#aedion ashryver smut

[lipstickmarks]

Modern Aedion headcanons

— Modern!Aedion Ashryver x fem!reader

Author’s note: I LOVE AEDION BARK BARK BITCH

Warnings: mentions of protests, mention of danger at pride, mentions of violence, mentions of being arrested, mentions of absent/neglectful parents, nsfw, smut, semi-public sex, finger sucking, male masturbation, food, periods, teasing, overstimulation

he likes all music. like ALL music. if you’re roadtripping it, he’ll go from sabrina carpenter to metallica to 2000s r&b to dierks bentley in one playlist and he will know every single word

had a bit of a ho phase before you so whenever you go anywhere, you almost always run into an ex-hookup of his. but you’re so not threatened bc aedion makes it obvious he only has eyes for you. if anything, you tease him about it

yall go to pride every year and Aedion is that person who’s on high alert and making sure everyone is safe, especially you. no taking drinks from randos, no getting too close to really rowdy crowds or lame ass protestors

he loves watching contact sports, not for the athleticism so much but for the rush he gets when two people collide. he’s a war general at heart in every universe so he wants to see someone get the beat down!

he would be ex military, probably coast guard and then work as a rescue EMT for people who get lost in mountains and snowstorms

his love language is quality time and physical touch but he loves to spoil🤭 but it won’t be assorted chocolates or flowers. He’ll buy you a whole ass new mattress or a 6-month SoulCycle membership. He doesn’t really give a shit about little things and he’d rather express his love to you by taking care of big expenses (try to stop him from buying you a car, I dare you)

loves a good old fashioned make out sesh

lets you play with his hair anytime you want. he has done heatless curls, curl creams, he even let you dye it aqua blue to match his eyes. Aedion is the definition of a down ass bitch and he will try literally anything, especially if it makes you happy. the fact that he gets to sit and have you play with his hair and touch his neck for an hour straight is just a bonus!

has a slight temu addiction

if you don’t have good parental figures, best BELIEVE he will let gavriel know and that man will treat you like his own flesh and blood. offering you advice, fixing your car, helping you move in/out of places, he will come over and barbecue steaks for you and aedion without even asking and he always always always makes sure you’re taken care of and that you feel loved. you get presents on your birthday, valentine’s day, christmas, but super dad gav takes it a step farther and gives you presents for EVERY holiday. sometimes it’s a stuffie and a card from “your father-in-law” even if you and Aedion aren’t married yet and sometimes it’s a $200 gift card to a nice restaurant so you and aedion can have a night out. gav will even walk you down the aisle if you don’t have someone to do that

Even if you do have good parental figures around, Aedion still wants Gavriel to be a part of your life. He’s just so obsessed with you and wants you immersed in his family as much as possible. The three of you even have a group chat where he wishes yall a good morning/night ever single day 🥹. Aedion is very much Gav’s little lion cub and a daddy’s boy at heart. The two of them spend lots of quality time together so naturally, you become a part of that too.

he has inattentive adhd and cannot stay still for the life of him. he’s always walking around, forgetting stuff, and struggles with stationary hobbies. if you’re a reader, good luck trying to get him into whatever you’re reading. he’ll try for you but he would rather be snowboarding or jumping rope or making dinner, something with his hands and body

he LOVES food trucks

if you’re a swiftie, he absolutely attended eras with you. he is in his red era but his favorite albums are fearless and tortured poets. he goes crazy for “fearless” and “the black dog” (likes songs he can scream to)

he’s definitely been arrested at a protest and for getting in bar fights defending your or Aelin

fav disney movie is tarzan but if he’s in his feels, then it’s lion king (reminds him of gavriel)

cannot sing. thinks he can. ruins karaoke night for everyone

keeps a picture of you in his locker at the EMT station. if anyone teases him for it, he cusses them out

posts lots of pictures on instagram of his family, views from the mountains where he lives and works, and you. once you two start dating, his feed is 90% you

not picky with food at all. going out to eat with him is the easiest thing ever and he always lets you pick but if you’re not up to it, he’ll choose for you (he somehow always manages to pick the best place)

the first time you got your period while you two were together, he had a minor freak out because he wasn’t prepared. from that point on, he always kept extra pads and tampons at his place

holds you so close when you’re in public areas. if you go to a concert or music festival, he’ll hold you with your back to his chest and his arm slung around your chest to make sure you’re safe and secure with him

he prefers fun, activity based dates to quiet dinners but if you have a preference for them, he will of course honor that. whatever makes you happy is enough for him

if you want to paint your house, he is on it. you don’t even have to ask. you’ll text him at 10pm “the feminine urge to paint my walls ballerina pink” and he’ll show up at your house at 6am the next morning with paint, primer, rollers, and a tarp.

loves taking couple pictures with you. he’ll spend an entire hour after dinner in the parking lot doing whatever poses you want and he’ll let you fuss as much as you want. whatever makes his girl happy.

NEVER forgets to post you for national girlfriends day or international women’s day/month

if there’s a concert you really wanna go to, he’ll stay in digital queues to help you double your chances at getting tickets

always loses the idgaf war. he gives a fuck so hard all the time about everything

loves to kiss you by holding your chin in between his forefinger and thumb. it always makes you melt and he can practically see your toes curl when he does it and he loves getting reactions like that out of you.

he likes salt and vinegar chips. always fighting for his life at aelin’s house when he opens up a bag of them because everyone rags on him for it

at first he was annoyed that people compared him to thor but when you ran your fingers through his hair and said it was hot, he changed his tune like *that* (you two went as thor and jane for halloween that year)

loves it when you play with his muscles, especially at the gym. he gets flirted with a lot at the gym and he loves it when you go with him so he can keep his hands on your hips and while you fix his headphones for him or take cute pictures in front of the mirrors and spot him when he’s lifting weights

favorite shows are That 70s Show, Game of Thrones, and Family Guy but he’s also a hardcore disney girlie when he wants something low-stress to watch and he is NOT shy about it

NSFW

he likes to fuck sitting up with you leaning against the headboard and him facing you and then slowly lower you onto his back so he can hit deeper 🙂‍↕️

fell to his knees when you gifted him a boudoir photoshoot

he will fuck you anytime, anywhere. If you come visit him at work, he’ll fuck you in the closet and stick his fingers in your mouth so you don’t scream his name and get caught

not opposed to toys but he really does prefer to be a one-man show. he knows how to please you and is convinced his fingers, tongue, and cock are better than any toy on the market

He may not like toys but he loves lube and massage oils. You two don’t necessarily need it because Aedion is a hardcore ‘your pleasure > mine’ kinda guy. He gets off on getting you off and you’re always sufficiently wet before slips goes inside you. That being said, he just likes to play with the lube, experiment with different flavors and textures, etc. If they have ones that heat up. GOOD FUCKING BYE. he will torture you with that shit and tbh, you’re better off calling in sick to work the next day bc you won’t be able to walk anyway.🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️

jacks off to voice notes of you touching yourself whenever he’s away and then sends you pics of the aftermath 😔 “look what you made me do, babe…”

really into biting. he doesn’t pinch your skin or leave teeth indents (unless you ask him to) but he loves to nip and nibble, it’s something primal within him

if you ever try that tiktok trend of walking into a room naked and casually asking him a question, expect to have his dick inside you within 3 seconds and to be fucked until you’re shaking and overstimulated and can’t remember your own name 🤷🏻‍♀️

he can be a little cocky/arrogant if he’s ever in a dominant mood. Not mean necessarily but he will taunt you. “Oh, sweetheart, I think you brought this on yourself. Teasing me all day, tsk tsk tsk. I don’t think you deserve to cum yet.”

Follows you around like a pathetic puppy in Victoria’s Secret. If you try and tease him by skipping the lingerie and going straight to the body spray, he will pout at you like “where’s my treat, baby?🥺” until you laugh and give in. Then he buys you the skimpiest sets they have.

you always send him nsfw tiktoks. Sometimes it’s things you wanna try, stuff that turns you on, and sometimes it’s edits if your celebrity crushes because you know talking about it bugs Aedion and gets him all riled up and in the mood to give you a proper fucking when he gets home. “Henry Cavill can’t fuck you like this, my love.”

doesn’t like to fuck you in his car. he’s an artist, he needs room to do his thing. he will, however, tease you in his car. hand on your thigh, drawing little circles on your inner thigh. reaching over to fasten your seatbelt and “accidentally” grazing your tits.

oh speaking of tits

one handful at all times. he is always touching you. if you’re cuddling on the couch, his hand is def up your shirt. it’s not always in a sexual way, he just loves to touch ‘em! when you show him your outfits, he’ll run a finger down your sternum and over the curve of the top of your breast (especially if it’s something low cut)

always lets you set the pace. he can be more dominant if that’s what you like but no matter what, he always lets you decide how far you go and what you do and what things you try out

the only hard no’s for him are degradation, impact play, anything involving weapons, (he would NEVER be able to hurt you, even if it was for kink) and also nothing involving multiple partners. he likes all his attention to be on just you.

he likes to cockwarm after you’ve finished. he loves the feeling of collapsing onto your chest and cuddling for a bit and just keeping himself sheathed in you. it relaxes him

always puts a hand on your back or your ass when he’s passing by you, especially if you two are in the kitchen cooking together or something. most of the time, he just leaves his hand there. “Aedion, your hand is on my butt.” “It was an accident.” “It’s still on my butt.” “It’s still an accident.”

he’ll make out with you in public, he doesn’t care. A little PDA never hurt nobody 🙂‍↔️

loves to have you leaning against his chest with two fingers inside you, edging and teasing you for hours

He. Loves. Morning. Sex. It is his absolute favorite. There is nothing this man loves more than waking up and pressing kisses to your neck and jaw until you’re awake and ready for him. Lazy sundays where you two get to sleep in and slowly make love for hours are his favorite. He doesn’t care about morning breath or bed head or anything, he’s just obsessed with having you in his bed and being able to sink inside you with a happy sigh first thing in the morning.

[randomfanboi]

Me seeing there's no Throne of Glass Male reader content

[shadowdaddies]

Why have I actually not seen your blog before? Discovered it a couple days ago and your writing is amazing! I was wondering if you could do soft smut with Aedion, I have a love for blondes, and he never gets any fanfics! Thanks love, no pressure at all! You are amazing! 💙

Hi love! Thank you so much, you're so sweet 💜 Aedion is so underrated imo, I'm happy to write for him

Serenity

Aedion x Reader

Warnings: smut below the cut, minors dni

You leaned against the wall outside of the armory, watching Aedion train with his sword. He was shirtless, his tall muscular frame gleaming with sweat in the Terrasen sun as he struck the wooden training dummy. Absentmindedly biting your lip, you were only drawn from your trance when Aedion called out your name. You looked up to see him smirking at you, placing his sword back on the rack and grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat away.

He strode towards you across the vibrant spring grass, grabbing you by the waist and kissing you deeply. You moaned softly into the kiss, savoring the feeling of his toned body against yours. Pulling away, you lifted the basket that was in your hand. “I thought you could use a break from training. Care for a picnic?” Aedion smiled, pressing a kiss to your forehead as he grabbed your hand. “Let’s go, sweetheart.” 

He led you into the forest nearby, to a clearing within the trees next to a babbling brook. You laid out a blanket that you had brought, opening up the basket to take out the food when Aedion’s calloused fingers gently wrapped around yours. Lifting your hand to press his lips against it, he looked at you with a hunger in those gold and turquoise eyes as he murmured, “there’s something else I’d like to indulge in, first.” 

Aedion moved the basket aside as he climbed on top of you, softly pushing you to lay down on the blanket. You reached up to brush his long hair away from his face, pausing to cup his cheek in your hand as you smiled up at him. Aedion propped himself up on one arm, the other massaging your waist before trailing slowly, teasingly, up your body. His hand made its way to cup your breast, teasing your nipple through the fabric as he leaned down to kiss along your neck. Switching over to toy with the other breast, Aedion dragged your earlobe between his teeth. “Beautiful,” he whispered against your skin before he sat up slightly, pulling your dress down to expose your chest to the warm Terrasen air. 

