Page 45 of The Silent Mate

He groaned, and this time, I heard the animalistic sound in my head.Careful… I’m barely holding on.

“I don’t want you to hold on,” I whispered, though my breath caught when he pushed in a little deeper.

I don’t—another shallow thrust—want to disappoint you.

His biceps shook from the strain of holding himself above me, and I hooked my ankles around his taut backside. The movement brought him even deeper inside my body. My hand reached up to stroke his cheek, scars and stubble and all.You could never disappoint me. We have the rest of our lives to take our time. Right now, I want you.Allof you, Malik.

He answered with one deep, thorough thrust, pulling out to his tip before re-sheathing himself to the root. The pressure of his hips spread me open. Then, we established a rhythm. Our movements were a bit awkward and unpracticed, but they grew more confident with every second that passed.

Twice, he stopped to collect himself and take the edge off. Each time, he seated himself deep inside of me and pressed doting kisses to my lips while we took a break from the intense stimulation. Once during a break, I tried squeezing his cock with my inner walls, and he reprimanded me with a gentle nibble to his mark on my neck.

The light from the moon poured over us, allowing me to look up and memorize the sight of him—my beautiful, devotedmate. Our breathing grew choppy, our movements erratic. His cock relentlessly brushed against a part of me that I didn’t know existed, and I came apart a second time.

That boiling heat within me bubbled over, an exquisite crescendo that I was growing increasingly familiar with. My internal muscles tightened, drawing him deeper. Milking him and?—

My release pushed him over the edge.

Malik’s thrusts became wild—unhinged—and he roared. His mouth parted, eyes clamping shut as he tilted his head to the moon, and his raspy voice filled my head, the sound of him coming undone for me alone. His pleasure overpowered mine, and I willed every ounce of my focus to stay on this magnificent male as he shattered.

Look at me,he commanded, though I couldn’t fathom looking anywhere else. I gave him my eyes, even when they wanted to roll back at the feeling of warmth coating my womb.

A string of unintelligible curses slipped from his mind into mine, and his thrusts slowed as he spilled inside of me. I felt it then. A strange new pressure at my opening, like Malik’s already thick cock was swelling all over again. And it didn’t stop.

“M-Malik—” I gasped, eyes widening as he tried thrusting inside of me once more, only for the incredible bulge at the base of his cock to obstruct the movement. I tried to wiggle my hips, but we were locked together by the massive swelling. “What’s happening?”

Shh,he soothed, kissing his mark on my neck.This is normal… I think. Relax, little dove.My body immediately heeded his quiet direction, my muscles relaxing and becoming pliable for him.Good. That’s good, Aria.

His praise washed over me, and my eyes fluttered closed.I love hearing your voice. Will you keep talking?

Another shudder racked through his body, and his shoulderstensed as more of his seed spurted inside of me. My muscles squeezed in response.Goddess, yes. You’re extraordinary. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.His voice was a rasp in my mind.Look at you, taking my knot so well.

Knot?

Malik nodded, though the movement was strained like the smallest twitch might make him spill inside of me again. A part of me wanted to test the theory, but he reached between our bodies and stroked the spot where he’d swelled and locked inside of me.It’s called knotting. It only happens in those with alpha blood who’ve found their fated mates, according to my research. It increases the chances of…

He trailed off, and I noticed splotches of color on his cheeks. He didn’t need to finish. I understood.Knottingcreated a seal that kept his seed inside of my womb, drastically increasing the chances of conception. Even so, Malik’s orgasm must’ve been substantial, since I was faintly certain I felt hot liquid seeping from where our bodies were joined.

A newfound wave of heat flushed through my body at the prospect of carrying Malik’s child, and I experimentally clamped my walls down on him again. A ragged exhale escaped his parted mouth as I squeezed more come from his cock, and his hips tried and failed to dig deeper into my sex.

Keep that up, and we’ll be stuck here all night,he warned, though his words weren’t the threat he intended.

His tone was playful, and I couldn’t help but giggle.You say that like it’s a bad thing.

The responding chuckle between my ears made my toes curl, and one corner of his lips curled into a small, hopeful smile.It was… good for you?

“Malik,” I whispered, speaking his name into the world and savoring the taste of it on my tongue. “I’ve never loved anything more than this.”

And, when I reached up to stroke his cheek and connected our lips in a slow, languid kiss, I finished my words through our bond.I’ve never loved anything more thanyou.

20

MALIK

Ilost track of the amount of time we stayed there, a tangle of flesh and sweat and earth, our bodies joined while we familiarized ourselves with one another’s bodies.

The way Aria’s breath hitched when I scraped my teeth over the mark I’d left on her delicate neck. The way her eyes rolled back when I ground my pelvis against her clitoris. How her legs tightened around my waist when my knot began to go down, like she didn’t want to let me go yet.

At last, the swelling diminished enough that I could roll to the side. My shoulders hit the damp earth, and I pulled Aria onto my chest. Dirt and debris fell from her honey locks, and, with a smile on my lips, I plucked a twig from her hairline.

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