Page 36 of The Silent Mate

When he pulled away, our breaths came in ragged pants. Our chests expanded and contracted in rapid gasps, and I was faintly certain I could feel his erection, thick and long, pressing into my stomach.

Oh Goddess.I swayed forward, pressing my hips tighter against his hard body. It took no small amount of effort to refrain from wiggling in search of friction between my legs.

We were outside. A stone’s throw away from the pack house and countless shifters finishing their dinner party.

“Malik—” His name was a breathless plea. “Take me back to the cottage.”

16

MALIK

Take me back to the cottage.

My blood roared. The adrenaline that had been coursing through my veins since the damned dinner party, born of anger and fear, pulsed anew.

Take me back to the cottage.It was a quiet, firm plea.

Need pooled behind those sky eyes, undoubtedly mirrored in my own gaze. My chest heaved, gulping to draw air into my burning lungs. I’d forgotten to breathe, too transfixed by the taste of my little dove.

I dipped my chin and stooped to scoop Aria into my arms, one slipping beneath her bent legs and the other cradling her back.

Her arms wrapped around my neck, the insides of her forearms grazing the scarred tissue at my throat, but I didn’t withdraw. The skin prickled at the unnatural sensation of another’s touch, but I took a steadying breath and focused on the warmth of her skin instead.

I carried her along the path, nerves and anticipation curling low in my abdomen with every step I took closer to our home.

I had no experience with…this.I’d never taken a female into my bed. I’d relieved myself with my fist, of course, but I didn’t know the first thing about pleasuring another. Apprehension licked down my spine at the prospect of disappointing my mate.

Of course, I’d never kissed anyone before, either, yet my body seemed to innately know what to do. I studied Aria’s reactions, too. The little noises in her throat. The way her lips parted and her fingers tightened on my shirt when I did something she enjoyed. When the time came, I decided I would allow her reactions and instinct to guide me once again.

We arrived at the cottage a few minutes later. I gently placed Aria on her feet in the kitchen and took a small step backward.

Now, standing face to face with my little dove, I realized that the anger-fueled passion from minutes ago had settled, though insatiable lust still churned in my groin. I still wanted her, but my bravery dwindled with the rage.

She stared up at me expectantly, her fleshy bottom lip clasped between her teeth. Her skin was flushed, practically glowing in the light from the nearly full moon through the window.Goddess,she was perfect.

Suddenly, I felt terribly inadequate. I lowered my head, allowing my long hair to fall over the ruined side of my face, as if that might make her forget that I looked monstrous in comparison to her.

A frown formed on her forehead in response, and she took a small step forward. “Don’t hide from me, Malik. Please…”

The breath caught in my throat, and I froze.

She took another step closer, then another, until she stood directly in front of me. Our chests nearly brushed.

One of Aria’s hands landed on my chest, but the other found my unscarred cheek. She cupped the side of my face, fingerstrailing over my scruff and stroking my jawline. Electricity sparked wherever her touch went.

“I think you’re beautiful,” she whispered, her voice filled with the reverence of an acolyte worshipping her god. “Every part of you. So,please,don’t hide from me.”

Then, she did it. The hand resting on my chest drifted upward. She moved with painstaking caution, giving me every opportunity to pull back as her fingers hovered centimeters away from my twisted scars.

“Do you want me to stop?”

My heart stopped. Alarm bells blared in my head. The voice in the back of my head, the one I’d relied on to survive for countless years, shouted at me to defend myself. But I didn’t. I steeled myself against the rising panic and shook my head.

No.I didn’t want her to stop.

Tears glistened across the surface of her eyes as I placed my trust in her delicate little fingers.

And when her fingertips brushed against my ruined flesh, there was no pain. No prickling. Only Aria’s soft touch and the warmth it left in its wake.

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