Lunaria (A Soulmark Series Finale), page 21
"I shouldn't have said that. I don't know if the others will be used as the entertainment," Adrian amends. Another creak. His unnatural body heat calls to me. "I'm only guessing what they'll do based on how they've treated us thus far." Adrian clears his throat. “Still... it’s too risky to help them."
Resolve straightens my spine as I turn back around to face him.
"We have to find a different way," I say, projecting as much authority into my words as possible. "We have to. I won't leave without them, Adrian."
He growls and paces the room in agitation. It is several minutes before he rumbles his response. "The fairies I might be able to release. Without their collars, they may even be of some use to us on the run. But your other friends? They're too weak. They'll only slow us down."
"I won't leave them behind."
"Luna—"
"I won't leave them," I snarl back just as ferociously. "They're my friends, Adrian. I can't leave them behind... and they wouldn't leave me."
Adrian's glower is fearsome, but I stand my ground. His frustration wells up in our bond, and with a snarl, he returns to the dresser to snatch his clean clothes.
"Adrian, please—"
He marches to the door, swinging it open violently. When it smacks against the wall with a bang and I shudder, he has the good grace to glance back at me with a shameful flinch.
"Allow me time to think," he says, all vestiges of our quarrel pushed aside as his aching plea fills the room. "I'll be back soon. I need to wash."
Adrian closes the door behind him, far softer than he opened it.
The flames bolstering me cool with a single exhalation as I stare mutely at the door. I take a seat at the end of the bed, gaze wading through the bare contents of the room before landing on the ceiling. I flop backward. The mattress is unyielding, but it provides more comfort than the cellar ever could, and I ponder on methods of escape.
As promised, Adrian doesn't take long. I prop up onto my elbows as he re-enters, watching as he squats before the small heater and fiddles with the knobs. The process takes a suspiciously long time.
"Did you think of something?" I inquire, the simple question cracking on my tongue.
The muscles of Adrian's back ripple as he tenses. My eyes train themselves on the two protruding humps at his shoulder blades—the remnants of his wings—and swallow.
Adrian sighs and heaves himself upward, before crossing the distance and joining me on the bed. It sinks as he lowers himself at my side.
At first, he says nothing. He merely takes my hand in his and hunts the path of several vines that run the back of it with roughened fingertips. My intraflora tingles with each pass, as does the lightning bolt hugging my hip.
"I thought of a few things," he says, sweeping his eyes in my direction. His regard lingers on the sober line of my brows and mouth, and he swallows, glancing back at my intraflora. "I don't see any of them ending well. If it was just the two of us—"
"No."
Our glares clash. Adrian huffs his annoyance as I bristle and stand, yanking my hand from his.
"We won't all make it out of the forest alive, and it'll be difficult enough to get everyone out without drawing notice. We can always come back for them."
"No," I say. The hard pound of my foot against the floor rattling the small heater. Aunt Mo's chiding voice sounds in my head, reminding me such behavior is acceptable only in two-year-olds and I scoff. My frustration is difficult to control, and pools in the creases of my eyes as I settle my arms over my chest. "There will be nothing left of them if we leave them here."
Adrian's stony facade doesn't change.
"They won't slow us down," I insist.
"They will."
"They won't—and if that's your greatest concern, then I see only one plausible solution." My cheeks flame red as Adrian stares me down. "I came up with an idea too. If I’m right about my surge in powers, and that the entwining strengthened me… I have no reason not to believe that proceeding with the covenant will strengthen us for what's to come. After, surely we will both be strong enough to secure all of our freedom."
Adrian goes still, only his pupils' move, dilating and retracting as they focus on me with an intensity that makes my pulse double. Hues of red brighten his face as he drags me back to stand between his legs.
"That's not a commitment to take lightly, Lunaria. The covenant will bind us together for the rest of our lives. The link we have will be amplified. The physical pain you worried about before the entwining will be our reality."