The only sounds were the babbling brook and your soft moans as Aedion dipped to take your breast in his mouth, sliding his free hand up your thigh until he came in contact with the fabric of your underwear. He smirked against your chest as he felt how wet you were, already writhing underneath him, desperate for more friction. You ran your hands over Aedion’s strong torso, holding onto his bicep as he slipped one finger under the fabric, slowly circling your clit. “Please, my love, I need you now,” you whimpered as you twined your fingers in his golden hair, guiding him to look at you.

He smiled, leaning down to kiss you passionately as he pulled your underwear down your legs, baring you to him. You gasped at the exposed feeling, and Aedion took that opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth. You moaned softly, spurred on by his actions as you moved to untie his pants, shuffling them down his legs with a renewed fervor. 

Hooking your legs around his backside, you guided him towards your entrance. Aedion slowly pushed in, your back arching against the blanket as he groaned at the feeling. He moved at a slow, strong pace as you wrapped your arms around his neck, looking deep into those beautiful eyes as he made love to you. 

You urged Aedion to pick up the pace, him complying as he lifted one of your legs over his shoulder as he quickened his movements. Bringing one hand down to your clit, he rubbed circles that had you writhing beneath him once more as you approached your orgasm. You came moaning his name, Aedion following closely behind you. He rested his forehead against yours as you smiled at each other, catching your breath before he kissed your forehead and sat up, grabbing the basket from where he’d moved it before. 

Aedion unloaded the food, laying everything out as you readjusted your dress, and the two of you enjoyed your meal, content spending your afternoon in the peaceful woods of Terrasen with the one you love.

[vikingmagic33]

When Fenrys accidentally books the group a sex cabin, Lysandra and Aedion work through their fight, change into costumes, and find a new fang kink.

Read on NSFW Lysaedion Kinktober Fic on Ao3

A Kink in Our Plans Collection- Throne of Glass Kinktober 2023

10/25 - Introduction

10/26 - Chaol/Yrene by @headcanonheadcase

10/27 - Dorian/Manon by @hlizr50

10/28 - Rowan/Aelin by @thelovelymadone

10/29 - Nesryn/Sartaq by @sunshinebingo

10/30 - Lysandra/Aedion by @vikingmagic33

10/31 - Elide/Lorcan by @shadowsxgwynriel

[leiawritesstories]

PART EIGHT: AUGUST

Word count: 6.2k

Warnings: oh god swearing, scheming, angst, implied/referenced smut, mentions of grief, short depiction of a funeral, more scheming, Maeve, and angst (xoxo, Frederick)

all the thanks to @house-of-galathynius & @mariaofdoranelle for being the best betas ever <3

enjoy ;) i'm so sorry

Masterlist

Read on AO3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fenrys’s memorial was held on a brilliantly sunny, warm morning in early August. The sky was clear, pure cerulean, not a single wisp of cloud scuffling across its expanse, a mockingly cheerful backdrop for the somber group of people gathered in the cemetery. It was almost as if Fenrys Moonbeam, ever one to flash his blindingly bright grin in the wrong situations, had sent an especially bright day as a last vestige of himself. 

Standing rigid and stoic-faced in his full Terrasen Special Forces dress uniform, Rowan was flanked by Gavriel, also in full uniform, on his right and Aelin, in a simple black dress and heels, on his left. Her slender fingers were linked closely with his, her simple touch and her steady presence lending him the strength he desperately needed to hold himself together. For the moment, his theories were suspended, and they were just Rowan and Aelin, just two people mourning the loss of a dear friend. 

When he’d found out about Fen… Rowan barely had clear memories from that night, but he did remember one thing—Aelin. Her voice on the other end of his phone, holding him together. He’d raced to the Gal Inc lab complex after receiving a call from one of the lab’s security guards, and he’d stormed through that building, the room tilting and blurring the moment he stepped inside, caught a lungful of that sharp, scorching chemical scent, saw the ruined form on the ground, and known he was too late. 

His call to Aelin was one of pure desperation, and she was the only way he’d made it home. 

Gav lifted his chin slightly, and Rowan gently loosened his fingers from Aelin’s grasp and stepped up beside his commander. Beside the simple bronze urn. On Aelin’s other side, Aedion Ashryver linked his arm through hers, the cousins acting as each other’s support. 

“We thank Lieutenant Fenrys Alastair Moonbeam for his service, and we commend his soul to the Afterlife.” Gav pronounced the words solemnly, his voice only slightly wavering, and he and Rowan carefully, reverently, lifted the urn into its open mausoleum. Rowan held his salute until Gav had placed the headstone, then stepped back to Aelin’s side. 

The gentle squeeze of her hand spoke louder than any words. I am here. I am with you. 

As the small group of people began to disperse, Rowan lingered, taking a quiet moment to lay his gloved hand on the headstone and silently scream. Dammit, Moonbeam, it was never supposed to be you! 

“It’s already quieter,” Aelin murmured, coming to stand next to him. 

Rowan nodded, throat bobbing thickly. “I’ll never get used to it.” 

“I know.” She leant into his side, her unspoken sorrow recognizing his grief. “I love you, Rowan, you know.” 

“I love you too.” He slipped his arm around her waist, partially for comfort and partially for support as they walked away from the mausoleum, the bright summer sun beaming down upon the stone and tile. 

~

“Can I ask you something, love?” Rowan wasn’t even the smallest bit ashamed to admit he was laying on his girlfriend’s comfortable couch wearing sweats and an old t-shirt, his head in her lap, her fingers running soothingly through his cropped hair. 

“Anything.” Aelin brushed her touch down the slope of his cheekbone, thumb stroking his jaw. 

“How do…how did you know Fen?” 

She swallowed, her eyes going distant for a moment. “Gav introduced us; you know how my dear uncle likes to meddle in my love life.” She chuckled. “Fenrys was…the first TSF man that I felt like I could be myself with, you know? He wasn’t a stiff-backed soldier, and he wasn’t lecherous, just flirty.” 

“He was good at that,” Rowan agreed. 

“Granted, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Fenrys—probably not since my company’s Christmas party, and Gav was busy parading men in front of me for most of that event.” A soft, sad smile curled the corners of her lips. “He could always make me laugh.” 

“Fen made everyone laugh.” Rowan sat up, moving so he could pull Aelin into his lap and wrap his arms around her. “Gav complained about it, but he was never going to stop it.” 

Aelin relaxed into Rowan’s embrace, the tension that normally lined her spine loosening, allowing her to sink into his warmth. She didn’t say anything else, but the soul-deep compassion he saw in her turquoise gaze burrowed into his heart, warming the coldness of grief. He kissed the top of her head gently, softly, and ran his open hands up and down her back. 

She didn’t know how much time passed there, in comfortable silence, before she spoke again. “Will you write him into your tattoos?” 

“Of course.” Rowan had told Aelin the story of his tattoos a few months ago, on a balmy spring evening when the two of them were sprawled in each other’s arms sans clothing. He gave her the stories behind the symbols, the meaning behind the ink he wore on his skin. In return, she told him about the dragon on her back, the piece a work of bold, fearless, unconquerable power, the image of a leader who was unafraid to spew fire if necessary. Her tattoo was a unique piece; she and her artist had worked on designing it for months before she got the tattoo done. 

“Good.” She traced the fluid script on his chest. “He…no one should die so young.” She knew her words hinted at something beyond the friendship she’d mentioned, but she also knew she couldn’t just brush off Rowan’s questions. She had known Fenrys, and she’d been close with him. Celaena had been close with him. 

She only hoped that Rowan wouldn’t discover Fenrys and Celaena’s ties for a long, long time. 

~

Connall Moonbeam stood opposite the Queen of the Night and willed his expression to remain unruffled despite the gaping hole in his heart. 

“Does it truly not concern you at all, ma’am, that my brother died?” He kept his question as neutral as possible, aiming his concern not at his brother, but at the coldhearted woman who’d sent Fenrys to his death. 

Maeve hummed noncommittally. “There are certain risks involved with infiltrating a highly secure, tightly guarded space, particularly when that space is owned by a criminal who is jealous of her silly little tech. Fenrys knew and accepted those risks.” 

Con gritted his teeth. “Certain risks? We had planned that he would be able to bypass all of the known traps, even the final one.” 

“Clearly, that final security measure was altered. Sardothien most likely anticipated that there would be attempts made to steal her inventions.” Maeve fixed her icy violet gaze onto Con. “As it stands, we know that there is a trap rigged within the storage compartment itself, so that will need to be disabled when we return to the labs to take what we came for.” 

“Do you think it will be a simple task?” You can’t kill her yet, he told himself. Not. Yet. 

She shrugged. “Perhaps. But perhaps not. Sardothien is young, but she is not inexperienced.” 

“Obviously.” Con put more sarcasm into that word than he’d intended. 

Maeve arched one dark brow. “Connall, do you require some time alone? To plan, perhaps?” Her question seemed polite, but ice underlaid it. 

“I believe I do, ma’am. Forgive me.” He dipped his head, and when she dismissed him, he left her office, quietly closing the door behind himself, and strode down the hallways to his small, simple, blessedly private room. He gave himself exactly five minutes to silently rage before he pulled his burner phone from his jacket pocket and dialed Celaena Sardothien. 

She picked up almost immediately. “Con?” 

“Boss.” He didn’t bother trying to mask the pain in his voice. “She’s going to stage another break-in at the labs. It’s barely been two weeks since my—since Fen—since my brother was buried.” Although his room was soundproof, he was careful to keep his words just vague enough for anyone who might be listening to assume he was speaking about Sardothien. Everyone knew the Boss was Maeve’s next target, so it made sense for her men to be discussing her schemes. 

“I know.” Celaena’s voice was uncharacteristically gentle, nothing like the Boss’s typical commanding tone. “What’s she changing?” 

“She thinks she can disarm the trap that…the bomb rigged in the storage compartment.” 

“First of all,” Celaena drawled, “it’s not a bomb. I’m not a goddamn brute. Secondly, what do you want to do to counteract her plans?” 

“Boss?” Con was confused. 

She sighed. “Con, you’re thinking of a way to stop Maeve, aren’t you?” 

“Never a day when I don’t think about driving my knife through her throat.” 

“Alright. So, what do you think you can do—reasonably and subtly, because Maeve isn’t going to be easy to assassinate. Trust me. I’ve been scheming about how to do that for years.” 

“Well, there’s always controlled doses of non-lethal poisons. You know, things that gradually weaken a victim but aren’t deadly. It’s the kind of thing that’s usually used when you’re trying to get the victim to a point where they’re easy to kill.” Con was half thinking out loud, but the plan took shape as he spoke. 

“Do you have access to that kind of poison?” 

“Yes.” 

“Good.” Celaena paused, and Con swore he could hear the Boss’s thoughts whirring. “Get her weak enough that you can easily tranquilize her and bring her to the river warehouse. I’ll let you do the honors there, if you want.” 

“Believe me,” Con all but growled, “there is nothing I want more. She sent my brother to die.” 

“Understood.” Papers rustled on Celaena’s end of the call. “Keep me posted, yeah?” 

“Of course.” Click. The call ended. 

Con took a deep, controlled breath, tucked his phone back in his pocket, and strolled out of his room, heading for the storage rooms. Maeve’s men were used to seeing him in that part of the building, since most of his work required supplies, so nobody batted an eye when he walked in. It only took a few minutes to find a bottle of the stuff he needed, and he plucked it off the shelf and tucked it into his sleeve. 

It would probably take at least another two months, but Maeve would fall. 

He owed that debt to his brother. 

~

Aelin snapped her laptop closed with a frustrated huff and ran her hands through her loose braid. Gods. Only halfway through August, and she felt like she was being run ragged. She had a seller up her ass for a shipment that was one day delayed, her PR team kept asking when she was going to give that interview she’d promised to the Orynth Morning Show, Orynth PD and the TSF kept wanting to talk to her, and as if work wasn’t enough, she had a Boss crisis to deal with. 

