Chapter 228 - 229: You grabbed my ass

Chapter 228: Chapter 229: You grabbed my ass

He pulled her forward.

Her body slid across the maps.

Suddenly she was perched at the very edge of the table.

And Soren was seated directly between her knees.

His face was level with her stomach.

Swanly froze.

His hands remained on her hips.

Completely calm.

Completely unbothered.

As if he had not just rearranged her entire nervous system.

His hands remained on her hips, thumbs stroking slow circles over the soft hide.

Swanly became painfully aware of how open she was like this. Her knees were spread on either side of his torso. The heat of his body sank into the insides of her thighs. If he leaned forward even a little, his mouth would be right against the place where she was already starting to feel warm.

Her face burned.

"You..."

"Yes?"

"You grabbed my ass."

"Yes."

No shame.

None.

Of course.

Snake.

Swanly stared at him.

"You are unbelievable."

"And yet you sat on my maps."

"I was making a point."

"So was I."

Her ears heated so badly she wanted to cover them.

Soren’s gaze moved upward.

Very slowly.

Swanly’s breath changed.

His eyes reached hers.

The humor faded.

For a moment they simply stayed there.

Her legs on either side of him.

His hands warm against her through the hide covering her hips.

His tail curled loosely around the base of the table.

Outside, Ironwood slept under fear.

Inside this little pool of lamplight, Swanly suddenly became painfully aware of the man in front of her.

She reached up.

Touched the shadow beneath one of his eyes.

"You look terrible."

Soren’s mouth curved.

"Romantic."

"I’m serious."

"So am I."

He caught her wrist and turned it, pressing his mouth to the soft, sensitive skin on the inside. His lips lingered. Then his tongue brushed once, slow and deliberate, right over her pulse.

Swanly’s breath stuttered.

Soren’s eyes stayed on hers while he did it, watching every tiny reaction.

"You need to sleep."

"So do you."

"I’m not the ruler."

His smile disappeared.

Neither of them spoke for several breaths.

Then Soren looked at the maps beneath her.

"When I ruled before, losing a warrior was simple."

Swanly frowned.

"Simple?"

"Not painless."

His thumb moved slowly over her wrist.

"But simple."

He looked toward the shelter entrance.

"A warrior died. I knew his name. I knew what he could do. I replaced his position."

Swanly listened.

Soren’s voice became quieter.

"Now I know who has three cubs."

Her chest tightened.

"I know whose mate snores loudly enough that the entire southern shelter complains."

Swanly almost smiled.

"I know which female burns every piece of meat she touches but still insists on cooking for everyone."

"Tilla."

"Yes."

Swanly laughed softly.

"She really does."

"I know which children steal fruit."

"All children steal fruit."

"I know which one blames his brothers."

"Miko."

"Yes."

His eyes softened.

"I know whose mate is pregnant. Who is frightened of deep water. Who lost a brother during the Veilkin attack. Which old male pretends his leg does not hurt when it rains."

Swanly’s smile disappeared.

Soren looked down.

"They became mine."

Not possession.

Responsibility.

That was different.

He swallowed.

"I did not notice when it happened."

Swanly touched his hair.

"You built a home."

"I built walls."

"You built both."

His hands tightened faintly on her hips.

"What happens if I choose wrong?"

Swanly’s heart hurt.

There it was.

The thing Soren would never say in front of Raku.

Or Korran.

Or his people.

"What if Lyssara is right?"

Swanly said nothing.

"What if letting them in saves lives?"

His jaw tightened.

"What if letting them in destroys everything?"

Swanly slid one hand along his cheek.

He leaned into it before he could stop himself.

Her heart squeezed.

"I don’t know."

His eyes opened.

She smiled sadly.

"I hate that answer too."

Soren gave a quiet breath that might have been a laugh.

Swanly continued:

"In my old world, waiting got people killed."

He watched her.

"You saw someone acting strange?"

Her fingers curled lightly in his hair.

"You didn’t wait."

"Someone got bitten?"

"You didn’t wait."

"Someone went missing?"

"You didn’t wait."

Her voice grew softer.

"If you waited because you wanted more information, sometimes the next time you saw them, they weren’t themselves anymore."

Soren’s expression changed.

"That is why you run toward everything."

Swanly looked away.

"Probably."

"You think if you stop moving, someone dies."

Her throat tightened.

"Yes."

He understood too quickly.

That was the problem with Soren.

