*MATURE FANTASY*
Bound by fate, torn by betrayal.
Their souls are intertwined.
She is his mate, and he is hers, whether or not this is something they want.
Elara has spent her life hiding from the oppressive forces of the Light, a powerful cult th...
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I woke with Elara in my arms, her warmth seeping into my skin. My gaze traced over her, drinking in the delicate contour of her face, the way her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks in sleep. She was serene, peaceful, and in that moment, it was as if she was mine.
The gentle rise and fall of her chest drew my attention, mesmerizing with its rhythm. It felt as if time had slowed down, and I could watch her like that for a lifetime and never tire of it. The most captivating woman in all existence. She just feared me.
As if sensing my gaze upon her, she stirred, her body stretching beside mine. Her movements were fluid, graceful, and when she settled, her chest pressed against mine, soft and inviting. I couldn't help but revel in the sensation of her pinned against me.
She viewed me as something dangerous, but she had no idea the power she wielded where I was concerned. My entire life I had been trained to be lethal, though I had never enjoyed killing, until those Lysians threatened her. I realized I could have destroyed an endless number of lives if they jeopardized hers. And suddenly the warning of the oracle over two hundred years ago did not seem so farfetched. That this, our souls being bound in such a way had the power to destroy the world, for the thought of her being harmed consumed me to where taking a life meant nothing, if it protected her.
Elara's eyes slid open, and for a moment, there was a flicker of something in her expression—uncertainty or realization. She tensed, as if remembering where she was and all that had transpired between us in the last few days. It was a sobering moment.
My hand strayed towards her, before I stopped myself. I wanted reassure her that everything would be okay, but the words caught in my throat. She wouldn't believe me anyway. Instead, I slid out of the bed and began getting dressed. "We need to get moving." My words cut through the lingering silence.
She swallowed, her eyes flickering towards me as she rose. Without a word, she retreated to the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
I dressed quickly, feeling the weight of the day ahead pressing down on me. Gareth was stationed outside the room, keeping watch, and I signaled for him to come in while I used his bathroom to wash the fatigue from my eyes. When I returned, Elara was standing by the door in our room, her posture tense as she kept a wary eye on Gareth. Her shoulders relaxed marginally when she saw me enter.
"Neither Gareth nor Finnian will hurt you," I reassured her.
Elara gave me a skeptical look. "I don't know them. And I am unarmed. And I have no conjuring. I don't even have my sharp stick anymore."
Gareth snorted at the mention of the stick. "As if that would help you."
"You want to try me?" Her gaze narrowed, head twisting towards him. "I killed a Lysian with one just last night. And their kind is faster and stronger than the Bavadrin race."
