SHANE BLACKTHORN

Trigger Warning: ⚠️ ⚠️
This chapter contains sexually explicit content intended for a mature audience. Reader discretion is advised.

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The rain pours down in torrents, soaking us both to the bone. We should head inside, but neither of us moves. The air between us feels electric, charged with something unspoken. I can't help but notice how her wet clothes cling to her, accentuating every curve. My throat tightens as I swallow hard.

"We should go inside," I say, though my voice wavers. Neither of us makes the effort. Instead, our gazes lock, and I wonder if it's the rain, the closeness of our bodies, or something deeper that's holding us here. All I know is that every fiber of my being wants to kiss her. And judging from her expression, I think she wants me to do it.

"Millie, about the letter..." I start, raising my voice to compete with the rain.

"What letter?" she asks, tilting her head.

"The one I gave... never mind," I say, realizing Caelum must not have delivered it. I hesitate, trying to find the words. "I just —"

"This is so messed up," she snaps, cutting me off. Her voice trembles with frustration as she paces in my arms, her movements quick and agitated.

"You killed my mother, ruined my life, and I should hate you! I should want to kill you right now, I shouldn't be focusing on how good you look right now."

"Should?" I repeat, clinging to the one word that carries a flicker of hope. If she says she should hate me, then maybe she doesn't. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips.

"Don't smile," she warns, glaring at me.

"Sorry," I say, trying to smother it but failing.

"I know about the spell," she continues, her voice rising. "I know my mum placed it on you, and that's why you killed her. Is it possible she put one on me too"

Her words hit like a blow, and my eyes widen. How does she know? Verran must have told her. I know Caelum wouldn't.

"Is that why you keep doing this?" she demands, her voice dropping to a softer, almost vulnerable tone. "Following me around? Looking at me like that? Kissing me?" Her last words come out as a whisper, and my heart skips a beat.

"Because you think I can break the spell?"

"No," I answer immediately, the word firm and unshakable.

"Then why?"

"Because I think I'm in love with you," I admit, the truth spilling out before I can stop it. "No, I know I'm in love with you."

She stares at me like l've lost my mind. Maybe I have, did I just admit that out loud?

"You don't know what you're saying. It's insane. Aren't you and Leah mates or whatever?"

"Yeah, we are," I say, exhaling sharply. "And I'm just as confused as you are. But it happens-falling in love outside your mate bond. It's rare, but it happens."

Her brows furrow, disbelief etched across her face. "You're still under my mother's spell. You don't even know me, how can you claim to know me."

I laugh softly, shaking my head. "You sound just like Leah," I say, closing the distance between us. I reach out, my fingers brushing against her lips, tracing their softness. She inhales sharply, and the sound stirs something primal in me. "But you're wrong. Your mother's spell has nothing to do with how I feel. I've always known that. Telling myself it was the spell just gave me an excuse—a way to deny what I feel for you."

Before she can respond, I lean in, capturing her bottom lip between my teeth, savoring the taste of her. "Want to know something even more insane?" I whisper against her mouth. "I think you feel the same way."

I don't give her a chance to answer. I kiss her fully, pouring every suppressed feeling into the act. The rain continues to pour, cold and relentless, but all I feel is the heat between us. Her hands move hesitantly before wrapping around my shoulders. Her lips part against mine, soft and yielding, as I kiss her with a hunger that's been building for too long.

I pull back just enough for her to catch her breath. "If you want me to stop, kick me now," I murmur, my voice hoarse.

Instead, her arms tighten around me, and I take it as permission. I lift her easily, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carry her back toward the house. Neither of us stops kissing, and by the time we reach the room Caelum had prepared for her, I'm almost trembling with need.

I set her down on the bed gently, standing at the edge for a moment to take her in. She lies there, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. Her soaked clothes cling to her skin, making her underwear faintly visible. The look in her eyes-equal parts desire and uncertainty-renders me breathless.

Carefully, I climb onto the bed, spreading her legs just enough to settle between them. My palms graze her cheeks, tracing her jawline as I whisper, "I've imagined this a thousand times."

I kiss her again, softer this time, and her quiet whimper is all the encouragement I need. My hands move down, exploring her curves, memorizing the way her body reacts to my touch. When I reach her waist, I pause, giving her one last chance to stop me.

She whimpered softly as my hands traced the curves of her body, gliding lower before returning to rest on her breasts. I pulled away from her lips, letting mine trail down to her neck, where I captured a patch of skin between my teeth, sucking gently before kneading her right breast with my fingers.

