Garrick

This man would just walk into your room without even knocking, catching you in the act. At first you wouldn’t even notice he was there, too caught up in what you we’re doing. Eyes closed as you pleasure yourself, your brain thinking of how good Garrick had looked earlier in challenges.

Garrick would close the door behind him quietly, his eyes completely focused on you and what you’re doing. His eyes watching every move you make, listening to the little moans and gasps coming from your lips. He’d be content on watching till just the right moment to make his presence known. Which is when his name falls from your lips.

He walks over to your bed, quietly removing his shirt and boots so he doesn’t alert you to his presence, before kneeling next your bed and pulling you towards him. Garrick chuckles as you shriek with surprise before trying to scramble away and cover yourself.

He’d tighten his grasp on your hips before standing up and leaning over you, pinning your wrists above your head as he looks down at your. “Where do you think you’re going sweetheart? You can’t moan my name like that and not expect me to do something about it.”

Before you can respond Garrick kneels back down and continues what you’d stopped, his fingers and mouth having you moaning and gasping before coming all over them multiple times.

Bodhi

He’d also just walk in, but unlike Garrick he would not be as subtle about it. He’d walk in, look over at your bed, eyes going wide as he scrambles to shut the door behind him with a loud bang which startles you.

Bodhi just stares at you with his hand still on the door he’s slammed shut. Torn between shocked and turned on at what he’s walked in on you doing, which causes you to giggle at him as you get up and walk over to him.

His eyes trailing over your naked body as you walk over to him, still unsure how to react to what he saw. He’s also a little hurt you had resorted to pleasuring yourself. But he was meant to be gone on a supply run till tomorrow.

Just as you get to him he’d snap out of it, grabbing your arm before he spins you both around, pinning you to the door before he kneels in front of you. Smirking up at you as he hooks one of your legs over his shoulder, exposing you to him.

“Don’t worry darling, I’m here to take care of you now.” He tells you before devouring you.

Xaden

He’d know what you were up to before he even walked in to the door. He’d sneak in so he wouldn’t disturb you, leaning up against the door as he watches you pleasure yourself. Listening to the little noises you’d make while you pleasure yourself.

He wouldn’t walk over to you, instead he’d try something a little different. He’d control his shadows, slowly creeping them towards you so you wouldn’t be alerted to their presence and therefore his. Slowly they’d caress your body, adding to what you’re doing.

After a while Xaden wouldn’t be able to help himself and would make his presence known. His shadows no longer being soft and gentle. Instead they would wrap around your wrists, pulling them above your head as your eyes snap open and meet Xaden’s onyx eyes as he leans over you.

“So desperate. Not even a night and you’re already pleasuring yourself.” He’d teases as his shadows caress your body, causing you to tug at the one’s holding your wrists captive before you throw your head back and moan as they caress between your legs. “Now let me show you how it’s actually done.”

Liam

He’d close the door behind him lean up against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and smirk at the sight before him.

“Well, what do we have here?” He’d tease, not even trying to hide the fact he’s walked in on you.

You go to cover yourself up at the shock of Liam walking in on you, but he rushes forward and stops you, a soft smile on his lips as he looks down at you, his blonde hair flopping into his eyes.

“Don’t stop on my behalf love.” He’d say softly before kneeling between your legs, shrugging off his jacket and shirt. “We’re just getting started.”

He’d pull you back down the bed towards him as you yelp and giggle at his actions, before leaning in and placing soft kisses on your inner thigh before continuing what you’d started.

Dain

He’d be about to walk in, hand on the door handle when he’d hear you cry out. He’d mistake it for you being in pain and rush in ready to help you, but stop mid stride as your eyes snap open and meet his while you’re fingers are still inside you.

“Close the door!” You’d shriek at him, grabbing a pillow to throw at him before he quickly shuts the door, even though it’s later at night and no one is out in the halls. “I thought you were on patrol tonight?”

That was the only reason you’d chosen to do what you were doing. You were needy, had been craving him after watching him win his challenge with ease. But he’d been assigned patrol tonight, and you knew he wouldn’t drop it for the fact you were horny and desperate for him. So you’d done what you always did when he had a late night patrol.

“They had too many people on so they gave me the night off.” He tells you as he walks over to you. He reaches out and cups your cheek, not intending to read your thoughts, but because he’s so tired his shields aren’t as strong as they usually were. And he gets an insight to your thoughts. And he see’s this is not the first time you’ve done this.

“Do you do this every time I have patrol?” He says with shock, not expecting this to be a regular occurrence.

You bite your lip and nod as you aver your eyes from his, not sure if he’s angry that you do this regularly. It’s not your fault he looks so good taking on his opponents during challenges and always has patrols the same night.

“Eyes on me.” He tells you as he grips your chin and turns your head back towards him, causing your breath to catch in your throat. “Let’s get you taken care of.”

Brennan

He’d walk in as per normal, completely run down and tired from a day dealing with the assembly, shrugging out of his clothes. He’d look up, seeing your bed empty. You’d clearly been here though, the sheets messed up as if you’d gone to lie down.

Then he hears it. Your soft moans echoing from the bathroom door that’s open ever so slightly. The sound already having him hard and wanting you even with how tired and drained he is.

He pushes open the door to see you sat in the bathtub facing away from him, head thrown back over the edge with your eyes shut as you moan and shiver.

As he gets closer he can hear the water running, but the bath sounds suspiciously empty. And that’s when he see’s why you’re sat the way you are. The water is on, but it’s purpose is not to fill the bath. It’s to pleasure you, while you pump your fingers in and out. He can’t deny he’s not impressed by your creativeness.

He leans over the bathtub, being careful not to touch you as he turns the water off. Your eyes fly open, meeting Brennan’s amber eyes as he braces himself on the edge of the bathtub and looks down at you.

“Look at you being creative in my absence.” He teases as he reaches out and caresses your cheek, his thumb running over your swollen lip where you’ve tugged and dragged it though your teeth. “Now lets get you dried off so I can finish what you’ve started.”

Aaric

He would not be subtle about walking in on you. You wouldn’t hear him walk in, but he’d make his presence known. He’d stand there, arms crossed over his chest as he looks at you.

“Well, what do we have here.” He’d tease, a smirk pulling at the edge of his lips as you startle at his words, sitting upright as you scurry back on your bed clutching your chest till you realise it’s Aaric in your room.

He’d walk over to your bed, slowly taking off his boots, jacket and shirt before slowly undoing the ties of his pants and pushing them down his legs, watching as you squirm under his gaze before he kneels on your bed.

He’d grasp your ankles, pulling you towards him as you yelp in surprise. He’d push your legs apart before positioning himself between them and leaning over you as he braces himself on your bed with a hand either side your head.

He’d rock back and forth, the head of his dick slowly back and forth, teasing you as you squirm beneath him. “Someone’s needy tonight.” He’d murmur against your lips.

“P-please Aaric.” You’d beg as he continues to slowly rock back and forth, sometimes pushing the tip in just a little bit before pulling back out and going back to what he was doing.

“Please what? Use your words sweetheart.” He’d tell you, wanting you to beg for him. He might despise his father and everything his family stands for. But he can’t help but crave the way you beg and plead for him to please you.

'It’s time to put your mates behind you.’ Rion’s words ring through your mind as you continue to the Senarium chambers. 

‘Something that’s been long overdue.’ You muse as your assured steps continue your march down the hall. 

With your last confrontation with Violet closed behind the locked door of your own emotions, you let the light dance in your eyes. Too long have you let yourself linger in the shadow of the two you loved and this time, you were here for yourself. 

The guards give you a quick look as you continue your walk, short swords strapped to your back, the obsidian metal glinting in the dim light. A gift from a prince of Navarre a comforting weight, something to ground you as the butterflies of anxiousness try to break free.

‘They will not deny your request.’ Rion sounds resolute. ‘They have merely been waiting for someone willing to dive into the fray and you have tarried too long in shadows and lightning.’

Your steps land with the efficiency of a soldier, yet also with the quiet edge of a blade as you step into the room. All heads turn towards you, conversation halting abruptly.

“Cadet L/N.” Melgren sounds from his seat at the center of the table. You can feel the stares from your right, but you ignore them. His tone of expectation belying the fact that he knows the entire reason you’re standing before the Senarium and War Council.

“General.” Inclining your head slightly, you then snap to attention, eyes landing on the green ones that have been your comfort in the last few weeks. Acknowledgement passes through Aaric’s eyes as he stares back at you. 

“I have been conducting research of my own.” Your voice rises as Rion’s pride begins to pour through your bond. “I believe both Poromiel and Navarre have been missing a key piece of intel and my findings show that it will be found in the Barrens.” 

Murmurs break out between those gathered and you don’t miss the slither of shadows that is vibrating under the table. 

“I propose that Rion and I take our particular skill sets, along with two riders that have experience in shielding and warding. I trust Navarre will also assign someone befitting the rank of the mission, unless Captain Sorrengail is deemed Senior enough to lead.”

There’s no way for Violet to hide her gasp when Mira steps up to your right. 

“Cadet Y/N and I have been discussing this for some length. Sources inside of Poromiel have corroborated on a few findings, but we will be knocking on the doorstep of the enemy.” Mira continues to explain as Elliott takes up his position on your left, each of you wearing a bracelet of onyx tucked in your sleeve. 

“And what do you plan to gain, if you are able to pull this off?” Melgren responds, not tense, not accusing, just calculating, as if his signet hasn’t allowed him the information he wants regarding your request. 

To his detriment, he doesn’t know what Aaric has already confirmed with you. If everything goes as you’ve planned, the war will take an entirely different turn. 

“The advantage.” You say, not willing to elaborate in front of a room of people you don’t trust. 

Melgren’s eyes narrow and for a moment it doesn’t look like he will even entertain your request, until his gaze moves to your right just where the Duke of Tyrrendor’s seat lies.  

“Very well, Cadet L/N. The Senarium will review your request. Expect an answer by tomorrow.” 

You dip your head in acceptance before exiting. At the turn of your boots, your eyes meet hard onyx ones and terrified hazel. Xaden sits with his usual composure, but you can see the way the shadows vibrate, one even dares to break from its master, but with a breath retreats back to the table. Violet, on the other hand, looks on the verge of tears. 

Part of you feels a pang of regret for not telling her about your research or the ways that you’ve grown closer to Mira over the past few weeks. Though in the next breath, the feeling dissipates as the truth of their betrayal lands heavy between your ribs. 

Tearing your gaze from theirs, your head held high, you continue your march out. You know that this is just the beginning of your day, the inevitable confrontation already brewing in your mind. 

“Remember, you don’t answer to them. Whatever love they have for you requires them to let you make your own decisions.” Mira comments as you both continue towards the rotunda. “I don’t know exactly what’s transpired between the three of you, but whatever it is has altered everything.”

Those words have your brow quirking as you halt next to her, curiosity brewing as she’s never broached the subject of your relationship before. 

“On the first leg of the Quest Squad, things were tense between Xaden and Violet. Whispered conversations and terse words I’ve never seen before, but by the second trip…” Mira shakes her head as if the memory still strikes her as unbelievable. “I guess I never realized how much Xaden was tinder and Violet the flint. On more than one occasion, I thought one of them was going to set the entire world on fire and not in a fun way. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so opposed to each other.”

