Page 116 of The Huntmaster

I lay tangled in the furs, completely overwhelmed by the sheer, heavy heat of the male pressed against me.

Ever since the bond had snapped back into place down in the dark, it hadn't just returned to normal—it had evolved. It was a living, breathing thing, roaring like a furnace between our souls. Every touch felt amplified tenfold, every sensation ricocheting back and forth across our connection until I couldn't tell where my own nerves end, and his began.

Kaelen hovered over me, his towering, powerful frame shadowing mine, his bare skin slick with sweat that caught the dim light. His large hands were pinned beneath my hips, lifting me flush against him as he drove into me with slow, possessive, agonisingly deep thrusts.

"Kaelen..." I gasped, my fingers digging into the hard muscle of his back, my spine arching off the furs.

The feeling of his thick, ribbed shaft dragging against my inner walls with every slide was absolute madness. Every ridge pressed into every hyper-sensitive nerve ending, sending white-hot sparks straight to my core. I couldn't hold back the high, helpless cries spilling from my lips, the sounds echoing loudly off the timber walls of our room.

"Quiet, little star," Kaelen growled low, his voice a gravelly, primal rumble that vibrated straight through my chest. "The whole canopy will hear how thoroughly I am marking you."

Before I could gasp out another sound, his strong, sleek tail whipped around, sliding slickly past my lips and slipping into my mouth to muffle my cries. My eyes went wide, but down our bond, a surge of dark, possessive desire flooded from him into me. Instinct took over. I wrapped my lips tight around the smooth, hot length of his tail, sucking and swirling my tongue around it as if it were his massive cock, matching the stroke of his hips.

A deep, guttural growl ripped from Kaelen’s throat at the sensation. His golden eyes flared, practically glowing in the dark as his thrusts turned frantic, hard, and relentless.

Down our bond, a tidal wave of emotion crashed into me—his raw relief, his possessive terror of ever losing me again, and a profound, bone-deep love that made my eyes sting with tears.

Suddenly, a heavy, swelling pressure built deep inside me. Kaelen stiffened, his breath catching in a sharp gasp as the base of his shaft began to flare. His knot expanded rapidly inside me, locking us tightly together, stretching me so completely that I let out a muffled scream around his tail. The intense, overwhelming fullness of his knot anchoring him inside my core sent a sudden, shattering orgasm tearing through me.

Kaelen grunted heavily, his double heartbeats thumping violently against my ribs as the feeling hit him through our link. Driven over the edge by my release, he poured into me with a low, primal roar, his broad body rigid as he held me impossibly close, burying his face in my neck while our minds melted together in a blinding haze of pure ecstasy.

We lay motionless for a long time afterwards, locked together, our chests heaving in unison while the pulse in my neck thrummed in exact, lazy rhythm with his heartbeat. His heavy arm remained pinned across my waist like an iron anchor, his thick thumb gently stroking my hip as his knot slowly receded.

"You're quiet, little star," Kaelen whispered, his voice still thick with satisfaction as he pressed a lingering kiss to my temple.

"I'm just... listening," I murmured, burying my face in his chest and inhaling the grounding scent of him. "No drums. No collapsing tunnels. No screaming."

"The storm beneath us has cleared," he said softly. "The Nest is secure. Sila's dark faction is gone, and the freed captives are safe within our walls."

"And Vahn?" I asked, looking up into his eyes.

"He left under the cover of dusk," Kaelen replied, a solemn quiet settling over his features. "If the Alu'un is merciful, he will find his way back to honour before his time is up."

I nodded slowly, pressing closer into his warmth. After everything we’d lost, I was just glad his blood hadn't been spilt on the Nest's threshold.

By the time the twin suns fully rose, I carefully lifted Kaelen’s heavy arm from my waist and slid out of the furs. He grunted in his sleep, his bare hand reflexively searching the empty space beside him before settling. I smiled softly, slipped on my tunic and stepped out onto the high wooden walkway.

My first stop was the Great Tree’ main trunk.. The morning air was crisp. Standing before the massive, ancient bark, I placed both palms flat against the rough wood. I didn't use formal prayers. I simply closed my eyes and spoke straight from my heart.

Alu'un... if you can hear me... take care of Toren. Give him the strength to heal. Watch over Sky, and give us the wisdom to rebuild what was broken.

The metallic gold mark at my throat thrummed with a gentle warmth, echoing down through the tree's roots like a soft, reassuring whisper.

"He hears you, you know."

I turned to see Sora leaning against an archway. She looked pale and battered, but the frantic terror from yesterday was gone.

"How is he?" I asked softly, stepping toward her.

Sora let out a long breath. "He woke up an hour ago."

My heart leapt. "Sora! That's incredible!"

"He's awake, but..." Her smile faltered, replaced by a quiet, heavy grief. "The damage to his hand and forearm is severe, Lyra. Whole patches of flesh were sheared away. The healers say those parts will never grow back, and he won't have the strength or grip he used to." She swallowed hard, wiping a stray tear, before a fierce pride flickered in her eyes. "But Toren is a warrior. He told the healers to stop pitying him—he said he still has another good hand to hold a blade, and he'll adapt. He's a fighter, Lyra. He will find a way."

I reached out and pulled her into a tight, careful embrace. Sora held onto me just as tightly, resting her forehead against my shoulder.

"I need to say something to you," Sora whispered, her voice thick with emotion as she pulled back slightly, her golden eyes locking onto mine with deep sincerity. "You aren't just my Huntmaster's mate, Lyra. And you're not just a friend. You are my sister. My true blood couldn't mean more to me than you do."