Because some asshole had gone and leaked Fenrys’s apartment to PD. 

There were two security cameras at the Boss’s apartment, one at the front and the other at the back window, and Aelin got notified anytime one of the cameras picked up some suspicious activity. She had checked the camera feed two days ago and found, for lack of a better term, a shitload of cops crawling around the building. They were there for Fen’s apartment, but…she was only one floor below. 

It was enough to make her already-bad insomnia worse. 

Breaking through Aelin’s drifting thoughts, Elide knocked three times on Aelin’s office door and stuck her head in. “Hey.” 

“Hey, Ells.” Aelin snapped herself back into work mode. “Is someone here?” 

“You could say that,” Elide grumbled. “Some TSF grouch says he’s supposed to meet with you.” 

Aelin raised a brow. “How about I come out to the main office and chat?” 

“Sure.” Elide walked with Aelin out to the more open main area, where there was indeed a grouchy, scowling, massively tall man wearing a TSF jacket slouched against Elide’s desk. 

He raised his dark brows into an expression of utter indifference. “Is this conversation going to happen in front of just anyone?” 

Elide’s dark eyes narrowed into a sharp glare. “I work for Aelin.” 

“You her cute little secretary?” Aelin could have sworn some kind of amusement crinkled the soldier’s face. 

“Chief Operations Officer, actually. Gal Inc. couldn’t run without me.” She spoke lightly, but Aelin sensed some inexplicable kind of…tension…between the two. 

“Mhmm. And I’m the god of the sun,” the soldier deadpanned. 

“You’re just another disposable soldier, Salvaterre,” Elide returned, almost viciously. Salvaterre. That would make him Rowan’s captain…Lorcan. 

Lorcan Salvaterre bristled. “I’m a ranking officer of the TSF.” 

“And if you die on duty, you’ll be just another plaque in the ground,” Elide said sweetly. “Isn’t that what you just said about your supposed TSF brother?” She fixed Lorcan with the stare she used when she was bending investors to her will. 

“Ummm…” To Aelin’s concealed shock, Lorcan actually blushed, stumbling for words, scratching the back of his neck. “In hindsight, that was callous of me.” 

“You could say that.” Dismissively, Elide turned back to her computer. “Oh, Aelin is here. You said something about a meeting?” 

Lorcan stood sharply up and, instinctively, saluted. “Salvaterre here.” 

“The consummate soldier.” Aelin smothered her laughter. “I wasn’t aware I had any kind of meeting scheduled with the TSF today, Captain.” 

“You can call me Lorcan,” he muttered. “And, uh, Whitethorn sent me.” 

“He didn’t tell me anything.” 

“My god—” Lorcan grumbled under his breath. “I can show you the text if you want, but he didn’t tell me shit either. Just ‘go ask if Galathynius knows anything about Fen’s apartment.’ Fuck if I know what he meant by that.” 

“You might want to remember that you’re in public,” Elide interjected, critiquing Lorcan’s uncensored language. 

He scoffed. “I’m a soldier, Li, like you so astutely observed. Soldiers cuss.” 

Salvaterre has a nickname for Elide?! Aelin forcibly tamped down her questions. “I’m afraid I have no idea what on earth my boyfriend meant, either. I’m sorry.” 

“I knew you were going to say that. Screw Whitethorn for making me do this.” Lorcan frowned, which seemed to be his usual expression. “Alright, if that’s it, I don’t need to be here.” He turned on his heel with a soldier’s precision and strode out of the office, trying to mask the brief, intense glance he threw at Elide as he left. Clearly, Rowan hadn’t told him how observant Aelin could be. 

When he was out of sight, Aelin braced her hands on Elide’s desk and stared at the petite brunette until she turned around, her face carefully blank. “So how long have you two been fucking?” 

Elide flushed bright pink. “Aelin!” She swatted the taller woman. “That’s none of your business.” 

“Not at work, maybe.” Aelin grinned, eagerly drumming her fingers on the desk. “You know I’m going to bother you until I get details, right?” 

“And you’ll get all the details you want when we go out on Friday.” Elide composed herself and flashed a smug little smirk at Aelin. “I’ll only tell you one thing.” 

“Gimme.” 

Elide’s smirk turned wicked. “Last Monday, I worked remotely because I couldn’t walk.” 

“Ells!” Aelin gasped, almost stunned speechless. “Actually, no. I can’t judge.” 

“You sure as hell can’t.” Elide winked as she turned back to her computer. “It’s always the broody, grumpy ones.” 

“Dear god.” Aelin laughed as she walked back to her office. Elide and Salvaterre—she definitely hadn’t seen that coming. 

But the more she thought about it…the more she dreaded what could happen. 

~

Rowan hated the industrial district. 

It didn’t have anything to do with class politics or some bullshit superiority complex, but more with the eerie feeling of being watched he had every time he was in that district. There was also the little fact that one of his recurrent nightmares featured a memory from a training mission gone horribly wrong in this district, but that wasn’t something he intended to address. Typically, when the TSF or Orynth PD had a call for an investigation site down in the industrial sprawl of southeast Orynth, he would dispatch a team and tell them to bring back their report, but he couldn’t push this scene onto anyone else. 

He had to go to Fen’s stakeout apartment in person. 

The creaky, probably mildewing door groaned as Rowan pulled it open and walked into the simple, shitty, one-bedroom apartment that Fenrys had lived in while he worked for Sardothien. There wasn’t much in the place—a dark green couch and a pair of mismatched side tables in the living room, an old, worn dining table with three chairs, some random dishes in the cupboards, a bed with plain gray sheets and an offensively bright pink comforter that was purely Fenrys’s style, a nightstand with two drawers. Rowan was hesitant to open those drawers, knowing too well what Fen always bragged he kept in his room, but to his relief, there wasn’t much in the nightstand. The only things he found were some newspapers, a few knives, one stray bullet casing, and two cheap burner cell phones. 

Two?

He shrugged, assuming Fen had bought another one for backup, pocketed both phones, and left the room. The kitchen, living room, and bathroom were already cleared out thanks to the team, and he tipped his head towards the bedroom, indicating that it was ready for cleanup. 

When the team left the apartment, Rowan had to let Luca be the one to lock the door. He couldn’t bear to see the emptiness, the blank space, the visible mark of absence. Fen’s phones felt like hundred-pound weights in his pocket as he climbed into his SUV and drove away, leaving the industrial district no more than a gritty smear in his rearview mirror. 

Back at his PD office, Rowan placed the cheap prepaid phones on his desk, turning each one over in his hands before he set them down and just stared, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do next. The investigator in him wanted to immediately search through the phones, the soldier in him wanted to just give the phones to Gav and be done with it, and the part of him that was Fen’s friend wanted to lock away all the evidence in a titanium box and bury the key. He dreaded what could happen, what would happen, when he eventually had to turn on the phone and hear Fen’s voicemail. 

As a TSF soldier, Rowan was no stranger to death. Grief, though—that one was new. 

His own phone buzzed, stealing his attention. He picked it up to find an incoming call from Lorcan Salvaterre. Groaning, he answered. 

“What.” 

“Am I supposed to thank you for sending me on some bullshit-ass trip?” Lorcan sounded at least mildly irritated. 

“Don’t see how a legitimate question was bullshit, but sure. You’re welcome.” 

“Fuck off,” Lorcan grumbled. “As for your answer, Galathynius doesn’t—”

“Her name is Aelin,” Rowan snapped. 

On the other end of the call, Lorcan snickered. “Aww, is pretty boy lieutenant a little sensitive about his girlfriend?” 

Rowan was about ten seconds away from punching his captain in the nose. “I don’t give a shit how superior you are to me, jackass, I’ll still kick your ass if you disrespect the woman I love.” 

“Well, turn me over and fuck me raw,” Lorcan drawled. “Whitethorn’s in love. We should check the temperature in hell.” 

“Fucking gods,” Rowan sighed, exasperated. “Yes. I’m in love. Tell me what you and Aelin talked about and then stop wasting my goddamn time.” 

“Fine, fine.” Lorcan snickered some more. “Aelin and I talked for about sixty seconds, fuck you very much for making me ask her that stupid fucking question. I asked if she knew anything about Fen’s apartment, she told me she didn’t fuckin’ know what I was talking about, and her body language and expression and everything else checked out for her telling the truth. So I apologized for you being a dick and making me bother her, and then I left.” 

Rowan grunted in frustration. “Yeah, I believe her too. There’s part of me that wants to keep pushing that suspicion, but I literally have nothing that proves any kind of link. She just mentioned that she sort of knew Fen, once, and I gotta cover my bases.” 

“Makes sense. You could’ve told me that before I had to haul ass over to Gal Inc and bullshit my way past half the staff just to see Aelin Galathynius for two minutes, though.” Lorcan was clearly disgruntled. 

“Where’d the fun be in that?” It was Rowan’s turn to snicker; he rarely got to push Lorcan’s buttons, and the few times he could give the man who was technically his superior a mundane task, he did it with glee. 

“Fucker,” Lorcan grunted. “I’ll kick your damn ass at the gym for that.” 

“And here I thought you had plans and couldn’t work out today. At least, not with me.” Rowan smirked. He had two hundred dollars riding on Lorcan’s “plans” being with a woman, though the tight-lipped asshole would never admit it outright. 

“Turns out my plans are late enough to make the gym. See you there, asshole.” Lorcan hung up. 

Rowan chuckled. There was really nothing like riling up an old friend to get his head off of things that he didn’t want to think about. Speaking of that…he reluctantly picked up one of Fen’s phones and pressed the side button, turning on the small screen. He knew the passcode, so he tapped it in and found the home screen fairly simple, with only a handful of basic apps. The list of contacts was brief and basic. 

Whitethorn. Him, as planned. 

Salvaterre. As a backup contact. 

Help Center. An auto-programmed number for the phone company. 

Boss. That was…surprisingly simple. Rowan’s finger twitched, but there was one more contact. 

Ma’am. That was…confusing. If Sardothien was Boss, why was she also Ma’am? Some kind of ploy to distract anyone who swiped the phone? Some nonexistent fake contact? 

His gut pointed towards the contact called Boss, since he knew from the few times he’d talked to Fen that Sardothien went by “Boss” among her circle of crooks. Hell, Fen had even called her “Boss,” no doubt to keep his cover intact. 

Before he could talk himself out of it, Rowan tapped Boss. The phone rang, five times, before there was a click and a male voice answered. 

“Who’s this?” 

“I need the Boss.” Rowan pitched his voice down to a rasp, his mind whirling in circles as he tried to identify why the fuck a man was answering for Sardothien and why the fuck his voice sounded familiar. 

Computer keys clacked faintly in the background. “Boss can’t talk right now.” 

“Why not?” 

“Boss can’t talk right now,” the man reiterated. “Keep trying.” He hung up. 

That last suggestion sounded distinctly like a threat, mildly voiced but wrapped in something sinister that promised, I will hunt you down and kill you. Rowan shuddered a bit just thinking about it. 

But why was there a man on the other end of that call? 

He sighed, shaking his head sharply. Because Sardothien is a goddamn crime boss, you fucking idiot. Of course she doesn’t answer her phone without security measures. That made sense, except for a few things. First, according to Fen’s info, Sardothien trusted him enough that she would have probably answered the call herself if she’d seen his name. Second, there was something oddly familiar about the other man’s voice, something Rowan couldn’t place. And that bothered the hell out of him. Third, he still hadn’t looked at the other phone. 

Something told him he might have better luck with the other burner. 

He turned on the second phone, which was a near-identical copy of the first, entered the passcode, and opened the contacts. This one was an exact replica of the first contact list, except for one thing. 

Con. 

Fen’s twin brother. 

