Word Count: 2093

~Meara

The world materialises around us, a cold breeze ruffling my hair.

"This isn't the manor," I comment, pulling my hand from Sire's as I look around.

After leaving the witch behind, we were meant to return back home. However, I'm standing ankle-deep in snow, looking at what appears to be a natural spring carved into the rock, steam wafting up from it's surface.

"No. It isn't," Sire comments casually, as if he hasn't just brought me to what may very well be a small mountain top that is covered in snow and doesn't have anything around it for miles.

"Why are we here?" I ask warily.

"To relax," he says, tugging his shirt off his head. I'm lucky he has magic and was able to bring clothing to himself, otherwise he would completely naked right now.

I watch in stunned silence as he kicks of his pants too. "I've been on the verge of death for many centuries, I need a break."

He clearly knew of this place previously, as he strides confidently into the hot water with nothing but his underwear on, sinking down until just his head and shoulders are above the surface.

"I suppose I stand here." I wrap my arms around myself uncomfortably.

"Join me. I'm sure you're tired and stressed too," he muses, stretching his arms out over the rock as he relaxes in the heat of the water.

I rub the back of my neck. "I'm definitely stressed."

This has been a hard few weeks since Sire was put underground. At every turn something has gone wrong, and now I feel just as hopeless and dejected as I did after I first found out about the curse.

"I feel like this is all my fault. The curse, everything," I admit.

Sire's expression turns grave. "It isn't. It's the man who cursed me in the first place, and all the witches that helped him."

"Still..."

"Join me. I want to talk," he encourages, gesturing widely at the pool.

"You want to talk some more?" I'm not sure how much there is to say after we spoke in his tomb. I'm scared he's going to go back on his promise to trust me, to not punish me now.

"Come on."

Breathing out through my nose, I decide I may as well sit in the hot water rather than stand out in the snow, even if it means getting close to him wearing next to nothing.

I rush to take my shirt and pants off, ignoring the heat of Sire's gaze.

The chill from the icy night air is diminished the moment I sink beneath the surface. I sigh with relief, my muscles immediately relaxing.

I turn my head at Sire.

The moisture from the steam has caused his dark locks to start curling at the edges, framing his face. He gazes me with an unmatched heat in his eyes, causing my skin to burn hotter than the water.

"Don't stare," I admonish softly, forcing myself to look up at the night sky.

"Alright." He sounds amused.

"What do you want to talk about?" I question, wishing my tone didn't sound so stunted and awkward.

Sire knows my body reacts to him. It's not just because he is my mate, either. He is gorgeous, almost naked and looking at me like he wants to devour me.

"So Carran truly didn't touch you while I was gone?" he asks darkly.

"No. I didn't hear from him once," I admit. Even if something did happen with Carran, I wouldn't tell Sire. Not when he could react explosively and enact his revenge pre-emptively.

When I glance back at him, there is a shadow of doubt over his face.

"Why are you so worried about that?" I question.

"I was just worried that he would get with you in an attempt to anger me if I was risen again." He shifts uncomfortably, no longer relaxed by the hot water.

I shrug. "He had real faith that you wouldn't."

"Arrogance. Typical," Sire mutters.

I nod. Carran didn't bother to check up on me, to make sure I still felt the same way about keeping Sire underground. He could have continued to threaten me, to ensure I would never rise his enemy, but he is fatally misguided in believeing he is the most powerful, and nobody could ever cross him.

"I wouldn't have allowed Carran to..." I break off, unsure of how to say it.

He raises his brows. "Seduce you?"

"Yeah, that."

My cheeks flush, and not just because of the water. Carran hasn't shown me any interest, and even if he had, it would repulse me more than anything.

"It's common in their family to lure in women and hurt them when they try to leave. The thought of that happened to you bothers me more than being cursed again," he admits, shaking his head.

I frown, knowing there's a deep, dark history between his words. Carran may not have acquired the same habits as his ancestors, but from what I know of him so far, I wouldn't be surrpised if he did.

"Carran isn't attracted to me anyways," I mutter, tilting my head to gaze up at the stars.

Sire laughs breathily. "Impossible."

"Sire..." I warn.

"There is no way anyone can walk these lands without thinking you're the most beautiful person they have ever seen," he murmurs, turning to face me.

I narrow my eyes on him. "I'm too smart to be flattered by you."

Even so, his words do stir something deep inside me. Sire's most irritating trait is that he says what he is thinking, but it's also his best.

"You don't have to believe me, but I am being truthful," he tells me.

I wade my hands through the water, trying to relax. The intensity of his gaze is making it difficult, but compared to everything else going on, I suppose I can handle it.

"This water feels far too nice for me to respond to you," I murmur.

A comfortable silence grows between us as we both stare up into the sky, letting the water soothe out concerns.

"I understand why you did what you did," he says quietly after a long stretch of silence.