“Though now that we’ve been researching, I can see you’re the level head in the relationship.” Mira lets out a small chuckle before you both begin walking again. “Just between you and I, I don’t think they’ll last without you as their glue, definitely not the same as before.”

You snort derisively as you finally enter into the splash of color that is the rotunda. 

“They dug their own graves, now it’s their turn to see if they can dig themselves out of it. Though, I’m not sure even a lifetime would be enough to get them out.” As the words leave your mouth, the shadows of the red dragon pillar shift towards you, black tendrils drawing you toward the entry you just passed.

You knew it was inevitable, that the show you put on was gasoline to the lit match of your words. They certainly wouldn’t be able to keep you safe behind enemy lines. 

You’d be lying to yourself if you said the sheer recklessness of this entire endeavor didn’t excite you. The chance to be out of their clutches, to jump into more danger than just dealing with a partner who has turned venin himself. To finally matter in a fight you’d thought you’d floated to the back of, just another rider.

“What the fuck was that?” Xaden’s eyes are a storm, his rage barely contained by a thread, Violet tearing after him at a slightly slower pace.

“Your Grace,” you spit in derision as Xaden comes to stand directly in front of you.

“Don’t ‘Your Grace’ me.” Xaden forces out as he tries to keep control of himself. “Do you think that I – that we’re – going to let you charge into the fucking Barrens by yourself?”

You don’t cower, don’t shy away from his anger. Instead, you take two steps forward, eating up any space that remains between the two of you, eyes pinned on his storm-dark ones. 

“See that’s the thing here. No one asked your opinion, at least not as anything more than the Duke of Tyrrendor and another vote in the Senarium.” A pleased smile crosses your face as Xaden blows out a frustrated breath. “And from this display, I would hazard a guess that things didn’t come out in your favor.”

“I’m not letting you walk straight into the fucking lion’s den on a damn whim.” Xaden roars as his fury begins to get the better of him. “You aren’t just another soldier to waste.”

“Funny coming from either of you.” Your eyes flying accusatorily between Xaden and Violet. “Seems to me I was just another person to use in our relationship, so now it’s time to put all the air I take up to use.”

Turning on your heel, you don’t wait as you stalk away. You can feel the temperature in the room dropping.

“Xaden, off the ice.” Violet pleads as you see the shadows of the rotunda begin to bleed towards you, though you never change your stride. “This isn’t the way to get her back.”

At those words, you throw your head back and laugh, not one light and airy, but a derisive one full of contempt. 

“There is no going back.” You yell over your shoulder. “Maybe you should’ve considered that before you decided I wasn’t worth the truth.”

Your smile turns from spite to one full of warmth as familiar green eyes find yours from the closest alcove.

“Still causing all of the trouble, I see.” Aaric teases as he takes steps towards you.

“If you haven’t learned that I love stirring the pot, you really haven’t gotten to know me yet.” You muse as Aaric slings his arm over your shoulders. 

“Oh, if anything, I think that was the first thing I learned about you. It’s just a bonus that you’re the only one that can get away with pissing off Riorson.”

“If that’s what you’re waiting to see, then you should just sit back and enjoy the show.” You say as you continue your trek towards the dormitories. “Because I’m just getting started pissing him off. I’m about to test every limit of his patience. Only fair if I return the favor to them, I wager.”

Now it’s time for Aaric to throw his head back with laughter. A smile crosses your features as you look towards the warm face that has become more of a refuge than you ever thought you’d be able to find again. Affection settles into your bones as you realize how pleasant it is to have someone on your side again, someone solely here for you.

_______________

The overwhelming smell of old parchment and leather surrounds you as you bury yourself in the latest set of plans. Since your mission had been approved, the work with Aaric, Mira, Elliott, and approvals with General Melgren had taken up the majority of your time.   

Leaning over the latest iteration of the plans, you barely hear the sounds of the Archives that surround you. It’s the drop of a tome on the table in front of you that causes your head to jerk up and meet hazel eyes that are shining a hard gold. 

“What are you trying to gain out of this whole endeavor?” Violet sounds as her knuckles turn white around the edge of the table. 

At first you don’t respond, choosing instead the silence that both her and Xaden were so fond of giving you. 

“Is this some type of ploy for attention? For us to realize how much we screwed up? Because I can assure you, we are both very aware.” Violet rants as she begins to pace. 

Settling back further into your chair, you just watch as she unravels in front of you. You’d heard the whispers from the Iron Squad, caught the looks from Xaden’s circle, they were fighting with each other. The smooth relationship that they seemed to have before leaving for the Isles finally beginning to fracture at the edges, breaking from the weight of every mistake. You hoped with no small kernel of malice; they were fracturing from the weight of everything you no longer brought to the relationship.

Violet finally comes to a stop and raises an eyebrow as if a realization has been made that she didn’t see before. 

“Are you using Mira to spite me?” She blurts coming to stand next to your chair. 

“Spite you?” You scoff as you begin to arrange everything, not letting her get a look at the work you’ve been undertaking. Coming to a stand, you turn your focus on the girl that you’ve given your heart and trust to time after time. Though the face that you look into no longer holds the warmth and love that it used to. “Do you even hear yourself?”

“You really think I’m petty enough to use your own sister against you? Maybe it’s time for you to do a little self-reflection.” You let the words land as you step up to meet her, your gaze hard. 

“Last I checked, you were the one who thought she could never forgive Xaden’s penchant to keep secrets when it matters. The one who said she could never love us without full disclosure. But you – you did the exact same thing! Only this time, I was sitting on the outside of something that could’ve very much ended with my own meeting with Malek. If anyone is spiteful, I would dare say it’s you.” The quiet tone you adopted turns to a roar. 

“You know neither of us would’ve ever let that happen. Xaden told you himself. He would never hurt either of us and I’d never let him hurt you.” 

“Well, that must be comforting to know when you are able to discern that for yourself. And don’t forget, not all hurt is physical, Violet.” You mock as you begin to turn on your heels, finished with this conversation.

“Did you tell her about Xaden?”

As soon as Violet says the words, the nails of your free hand dig into your palm. Of course, this is what she really wants to know. She isn’t truly sorry for what she did, for what they kept from you. She’s only worried about the perception of herself, of the secrets she wants to stay buried.

“I told those I trust everything I’m concerned about, everything that I’ve learned from my own research. Xaden’s secret is yours to hold, for all of those you both deemed important enough to tell, not mine. Not when I had to hide in the fucking shadows to find out.” Your words are harsh, concise, you aren’t here to give her reassurances anymore. 

“Besides, his secret doesn’t change anything. Not in this war, not in what we had, not to me.”

“But Xaden is yours – he’s ours.” The plea in her voice is clear. 

You know what this is. She’s scared to lose him, to lose both of you. Everything is crumbling and Violet is desperate to hold onto something that is slipping through her fingers like sand. Your eyes fall to the floor as the life you thought you had before flashes in front of your eyes. Xaden’s soft smiles, her lingering touches, the passion that the three of you shared, all of it evaporating on a phantom wind.

In an instant, the vision falls away. The weeks and months of not feeling enough, not being included, constantly falling to the wayside, gone. The fight to maintain your place between or with them no longer dragging through your mind. 

“No.”

“He isn’t.”

“Not anymore.”

You watch as each of your words lands like a punch to the gut to the woman you would’ve easily given your life for, the one who held the trust of your heart in her hands. Her hazel eyes grow glassy as she takes unsure steps towards you. 

“So, that’s it? You’re giving up on us? You’re throwing us away?” The tears begin to fall from her eyes as she moves closer.

“There was nothing left to give up on that either of you didn’t already break. Don’t act like I’m the one that put the mountain of secrets and betrayal between us. Don’t accuse me of throwing love away when you were the one that crumpled it in your own two hands.” Those are your parting words as you turn and leave the Archives behind. 

This isn’t the last time they will cross your path, but there are innocent people out there that are more important than living your life tied to two people who never gave you the love and freedom you deserved.

‘You are mine, Starlight. We will conquer where we can and show them how they underestimate you.’ Rion’s words are assertive, possessive, a warm balm to the fractured pieces of your heart. Though it’s the one truth that you will cling to for the rest of your days. 

If you have ever been anyone’s, you are hers.

_____________________

The familiar smell of the sparring gym flared through your nostrils as you set into your stance. The heft of the twin onyx blades settling into your palms as you step towards the training dummy. Sweat continues to pour from your brow after hours wailing at the form, the salt sliding into your eyes. 

You drag one blade in an arc in front of your face and as you bring your arm down, you find yourself falling forward.

“Shit.” The word is out of your mouth as your knee hits the floor, but instead of the hard impact, your knee is cushioned with an inky darkness. Once the realization hits, you push with your other leg to a standing position and find your blades crossed at the neck of a tall figure. 

Xaden stands there, hair askew and eyes slightly wild. There’s water dripping from his leathers and there’s no missing the rapid rise and fall of his chest. 

“What do you want?” You snap at him, not daring to remove the swords from their place. 

“I need you to promise you won’t step foot in the Barrens.” The words are breathless in a way you’ve never heard from him, both warning and plea.

You study him then, the man that you thought could never possibly let himself turn. Though, you remember his words, he told both you and Violet that he wasn’t soft or kind. He may have sacrificed himself for love, but he lost more than just his humanity in the process. 

“My promises are only for those that I trust.” You say, raising your blades higher. “You lost the ability to be counted in that number.”

Xaden doesn’t try to mask the hurt that flashes through the now-altered colors of his eyes. Months ago, maybe even just days, you would’ve easily caved and comforted him, but now, all you feel is the distance as you back away. 

“Please.” Xaden begs, the tone of his voice one you’d rarely heard. “If you ever loved me, you have to promise.”

You let out a bark of a laugh as you bring up the twin swords and place them in their respective holsters taking steps towards the doors. 

“Trying to use the feelings that I held for you to accomplish your goals won’t work any longer.” You straighten up to your full height, eyes burning with the fire in your words. “I did love you, and stupidly, some days I still do. But, neither you nor Violet get to have a say in anything I do any longer.”

“You can’t willingly let yourself be thrown into the viper’s den. The venin won’t be merciful.” His voice comes out dragged as he tries taking a step towards you.

“I suppose that if anyone would know, it would be you, wouldn’t it?” His eyes flare as the words leave your mouth. The first time you had honestly called him out for what he now was, the madness he was slowly slipping into. 

“This isn’t what I wanted. None of it.”

You can’t help the derisive laugh that falls from your lips. “That may be the most egregious lie you’ve ever told, Xaden. You may not have chosen in the beginning, but after that first night, you made the choice willingly to stay silent.”

You watch as his jaw works as if barely being able to swallow the words you are saying. 

“You chose who you wanted more. You both chose who outshined who in our relationship. I was silly to give myself to both of you all those times when the bond overrode everything else. But I was an absolute fool when I let it happen again, only for the real enemy to be the ones sleeping next to me.”

“I was never going to be inside your head or your heart like your precious Violence. More fool me I suppose, because in the start, there was never a part where I felt inferior.” 

“You were never inferior. You aren’t inferior now. You are equally as vital to me as Violet, my Starlight.” 

A small, sad smile crosses your face. “It’s no longer the time for words, and the actions from both of you are the most glaring proof I could’ve asked for because they will always belie the truth.” 

