Page 27 of Chains of Nightshade

He doesn't back away when I move closer, though I see the muscles in his jaw tense. His eyes never leave mine, and in them, I see the same war I feel raging inside myself – the pull between what we want and what we fear.

My hand trembles as I reach up, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my fingers. Water droplets trickle down his chest, catching on my palm. His heart pounds against my touch, matching the frantic rhythm of my own.

"Please, don't push me away." The words come out as barely more than a whisper, carried by the gentle breeze.

Before he can respond, before my courage fails me, I rise on my tiptoes and press my lips to his. The kiss is soft, tentative – a question more than a demand. His body tenses beneath my touch, but he doesn't pull away. The water laps at our bodies, its cool touch a stark contrast to the heat building between us.

Something shifts in him, a tremor that runs through his whole body. His tail coils tighter beneath the water, creating ripples that dance around us. When he doesn't reject me, I lean in closer, deepening the kiss. All my longing, my heartbreak, my desperate need for connection pours into it. My fingers curl against his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart.

The moonlight bathes us in silver, turning the water droplets on his skin into tiny stars. Time seems to stop, suspended in this moment where there's no past, no future – just us, here, now.

Before he can respond, I lean in and press my lips to his. It’s soft at first, tentative, but when he doesn’t pull away, I deepen the kiss, pouring all my longing and heartbreak into it. Aurel’s body stiffens momentarily, but then, to my surprise, he responds. His arms wrap around me, pulling me closer, and for a brief, electric moment, we are lost in each other.

The river laps gently against our legs, its cool touch a stark contrast to the heat building between us. My hands find their way to his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath my fingertips. His heart beats steadily, strong and sure, unlike the frantic pounding of mine.

“Vera,” he murmurs against my lips, a warning and a plea rolled into one. But I don’t stop. I can’t. I’ve yearned for this connection, this closeness, for so long. His arms tighten around me, his hands pressing into the small of my back, urging me closer still.

The kiss deepens, our breaths mingling as our bodies press together. Water droplets trickle down his skin, catching on my lips, tasting of river and moonlight. His hands move, one sliding up to cup the back of my head, the other trailing down to my hip, his fingers digging into my flesh with a possessiveness that sends a thrill through me.

“You shouldn’t…” he starts, but I cut him off with another kiss, silencing his protests.

“Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t do,” I whisper, my voice barely more than a breath. “Not after everything.”

His eyes, glowing faintly in the dark, meet mine. There’s a war raging in their depths—desire battling against restraint, longing against fear. But I see the moment he surrenders, the moment he decides to let go.

“Damn it, Vera,” he growls, his voice rough with emotion. His hands grip me tighter, pulling me flush against him. The heat of his body seeps into mine, chasing away the chill of the river. His lips find mine again, fierce and demanding, claiming me in a way that leaves no room for doubt.

We devour each other, our bodies moving together in a dance as old as time. His tail coils around me, anchoring me to him, as his hands explore every curve and dip of my body. I shiver under his touch, my skin alive with sensation, every nerve ending sparking with electricity.

His lips trail down my neck, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin, drawing out a gasp from deep within me. “Aurel,” I whisper, my voice catching as his teeth graze my collarbone.

“Shh,” he murmurs, his breath hot against my skin. “Let me show you what you’ve been missing.”

His words send a shiver down my spine, a mixture of fear and desire. I can't find my voice to answer. Instead, I nod frantically, my body aching for his touch.

Aurel's hand moves, and suddenly, his fingers are there, teasing my entrance. I gasp as he pushes one inside, the sensation of being filled overwhelming. My body trembles, my inner walls clenching around his finger as he begins to move it in and out, each thrust sending jolts of pleasure through me.

"This is all you really wanted, isn't it?" he growls in my ear, his voice a low, dangerous purr.

I can't form words. My mind is a whirl of sensation, my body focused solely on the pleasure he's wringing from me. "Fuck… please, Aurel…" I groan, my hips moving of their own accord, grinding against his hand with need.

He chuckles, a dark and heady sound that makes my heart race even faster. "So responsive," he murmurs, adding another finger and stretching me further. "So needy."

I can feel the tension building inside me, a coil winding tighter and tighter with each stroke of his fingers. My breath comes in short, desperate gasps, my body writhing against him as he relentlessly drives me towards the edge.

"Come for me, Vera," he commands, his voice a harsh whisper against my skin.

And I do. With a cry that echoes through the forest, I fall apart, my body convulsing as waves of pleasure crash over me. Aurel continues to move his fingers, drawing out my orgasm until I'm left trembling and weak in his arms.

As the waves of pleasure recede, I cling to him, my breath ragged, my heart pounding. His arms wrap around me, holding me close, his lips pressed gently against my forehead. For a moment, there’s nothing but the sound of our breaths mingling, the river flowing around us, and the steady beat of our hearts.

Then, slowly, he pulls back, his eyes searching mine. There’s a vulnerability in his gaze that I’ve never seen before, a raw honesty that takes my breath away. “Vera,” he says, his voice barely more than a whisper. “What have you done to me?”

13

AUREL

Igrit my teeth as Vera's soft lips press against mine. Her warmth seeps into my skin, igniting something primal within me. Decades of isolation melt away at her touch, and my body responds with an intensity that catches me off guard.

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