Page 46 of Alien Charming

“I’ve lived alone for a long time,” he said. “I never thought I would find someone who could see past what I am, who could look at me without fear.”

She smiled, reaching up to touch his face. “How could I fear you when you’ve shown me nothing but kindness?”

“I meant what I said last night. I want to claim you. I want you to be my mate. To live with me, to build a life together. I want to show you what it means to be cherished, to be protected, to be free to grow into all that you are meant to be.”

Joy burst through her like sunlight breaking through clouds.

“Yes,” she whispered, tears of happiness spilling down her cheeks. “Yes, I want that too.”

His face transformed with a smile so brilliant it took her breath away. He lifted her effortlessly, spinning her in a circle as their laughter—his deep and resonant, hers light and breathless—echoed through the forest.

When he set her down, he cradled her face between his hands, looking at her with such wonder that she felt truly beautiful for the first time in her life.

“My mate,” he murmured, the words filled with reverence. “My Elli.”

“My mate,” she echoed, the words filling her with joy. “I want you to claim me, Seren. Right here. Right now.”

He froze for an endless moment. Then a shudder rippled through him, and he lifted her effortlessly into his arms, carrying her across the clearing to a bed of thick moss beneath a towering tree.

He laid her down gently, his body a solid, reassuring weight as he stretched out beside her. One hand cradled her head, his thumb tracing circles along her jaw, while the other skimmed down her side, sending shivers of pleasure through her.

“Are you certain, Elli?” he murmured. “I will wait as long as you need me to.”

She smiled up at him and took his hand, guiding it to her breast and gasping as her nipple peaked under his palm. “I want this. I want you.”

With a groan, he captured her mouth again, his hand kneading her soft flesh. She arched into his touch, her body seeking his instinctively. His lips trailed down her throat, leaving a trail of fire wherever they touched. When his mouth found her breast through the thin fabric of her dress, she couldn’t suppress a moan of pleasure.

She fumbled with his shirt, eager to feel the warm, solid expanse of his chest against her palms. He chuckled softly, and shrugged it off. The sight of his bare torso, bathed in sunlight, took her breath away. He was a warrior, honed by battles and a lifetime of training. The scars that crisscrossed his skin only made him more beautiful in her eyes.

“You’re staring,” he said softly, and she blushed.

“You’re magnificent,” she replied, her fingers tracing the lines of his muscles. “Don’t I have the right to look?”

He caught her hand, bringing it to his lips. “You have the right to more than look,” he murmured before claiming her lips again. His kiss was slow and sensuous, full of promises. She could feel the restrained power in his every touch, in the tension of his body against hers.

He shifted, kneeling before her, his hands sliding up her legs, pushing her skirt higher. His fingers brushed the soft skin of her inner thigh, and she gasped at the sensations his touch unleashed.

“You’re so sensitive,” he growled, his voice rough with desire. “So responsive. I want to touch every part of you.”

His fingers reached the juncture of her thighs, finding the damp heat that awaited him there. Her breath caught as he stroked her, his touch gentle yet insistent, stoking the fire that was already burning within her.

“This is mine,” he growled, his eyes glowing gold. “You are mine, Elli.”

She could only nod, helpless to resist the truth of his words. He was claiming her, not just with his touch but with his entire being. And she wanted to be claimed, to belong to this fierce, gentle, honorable male.

His mouth found hers again, swallowing her moans of pleasure as his fingers continued their magic. When he finally broke the kiss, she was breathless and flushed, her body humming with need. His eyes held hers as he slowly lowered himself, his broad shoulders pushing her thighs apart. The first touch of his tongue against her sensitive flesh made her cry out, her back arching off the ground. He groaned, the sound vibrating through her,and she tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him to her as he feasted.

Her world narrowed to the sensation of his mouth, his tongue, the scrape of his fangs against her skin. He growled against her, a possessive, primal sound that added to her arousal. When her release finally swept over her, it was more powerful than anything she’d ever known. She cried out his name, her fingers digging into his scalp, her hips bucking against his mouth. He didn’t stop, didn’t relent until she was spent and trembling, her body slick with sweat.

As she lay there, catching her breath, he moved back up her body, pressing a kiss to the soft skin of her belly and more kisses to her aching nipples. Then he was kneeling between her thighs, his massive body blocking out the trees. She looked up at him, his face fierce and beautiful in the golden light.

“Are you ready, little one?” he asked, his voice rough with barely restrained desire. He’d discarded his pants and her mouth went dry at the sight of his erection, long and thick and glistening with need.

She reached up, tracing the lines of his face with her fingertips, marveling at the strength and tenderness she saw there. This was the male she’d dreamed about, the one she’d never dared to hope she’d find.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m yours, Seren.”

His eyes flared golden at her words, and he lowered himself onto her, his weight pressing her into the soft moss. She could feel him at her entrance, hot and hard and impossibly large. He captured her lips in a searing kiss as he slowly pushed insideher, stretching her, filling her. There was a brief moment of pain, quickly forgotten in the rush of sensations that followed.

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