The shadows begin to slink forward as if determined to tether you to the floor, to stop you from walking out of his life. With a snap of your fingers, they dissipate. Taking two more steps backwards, you finally turn, closing the door of what could have been firmly behind you.

___________________

“Found anything new on that theory?” The smooth voice greets you as the door closes behind with a click. 

The pen in your hand slides to the side of your mouth as you consider. 

“Yes and no. The book on mythology pointed to Amari’s intercession, but it doesn’t explicitly explain how Amaralys was granted her aid. Though every single map we have seems to point to the Stonewater River as the starting point.” Your eyes trail up as Aaric comes to sit on the desk next to you. 

“What’s that look for?”

“What look?”

“The look that tells me you have something you want to say, but you’re afraid of how it will make you look.”

You bite your own lip at that, suddenly self-conscious in more ways than one. Aaric’s hand rises and his thumb comes to your lips, tugging it out from beneath your teeth. 

“You know you can say whatever you want with me. I’m never going to judge you for your insight.” Aaric murmurs quietly, a weight settling between you that has been growing the past few weeks. 

“I know, but its not necessarily you that I’m worried about – though since Rion is in my head, I suppose she already knows.”

‘Astute observation, Starlight.’ Rion’s amused voice floats through your mind making your lips purse. 

Without any more ceremony, you let your theory fly. 

“What if the dragons are the problem?” You don’t miss the reverberation of anger that fills your mind from Rion.

“Perhaps Amari’s aid was channeled through the dragons and somewhere else. But, from what I’ve been able to tell, even the first six were ignorant on the true power of the dragons or how exactly they channeled.” 

“Dragon’s haven’t known to be forthcoming with their secrets.” Aaric confirms, gaze guiding over to the maps strewn over your desk. 

As the words begin to spill, you find yourself pacing the room thoughts spilling without a filter to an audience of one. 

“What if turning venin is a punishment for the desire for power and not truly the direct result of it?”

Aaric’s brows pull in and his eyes focus trying to piece together the puzzle. “So, you think that it depends on a person’s intent?”

“No, it’s not just intent. But…I…I don’t know. Is it the power that triggers the corruption or the way it is pulled?”

“Why don’t you ask your former lover?” Your vision swims with the force of your turn as your eyes widen in surprise. 

“H-How?” You sputter, but the tilt of Aaric’s head has realization dawning. His signet. “How long have you known?”

Analyzing every encounter, you can’t help but chastise yourself for your own stupidity. Aaric must register your growing sense of betrayal, because in the next moment he’s in front of you. 

“I suspected.” He says too cautious with his words. “But, I didn’t know that you didn’t know. I only saw the truth in my visions in the last few days. And I didn’t quite know how to bring the subject up with the way you avoid any conversation about your former partners.”

“How can I trust you? How can I trust that you weren’t just like them, hiding this the entire time?” Your voice rises and you don’t hide the hurt coiling around every word. 

Staring into his eyes, you see the conviction in the pale green that have begun to draw you in more than they should. “Because I made a promise to you and on my life, I would never break it. I would never forgive myself if I acted anywhere near the way your former partners have.”

“And because you deserve someone that will tell you the truth without the threat of lies hiding behind comforting words.” Aaric’s hand rises and tucks a piece of hair behind your ear. “You are not someone who needs to be coddled behind lies. You deserve the truth laid bare because you are a person’s world and they couldn’t dream of having it any other way.”

The words land between you, tension that wasn’t there moments ago building in the small space. 

“What exactly are you saying, Prince?” The words come out more breathless than you intended and it has the sides of Aaric’s mouth curling. 

“I’m saying, that if you’ll let me, I want to be the person that stands beside you through this war. Through the inevitable flames and sorrow.” Aaric steps closer, hands settling over your waist. “I want to be both protector and partner with whatever comes next.”

“Don’t you think your father would object to the Prince of Navarre settling for someone so common?” The thought of Aaric as the prince settling into your bones. Your penchant for falling for those above your station ruining any thoughts of happiness with the man in front of you. 

“My father can shove his titles, hell his entire kingdom, down Halden’s throat.” Aaric’s voice is firm, the gold in his eyes dancing like flames. 

“Bold words for someone that hasn’t even confirmed I’ll be yours.”

“Well then, will you be?”

“Be what?” You give a saccharine smirk, letting the tease linger in the air.

“Mine.” His hand comes up to cup your face, thumb stroking the swell of your cheek. “Will you let me take up the space that’s next to you, through this war, through this mission, and for whatever future we have left?”

“Awfully poetic words for someone who has seemed to shirk the other women who have thrown themselves at you left and right.” You add as the women and men who have tried to get Aaric’s attention float through your mind. 

“Too bad they didn’t even have a chance to pick up a weapon when you had already won the war.” 

With those words, he leans forward, giving you every opportunity to shy away. His hand tightening on your cheek, words leave your lips, before you can stop them. 

“Did you have a premonition of this too?” They are breathed through the small space left between you, uncertainty ringing through your gut. 

“Only in my dreams.” The words hit your lips in a caress as he closes the remaining distance each inch settling the nerves that had begun to thread through. 

Then there’s no hesitation. All the worry that you wouldn’t be able to push away from your past melting through the sweet taste of his lips. Somehow you melt, heat tingling up your spine where his hand has wrapped around to tug you closer. 

The kiss is like melted honey, warming your insides that you thought had been consumed by only darkness and a gnawing pit of belief you’d never be enough. A groan escapes his lips as he tightens his hold further, the sound sending a flare of heat down your body. 

“Gods. They are fucking fools. I’ve never tasted anyone like you.” Aaric murmurs into your mouth.

“Careful, Prince. If you don’t stop, I might begin to believe I’m the royalty here.”

“Oh darling, you far exceed royalty. You’re a fucking goddess and I’ll worship you as long as you let me.”

An answering moan leaves your lips at his words, hands fisting tightly in his shirt as you attempt to pull him closer. Your hand comes up tangling into the soft sandy curls and tugging slightly. 

“Careful darling, or this may get carried further than you were expecting.” His voice hoarse as he brings his forehead to rest on yours. 

“What if I want to get carried away?”

“All in good time, Sweetheart. I plan to take my time with you.” Aaric says as he pulls back enough to look at your face fully. “You may have burned fast and furious with your previous relationship, but I intend to savor every inch of you like a proper meal.”

There’s no way to stop the color that rushes to your cheeks at Aaric’s words, his smooth demeanor cracking through your own quips. His eyes sparkle as he notices the flush and he brings you closer. As his arms tug you forward, your face buries itself in his neck as he encircles you in his warmth.

“I hope you believe me.” He whispers into your hair. “I’ll never keep anything from you. You know my secrets, and I intend to get to know everything about you in whatever time we will have together.”

You hum in acknowledgment as a smile splits your face. The previous flush receding into a steady warmth at his words. 

“As much as I want to pursue other activities,” He says finally taking a step back. “Let’s get back to this theory of yours.”

___________________

“I think the best area for infiltration is going to be from the Stonewater River then onto the Bay of Malek. I mean, think of it, if they have drained the Barrens, drained the land in their direct vicinity, yet they still don’t march. Are they just biding their time? If so, for what?”

Your words echo in the warded chamber as you sit at the desk, Mira and Aaric flanking.

“Why would they have continued to reside in a drained land unless they are hiding something else?” Aaric’s voice confirms as he steps closer to the desk you have seated yourself at, pouring over the latest map of the Continent. “Violet didn’t include you on the interviews she’s been conducting with Barlowe for a cure?” 

Your gaze swings instantly, the muscles in your neck protesting at the act, irritation blending through every inch. 

“What the fuck are you talking about? Is this something you’ve seen or just more information I don’t know?” There’s no masking the irritation at your continual lack of being included in the constantly changing scope of your past partners’ scheming.

“Neither.” Aaric shrugs as if he assumed the information isn’t important, but the look you give him has him continuing. 

“I am a Prince, you know. And Violet and Imogen aren’t quite as crafty as they like to think they are. There’s an additional guard that is in the next cell that they didn’t account for.” Your eyebrows rise at his admission. “I’ve been having him report all the questions when they feed Barlowe. Besides, it begs the question on how anyone can miss a venin that is on Malek’s doorstep one day and then has the life breathed back into him the next.”

It’s the last comment that truly has your mind whirring, the uncertainty of all the information tangling together. 

“If the Barrens are entirely drained, how are they feeding? How are they alive and planning an entire war from an area that has no land to pull from?”

The question has even Aaric stopping, his gaze turned to you and brows furrowed. 

“Maybe there’s more to the Barrens than we know.”

“Clearly.” You respond dryly as Aaric rolls his eyes fondly.

“We need to get our hands on those books from Queen Maraya’s library. Either that or maybe Cygnesian has something we can use, because you’ve just given me more questions without any of us having any kind of answers.” Mira jumps in as your gazes swing to the area on the map that lies in the barrens.

For moments, no one breaks the silence, until Mira gives you a considering stare.

“How exactly do you plan on leaving Basgiath without Xaden and Violet stopping you?” She asks her head tilting at the thought. “I’ve been in more than one leadership meeting where they’ve both been adamant about you not leaving Basgiath.”

Now it’s your turn to stand, a deep breath escaping you at learning they are still trying to have control in your movements. 

“Soon neither of them will be here.” You say as you begin to pace. “Xaden is being called for his duties as Duke and Violet’s squad will be going to Aretia for their runes class. It’s the perfect time to escape their notice.”

“What about you?” This time Mira directs the question to Aaric.

“Neither of them will miss me when I’m unimportant to them. Violet has been conveniently leaving me out of her research lately and I have made myself scarce. Now that my father knows I’m here, there’s no way they can deny if I say I have royal duties and cannot attend.”

“You mean to say that neither of them knows that the two of you are involved?” Mira quirks an eyebrow, gaze landing on Aaric’s hand that is now firm on your lower back.

“Hard to know we’re involved when neither of us have seen them in about three weeks.” You grumble under your breath, tired of having to consider them in any fashion in your life. “Besides, they forfeit their right to know anything about my life when they chose betrayal over trust.”

You snap your mouth shut at the realization that you were about to reveal more to Mira than you planned. Though you know you would never hide the secret Xaden and Violet are trying to keep from anyone close to you, you won’t be the one to shatter the rose-colored glasses everyone loves to keep. 

The room begins to go quiet as everyone contemplates the next steps. You don’t miss the uncertainty in Mira’s eyes or the way Aaric has begun to loom more protectively than ever over you. Your own hands constantly fidgeting with the gleaming onyx daggers strapped to your hip and thigh. 

“Let’s call it for tonight. I don’t think we are going to uncover anything more than questions at this point.” Mira finally calls as she moves towards the door. 

____________________

‘Is it me or does the air feel different tonight?’ My mind muses and Rion’s answering hum does nothing to quell the rising unease.

‘The wards seem to be wavering. I’m uncertain if Tairn’s rider truly knows the scale of what she changed.’

Not a moment after Rion’s words meet your mind do the hairs on the back of your neck begin to stand on end. 

“It seems that our brother hasn’t been protecting one of his loves very well.” Fear slides up your spine like the prickle of sharp nails against your skin. 

