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Linda stares up at him with dark, lidded eyes. “Halsin…”
She’s getting close, trembling and arching into him, and he wants nothing more than to witness her tumbling over the edge again. He’d stay here all night if she’d let him, letting her find the pleasure she deserves.
“That’s it, my heart,” he rasps. “Come for me.”
She succumbs around his fingers with a sharp cry, and pride swells in his chest. He is not a possessive man by nature. Love must flourish where it will, in all its beauty. But Linda has awakened something deep within him, the desire to claim, to keep, though he tries to dismiss it as the culmination of months of yearning for her.
The unbidden image of her stricken face when she’d learned of her husband’s longtime infidelity floats through his mind. He kisses her, rougher than he intends, and though he expects her to be tired after her third orgasm of the evening, she meets his demand.
He wants to erase all the painful memories of her life before him from her mind. He needs to do so, a combination of the healer in him plus his devotion to her wound tightly by that thread of possessiveness unfurling somewhere beneath his solar plexus. It is hungry as the bear is hungry, roiling beneath his skin, and he feels as if he’s walking a tightrope above an impossible cliff.
The bear demands a taste of her, and he kisses his way down her body, taking note of the salt on her skin, every gasp that flies from her mouth, and the sweet way she caresses him when he sinks his teeth into her, ever so gently. She will wear his marks come morning, and the thought of her as being claimed for all to see sends a shiver of pleasure down his spine.
His cock is a constant ache between his legs, straining for her just as the rest of him does. He grinds his hips into the bed of soft moss beneath them to find a modicum of relief; she is not ready for it just yet. He’d seen the fear in her eyes when she’d first gotten sight of it, though she tried to hide it, and he would not give her cause for alarm.
Not now, when her fingers are twisted in his hair, anchoring him at her breasts. Not now, when her legs fall ever wider for him. Not now, when her breath is ragged and the flush of her pleasure creeps down her neck onto her chest. Only when she asks for it, only when she is ready.
He shifts lower, watching carefully for her reaction. She lifts her head and gives him a nervous smile, and his heart hurts just a little. She’s always trying to put on the face that she thinks everyone else wants to see, always trying to make herself smaller so that she can fit into the tiniest of spaces allotted to her in her previous life.
The bear grumbles at the thought, and another snap of possessiveness hits him like an arrow.
He forces his voice into that of her lover and not the jealous beast that writhes within. “Please let me give you another, my heart. I will be more gentle with my tongue than my fingers.”
She gives him a slow blink, and her smile is replaced with the look of uncertainty she had earlier in the evening, before their lovemaking had even started; the one she wears when she is telling herself that she is too old for this and cannot possibly be what he wants.
He wants to disavow her of that notion even more than he wants to erase her previous life. That, at least, is something he has control over, something he can show her with his words and his body and his heart.
“You… really want to?” she asks.
He nods, perhaps a little too eagerly, but there is no sense in hiding his enthusiasm. “Very much so.”
She reaches down to caress his face with her clever fingers. “But what if… you don’t… like it?”
He turns his face to press a kiss into her palm. “I assure you, I will. And I believe you will, as well.” He locks his eyes on hers. “But I would never dream of doing anything you do not wish to do, and so I ask for your honesty in telling me what you want. I love you, Linda. I shall never be offended by you telling me the truth.”
The lines of uncertainty on her face ease, replaced with a tender smile. “Okay,” she says, a little breathy, as if she is in disbelief, “I want to try it. But if you don’t like it, you have to promise to stop.”
He smirks and dips his nose into her damp curls, taking a deep whiff. She smells of a fresh meadow and the enchanted oil he’d used for lubrication earlier and her own musk, a scent so intoxicating that it makes his cock twitch and the bear slam against his breastbone.
He shifts ever lower and wraps his hands under her thighs to anchor her exactly as he wants her. She is trembling with anticipation and so is he, but he is painfully mindful of the fact that this is the first time she’s ever had a lover ready to lap between her legs, and he knows from his earlier efforts with his fingers that she likes a long, slow buildup filled with loving teases.
He takes the opportunity to lick her upper thigh and groans at the taste he finds on her skin. Oh, he is going to enjoy this very much indeed, and he sinks his teeth into the soft flesh there to leave yet another mark on her skin. Let this one serve as a reminder of what he is about to do, and let it send a thrill of pleasure through her every time she touches it.