Fen’s twin brother, who had last been seen over two years ago when he left for the Eastern Continent on what was supposed to be his last deployment with the Terrasen Navy SEAL team. Connall Moonbeam had been declared missing in action eight months after his deployment, and Rowan’s heart broke a little more just seeing Con’s name in Fen’s burner phone. It was a small but infinitely loud reminder of the man Fenrys had been—ever optimistic, always masking his darker emotions beneath a cloud of sunny laughter. 

Before he could drift farther into memories, Rowan pushed away from that contact and tapped on the one called Boss. Once again, the phone rang multiple times before the same man answered and the same conversation happened. Nothing more than Boss can’t talk right now before the guy hung up. 

Something was off. 

And Rowan would get to the damn bottom of it. 

~

“Boss.” The second Aelin picked up, Nox was talking. “He called.” 

“How many times?” As soon as she’d found out that Orynth PD and the TSF had gone through Fen’s apartment, Aelin had given Nox her Boss phone while she was at work. It was less risky for him to answer that phone than for her to accidentally pick up a TSF or PD call at a time when she couldn’t hide behind her Boss disguise. 

“Twice.” Nox was uncharacteristically quiet, no sounds of him working in the background. “Once from each number.” They both knew who he was. Rowan. 

Aelin took a controlled breath. “So he’s been to the apartment.” 

“Yeah, the cops came through on the 21st. I watched the footage.” 

“I wonder why it took them so long to get to the apartment,” Aelin mused, thinking aloud. “Normally, there would be cops crawling around within hours.” 

“I dunno. But Boss?” Nox sounded concerned. 

“Yeah?” 

He huffed a sigh. “I know you aren’t gonna like this, but please, please don’t answer any calls from Fen. I had your Boss phone earlier, so I answered both of them, but if and when Fen tries to call you again, don’t answer. It’s the cops, not him.” 

“I know.” Aelin closed her eyes. “I…thanks for taking those calls when they came, Owens.” 

“No problem, Boss.” Nox resumed typing on his keyboard. “Call me if he starts spamming you, yeah?” 

“Of course.” She hung up. 

If Fen calls, you can’t answer. 

It’s. Not. Him. 

The warning trickled through her blood like ice, cold and heavy. In her mind, Aelin knew that Fenrys couldn’t call her—she might see his name on her screen, but it would never again be Fenrys Moonbeam on the other side. In her heart, though, she still held a tiny spark of hope. There was always the slight chance that Connall could pick up one of the phones and call her. Yes, he had his own burner, but she knew how badly he wanted to collect Fen’s things, and he wasn’t afraid to get onto the wrong side of the law if it meant that he could bring his twin’s possessions home. 

As if her thoughts had summoned him, Connall called, his name lighting up her Boss phone. She answered, but she let him speak first. 

“It’s started.” As always, Con didn’t waste words. 

“What’s the timeline you’re anticipating?” Relieved that it was actually Connall—maybe it made her paranoid, but she was beginning to feel the investigation clamp down around Boss Sardothien—Aelin kicked herself into work mode. 

Con grunted. “Seven, eight weeks. Ideally six to seven weeks, but I don’t know if she’ll have built up any immunity as a protective measure.” 

“True.” Aelin drummed her fingers against the windowsill of her shitty Boss apartment. “I’d be surprised if she hadn’t, but then again, we can’t discount her massive fucking ego.” 

“Huh?” 

She’d forgotten that Connall didn’t know too much about Maeve’s past. “She was Hamel’s lover for years. You can’t do that without an ego the size of the goddamn sun.” 

“Well, shit.” Con hummed softly, probably scheming. “That explains why she pretty much just sits in her plush little seat all day, convinced that nobody can come and get her when she’s so far elevated above the rabble.” 

“Accurate description,” Aelin chuckled. “Right. I trust you, Con. Update me if anything significant happens, yeah?” 

“Sure, Boss. Will do.” Con hung up. 

Aelin sighed, tucking away the Boss phone. She turned back to the window and stared out over the Orynth skyline, murky as it was from the constant clouds of vapors that the warehouses and factories down in this district churned out. To tell the truth, she was counting down the days before she could stop having to live in this shitbox apartment, but she had to keep it for Celaena’s purposes. 

She’d give just about anything to move all of her shit out and erase Celaena’s presence from the crappy building, but there would be too many questions. Also, this place was conveniently close to the docks and the industrial sector of Orynth, both of which were key to her less-than-legal business. 

And nobody cared if she walked out of the building with a gun on her hip. 

Still…the ghosts that now clung to this building weighed down upon Aelin like a suit of iron, intangible but oppressively present. Now that the cops were done crawling all over the damn place, she felt safe enough to stay at the apartment occasionally, but she was triple-checking the locks and the security measures to make sure she didn’t have any unwanted guests. As much as she would enjoy shocking the fuck out of the cops and the TSF, she really didn’t care for the idea of being arrested, so she kept herself carefully cloaked behind her favorite armor: shadows and secrecy. 

Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. She plucked it from her pocket, glanced at the screen, and did a double take, staring. 

Moon Moon.

Fen’s contact lit up the screen. 

Aelin’s finger quivered, itching to accept the call, but she forced her better judgment to win out and stopped herself. The screen went dark, only to start buzzing again only a minute later. 

Interesting. 

Once again, she refused to answer, instead waiting until the screen went dark before slipping down the short hallway into the bedroom and grabbing her custom-made leather mask from the nightstand. She wore it out anytime she went on a mission as Boss, and the filter built into the material disguised her voice, twisting it into a throaty rasp. 

As she’d expected, Moon Moon’s incoming call lit up her screen yet another time. She let it ring until it was almost at its limit, then swiped left to answer. 

There was a tense, drawn-out beat of silence. 

Then, the voice on the other end shattered the quiet. “Boss?” 

Fuck. 

It was Rowan. 

Aelin forced her scrambling wits back into place. “You’re not Moon Moon,” she rasped, the filter twisting her voice into gravel. 

“He’s dead.” That was Investigator Rowan, cold and blunt. 

She could be just as cold-hearted. “I know.” 

Predictably, Rowan took the next logical step. “Who killed him?” 

Aelin let the pause drag out, weighing whether to outright tell Rowan the truth or to simply leave him in silence as would fit the personality of Celaena Sardothien. 

“Who. Killed. Him?” Rowan repeated the question, his voice tight and hard. 

“Maeve.” Aelin’s response was short, blunt, and devoid of feeling. 

She hung up and scrubbed the call from her burner phone. 

Took a screwdriver and a heavy-duty plastic bag out of the drawer, pried the back off the phone, scratched up its inner parts, threw it into the bag, and beat the handle of the screwdriver into it until it was a wrecked pile of plastic, glass, and tiny circuit splinters. 

Then she changed into her Sardothien suit, secured her mask and hood, laced up her boots, strapped her pack across her back, and slipped soundlessly out the window, locking it tightly behind her. In minutes, she was no more than another shadow fading into the summer night. 

~

The recording was all of thirty seconds long, but it was all that Rowan had to work with, and for some reason, there was a tiny voice in the back of his head telling him that this was it. This was the piece he’d been missing. This call would be the key he needed to unlock the mystery of the Shadow Assassin. 

Rowan shuffled through reports as he waited for the software to do its job. He was running a program that was commonly used in PD, a fairly straightforward piece of work that could reverse voice filters placed on calls. It had helped him and many others catch all sorts of criminals in the past, and he had no doubt that it would reveal the true voice of whoever the fuck he’d spoke to last night. Her voice was familiar, striking some kind of chord in his mind, and he’d been turning over the possibilities ever since he’d grabbed the recording of that call. 

I know. Her cold, cruel response to the news of Fen’s death was…not what Rowan had expected. Then again, he hadn’t been expecting the Boss to answer, either, and look where that had got him. But that tone, that raspy drawl…why did he know it? 

He ran a few other phrases through his mind, a trick he had learned would often trigger voice recognition in his memory. Boss, murder, I know, take care of it, don’t move—

“Don’t move.” Something clicked faintly, the first tumbler of a combination lock. Threats, then…where had he heard that voice give threats? 

Move, and your next breath will be in the afterlife. The words slammed back into him with icy, steel-sharp recognition. The threat that the Boss had murmured to him when she’d caught him at her warehouse, knives to his throat and his…well…

Rowan’s computer pinged, indicating that the program was finished. Although the results were probably useless, since he’d just made the connection between the voice on the phone and the voice of the Boss, Celane Sardothien, one and the same. He turned back to the reports, his mind somewhat more settled, and managed to get through a good portion of them before he needed a few minutes to clear his head. He tapped on the file from the voice-filter reversal program, thinking he’d get a simple confirmation of what he’d already pieced together. 

The voice that spilled from his speakers froze his blood solid. 

“You’re not Moon Moon.” And then, coldly, “I know.” And finally, after he’d asked who killed Fen—twice—her answer. “Maeve.” 

He knew that voice. 

Knew it as intimately as he knew his own hand in the shower. 

Knew the soft throatiness of the laugh that so often accompanied that voice. 

Knew the caress of that voice as well as the caress of its speaker’s hands. 

It was Aelin. 

The world around him abruptly went utterly silent.

Rowan had been right—this call was the missing piece he needed in order to lay out the scattered puzzle of Celaena Sardothien. And he had also been horribly, horribly wrong—the revealed voice was not the unfamiliar rasp of a stranger, but the intimately familiar song of a lover. 

Celaena Sardothien wasn’t in league with Aelin Ashryver Galathynius. She wasn’t blackmailing the CEO like Rowan had theorized. No—Celaena Sardothien was Aelin Ashryver Galathynius. She had the whole of Orynth, the whole of the goddamn world, duped into believing that the CEO and the criminal were two different people. Part of Rowan was awestruck by the sheer impossible intricacy of her scheming. The other part of him, the investigative part, the part of him that was focused only on capturing the Shadow Assassin, was completely and utterly shattered.

Aelin—Celaena—owned every jagged edge of his heart. And she had been murdering her way through Orynth while he fell in love with her. 

The breath escaped Rowan’s lungs in a fractured rush. Fuck, even his heartbeat and his breathing knew Aelin, knew the impossibly calming effect she had on his ragged nerves. Had she really stood by his side at Fen’s memorial, black-clad and teary-eyed, holding his hand and keeping him together? Had she really been mourning, or was it all a ruse? Had she duped him along with the rest of Orynth? 

Did her I-love-you’s mean anything, or were they part of her schemes as well?

Pieces dropped into place before Rowan’s eyes as he stared blankly into space, torn between the investigative desire to bury himself in the case and the sheer force of his heart cracking into a thousand porcelain shards at his feet. Aelin was Celaena; Aelin is Celaena. Which meant that not only was she behind a horrifically impressive string of murders, but also that there was a distinct possibility that her company and her lab were involved in her nefarious business. That would make sense, since the lab was the site of Fen’s death, and the cause had been some kind of booby trap. 

Abruptly, Rowan laughed, the sound harsh and caustic. After eight months, he had his concrete proof, everything he needed to bring the Shadow Assassin down. But knowing who she was…

In his ten years in the TSF, Rowan Whitethorn had never once doubted his ability to capture a criminal. All he needed was a name, a gun, and his wits. 

Aelin Ashryver Galathynius—Celaena Sardothien—had shattered his confidence. 

In every possible way. 

~~~

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Set Up - Part 6

A/N: Well, well, well... here we are again. I won't ramble, but let's thank Rowaelin Month and @rowaelinscourt for prompting the completion of this chapter. BUT PLEASE NOTE TAGS ARE NOT WORKING

CW: Mild swearing and smut, of course

~ Set Up Masterlist ~

~~~~~

This time being apart felt different. Maybe seeing so much of each other had ruined what had been enjoying in such a carefree way for so long. Now, whenever Aelin thought of Rowan something twisted in her chest. That week brought them closer than they’d been in a long time and highlighted some things Aelin was missing in her life. 