‘Keep him talking.’ Rion blasts into your mind and there’s no missing the panic that shoots through every word. 

You let yourself take a breath before you turn, a face crawling with deep scarlet veins greeting you. Standing as straight as you can, your arms drop to your sides, the cold metal of the blades Xaden had gifted grazing your fingertips. 

“I wasn’t aware that venin had families.” You say in a tone as calm as you can muster. “Seems contradictory when your entire existence is built on destroying all the ones not like you.”

A rasp of a laugh leaves his lips as he takes a step forward. “Oh, the mouth on you will taste so sweet to break, especially while we watch him beg for our mercy.”

Your eyes widen as Xaden’s fear-stricken face slides into your memory. The way he held onto you after his nightmare. 

It wasn’t a nightmare at all. 

It was a warning.

“Oh, you’re quick.” He teases, the rasp of his voice grating through your ears. “He may not have told you, but you remember the signs.”

“Pity you’ll have to die. We could use someone who can read through the lines of logic so easily.”

The venin barely has time to finish speaking before the whoosh of a blade splits the air. A hiss of air leaves him as he vanishes. The place where he just stood on now drained of color from only his footsteps.

“Y/N.” Your name leaves Aaric’s lips on a hoarse whisper, your knees giving out as he takes you into his arms. “Fuck. I thought I wouldn’t make it.”

“They – they want me. They want me as bait.” Words leave on a whisper so soft you aren’t even sure he heard you until his hold tightens further. 

Aaric tilts your head back, his green eyes blazing with a hardness you’ve never seen. 

“You’re mine. They will not touch a hair on your head. Do you understand me?” He asks as his eyes dart quickly between yours. “You are no longer bait to drag Riorson away.”

His words begin to quiet the thundering of your heart as you both sink to the floor of the courtyard. Burying your head into his chest, you try to breathe, push past the way the words bring back memories of the two people who had called you theirs before. As much as you want to be with Aaric, the fresh wound of your previous relationship burns bright in your mind. 

“What if I can’t forget them?” The words are a whisper, but you know Aaric heard by the way his shoulders tense slightly. 

He adjusts you into his lap, pulling you fully onto him as you both still cling to each other on the ground. Warm hands cup your face, brining your gaze to lock onto the pale green of a sunlit forest floor. 

“You don’t need to forget anything. You just need to trust that when the memory of them no longer holds weight, I’m here for you. Always.” The words are murmured, his gaze holding yours steady. 

You bury your head into his chest again, breathing in the scent that smells of both his position and defiance. The lingering feelings for Xaden and Violet crossing your heart as you try to calm the adrenaline of your encounter with the venin. But, its in the safety of the arms of the Prince of Navarre that you realize you’ve never before felt the serenity that lingers in his touch. 

No longer are you chased by the storm of light and darkness, but wrapped gently in the safety of warmth and light. For once in your years at Basgiath, even with the lingering jolt of fear, you feel content.

There’s no doubt that the coming months will be filled with anguish, pain, and loss, but there’s no need to dwell on the impossible. No longer a desperation to change the narrative or your place in this war. With the Prince of Navarre standing by your side, you know that you will fight with everything you have to rid the world of the scourge of the venin and hopefully still walk away with your life. 

____________________

“She’s my responsibility now, not yours.” Xaden’s eyes burn as he stares Aaric down, fists clenching and unclenching next to his sides.

“She is not when you are to stay behind the wards with the rest of the first years.” The words are low and menacing as the two continue their face off. 

You stand between both of them, part of your own self burning as they continue their toxic headbutting. 

“I’m no one’s fucking responsibility! I’m my own!” The words burn as your chest heaves, exhaustion at always trying to stand for yourself. 

Both of their gazes swing to you as soon as the words are out. You can see the words of apology weighing on both their mouths, but your hand rises in defiance. 

“You both can continue your asinine need to prove your worth after, but either way, there are civilians waiting on our help.” The leaves beneath your feet crunch as you continue to walk out of the clearing. 

‘I’ve been waiting on that for far too long.’ Rion’s voice comes as a purr with her approval.

‘Yes, well you knew it would happen at some point. You chose me after all.’ Your smug reply rippling through your bond.

“Darling, wait!” You don’t even get to plant your foot when you are spun around and Aaric’s lips are on yours. “You’re right, and I need you to stay safe.”

The change in his tone has your brows furrowing. “You saw something, didn’t you?”

The slight shake of his head confirms your suspicions. 

“What are you going to do?” Now, instead of pride, fear begins to slide inside your chest.

“I’m flying south. Those troops Umbriel promised to us will join and I need to be there to direct them.” Aaric’s forehead lands on your own. “I just need you to keep yourself safe, or as safe as possible.”

You shake your head once before his lips are on yours again. The kiss is slow and languid, opposite to the raucousness swirling around you. His hands tighten around you with a fierce grip for a second and the next the bite of the wind takes its place. 

You know he isn’t one for goodbyes, so you let yourself watch as he mounts Molvic and turns to you for one last look. With no more ceremony, the blue monster launches into the sky and you turn towards Rion’s foreleg.

‘Now its time for you to shine, my Starlight.’ Rion says as she launches.

A sinister smirk crosses your face in answer. ‘I think it’s finally time for them to see the true power of the light.’

With those words echoing, you fly towards the battle that is unfolding. No longer the forgotten partner or being hidden behind those with titles or bonds. A powerful rider that would show no mercy to anyone who dares to threaten the opportunity of peace.

.

.

Divider: @empyreanevents

Everything Taglist: @ilovetomtailor @nevermoresworld @nastylicious @iambored24601 @mysticalfuncollectorus @sadpieceofbread @alwayshave-faith @bestillmystuckyheart @luvly-writer @yuelhua @mitziix @dragonsandrinks @interphellar @whoreforfictionalmen18 @athena0802

"If you keep staring at that map, you're going to burn a hole through the parchment," Aaric murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

He was referring to the oversized chart of the Basgiath perimeter that had been pinned to the wall of his dorm, a chaotic web of ink and notes that most students would find dizzying. The room was a sanctuary of controlled disorder, smelling faintly of the leather that lingered. It was a space designed for a rider, yet it had become a hideout for two people who weren't supposed to be spending their mornings in the tangle of linen sheets and discarded sleepwear.

You shifted your weight, feeling the cool morning air hit your bare shoulders as you looked back at him. He was propped up on one elbow, his brown hair a mess, watching you with an expression of quiet contentment that he never wore in the hallways of the quadrant. In the lecture halls, he was the prince who had shocked everyone by choosing the saddle over the throne, a man burdened by the expectations of a lineage he had actively stepped away from.

But here, in the dim light of his private dorm, he was just your Aaric.

"I'm not staring at the map," you replied, a small smile tugging at your lips. "I'm wondering if the instructors have noticed we're missing from the morning drills yet."

A lazy grin graced his lips.

"Let them notice," he whispered, his voice dropping an octave as he reached out to hook his fingers around your bare waist, pulling you back toward the center of the bed. "The risk of a few extra laps around the courtyard is a small price to pay for another hour of this."

He didn't wait for an answer before his lips were against yours, the kiss tasting of lingering sleep and him. The playfulness of the moment shifted rapidly, the air in the room thickening as the gentle pull of his hand became a firm demand, his body shifting as he tugged you beneath him. There was a desperate kind of hunger in the way he held you, as if he were trying to tether himself to the only thing in his life that didn't come with a predetermined set of rules.

His touch was a map of its own, tracing the curve of your breast and the arch of your back with a familiarity that felt earned through months of stolen glances and hushed conversations. When his knee slotted between your thighs, his muscle pressing against your bare core...

"Aaric..."

You hissed, immediately pressing yourself against him. His hazel eyes darkened as you slotted your hips along his thigh, unable to help yourself from rubbing your clit against the hard muscle there. His kisses turned hungrier, teeth clashing as he devoured you, one hand holding beneath the small of your back as the other squeezed at your breasts.

"Definitely worth the extra laps," he panted, untangling his legs from yours as he instead flipped you atop him, drawing an excited yelp from you with the new position. His eyes were bottomless as he gazed up at you, his abs flexing as he guided you onto his lap. You were practically drooling at the tanned skin, and lying atop it was...

"C'mon baby -- sit up on my cock baby, you can do it," he coaxed, his fingers wrapping around the length as a deep sigh escaped from him. Your heart fluttered at the encouragement, pressing up onto your wobbling knees and reaching for his length. Your fingers brushed his, and he willingly let go as you rubbed along his thick length, his chest rising and falling as he watched you slowly jerked him off.

And when you finally did position him at your entrance, slowly sinking down on him, inch by agonizing inch... Gods, the sounds that came out of him were so pretty.

"Mmmm fuck, baby... yes, just like that..."

You lifted up once, pressing back down until you'd been seated fully in his lap, his tip kissing your cervix. He loosed a long breath, his fingers squeezing your hips as he helped guide you, ever so slowly up and down.

"Aaric.. Gods, so big-"

He growled at that, his muscles bulging as he held you still, his feet planting on the bed behind you. You gasped when he thrust up into you, his cock reaching the deepest parts of you and rubbing you just right.

"Fuck-!"

You cried out as he drove himself up into you, your head falling back and mouth hanging open. Aaric couldn't look away, mesmerized by your blissed-out face, the way your bare breasts bounced with every thrust he gave you. You moaned softly as he fucked you, your eyes squeezing shut as he began to speed up.

"Yeah? You like that, sweet girl?"

Your eyes opened, growing predatory as you gazed down at him, his condescending words likely going to be your undoing in all of this. Grinning, you tugged your bottom lip between your teeth, your hands leaving from where they'd been planted on Aaric's chest to instead grope and toy with your breasts, pinching at and toying with the nipples. You knew how that usually got him.

You were right.

Aaric's breathing turned heavy, his thrusts growing frantic before he stilled altogether. His hands were fast as he grabbed at your waist, flipping you in an instant and getting you beneath him once more. He made quick work of pinning your hands above your head, his voice deep as he leaned close to your ear.

"You're the one thing that makes me weak, you know that, Y/N?"

You giggled at that, your legs slowly spreading wider for him as he pressed his surging length against your folds. Not wasting any more time, Aaric lined himself up once more, pushing himself in with one long thrust.

"Ugghh, YES," you gasped, chest heaving as he began pounding you into his mattress mercilessly, one hand still holding both of yours above your head. His chin dipped as he captured your right breast between his lips, sucking harshly on your pebbled skin. You were a whining, moaning mess beneath him as he continued fucking you; exactly where both you, and him wanted to be.

"A-Aaric," you stuttered, and he lifted his gaze. His thrusts had begun to slow, his eyes glazed over as he took you in. You could barely form a thought as your orgasm threatened to overtake you, his fucked-out expression your near undoing. "I'm... I'm so close-"

He leaned foward and kissed you once more, releasing your hands at once as he drove himself home, once and for all. You cried out in pleasure, your legs clinging tight to him as your peak finally crested, your hands trembling as your fingers threaded through his hair.

Aaric was quick to follow, his hips stuttering as he groaned softly. He spilled inside of you, the warm sensation welcome as his length surged, draining every last drop of himself. You watched as his eyes fluttered closed, his forehead dropping to rest against your shoulder.

"You're too good for me," he whispered, pressing soft kisses to your skin. You only smiled softly, running your fingers through his locks.