"I understand." My hands come to rest on his chest as Adrian's grow heavy on my waist. "I understand that my strengths will be yours, and yours, mine. Bonded together from the covenant, we can lead our friends to safety."
"Your friends," he corrects.
My argument stalls as I catch the hint of bitterness in his reply. His grip constricts and I flinch.
"What is it?" Adrian asks gruffly, eyes narrowing on me in question. I go to speak, but words escape me as his discontent flows through me. Before I can question his emotions, Adrian tugs me forward with a jerk. I gasp and tumble into his torso, gaping at him, owl-eyed. Adrian’s dark eyes smolder back at me and for a moment I lose my train of thought. The heat of his body and look in his eyes are a temptation that is not easily resisted, and yet…
I cannot ignore the current of his persisting resentment.
It’s there, niggling at my better senses even as Adrian ushers our lips together. A deep purr erupts from him, as I sink into our embrace. His actions and emotions confuse me, but my confusion is swept away by Adrian’s hunger. He tastes and takes from me eagerly, stealing my breath and reversing our positions without warning.
As much as I want to give into my mounting desire, I cannot escape the undercurrent of Adrian’s pain. I twist my head and take several deep breaths to regain some clarity. Hot lips roam the length of my jaw and chin, nipping the sensitive skin in a blatant attempt to rob my attention. When they veer toward the delicate curve of my ear, a traitorous moan unfolds from me.
"Talk to me," I pant. “You’re hurting, I can feel it.” A nip in reply is all I receive. With a huff, I push at his chest, my back bowing against the mattress. “Adrian, stop."
Adrian wrenches back short of breath and unable to hide the hurt that flashes across his face.
"What?" He snaps, his temper getting the better of him. I scowl back, immediately on the defensive. Using my legs and arms, I propel myself out from under him and to the top of the bed.
"Don't yell at me!" I snap back.
"You said you wished to partake in the covenant, didn't you?" I pause, heart-pounding, and nerves aflame. The knee-jerk reaction of my frustration slips away at the sound of his pain. "For your friends? Whatever it takes to earn the freedom of you and your friends from this place, is that right?"
My gut clenches with guilt and tightens further as I register the shame in his eyes—shame I made him feel.
I sink back into the poor support of the pillows. Had I not decided to be a light for my friends? To lift them up? To give Adrian hope?
"It isn't just for my friends, Adrian, it's—" Vulnerability arrests me as I struggle to hold his gaze. "It's for us," I whisper, ducking my head. "I realize I've not been the most... receptive to our bond, and our circumstances make everything worse. But I cannot refute what is between us.
"You are my heart's content, and the thought of a home with you in the Hollow does not unnerve me as it did before. That said, I have no desire for us to stay here and endure their torture. Would you truly fault me for not wishing the same fate for my friends?"
Adrian swallows thickly and rocks back to rest on his knees. His hands splay against his thighs, as the sharp contours of his face relax. Slowly, relief settles in my veins—Adrian's relief.
He exhales slowly. "I fear you already regret the steps we have taken, and know I am not your ideal mate."
I duck my head as my guilt surfaces. It’s true I have not viewed Adrian as an ideal mate, but as the days pass it becomes clearer that I’ve misjudged his character. As for regret, did I? I search in my heart and discover instead fear—not of Adrian but of our uncertain future.
I roll back my shoulders and meet his guarded gaze. “I fear what lies ahead here and outside of this horrible place. Our differences span a great distance,”—I bunch the blanket in my fists—“but the Gods and Goddesses would not have marked us alike if they believed us to be a false match. As for regret,” I pause, gaze going distant, and mull over the whirl of emotions in my stomach and heart before answering. “I do not regret it,” I say, silently astonished at the truth of my words. Perhaps there is hope for Adrian and me after all.
As my focus re-centers on the warrior in front of me, I’m confronted with a look of pure lust. My mouth runs dry as Adrian prowls up the bed. This is not the reaction I anticipated from my honesty.
A sinful premonition calls to me at his approach. One that promises delicious torment at his hands. My rabbit heartbeat trembles as he comes to hover over me.
