Page 21 of Lycan King's Captives
I awake with a moan. The sheets move against my skin as Xandros moves, sending goosebumps across my body. My senses suddenly sharpen and amplify in a way I’ve never experienced before. I can tell it’s dark, even with my eyes closed, however, the darkness enveloping us doesn’t feel oppressive. Rather, it’s comforting, like a soft blanket wrapping around me. The air smells musky, the scent of our lovemaking still lingering in the room. I roll over, inhaling deeply as I move, and I’m instantly flooded with Xandros’s masculine scent. It’s intoxicating and overwhelming, and it makes me want to touch him. My entire body yearns for his touch, craving his embrace.
As if drawn by a magnetic force, I roll into him, burying my face in his neck. His hand sweeps across my side, and sparks ignite under his touch. “Go back to sleep, love,” he groans. Sleep is far from my mind.
“Hmm, you’re not going to go back to sleep, are you?” he purrs when my lips touch his chest, my hands claw at his skin, and he hisses when his arm wraps around my waist, tugging me closer.
“Ah, my little monster has sharp claws,” he groans, helping me crawl on top of him. I know his words should worry me, yet my sole focus is on the feel of his warm skin beneath my fingertips. His eyes glow in the darkness back at me, fluorescent, and mesmerizing.
“You woke me, so help yourself,” he purrs, positioning me above his hard cock.
“You know what to do,” he growls when an embarrassing whine leaves my lips. I wiggle lower and lift my hips, sinking down on his cock with a groan.
My teeth feel sharper, my sense of smell is heightened, and all my senses seem to be solely focused on him. My entire body buzzes with a tingling vibration that creates friction, I feel drunk on his presence. I rock my hips against him. As I move, I bite him, my nails digging into his chest. I lose myself to senses I can’t understand, nor do I care to understand them.
The taste of his skin floods my mouth, salty and addictive, making me crave more. The smoothness of his chest contrasts with the subtle roughness of his stubble when I press my lips against his jawline. The sound of our bodies moving together, the rhythmic thud of his heart, makes mine race even faster.
The bed beneath us creaks softly, the room filled with the scents of sweat and sex, and it only intensifies the desire coursing through me. The coolness of the room, the softness of the sheets, every sensation only seems to amplify the pleasure coursing through me.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know something isn’t right, that my bizarre actions should scare me. I should be worried about these changes, but I’m too overwhelmed by the sensations flooding my body to care. Xandros seems to be all my mind can focus on, him and him alone, nothing else matters. And once again, my surroundings blur into one, and so does the night.
The room is silent except for our heavy breathing, the glow of the moonlight casting soft shadows on the walls. I trace the contours of Xandros’s face, feeling the heat of his skin beneath my fingertips. His eyes, like two black pools, hold a depth of emotion that both frightens and intrigues me. I want to know every thought, every secret hidden behind those eyes.
My body trembles with fear and desire, the raw intensity of the strange sensations both threatening to consume me. I can feel the beating of his heart beneath my palm, the rhythm syncing with mine. Our breaths mingle, each exhale warm against the cool night air.
As I continue to move against him, I notice the way the moonlight dances across his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his cheekbones and the curve of his lips. His eyes seem to shine with an otherworldly glow, as if they are filled with the secrets of the universe. One I have found myself a part of without realizing what that fully means.
The heat of his body envelops me, and I lose myself in the sensations of our connection. I am drowning in the intensity of his touch, the way his fingers trace patterns on my skin, the warmth of his breath against my neck. The world beyond the confines of our room ceases to exist, and all that matters is the feel of him against me, the depth of our passion.
A spark that ignites with every touch, every caress.
And as the night gives way to the first light of dawn, I know everything has changed. The world as I once knew it has been shattered, replaced by a reality filled with him, desire, and an all-consuming obsession that knows no bounds, that isn’t rational.
“Sienna?” Xandros’ husky voice next to my ear makes me shiver. I groan, not wanting to wake up. His hands tug at me, and I know he is trying to pick me up, but I feel sore all over and swat his hands away, which earns me a growl. I’m disoriented and confused, and when I look at his chest, I gasp. Xandros’s chest is covered in small, red marks from sharp claws. They are deep enough to be visible and clear enough to show they were made by claws. His skin is slightly raised, the evidence of my earlier actions: deep, red scratch marks marring his skin. He doesn’t seem bothered by them. I closed my eyes, only to open them when I feel something cold press against my lips. “Drink,” he growls at me, and I shake my head, trying to curl back up to sleep.
He won’t let me, though, pulling me against him and propping my naked body up. “So disobedient,” he purrs, nipping at my shoulder.
“Drink, and then eat,” he says, pressing a glass of water to my lips. I take a sip, not realizing how thirsty I am until the cool liquid hits my tongue. I snatch the glass from him, gulping it down greedily. “Good girl,” he purrs, his hand skimming over my stomach as I drain the glass in seconds.
“I’m not hungry” I ask. My voice is hoarse and weak, even to my own ears.
Xandros grips my chin, tilting my head back as he looks at me, his eyes serious and concerned. “Your body is changing, Sienna. The mate bond seems stronger than I initially thought. I believe you may shift earlier than anticipated.” he tells me, his eyes darting to my lips, his thumb brushing over them. “You need to eat,” he states.
I ponder his words as he gets up and struts away, leaving me to process what that means; the idea of shifting petrifies me. I try to lay back down and go back to sleep.
The bed dips when he returns. “Sienna, up. You need to eat,” he snarls at me, and I groan, curling into a ball under the sheets. He rips the blanket off me, making me shudder at the cool crisp air in the room.
Ignoring my refusal to eat, he sets a tray down on the bed and grabs me, pulling me around to face the food and leaning me against the headboard like a propped-up doll.
“Stay, if you move, you’ll go over my knee,” he warns, and I puff out a breath. Like a child, much to my embarrassment, he begins to feed me, not allowing me to protest. He forces food to my lips the moment I finish chewing, preventing me from refusing. He gives me pieces of grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, and warm, crusty bread dipped in warm broth. Even when I complain I’m full, he insists I continue.
He presses another piece of chicken to my lips, and I press my lips together, feeling on the verge of exploding. I shake my head when he speaks. “One more mouthful,” he tells me, and I open my mouth reflexively, which makes him chuckle.
Relieved when he finally sets the tray aside, I try to roll away from him, he tugs me back so I’m straddling him. “Ah, transitioning Lycans are so grumpy. You’re not sleeping, not yet,” he growls, wrapping my legs around his waist. He carries me into the bathroom, exhausted, I let him do as he pleases with me. Instead, I opt to turn my face into his neck, inhaling his comforting scent.
He sits on the edge of the bathtub and fiddles with the taps, filling the tub with warm water. He adds herbs and soap to the water, making it smell strongly of lavender, rosemary, and eucalyptus. The soothing scents permeate the air, filling my senses and calming my racing thoughts as I melt into him.
Once the bath is ready, Xandros stands and steps into the water, still holding me in his arms. He maneuvers me around so I’m sitting between his legs, my back resting against his chest. As the warm water envelops us, I feel some of the tension in my muscles begin to ease.
With slow, gentle movements, he washes me, using a soft sponge to scrub my skin gently. He takes his time, paying attention to every inch of my body, massaging my aching muscles as he cleans away the remnants of the night before.