A boyfriend was the simplest way to put it, delving further would only lead to questions Aelin did not want to answer. She was being dramatic, due to her recent bout of being alone no doubt. Spending all that time together had left her spoiled and craving more. Rowan wasn’t the answer and not a consolation for her loneliness. He deserved better than that, better than her. He’d always talked about wanting a perfect little life, with a family and white picket fence to boot. Aelin couldn’t give him that. Their lives had split down two different paths that only crossed whenever fate was kind. For all parties involved it was the best way to leave. It was just fortunate that they had been found out. 

Aelin had spent nearly a month screening her calls and messages from nearly everyone outside of work. Even though she had explicitly told her mother she didn’t want to talk about the situation between her and Rowan, Evalin Ashryver Galathynius was never one to give up. The innocent calls and texts that asked about work and how Aelin was doing always seemed to take a turn in his direction. It had got to the point that she just completely ignored any mention of relationship related things. Even her dad who tended to keep neutral ground had dropped a few hints here and there. 

By far Aedion was the worst, mainly because he had gone and opened his fat mouth and blabbed to Lysandra about what he had seen. Her best friend turned cousin’s girlfriend had been begging for details, some of the obscene kind. Aelin had given over a few, just to placate her but then refused anymore. The more information she gave, the more likely it was to be used against her. 

The hardest contact to filter through had been Rowan’s. There had been an obvious shift when it came to him and it was confusing to say the least. Aelin didn’t know if it was because they had been found out or if there had been a change in their dynamic, or if it was as simple as her missing him. Whatever it was, Aelin found herself pulling away. Rowan’s texts weren’t anything out of the ordinary. He sent through casual enquiries about how she was doing, frustrations about work and funny pictures to make her laugh. Aelin wasn’t replying as much as she usually did, but hopefully Rowan didn’t notice. He didn’t deserve to suffer for whatever was going on in Aelin’s head. 

What had heightened every uncomfortable aspect was that work had been godsdamned awful. They had launched into planning the peak event season and everyone was working their asses off trying to come up with fresh ideas for the companies who employed them. Aelin was exhausted and left with very little brain power once she left work. She was drained and didn’t need work fraying the remaining threads of her personal life. 

Aelin was in the middle of decompressing, sprawled out on her bed and eating an unhealthy amount of chocolate. Since arriving home maybe half an hour ago she had steadily paced herself and only eaten half a block while she mindlessly scrolled through videos on social media. If cute animals and spicy book snippets hadn’t been there to distract her she might have downed the entire thing by now and felt sick for her reckless efforts. When a call for a video chat flashed up on her screen Aelin nearly dropped her phone right on her face. 

Once the risk of injury was removed Aelin registered who was calling. It was Elide, someone who wouldn’t be full of prying questions which was a welcome relief. Aelin hit the accept button before it rang out.

“Hello, hello,” Aelin said, trying to sound cheerful but it didn’t quite get there. 

“Good evening, I need your help.” Trust Elide to cut straight to the point. 

“With what?” With her interest piqued, Aelin sat up.

“I have a date and I don’t know what to wear,” Elide said. 

“Ah, okay. Show me your options.”

This was a common occurrence and Aelin waited as Elide set her phone up to get a full body angle. She disappeared from the frame for a moment before returning, dressed in a fluffy robe and holding three outfits on coat hangers. 

“Option one,” Elide held up a knee length, dark purple dress to her body. “Two.” The second dress was all black and form fitting. It was one of Elide’s riskier outfits and she almost hadn’t bought it, and it took both Aelin and Lysandra insisting she looked drop dead gorgeous in it for her to buy it. “And three.” Dress three was in light blue with a fitted bodice and puffy sleeves.

“Okay, these are three completely different vibes. What are we actually going for?” Aelin asked.

With a heavy sigh, Elide sank onto her bed. “I don’t know.”

She tried the pragmatic approach. “Well, what are you doing?”

“Dinner first, and then we’re going to the movies. But the fancy ones with the recliners,” Elide explained. 

“Option two is out because half the night he won’t even be able to see it and it’s a waste of an outfit,” Aelin said.

“But I look so good in it,” Elide protested.

“Yes, that’s why it’s worth saving,” Aelin rebutted. 

“Okay, you’re right. So, purple or blue?” Elide held up the remaining options. 

Aelin thought for a moment, eyes darting between the two dresses. “Purple. The blue is a little short and you don't want that scratchy fabric on your thighs.”

“Gods, you’re right,” Elide said. “This is why we’re friends.”

Aelin laughed. “The only reason. So, who is this hot date?”

At this distance from the camera it was hard to tell but Aelin could have sworn Elide blushed. “We’ll see how this date goes and then I’ll tell you.”

“Elide Lochan, a woman of mystery,” Aelin teased. 

“Stay on while I get dressed,” Elide said, disappearing from view. “We haven’t caught up in a hot minute.”

“We haven’t.” The air left Aelin’s lungs as she heavily flopped down on the bed. “I’ve been so busy with work and stuff I just feel like I have no time.”

“Aw, sweetie. That sounds like no fun at all,” Elide’s voice was full of sympathy. 

Aelin left out the constant badgering of her family and the extra weight that was adding to everything, and also the weird sense of loneliness she hadn’t felt since she had first moved to Rifthold. Those were things she didn’t want her overly perceptive friend’s commentary on. 

“You’ll have to have enough fun for the two of us,” Aelin said. She was about to complain about work some more when a message popped up at the top of her screen. Her heart skipped, or maybe it was her stomach, it happened so suddenly Aelin couldn’t determine which part of her body was doing summersaults. The text was short and succinct, and so perfectly Rowan. 

>> I’m coming to Rifthold this weekend. See you then. 

He would be in her city, in less than 48 hours. Like always, there was no question of whether or not they would see each other. They had been at this for so long it was presumed without question for them to meet up and do what they did best. A text like this usually led to excitement and thrilling anticipation, and that was there. Except this time there was a little bit of trepidation sneaking in as well. 

“What’s that face?” Elide’s question cut through Aelin’s thoughts. 

“Huh?” 

Elide’s face took up the screen, a dark brow raised in question. “The face you’re making right now. What’s that about?”

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Aelin tried to assure her.

“Spill, Aelin,” Eldie demanded. 

Aelin considered the benefits of divulging just a little bit to Elide. It might just relieve a little bit of pressure that keeping all this to herself was building up. She didn’t have to admit to what she and Rowan got up to, maybe she could just circle around the set up they’d been subjected to. 

“I just got a message from Rowan,” Aelin said. “He’s coming this weekend.”

“Oh, good,” Elide sounded downright gleeful. “Maybe getting laid will help with some stress relief.”

Aelin laughed until she realised what her friend had said. “What?”

“Work won’t seem like the worst thing in the world while Rowan is blowing—’’

Aelin shot straight up. “Wait, you know? How? Who told you?” 

Dark eyes stared through the screen. “You’re not as subtle as you think you are. No one told, I just found it really weird that at the bar Rowan came back from the bathrooms with a massive hard-on and you followed after him two seconds later.”

“I…” for a moment Aelin was at a loss for words. “You couldn’t have seen that.”

“True,” Elide said with a shrug. “But his face certainly looked like he had one.”

Aelin wanted to bury her face in her pillow. “Who else noticed?”

“Our friends, bar myself, are not as observant as you’re giving them credit for,” Elide assured her. “I was going to wait for you to tell me, but I jumped the gun because that look on your face doesn’t look like pure excitement.”

“It’s complicated,” Aelin admitted.  

Elide scoffed. “Yeah, banging your best friend usually is.”

“It was all fine and dandy until this last trip, we saw each other way more than we usually do and our mothers very insistently tried to set us up on more than one occasion. So things were different, and I don’t know… I think I miss him. More than any other time before.”

That was it, she missed him, that’s all there was to it. Saying it aloud solidified the thought in her mind. The hesitation came from the fact this visit was happening so soon. Usually it was months before they saw each other, their travelling for work between cities wasn't frequent. Too much time together on this last trip was to blame for everything. There were too many heightened emotions and now they were lingering and causing trouble. Why couldn’t they just keep things as they were? Simple, easy, no pesky strings attached. 

“So…” Elide hedged, “you’ll be telling him no this time?”

Aelin considered it for a moment. She could just say she already had plans because it was so last minute. That would give her the distance that she probably needed to start thinking clearly again. But with Rowan in the same city, could she really bring herself to stay away?

“No, I’ll see him,” Aelin decided. “It would be weird if I didn’t. And you’re right, maybe a little bit of recreational sexual activities will help with the stress.”

“And you’ll stop missing him,” Elide added. “For the time being, at least.”

Aelin nodded. “True. Well, I won’t keep you from your date any longer, but I want you to know I’m slightly insulted that you won’t tell me who it is.”

“You’ll get over it. I love you,” Elide said in that brutally succinct way of hers.

“I love you too,” Aelin said through her laughter. “Have fun.”

They both said a final goodbye and Aelin hung up. A new feeling of clarity settled over her. All this turmoil over Rowan was pointless. All it really came down to was that during their last set of rendezvous Aelin had been spoiled for company and now she was just dealing with going without. She was overreacting and she blamed work and meddlesome relatives not giving her a moment’s peace. Work she couldn’t do much about besides just getting it done. But she’d be having words with her mother about how butting into her love life was well and truly off the table. Especially if it was going to do a number on brain like this, not if it was going to ruin the friendship she valued most. What she and Rowan had was perfect the way it was—it was exactly what the two of them needed. It was up to Aelin to ignore everything else to keep it that way. 

~~~~~

Rowan was a desperate man. He had hounded his boss from the moment Aelin left for some opportunity to be sent to Rifthold. He was knocked back so many times that he’d been trawling through commissions himself to find just the slightest excuse. When he got the call that one of the museums in Rifthold they worked with needed a consult Rowan was thrown the job out of pity. Or maybe it was to get him to shut up.

In the end, Rowan couldn’t care less. He was going Orynth, and he was so caught up on the fact that he would be seeing Aelin again that work hardly mattered to him. Aelin was all he cared about. Telling her how he felt was more important than an upgrade to the mediaeval wing of the museum. 

Nearly every night since she’d left he had to talk himself down from booking his own ticket and flying out. That wasn’t the way they did things and Rowan had no idea what Aelin felt. if he showed up out of the blue there was a decent chance he would scare her or himself off. As tempted as he was to make some big grand gesture, there was too much history between them for that kind of action. There were obstacles and things they would need to sort out before they moved forward, none of which would be easily overcome. Their situation was complicated, and complicated required caution. Rowan had to convince himself more than once that keeping it business as usual was the best choice.

All those semi sleepless nights didn’t matter now, because at this very moment he was checking into his hotel room. It was late Friday evening, the trip was so sudden that he had to leave after work. Rowan would spend Saturday meeting with whoever it was at the museum he needed and then he would be able to see Aelin. His lack of focus was a serious indicator for how flippant he’d become over this particular job. Any other time he’d have the client’s names memorised, would have gone over his notes and designs a hundred times. Instead he’d spent most of his time looking at his phone waiting to see what Aelin had to say. 

She’d agreed to meet up but had let him know that work had been insane and things might be a little up in the air. Rowan didn’t mind in the slightest. All that mattered was talking to Aelin and he was determined that this would be the trip to do it. There was no more wasted time, he was in love with her and it was as simple as that.  

The daylight hours of Saturday were all but meaningless. Rowan managed to keep himself professional for when he needed to and presented his plans without flourish. After that he returned to his room and became no better than a teenager—phone in hand and eyes glued to it. He tried not to get too disappointed every time that Aelin pushed back their meet up time to a little later. At first they were meant to meet before dinner, and then it was for dinner. Rowan was about to leave for the restaurant when a text came in with a heartfelt apology from Aelin saying that she wouldn’t make it. His heart had stopped in his chest because he thought she was cancelling altogether, but she finished off with a promise she’d come to him and to just send her the address. 

Rowan had done exactly that and ordered in. He tried to watch TV while he waited. The channels were limited and he couldn’t be bothered to go through the whole process of logging into a streaming service, so he just let a renovation show play while he ran through everything he needed to say to Aelin. He debated back and forth over the merits of starting with I love you and going from there. This current round he was against it, a case of too much too soon. There was still the unanswered question of how Aelin felt and that was what the axis of his entire future existence spun on. 

And then finally there was a knock on his door.

Launching would be the best way to describe Rowan’s departure from the bed. It was a single room accommodation, with a bed, desk and small attached bathroom, so it was only a matter of seconds until he had his hand on the door handle. Rowan took in one deep breath to ready himself, swinging the door open and he found her.

Aelin stood there, a tired smile on her face and still dressed in her work clothes. She had a large bag over her shoulder that most likely contained clothes for the night. As Rowan looked at her now, taking in every inch of her, he wondered how he had been able to suppress his feelings for so long.

“You gonna let me in, hotshot?” Aelin asked, a hand rising to her hip. “Or am I booking my own room?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Rowan stepped aside, hoping he didn’t come across as awkward as he suddenly felt.

Aelin gave him a look like she might be questioning his sanity before walking into his room. Rowan shut the door behind her and withheld the need to hold her—to kiss her senseless and confess every little thing that had built up over these weeks apart. She stopped by the little table, picking at his leftover pizza. 

“Do you mind if I use your shower? I feel a little gross after such a long day,” Aelin said, chewing over a piece of pepperoni.

“Of course,” Rowan said, gesturing at the bathroom door. 

Aelin disappeared a moment later and once again Rowan had to wait. The buzz of the shower added to the sounds of the TV, and he didn’t bother to change the volume. He didn’t care about the clashing wallpaper or bedding choices. Rowan just lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling fan. Last time he’d seen one of these in a hotel room his pants had ended hanging over it. He didn’t know whether he should be hoping for a repeat performance or not. 

The shower shut off and Rowan’s body thrummed with anticipation. Soon enough Aelin would be here, in his arms, and he could admit to how he felt. They could talk and they would figure out some way to make their situation work. The door creaked open after what seemed like a lifetime and Rowan sat up. Aelin stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in an oversized t-shirt with her damp hair loose around her shoulders. She’d washed off all her make-up, but she wasn’t any less beautiful.

“Work has been the worst,” Aelin nearly groaned, heading to the minibar and pulling out a bottle of beer. “I know this will cost you like $50 so I’ll pay you back.”

“It’s fine,” Rowan said, he’d give her just about anything right now if she asked for it. 

Aelin took a few decent mouthfuls then left it on the table along with the pizza. Then she stalked over to him, stopping right in between his knees. Her hands rested on his shoulders, fingers playing with the ends of his hair. 

“Aelin,” it felt so good to just say her name, to see her face soften just the slightest when he did. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Rowan’s breath caught as Aelin brought her body flush against his. The fingers in his hair tightened, angling his face upwards so he could watch her whisper, “I don’t want to talk.”

She kissed him and Rowan could never deny her. After what must have been a hellish day this is what Aelin needed from him. To be touched and made to forget about the world outside this hotel room. Rowan could give her that—gladly. And he just told himself the same thing he’d been repeating over the last few weeks. He could wait a little longer. 

