Her Fated Mate

Chapter Twenty-Three

A book rested in her lap and she lightly touched the pages. 

It was late and she couldn't sleep. She had thought a good book might tire her mind but now she couldn't even focus enough to read the words on the pages. Sekhet knew what they needed, she wasn't so bold. After the kiss, she felt silly for wanting him to do it again. Strange feelings were clouding her mind.

She had so many thoughts floating in her head and she had trouble focusing on a single one. All she could think about was Kian and the way he touched her. She loved the electricity that seemed to cackle along her skin in a privy dance. She was consumed with a need for him and yet it was late at night and she didn't have the heart to wake him. 

A soft knock on her bedroom door startled her but she relaxed instantly when she scented her mate. She called for him to enter and he opened the door not a second later. Her lips quirked into a small smile, she was happy to see him. He calmed her mind with his mere presence. 

"I couldn't sleep," He said, walking into her bedroom, "I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Not at all," She set her book aside, "I was just thinking about you." 

He smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, me too," He sat on the foot of her bed, "I can't seem to stand being away from you." 

"Am I that compelling?" She teased. 

"Very much so," He nodded, "I just want to be near you. I crave it, my wolf begs for it. Our bond seems to be growing stronger." 

She sighed, standing from the armchair, "I can agree. I think the Moon Goddess is trying to tell us something." 

He tilted his head back when she came to stand before him, "You think so? I hadn't noticed." He chuckled lightly. 

She placed her hands on his shoulders and then held her breath. It was the first time she ever initiated something first and she didn't want to spook him with the advance. She gasped in surprise when he placed his hands on her hips and tugged her closer. She stood between his legs and he offered a soft grin. 

"I want you to kiss me again." She whispered, threading her fingers in his locks. 

He leaned up and pecked her lips, "I thought you'd never ask." 

She rested her forehead against his for only a moment before his lips met hers again. She was instantly addicted to the tingles that raced from her head to her toes. Warmth spread through out her body and she slowly moved her mouth against his. She had never been kissed before but she never wanted to stop with Kian. 

He could deprive her of oxygen and she would be happy. She thought she had everything figured out and the silly idea of having knowing every aspect was diminished. She didn't know love but Kian was more than willing to show her. After a few minutes, they were both gasping for breath. 

"I'm not leaving tonight." Kian said breathlessly. 

"I never asked." She replied and leaned her weight against him. 

He slowly laid back and she rested on his chest. There, she paused. She turned her head and rested her ear against his chest. The strong beat of his heart soothed her. She closed her eyes. 

"Your heart is like a melody that never stops," She murmured, "My melody." 

"Now who is being poetic?" He chuckled and the vibrations in his chest sounded amazing. 

She only hummed in response. Kian made her feel safer than anyone else. There was something different when she was resting in his arms and she didn't feel ashamed to admit she loved the feeling. In her mate's arms, she felt at home. Peaceful. She never wanted to leave. 

Kian slowly slid his hands down her back. A wave of pleasurable tingles followed the wake of his exploration. Before she knew it, his fingers slipped beneath her shirt and she shivered in delight. Slowly, he lightly trailed his fingers towards her shoulders. She could feel every scar he explored and she took a deep breath with every one. 

He was quiet but she knew he was thinking. There wasn't a lot of smooth skin on her back and he would pause on every scar, giving it a gentle caress. She had never felt more cared for in her life. Nobody had ever taken the time to know her scares and part of her wanted to share that with her mate. Not for pity but because she knew he would ask. He wanted to know everything and she wasn't going to hide from him. 

However, when his fingers skimmed the scar that rested between her shoulder blades, she tensed. Memories flickered in her mind and she pulled away from him, heart suddenly hammering. Her breath fell short and she clutched at her chest. 

"I'm sorry, you could have asked me to stop." He sat up, hazel eyes wide. 

"Its fine," She said, breathing uneven, "I wasn't ready." 

She sat on the edge of the bed and caught her breath. Not only was that scar a very painful reminder of her past but it also brought back the memory of when she submitted to Leon. Flickers of her past swam behind her eyes and every time she blinked, she caught them in the few seconds of blackness. Never before had she experienced such a reaction with herself, it was like a trigger point and she didn't even know. 

The bed shifted and his weight drew nearer. She felt his body heat and it calmed her alittle. 

"How did you get it?" 

She took a deep breath, and after a long pause, she said, "I was sixteen and I was foolish. It was one of the last times that I was in my human form before I took shelter in my wolf," She closed her eyes, "My captors would find it funny to torture me and the pain was something I grew accustom to, until one day they did something else." She stopped, flinching at the memory, and Kian gently placed his hand on her lower back. 

"Take your time." He whispered. 

"I had never been with anyone," She continued, heart clenching, "So I was naive and they took advantage of it. I just... I don't...t-they enjoyed taking everything away from me," Tears gathered behind her eyelids, "The next time they tried to rape me, I fought back. I remember their smell, it was horrible, and once they got me pinned on the floor, the Beta drove a silver coated knife right between my shoulders. They said it served me right for denying them pleasure because I wasn't worth anything." She hated that the memory stuck with her, she wanted to forget it forever. 

He seemed to sense that she couldn't go on and instead of speaking, he expressed his feelings silently. It was the most powerful thing she had ever experienced because when the silence wasn't broken, she could hear his words louder than a thousand screams. 

She took a shuddering breath when he lifted her shirt once again and his fingers grazed the scar. She clenched her eyes, fighting the memory, and focused on his heartbeat. His placed one hand against her abdomen and the moved the other to rest on her shoulder. Then, she jerked in surprise when his lips pressed against the scar. 

There was a pause and then he kissed between her shoulder blades again. Her tense muscles eased by the third kiss. He was so gentle with her, she almost wanted to cry over that alone. There was once a time where she never knew a gentle hand, where humanity wasn't shown to her, and he overwhelmed her with sensations of love in that moment. 

When she relaxed completely, he moved his kisses up her back. She shivered in delight and he gently pulled her back. She obliged and laid against the bed. He placed another kiss on her lips and then he laid beside her. One arm was bound around her stomach while she moved her head to rest on his other arm. Her head was tucked beneath his chin. 

She exhaled in complete bliss and felt herself drifting towards sleep. 

"I love you." She whispered. 

He kissed her forehead, "I know." 

x   x   x   x   x   x

*snickers* 

God, these two melt my heart. Literally. I'm so happy.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!