Page 80 of Lich's Mate

"Come," I say softly, reaching out to her. "Let's get you cleaned up."

She follows me silently to the nearest bathroom, her steps faltering as if she's lost control over her body. As the tub fills with warm water, I help her out of her blood-soaked clothes. She winces when I touch her bare skin but makes no sound of protest.

"Easy," I tell her as I guide her into the tub. "I know it hurts. But you did well."

I can tell she doesn't believe me yet by the look in her eyes—wide and shocked—but that doesn't matter. She will come to understand it soon enough. She is stronger than she thinks. Nobody else could have done what she did tonight.

As I wash off the dried blood from her skin, I remember once again why it is that I've stayed here for so long. Why I've put up with everything this world has thrown at me.

It's because of beings like Meera—resilient and brave, even in the face of unimaginable horrors. And as long as people like her exist, there is still hope for us yet.

I look at her, stripped bare of the blood but not of the shock. Her body is stiff and unyielding under my gentle touch. I take my time cleaning her wounds, ensuring she's thoroughly rid of any lingering trace of the xaphan's presence.

"Does it hurt?" I ask as I lightly tap a particularly nasty gash on her shoulder. She flinches but nods, assuring me it's nothing she can't handle. That’s Meera, unbroken even in her vulnerability.

When every last trace of blood is washed away, I help her out of the tub and wrap her in a towel. I guide her to a chair by the fireplace in my bedroom, where she sits obediently, still silent but no longer trembling.

The flickering flames cast an orange glow on her face, highlighting her sharp cheekbones and the quiet determination in her eyes. It’s an image that will be etched into my memory till my last breath.

She looks up at me then, uncertainty in those dark depths. “What now?” she asks.

I feel myself grinning despite everything that happened today. She frowns at me, curiosity getting the best of her.

“What?” she questions quietly.

Without a word, I lean down and kiss her. Her arms wrap around my neck and she pulls me as close as possible. She’s eager for my warmth, my comfort, my body. And I aim to give her all of it right here, right now.

I pick her up and place her at the foot of my bed where my mouth roams from hers to her collarbone, tracing the path of her pulse with a whisper of a kiss. She shivers in my grip, her breath hitching as I explore her.

Her fingers tangle into my hair, pulling me closer. She is alive—very much so—and the realization hits me like a punch to the gut. In the face of death, she has survived, and more than that, she has triumphed.

Soon, I find myself lying in bed beside her, allowing my hands to travel the expanse of her body while hers does the same with mine.

Her hands find the hem of my trousers and she pushes them down my hips before wrapping her small, delicate hands around my throbbing cock. I groan as she strokes me, up and down, her touch both tentative and bold. As she gains confidence, her strokes become more insistent.

My fingers dig into her hips, my breath hitching as pleasure races through my veins. Her eyes meet mine, a dark swirl of emotions that has me dizzy with anticipation.

"Meera," I hear myself murmur, my voice husky with longing. She lets out a soft moan of agreement, her lips parting in a small gasp.

"Kavian," she whispers back, the sound reaching deep into my soul. There's something in the way she says it—in the way she looks at me—that reminds me of our shared battle, of the strength she's shown tonight. A strength rivaled only by the intensity of our mutual desire in this moment.

She continues to stroke me even as my fingers plunge inside of her. She’s soaked with her desire for me, a powerful testament to the raw, unyielding lust between us. I groan at her touch, my body begging for more. I pull away from her lips, my eyes locked onto hers as I swirl my thumb over her sensitive nub.

Her breath hitches and she gasps, her grip on me tightening as pleasure courses through her. Her back arches off the bed, pushing her chest against mine as she rides the wave of pleasure I’m providing.

"Kavian," she moans again, the sound sends a jolt down my spine, making me throb painfully against her hand.

I quicken my pace, both my fingers inside of her and my thumb on her bud moving faster now. She writhes beneath me, a whimpering mess of desire and pleasure.

“Are you close?” I ask her breathlessly.

“Yes,” she pants out, her eyes squeezed tight with pleasure.

I can feel her walls tightening around my fingers, an indication of what’s to come. I press down harder on her nub and she cries out as an intense climax hits her.

As she comes down from the high of it all—panting and flushed—I take a moment to admire the sight of her. Sated, beautiful, and powerful in ways not all women are.

I love watching her cum undone under my touch and now that she has, I pull away from her touch, wanting to release myself inside her tight body. I position my hips between her shaking thighs and enter her slowly, savoring the feel of her warmth encasing me. She gasps, her fingers digging into the skin of my back as I push deeper and deeper into her.

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