Page 9 of Echoes of Eternity

He cradled my face gently, and before I could fully grasp what was happening, he pressed his beak to my lips intimately. Startled and trying to pull away, I found myself powerless against his strength, which far surpassed my own. “What are you?—”

“Since our fates became intertwined, I’ve been tormented by the absence of your presence,” he admitted as his thumb caressed my wet cheeks. “You’ve taken away my very breath, Matsui. Do you not see how deeply I long for you? These unfamiliar emotions have driven me to the edge of madness. And yet, you persist in demanding that I end your life. By doing so, you force me to confront the reality that inyearning for you, I am also threatening my own existence.”

His words reverberated through me, a mix of anguish and desire that was both overwhelming and disorienting. I could see the raw torment in his eyes, a reflection of the turmoil that had been building between us despite our brief encounter. My heart pounded while I struggled to process the depth of his confession.

This was wrong. Duty and obligation bore on my soul like an anchor in the sea. It was unfair like everything else was. Everything in my life thus far has pushed me to feel worthless despite the constant sacrifices. How can I long for an immortal being when I have nothing to offer but a shell of myself? How could he possibly express his yearning for a woman who was left less than half of herself, devoid of hunger for life? Have I done something wrong in a previous life to be bound to such an existence?

“But why?” I whispered, my voice barely more than a tremor. “Why must it be like this? Why must our fates be so entangled in suffering?”

He sighed, the weight of his own despair evident in his every breath. “Because,” he said, his voice trembling slightly, “the bond we share has become a torment as much as it is a blessing. You are the light that pierces my darkness, yet the very source of my… affliction. I am caught between the desire to protect you and the agony of my own longing. As a guardian of the Eight Legions, these emotions should not exist, and yet…”

My heart skipped a beat as his hand slid from my faceto the crook of my neck gently, feeling the rapid beat of my pulse. I shouldn’t want this. If anyone found out, my entire family’s name as well as my husband’s would be tarnished.

But the warmth Noboru offers is a temptation I can barely resist, especially in this state of vulnerability. Was that an excuse for the decision I was about to make? The physical ache in my chest stabbed me once more as a reminder of my life. No matter what I chose, the blame would always fall on me—my husband made sure of that.

If I was destined to perish by my husband’s hands, let me selfishly claim something of my own in this life. Surely, I could allow myself thisonething.

He pressed his beak to my lips once more, and I closed my eyes, releasing a sigh that whispered through the night, surrendering to the tender moment. The intimacy was both a comfort and a torment—to want what you are not supposed to have, the sensation was at once maddening and exhilarating.

Matsui, turn back now while you still can.

Why? So that he may tear away at my soul again?

This was so wrong... but when has anything ever been right in my life? The thought of stepping away felt almost impossible, like turning my back on the only spark of warmth I had felt in ages. Yet, I couldn’t shake the sense of taboo hanging over this moment, like a heavy fog. It gnawed at my conscience, reminding me of the lines I was crossing, the rules I was breaking.

I know I should feel guilt—should recoil from thisconnection. But the very things that should repel me pull me in deeper. I’m trapped between desire and duty, and every heartbeat pulls me closer to a choice I never intended to make. How can something so forbidden feel so alive?

He pressed his forehead to mine with a startlingly human tenderness, and I shivered with anticipation.

How can a being of such formidable power exhibit such tenderness, when the mortal man to whom I am bound struggles to show even the slightest hint of it?

“Mortals press their mouths together to convey their affection, do they not? Though I am not fashioned from their flesh and blood, I will use all that is within my power to express the tempest you have stirred within me.”

Words vanished into the darkness as Noboru swiftly shed his armor, and then turned to remove mine. Any embarrassment I felt about the bruises marking my skin faded beneath the gentle hum of nocturnal insects. With a tender touch, Noboru lowered me to the forest floor, and the moonlight bathed us in its serene glow.

I reached up, placing my trembling hands over his bare chest, needing him to anchor me to this new reality. He whispered my name in worship as he positioned himself between the apex of my legs, the heat of his body bringing me back from the dead.

“Will you guide me, Matsui? My instincts have led me this far, but I do not wish to hurt you,” he said, his voice cracking with the strain of his restraint.

His words struck me deeply, a tenderness so foreignto me that it pierced my heart. In the midst of our vulnerability, his consideration and care were overwhelming, unlike anything I had ever known. The contrast between his gentle touch and the harshness of my past felt like a bittersweet revelation.

The sincerity in his plea wrapped around me like a fragile promise, and I found myself aching to trust in this unexpected tenderness, despite the shadows of doubt that lingered.

I slid my hands to the back of his neck, pulling his body against mine. “Take me, Noboru. Claim me under the moonlight the way you want to because, even though I shouldn’t, I want it desperately too.”

His groan vibrated through me as his cock extruded against my inner thigh. The ridges I felt against my skin made the hairs on my arm stand on end but I wasn’t going to question it, keeping my eyes on his shoulder, letting out an anticipated breath.

“Do you fear me, Matsui?”

My eyes shot to his. “Why would you ask that?” I said breathlessly as he rubbed his cock against my arousal, lubricating himself.

“Because I do not know if I can control myself once we become one,” he gritted out, rubbing himself against my entrance.

I widened my legs in response to accommodate his size and he grabbed one of my thighs wrapping it around his hips as if afraid I would change my mind.

“We’ve both acknowledged that everything is beyond our control, Noboru. After all, how many timeshave I demanded you to give me what I want and you continue to deny me?”

It was said partly in jest, and partly as a challenge. His eyes flickered like flames right before he purred and pressed the head of his cock between my legs, stretching my tender flesh.

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