*Jenna's POV*
His lips travelled down my body, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. He stopped at my breasts, suckling and nipping at the tender skin until I was writhing beneath him. The ache between my thighs intensified, becoming almost unbearable.
"Please, Orion," I pleaded, my hips rising to meet his. I needed him badly. I always wanted him, my wolf yearning for his touch. But now? It was almost unbearable.
He lifted his head, meeting my gaze with burning intensity.
"Soon," he promised, before resuming his path downward.
By the time he reached my core, I was slick with desire, my body primed for him. His tongue slid through my folds, tasting me deeply. My gasps echoed through the room as he alternated between long strokes and gentle circles, building a pleasure within me that bordered on agony.
Just when I thought I might burst from the need building inside me, he slipped two fingers inside, stroking me in rhythm with his tongue. The tension snapped, sending waves of ecstasy crashing through my body. I cried out-trying to muffle my voice into a pillow, my fingers twisting in his hair as I rode the crest of my climax.
Orion continued his ministrations until the final tremor subsided, then rose above me once more. His shaft was hard against my thigh, and I reached down to stroke it, wanting to feel him inside me.
"You're still dressed," I murmured, running my hand along the length of his shaft.
He chuckled, the sound low and rough. "So are you."
Without another word, Orion divested himself of his clothing, his body magnificent in the moonlit room. Then he turned his attention to me, stripping away my underthings with a deliberate slowness that left me squirming beneath his touch.
Once I was bare, he paused, running his hands over every inch of skin he'd revealed.
"Goddess, Jenna," he groaned. "You're beautiful."
I couldn't respond, not with the hunger building within me again. I reached for him, wrapping my hand around his shaft and guiding it to my entrance.
With a growl, Orion pushed forward, filling me completely in one thrust. The sensation stole my breath, pleasure radiating through me as he began to move, driving in and out of me in a slow rhythm that soon grew faster. I've never been handled this rough and yet this carefully at the same time... with some much care...
My body sang with pleasure, my moans mingling with Orion's grunts. Each thrust sent shocks of bliss coursing through me until I was teetering on the brink of release once more.
This time, he was right there with me. His pace quickened, becoming almost brutal in its intensity, his breathing harsh in my ear. The pressure within me built, and finally, I let go, my orgasm slamming through me like a wave.
Orion followed seconds later, his entire body shuddering as he released, his mouth sealing mine, swallowing any noise we could make with a hot kiss.
For several long moments, neither of us moved, content to bask in the glow of what we'd just shared. Then, with a sigh, he rolled to his side, gathering me against him.
We lay there, listening to the night sounds drifting up from the common room, the tension between us gone, replaced by a new kind of awareness.
"Orion?" I murmured.
"Yes?" His voice was muffled against my hair.
"Tell me you meant it. That this wasn't just a momentary lapse."
His arm tightened around me, pulling me closer against his body.
"I meant every moment of it," he assured me. "I want this—want us—for however long we might have." His words sent a warmth spreading through my chest, filling the space left vacant by the walls I'd built around myself.
"I know I'm not your fated mate Jenna... Whenever someone new came to our camp I always feared they'd be the one and I'd lose you..."
"Then why didn't you say anything? I... I've been in love with you since my first days there..." I asked surprised and a bit embarrassed.
"I... I thought you just admired me as a mentor and friend... I've been blind... and afraid. But I also wanted you to get your own happiness. I wasn't lucky, but it doesn't mean I should take your happiness away."
I looked up at him, my hand touching his cheek.
"My happiness lies with you, Orion. I have a feeling nothing else awaits me, and even if it did... Nothing would change how I feel about you," I whispered.
He sighed closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them... there were so many feelings hiding, but one of them was the strongest one - love. The loving gaze he gave me, made my heart flutter.
"Jenna. I'm not too young anymore. But I wish to be that happiness you talk about. And I hope we can get to live in a better future... together... I..." he stopped, not knowing what to say.
As I waited I realised he would rather show it to me than say, it when he reached for me and pulled me closer to him. His mouth tracked my neck with soft kisses until he got to the marking spot. I shuddered. Did he mean it? Really?
"Yes," I just whispered shuddering and afraid he might mean something else or move away... But he didn't. I wasn't prepared for the pain when his canines sank in my skin but the happiness I felt and the feeling of our bond snapping in place and linking us both. It made me cry tears of joy.
His tongue was lapping at the blood, taking care of the wound - I wonder what would our mate bond's tattoo look like.
When he moved back a bit to look me in the eyes I smiled at him.
"Thank you Orion. I love you" I whispered.
"I love you more, me beautiful warrior wolf," he smiled, as we snuggled and drifted off into sleep.
*
As dawn approached, casting a pale light through the thin curtains, we lay entwined, the earlier tensions replaced by a profound sense of intimacy. Orion's fingers traced idle patterns on my arm, his presence a steady pulse against the uncertainties that lay ahead.
"We should get up," I murmured, reluctance lacing my voice.
"In a minute," he replied, his voice thick with sleep and something warmer. The simple words, spoken in the quiet aftermath of our shared vulnerability, felt like a promise.
As we rose to meet the day, the tasks ahead loomed large. But with Orion by my side, sharing in both the burdens and the quiet moments, I felt a renewed strength. Whatever challenges awaited us with the dawn, we would face them together, no longer as just comrades, but as something far deeper.
Also... I think Nemesia and Evar didn't realise what happened between us or... they ignored it maybe? Or maybe they were being polite. Not sure. But I knew I had to be honest with them... with Nemesia. I hoped they wouldn't judge us.