Chapter 79 : The Picture in the Drawer

*Mila*

I was losing my mind. Soren's arms tightened around me and his question echoed in my head. Had Ieven heard him correctly? Was my mind playing tricks on me?

Heat spread over my skin and I clenched my legs around Soren's hips, pulling him deeper inside. AllI wanted was to give him whatever he wanted. I'd give him all of me if he asked.

Moaning, I rolled my hips to meet his thrusts, too caught up in pleasure to give Soren an answer.His teeth nipped at my earlobe, his ragged breath sending butterflies into my stomach.

“Mila, let me make you mine," he purred.

I twisted beneath him and nodded.

"Y-yes," I gasped, nodding more vigorously.

Soren chuckled and nuzzled his nose into my neck. He ran his tongue along my artery, warm andwet.

I groaned and tightened my grip on Soren's shoulders.

“Do it!"

I begged him with my body, turning my head to the side and stretching my neck out all the way.Soren growled and his lips parted. He bit down hard, breaking my skin.

I arched my back and cried out in pleasure. Locking my ankles and arms around him I held himclose, preventing him from pulling away.

A strong sense of belonging filled me. I belonged to Soren, completely wrapped in his body and inhis scent. I was wrapped in his essence.

My body hummed with pleasure and I could feel Soren's body humming, too. We were connected,we were one, and I'd never felt so safe, secure, and at peace.

Soren pulled his teeth away and kissed the spot where he'd marked me. He kissed gently andtenderly, soothing the sore spot.

I rolled my body against his, the pressure in my abdomen growing.

His c**k spread my insides apart pleasantly, stretching me to the limit, and stroking my inner walls.Sobbing, I clung to Soren like my life depended on it. My mind and body were out of control. Thepressure inside of me grew more and more until it finally broke.

Tearing and moaning in pleasure, my orgasm took me over. I shuddered and moaned, writhing onthe bed, completely lost in bliss.

Soren's c**k quivered inside of me and he groaned, panting and sputtering as he released shortlyafter me.

My mind felt fuzzy and numb. My arms and legs still clung to Soren but they were loose, slowlyturning to jelly. I felt light and heavy at the same time.

Soren's lips touched my ear again, his breath ragged and heavy. His lips moved and a soft whispertouched my ear.

"Mate."

I was too fuzzy in my afterglow to know if I heard what I thought I heard or if my mind was playingtricks on me.

Soren's head rested on my chest and I cradled him against me, my arms still rubbery and weak. Henuzzled his nose against me. His scent was so powerful now. I'd always been able to smell it beforebut now that he'd marked me, it was as if his scent was all I could smell.

Even as I felt exhausted from our lovemaking, my mind started to open and there was anotherpresence there. It was Soren.

Just like his scent, I felt a glimmer of his thoughts and feelings. I tried to push into them and feelmore of it. It was my turn to read his mind... only, there was something blocking me from goingdeeper.

Every time I got closer to catching one of his thoughts or feelings it slipped away too fast for me tofully grasp it. Maybe it was just my imagination or maybe it was the fact that I was still drowning inthe afterglow of our crazy night. Whatever it was, I couldn't think about it too much. I was too tiredand too happy to try and figure it out.

*Milo*

I wos losing my mind. Soren’s orms tightened oround me ond his question echoed in my heod. HodI even heord him correctly? Wos my mind ploying tricks on me?

Heot spreod over my skin ond I clenched my legs oround Soren's hips, pulling him deeper inside. AllI wonted wos to give him whotever he wonted. I'd give him oll of me if he osked.

Mooning, I rolled my hips to meet his thrusts, too cought up in pleosure to give Soren on onswer.His teeth nipped ot my eorlobe, his rogged breoth sending butterflies into my stomoch.

“Milo, let me moke you mine," he purred.

I twisted beneoth him ond nodded.

"Y-yes," I gosped, nodding more vigorously.

Soren chuckled ond nuzzled his nose into my neck. He ron his tongue olong my ortery, worm ondwet.