He moves higher, releasing a hot breath against her skin where her thigh meets her pelvis, and she lets out a little gasp and lifts her hips toward him. He smiles to himself as he kisses across her, deliberately skipping the center where she wants him the most. She lets out a little whine of protest and looks down at him, only to match the mischievous grin that’s plastered across his face.
“Oh, it’s like that, huh?” she asks. “Is this– oh!”
She cries out and arches her back when he runs his tongue right up her folds, and his eyelashes flutter at the taste of her honey on his tongue.
He pauses, hovering a fraction of an inch away from her so his breath teases across her flushed skin. “Well, my heart? Shall I stop?”
The look she gives him is equal parts murderous and desperate. “How could I possibly tell after just one?!”
He huffs in amusement. “Very well.”
He returns to his task, reveling in the trust she has given him and the beautiful way she responds to him. Her legs twitch as he teases her folds apart with his tongue. Her clit is swollen and flushing so prettily for him; she gasps his name when he flicks it with the tip of his tongue.
“Oh,” she moans, throwing her head back, “Do… do that again.”
He hums in satisfaction as he rushes to obey her. She has given him her whole heart, and he will give her everything in return. She is trembling again, oh so close to that sweet edge from the previous stimulation, and pride once again swells in his chest when she grabs a fistful of his hair and pulls on it. His cock twitches and he grinds his hips once more, letting the ache of pleasure-pain ground him while he makes her come for a fourth time.
“Halsin, I’m going to– ah!”
He can’t quite see her face, but he’s sure that her eyes are rolling back in her head as her body spasms through her orgasm. He keeps a steady pace on her clit, drawing the pleasure from her the way he draws on his magic.
She collapses beneath him and heaves a few breaths while he gently rubs her inner thighs. By the gods, she’s an incredible sight, flushed all over and covered with his marks, now with her own arousal dripping out of her.
He is mesmerized by it, thrilled by the idea that he has brought her to this state. He knows that older women can have some difficulty in producing their own lubrication, hence the oil he packed for the evening, and he assumes that this effect would be amplified by the fact that Linda is missing her womb.
He does not know why the organ has been removed from her body, but he knows that her inability to bear children has been the cause of great pain in her life. She only spoke of it the one time, but her sorrow was palpable. The why does not really matter, but he does regret that he was not there to heal her from whatever ailment caused this.
She hums and looks down at him with a satisfied smile. “That was…”
“More?” he breathes.
Her hips twitch as his breath hits her skin, but she shakes her head. “No. Halsin, I want… Need your”–she gasps and twitches again–“cock inside me.”
The bear slams its head against his breastbone once more. Yes! Take her! Claim her!
He silences it with a snarl of magic. The beast must be contained. Under no circumstances will he allow Linda to be frightened or hurt by him.
He shifts to his knees and pulls her hips into his lap. It takes every last ounce of his self control not to just thrust into her, but his hand around his aching cock provides just enough relief to maintain control. They both groan when he slides it between her folds, gathering wetness along his shaft.
He carefully places the tip against her entrance, and gods, he’s dripping for her, too, certain that he will not last long like this. He slips just inside and forces himself to stay still, though the wet heat of her is driving him mad.
“You must– tell me if you feel discomfort,” he rasps.
“Please, Halsin,” she begs. “I won’t. I trust you.”
He shifts forward, painfully slowly, his breath ragged while she stretches around him like a velvet vise. There is no pain on her face, only the blissed-out satisfaction of a woman being filled. It feels like an eternity before he is fully seated inside her, every moment agony and ecstasy as he hovers on the knife’s edge.
Her chest heaves as she looks up at him. “Halsin, kiss me.”
He shifts, careful to stay inside her, and settles between her willing legs, braced on his elbows so as not to crush her. He kisses her slowly and thoroughly while his cock twitches and she squeezes around him. Her legs wrap around him while her tongue sweeps into his mouth; he groans as it flicks against his, and he is reminded of the time she tied a cherry stem into a knot with it.
She has one hand twisted in his hair and the other digging half-moons into his shoulder, and he hopes they are deep enough to leave marks on his skin as well. His cock twitches again; though he has not moved, he is painfully close to the edge.
She seems to know it, because she whispers against his lips, “Come inside me, my love. I want to feel you.”
He cannot stop the helpless noise he makes when he starts to move. He’s trying to be slow, trying to be gentle, trying to pull yet another orgasm out of his beloved before he lets himself fall over the edge.
But she is urging him on, thrusting up hard with her hips. “Don’t hold back,” she commands. “Take what you need.”
