BOUND: Mates at War | 18+

22 Temptations

My eyes open slowly, consciousness coming back to me in no hurry. I feel so warm and comfortable I consider going back to sleep.

I lean into the warmth, freezing when I feel soft skin against my face. I peel my eyes open, finding my face pressed against Romans bare chest.

I quickly spin my body, my cheeks burning red. I don't even remember falling asleep. He cooked a fish and we talked about light, meaningless things.

I recall his soft, raspy voice and the glow of the fire. In an unimaginable turn of events I felt more safe than I can ever remember feeling before.

He sighs in his sleep behind me, shifting his position, pulling himself closer to me again. As soon as his chest makes contact with my back, I feel him pressing between my thighs.

I jump up and quickly leave camp. I'll forage for berries, or get fresh water, or maybe just hide.

I can still feel him on my skin, his warm, hard chest pressed to mine. I feel torn in two. My body wants him, but my brain knows what he's done, it's a battle of carnal need and the hideous history between us.

I let my mind wander, my heart hurts for him, for my people, for myself. I long for what could have been, if the lies had never been told.

How different we could have been if we were given the chance to fall for each other instantly. We aren't natural enemies, we were made to be that way.

In a deeply buried place in my heart I wonder if we can heal each other. Could we ever be mates, in every sense of the word?

"The universe doesn't make mistakes..." my conversation with my father plays in my head.

I look down and realize that I have mindlessly picked enough berries to feed five people. Plucking up my courage, I make my way back to camp.

He's gone. For a moment I panic until I hear the small snap of a twig, a gesture I think he did for my benefit.

He steps out from the trees that hide our camp. He's only wearing pants and droplets of water run down his naked torso. He runs his hand through his dark, wet hair, moving it away from his face.

"I brought water," his voice isn't as hoarse as it was yesterday.

"I brought berries," I can't break my gaze from his chest as I gesture toward the bucket.

He steps past me, dropping himself to sit against a tree. I sit awkwardly in front of him watching as he brings a berry to his mouth, his full, soft lips parting.

Carnal need is winning.

I feel out of my body as I lunge forward, pressing my body against his. His eyes widen momentarily but he quickly recovers.

He presses his lips to mine and heat spreads through me, a trail of fire that burns from our mouths directly to my aching core. A whimper sneaks past my lips and he growls, flipping us over in the dirt.

I'm caged beneath his large body as he presses himself down between my legs.

I leave a trail of kisses down his jaw and onto his neck, tasting his skin, it's better than I imagined it would be, soft and warm.

He grabs my arms, pinning them above my head roughly, his eyes flashing golden.
"You have to stop me," his voice is strained, "tell me to stop Solana or I won't be able to."

I don't want him to stop, I want his hands on me, his lips on mine. I know this is the bond, forcing us together but it's so powerful I want to give in to it.

His body between my legs feels so right, like it's where he belongs but it also feels wrong. I don't want to feel regrets, I don't want the bond to dictate when and how we form our connection.

"W-We should stop," I whimper unconvincingly.

He pushes himself off of me, my body immediately missing his weight covering me.

"Fuck," he rubs his hands over his face, "We should find your dad, he might be able to give some clarity on the situation with my mother," he sighs, leaning back into a tree.

"I have a general idea where he was headed, we can head out that way."

I feel weird telling him about hidden camps. It feels like a betrayal to bring him there. I don't know how things will ever change. Elves are going to have to trust him, wolves are going to have to be persuaded to abandon orders given by the Queen. It all seems impossible.

We quickly pack the few belongings laying around the camp and begin the long, grueling journey up the mountain.

"Will you... can you tell me about your people?" He asks suddenly as we walk.

"Sure," I'm sure my face shows my shock.

"It's just that... I have a feeling there is a lot about you that I don't know, a lot of things that have been twisted or completely made up, I just want the truth. I want to know who you really are."He looks embarrassed but my heart flutters in my chest.I tell him everything I can think of about my people, our customs, traditions, about lovemates and history.He's surprisingly interested and attentive, asking questions and sharing commonalities between us.

After several hours of walking and talking we stop to make camp before nightfall. My body is exhausted, walking on the ground takes much longer and is much more difficult than moving through the trees.

"We'll stop here near the river so we have access to water and fish," he starts peering through the dense brush.

"I can climb up and look for clearings inside, it will be easier from up high."

He nods and pulls his pack off as I pull myself into the branches. It should only take me a few minutes to find a spot, there are usually plenty of open pockets within the shrubs.

It only takes me a few trees to see a perfect place.

When I come down he's shirtless, shaking out his shirt that looks freshly washed in the river.
I watch him move, the hard plains of muscle rolling under his skin.

His hair is tousled on his head, his usual combed back style messy from being outdoors. He looks younger like this, the slight wave in his dark hair giving him a youthfulness that his clean cut style usually lacks. He looks softer, less like a warrior and more like a man.

The muscles in his back flex as he searches through his backpack. I bite back a groan. Everything about him is a temptation, a perfectly designed snare, set to trap me.

"You're staring," he doesn't look up but I can hear his smirk.

"N-No... I was... I..."

He chuckles and looks up, a smile pulling at his lips, "did you find a place?"

I clear my suddenly dry throat, "yeah, right through here."

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