I turn my head to look at him, checking for sincerity. Sure enough, there is no anger, no resentment and no amusement in his eyes. Despite being put back where he last expected, he is choosing not to be angry at me.

"Do you?" I ask softly.

"You wanted to save your friend, your Pack." He shrugs, watching his own hand as it stirs up the water. "There was a time where I would have died for my Pack."

The quiet sadness in his voice seizes my heart, causing it to ache. He had everything taken from him. He lost his home, the people around him and the Pack he once ruled over.

I can't even imagine how hard that would be.

"Really?"

"I loved being Alpha. It felt like what I was born to do. To have it taken from me fills me with more than just rage," he admits, drawing in a shuddering breath as he attempts to calm himself for my sake.

I turn my body to face him some more. "You will rule again. In time.

He smiles weakly. "I plan to."

"But it must be done carefully. People need to trust you, to want to be in your Pack, rather than feel forced," I advise.

I may not know anything about running a Pack, but I know about being in one. I've had the influence of an Alpha in my life forever, even if it was from a distance. People once trusted Carran, and now that their trust is slipping slightly, he will lose his grip on power.

Sire's mouth forms a hard line. "I'm not sure what is harder. Knowing Carran is alive and not being able to kill him, or being so close to my mate and not even being able to touch her."

I swallow thickly, suddenly becoming aware of my presence.

"I'll be honest, you scare me," I admit quietly.

I haven't told him that so honestly before. It's mostly because I haven't wanted to confront the root of my feat for this man. Now that he has been granted his full power, it's only a matter of time before I see it in practice.

"Isn't that exciting?"

"Kind of," I admit sheepishly. "If you weren't my mate I would..."

His gaze darkens. "You would what?"

"I wouldn't be in a relationship with you, honestly. I wouldn't commit myself to someone who looks like you, who acts like you." I motion over him, pointing out the obvious.

His height, his imposing stature, his strange tattoo's and intense eyes are only part of what terrifies me. It's also his power, his overwhelming honesty and frankly, the way he looks at me.

"Not a risk-taker?" A spark of amusement shifts in his eyes.

"No, I'm not...wasn't, at least," I stutter. "But I won't lie, I would have allowed myself a single night with a guy like you if I were single, and you were just a normal guy."

I'm not sure where all this honesty is coming from. Maybe the steam is laced with truth-serum, or perhaps this intimate setting is luring more out of me than I'm used to.

Sire's smile is delightfully sinful. "I don't think you would been able to walk away after just one night with me."

"It's not a good idea to talk so highly of yourself. If leads to disappointment," I tell him, folding my arms over my chest.

"You won't be disappointed."

I get the feeling I wouldn't, either.

A spark of attraction no longer exists between us. It's a full tsunami at this point, and it's hard to fight against. I'm sitting next to the most beautiful person I have ever seen, and I'm just sitting here like an idiot.

"Come here," he commands gently.

I don't look at him. I can't. From the glimpse I caught, his sultry eyes are pinning me, his mouth slightly tilted up as he enjoys my attempt to hold myself back.

"I...I can't."

"Come here, Meara," he says again.

Letting out a slow breath, I shift my attention to him once again.

Something in me snaps. Being rational is an impossible standard in a hot spring this warm, in a place where no one can disturb us.

Gliding closer, I allow him to grab my waist, guiding me so I am sitting on his lap, facing him. Unsure of what to do with my hands, I brace them on his shoulders, curling my fingers into the nape of his neck.

"I'm not going to push you. I'm not going to force this mate bond on you when it's not something you're ready for," he murmurs.

Relief consumes me. I still have my life that I am struggling to reform around him, and there is so much more trust to be established between us before I can consider loving him.

"Thank you, Sire."

"However, if there is any point you want to spend that non-committal night with me, let me know." He smirks, and strangely enough it relieves me more.

Smiling a little myself, I slowly lean closer to him, my gaze shifting to his mouth.

He looks even more breath-taking up close. Water droplets litter his face, some on his lips and even in his eyelashes. The strong planes of his face and accented by shadow, by the small amount of moonlight we are provided.

He stills, grip tightening ever-so-slightly on my waist and I pause right before out lips touch.

"I may just take you up on that," I say, shifting to kiss his cheek instead.

When I pull again, he's grimacing. I can feel how badly he wants me by what is pressing insistently against my inner thigh, but I refuse to acknowledge it...

He is constantly flustering me. Finally I've done it to him.

"You cruel woman," he murmurs, brows creasing together slightly.

I smile, tilting my head innocently.

"I better take you home," he grits out tightly. That's the last thing he wants to do, but he's honouring my needs.

Still, I may have won this one, but I'm not sure how much more resistance I have in me.

🤎••🤎

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"...I've never had an orgasm before!" I blurt out, backing away a few steps.

He sits up, dark hair ruffled and messy from the fingers I ran through it. His eyes, once wide, slowly darken.

"You what?" He breathes.

~Midika 💜🐼