It is less the command itself and more the fact that she knew what he was doing that sets him into a near frenzy. For all the lovers he has been with, he’s never had someone who loves him as she does, for the man he is. Not the Archdruid, not the legendary lover, but just Halsin, and his heart bursts wide as he braces his hand on the ground to get the leverage he needs.
She fits around him as if she were made to do so, warm and wet and tight, and it only takes a few hard thrusts before he releases inside her with a shout, his face buried in the crook of her neck. She holds him close, wrapped up in her arms and legs, murmuring terms of endearment in his ear.
He gasps as he recovers, and his muscles tremble with the effort of holding himself up. He pulls out and rolls onto his back next to her, pulling her on top of him and tucking her against him so he can kiss her forehead again and again.
She gives a contented hum, relaxing against him as her clever fingers stroke his cheek. There are words to describe the feeling flowing between them, but it feels unnecessary to speak them aloud. He trails a hand up and down her back while they hold each other close.
For some time they lie like this, breathing and feeling and existing with each other. She is so still he thinks she may have fallen asleep, and he does not think there is a sweeter feeling than this, skin to skin with his love while their hearts beat as one.
“Halsin?” she asks, her voice low and sultry. “Is it always… like this?”
He understands her meaning. She speaks not only of the physical pleasure they shared but of the love it represented, the love that only feels stronger now from their joining.
He considers his response. He thinks of his past lovers, of the Netherese pirate who scratched his back and screamed his name to the sky, of the various Druidic rituals he has participated in.
“No,” he answers honestly. “I cannot say that I have ever felt so loved, so complete, in all my years.”
She nods against him. “Me, too.”
He expects her to rest again, but she slowly, deliberately he thinks, shifts her thigh to rub against his still half-hard cock, and he lets out a hiss of pleasure.
She laughs, deep in her throat, and brushes her lips on his neck. “Are you ready for more?”
He digs his fingers into her flesh as his cock twitches at the thought. “Are you?” he asks, marveling at her stamina. He knows at least some of it is due to the Hero’s Feast spell he cast earlier, but he did not expect her to be quite so insatiable.
“Mmhmm,” she hums in his ear, before taking his earlobe in her teeth. He sucks in a breath and holds on for dear life while she wiggles against him, bringing his cock from half-hard to fully erect.
She pushes herself up so she can see his face, and the sensual smile on her lips sends a thrill through him. “I’ve never… been on top,” she says, her gaze hovering on his lips while her fingers toy with one of his braids. “Can I try?”
He nods. “Anything for you, my heart,” he says, though what he wants to do is to scream Oh, gods, yes!
Linda kisses him, heartbreaking in its sweetness, then levers herself up so she is straddling him. She winces slightly when she puts her weight on her knees, and he runs his hands down her thighs to press a little healing magic into them. She gives him a sigh which turns into a groan when she grinds against him.
He anchors his hands at her hips and urges her to roll them, which she does with an exquisite slide along his length. They moan together at the feeling, and she dips her head to watch the way he pokes out from between her folds.
She mumbles something under her breath and reaches down with one hand to grasp him. He curses in Wild Elvish as she presses him to her entrance and lowers herself down without hesitation. She needs no time to adjust, simply takes him all in one long, slow movement that has him seeing stars.
He can see his seed from earlier spilling out around the base of his cock. His fingers grasp her hips hard enough to leave bruises, but he is unable to do anything other than concentrate very hard on keeping the bear contained. He cannot comprehend how he ended up with such a marvelous partner, how despite all the odds in all the known universes, she chooses to be here, with him.
He silently begs Silvanus to grant him the wisdom to be worthy of her.
Her fingertips trail along his belly as she watches him with flushed cheeks and darkened eyes. She holds herself perfectly still, and he grits his teeth against the urge to snap his hips up into her as hard as he can.
“You feel so good inside me,” she breathes. “At first, I thought I wouldn’t be able to– to–”
“You take me so well, my heart,” he replies, rubbing circles on her inner thighs with his thumbs. “Look at you. All of nature’s bounty pales next to you.”
She flushes at his praise and rocks her hips forward, giving them both the relief of friction without removing that sweet, sweet tightness. “Oh,” she gasps, closing her eyes and rocking her hips again. “Oh my god, Halsin!”
“There you go, my love. Take what you need.” He slides his hands up to her breasts, her nipples deliciously sensitive and hard for him, and she throws her head back in delight as he rolls them between his fingers.