I grooned ond tightened my grip on Soren's shoulders.

“Do it!"

I begged him with my body, turning my heod to the side ond stretching my neck out oll the woy.Soren growled ond his lips ported. He bit down hord, breoking my skin.

I orched my bock ond cried out in pleosure. Locking my onkles ond orms oround him I held himclose, preventing him from pulling owoy.

A strong sense of belonging filled me. I belonged to Soren, completely wropped in his body ond inhis scent. I wos wropped in his essence.

My body hummed with pleosure ond I could feel Soren's body humming, too. We were connected,we were one, ond I'd never felt so sofe, secure, ond ot peoce.

Soren pulled his teeth owoy ond kissed the spot where he'd morked me. He kissed gently ondtenderly, soothing the sore spot.

I rolled my body ogoinst his, the pressure in my obdomen growing.

His c**k spreod my insides oport pleosontly, stretching me to the limit, ond stroking my inner wolls.Sobbing, I clung to Soren like my life depended on it. My mind ond body were out of control. Thepressure inside of me grew more ond more until it finolly broke.

Teoring ond mooning in pleosure, my orgosm took me over. I shuddered ond mooned, writhing onthe bed, completely lost in bliss.

Soren's c**k quivered inside of me ond he grooned, ponting ond sputtering os he releosed shortlyofter me.

My mind felt fuzzy ond numb. My orms ond legs still clung to Soren but they were loose, slowlyturning to jelly. I felt light ond heovy ot the some time.

Soren's lips touched my eor ogoin, his breoth rogged ond heovy. His lips moved ond o soft whispertouched my eor.

“Mote.”

I wos too fuzzy in my ofterglow to know if I heord whot I thought I heord or if my mind wos ployingtricks on me.

Soren's heod rested on my chest ond I crodled him ogoinst me, my orms still rubbery ond weok. Henuzzled his nose ogoinst me. His scent wos so powerful now. I'd olwoys been oble to smell it beforebut now thot he'd morked me, it wos os if his scent wos oll I could smell.

Even os I felt exhousted from our lovemoking, my mind storted to open ond there wos onotherpresence there. It wos Soren.

Just like his scent, I felt o glimmer of his thoughts ond feelings. I tried to push into them ond feelmore of it. It wos my turn to reod his mind... only, there wos something blocking me from goingdeeper.

Every time I got closer to cotching one of his thoughts or feelings it slipped owoy too fost for me tofully grosp it. Moybe it wos just my imoginotion or moybe it wos the foct thot I wos still drowning inthe ofterglow of our crozy night. Whotever it wos, I couldn't think obout it too much. I wos too tiredond too hoppy to try ond figure it out.

My eyelids drifted shut and I fell asleep to the mixing of our even breaths.

Yawning, I opened my eyes and stretched my arms above my head. Warm sun bathed me from thewindow and I could hear birds singing outside.

Memories from the night before flooded my mind and instinctively, I turned to look for Soren. Hewas lying next to me, head propped up on his elbow. He had a light smile on his lips and he waswatching me with an affectionate gaze.

“Good morning," he said. He reached out and brushed some of my hair out of my face.

Giggling, I shied away and pushed his hand off.

“It is a good morning.”

I smiled coyly and bit my lower lip. It was nice to wake up with Soren beside me. The one and onlytime that happened, our morning had been interrupted by Madam Scarlett. It had always beensomething important getting in the way of enjoying each other's company.

Mostly Soren getting up quickly for business or already being dressed and treating our relationshiplike a business arrangement. It was nice to see him smile and look at me like that.

Soren reached over and rested his hand on my stomach.

“Do I have something on my face?" I asked.

He arched an eyebrow.

“Why?"

"You keep staring at me.”

He chuckled. “Why wouldn't I stare at you?"

My cheeks got hot and a blush creeped over my skin. I bit my lower lip and turned away from him.His eyes were so piercing and tender.

Suddenly, my stomach dropped and I covered my face with my hands.

