Another Love || Edward Cullen ²

52. Wander

||Edward's P.O.V.||

My heart felt full as I admired her sleeping form. My precious mate had a long day. The Pro-dueling tournament had just begun, and the first battle had worn her out. She and her teammates were victorious against their rivals, but the win seemed to have taken a lot out of her.

Luckily, the first showdown had taken place in Stitchers Bend, so I was easily able to watch as a bystander amongst the crowd, my Discretion Cloak not drawing attention to my vampiric nature. It had been both thrilling and terrifying to watch my Elliana duel with her team. She was an exceptionally talented witch. That much was certain. But that didn't stop the raw terror I felt anytime a member of the opposing team aimed their wand in her direction.

It amazed me how agile and graceful she was in the arena, dodging attacks with ease and conjuring shields as though it was second nature. Honestly, watching my mate in such a way had been... arousing. I was thankful for the Discretion Cloak she wore, knowing how many wizards would be vying for her affection otherwise. Despite the cloak obscuring half her face and magically hiding her identity, it did little to hide her hourglass figure— A fact that wasn't missed by me.

Even after only one game, 'Willow' and the rest of the Whispering Wisps had already earned a name for themselves. The fact that four out of their five members had their identities obscured only added to their appeal— A fact that Jay, or shall I say 'Rowan', was all too ecstatic about.

A small smile flitted to my lips as I laid down beside her, joining her in her bed. When she automatically gravitated towards me, pressing her warm little body against mine, my breath hitched. As was custom, a wave of desire rocked through me, causing my entire body to stiffen as I tried to get a grip on the urges threatening to surface.

As much as I desired my mate, I knew I couldn't be intimate with her. She was so fragile. So... breakable. One wrong move, and I'd shatter every bone in her delicate little body. It wasn't worth the risk. No matter how weak in the loins she made me.

Still yet, I couldn't help the fantasies that gripped me as I placed a hand on her perfectly-cinched waist, feeling the warmth of her skin seeping through her satin shirt.

She was moving around in her sleep, appearing as though she was trying to get comfortable. When she hitched her leg over mine, I could've sworn my heart skipped a beat. The feel of her heat resting dangerously close to my thigh had me clenching my jaw, my groin all too aware of every inch of her body that was nestled against mine.

My breath caught as she hummed softly, the sound like music to my ears. I don't know what I was thinking— Clearly, I wasn't as I let my hand rest on her bare thigh, lightly tracing my fingers over her soft skin, my touch as light as a feather. I mentally cursed myself for touching her, for crossing the boundaries I had set for myself, but I couldn't help it. I was blinded by my lust for her, my body burning for my mate.

She moaned softly, lost in a dream.

"Edward..." She tried to squeeze her thighs together, inadvertently pressing against me in the process.

I froze, my gaze snapping up to her face as she moaned my name. It was like a bolt of lightning straight to my heart.. and groin. I let out a shaky breath as her hand moved between her legs, my chest constricting at the erotic sight.

"Oh, God..." I whispered, my voice hoarse.

She was dreaming. About me. I inhaled a deep breath, practically tasting her arousal in the air. My vision blurred, my mouth filling with venom due to the all-too-tempting aroma. I gripped the bed sheets, struggling to get a grip on my raging hormones. All my animalistic instincts were begging for me to take her— to claim my mate in every way physically possible. To awaken her from her delicious dream with a passionate kiss, thrusting my tongue through her lips and exploring her mouth. God, how I craved that.