Page 59 of Sacrifice

Aisling’s breaths come in sharp gasps, her body pressed into the mattress, taking all of me. She pushes back against my every move, matching my fervor with a passion that only she possesses. It’s that untamed spirit of hers that keeps me teetering on the edge—always wanting more, always needing to be deeper, closer.

The climax builds like a storm surging through my veins, and when it breaks, it’s cataclysmic. I slam into her one last time, holding her tight against me as I groan out loud, releasing my load deep inside her. I pulse within her, again and again, each spurt feeling like I’m marking her, claiming her in the most elemental way possible.

“Christ…Aisling,” I pant, my forehead resting against the sweat-slicked curve of her shoulder. Our bodies are entangled, a mess of limbs and heaving chests. I feel her heartbeat thundering against my chest, as synchronized with mine as our breaths.

As my knot recedes, the room comes back into focus—the sounds of champagne corks popping and laughter filling the space around us. The others are celebrating, their voices a distant hum against the backdrop of my own roaring pulse. Nero’s chuckle, Luka’s low murmurs, Oberon’s hearty laugh, Rook’s wry teasing—they’re all there, but right now, it’s just me and Aisling, lost in the aftermath of our union.

“Damn, we really broke in that dress.” Rook grins, his eyes gleaming with mischief and satisfaction.

“Like she was made for this,” Nero adds, lifting his glass with a smirk before taking a swig of champagne.

“Perfect,” I whisper, though no one hears me over the noise.

Perfect, not because of what just happened, but because Aisling is here with me, with us. And despite the chaos of our lives, this moment of unity feels like a silent victory—a claim more potent than any war we wage outside these walls.

Chapter twenty-five

Aisling

Water laps gently against porcelain, a soothing melody punctuated by raucous laughter and clinking glasses from the living room. I sink deeper into the bathtub, the warmth enveloping my tender muscles—a reminder of our earlier fervor. Gunnar’s presence behind me is both commanding and comforting, his chest a sturdy backdrop for my aching body.

“Seems like they’re having a good time out there,” I murmur, the vibrations of their celebration resonating through the walls.

“Let them have their fun,” Gunnar replies, his voice a low rumble that resonates in the steamy air. His hand traces lazy circles on my thigh, the movement casual yet deliberate. I lean back against him, my eyelids fluttering closed as I savor the contact.

“Moments like this…they’ve become something special to me,” I confess, humming with satisfaction. “After all the chaos, it’s just you and me—our little sanctuary.”

Gunnar presses his lips softly to my temple, a gesture so tender it almost feels out of place in the world we’ve come to know. “That was intense,” he murmurs, the vibrations from his words tickling my skin.

“Intense doesn’t even start to cover it,” I reply with a laugh that’s softer than the bubbles popping around us. As I turn my head slightly to meet his gaze, the reflection of our intertwined silhouettes on the water’s surface captivates me. “I mean, with everyone…together like that. It was like being swept up in a storm. A really sexy storm.” My cheeks heat up at the memory, but I don’t look away.

“Was it too much?” His concern is evident, even as his fingers dance along my arm, drawing patterns on the water’s surface.

“Too much? No. But these quiet moments after…they’re just as important to me.” I close my eyes for a moment, savoring the contrast between the wildness of earlier and the peace we find in each other now.

Opening my eyes again, my attention drifts to my left hand, lifted above the surface. The ring Gunnar put there only hours ago catches the light, throwing little rainbows against the steamy tiles. Black diamonds encircle the main stone, stark against my pale skin, as unique as the bond we share. “Look at it, sparkling away. The damn thing might have more life in it than the entire wasteland outside these walls.”

“Matches your eyes,” he says, his voice carrying a note of pride. I can’t help but smile, because he’s right—it’s as if the ring was made with me in mind, a rare bit of beauty in a world that often feels bereft of it.

“Who knew you had such good taste in jewelry?” I tease, twisting the ring around my finger, watching it catch the light anew with each turn. “Or that I’d ever wear something this fancy while naked in a tub?”

“Like it?” Gunnar’s question pulls me back from the hypnotic dance of light and shadow.

I glance at him, my wet hair plastered to my shoulders. “It’s perfect,” I say truthfully, a little breathless with how right the weight of the ring feels on my finger. “I can’t believe how well it suits me, especially since it was so last-minute.”

He chuckles, his chest rumbling against my back. “Kind of like us, huh? Fast, but everything just…falling into place.”

“Exactly.” I snuggle back against him, content in the realization that amidst chaos, we’ve found our strange harmony.

Gunnar falls silent then, his large hands leaving the water to roam over my body—over hips marked by earlier passions, up to my stomach. There’s a tenderness in his touch, a reverence. His voice, when he breaks the silence, is quieter than before, almost hesitant. “Your birth control…is it still…”

“Working?” I finish for him, feeling the shift in the air. We’ve been reckless in our abandon, lost in each other and the pack. Consequences were an afterthought, something for another day.

“Should we start being careful?” There’s a weight to his question, heavy with implications neither of us have truly considered until this moment.

I pause, my heartbeat echoing in the stillness of the room. Careful. The word hangs between us, a specter of responsibility we’ve skirted around in our whirlwind existence.

“Back at Dreamland, we got regular doses of contraceptive injections,” I murmur, feeling his hands still on me. “I haven’t worried about it much…” But the truth unfurls within me like the opening of a night-blooming flower, full of dark petals and deeper meaning. “It’s been months since I left…since my last injection.” My voice trails off as the realization grips me, cold and undeniable.

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