Page 20 of Raven

I hadn’t brought her up there for any other reason than for her to see it, to experience it. My mother and I had lived in the Society lands for a few years now—three, maybe four. We moved frequently, constantly shifting from one place to another. As I grew older, though, the moving slowed.

When I was very young, as far back as I can remember, maybe five or six years old, it felt like we relocated every month. It might not have been quite that often, but the constant upheaval meant I never made friends or attended school regularly. Not that I minded at the time; what kid is upset about missing school? Besides, it wasn’t that I lacked education. My mother taught me everything. By the time I was four, I was reading and writing, and by ten, I was well ahead of any peers I might have had.

Entering school in my teens was challenging. I knew so much more than the others, which ironically made it difficult to fit in. Malcolm always told me to just pretend, to act like I knew less and just get on with it. I think he's the reason my mother and I settled down for a while. There wasn’t anything romantic between them, but he was a surrogate father to me. He seemedto make her feel safe. Though back then, I never knew what was making us unsafe.

Now, I understand more about their relationship, but as a kid, as a teenager? At first, it just seemed normal—that was my life. Then I started to question what it all meant.

I guess in the end, it didn’t really matter. To the world, Malcolm Davies was all business, all Society. Even the tough choices he made had an underlying reason. Beneath it all, there were the bones of a real alpha, and one day, we’d all see that.

Standing with Tia by the waterfall, my heart pounded fiercely as our lips met.. A warmth spread around my body. The taste of her, the sweetness of her lips—it was something else. She was something else.

Tilting her head back, I kissed her deeper, plunging into that kiss. Her hands wrapped around my waist as she stood on her tiptoes against the rock face. Touching her was like touching fire; electricity surged through my body, igniting every point of contact. Yet we remained there, lost in each other. Kissing her felt like a connection that bound us, her body enveloped by mine, transforming us into something greater. I had kissed others before, had been intimate, had felt connections—but with Tia? Bloody hell. I can’t even begin to describe what we had in that moment. It's so cliché, but truly. In that kiss, the entire world fell away, leaving only us.. She transported me to another place entirely.

I pulled back eventually, only slightly, panting against her soft mouth. "Tia," I breathed out. It was the only word my mind could form.

She squinted in the dim light and lifted her fingers to thread them through my hair. “Don’t speak,” she whispered, then leant in again, pressing her lips to mine. I breathed her in, my panther stirred within, and in our minds, we danced, our spiritsintertwined. She smiled against my mouth, her face still pressed to mine. “This has been the best night ever,” she murmured.

I pulled her closer, pressing her slender body against mine. I could feel her, not just on a physical level, but deep within my soul. My heart raced, syncing with hers. The mingling of our pulses felt strange, and it was so hard to keep my mental shields in place.

I ran my thumb along her jaw, savouring the softness of her skin. She closed her eyes for a moment, and I watched her, captivated. When she opened them again, her gaze met mine—a mix of surprise and something else—desire? Yearning? I should have been scared to feel so much, but it felt so right. I was so young, though. Was that what it was?

Maybe that was just what Humans called young love. I’m not sure. But I felt something so profound within me that I knew it could consume me.

"I could get used to this," she breathed out, her low voice sending shivers down my spine.

My fingers traced lazy patterns on her back, sending spasms through her body that I felt too. A strange sensation pulsed in my heart with an intensity I hadn't ever felt before. It was as if our bodies were talking to each other, whispering sweet confessions. I felt her gasp when my hand slipped between us and found the top button of her blouse, but she didn't pull away, nor did she tell me to stop as I undid them one by one. My hands lingered on her skin, and her breathing hitched as I moved my mouth to her collarbone, tracing along as I gently pushed the fabric from her shoulders.

Her skin was like silk under my touch as I ran my hand up her back, under her shirt to the clasp of her bra. I paused there. "You can tell me to stop," I said.

But the mischievous look in her eyes, the way they sparkled with anticipation, told me all I needed to know. She shook her head. "I don’t want you to."

She leant closer, her breath warm against my neck, her lips grazing my skin ever so lightly. Her fingers tangled in my hair, gently pulling me closer, guiding me to where she wanted my kisses next.

Her touch set my nerves alight as the blouse slipped from her shoulders, falling silently to the ground, leaving her bathed in the soft moonlight that filtered through the trees.

She murmured as my hands freely explored, tracing the contours of her body. She pressed herself to me, her warmth seeping into me. “Raven,” she murmured, her voice laced with desire and lust. Her hands moved to my chest, feeling the rapid beat of my heart, mirroring hers. I paused a moment to remove my shirt, then responded to the unspoken invitation between us. My fingers slid around her back and unclasped her bra. It fell away, and for a moment, I paused, overwhelmed by her beauty. My lips found hers again, kissing her deeply, passionately as if we could meld into one.

She arched into me, her hands roaming over my back, pulling me in, eliminating any space between us. Our breaths mingled, heavy and laden with want.

I’m not sure when we lowered or who initiated, but there, under the vast expanse of the Fell, with the dark sky above us, stars dotting the darkness, and the sound of water falling beside us, was our first time.

Her skin was a canvas under my lips, each kiss a stroke on the masterpiece meant only for us. She was more than beautiful—she was the embodiment of all the things I’d ever dreamt of. Her hair spread out on the grass in a halo, and her eyes glowed with an inner fire, fuelled by our need.

I moved inside her, against her.

The night sky was painted with the dim light of the moon, casting a soft glow over everything. Tia's skin glimmered in the light, her lips parted and bitten red from my kisses. Her breasts were in my mouth, and I took a nipple into my mouth, sucking it gently as she moaned. Her hands raked through my hair, urging me on, pulling me closer still. Every sensation was heightened beyond belief. Her breath came out in short gasps as we moved together, our bodies entwined under the stars. She tasted of sweetness and desire, and I couldn't get enough of it.

Our hips rocked together, finding a rhythm we both knew by instinct. The waterfall was a soothing background to our passion, its sound masking the rustling of leaves and our heavy breaths. The grass beneath us was soft and cool, tickling our bare skin with every move.

We moved together like one being, our hearts beating together, our minds entwined in a dance only we could hear. Our senses were heightened—the scent of the forest filling us with earthy delights and the taste of each other lingering on our tongues. The air was heady with anticipation and need as we found each other's rhythm. My fingers traced along her back, down to her hips, holding onto her tightly as if I never wanted her to let go—as if she was already a part of me.

Her body arched into mine as she moaned softly against my neck, her nails digging into my skin with just the right amount of pressure to send shivers down my spine. She felt so good—so warm and soft against me. Her legs wrapped around my waist, pulling me deeper into her. A soft gasp escaped her lips with every thrust, the sound echoing off the trees and carried away by the gentle wind.

She looked at me with her emerald eyes, filled with passion and vulnerability. I dove deeper into her gaze, getting lost in the emotions swirling there. She tensed beneath me. Her eyes widened and she bit down hard on her lower lip to keep fromcrying out. I didn’t stop, nuzzling against her neck as tremors of pleasure ripped through her body.

The sight of her beneath me, lost in the throes of passion was indescribably beautiful—it was a sight that would forever be etched into my memory. It took all my self-control to hold back. I didn’t want it to end. Didn’t want anything with her to end.

She clutched at my shoulders.The warmth spreading through her body, and into mine. I let out my own gasp, felt my own climax coming.

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