“Yes!” she pants. “Keep… keep…”
He continues with his ministrations, reveling in the sight of her wanton pleasure as she rocks back and forth faster and faster on his cock. He’s in awe of her, sure that this is a sign that he has succeeded in his mission. He cannot find it in himself to believe that she would be chasing her own release like this if she still thought herself unworthy of it.
He tugs at her nipples, careful to walk up to the line between pleasure and pain but not cross it, and she arches her back and moans. He can tell her orgasm is building, both in the way she’s squeezing his cock and in the needy babbles coming out of her mouth, and he tugs at her nipples once more.
She calls his name in surprise just before her entire body goes taught. She lets out a guttural moan as her orgasm sweeps through her in waves, emanating from deep within her body. He aches to join her over the edge, but the friction is not enough for him, though he is sure he’s dripping inside her.
She gives one final full-body spasm before collapsing on top of him, his hard cock still deep inside her. He wraps his arms around her and gently rubs her back while her legs twitch.
“Holy… shit,” she gasps. “That was… I’ve never… holy shit.”
“You did so well, my love,” he croons. “I love to watch you take your pleasure.”
She hums and presses a kiss over his heart. “But… you didn’t get to come.”
“That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy myself,” he replies, pushing a sweaty strand of hair out of her face.
“But… I want you to come,” she protests, and rolls her head so she can look at him. “I know my big strong bear isn’t finished.”
He barely holds back the growl that rumbles in his throat. If only she knew how right she was. But for all her newfound confidence, he still believes she would be frightened if he lost the run of himself and the bear made an appearance. So he settles himself by saying, “I do not wish to overtire you.”
“Halsin,” she whines, “Are you going to make me beg?”
He is dumbfounded by that question. A million responses float through his mind, but he is unable to choose any of them, so he stays silent.
“Please, Halsin. I want you to come for me again. Inside me.” He sees the sparkle of a challenge in her eyes alongside the boldness that she’s discovered. “Take me however you want.”
That catches the bear’s full attention, and this time he’s unable to hold back the growl in his throat as he rolls his hips against her. Fuck, she’s so wet and ready for him. The bear would very much like to discover how she feels with her face down and her arse up while he takes her from behind, hard and fast. He would like that too, if he’s honest, but he would also like to see her face.
He rolls them without preamble so he’s on top of her again, ignoring her shriek of delight and surprise, and pushes her knees up towards her chest. He braces his hands on either side of her head, pausing only long enough to confirm she is comfortable before driving deeper into her than he’s ever been.
“Is this what you wanted?” he rasps. “You want me to take you hard and deep?”
“Yes! Yes!”
He watches as her eyes roll back in her head as he chases his release. “You are mine,” he growls, not sure if it is himself or the bear talking, but unable to care.
“Yours,” she agrees, taking what he gives her so well. “Always.”
He loses himself inside her, rising higher and higher with each thrust, his awareness focused solely on how long he can hold himself on the edge. She’s past the ability to speak, reduced solely to letting out a sharp ah! with each of his thrusts. She’s incredible, she is magnificent, and he wants to shout her praises to Silvanus himself, as if the Oak Father does not already know it.
He slips into his native tongue, finding Common to be a far inferior language to express the feelings that need to come out. At first they are simple words of love, of devotion, but as his balls draw up and his release nears, he finds himself uttering words that are powerful and ancient, not to be spoken lightly.
They are the words of the bonding ritual used by the very first Wild Elves, words nearly as old as nature itself. The ritual is deceptive in its simplicity, only a few lines spoken in the presence of one’s beloved and the gods, though it is usually performed before family and friends. He speaks nearly all of them before he realizes what he is saying, only stopping before the very last word, and only then because he comes deep inside Linda with a wordless cry.
He holds himself there as he spills in her, while she fists his hair and murmurs words of gratitude– gratitude! That she should be thankful for doing him this honor. His strength wanes, and he barely has the wherewithal to slide out of her and shift his hips to the side before he is unable to hold himself up at all.
Linda is languid in his arms, probably even more exhausted than he is, and he gathers her up and rests his head on her chest. He mumbles something about loving her, which she mumbles back, and he is content to rest this way, knowing she feels as loved as she deserves.
Even the bear is satisfied, and it settles in his chest. His scattered thoughts drift back to the words of the bonding ritual. He’d come far too close to completing it, but he can’t quite seem to admonish himself for it. Perhaps someday, when the Absolute threat is dealt with, they could speak those words to each other before all their friends. He lets the image of Linda standing before him with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair hold in his mind as he drifts to sleep in her arms.