He could be infuriating.

Cold.

Possessive.

Cruel when frightened.

But when he truly looked at something, he saw far too much.

Swanly whispered:

"I know I can’t save everyone."

Soren’s hand slid from her hip to her waist.

"But?"

"I still hate acting like it."

Silence.

Then:

"You do not have to save them alone."

Swanly looked down at him.

Something inside her softened.

This man.

This impossible snake.

Their beginning had been complicated.

Her body had chosen before her mind had fully caught up.

Moonblush.

Instinct.

Heat.

Need.

Even afterward, there had been moments when she could not separate what she had wanted from what circumstances had dragged from her.

Soren knew.

He had known for a long time.

That was why he stopped when she stiffened.

Why he waited.

Why he asked with his eyes before touching her.

Why sometimes his hand hovered at her waist until she was the one who pulled it closer.

Now he was doing it again.

His hands had gone still.

No pressure.

No demand.

Waiting.

Swanly looked at him.

Really looked.

Then she slid forward.

Just a little.

Soren’s pupils narrowed.

She touched his jaw.

He did not move.

"Swanly."

She kissed him.

His entire body went still.

That alone nearly broke her heart.

She kissed him again.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Nothing forcing her.

No strange herb.

No overwhelming heat.

No confusion.

Her.

Only her.

Soren’s fingers flexed against her waist.

He pulled back barely enough to speak.

"Are you sure?"

Swanly’s face was warm.

She hated that the question made her want to cry.

"Yes."

His eyes searched hers.

She almost became annoyed.

"Soren."

"Yes?"

"If you ask me four more times, I’m going to change my mind out of spite."

A tiny smile appeared.

"There she is."

"Shut up."

She kissed him again.

This time he answered.

The change was immediate.

His hand slid firmly around her waist.

His tail curled around one of her ankles.

Swanly gasped against his mouth.

"Soren."

He kissed the corner of her lips.

Her cheek.

Her jaw.

Then paused at her throat.

Waiting again.

Swanly tilted her head.

Permission.

His mouth touched her skin.

A shiver ran through her.

Her fingers tightened in his white hair.

He made a low sound against her throat.

That was unfair.

Very unfair.

"Soren."

His hands drew her closer.

Swanly’s legs tightened around him before she consciously decided to move them.

His breath caught.

Her face heated.

He looked up.

She immediately pointed at him.

"Do not look smug."

"I said nothing."

"You were about to."

"I was thinking."

"Stop."

"No."

She shoved at his shoulder.

He caught her hand.

Kissed her palm.

The stupid warmth in her chest became unbearable.

Swanly pulled him back up and kissed him harder just to make him stop being soft.

It backfired terribly.

Soren’s control cracked.

Not completely.

Never enough to frighten her.

But enough that his next kiss made her forget what she had been annoyed about.

The maps crumpled beneath her.

One of the little wooden guard markers fell to the floor.

Neither looked.

His forehead rested against hers when they finally separated.

Both breathing harder.

Swanly smiled faintly.

"You ruined your map."

"You sat on it."

"You pulled me across it."

"You were in the way."

"You grabbed my ass."

"Still upset?"

Her face flamed again.

Soren’s mouth curved.

She slapped his shoulder.

He caught her.

And then, because the world outside had been terrible for two straight days, because they were tired, because fear had eaten every quiet moment they had, Swanly laughed.

A real laugh.

Soren watched her.

The expression on his face made the laugh slowly fade.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"That is a lie."

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes.

He touched her cheek.

"You chose me."

Swanly stilled.

There it was.

The truth beneath everything.

Her expression softened.

"Yes."

Soren’s eyes closed briefly.

When they opened again, something in them looked lighter.

Swanly kissed him once more.

"Come sleep."

This time he did not argue.

Later, when the lamps had burned low and the sounds of Ironwood had faded to distant footsteps and insects, Swanly slept curled against Soren’s chest.

His white tail covered her legs.

One of her hands rested over his ribs.

Soren was still awake.

Not studying guard routes.

Not listening for the Heart.

Not checking the door.

For once, he simply looked at her.

At the fox ears relaxed in sleep.

At the silver-white hair spilling over him.

At the woman who, for the first time since becoming his mate, had looked at him with a clear mind, reached for him first, and said yes because she wanted him.

Soren lowered his face.

Pressed one quiet kiss into her hair.

Then stayed there with her in his arms a little longer.