"Say the words," Adrian commands. His voice is near a rumble, deep and undulated as it caresses my skin.
"To the makers that be, your blessings and gifts we do consent. Ever bond. Hearts as one... I do vow to be yours."
I give the words their proper due, speaking each with humble and ardent aim. Tendrils of electricity crack and snake about my body as they draw past my lips. They call every cell and chord—every pulse and instinct—to attention. The moment the last word is spoken, I am transported outside of myself. Taken by some strange magic, I am driven far beyond what I can understand and wait in expectation for Adrian to respond in kind.
"To the makers that be, your blessings and gifts we do consent. Ever bond. Hearts as one, I do vow to be yours."
Vibrant electric currents consume me—consumes us—and draws our two quaking bodies together. The vibrant torrent spirals quickly out of control. It whips and lashes around my body, urging me on with relentless pursuit to strip all that stands between Adrian and me.
Our clothes stand little chance of survival.
They come off in rapid succession, some whole, others in parts. Neither of us pays mind to our wild nature, the burning need to be one overcoming all else. Bare at last to one another, our hands plunder each other’s newly revealed flesh. A claim laid to everything in our path. My breath hitches as Adrian nestles himself between my thighs. The hard impression of his arousal impatient against the slick folds at my entrance.
"I—" he chokes on his words, capturing my lips instead and sliding into me with a reverent shudder wracking his body.
I tilt my head back, a long-seeded whimper coerced from me as his thick cock buries deep inside of me. The storm thrashing around us, fractures. Flashes of gold pierce Adrian's darkened gaze as it glides over me.
Our heartbeats sound in my ear, growing louder by the second as they chase after one another. When they beat as one, Adrian groans low in his throat and rocks his pelvis forward. Adrenaline swells inside of me, a mixture of my own and Adrian's that makes me pant. I twist my legs around his hips.
It is all the encouragement he needs.
"You are everything," he breathes, tucking his face into the shallow hollow between my shoulder and clavicle. Dampness greets my flushed skin, and hot breath skims the tops of my breasts. The heady breeze entices the rosy peaks of my chest to stiffen. I rub them against the coarse hair swathed over his chest.
Fingers knead my cheeks and lower still to the backs of my thighs, coaxing them wider apart to embrace the relentless pursuit of our releases. My hands, for their part, brace themselves against Adrian. One clasps the base of his skull, the fine hairs there prickling at my skin. The other clings to his back to tentatively explore the tape and bandages that protect his wounds.
A hand cups my breast. Fingers pinch at my nipple.
The pressure is the perfect amount of pleasure and pain.
It arches my back—makes my teeth tear at my lower lip. "Adrian." His name is a rasp, one drenched in satisfaction as the storm brews on and on inside of my veins.
"Ov thera." My heart.
A different heat consumes me. One of tender affection. I cling to it—cling to him—working my sex against his to satiate this new burning need.
Adrian responds in kind, sensing my urgency. His hold tightens, and his speed increases. The rush of breath skimming over my chin is all the warning I have before our lips collide.
Adrian groans loudly. The frantic pace he sets loses its edge and coalesces into three long sweeping surges of his hips.
My tattered moan mingles with Adrian's in the air as my orgasm races through me.
Adrian collapses on me, his weight pleasant for a time. When his member softens from inside me—the erotic moment curling my toes—he rolls on to his side, tugging me along after him. In this bliss, we stay for some time. Tucked into the safety of his side, I allow myself to relax. The synchronized beating of our hearts still echoing in my ears. I can almost forget where we are.
"Are you asleep?"
I smile at the soft-spoken inquiry. "Not quite," I murmur, nose pressed into his ribcage.
He takes my hand from where it rests, on the solid plane of his stomach, and studies it. Tiny clusters of red flowers dot the creases of my hand. He smooths his thumb across the short expanse with a breath of contentment.
"Calceolas are my favorite flower to spot in the Hollow Woods. Their petals make my favorite tea." I peek at him through the veil of my lashes and am presented with a fond expression. "I am pleased to see them now on you, ov thera."