~~~~

Rowan’s lips were soft as they met her’s, and Aelin sighed at the feeling that swept through her body. His hands were a steadying and familiar weight on her waist. Sometimes it was a shock as to how big they were, it took her a moment to remember just how much of her they could touch at once. Those hands that were always gentle, always making her feel cherished in every caress, that was no different as he pulled her down into his lap. Aelin straddled his hips, thighs tightening as she felt him through his sweatpants. It was flattering that only a few kisses and fleeting touches were all it took for him to be so hard and ready for her. She was almost impatient enough to tug his sweatpants down to free his cock, riding him hard and fast. But then it would be over too soon and Aelin might just be too tired for another round. So, instead she’d let him draw this out like he’d like to do to make every moment count. 

This was exactly what she needed, a wonderful, all consuming distraction.

She whimpered as Rowan’s grip flexed on her waist, and then again when his hands travelled lower. In her overnight bag in the bathroom there was a nice little set she had planned on wearing but after a long soothing shower the idea was just too uncomfortable. So she’d gone without and as Rowan’s fingers dipped under the hem of her t-shirt he was about to discover how little she actually wore.

“Aelin,” he groaned as the pass over her hips revealed no trace of underwear. “You’re… I’ll never be able to explain it.”

He was rambling, and that was sweet, flattering even. But it wasn't nearly enough by a long shot. Aelin ground down on the hard length of him, using actions rather than words to beg for what she needed. Rowan got the hint. Holding her thighs he changed their positions, laying her softly down on the bed. They worked in sync, taking turns to remove each other’s clothes. Aelin ran her hands over exposed and heated skin, tracing over dips and curves she had memorised so many times before. 

“Touch me, Rowan,” Aelin said in between kisses.

Rowan didn’t answer, he only pushed up enough so that he could run a hand down her body right to the middle of her thighs. Aelin gasped as he teased her with sweeping passes of a knuckle over her centre, making her buck and writhe until his thumb pressed down on her clit. Her moan was next to nothing with Rowan’s mouth on her’s, only muffled and needy sounds escaped as they were smothered by kisses.  

Their first round after being apart was always frenzied, desperation dictating their actions. Aelin expected the same, but this wasn’t. Rowan was slow and thorough, with his lips and his fingers—it was a delicious kind of torture. One finger, and then a second, slipped into her while his thumb drew unhurried circles around her clit. Heat flooded Aelin��s cheeks as her body reacted to the touches that were both too much and not enough. He was keeping her right on the edge, waves of pleasure cresting but never breaking. 

When he did it again, her body tensed as it prepared to let go and Rowan stole it away, had Aelin nearly sobbed out of frustration. “Please, Rowan.”

Rowan kissed her lips, tongue sweeping into her mouth for a dirty kiss. “Please what, Aelin?”

There was a hint of sass to his voice, and by the gods did Aelin rise to the challenge. She hooked a knee over his hip, urging him down so their bodies were flush. When she returned the favour of a kiss she made sure to bite at his bottom lip. “Fuck me, Rowan.”

He didn’t need much more convincing than that. Moving his hand and with a subtle shift of his hips Rowan pushed in, taking his time. Aelin’s hips rolled, coaxing him deeper.

“You feel so perfect.” Rowan sounded relieved and a little overwhelmed. “Every time.”

He cursed colourfully as he pressed his face into the crook of her neck. Aelin couldn’t help it, she laughed, her reward was a bite—right where the juncture of her shoulder and neck. It had her moaning and arching into him. Rowan knew exactly where her buttons were and now she was panting with desperation for him to do something. Anything. 

Rowan didn’t make her wait, a hand high on her thigh kept her in place as he began thrusting. The angle of his cock was perfect, as it always was, and it led Aelin right into her greatest wish of the night. A beautiful distraction. Everything was Rowan, she was consumed by him. Their bodies moved synchronically, both wanting to give as much as the other. A hand that was not her own found Aelin’s breast, fingers rolling the hardened peak. 

“That’s it,” Rowan whispered into her ear, the softness of his voice raising goosebumps over her skin and heightening every sensation. “You want to come. You deserve it.”

That little bit of encouragement was all she needed. Aelin broke, pleasure overtaking every sense in her body. Rowan pressed soft kisses to the length on her neck and face. His hips kept moving, drawing out her orgasm as long as he could. After a few long, bliss filled moments Aelin’s awareness returned to her. 

“So beautiful,” Rowan all but hummed as his gaze swept over her, his next thrust sharper. 

She could feel that Rowan was close, so she guided his face back to her and kissed him. Rowan groaned, losing his rhythm but it still felt just as good, so much so Aelin could feel herself building up again. He pulled back enough to look at her face. Their eyes connected, Rowan’s green gaze holding an intensity that had Aelin flushing with something closer to embarrassment than desire. The eye contact—it was too much. There was something there she hadn’t seen before. Her brain was far too distracted to decipher it so she went with the easiest option to cope. 

“Gods, Rowan,” Aelin breathed, eyes fluttering shut, refocusing on how he felt on every inch of her skin.

“Open your eyes, love,” Rowan urged. He gave her a sweet kiss for extra encouragement. 

So caught up in him, Aelin couldn’t help but do as he asked. What she saw when she looked up at him had her heart pounding in her chest, a new wave of need crashing over her. It tipped her over the edge again, her body tightening before her core pulsed, bringing Rowan right along with her. He moaned deeply, the vibrations of it thrumming over her sensitive skin. Aelin clung to Rowan, waiting for her breathing to even out and sense to settle in her brain. She didn’t think she’d ever tire of sex with Rowan, nothing else even came close.

He had his forehead resting on her collarbone, just as wrecked as she was. Lips dragged over her skin and his next words were whispered right over her heart. “I love you,”

Aelin’s breath caught and those words registered in her blissed out brain, sobering her instantly. But it seemed Rowan hadn’t even noticed what he said, he just rolled to the side, letting Aelin escape to the bathroom. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she felt it in her throat, making her want to vomit. Aelin held back the impulse and cleaned up as quickly as she could. Diving into the overnight bag she had conveniently left in here after the shower Aelin pulled out clothes to put on. It was just an oversized sweater and leggings, but it would be enough to get her to her car.

Because she couldn’t stay here, not now that Rowan had gone and ruined everything. The easiest option was for her to leave, and quickly. If she stayed there might not be anything left of their relationship to salvage. Missing him was one thing, and then there was this. 

This was not what they were, they couldn’t be. It didn’t make sense. Why did Rowan have to go and ruin a perfectly good thing?

I love you.

Those three words echoed in her brain and did nothing to console her. Rowan couldn’t love her, she wasn’t what he needed or wanted. Not really. If he had the sense to really consider it he would know this wasn’t the right course for them. Aelin would give him the opportunity to do just that. She packed up the rest of her bag, so all she had to do was grab her purse and shoes and leave. 

Swallowing down against the tightness in her throat, Aelin opened the door and swept out with the shortest of glances in Rowan’s direction. He was splayed out on the bed looking like he was still recovering after the mind blowing sex. Aelin’s stomach gave a pang of regret when she realised this would be the last time. It would be cruel to put Rowan through any more of this when she didn’t feel the same. 

Aelin gathering up her things seemed to shake him from his daze and he raised himself up on his elbow. “What are you doing?”

She snatched up her purse and stepped around the table. “Leaving.”

“Why…” Rowan trailed off, then realisation dawned on him. “Aelin, wait. Don’t go, let me explain.”

“There’s no need,” Aelin said, slipping a foot into her kitten heel. Rowan went to get out of bed but she stopped him with a raised hand. “Don’t. Just stay there.”

Gods bless him, he did. She could always count on Rowan to respect boundaries.

“Stay, and we’ll talk,” Rowan nearly pleaded. 

“We’re friends, Rowan,” Aelin said, forcing every ounce of bravado into as she could. She even added a strained note of laughter. “That’s all we are and can be.”

“Friends don’t do this.”

Aelin’s head snapped up, it was all too easy to read the look of hurt and disappointment on his face. It wasn’t clear if he was talking about her behaviour in this moment or the casual fucking that they’d indulged in over the years, ending in the subsequent drama that had entangled them. Any way they looked at it, Aelin wasn’t staying for the clarification. She just slipped on the other shoe. 

“I’m going,” she said, rushing for the door. 

“Aelin—”

A glance over her shoulder told her he was making his move to get out of bed, denying her order to stay where he was. But it was too late—her hand was on the door knob. 

“Goodbye, Rowan.” 