Her moan was loud, uninhibited, and it shot straight through me, making my pulse quicken. The sound, the feel of her in my arms, drove me to the edge. I wanted to hear more, to keep unraveling her.

Shifting, I used my knees to spread her legs wider, positioning myself more firmly between them. My fingers brushed the string of her coat, loosening it with deliberate care before letting the fabric slide off her shoulders and tossing it onto the floor. Sitting back, I tugged her gown up and over her head, leaving her in only her underwear.

The sight of her, vulnerable, lying there with her chest rising and falling, nearly undid me. I leaned forward, claiming her lips with an urgency that bordered on desperation. The kiss was messy, consuming, as though I could devour every thought she had of anyone else. My hands slid around her back, fumbling with the clasp of her bra until it came free.

I pulled back for a moment, meeting her gaze. "Are you sure?" I asked, my voice low, barely audible over the pounding of the rain outside.

She didn't answer with words. Her hands slid to my back, pulling me closer until our bodies pressed together, leaving no room for doubt. Her lips found mine again, hot and eager, and I lost myself in her touch.

I guided her onto her back, her legs instinctively wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer. The thin fabric of her panties was the only barrier between us, but it might as well have been nothing. My heart thundered in my chest as my hands slid up her ribcage, pausing to tease her nipples between my fingers.

Her sharp intake of breath spurred me on. I dipped my head, capturing one peak in my mouth while my hand lavished attention on the other. She arched beneath me, her body trembling, but I pressed her back down, keeping control. Switching sides, I sucked and nipped until her moans filled the room, louder and more uncontrolled with every passing second.

My hands wandered lower, tracing the waistband of her panties. "You're so beautiful," I murmured against her skin, my voice heavy with awe.

She silenced me by tugging at my hair, bringing my lips back to hers in a bruising kiss that left me breathless. I smiled against her mouth, feeling the damp heat of her pressing against me, driving me wild.

Gently, I grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head. "Keep them here," I growled, my voice rough, primal. My lips began a trail down her body, pausing to kiss her forehead, her cheeks, her neck, and finally the space between her breasts. When I reached her stomach, I paused, spreading her legs a little wider to place a kiss on the inside of her thigh.

She instinctively moved to stop me, her hands reaching down, but I caught them, pinning them back where l'd left them.

"Trust me," I whispered against her lips. When she nodded, her consent lit something fierce within me.

I slid her panties down her legs, exposing her pussy to me completely. Her skin glistened, flushed with need, and I couldn't hold back any longer. My fingers brushed against her, gathering her wetness before circling her clit with deliberate care.

Her moan was intoxicating, a symphony I wanted to hear over and over. I hooked her legs over my shoulders, dragging her closer until she was mere inches from my mouth. The temptation to tease her was overwhelming, but I gave in, pressing my lips to her pussy in a kiss as intimate as it was consuming.

"Shane," she gasped, her voice breathy and filled with need.

I pulled away from the kiss, then with my thumb, I circled around her clit before inserting it into her opening.

Her hands found my hair, tugging sharply as I lavished her with attention. With my thumb still sliding in and out of her, my tongue explored her too, tasting her deeply. I pulled my thumb out, and replaced with my tongue.

My tongue explored her insides, teasing her while my thumb circled her sensitive bud. She writhed beneath me, her body trembling uncontrollably, and I had to hold her hips down to keep her still.

"Shane," she cried again, her voice growing louder, her back arching as she neared the edge.

Her body tensed, her thighs quaking around me, and I felt her close to unraveling. I loved the sound of my name on her lips, I wanted to see her body coming undone beneath mine- the need was becoming too much to bear.

I pulled back just enough to catch my breath, looking up at her flushed face, her lips parted in ecstasy. I was utterly consumed, every fiber of my being wanting to claim her, to make her mine completely.

"Shit," she whispers, trembling all over as she comes undone on my tongue. I don't relent, continuing my torment of her throbbing body with long, deliberate strokes. I let her ride the waves of her orgasm as my tongue laps up every drop of her, savoring her like a man starved.

Finally, when her trembling subsides and her breathing evens out, she pulls me up, her lips meeting mine in a desperate kiss, tasting herself on me.

"This doesn't-" she begins, but I cut her off with another kiss.

"I know," I murmur between kisses.

For the next twenty minutes, we roll around in the sheets, our lips locked in a language of their own, letting our bodies speak instead of our words. I know this is wrong, but l allow myself this fleeting moment. Tomorrow, we'll confront all the reasons why this can never work. Tonight, I just want her.

When we finally pull apart, both breathless, I spread my arm out for her to rest against me. Pulling the blanket over us, I let my hand wander to her hair, gently toying with it. It's still tied up, so I tug at the scrunchie, releasing her hair.

