Chapter 33: Sena - Fated to the Night King

A soft, searing touch woke me from sleep. No nightmares, no pain. Just a touch.

Soothing and, at the same time, leaving a scorching trail of want in its wake.

"No worries, little spy. I'm just untying you." Alkan's voice was in my ear, and I blinked my eyes open. His face was right over my shoulder; brow furrowed with concentration as he loosened the knots in the rope holding me fast. He leaned in a little closer, and the scent of him hit me.

Delicious.

A strange, keening sound escaped me, and Alkan froze. The stormy gray of his eyes bled to almost pure black, and his fangs brushed over the pulse in the notch of my neck.

"Sena, you need to wake up." His words were halting, like they were being dragged from him, and I felt disappointment pull tight in my belly. It hit me even stronger when he shifted away, creating distance, and I scented more with his every move. Desire, arousal and need. They all combined into one dizzying combination, and I actually growled my dismay. Having him beside me had felt right. Comforting.

And now my comfort was prowling away, leaving me alone to shiver in the chill.

"Why?" I managed to grit out, grinding my teeth as loneliness struck me hard, emotions piling one on top of another.

His voice came from across the room and I lifted my head to watch as he ran his hands through his hair. Another scent layered over the others.

Distress.

"I'm going to call for Leah and Gus. They'll help you dress and we can talk about this when you're feeling more in control."

I didn't want Gus or Leah. I didn't want anyone else.

I wanted him.

Something dormant in my core had come roaring to life, and the senses that had been dulled for so long were now firing. Bringing me information in an overwhelming wave.

"Goddess help me," he muttered as I pulled against the bonds and those words made my anger spike. The knotted silk ropes gave as I strained, the knotted length already loosened, and I slipped off the bed, my limbs stretching as I ate up the space between us.

"Do not pray to her." I spat the words, admitting to a lack of faith here that I could never voice in my home. Among my own people.

A wave of pain speared through my stomach, and I stumbled. Alkan caught me, his bare skin landing against mine, and the acute agony eased a little. My skin felt too tight, like it was stretched and straining around my bones. A sob escaped me. His strong arms curled me in close, surrounding me with his heat and scent, and my heartbeat receded, no longer pounding in my ears.

"Ey ruhum," he whispered, and I didn't know what he was saying, but it calmed me anyway. His hands combed through my hair, and he pressed me in tighter. My hands twined around his neck, and he tipped his head to the side, giving me access to that spot I was searching for. The notch where his pulse beat heavily beneath the surface. I wanted to bury my teeth there, to fill my mouth with the taste of him.

My lips parted, my tongue dragging over that spot, his skin tasting of salt and spice, and now it was hunger that overwhelmed me. Alkan leaned back, his weight balanced against the wall, holding us both up, and he nodded, giving me access, even as he groaned, low and visceral, "Yes."

Permission.

Consent.

I bit down, groaning when his flesh gave way, and the coppery taste of his blood landed on my tongue. I sealed my lips over the wound, sucking deep, afraid to waste even a drop, and pleasure heated my core with every swallow.

As if he could read my very thoughts, Alkan steadied me, his large thigh wedged between my legs, and I ground down upon him, the friction hitting me perfectly, and my body broke apart in spasms of euphoria and ecstasy, flaring bright and hot and so intense that all I could do was hang on to the man in front of me as it peaked and left me sated. Boneless. Spent.

"Well, now, that is a delightful way to wake up." His voice vibrated into me, our chests pressed together, and he didn't let me go even when I pulled back, shocked at what I'd done. "Don't go apologizing now, please, Sena, or I might actually be offended."

His hands stroked down my back, over the fabric of my nightgown, but that simple touch still sent pleasurable shivers rolling along my spine.

"I bit you." It was an obvious statement, the taste of him still fresh on my tongue, and I was almost ashamed to admit to myself that I wanted more. "You let me bite you."

"Seemed like what you needed. And I was more than happy to oblige." I could still scent his own desire, the arousal painting the air in the room, and the rigid length of him pressing firmly against me. "It was nigh impossible for me to turn you down."

Shame burned my cheeks and I tried to push away, but he only held me tighter, keeping us aligned. "Don't doubt yourself, Sena. I happily gave what you asked for. It was my honor to do so."

"I should do the same for you." When I looked up, the intensity of his gaze sent my thoughts skittering away, and all I could do was copy his own movement from earlier. Tilting my head to the side. Making an offering of my own.

He leaned in, his breath teasing the sensitive length of my neck, and I felt his teeth graze over my pulse. I arched in his arms, and his grip on me went tighter. Almost bruising, but I wasn't afraid. Instincts long buried came to life and reassured me. It whispered, promising me. This was a man I could trust.

His fangs scraped, making me shiver, and I tensed, bracing for that moment when they would break through.

Alkan hesitated, then shook his head.

"No. Not like this." His fingers settled on my chin, making me meet his eyes. "This is not a requirement, Sena. Just because I gave to you doesn't mean you owe me anything."

That shame was back, instantly burning through me, and now he was the one shaking his head. "This is not any indication of how I feel or what I want. If I thought it was the right thing, I'd be buried inside you right now, in every way I could. I want that. Which I have no doubt you can scent. But until we have settled things between us, until you can take what I offer you in all honesty, I'll wait. And there's no shame you need to carry for recognizing your own need and desire. It was my honor to share that with you. It's not the last time for us, I promise you."

He said all this, eyes burning with emotion as he spoke. The truth of it hit me deep.

And that scared me.