"Now, you know that's not entirely true, Prince."

･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *

Long after the passionate lovemaking had settled to a low simmer, the two of you remained entwined, the silence of the room feeling comfortable. Aaric didn't let go; instead, he tucked your head beneath his chin. He was quiet for a long time, his thumb tracing a slow, rhythmic circle on your shoulder.

"Do you think you'd still look at me this way if I were still the heir?" He asked, the question barely a breath against your hair.

You shifted slightly, the movement bringing a sudden chill to the air where the sheets had slipped, but he didn't pull away. He stayed engangled with you, though there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there moments ago. For a man who had the courage to defy a kingdom and trade a palace for a barracks, he sounded remarkably uncertain. It was the first time you realized that while he had walked away from the throne, he hadn't yet figured out how to walk away from the ghost of it.

You pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, finding them clouded with vulnerability.

"The crown was a piece of gold and a set of expectations, Aaric. It wasn't you." You reached up, your fingertips brushing the stubble along his jawline, grounding him back in the present. "You think the title is what makes you valuable, but it’s the only thing about you that ever felt like a burden. Why would I want the prince when I have the man?"

A small, shaky laugh escaped him, and he closed his eyes, leaning into your touch. For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was the distant, muffled call of a horn signaling the start of the first bell. The reality of the college was bleeding back in, reminding you that you were both cadets first and lovers second. The urgency of the day was beginning to press against the door, but inside the sanctuary of the dorm, time felt suspended, stretched thin and golden.

"Had I still bore the title, I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to reign beside me than you, Y/N."

You burst out laughing at this, your hand finding his and squeezing it.

"While I find both you and your words endearing, my love," you said, leaning in to kiss his blushing cheek. "I could never be a princess. You forget what quadrant we both belong to, and rightfully so."

Call Of Duty:

Simon:

Protein Bars - @rawme-price

Accidental Pregnancy - @call-me-kat-astrophe

Traitors Among Us - @dawnwriterimagines

you + Simon + your daughter - @cyberdrream

Untitled - @sheepispink

Price:

Gaz:

Soap:

Konig:

Tf141:

Traitor (series)- @pythonmoth

Cherry Red, Crimson Blood - @soaps-mohawk

Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves - @nerdygirlramblings

The Fox and The Farm Dogs - @dvg-tvgs

A Court Of Thorns And Roses:

Rhysand:

The Ruin - @idkyetxoxo

Bound in Silence - @moonlitstoriess

Cassian:

Eclipsed - @idkyetxoxo

Eris:

Fire and Ice - @idkyetxoxo

Azriel:

Mine to hate, mine to love - @moonlitstoriess

Why Search? - @lunarxcity

Batboys:

Forbidden Fruit - @dee-writes-angst

Offside Hearts - @idkyetxoxo

Fourth Wing:

Xaden:

SECOND WIND - @mae-gi-writes

No Need - @quietstormxr

Cloak of Shadows - @dumbkiri

Dark Phoenix - @dumbkiri

Liam:

Garrick:

First try - @cadetriorgail

Bodhi:

Calm the Tides - @fantasticfourthwingimagines

Aaric:

Never Alone - @saintsanddevils

Dain:

Dain Aetos x RiorsonSister!Reader Masterlist - @fantasticfourthwingimagines

Ridoc:

Ridoc Gamlyn x Reader Masterlist - @fantasticfourthwingimagines

DC:

Clark Kent:

clingy clark - @plaidcowboy

not tonight, baby - @satellite-evans

No Sex until Friday - @heavenlybodies333

Dripping like honey - @moonlight-prose

Richard Grayson:

ANNIVERSARY - @killerplink

Jason Todd:

FRENZY - @killerplink

Jason Todd - Who goes all soft anf clingy at home with his girlfriend - @moviecritc

Marvel:

Steve Rogers:

A second chance is a better chance - @mrs-barnes-rogers-writes

When Did You Get Hot? - @epiphanyrogers

Bucky Barnes:

A second chance is a better chance - @mrs-barnes-rogers-writes

Avatar:

Neteyam:

A Hearts War - @ichorai

Starstruck - @crzbss

bay-bee? baby! - @lacedlies

Gladiator:

Lucius Verus:

————

-Bound-

(Aaric POV)

“Cam,” she moans against the skin of his collarbone.

Aaric thrusts forward, bottoming out inside of her. He throws his head back in rapture. She’s tight, so tight. It feels incredible. He needs more.

“Hold on, love.”

He pulls out only to slam back into her. She gasps, clawing at his back.

“Please,” she cries out as he does it again. And again. And again.

Aaric bends forward, nipping at her ear as he whispers, “Please, what? Tell me what to do, Y/N. I’ll do anything you want.”

Her breath hitches, as he pumps faster and faster, feeling how soaked she’s getting with each thrust.

His fingers find her clit, circling and teasing as her breaths pick up speed. He feels her racing pulse against his lips as he kisses down her sweat-slicked skin.

“Keep doing that,” she pants, her voice hoarse. “Keep touching me.”

Aaric smirks against her neck. “Anything for you, love.”

When he syncs his fingers with his thrusts, he feels her pussy beginning to tighten around his cock. He closes his eyes at the glorious feel of her coming close to the edge. With the mounting pressure at the base of his spine, he can tell he’s almost there, reaching his peak.

“Cam,” she gasps and moans, her eyes fluttering to meet his. Something shines in her eyes as she stares up at him.

A flood of adoration fills him as he gazes down at her. She’s so beautiful. And right now, she’s all his.

“Cam, I love—“

A loud crash has Aaric shooting up from his bed, panting. The darkness of his room greets him as his pulse races loudly in his ears. He looks around in a panic before he sees he’s entirely alone.

Y/N isn’t here.

It was a dream.

“Fuck,” Aaric groans, throwing himself back onto the mattress. His pillows had fallen off the bed while he tossed and turned. One of them colliding with the clock next to his bedside, causing it to crash to the floor.

Frustration and guilt gnaw at him as the dream still clings to his thoughts. The way she moaned and sighed his name. Her cheeks flushed. Her skin as soft as he imagines it to be.

The straining of his cock in his briefs has him shifting, adjusting to make it less uncomfortable. But the dream won’t let him go so easily. He’s incredibly hard, almost to the point of pain. He knows this will be a problem later on if he doesn’t deal with it soon.

Glancing at the darkened windows, he knows he has plenty of time before he’s expected to get up.

The whisper of Y/N’s moans echoes in his mind like a siren call as he slides his hand into his briefs. Gripping himself, he focuses on the dream, trying to imagine it’s real. The way her back arched. How her mouth gaped and widened. Her pupils dilating as he circled her clit. Her nipples turning into sharp peaks in the soft lighting of his dream.

Aaric groans, his hand sliding up and down his shaft, remembering how real it felt to be inside of her. How she fluttered around him, tightening and releasing him just so.

It’s agonizing remembering the dream so vividly and not feeling her this very moment. Not being able to kiss the skin of her collarbone before finding his way to her breasts. Sucking, licking, biting. His imagination of her body and what he would do to please her has run wild for so long, his hunger for her has become ravenous.

Aaric’s movements become frantic, chasing that high as a bead of precum spills from his tip. Her name chants in his mind as he imagines the feel of her lips against his. Would she be soft, like her skin? Or rough and passionate from wanting him for so long? He knows he’d take his time. He’d memorize every curve, dip, and valley of her body. Every sound she makes when she—

Her name flows from his lips like a prayer as he spills onto the sheets. Moans fill his room as he finishes.

When his cock softens and the throbbing dissipates, an ache settles in his chest. The familiar taste of guilt floods him as he slowly comes back to the present.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. And deep in his bones, he knows it won’t be the last. His body and mind both yearn for her. Being close to her, staying friends, it’s not enough for him.

Frustration racks up his spine as he shifts to stand, tearing the sheets from his bed as he goes. He’s folding the linens when that familiar, deep rumbling presence enters his mind.

Oh fuck. Not now.

“Will this be a common occurrence that will wake me from my slumber?” Molvic grumbles, his voice full of obvious annoyance. “I would prefer not to be present during such private…mortal weaknesses.”

Aaric winces, embarrassment flooding him. I didn’t mean to wake you—

“I know. That is obvious, Princeling.”

Aaric takes deep breaths as he throws the dirty sheets into a basket before grabbing new ones and making his bed.

As much as Aaric hopes he’ll sever their connection, Molvic stays.

“Your frustration with your mate is exhausting. If you wish to be with her, be with her. This is trivial.”

Aaric tenses. Like I’ve said before, she’s not my mate.

A pause. “Your emotions tell me otherwise.”

That doesn’t mean she’s my mate.

It’s as if he can feel the dragon roll his eyes while he quickly dresses into his loose training gear. There’s no way he’ll be able to sleep after that dream. Especially not after Molvic’s chastising.

If he can’t get any sleep, he’s going to take this time to burn off the excess energy in his body to forget everything that just happened.

If Molvic will even let him.

“Human mates are strange. You never communicate. It’s truly unnecessary.” A deep sigh rattles through his mind. “You make this more difficult for yourself.”

Irritation begins to bloom inside of Aaric as he bends to tie his boots. She is my friend, Molvic. Nothing more.

“Then move on.”

Aaric freezes, his laces gripped tightly in his fingers. A flash of her smile, her laughter, chokes him. He recalls the many times he watched her over the pages of a book while she thought he was busy reading. The way the sunlight would catch her skin, gilding her. How her eyes would sparkle as she absorbed whatever story she was consumed by. Her cheeks flushing as she bit her lip to stifle a laugh.

The ache in his chest is consuming now. An emptiness hollowing him at the thought of never being able to love her.

Because Aaric does. He loves her. He loves her with every breath of his lungs. Every fiber of his being, every beat of his heart, yearns for her to be his.

He’s never known when he fell for her, only that it was gradual and permanent. Something that settled in him like knowing the sky is blue and that she’s the epitome of love.

Aaric has always loved her and he always will.

With a sigh of defeat, he confesses, I can’t move on. I don’t think I ever will.

“Then stop denying yourself.” What sounds like a yawn fills his head as Molvic’s voice begins to slowly fade. “It only burdens you.”

Aaric stares at the wood of his door, his hand gripping the brass handle. This morning wasn’t the only time he’s thought of her in his bed, under his skin. The dreams have gotten worse since she forgave him for being overprotective months ago. Having her here, so close to him, makes it all the more painful to keep his feelings at bay.

So, he dreams. He hopes. He imagines what life would be like if they were together. If they weren’t thrown into the middle of a war. If they lived at the end of all this.

If she was mine.

It’s an intoxicating thought, but he can’t help himself. If she were his, he’d never let her go.

————

(Reader POV)

Where the hell is she?

My legs ache from pacing back and forth in the quadrant’s library. Violet is thirty minutes late, and I feel like I’m going to go crazy if she doesn’t show up any second.

Dim, morning light filters through the tall, arched windows, casting hazy shadows across the stone floor. The windows overlook the valley below Basgiath, where two weeks ago, I was fighting for my life to bond with a dragon. The branches are full of golden and red-hued leaves. This morning is beautiful, peaceful. Especially since a sudden frost settled over the valley during the night. It coats the windows, causing me to shiver, my skin prickling.