She stiffens instantly, snatching the scrunchie from my hand and carefully placing it on the table beside us. I recognize it-it's almost identical to the one Caelum showed me, something he had made for Silvia.

"It's just important. I don't want to lose it," she says softly.

I force a smile, though jealousy simmers beneath the surface. Even after all that's happened, even after her anger at Caelum's manipulations, she still treasures his gift. My hands absentmindedly trace lines down her arm, pulling the blanket down enough to expose her bare breasts. My eyes roam over her, selfishly wanting her again, wanting to mark her as mine.

"What is it about Caelum?" I ask, my voice low. "You've barely known him, and yet you care so much-even after finding out he's been messing with your memories."

She hesitates, her gaze avoiding mine. "He was nice to me," she says simply, turning away. I don't let her escape, rolling with her and pulling her back into my embrace.

The rain has stopped, and darkness fills the room. In a few hours, I'll be at the banquet, preparing for the mating ritual with Leah. The thought feels like a noose tightening around my neck.

"Do you think things could have been different?" I ask softly, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "If we met under different circumstances?"

She tenses. "You mean if you hadn't killed my mom, ruined my birthday forever, and then slashed Leah's throat in front of me, making me believe she was dead? And then almost getting framed for their murders?" she replies coldly, but there's a hint of amusement in her voice.

I chuckle bitterly. "Yeah, if none of that had happened. Maybe if we met at school-or through a dating app?"

She laughs, turning to face me. "I'd never swipe right on your profile," she teases. "Maybe that's why Kalareth matched you and Leah."

The mention of Leah makes bile rise in my throat. "Millie-"

"Don't." Her voice is firm. "This was just lust. Nothing more. I still hate you and you are still influenced by my mother's spell."

"That's not true" I interrupt her.

"I don't care what's true or not, You're a reminder of everything that's gone wrong in my life. Even if you're right and your feelings are real, I still don't care. So you should focus on Leah, and I'll focus on mastering my powers and helping the people I care about. One day, we might end up on opposite sides, I might get strong enough to kill you and when that day comes, I won't hesitate. You shouldn't either."

Her words sting, but I know she's right. I had always known this.

"What's the plan for finding Reed and Clara?" l ask, changing the subject.

"The letter said to show up at the banquet, so that's what l'm going to do."

"And walk right into their trap?"

"It doesn't matter," she says, standing. "I promised Esther I'd get them back, and I will. I'm not as helpless as you think I am."

As she stands fully naked before me, I feel heat rush through me again. I have to silently chant a lullaby in my head to calm myself down.

"Fine, but let me help," I offer. I don't care how powerful she thinks she is, against the seven, she was powerless. I had seen the devastation these people could cause and I wasn't going to let her become one of their many victims.

She glances past me, ignoring my words, and walks to the bathroom, leaving me alone with my spiraling thoughts. The Seven are in Lupinmere, and for some reason, they want Millie. Caelum knows something, but getting him to break a blood oath is impossible.

Minutes later, Millie returns, dressed in a nightgown l'm sure Caelum bought her.

"Good night," she says curtly.

But Something's still bothering me. "Before the rain, you were staring at that tree. What did you see? What did it show you?"

Her eyes widen briefly before she replies, "Nothing. I was just admiring it."

But as she speaks, I see it—a connection forms, and an image floods my mind. A younger Millie running to a man, calling out, "Dad!" He turns, and it's Tristan Valkera.

I snap back to reality as she lies down beside me, unaware of what she's revealed. Tristan... her father? That makes no sense. All this time I spent following and stalking her, it was established that her father was never present in her life and yet this memory pops up? How's that possible?

The mysteries surrounding Millie were always mind blowing. Who was she? It feels like I just need one more piece of the puzzle to be able to see the whole picture clearly. The question was how do I get this final piece of the puzzle?

"Good night," I say, though my mind is far from settled.

Sleep eventually claims me, and the warmth of her against my chest is the last thing I feel. When I wake, sunlight filters through the room, and Millie is still nestled against me, her soft breaths warming my skin.

I savor the moment until the door creaks open. Leah walks in, her eyes wide and frantic as she takes in the scene.

This is the second time she's walked in on us. I put a finger to my lips, silently asking her to stay quiet. But Millie stirs, her eyes fluttering open. When she sees Leah standing there, her face pales.

"Leah?" she whispers, and I sigh heavily.

This wasn't going to end well.

Author's note:
Thank you for reading. Please don't forget to vote and comment. Love y'all.