Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 94

Laying in bed with him, my fingers slowly trace over the plains of his back. The alarm clock on the opposite side of the bed showed the time to be nearing 6 in the morning, I was shocked he wasn't awake yet. With the brightness illuminating the heavy black curtains and through the window, I can only assume we'd gotten more snow last night. The brightness of the fresh pack that I was quite accustomed to, brought a small trickle of excitement through me at the thought of one day wielding the ice again.

Texture under my fingers, I spot the mark keeping the beast under control. The brand seemed to be healing well, though the tattoo over top of it was a good touch, I could see the concern with the inconsistent nature of the scars. His tanned skin felt warm and taut under my fingers, the strong muscles stretched surprisingly symmetrical after the damage he had taken fighting with me. We'd been told to expect oddities with his body being the vessel of Fenrir. 

Caspian had been able to come back from the dead so many times, it was a whole new level of immortality. A god, and only a god could kill a god. Verando clung to his pillow like a lifeline, so used to sleeping on his own now, it was probably odd to have me in bed, or maybe he was trying to pretend I wasn't here. With a stab of sadness, I consider my options.

Sliding my fingers down to the small of his back, I slide closer to him, wrapping my arm around him to press my lips to the point of his shoulder with a sigh at the relaxing scent. Something that belonged so uniquely to me and marked him as my own, our bodies mixed so flawlessly together in this way. 

Why did I insist on tormenting myself? Yet here I was, practically attempting to get off on the glorious man. My wolf was in ecstasy, immersed in my soul mate once more, any hope of leaving dwindled with every passing moment.

Closing my eyes, I will myself to fall back asleep and keep the illusion going that we were going to be alright when he woke up. But last night was not out of forgiveness. It was out of desperation for me, the fact that he loved me beyond himself, that he couldn't bear my pain of needing him so badly. 

Sliding to sit up, I run my hand through my hair as I prop myself on my elbow. I should go, I shouldn't make this any harder than it has to be. It was my fault that we were going through this, my standards, my inability, I shouldn't expect him to get over it because I was sorry. 

"Don't go." He mumbles sleepily, rolling onto his side to pin me beneath him, curled into my chest with a heavy yawn. I grunt at the impact of being forced to lay beside him, much as I was a willing captive. The strength was surprising, much more firm than it had been in the past as any resistance I gave was met with insistence that I wouldn't be leaving.

"I figured you'd want me to." I manage, timid, keeping my voice hardly above a whisper. 

Sighing, Verando growls low in my ear as he pulls me impossibly closer, wrapping his arms around me as I'm maneuvered to press against his chest. Tucking my head under his chin, I put my arms around him, clinging to him just as he did to that pillow. My warlord couldn't return to sleep once he'd been disturbed either, "You were never the rational one. Why change now?"

With a scoff, I trace my fingers painfully slow up and down his spine, encouraging him to return to that relaxed man who was asleep just moments ago. With a shiver, he reacts to my fingertips, his wolf must be going haywire just as mine was with how sensitive he was to my every touch. "You make me irrational, there's a difference. I hurt you. Badly. I need to atone for that."

"I like to be hurt," he mumbles, holding me tighter, possessive. It'd be so easy, I understand why he was reluctant to speak about it any longer. We could slip quietly back into place, as if it never happened, yet would that be the right thing to do? "Weren't you just telling me to hurt you?"