I didn't even realize when he moved us to the bed, only that the cool sheets pressed against my back, quickly warming beneath my skin.
Alaric's lips never left mine, his touch steady and desperate all at once. I felt the weight of him above me, the warmth of his body seeping into mine until it was impossible to tell where one of us ended and the other began.
My fingers tangled in his hair as the kiss deepened. Every breath he took seemed to pull me closer, to anchor me in the storm that was him. The world outside faded — the soft crackle of the fireplace, the whisper of the wind beyond the window — everything dissolved until there was only Alaric.
His hands roamed with reverence, tracing my skin as though memorizing it. My heart raced, pounding in my ears as if it wanted to leap toward his. When his lips brushed against my neck, a shiver ran down my spine, and I clutched him tighter, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.
He whispered my name, voice rough and low, filled with a mix of restraint and longing. I met his gaze — dark, tender, and burning with emotion — and nodded, silently giving him the answer he didn't need to ask.
What happened next was a blur of heat, breath, and heartbeats. The bond between us flared, wild and uncontainable. The world seemed to shatter into stars.
When it was over, we lay tangled together in the soft aftermath, our breaths uneven, our hearts beating in sync.
Alaric brushed a strand of hair from my face and whispered, his tone almost a vow, "Next time, I want us to mark each other — completely."
I smiled faintly, my eyelids growing heavy. The last thing I remembered was the sound of his heartbeat beneath my ear, strong and steady, before the world slipped into comforting darkness.