Page 28 of Bred By Fafnir

I think she forgot too.

My mate drags a shuddering, ragged breath through her lungs before she screams.

Trulyscreams,as if she’s determined to match my roar.

I watch as she lowers herself as quickly as she can to the ground, gently laying down the wounded animal before she’s picking up fistfuls of snow and throwing them at me. Sobs wracking her chest. “You stupid fucking male! It’snotuseless! Don’t fucking say that! You’re horrible for saying that!” She lobs the loose snow as I rear back, the red from my vision snapping out of existence as a deep well of guilt takes its place. “That’s what he said! He said it was useless to try! It’s not! You- you can’t juststoptrying! What about me, huh? What happens to the rest of us? Did you even think about what would happen to me if you stopped trying?! You fucking— fuckinghorn sporting asshole! What do you think I’m doing all this shit for? I’m trying to help you! And it’s useless! Oh-fucking-kay then!”

I’m panting, deathly silent, my eyes wide as she gives the small animal another pained glance, sobbing as she picks herself up out of the snow. Her entire body is trembling as she calls for Valoryx. My head snaps to my mount, nearly as baffled as I am with my mate when he stops his attack and bounds to her. He doesn’t give the wounded Zylari a single glance. The lyingbral'qornwould’ve eaten it in a single gulp any other time.

“Lenora…” I start as Valoryx lowers for her, sensing she wouldn’t want my help. He shifts the base of his tail so she can use it as a step. “Don’t,” I warn, but the daggers she shoots me as she clambers up my stolen, traitorous mount tell me that was the wrong thing to do as well.

“Don’t let it suffer.” She spits back, before they take off toward the house.

I’m left there, staring at the place they left, my mind reeling. Wondering how in Valhyr’s name everything went so wrong so fast and who let my mate down so terribly before me?

twenty

Lenora

Admittedly, I might’ve lost my cool a bit. Throwing unpacked snow at a towering, deadly alien warrior isn’t quiteall-time lowmaterial, but it’s pretty close. My eyes are raw and puffy even hours later. I don’t cry often, but when I do, I cry hard and can never seem to stop. Just when I think I’m done, that there can’t possibly be more tears inside me, I find some tucked away. It felt good at first to lose my cool, to freak out, and justcry.

Now I’m just tired. The food I prepared for Fafnir sitting idly on a warming plate.

I want to help.

I have to.

Even if it’s crossing boundaries and overstepping. Even if it’s ugly and uncomfortable, I can’t leave here knowing he’s not okay. Thatthere isn’t hope. However small. The wind howls so fiercely that it acts as a lull to thoughts that have been racing for weeks. I’m jolted from my spot, dozing on the couch, when the door slams open. I suck in a ragged breath, launching to my feet like I’m under attack. Fafnir lords in the doorway, making a blast of cold air whip through the toasty house. His long hair knotted and windswept. It’d taken a nasty turn shortly after I got back. I’d tried to send Val back, but of course, he declined to listen. Fafnir’s nostrils flare, his eyes darting to the food waiting for him. As usual, there’s no indication of how he receives my peace offering, aside from the clenching in his jaw. Biting back my sigh, I jerk the blanket I’ve been wiping my snot on for the past few hours up and head toward the bedroom.

I’m less than halfway there before the world tilts and I’m jerked up off my feet and slammed against a broad chest. “Hey!”

“Quiet female.”

“Nofemalenotquiet! Female ispissed offand wants to stop being tossed around like a wet noodle!”

“What is a noodle?”

I rear back as he covers me with more furs, canting my head back to stare at him upside down. “You don’t know what a noodle is?”

He shakes his head, adjusting me in his arms before stalking out into the blizzard. The blast of unforgiving wind and snow feels like glass shards, hitting my skin like a whip. I’m grateful when he turns the corner, stalking around the side of the house, protecting us from the worst of it. I open my eyes wider than I dared moments before, staring at the large wooden box now lying on the ground.

My heart thunders as I struggle free from his arms. He puts me down reluctantly, moving to snatch me back up when I hiss, my bare feet sinking into the snow. He only gets an outer layer of fur as I drop to my knees in front of the wooden nest. My heart swells, achingsomething awful at the little blue rabbit inside, its belly wrapped and mended. The cozy nest laden with warm fur, sticks, and some greens, water… “D-Did you build this?” I call over the wind, my teeth chattering. This time, when he plucks me from the ground, I curl into him, hiding my face from the snow.

“I am not the best with my words, Lenora. I wanted to make things better before I returned.”

Tears bud in my eyes as he walks us back through the threshold. When I speak again, my voice is a whisper. “Should he be inside?”

“Sheis made for the cold and is far more comfortable where she’s at.”

I nod, blinking my eyes rapidly before pulling back and staring at his clear, golden eyes. I’m not sure who moves first. Maybe it’s us both. Perhaps it’s me, but our lips don’t slam this time, but meet gently in the middle. The kiss is deep, agonizingly slow, and my core flutters pressed against him. We savor each other, and when my tongue tests the seam of his lips, he allows me in with a deep groan. We only part once we reach the bedroom. My chest and cheeks flushed as I’m lain back on the bed. He doesn’t hesitate, crawling over me, peppering my flesh with attention as he strips me of my clothes.

This softer, gentler vison of him is… muddying. Reverent. Like I’m a gift he’s waited his entire life for. There’s no chastising, no judgement as he peels me open. His lips tracing the path of my tears as he adores and worships me. He doesn’t stop his musings until I’m a panting, shaky, needy mess. Then he continues further, my first climax hitting me in a slow building eruption. I’m offered a hungry satisfied smile; he hasn’t even touched my cunt. He hadn’t needed to.

“Please Faf, I feel so empty,” I whimper, wishing I could rub my thighs together. My core still clenching and unclenching around nothing at all.

“You need to be filled by my cocks.”

I nod hungerly, despite it not being a question. “I want your mating cock, please, I can take it.”

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