Aelin twisted the handle, ignoring the rush of movement behind her and stepped out in the hallway. She thought it would be harder to not look back, but with every step he took away from that hotel room it only bolstered her resolve. They were better off like this, it was now up to Rowan to realise it. 

~~~~~

*smiling in delight but also I'm sorry*

[qwimblenorrisstan]

Throne of Glass Masterlist

🥀 = Angst 🌼 = Fluff 🌸 = Comfort 🌹 = Smut

Request Guidelines

Aedion Ashryver

~ Night-Terrors | Aedion x Reader🥀🌸

Summary: After the war is over, Aedion is still tormented by nightmares, leaving you to soothe him.

~ Pillow Fight | Aedion x Reader🌼🌼

Summary: After all of Terassen is sick of the constant bickering between you and Aedion, Aelin sends you both out together on a quest to slay a beast, and not to return until you have its head. On the way, you are forced into a small inn room with him, only to find that it has…too many beds.

[jwk7]

joshua - he/him, minor, canadian, july leo.

♡ history, art, music.

requests: open

fandoms i write for: percy jackson (+ the heroes of olympus), throne of glass.

characters i write for:

percy jackson, annabeth chase, grover underwood, jason grace, piper mclean, leo valdez, thalia grace, nico di angelo, will solace, clarisse la rue.

aelin galathynius, rowan whitethorn, dorian havilliard, manon blackbeak, chaol westfall, yrene towers, lorcan salvaterre, elide lochan, aedion ashryver, lysandra ennar, fenrys moonbeam, gavriel ashryver.

things i will not write: suicide, self-harm, rape, smut.

[autumnshighlady]

Guys My Age

Gavriel x f!reader

summary: You’re Lorcan and Elide’s daughter, as well as Aedion’s best friend. Your family is staying with Gavriel and Aedion for the weekend, but you’re too sore from sparring with Aedion to go out for dinner. Gavriel volunteers to stay home with you and help you out….

warnings: smut (18+), oral sex (f receiving), age gap, best friend’s dad, dad’s best friend, corruption kink, size kink, fingering, a bit of fluff because I cannot help myself

word count: 8.5k

requests:

“what about losing your virginity to Gavriel? I feel like Gavriel would be great because he is older”  -🌻

“hello! Would you be open to doing dbsf!Gavriel or bsfd!Gavriel?”

“hey! would you mind writing about bsfd!gavriel? corruption kink make me 😳“

“will you write losing your virginity to Gavriel please?”

DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE

***this is the most requested fic I’ve gotten, I’m so sorry it took so long but it’s finally here! I combined a couple Gavriel requests into one big fic of pure filth, enjoy and please please please let me know what you think! also this is barely proofread because I’m too excited to post it so ignore any mistakes lol -Amara

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Groaning, you reach your arm to rub the back of your shoulder. The muscles shot with pain, and you hissed.

“I’m so sorry.” Aedion apologised for the millionth time that evening.

“It’s fine,” You sighed, gently rubbing the muscle. “It was an accident.”

“Are you sure you’re ok alone?” Your best friend said.

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. A few hours ago you had been sparring with Aedion by the lake, falling into your usual routine. However, you caught a glimpse of Gavriel, your best friend’s father, emerging from the lake shirtless. You couldn’t help yourself – that muscled, tattooed body distracted you and as a result, you did not see Aedion’s elbow headed in your direction. You were thrown sideways, colliding with a rock and wrenching the muscles in your back and shoulder.

Hence the soreness. Aedion had apologised countless times, especially after seeing your father Lorcan’s enraged face. For a solid moment you had thought he would rip Aedion’s arms from his body, but your mother Elide quickly calmed him down. Her gentle presence eased the tension, and was apparently enough to convince Lorcan not to kill your best friend.

However, it did put a wrench in tonight's plans. The five of you were supposed to head into the nearby town for dinner and meet up with other members of Aelin’s court, but you did not feel up to it anymore with the ache in your shoulder.

“I’ll be fine.” You snapped, growing tired of everyone’s fussing. “It’s just a sore muscle, I’ll live, Aedion.”

“I should stay with you,” Lorcan said as he entered the room, no doubt having eavesdropped on the conversation. “The rest of you can go out, I’ll stay here.”

“Dad, it’s ok I swear,” You protested angrily. “I’m not a child. Besides, you and mom love going to that restaurant. So go.”

“No.” Your father shot back, glaring at Aedion once again, who had the good sense to shrink from his gaze.

Before you could snap back, a gentler voice spoke up.

“I’ll stay home with her.” Gavriel spoke up.

You turned to look at him, trying not to blush. You hated yourself for crushing on a man who was not only your best friend’s dad, but your father’s best friend. But you couldn’t help it, the man was gorgeous – that blonde hair framed his sharp face perfectly, and those tawny eyes captivated you, sending shivers down your spine every time his gaze landed on you. Sometimes you got a glimpse of the tattoos around his neck and on his chest, and imagined what it would be like to have that towering figure leaning over you, large hands roaming your body and exploring every inch of you.

Sometimes you found yourself staring at him from a distance, doing your best to be subtle. Occasionally Gavriel met your gaze, smirking slightly before moving on. Thankfully, Aedion and Lorcan remained oblivious to your desires – desires which have now landed you in an interesting predicament.

“I’m 20,” You said, trying your luck one more time. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“It’s not babysitting,” Gavriel countered, leaning against the countertop. “I’m aware you’re not a child. But I have some chores to do here anyways, and you may have hit your head during the fall. I can be here just in case.”

This seemed to satisfy your father. “Fine.” Lorcan grunted.

You were torn between delight and dread – on the one hand, the thought of being alone with Gavriel excited you. The older male was the primary focus of your fantasies that had you waking up hot and bothered in the morning, to the point where your mother thought you were sick. But on the other hand, being alone with your best friend’s gorgeous father…

“Fine.” You sighed, rubbing your shoulder again. “Have fun on your night out.”

Lorcan and Elide kissed you goodbye, Lorcan silently promising death to Gavriel should anything happen to you. Aedion apologised once again, which earned him a punch in the arm with your good shoulder. A deserved one, Aedion said. Within 15 minutes they were out the door, leaving you alone with Gavriel.

You sat silently for a minute, lazily rubbing your shoulder. Gavriel grabbed a glass from the cupboard and began filling it with water. “Would you like some water?” He asked.

“Sure, thanks.” You murmured, only letting your eyes meet his for a second. He was wearing a simple, loose v-neck white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. You allowed yourself to gaze a second longer, mouth watering at the tattoos visible beneath the fabric.

Gavriel smiled, filling up a glass and striding over to where you were seated on the couch. Standing in front of you, he handed you the glass. For a second, his fingers lingered, brushing ever so slightly against yours. You blushed slightly, all of the visions of where those fingers had been in your dreams flashing through your mind.

Shut up, this is your best friend’s father and your father’s best friend, you should not be thinking about him like this. You scolded yourself.

“That rock got you pretty good,” Gavriel said, taking a seat beside you. “May I take another look?”

“Uh, sure.” You said, cheeks burning at having him so close in proximity. Gavriel had healed the vicious scrape that was made across your back, but the muscles were still sore as predicted.

You were wearing a wide-necked loose shirt, luckily allowing you to slip one of the sleeves down the shoulder without having to take it off entirely. Turning to face the other way, you let the left sleeve of your shirt fall down to just above your elbow, exposing the sore area.

A gentle hand placed itself on your skin, and your body tingled. You hated yourself for reacting this way to a simple touch, but couldn’t help it – Gavriel’s hand set your nerves aflame, the roughness of it contrasting with his soft touches. His other hand placed itself on your opposite shoulder, making you even more squirmy.

You hissed in pain as he pushed down slightly near your shoulder blade.

“Sorry,” Gavriel’s voice was apologetic. “My healing magic can not do much for sore muscles, but I have an ointment in my room that can help. Would you like that?”

“Yes please.” You said quietly, desperate for the ache in your shoulder to just fuck off.

The older male smiled, pulling your shirt back to its original position and standing up. “Come along,” He said. “Can’t have my son put you in pain now, can we?”

“I punched him back, we’re even.” You clipped, and Gavriel laughed as you headed to the end of the hallway.

“Yes, I imagine that does square you up.” He chuckled.

Twisting the knob, Gavriel opened the door to his room and you stepped in carefully. You had never been in Gavriel’s room, not allowing yourself to see something that some would consider intimate. It was a nice room though, an extremely large bed in the centre with a white rug and comfortable fireplace. Bookshelves adorned one wall, and a pile of weapons much like your father’s was stashed in the other corner.

“Cosy.” You said, taking in the surroundings, noting the candles everywhere.

Gavriel began grabbing something from the drawer. “Yes, I quite like this place.” He said, pulling out a silver tin. “Ah, here it is.”

You stared at him for a second, those tawny eyes made brighter with the glow of the fire. “I can’t exactly reach the sore parts…” You admitted sheepishly, praying Gavriel didn’t notice your flushed cheeks.

“No worries,” Gavriel said, twisting open the lid. “It’ll be easier if I apply it anyway. It would be best if you removed your shirt and laid face down on the bed. This stuff stains and I would hate to get it on your clothing. But if you are uncomfortable with that we can work around it and I will do my best to be careful”

Your mouth went dry. Taking off your shirt for your best friend’s father and father’s best friend? Part of you knew it would be a bad idea, but the other part of you saw this as a subtle opportunity. What was the harm in letting the older male you were crushing on massage your back?

“It’s ok,” You breathed shakily. “I’m fine with it.”

Something flashed in Gavriel’s eyes, but you couldn’t tell what. “Alright, I will turn around. Let me know when you’re ready.”

True to his word, Gavriel turned around. You removed your shirt, grunting at the painful movement in your shoulder before discarding it on the floor. Carefully, you laid yourself facedown on the bed, and the soft sheets felt heavenly.

“Ready.” You mumbled.

A few seconds later you felt the bed shift to your left. Gavriel had kneeled beside you, allowing himself better access to your exposed back. “Tell me if it hurts too much, or if you’d like me to stop.” He said.

You nodded, biting your lip. You tried not to let your excitement show at the anticipation of the older male’s hands on your body. Countless nights had been spent imagining yourself in a scenario like this, laying on Gavriel's bed deprived of your clothes…

You knew you were going straight to hell for this. You could smell Gavriel’s scent so close to you, and were grateful you were facedown in the pillow.

Finally, those large hands found your skin, spreading the warm ointment along your shoulder blade. You bit your lip, and it took everything in you not to moan at his touch. You were so small compared to Gavriel, so delicate underneath his battle-scarred hands. He gently massaged the ointment into your back and shoulder, its healing properties already relaxing your muscles.

“Is this okay?” Gavriel muttered, gently brushing some stray hairs out of the way.

“Yes,” Your voice was little more than a breath. “It’s perfect.”

You could have sworn he smirked, his strokes becoming deeper as he worked on the knotted muscles in your back. Relief and something more intense began to wash over you as he moved up to the top of your shoulder, fingers curling around towards your collarbone as they roamed your skin. Heat built at your core and you tried to think of anything else, anything to distract you from the fact your best friend’s father had his fingertips just above your collarbone while you laid down shirtless on his bed.

He’s just trying to be helpful, You chided yourself. He feels bad that his son injured you, he’s just being friendly.

Yet you could not help the sinful thoughts that crept into your mind as Gavriel’s tattooed hands moved down your upper back, caressing gentle strokes into the muscles. The room was warm, adding to the heat your body was already radiating at his touch. Never before had a male touched you, much to your embarrassment. You were so inexperienced compared to the much older male whose fingers ever so slightly grazed your ribcage–

Before you could stop yourself, you moaned as his thumb dug into a spot below your shoulder blade, releasing a knot of tension as his fingertips skimmed your side just inches from your breast.

Fuck.

Embarrassment washed over you and your cheeks went red with shame. You had just moaned as your father’s best friend’s touch.

“I’m so sorry.” You stammered, squeezing your eyes shut against the pillow.

“It’s alright, little one,” Gavriel said softly, his fingers making another gentle sweep up your sensitive sides. “It’s perfectly natural for your body to react to something that feels good.”

You blushed even harder at the nickname, clenching your thighs together slightly and praying he didn’t notice. Your arousal was quickly heightening, those fingers touching such sensitive areas along your back and sides…

“Besides,” Gavriel’s voice dropped slightly, heating your blood. “I’m sure the males you have taken to bed delighted in your sounds.”

You froze, embarrassment quickly taking over. In your time being friends with Aedion, he had taken to bed more females and males than you could have counted. He was not ashamed of it, nor were you judgemental about it – it was simply a fact everyone knew to be true. But given how close you were with Aedion, his father must have assumed that you were the same as him when it came to lovers.

