Page 114 of The Alien in the Archive

“That feel good?” she asks breathlessly.

I nod, gripping her hips. “Keep going.”

Page smiles and starts to move, thrusting herself down on me. I can feel her walls gripping me in a way that makes my breath hitch and my heart pound. Our eyes lock and the bond between us flares brighter, driving us both on.

"Yes," I manage to choke out as she continues to ride me. "Harder, Page."

She obeys, her movements becoming faster and harder as she rides me. Her tits bounce with each thrust, making me even more desperate for her. My cock slams into her, feeling her cunt tighten around me. We're overheated and panting as our bodies meet again and again.

"You feel so good," she breathes, leaning down to kiss me. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer as she continues to ride me. The bond between us is like a fire, consuming us both and driving us on. And I’m…I’m warm too, almost too warm.

Alive.

I feel my own body starting to heat up, my skin tingling with the intensity of the bond. I know what’s coming, and I can’t help but want it.Need it.

“Faster,” I growl, gripping her hips harder as she rides me. “Come for me, Page.”

She moans, her eyes meeting mine as she picks up speed. The bond is a force of nature, a whirlwind of hunger and desire. I can feel it building, building, the sensation of her cunt tightening around my cock as she nears climax.

“I’m going to come,” she gasps. “Thorne, I’m gonna…”

I watch her face as she comes, her lips parting wide…then I’m with her, feeling the tide wash over us both. We cry out together, our minds connecting. The bond blazes, burns. I feel her spasming around my knot, and I spill myself into her.

I will stay with her. The thought crystallizes.

We’re going to be fine.

When she finally slows her movements, she lays across me, waiting for my knotto subside. My cock pulses inside her, still hard and twitching as it recovers from our climax.

Page slumps against me, her cheek resting over my heart. Her breath is ragged, warm against my skin, and I can feel the faintest hum of the bond still reverberating through us,even as the sharpness of it fades. I hold her, one hand brushing over her bare back, the other tangled in her hair. For a long time, there’s only silence—a deep, blissful stillness that neither of us is willing to break.

Eventually, she shifts just enough to look up at me. Her hair falls around us like a curtain, shadowing her face and softening the glow of the lamps. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips swollen from our kisses, and yet her grey eyes are sharp, still searching.

“You’re warm,” she murmurs, brushing her fingers along my jaw. Her voice is quiet, but there’s a lingering wonder in it—like she can’t quite believe what’s happened.

I catch her hand and kiss her fingertips. “You’re the one who did that.”

She gives me a faint smile, though her expression remains uncertain. “Do you…feel okay? You’re not…too warm, are you?

I can’t help but laugh softly. “If this is what life feels like again, I’ll endure it gladly.”

Her brows furrow slightly, and I feel her doubt ripple through the bond—so faint I wouldn’t notice if I weren’t so attuned to her. I cup her face in my hands, gently guiding her to meet my gaze. “Page, stop. You didn’t hurt me. You gave me more than I deserve.”

Her lips press into a thin line. “That’s not true.”

“It is,” I say firmly. “For five thousand years, I drifted between the shadows of life. Existing, but not living. And then you came in—stubborn, determinedyou—and turned everything upside down. You gave me hope. A reason to fight. A reason to stay.”

She leans into my touch, her eyes searching mine, though her voice comes out as a whisper. “We’re not done fighting.”

“No,” I agree softly. “But we’re not running, either.”

She sighs, shifting so she’s lying back on my chest. I wrapmy arms around her, holding her close. For all her strength, all her fire, I can feel how exhausted she is, how much of herself she’s poured into this. The weight of it all presses on her, just as much as it does on me. And yet she’s here. Still here.

“I don’t regret any of this, you know,” she murmurs, her words muffled against my skin. “Not a single thing.”

A lump forms in my throat, and I press a kiss to the top of her head. “Neither do I.”

Her breathing slows, soft and steady, and for the first time in days, the frantic edge of our emotions begins to settle. The bond between us remains, a quiet warmth now—strong, steady, and undeniable. She drifts closer to sleep, the tension finally leaving her body, and I allow myself to close my eyes.

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