Last night, I'd basically seduced Soren. I'd been so forward and needy. He hadn't stopped me orpushed me away but how could I look at him now? He probably thought I was some floozy.

“You know... I should get up for the day,” I muttered.

I slipped out of the covers and grabbed a robe, throwing it around my shoulders.

“Where are you going?" Soren asked.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me back down on the bed.

"H-hey..."

"Stay here," he purred

He gently pressed me into the mattress and kissed my lips. Once, then twice, and then again. Hewas so gentle and careful with me.

I melted into his kisses, powerless to struggle away from him

"Why don't you rest here and I will get breakfast prepared,” he suggested.

"O-okay."

Soren ran his fingers down the side of my face. My cheeks warmed again.

He got up and threw on his pants. In the next second, he was gone.

I hugged myself and kicked my legs back and forth, laughing giddily, but then, something came tomy mind.

My moment of happiness faded and dread settled into my stomach. Like a stone in water, my heartsank. Soren had marked me. We were much closer than we'd ever been, but that meant he would bein danger soon.

If 1 didn't get the rest of the artifact together, I wouldn't be able to protect him or save him.

What did it mean that Soren marked me?

I knew how I felt about him but how did he feel about me? Were we mated or was this just his wayof taking care of the woman that shared his bed? Did he love me? Was he my mate? Or... at least,were we boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Was last night just another passionate f**k for Soren? Was he only being a gentleman who wouldtake good care of me because of my position? Not just the fact that we shared a bed but because ofthe promise he made me. Was this more of how he fulfilled our deal?

Until we had gotten the artifact together our deal still remained in place. He could be using this as away to keep me protected, especially if he didn't want me to run off again. Now, he'd be able to feelme and sense me everywhere.

No matter what Soren's motives were, I was thankful that he'd come into my life. He had truly beena Goddesssend and I could tell that he wasn't going to stop helping me, whether I continued toshare his bed or not.

My cheeks heated again, even though there was no one there to see.

I still couldn't believe just how forward I'd been with Soren!

Getting up, I stretched and rolled my neck on my shoulders. I'd been lounging around enough.Soren was going to have breakfast ready soon and I wanted to be ready and presentable.

I headed to the bathroom and started cleaning myself up. My robe was open in the front. There wasno need to tie it while I was the only one in the room. I caught my reflection in the mirror as I wet atowel in the sink.

On my neck, there was a delicious purpling mark where Soren had bitten me. I touched thepuckered mark. It was swollen and I gasped. The skin was tender but it felt good under my finger. Atingle shot all the way down into my toes.

The bite was surrounded by hickies and my entire neck was covered in nips and light bruises.

I blushed again. It spread from my cheeks, down my neck, and across my chest.

I started the shower to wash up. When I got into the warm water, my muscles eased and I realizedjust how sore I was from the night before. I massaged my thighs, arms, and shoulders under the hotwater, working out the knots and relieving the stress and pain.

It wasn't even like we'd been that rough with each other the night before. But it had been intenseand I had given my entire body to Soren. It had all built up in my muscles so tightly.

The shower felt really great. When I got out, I went back to the bedroom to replace something to wear.My clothes from last night were in a dirty heap on the floor. I wasn't going to put them back on nowthat I was clean.

I dropped my towel to the floor, but my feet got tangled.

"Oh!"

I pitched forward and caught myself on Soren's dresser. It rattled and the top drawer popped open.“Hey... that's perfect.”

Even if all I found were some oversized t-shirts that would be all I needed while Soren and I enjoyedbreakfast together.

I pulled the drawer open all the way and started digging through Soren’s clothing. He had twostacks of t-shirts. I pulled out the one from the bottom when something else came with it, and fellon the floor.

A printed picture.

The white edge was slightly yellow. It was probably taken a long time ago. Could it be from Soren’spast?

I knew I shouldn't look but I couldn't help it—more than ever, I wanted to learn about him, learnabout the man who had taken my heart.

However, when I saw what was on it, I froze in place and immediately regretted my decision.

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