I blush at the endearment. A shyness I cannot ward off washes over me as he tugs me closer.
"Then I too am pleased," I say. Lazy fingers trace patterns on my side.
"Sleep." Adrian's lips brush against my temple. I grace him with a smile, though it falters at the somber expression he repays me with. "Tomorrow will be our greatest trial, and we need all the rest we can manage." He bends to kiss me, the sweet affection alleviating the growing worry in my stomach at his declaration. I fall asleep without further ado.
++
The room is bathed in mellow light thanks to the desk lamp when I awaken. With arms reaching well above my head and toes coming to a point, my spine delivers a satisfying pop.
"You snore," Adrian comments. Amusement tinges his voice, as does fondness, which lessens the blow as I sit up.
"I do not."
"You do," he says, lifting his eyes from the pad of paper in his lap. They shine with unbridled mirth. "It's... cute."
A blush covers my cheeks, but it is not the only thing. A familiar unfurling and unwinding of flower petals and leaves open there as well. Adrian's eyes narrow in their focus, his hand stopping its broad arc across the paper as he studies my reaction. His forehead crinkles, accompanying the pinching at the corner of his lips.
"You'll have to be careful today," he rumbles. "If anyone catches your intraflora moving…”
"I can keep them under control."
"I don't doubt your control over them," he says. "But can you keep your emotions under control?" My flush returns, as do the bright red calceolas flowers. Adrian sets aside his work and leans toward me.
"We can't mess up today," he stresses.
"I know." My teeth find their way to my bottom lip. Though the area is tender from the abuse it's faced over the past few days, the habit is comforting. "I'll do everything I can to hold them back. I'm just... I'm not used to having to."
His knuckles trace the line of my jaw. "After today, you won't have to again."
My stomach flexes then erupts into a fluttering sensation. "Do you really think we'll make it out? Everyone?"
"I don't know." His reply is hushed and unsure, but his features tighten with determination. "I might have an idea of how to handle things today—don't ask," he warns, his thumb skirting dangerously near my abused bottom lip. "If we're caught, or they become suspicious in the slightest and question you, I don't want you knowing too much."
"I wouldn't tell them anything. I promise."
Adrian shakes his head and pulls back his hand. Reclining with a resigned huff, he passes me a measured look. "I can't risk it, Luna. As it is, everything I do today to secure our passage will be based on opportunity."
"And my friends?"
He inhales and exhales, nostrils flaring as he slouches and slides deeper into his seat. "They're included in my plans."
I slump back in relief. My heart's content hums against my skin in pleasant delight. As my lashes float downward, the wellspring of my magic ripples inside of me. I almost laugh at the sensation, for it makes no disguise of its want to be released.
A twinge of longing nips at my heart. Never have I had to deny my magic so, but Adrian is right. There can be no missteps today. I press my will against the wellspring, urging it to temper.
"Luna?" I open my eyes. Adrian smooths a hand over the shadow of his hair, guilt gleaming in his eyes. "I'll have to act a certain way today. Whatever they ask of me, I'll have to do without hesitation. There's a possibility I'll have to be cruel to you or your friends. I—I want to apologize in advance, but know this; whatever I do or say isn't personal or deliberate."
Anxiety crawls up the back of my throat. I do my best to swallow it down before answering. "Okay," I murmur.
"I can't afford to be leashed again," he tells me in earnest. "If I am, we have no hope of escape. None."
The soft inclination of his guilt lingers in my system even as he leans in to kiss me. However, it doesn't take long for the leisurely reassurance to turn into a more zealous affair. The blankets cocooning me begin to slip down, and by the pleased purr that erupts from Adrian, he doesn't mind the development in the slightest.
A banging at the door ruins our passion-fueled moment.
The threat of a rebutting growl lingers between us as Adrian retreats. He glares at the door, then goes rigid. Unconsciously, I mirror him, and right the bedding around myself.
