Chapter 167: The Reality He Wished

"Morning, Rhydian."

A strangely sweet, familiar voice drifted into his ear.

Rhydian’s eyes slowly opened, and there she was. Aria Aspen was in his bed. Naked.

For several seconds, Rhydian simply stared at her, too disoriented to understand what he was seeing. The last thing he remembered was the altercation with Tamara and standing alone in his room afterward with the satchel in his hand. He must have fallen asleep at some point, although he couldn’t remember climbing into bed. More importantly, he certainly couldn’t remember Aria climbing into it with him.

A dream.

That had to be it. There was no other explanation for why Aria Aspen, a human scared of him, would willingly crawl naked into his bed.

But even for a dream, Rhydian had to admit it felt absurdly real. He could feel the warmth of her body beneath the sheets and smell that maddening scent that had been tormenting Sargon since the first moment they encountered her. Aria smiled down at him without the slightest trace of embarrassment, unconcerned by the fact that she was completely naked beside him.

"What’s wrong, Rhydian?" she murmured, leaning closer until the softness of her bare breast brushed against his chest. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

Rhydian didn’t know how to tell her that it wasn’t because he had seen a ghost, but because he was staring at a reality he hadn’t even dared imagine outside the confines of a dream.

He took her in slowly. Aria was all softness and beauty above him, her body illuminated by the pale morning light spilling through the window. His gaze lingered on the gentle swell of her breasts, watching them rise and fall with every breath, her nipples already hardened and brushing lightly against his chest, sending a hot rush of blood straight to his groin.

Rhydian let his hands wander, tracing slow paths along the dip of her waist and following every curve down toward the small of her back. She was slim and toned, and he found himself wishing there was more of her to hold, more dips and curves for his hands to memorize.

It wasn’t a complaint, though. If anything, the thought of fattening her up, of keeping her well-fed and cared for until there was even more of her for him to hold like this, sent possessiveness curling low in his chest.

His fingers continued their exploration, tracing the delicate line of her spine with such devotion that it felt less like touching skin and more like reading scripture, every inch of her worthy of worship beneath his hands.

When his hands finally reached the curve of her bottom, he squeezed without shame, kneading the soft flesh beneath his palms with unrestrained hunger.

Aria gasped, startled.

Rhydian smiled against her collarbone, then pulled one hand back and brought it down in a sharp, resounding slap. The sound cracked through the room, followed immediately by Aria’s stunned gasp.

"Rhydian—" she started, but he cut her protest short with another slap, firmer this time, before soothing the sting with slow, deliberate kneading, his fingers sinking into her soft flesh.

Her breathing changed instantly, coming faster now, shallower, need bleeding into every exhale.

He struck a third time, and this time Aria moaned outright, the sound low and unguarded as her body arched involuntarily into his touch and the faint red imprint of his hand bloomed across her skin.

Rhydian’s nostrils flared. He could smell the unmistakable evidence of her arousal, and the realization sent another wave of heat through him. His eyes darkened, pupils widening with a hunger that was becoming increasingly difficult to restrain.

"I want to be inside you now, Aria."

Rhydian didn’t wait for her to answer. He didn’t need one, not with her scent thick in the air and driving him mad. He gripped her thighs and spread them wide, settling himself between them with the kind of confidence that came from knowing exactly what he wanted and refusing to deny himself any longer.

Aria barely had time to catch her breath before he pushed into her, drawing a sharp cry from her throat as her back arched from the mattress.

"Rhydian—" she gasped, her fingers scrambling for purchase against his shoulders.

He didn’t slow down. If anything, her cry only spurred him further, some deep, primal part of him refusing to be gentle now that he finally had her. His movements became faster and more demanding, the headboard knocking rhythmically against the wall as Aria clung to him.

"Mine," he growled against her throat, his teeth grazing her pulse point. "You’re mine, Aria. Say it."

"Yours," Aria gasped, the word escaping without hesitation as she wrapped herself tighter around him.

The answer sent another surge of possessiveness through Rhydian. He held her closer, losing himself in the warmth of her body and the way she responded to him, every sound she made stripping away another piece of the restraint he had spent so long trying to maintain.

Her nails raked down his back, her legs locking tightly around his waist as the pleasure continued to build between them, leaving her breathless and trembling beneath him.

"That’s it," Rhydian rasped, his voice rough as he watched her lose herself beneath him. "Let me hear you."

Aria couldn’t have held back if she tried. The pleasure finally overwhelmed her, her entire body tightening around him as his name tore from her lips and echoed through the empty room, past caring who might hear.

Rhydian followed moments later, a guttural sound escaping him as he buried his face against her neck and held her tightly through the intensity of his own release, every possessive instinct inside him roaring with satisfaction at finally having his mate in his arms.

For a moment, neither of them moved, their chests heaving as they remained tangled together, the last traces of pleasure leaving them both trembling and breathless.

But Rhydian wasn’t ready for this dream to be over. He barely gave her a moment to recover before flipping her onto her stomach with effortless strength, pulling her hips back against his own without giving her time to catch her breath.

The needy whine that followed was music he knew he would never forget. Not anytime soon.