Answered Dreams (ACOTAR | ACOMAF | ACOWAR)

Chapter ☆ Sixteen

Feyre let out a yelp of surprise as he lifted her on the table, and her heart pounded as he spread her legs apart. She breathed heavy as she watched him, bracing her arms on the table behind her. Her eyes glanced down to the mark on her breast, red and bleeding and already bruising and her core surged slightly at the meaning behind the new mark. But to keep it from healing completely.... "Where's the salt?" she asked breathily as he sat there, devouring her with his eyes.

Rhys had to put a massive amount of effort into tearing his attention from her core, his gaze flickering to hers. Salt. Claiming. He had claimed her, and she wanted the mark to remain Rhys had to remind himself. He slowly stood from his chair and slowly strode for the cabinets along one wall of the kitchen. He shot her a look, sending a command down the bond, Don't. Move. He said it firmly before going to retrieve the salt. He'd given a moment's thought to summoning the salt or using his own power to keep it from healing, but... this was a much more intimate way of making sure that mark was permanent. So he returned to the table with a bottle of salt in his hand and stood before her, glancing up at her. "This is going to hurt," he warned.

She didn't move - didn't dare with such a command. As if she would! She watched him walk around the kitchen But sat up straighter at his warning with the salt in hand... and nodded.

He waited a moment longer before pouring a bit of salt into his hand. And carefully, ever so gently, began rubbing the salt in her wound.

She bit her lip, hard, to hold back the scream as the pain seared through her chest, but she asked for this. She was going to be the High Lady of the Night Court, she reminded herself as she wanted to tear Rhys's hand away. She would endure a moments worth of agony, she reminded herself as tears came to her eyes, and she closed them tight.

Rhys knew this was hurting her, knew the salt burned like hellfire, but... if he were to use his power to assuage the pain, it would be almost demeaning. Assuming she couldn't handle it. He knew better. And so he finished rubbing the salt into her wound and pulled his hand away, reaching up with his non-salt-covered hand to wipe away her tears.

Her breaths were jagged, short and gulping as she tried to breathe through it, and silently thanked the mother when Rhysand finally pulled his hand away. She had sat up by that point, trying to curl in over herself as the torment wracked her, but once his hand was on her cheek, she knew it was over. Cauldron it hurt, but she asked for it. She leaned her cheek into his hand and finally opened her tear stained eyes to meet his.

Rhys knew she was in agony, and he wanted nothing more than to take away the pain for her. But he wouldn't. Not unless she asked. And as she opened her silver lined eyes to meet his own, he smiled down at her fondly, lovingly, adoringly. She was all soft flesh and breakable bones, but she had a quiet steel that lay beneath her skin. Something that made her strong, and brave, and wild. He loved her fore it. His thumb idly stroked her cheek, brushing away the tears that strayed from her eyes.

She smirked slightly. "You're such a bastard," she teased as she let out a deep breath, kissing the palm on her cheek. "I bet a part of you actually enjoy that." As emphasis, she moved a hand to the salt covered wound, and winced slightly.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," he said with the hint of a smile playing at his lips, still watching her carefully. Concerned that there was any lingering pain. His palm lingered on her cheek as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. "And I'm sure it wasn't all bad for you, either. Or you wouldn't have begged me for more."

She choked out a laugh. "That wasn't exactly what I had in mind," she swore as she wiped at her other cheek. "I'll be sure to be more specific next time."

"Then what did you have in mind, Feyre?" He pressed, raising a suggestive brow as he cocked his head to the side slightly.

She met his eyes and sat up straighter, and even though he was standing right in front of her. "Come here."