Chapter 203: Bound by Soul and Fire
Vivian’s POV
I pressed a gentle kiss to his high cheekbone, then let my soft lips trail down his neck, drawn straight to the place where his mark rested on his skin my mark. As my teeth grazed over the sensitive skin, his breath hitched loudly, a deep groan ripping from his throat as his head fell back against the wall. I barely had a second to smile at my victory before he came back to me with a kiss that completely stole the air from my lungs rough, urgent, and desperate, like he simply could not get enough of me.
His broad hand found the back of my neck, holding me right there as if he was afraid I would vanish into thin air. When his long fingers slipped up into my hair and yanked the tie free, my scalp tingled pleasantly with the tug, dark strands falling wild and loose between us. The raw hunger burning in him made my heart pound against my ribs. I was trembling all over, completely under his dark spell.
Then, without any hesitation, one of his large hands slid down and tore away the very last barrier between us. He was just about to press forward when a sudden thought surged right to the surface urgent and important, despite the thick haze of want clouding my mind.
"Wait... condom," I managed to whisper softly, barely able to breathe.
His entire body stilled for a second. I felt the sharp tension ripple through him before he shifted slightly, searching quickly through his pants pocket.
"Right," he muttered beneath his breath, though there was a brief pause in his deep voice subtle and almost imperceptible. But I caught it anyway. A quick flicker of something unspoken passed between us. Still, he did not hesitate at all once he had it ready. And then... there was absolutely nothing else in the entire world except him.
A loud gasp escaped my lips at the intense feel of him every single time, it still left me completely breathless. He paused above me, letting my body adjust to him, his dark eyes searching mine as if he were grounding himself in the deep connection between us.
My arms clung tightly to his broad shoulders, needing the physical closeness and the steady anchoring. The rising heat of our bodies clung to the cool night air, fogging up the nearby glass mirror as our steady rhythm found its natural pulse. Every single movement from him sent pure fire spiraling through my veins. I shut my eyes tight, completely helpless against the fierce storm he stirred up inside me.
I tilted my head back with a shuddered moan, my fingers tangling tightly in the fabric of his dark shirt, growing increasingly frustrated with it until I finally gave in and tugged it free, desperate to feel his warm bare skin against mine.
His name was a desperate prayer on my lips. My hands clawed at his broad back, needing more, needing all of him right now. One of my hands found its way deep into his thick hair and I gripped it tightly, pulling him down into a deep kiss that swallowed the heavy moan he did not mean to give away.
And then, just when I felt the familiar tremble start the sweet, coiled knot of pleasure ready to snap he moved faster, harder, not letting up for a single second until I completely shattered in his arms. My body trembled helplessly against him, feeling totally boneless and dazed.
He pulled away for just a quick breath, placing me carefully on legs that barely held my weight anymore. My chest rose and fell rapidly, my eyes heavy-lidded and confused. He had not... finished?
"I am not even close to being done with you, love," he murmured softly, his voice low and thick with promise. "I don’t think I ever will be."
His wicked grin was filled with intense heat. I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, but before the words could form, he lifted me up effortlessly and my world tilted all over again.
I found myself bent over the sturdy arm of the plush couch, his heavy presence overwhelming and intensely real as he filled me once more, pulling a sharp, startled cry right from my lips.
"Ahhh!"
My hands grabbed onto the wooden back of the couch instinctively, the solid frame creaking softly beneath my tight grip. My sensitive body was still riding the powerful aftershocks of my first release, but he did not slow down his pace. He knew exactly how close I still was to the edge and chased it relentlessly with every single movement.
His strong fingers wrapped around my waist, grounding me firmly as he moved in a smooth rhythm. My lips parted in breathless gasps, my eyes fluttering shut as the deep heat swelled up again, far sharper this time around.
Then his hand slid around my hip, his warm fingers brushing against the exact place he knew would completely unravel me. I cried out loudly, arching my back into his touch, utterly helpless against the intense sensations. My name was a low, desperate growl on his lips as he whispered something guttural and primal, but I was far too gone to understand the actual words.
I only knew one absolute truth.
I was his.
And he was mine.
"Don’t hold back, baby. I want to hear you," Zahliver murmured directly against my flushed skin, his voice low and laced with something deeply primal. "Let me hear everything."
And I did.
There was no pretending, no silly restraint just raw, unfiltered need pouring freely from my lips. He moved with powerful certainty, and when he lifted my leg effortlessly, drawing me so much closer and deeper, I cried out loud and clear into the quiet room. I could not even form full, logical thoughts anymore just breathless, broken chants of his name and half-formed pleas.
"Oh god... oh my god..."
Zahliver wrapped his strong arm around me, pressing me back firmly against his chest like he needed to feel every single inch of me. I felt his warm breath right by my ear, possessive and heavy.
"That’s right," he whispered softly, nipping gently at my earlobe. "I’m your god now."
His confident words struck something deep inside me. A hoarse response spilled from my throat, raw and entirely certain.
"Mine."
He growled softly in deep approval, his voice almost reverent.
"Forever and always."
When he shifted his body again, I did not let him take the lead this time. Fueled by pure instinct and a sudden burst of mischief, I used the magic bond between us to flash us right across the large room onto the soft bed. In a single blink, he was lying beneath me, his wide-eyed surprise quickly replaced with a handsome, devilish grin.
Zahliver rested his hands casually behind his head and looked up at me like I was the only thing in the entire universe that had ever truly mattered.
I braced my hands firmly against his chest, leaning down close so our lips nearly brushed together. My voice came out rough and steady.
"My turn now."
Every single move I made was guided purely by instinct and the powerful bond that thrummed between us like a wild brushfire. I could feel exactly how he reacted to me, how his muscles tensed beneath mine, how his breath caught in his throat. He reached up, pulling me down closer to him, his mouth finding mine like he simply could not get enough of my taste.
Sweat slicked our skin, and our mingled scents dark spice, heavy musk, and something wildly ancient wrapped around us like a warm second blanket. I opened my eyes for just a second, and he was already staring up at me with an expression that was fierce, vulnerable, and deeply devoted.
"I love you," he said softly. "I love you. I love you so much."
Over and over, the sweet words poured out of him like a sacred vow.
His broad hand found the back of my neck, and he pulled me down into a kiss so intensely deep, I felt like I was unraveling and becoming completely whole all at the same time. The outside world dropped away until all I could feel was him his soul pressed tightly to mine, our mark glowing like a bright fire behind my ribs.
I eventually collapsed onto his chest, my exhausted body shaking from far too many intense emotions at once. His thundering heartbeat echoed beneath my ear, and our ragged breathing synced up like a shared rhythm.
But then he chuckled softly, the deep sound rumbling directly beneath me.
"Oh no," he said with wicked amusement. "I am still not done with you yet."
My eyes shot wide open in shock. I pushed myself up just enough to look at his face, completely stunned.
"What?" I half-laughed, half-gasped out loud. "Are you actually serious right now?"
Zahliver grinned like a dark wolf about to pounce, rolling us over in one swift, seamless motion so that he hovered directly above me again, his dark eyes gleaming brightly with heat and mischief.
"Not even close, my love," he growled softly.
And just like that, I knew I was in for the kind of long night that would leave its mark on far more than just my body it would be forever etched deep into my soul.
