief. Even vampire-to-vampire breeding was rare, difficult, something that required time and deliberate effort. She prayed this would be no different, that there would be no consequences beyond her shame and fury.

Gasping, trembling, she clutched at his shoulders, trying to steady herself as he remained inside her. She wasn’t surprised he didn’t pull out—he never did—but she dreaded what it meant that he lingered.

"Can...can you put me down?" Aria whispered, her voice small, almost broken. But before the words fully left her lips, Zyren spoke again, his tone calm, cold, cutting.

"What will you when you get pregnant? Do you think you’ll still hate the father of your child?"

Her blood ran cold. Her face went pale as a ghost as she stared at him, disbelieving, as though he had just spoken madness.

"What?"

"What the hell are you saying," she snapped, confusion and rage warring on her face.

"Isn’t it obvious?" he said, his voice smooth, unrelenting. "You’re bonded to me so the chances of us being able to breed is much higher!"

Only then did Aira feel the chill of the wind. Only then did she realize how much darker the world had become around her. And it didn’t help that Zyren’s pulsing and throbbing member inside her, along with his seed, felt like flames of fire she wanted to scratch out of her body.