The beauty rivals my tempestuous emotions. It’s been over two weeks since Kesi and I bonded. The bond itself warms my being, but it’s the mating bond that has me pacing.

Two weeks ago, while everyone who bonded a dragon was celebrating after Threshing, I stole away to find Violet. Once I tracked her down, I found her talking with Rhiannon.

“Hey Vi,” I slipped into their conversation, not even caring I’d interrupted. “I need to talk to you.”

Concern etched itself across her features as she turned to me. “Is everything alright?” She lowered her voice, whispering, “Is it something to do with Aaric?”

“Yes and no,” I winced.

Understanding had lit her eyes as she turned to Rhiannon. “I promise I’ll find you later, okay?”

My squad leader nodded before disappearing down the hall.

Once she was out of sight, Violet stepped closer. “Did he find out how you feel about him? How you’re in lo—“

“No!” I rushed, terror striking me. “No, he doesn’t…” I breathed deeply as I tried to calm my racing heart. “It’s not about that.”

Violet’s brows furrowed as she shook her head. “I’m sorry for assuming. I just thought after all this time—“

“Our dragons are mates.”

Violet’s jaw dropped as silence encased our corner of the empty hall. Distantly, I could hear music and voices still celebrating.

”Holy shit,” Violet stared at me. “Mates?”

I nodded. “I need to know what to expect, Vi. I’ve heard it can be…difficult.”

Violet winced. “It can be, at least parts of it.” She sighed. “I can tell you what to expect, but I’m worried—“

Xaden Riorson appeared over her shoulder. As if sensing him, Violet turned around, her features softening.

“Excuse me,” Xaden spoke to me, but his eyes were on Violet. “But Violet, I need you to see this,” his face was grave as he quickly took Violet by the hand, guiding her down the hall.

She had turned back to me, an apology in her eyes as she followed. It wasn’t until later that she sent me a letter informing me she wanted to talk as soon as possible. Alone.

Well, the time finally came. It took weeks, but now, I’ll get my answers. If Violet ever shows up.

As if I summoned her with my thoughts, she appears, rounding the side of a bookcase.

“Y/N,” Violet rushes to hug me, slightly out of breath. “I’m sorry, life’s been so busy lately. I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible.”

Relief washes over me from the sight of her. I quickly motion for her to sit down at a table with me. “I get it, you’re a second year. You have better things to do than worry about a first-year problem.”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m happy to help. Especially when it comes to this.”

Violet throws her pack on the table, taking out a leather-bound tome that’s definitely from the archives.

“I grabbed this to help you with anything you don’t understand. It helped me a lot last year when I found out about Tairn and Sgaeyl.” She places the tome on the table before turning to me. “Have you talked to Kesi about it?”

A rumbling huff sounds in my mind, announcing Kesi’s presence.

“You need not worry about this.”

I clench my hands into fists. Nothing you’ve said has been reassuring.

“Molvic is my mate. This should not be a problem for you.”

Deflating, I soften my tone. It’s not a problem. I just want to understand how this affects me and Aaric. No one has told me what to expect.

“I have told you all I can.”

Ignoring her, I nod to Violet. “She’s not told me enough to reassure me.”

Violet grips my hand, her fingers soft and familiar. I smile at the gesture, missing having my friend around more often.

“I get it, trust me,” she huffs a laugh. Squeezing my hand, her hazel eyes meet mine. “First thing you need to know, the bond you have with Kesi? It now extends to Molvic and Aaric. You can communicate with them like you can communicate with Kesi. It’s…strange, at first,” a blush rises to her cheeks that has me raising a brow. “But you’ll adjust to it. You can easily shut them out the more you learn to shield.”

I nod, remembering all the lessons over the last two weeks on shielding. Picturing the library in the palace has helped me visualize my bond with Kesi. It’s the one place I’ve felt completely at home and comfortable, with Aaric at my side. The image of the marble pillars, towering white bookcases, the painted fresco of the gods and dragons decorating the ceiling, rows and rows of rare tomes— it settles the roaring thoughts of my racing mind.

I sit there, closing my eyes, and search my palace library, finding a solid door near Kesi’s. Hers is encased in light, warming me to the bone when I touch its surface. While this one is cold and burning, a blue haze covers the surface when I near it. This is definitely Molvic’s connection to me. I hope I never have to use it.

When I search my library again, I find another door. This one, unlike the dragon’s doors with obvious traces of imposing power, is simple, familiar. Its wooden frame is carved with images of a cabin and lake. It’s the one place Aaric and I would escape to during the winter to be away from court. This is definitely Aaric’s connection to me.

I open my eyes, finding Violet watching me with that scribe-like curiosity. “So, I can communicate with Aaric? Mind to mind?”

Violet nods. “It’s honestly more helpful than you think, but he won’t always be in your head.”

The thought of him even being there briefly has me slightly panicking. What if he sees or hears something he shouldn’t?

An even worse thought comes to me. What if he hears my unfiltered thoughts about my feelings for him? Would he hear every dirty thought I have when I watch him shirtless on the mat? How his straining, sweat-slicked muscles have me clenching my legs together, imagining him holding me down in his bed? Or how I wake most mornings, aching to be in his arms, wanting him inside of me?

A blush rises to my cheeks. Gods, this is awful.

“You’re being dramatic.”

I ignore Kesi, moving on. “Okay, so I can talk to him and Molvic. Got it. Is there anything else I should know or be aware of?”

Violet’s blush reaches up her neck, causing alarm to rise inside of me.

“Well, it can get…complicated,” she winces. “I mean, when Kesi and Molvic are together, it can lead you and Aaric to become…overwhelmed.”

I furrow my brows. “Overwhelmed?”

She slowly nods before scooting closer to whisper, “I know you care for him, but however you feel strongly for Cam, it’ll be incredibly heightened when Kesi and Molvic can’t shut you out during their own heightened emotions.”

I blanch. “You mean when they mate, I’ll want to jump Aaric’s bones?”

Violet squeezes my hand again, trying to reassure me. “I’ve known you for too long to lie to you. It’s going to be really hard to hide how you feel from him. I’m doing this to warn you of what will come.”

Truly, I appreciate what she’s doing. She went through it herself with Xaden, and now look at them, they’re inseparable and incredibly in love. I can picture them having a future together with how happy he makes her.

“Thanks, Vi,” I squeeze her hand. “You’d think after all these years, I’d let go of my feelings for him and move on,” I laugh bitterly.

Violet shakes her head. “Maybe this is a sign that you should tell him. Your dragons being mates feels like this was meant to be. Maybe it’ll work out.”

“And if I lose his friendship and he pushes me away? What then?” I stare out the frosted windows, an ache creeping up my limbs and burrowing in my chest. “I’d rather he be my friend than ruin anything between us.”

Burning fills my eyes as the overwhelming sense of loss fills me. If I can’t have Aaric for my own, I still want him in my life. No matter how much it hurts.

“Thanks for your help,” I try to smile, but the aching in my chest is hollowing me out. I’ll start crying if I don’t get out of here soon enough.

Violet stops me as I try to get up. “One more thing,” her face is gravely serious as she meets my eye. The soft encouragement from before is gone. “Did Kesi happen to tell you the consequences of a mating bond with two bonded riders?”

I slowly shake my head no.

She closes her eyes before breathing deeply. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this, but you and Aaric are bound now.”

“Bound?”

Her hazel eyes open, burning into mine. “If somehow, someway, he dies, then you die. If you die,” she swallows. “He dies, too.”

“Y/N!”

I shoot out of my chair, stumbling to my feet at the sound of Kesi’s ringing shout.

“Hey, you alright?” Violet reaches out, but my head is pounding hard, heart beating rapidly. I feel a surge of panic crash through me, and it’s startling.

What’s wrong?

“Get to the gymnasium. Now.”

The gym? What?

Did something—

“Your foolish prince is trying to get himself killed.”

————

I burst through the gym doors, breaths sawing through me from running down the many flights of stairs to get here. A crowd is gathered around the mats, sounds of yelling filling the cavernous hall. Violet sticks close behind me as I shove my way forward.

“If he dies, you die. If you die, he dies.”

Violet’s words vibrate through me as I move through the crowd.

Please be alive, please be alive, please—

When we finally reach the front, my stomach drops. Aaric is lying on the mat looking half dead. Blood drips down his face from a cut on his forehead. Sweat soaks his shirt as he stumbles to his feet.

Swaying, he stares down his opponent. I’ve never seen this guy before, but he’s huge. Larger than Aaric, and he looks incredibly pissed off. His knuckles are cracked and bleeding, his lip swollen as bruising lines his jaw.

But Aaric looks far worse. It’s this fact that has me panicking. Aaric’s losing this fight. He doesn’t lose unless he wants to.

“AARIC!”

My shout is lost in the commotion of the crowd as Aaric bounces on his toes, swinging at the other man. He easily evades it before punching Aaric in the stomach. The prince stumbles before spitting blood on the mat. His smile is all bloody teeth as he lunges forward.

Dain comes into view, his face pale as he watches with everyone else.

I run to him, panic lacing my voice as I shout, “Do something!”

Dain shakes his head. “I tried. I really did. He only tried to fight me, but I wouldn’t do it.” He turns his head and I can see slight bruising lining his cheekbone.

“Something’s very wrong,” I whisper, mostly to myself.

Dain nods. “He’s either drunk or super pissed off.”

I shake my head. No, Aaric isn’t like that. He’s logical, first and foremost. Everything he does is within reason. He’s calculated and cautious. He would never do this to bring attention to himself. He’s been trying to lay low for months.

So, what set him off?

My gaze returns to Aaric, who’s caught around his middle and thrown to the mat. His opponent straddles him and begins punching his face. Aaric doesn’t even protect himself. He just lays there…almost like he wants it to happen.

If he won’t end it, I will.

I clench my fists, grinding my teeth as I surge forward. Dain’s arm shoots out to grab me, but I step out of his reach.

Running onto the mat, I use all my strength as I collide with the brute on top of Aaric. The momentum throws him off of Aaric’s bruised and bleeding body, crashing to the mat with me on top of him. He looks up, stunned. When his eyes narrow, I roll off of him and stand with my feet apart and fists raised.

I hear Aaric cough my name, but I don’t turn around.

“He’s done,” I say, my voice lethal and cold. “You should be done, too.”

The guy hacks a wad of spit onto the mat inches from my boots. “He’s done when I say he’s done.”

Fury courses through my veins like a cold fire, an icy pull to kill, eliminate, and protect pulling me under. But I don’t give in. I can tell this is part of Kesi’s emotions bleeding into my own. But I tap into it, using it as a weapon.

“This is how this is going to go,” I growl. “You’re going to let me take him to a healer. And you’re going to stay the fuck away from him. Got it?”

His eyes furrow as he appraises me from head to toe. “I don’t need to take orders from his girlfriend.”

“I’m not asking.”

A strange surge of control comes over me. I’m highly aware of every part of my body, every movement of my chest as my breathing slows. I stare down at him, standing in front of Aaric.

It feels like lightning courses through my veins as I command, “Leave. Now.”

Without a second thought, he pulls himself to his feet, glancing at Aaric before turning around and forcing his way through the crowd.

