Gavriel chuckled softly. He was completely bare with her when it ca to his emotions, and she felt the way his desire stirred beneath the surface even as he tried to suppress it.
Shaking his head, he guided her back to the bed. “We’re just resting. Sleeping. You need full recovery and full strength before you continue healing Riela,” he reminded her with a heavy sigh.
They lay down together, and he imdiately pulled her close, burying his face against her neck like her scent alone was enough to soothe him.
“You know I can’t relax while you still have to finish healing Riela,” Gavriel muttered against her skin. “That covenant of binding makes my blood boil. The thought that it could hurt you—kill you—anyti? It drives insane.”
His arms tightened around her. “That Zander is fortunate he shares blood with you. If he wasn’t royal Ivanov and tied to the House of Aetherion, I’d have snapped his neck the mont he jeopardized your life.”
Althea turned onto her side to face him, lifting her hand to gently cradle his cheek.
“Everything happens for a reason, Gavriel. If you think about it... Zander actually helped us,” she said softly. “Because of him, you acknowledged your feelings for even without the matebond. I’m grateful for that. And I learned my true origins because of him. Now you don’t have to carry any guilt thinking I was Cain’s blood.”
She leaned forward and kissed him, slow and gentle at first, then deeper as her tongue slid into his mouth.
Gavriel groaned, the sound low and helpless. Althea knew he was holding himself back only because he was worried about her health. He didn’t realize it wouldn’t drain her energy. His overprotectiveness only made her heart lt more.
Still kissing him, she shifted and pushed herself over him, practically hovering above him as his breath hitched beneath her.
Gavriel’s hands instinctively found her waist as she hovered over him, his fingers curling into the fabric of her clothes as if he needed the anchor. Althea kissed him again, slower this ti, savoring the way his lips softened beneath hers even as tension rippled through his whole body.
“Althea...” he breathed, his voice strained with restraint. “If you keep doing that, I won’t be able to stop myself.”
She smiled softly against his lips. “Maybe I don’t want you to stop.”
Gavriel let out a low, frustrated growl—not at her, but at himself. He rolled them gently until she was on her back and he hovered above her, their foreheads pressed together while he tried to steady his breathing.
“You’re recovering,” he reminded her, though his voice shook. “I can handle everything else in this world, but not the thought of pushing you too far.”
“You’re not,” she whispered. “You never do.”
His eyes softened, the fierce edge in them lting into sothing almost vulnerable. He brushed her cheek with his thumb, then her jaw, tracing the shape of her as if morizing every line.
“Let hold you like this,” he murmured. “Just like this. It’s enough for .”
Althea slid her arms around his neck and pulled him down until he rested on her fully, his weight comforting rather than heavy. His nose brushed her collarbone, and she felt the mont he finally relaxed—the tension easing out of his muscles as he lted into her arms.
They stayed like that, breathing each other in, wrapped in warmth and quiet comfort.
“I love you,” she whispered into his hair, her fingers threading through the strands at the nape of his neck.
His breath caught. Slowly, he lifted his head to et her eyes, the raw emotion in his gaze making her chest tighten.
“And I love you,” he whispered back, voice rough. “More than my title. More than my crown. More than the life I swore to protect.”
He kissed her—slow, deep, and tender, the kind of kiss that wasn’t about desire but devotion. His thumb stroked her cheek, and for once, the mighty Alpha King wasn’t a warrior, a ruler, or a force of power.
He was simply hers.
“I want you, Gavriel. And don’t worry, being with you won’t drain my energy. So claim , please?” she whispered, her voice bold but trembling with need.
She didn’t even wait for his answer. Her hand slipped down, cupping the hard length straining beneath his trousers.
Gavriel let out a low groan as she pushed further, sliding her hand inside to feel his heat.
“See?” she murmured against his lips. “You’re this hard and you expect to stay still?”
She shifted, rolling over him with deliberate teasing. In one smooth motion, she pulled her dress off and let it fall away followed by her underwear, leaving her completely bare above him.
His gaze darkened, hunger burning openly in his eyes. Her cheeks flushed hotter under the weight of it, but she didn’t hesitate. She leaned down and undressed him piece by piece until there was nothing left between them.
“Althea...” he breathed, as if trying to hold on to the last thread of restraint, but he didn’t move away. He didn’t resist her.
She remained astride him, her thighs bracketing his hips. Gavriel pushed himself up, closing the distance to claim her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. Althea’s breath trembled as she rocked her hips, letting her warm, bare center brush against the hard length pressed between them.
The contact sent a shiver down her spine, and she pressed closer, wanting more of him—wanting all of him.
Gavriel’s hands slid to her waist, fingers firm but trembling slightly as if he was fighting the last of his restraint. Althea felt the tension in him, the way he held himself back even while his breath grew heavier against her lips.
“You’re driving mad,” he muttered, voice low and rough.
“Then stop holding back,” she whispered.
She guided herself closer, the heat between her thighs brushing along his length again, sending another pulse of shivers through her. Gavriel’s jaw clenched, the muscles tightening as he sucked in a sharp breath.
“Althea...” he moaned, the sound slipping out of him before he could stop it.
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