Lorien’s POV
Lysaa was so damn beautiful.
The moment her soft voice filled the space between us, everything in me had screamed to take her-to claim her, to make her mine in every way imaginable. My rut raged within me, clawing at my control, demanding I give in to my basest instincts.
But I held back.
Just barely.
She was so small, so delicate, and everything in me knew I needed to be careful. She was mine, but she was also precious, something to be treasured-not broken.
Still, my patience had its limits.
“I honestly can’t wait,” I admitted, my voice a low growl, thick with hunger. My fingers traced the curve of her jaw, feeling the soft hitch in her breath. “I’ve been holding back for too long, Lysaa.”
I leaned in, letting my lips hover near her ear, my breath hot against her skin. “I’m in rut,” I murmured, my voice rough with unrestrained need. “And it’s taking every ounce of control I have not to take you right here, right now.”
A shiver ran through her, and I smirked, dragging my nose along the delicate shell of her ear, breathing her in.
“The only thing I can think about,” I continued, my voice a slow, sinful drawl, “is just how badly I want to get you out of these clothes and all the dirty, messy, raunchy things I’m going to do to you.”
She shivered.
That reaction nearly undid me.
I moved in, my lips brushing the shell of her ear as I whispered, my voice laced with raw desire, “You’re such a sweet, innocent thing that I want to ruin you beyond recognition. I’m not ashamed to admit that I can’t help but wonder the type of debauched face you’d make when I have you under me, split open on my cocks, gasping for breath, moaning my name desperately, helplessly as I completely wreck you.”
A delicious shudder ran through her, and I smirked, dragging my tongue over the edge of her earlobe.
“I have every intention of fucking you until you pass out.”
Her breathing quickened, her chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven gasps.
I pulled back just enough to study her expression. She was completely still, as if caught in the crossfire of her own warring emotions-part of her hesitant, part of her completely at my mercy.
Good.
“From the taste of your blood, I could tell you’re a virgin,” I continued, dragging my fingers down the bare skin of her arm, slow and deliberate. “You’ve been such a good little girl, saving yourself for me all this time, and I’m going to reward you, my sweet Lysaa.”
A small whimper escaped her lips.
I groaned, my fingers tightening against her skin.
“I’ll make you feel so good you’ll forget to breathe,” I promised, my voice nothing more than a husky whisper. “My name will be the first thing you whisper in the morning as you wake up and the last thing you moan at night. You’ll make a good mother to our children…” I kissed the corner of her lips, dragging my thumb over the pulse thrumming wildly at her throat. “But you’ll be my own personal little whore at night.”
I inhaled sharply, breathing in the sweet scent of her arousal.
Mine.
She was mine.
Lysaa let out a shaky exhale, her breath fanning against my lips.
I traced slow, lazy circles against the inside of her thigh, my touch featherlight but deliberate. She let out the smallest moan, her body tensing beneath my touch.
I smirked.
“Lysaa,” I murmured, my lips brushing over her skin. “Will you let me possess you?”
She hesitated for only a second before breathing out a quiet, trembling, “Yes.”
That was all I needed.
I crashed my lips against hers, swallowing the gasp that left her mouth. She was soft, so incredibly soft, and she tasted divine. I tilted my head, deepening the kiss, my tongue sweeping past her lips to claim every inch of her.
She melted against me.
I could feel her inexperience in the way she responded-hesitant, unsure, but willing. I groaned, gripping the back of her head and guiding her, coaxing her into following my lead.
She let me.
Gods, she let me.
I kissed her harder, drinking in every sound she made, until she was clinging to me, her fingers tangling in my hair as if she never wanted to let go.
I wanted to ruin her.
Slowly.
Thoroughly.
Completely.
When I finally pulled away, her lips were swollen, her breath coming in soft, uneven gasps. Her cheeks were flushed, and the sight of her like this-so beautifully undone-nearly sent me over the edge.
I wasn’t done. Not even close.
I dragged my lips down the column of her throat, nipping and kissing as I went. Her skin tasted just as sweet as her lips, and I reveled in the little sounds she made, the way she arched into me without even realizing it.
When I reached her chest, I paused, my hands sliding to the hem of her shirt. My fingers brushed against the fabric, gripping it lightly as I began to lift it.
But before I could go any further, Lysaa’s hand suddenly covered mine.
I stopped instantly. My gaze flicked to her face, searching. She wasn’t pulling away, but there was a hesitance in the way she touched me.
“Can we… take it slow for a bit?” she asked softly.
I exhaled, letting the tension ease from my body. I pressed a slow, reassuring kiss against her jaw. “Of course,” I murmured. “I won’t do anything you don’t like.”
She was quiet for a moment, her fingers curling slightly against my skin. Then, she admitted, “I want you, Lorien. Just as much as you want me.” Her voice was breathy, tinged with something that made my pulse thrum harder. But then, she hesitated. “It’s just… not being able to see you. Doing something this intimate with someone whose face I can’t even picture-it takes a high level of trust. And I’m still trying to adjust to it.”
I froze, her words slamming into me like a bolt of lightning.
I had assumed-no, I hadn’t even thought about it.
“You mean…” I blurted out, my brows furrowing. “You haven’t always been blind?”
She shook her head, exhaling slowly, her expression unreadable. “No. It’s been less than a year.”
Shock rippled through me. Less than a year. Not her whole life.
My mind raced, trying to piece it together. “What happened?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
Lysaa went still. There was a slight tension in her shoulders, a flicker of something in her face, like she didn’t want to say it. But after a moment, she answered.
“Calvin,” she said simply.
That one name was enough to make my blood boil.
She swallowed. “He… blinded me… for helping Kamrynn escape.”
That was all I needed to hear. Everything went still just for a fraction of a second.
And then… the rage of a thousand volcanoes erupted within me, searing through my veins like molten fire. My vision darkened at the edges, and a deep, guttural growl rumbled from my chest, so primal it barely sounded human.
Calvin!!!
That fucking bastard.
How dare that coward lay his hands on my mate?!
First, he abused Kamrynn. He tormented her, broke her, left scars that would never fully fade.
And now, my very own mate?
He had the audacity to blind my mate, to take away her precious sight. Now she would never be able to gaze upon my face, to see all the happiness I intended to bring into her life.
I’ll kill him.
The thought struck like a war drum, pounding in my skull.
This is the last straw, I spared him last time but now I would make sure to put him in the ground myself. For someone with a history of abusing women, Calvin Kane had been existing for far too long. I wouldn’t let him draw another breath.
I would end him.
A deafening roar ripped from my throat, shaking the walls with its fury. My claws unsheathed in an instant, my body tensing, ready to tear through anything in my path. I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth nearly cracked.
The air around me turned blisteringly hot, crackling with the raw force of my rage. My fangs ached, demanding blood. My muscles coiled, ready to launch me into action.
Calvin Kane would not see another sunrise.
I surged to my feet, the bed creaking in protest as I pushed away from it. Lysaa immediately tensed, sensing the shift in my energy.
“Lorien?” she murmured, her brows knitting together. “What’s wrong?”
I forced myself to take a steadying breath. “Nothing,” I said, my voice eerily calm. “Something just came up.”
She frowned. “Where are you going?”
I walked toward the door, my fists clenched at my sides. “Stay here,” I ordered. “I’ll be back.”
She sat up straighter, her expression concerned. “What’s going on?”
I hesitated for a fraction of a second before growling, “I’m going to get justice for you.”
Then, without another word, I stepped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind me.
Calvin was going to die tonight.
And I was going to be the one to make it happen.