The burning in my body fades just as soon as it arrives. My energy is draining as a pounding headache replaces that surge of calculated fury. I try to shake it off, turning to Aaric. He’s coughing and wheezing as I fall to my knees.

“Cam?” I whisper, my hand lightly touching his bruising cheek.

He turns into the touch, eyes closed as a groan escapes him. “Y/N?” His skin feels feverish and sticky as he moans into my hand, “I missed you.”

He’s delirious, that’s for certain, but his words set off butterflies in my stomach, warmth spreading through me. My eyes burn as I survey his swollen, bleeding face.

Violet is there, kneeling beside me. “We need to get him to a healer.”

I nod as Dain begins shouting to get everyone else to leave. He’s suddenly beside us, kneeling to pick up Aaric.

“Can you walk?” He asks.

Aaric’s head rolls as he looks up at him, blood dripping from his mouth onto the mat. “Oh hi, Dain.”

Dain swears under his breath before standing with Aaric. “I think he has a bad concussion.”

Aaric’s head swerves and finds me, a smile breaking out across his face. “Hey there, gorgeous.”

I would’ve laughed if his eyes didn’t immediately close after speaking. Dain slaps him across the face. It jolts him awake, his swollen eyes wide with alarm.

“What the fuck?!”

Dain huffs as he carries him from the gym. “You need to stay awake, you bastard, or I’m dropping you down the stairs. Gods, you’re heavy.”

Aaric glares at him before his eyes meet mine over Dain’s shoulder. Blood drips down the side of his head as he stares at me. I reach out and smooth back his hair before it gets more blood in it.

“You fucking idiot,” I whisper as tears threaten to fall. “We’re taking you to the healers. If you didn’t break anything, I’m breaking your jaw later for this.”

Aaric coughs a laugh before groaning as his body shifts in Dain’s arms once we’re in the hall.

“Don’t let my father find out,” he hisses to Dain.

He scoffs. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Cam.”

————

(Aaric POV)

When Aaric wakes, he finds Y/N sitting next to his bed, biting her lip as she grips his hand. Sheets tuck him into the bed as the sun sets, streaming fractures of light across the room through the arched windows.

A headache pounds against his head as he slowly shifts. On instinct, he tightens his fingers around hers, causing her to jump in her seat.

Her eyes whip to his, wide and tear-stained. “You’re awake.”

It must’ve been hours since Dain dragged Aaric into the healer’s room. Halfway up the stairs, he practically threw the prince to the stone before making him walk. Sienna had yelled at Dain for being a prick and at Aaric for being a moron for getting himself into this mess. They both hooked themselves beneath his shoulders and helped carry him the rest of the way up the stairs.

He barely remembers any of it. Only the feel of stiff sheets beneath him and the smell of something acidic and medicinal before blacking out.

“Hi,” he rasps, voice scratchy from disuse. Sharp pain lingers around his ribs, making him wince. “How long was I out?”

Y/N tightens her grip on his hand. “Almost ten hours, give or take?”

He huffs a laugh before immediately coughing. She’s there with water in her hands, helping him drink. The cool liquid wakes him further, clearing his mind.

“Fuck,” he winces as he tries to shift in bed to sit up. “Everything hurts.”

She rolls her eyes. “I wonder why.”

He scowls at the ceiling before attempting to raise himself again, breathing heavily from the movement.

“Stop that or you’ll make everything worse,” she scolds him, moving to stand.

Aaric rolls his eyes. “I’m fine. There’s enough drugs in my system to keep the pain at bay,” he hisses as sharp pain hits him again in the ribs. “Or at least I think so.”

She glowers down at him. “You’re such an idiot. What were you thinking earlier? Were you trying to get yourself killed?”

He tenses. That morning, after he tried to run off all the pent-up energy and desire he felt upon waking earlier, guilt still gnawed at him. He couldn’t believe how horrible of a friend he was for imagining her like that. She didn’t want that. She deserved better than that from such a close friend.

His head was so caught up in this that while he was swinging at a punching bag, he felt someone approach him from behind. They tried to taunt him, test him, get him riled up. Without thinking, with frustration rising inside of him, he turned and threw a punch at the guy. It quickly turned out to be a mistake, but when he got caught up in a fight with the brutish cadet, it felt liberating. Something he could control. And as each punch landed on his body, he knew he deserved it. He allowed it to happen.

Jaw clenched, Aaric doesn’t say anything as his best friend continues to fume. What can he say to her? “Hey, I’m sick and tired of being your friend and it’s slowly eating me alive?”

No. He couldn’t say that.

“Look,” Y/N sighs. “I know you. I know how you fight and what happened earlier was you punishing yourself for something.”

His fists clench, eyes trying not to meet hers as he feels her sympathetic gaze.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“What happened earlier is not nothing. You had broken ribs and a shattered cheekbone. Not even to mention your concussion! It took hours for them to heal you, and I never left, so don’t you get to say it’s nothing when it obviously wasn’t.”

Her voice breaks as she speaks, and Aaric finally looks at her. Tears brim her eyes. Fear and worry lining her features. His heart softens and aches at the sight.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “You’re right. It wasn’t nothing.” He sighs. “I…I was frustrated and angry. He just happened to be there. I needed to blow off some steam. That’s all.”

She doesn’t buy it, he can tell, but her shoulders loosen. “I’m getting real sick of these suicidal heroic tendencies of yours.”

He snorts. “Yeah, me too.”

This cracks her. She smiles gently. Aaric smiles back, only for his head to sting, causing him to wince.

She surges forward. “Shit, your stitches.”

She picks up a cloth lying on the bedside table before moving towards him. Her fingers are gentle, careful, as she smooths the cloth over his forehead. She’s close enough to breathe in the scent of her. Aaric can’t resist. He closes his eyes, breathing deeply. Lilac and citrus.

Memories of home rise to the forefront of his mind. Laughter ringing out over a pan of burned muffins. Shared smiles as his older brother, Halden, stomps off to sulk. Fingers tangled together as both Y/N and himself ready to jump into a pond brimming with water lilies and cattails.

Nostalgia grips him by the throat, and he tries to swallow it down. Everything about her, all that she is, is home for him.

Looking up at her, watching as she concentrates on her task, he feels a wave of affection crash over him.

Later, he’ll blame the drugs flowing through his system, numbing his usual restraint. But for now, he allows his hands to slide across her waist, pulling her closer.

Her breath catches, hand freezing on his forehead as her eyes meet his. He sees a question in her gaze, and something lighter. Something that must be reflected in his own as his fingers slowly pull up the material of her shirt. Just enough for his fingers to settle upon her skin, thumbs caressing her waist in slow circles.

Her pupils dilate as she holds his stare, breath increasing. He can feel her pulse through her skin, racing as fast as his own as he stares up at her through his lashes.

“Is this okay?” His voice is husky, full of need.

She swallows, his eyes tracking the movement, suddenly enraptured by the exposed skin of her neck.

“Y-yes,” she stammers. “It’s okay.”

He leans closer, her lips inches from his as he breathes her in. His fingers move to wrap around her back, caressing the base of her spine as he continues to draw slow, methodical circles into her skin.

“Is this?”

She nods, her eyes fluttering as his fingers softly trace the curves of her skin. Cloth forgotten, she allows it to fall to the bed, her hands tangling in his waves. The way she softly pulls on his hair has a moan rising from his mouth. The movement causes their lower lips to brush, lightning coursing through his veins at the sensation. A gasp falls from her mouth at the contact, her fingers pulling him closer.

“Cam,” she breathes, her voice full of want.

Flashes to this morning, to how he woke without her in his bed, makes him ache to take her there now. To show her exactly what he’s wanted to do to her for years.

Fuck, I want to kiss you so badly.

Y/N freezes. Her eyes widening before she pulls back from him. He starts to tug her back to him, not wanting to let her go, when she stops him with a hand on his bare chest.

“I heard you.”

Aaric furrows his brows, his entire being focused on the shape of her lips. “What?”

“Aaric,” she insists. She forces him to look at her, and her eyes soften for a moment. She sighs before closing her eyes, as if she’s concentrating.

“I want to kiss you, too.”

Her voice suddenly rings loud and clear in his head, startling him. His jaw hangs open as he stares.

Holy shit.

She smirks. “Violet told me about how the mating bond connects us. And I think because of your…lowered inhibitions,” her eyes sparkle as she leans closer. “Your shields let me in, allowing me to hear your thoughts just now.”

Well, fuck.

Y/N laughs, the sound lighting every nerve in his body. “It’s freaky, right?”

Aaric shakes his head. “What if I like hearing your voice in my head?”

She bites her lip, a flush rising to her cheeks. Gods, he wants her. He wants to kiss the hell out of that mouth, taste every bit of her. He wants to take his time before he moves his lips down her neck, taunting her, as he opens the buttons on her shirt, exposing her skin—

“Graycastle,” a voice startles them both, forcing Y/N to spring away from him. They both turn to find an aged healer standing there with a firm expression. “This is not the time or place for such fraternizing. Please refrain yourselves as you are not the only ones in the room.”

Aaric’s pulse races in his ears as he turns back to his best friend, whose face is bright red, eyes bulging as she stares at the floor, her mouth pinched to keep herself from smiling. He can’t help his own from spreading across his face. A strange giddiness fills him as her eyes slowly meet his.

She wants to kiss me.

The thought emboldens him, even as the healer shoos Y/N away from his cot. He catches her stare as she leaves.

Will you be back?

She tucks a piece of hair behind her ears before giving him a small smile at the doorway. “Is this a stupid question, or are you still concussed?”

Aaric’s smile is still wide even after Y/N disappears. Long after the healer checks his bandages and leaves. When the lights go out for curfew, he notices the lingering scent of her, clinging to the air around him. Lilac and citrus.

Just as he succumbs to sleep, he swears he overhears Molvic grumble in his mind. One word. “Finally.”

Part Six

————

“Morning,” you reply quietly, not wanting to break the peaceful atmosphere. You smile against his skin, enjoying the simple warmth of being in his arms. There's no rush, no pressing duties—just the two of you, wrapped up in the comfort of each other.

Aaric lets out a contented sigh, his fingers lazily tracing patterns along your back. “We don’t have to get up, right?” he asks, voice playful but drowsy, as if he’s testing the limits of how long you can stay wrapped up in bed.

“Not unless you want to,” you tease, nuzzling closer.

“I think I’m fine right here,” he replies, pressing another kiss to your temple. His hand slides gently over your side, settling at your waist, and you feel his touch lingering a little longer, a little more intentional.

You glance up at him, catching the glint of amusement in his sleepy gaze. “What?” you ask, even though you already know.

He chuckles softly, leaning in so his lips are just a breath away from yours. “You know exactly what,” he murmurs before closing the distance, his lips brushing against yours in a slow, teasing kiss.

You respond in kind, your hands finding their way into his messy hair as you pull him closer. The kiss deepens, his fingers grip your waist a little tighter, pulling you on top of him, your bodies pressing together beneath the soft blankets.

Aaric’s lips leave yours, trailing down your jaw to your neck, sending shivers down your spine. “We really don’t have to leave today,” he whispers between kisses, his voice filled with that familiar playfulness, but there’s a heat beneath it now—a desire that matches your own.

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

sfw 𐦍

Trust. Either if you knew he was King Tauri's son the moment you met him or not, he would trust you with his secret the moment he began falling in love with you. It's his biggest secret, one that is known by very few cadets and only truly found out after he bonds his dragon. Though, he finds himself telling you after you two complete the Gauntlet, hoping you won't tell a soul. You don't, and that makes him realize he truly loves you. The next time he entrusts you with a secret like that, it's when he manifests. He knows how rare being a full precog is, and only trusts you with the secret. It's not until Violet puts two and two together with the Temple that someone else knows as well. There's just something about you that makes Aaric trust you with everything, including his life.

Nicknames. Aaric would definitely have a nickname for you along the lines of "my Queen" or even "princess," because he is royalty after all. He may have ran off to the riders quadrant, but he can't help but show you that you are everything to him. In the beginning of your relationship, he would start with "princess," something that is sweet, but still melts your heart. The minute Aaric begins feeling domestic with you and hinting that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you, he begins calling you "my Queen," the nickname practically making you burst.

Public. Aaric is incredibly nonchalant, and loves having people find out things on their own rather than telling them himself. So, it's nobodies surprise that he keeps his relationship with you on the down-low. It's not a secret, but it's not public. The first people to find out is Sloane and Lynx, considering the two are in your squad and are always with you and your boyfriend. Eventually, his lingering gaze on you, the way he laughs too easily at your jokes, and the not-so stolen touches and kisses become noticed by your wingleader and other older cadets in your wing. You don't mind, but Aaric fights the urge to roll his eyes at the way Violet and Ridoc keep stealing you away to "hear the gossip" about your not-so-new relationship.

Teasing. Since Conscription Day, there has been non-stop teasing banter between you and Aaric. This banter is what made him fall in love with you in the first place, and you'd be lying if you said that's not why you fell in love with him. Once you two finally get together, the teasing banter becomes more flirty. It always makes you a flustered mess, usually leading to something far more intimate immediately or later that day. Aaric always smirks, his emerald-green eyes glinting with mischief as he watches your reactions. Another pro of it is the groans he gets from Ridoc and Dain, already fed up with the two of you.

Princess Treatment. Before you two officially get into a relationship, fully expect Aaric to be informally courting you. Courting you, nonetheless. You can take the boy out of the kingdom, but not the kingdom out of the boy. He's been trained since a young boy, along with his brothers, on how to be a proper prince in the event he eventually takes the throne. You two may be in the riders quadrant, and may potentially die at a young age, but he will not stand for not giving you the best treatment. Before and during your relationship, he'll always pull out your chair for you, demand to carry your pack and things for you, helping you train and hone your signet, etc. You name it, he's doing it. Bare minimum doesn't exist with Aaric.

Kisses. During the day, Aaric will creatively find ways to steal kisses from you. As the two of you walk behind Sloane and Lynx to the gym for a quick gym session before dinner, he's pulling you into an empty hallway, connecting your lips with his for a fast, yet loving, kiss. Every time, he leaves you breathless and itching for more, but you have to wait. Once you are in the solace and privacy of either his room or yours, his kisses become softer and gentler, able to take his time as he relishes in the feeling of your lips against his. He swears you have the ability to lure him in for more, never able to get enough of you and your oh so soft lips.

Physical Touch. Because your relationship is private, you and Aaric never really make a show of PDA when with your friends or in public. The most physical touch you'll receive from Aaric when there are other cadets around will be him placing a feather-light hand on the small of your back when brushing past you, subtly finding a way to touch you while maneuvering around you. When you two are sitting together at a table, either in the mess hall or in a classroom, he's gently holding your hand under the table, caressing circles into your skin with his calloused thumb. When you two are alone, his hands are everywhere all at once. He'll sneak his hands under your shirt, settling on the skin of your waist to pull you to him--or he'll cup your jaw with his large hands when he kisses you, keeping you there until he's done.

Jealousy. Aaric is an incredibly nonchalant man. He's always been very sure and confident in himself--in his abilities and who he is. Though, he can't help the disgusting feeling of jealousy when he sees how uncomfortable you look with the flier who has the audacity to speak to you. He'll contort his face into one that is unreadable, making quick work of strolling over to you. You see him in the corner of your eye, hoping he'll rescue you from this situation. He'll snake a hand around your waist, tugging you towards him as he presses a hard kiss against your lips. You gasp in response, shocked by his actions, though it quickly turns into disappointment when he breaks the kiss. "Hi, princess," he'll mutter once he parts from you, loud enough for the flier to hear. The flier doesn't say a word, he simply turns on his heel and storms away, too embarrassed by what just happened. You'll remain shocked, bewildered that your boyfriend, who never shows PDA, made a grand gesture of said PDA in front of many pairs of eyes. Aaric will smile sweetly at you, keeping his hand on you to make his message loud and clear--you are his.

𖤓 nsfw

Oral. When Aaric goes down on you, it's with his fingers. He loves watching the way your face contorts in pleasure and hearing the pretty sounds that leave your lips. It also gives him the opportunity to keep whispering in your ear, making you come undone by his fingers and words. A lingering hand will slide down your half naked frame, hearing you whine from the way he's been teasing you for what feels like hours but it's only been a couple of minutes. His hand will sneak inside your panties, caressing your wet folds with a feather-light touch that sends your hips jerking towards his hand for more. He always laughs at you, but gives you what you want. He sinks two fingers inside of you, reaching places you didn't know existed, and sends you over the edge when he curls his middle finger and presses his calloused thumb against your clit, the pressure of the two unbearable.

Teasing. Aaric takes great pleasure in teasing you outside and inside the bedroom. While it's more lighthearted and sweet when you two are in public, it becomes much more heated when he has you alone and at his mercy. Before dinner, he'll pull you into an empty hallway, quickly attaching his lips to your neck, leaving a faint mark that can be hidden by the loose parts of your hair. His hands will grip your hips, keeping you pinned to the wall so you can't escape his touch. Before he lets you leave, his lips will brush against your ear, "after dinner, I have some plans for you. Maybe, if you're good, I'll let you come." Immediately after, he'll remove himself from you, strolling nonchalantly to the mess hall as he enjoys his dinner, while you remain flustered for the entire dinner, your appetite suddenly gone as you think of what he has in store for you. And whenever he sinks his fingers into your wet hole, already feeling you dripping for him? His ear is against the shell of your ear, teasing and taunting you with his words as you quickly unravel on his digits.

Pillow Princess. You can't forget that Aaric is a prince, so there are many times, more often than not, that you're his pillow princess when he's pleasuring you. On nights where he simply wants to hear your sounds, he'll take his sweet time undressing you, whispering sweet nothings in your ear as he makes you come on his fingers multiple times. When you insist on returning the favor, wanting to feel his cock in your mouth, he'll refuse, making quick work in sinking himself inside of your wet hole, groaning when he feels the way your walls clench around him. He'll grab both of your wrists with one hand, looping them around his neck. His hand will firmly, yet gently, grip your hips, dropping his head into your neck as he places hot kisses along the skin there. He keeps a deep and slow pace, making your toes curl as he makes love to you. Once he cums inside of you, he'll finally whisper, "I love you," against your ear, making you smile in your post-sex haze.

Jealousy. When this man is jealous, fully expect him to make it clear when you two are alone. He doesn't care if he has to drag you to an empty classroom or to a supply closet, he's showing you who you belong to immediately after. Usually, he'll drag you into a supply closet, making quick work in scooping you into his arms, bracing you against the wall. He'll leave too many hickeys along your neck, the skin blooming into a red-purple color under the heat of his mouth. You don't even realize he's taken off your pants, maybe he'd done it before he scooped you into his arms. He slides your panties to the side, already knowing you're wet enough for him, as always, before he's sinking himself inside of you, pushing inch after inch inside until his pelvis rests against your hips. He thrusts inside of you fast and hard, loud moans coming from your lips at the pleasure he's giving you. His dirty talk becomes much more possessive as he fucks you, loving the way your gummy walls clench around him from the words he whispers into your ear. You'll hear his own groans, nearing the edge with you. Once you two come, he's settling your clothes back on you before throwing you over his shoulder, making a beeline to his room for more rounds.

Positions. Aaric doesn't have a preference when it comes to positions. As long as he gets to pleasure you, that's all that matters to him. He'll help you figure out whatever new position you come up with in your pretty little head, always finding that this new position makes you moan louder and allows him to take you even deeper, feeling the tip of his cock nudge places you didn't know exist. Once, you persuaded him into a position that allowed him to see his cock's bulge in your lower stomach. Needless to say, Aaric loves taking you in that position now, and finds ways to see a stomach bulge whenever he fucks you, the sight fascinating him while still egging him on, fucking you even harder than before.

Riding. There has only been one time in which Aaric has allowed you to ride his cock, and it was the last. He prefers being on top of you and being the one in control, and you prefer it as well. The only other time you'll be riding is when it's his face. He may prefer making you come with his fingers, but he absolutely loves when you ride his face. He'll force you to put your entire weight on his face, your plush thighs bracketing his head. He won't waste any time, instantly lapping at your juices, narrowly avoiding your hole in an effort to tease you. Eventually, though, you get fed up and take matters into your own hands. You'll brace your hands against the headboard, rolling your hips against his mouth as you chase your pleasure. By accident, you jerk your hips too far, allowing his nose to nudge against your swollen clit. The feeling makes you gasp, wanting more. You begin riding his face even faster, his nose nudging your clit every damn time. Your moans become much louder, the feeling of his tongue inside your wet hole and the feeling of his nose putting the perfect amount of pressure against your puffy and red clit sending you over the edge, coming hard on his face. Aaric enjoys it every fucking time.

Cock. Even though it's rare he'll let you do it, he loves when you're the one pleasuring him. You'll wake up before him, wanting to wake him up with your mouth. He won't awake to the feeling of the sheets and comforter being thrown off of him, or the feeling of his sleep pants and briefs being pulled down and thrown onto the floor. You'll kitten lick his tip, watching as he hardens quickly under your tongue. Aaric will groan, still in a sleep-induced state as he thinks he's still dreaming. You'll lick the vein on the underside of his cock before taking him in your mouth, sucking hard. Finally, his eyes will flutter open and immediately find you, on your knees between his legs, keeping your own lust-filled eyes on him as you take him deeper, not caring when you begin to gag. His hands slide into your hair, using it to ground himself as you bob your head, hollowing your cheeks as you make him moan out loudly. It doesn't take long until he's coming inside your mouth, nearly getting hard again when you swallow every bit of it. You'll wipe your mouth, climbing up his body and placing a sweet kiss on his mouth, smiling when Aaric groans at the taste of himself on his lips.

Aftercare. No matter what, Aaric will always make sure to take care of you. He is royalty, for crying out loud. Unlike his older brother, he always treats his girl with nothing but the best care. He'll caress your hair as he waits for you to regain your composure after coming, waiting patiently for your heart rate to slow down. Once you've recovered, he's quickly leaving his room and wetting a towel in the showers in the hallway, bringing it back to you as he wipes down your body carefully, making sure to clean everywhere, not just where his mouth and cock has been. Once you are all clean, he'll slide you into one of his shirts, the garment too large for your frame, before cuddling you into the sheets, his embrace and warmth lulling you to sleep in his protective arms. He won't fall asleep until you have, and sometimes, you two will stay up a little longer to whisper to one another, sharing stories and jokes to one another.