Wanting to crawl into a hole and die, you said quietly, “I wouldn’t really know.”

Gavriel’s motions paused for a moment, as if he were contemplating something. “Have you not been with a male before?”

Burning with shame, you could not bring yourself to speak, so you merely shook your head to confirm. Your virginity was not something you had taken great effort to preserve or anything, for it truly was not a big deal to you. But to put it simply, there was no male you encountered that you thought would satisfy your first time.

Except for the male kneeling beside your half-naked body.

“Darling,” Gavriel’s tone was gentle. “Am I the first male to put his hands on your bare skin like this?”

“Yes.” You whispered, lifting your head from the pillow and turning it to the side, letting your gaze rest upon Gavriel. His tawny eyes met yours, his motions still paused..

“If this is too much or is uncomfortable in any way and you would rather a female healter or someone else apply the ointment–”

“No,” You cut him off, not wanting Gavriel to stop. “It’s ok. I want it to be you.”

I want it to be you.

So many implications in that phrase, ones that went beyond the question of if you were okay with the golden-haired man applying the ointment to your naked back. As you locked eyes with Gavriel, you could tell he knew what you were feeling. Those fleeting touches, those piercing stares and smirks perhaps hadn’t been so innocent after all. Maybe you were not deluding yourself into thinking you imagined Gavriel’s eyes roaming your body as you strode towards the water in your swimwear. And Gavriel was no fool, you knew he could tell how your body reacted to his touch. He had centuries of experience on him, and surely could spot, and scent, the signs of arousal that surely radiated from your body.

You had desired him for so long, secretly wishing he was the one who could be your first. You imagined countless nights that he would take care of you, exploring your body slowly and teaching you everything he had learned in centuries of pleasure. You imagined how large his fingers would feel inside of you compared to your own, not that you had spent much time pleasuring yourself. No, you wanted him to do it, the man who was your best friend’s father and your father’s best friend.

“Are you sure?” Gavriel’s tone was serious, cautious even – as if he knew the scandalous implications of the direction this was headed.

You nodded. Gods, he was so much older than you, it was so wrong, yet you couldn’t think of anything you wanted more.

Stroking your back gently, Gavriel almost growled, his voice deep and velvety, “I want to hear you say it.”

Shaking, you took a breath, preparing to utter the words you had only dreamed of saying to the older male: “I want it to be you, Gavriel.”

Gavriel smirked, applying more ointment to his hands and placing them on your back – both sides this time, not just the sore area. But his touches were different this time, still gentle but more dominant and filled with assurance. You sighed and tried not to moan again as his hands spread on either side of your spin and worked their way down your back before coming back up to your shoulders. This time, however, those large fingers stroked your sides sensually as they moved across your body.

“Fuck.” You couldn’t help but murmur, eyes fluttering at the pleasure.

“Did you like that, little one?” Gavriel’s chuckle was seductive, and gone was the lighthearted tone from earlier. The strokes he pressed into your skin were teasing, more pleasure driven and much less innocent.

“Mmhm.” Was all you could bring yourself to hum in response, clenching your legs even tighter to try and relieve the building pressure. Every part of your body screamed for more, but Gavriel did not push it.

You began to realise that he would not give you what you both knew you wanted unless you asked him for it. Both of you knew how poorly it would be received if anyone knew Gavriel was about to bed you – between the age difference and the fact he was your best friend’s father and father’s best friend, the dynamic within your little group would surely implode.

But nobody had to know, right? From the way Gavriel’s touches teased you, you knew that he was aware you wanted him to be the first male to take you to bed, he was just waiting for the green light to do so. It warmed your heart how respectful he was, how he wanted it to be 100% your choice how far to go. He was a good male, through and through.

And there was no other one you wanted to lay with for your first time.

Taking a breath for courage, you lifted your head off the pillow and pushed yourself up slightly. Immediately, Gavriel’s hands flew from your skin, concern written across his face momentarily, likely wondering if he had just fucked up majorly. But instead of standing up and walking away, you simply turned your body over and layed back down on your back rather than your front.

Your bare chest was exposed to the golden male, yet he did not look at it. Instead, his tawny eyes bore into yours, scanning your face. Part of you was terrified that somehow you had severely misread the situation, that Gavriel was about to get angry and kick you out. But the other part of you knew he was dying to ravish you, and gods you wanted that too.

“Do you know why I haven’t been with any males yet, Gavriel?” You asked, voice dropping.

Gavriel said nothing, just cocked his head and kept eye contact with you, as if your eyes were the only thing keeping him from glancing down at your chest on display for him.

“Because I knew none of them would be able to please me.” You sighed, praying you sounded at least somewhat seductively enticing. “Because my friends have complained about how poorly males our age are in bed, how selfish they are when it comes to pleasure.”

You knew Gavriel’s restraint was barely holding on – if he had been a lesser male he would have surely pounced on you by now, eager to take you up on what you were so clearly offering. But despite the tautness in his muscles and the growing bulge in his pants, Gavriel remained still.

So you tried one last time to break him.

“Because they weren’t you.” You purred, reaching out and resting your hand atop of his.

That appeared to be his undoing, for the golden-haired male leaned forward and placed his free, tattooed hand on the bed beside your pillow. His muscular body towered over you, and you began to realise just how small you were beneath him. His beautiful hands that had slain so many enemies were almost twice as big as yours, and the body attached to them even more so. You had always appreciated how….large… Gavriel was, but up close like this it began to awaken something inside of you.

“Am I to understand, little one,” Gavriel said, his face only a foot away from yours. “That you want me to fuck you for your first time?”

The mere utterance of those words turned you on more than you thought was possible. “Yes.” You replied with confidence.

Gavriel smirked, leaning in slightly more. “I need to hear you say it for me. Tell me what you want and I will give it to you.”

This male was going to be the death of you. You so badly wanted him to just touch you already, but part of you liked the buildup, the tension – the making sure you knew what you were doing.

“I want you to fuck me, Gavriel.” You breathed. “I want you to be my first.”

A growl emitted from the older male’s throat, and he manoeuvred his hand out from under your touch and instead brought it to your face. With tenderness, he stroked your cheek, never breaking eye contact once.

“You want me to make you feel good, little one?” He purred. “You want me to show you what it feels like to have your body worshipped? To feel so good you have tears streaming down that pretty face of yours? You want me to show you how it’s done, don’t you, baby?”

You moaned, shuddering under his touch. He was so close, that golden hair mere inches away from tickling your shoulders.

“So responsive,” Gavriel continued, stroking farther down your face and reaching the side of your neck to caress it there. “Have you ever touched yourself, little one? Brought yourself to the edge with those fingers of yours?”

“Not really.” You answered truthfully – there were certainly nights where you dipped your hand between your legs, usually thinking about your best friend’s father as you played with yourself. But it was only half hearted, and it was never enough to bring you close to an orgasm and thus, you never tried much.

But your confession snapped something in Gavriel. His eyes darkened, and he brought his lips down to your cheek and planted a feather-light kiss there. “Oh little one,” He murmured. “I am going to ruin you. I’m going to make you feel so good that no other male or female will be able to compete. Even if you have someone else buried deep inside of you one day, you will only be thinking of me and how only I can truly make you feel good.”

Your entire body shuddered at his words. You had expected Gavriel to be excited maybe at the idea of taking your virginity, but this newfound possessiveness and assurance took you by surprise. And you loved it.

It was true – you could tell by the way he had caressed your body that this male was going to corrupt you entirely, mind body and soul. He was going to claim you as his, and his only. The idea thrilled you.

At your pathetic whimper, Gavriel finally took pity on you. His lips moved from your cheek to your mouth where he finally kissed you. Eagerly you opened your mouth up to him, arching your back as this lips expertly claimed yours.

Holy Gods, Gavriel was kissing you.

Your head spun as the older male slipped his tongue into your mouth, gently caressing it to get a taste of you. Moaning into him, you reached your hands up and wrapped them around his thick, tattooed neck and tried to pull him closer. Gavriel obliged, lowering his body so his clothed chest was almost pressed against your bare one. His scent completely enveloped you, overwhelming your senses. You had been kissed before – hell, you had drunkenly made out with Lysandra a couple of times. But never like this, with so much assurance and fire.

You whimpered as Gavriel’s lips left yours, and he chuckled darkly. “Now, now, be patient.” He chided. “I intend on taking my time with you. Trust me, pretty girl, I’m going to make you feel so good.”

Nodding, you sucked in a sharp breath as the male’s lips found your neck, one hand pressed against the side of your neck to manoeuvre it around however he pleased. Hot, open-mouthed kisses trailed down the side of your neck and up the column of your throat. You swore as Gavriel’s teeth nipped your flesh before his tongue soothed the pain with gentle strokes. Part of you was desperate for him to leave a ring of bruises around your neck, marking you to the world as his, but rationally speaking you both knew that was a bad idea. Your father may be clueless at times, but he would easily piece things together if he saw you covered in hickies – and would likely attempt to end his friend’s life in a fit of rage.

After tasting every inch of your neck, Gavriel lifted his head to meet your eyes. “How are you feeling?”

“So good,” You almost moaned. “More, please.”

He chuckled at your eagerness, but obliged your request. That sinful, corrupting mouth left more of those hot kisses all over your chest, leaving a trail down to your breasts where he paused for a moment.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” Gavriel growled, squeezing your breast in one of his hands and making you gasp. “It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to storm over there and ravish you when I see you walking around in that swim top with those perfect tits on display. Got me all hot and bothered, I had to wait until everyone was outside so I could go take a shower and take care of myself. All because of you, little one.”

If you weren’t lying down you were sure you would have collapsed at Gavriel’s confession. The thought of him stroking himself in the shower, naked and thinking of your body…

Before you could finish your thoughts, Gavriel’s head leaned back down and his lips wrapped around your left nipple. You cried out, his name leaving your lips as the male flicked the bud with his tongue. Your other breast was enclosed in his other hand, which was firmly grasping and massaging the flesh with just the right amount of pressure. After a particularly hard suck, Gavriel released your left breast with a lewd pop before switching to the other one.

You moaned, tipping your head back and relishing in the sensation. It was pure sin, you laid out half-naked on your best friend’s father’s bed as the older male buried his face in your chest, bathed in the orange light from the fireplace. You prayed your parents and Aedion would be out for a long night with the rest of the court – you wanted to enjoy Gavriel for as long as possible in this moment.

“So perfect.” He murmured after another few minutes of his sweet torture on your breasts. He kissed your stomach, smirking. “I bet you’re just dripping for me, aren’t you, little one?”

You were in fact, utterly drenched. And Gavriel knew it – he could likely smell it after all, but his words thrilled you nonetheless. But when you didn’t respond, Gavriel’s teeth gently nipped your soft flesh and you yelped.

“I asked you a question, little one.” He growled, hands stroking your sides and gently teasing your hip bones.

Before you could even think of stopping yourself, you moaned out a phrase you thought you’d only ever say in your most sinful dreams, “Yes, daddy!”

Gavriel paused, and the realisation of what you had said just hit you. Oh gods, you just called your best friend’s father ‘daddy’, it was so fucking wrong. Mortification overcame you, and you blurted out apologies.

“I’m so sorry,” You said. “I swear I didn’t-”

“Hush,” Gavriel’s voice was soft yet stern. “You did nothing wrong, little one. Let it out, let Daddy know how good he’s making you feel.”

Reeling, you let out a breath. Only in your wildest dreams did you ever think you could live out this fantasy, letting a male centuries older than you dominate you and call him daddy. You couldn’t help but squeeze your legs together.

The movement did not go unnoticed by Gavriel. Grinning like a feral cat, the golden-haired male gripped your hips and slid his fingers below the waistband of your pants.

“Are you going to be a good girl for daddy?” He questioned, ever so slightly pulling down on the fabric.

“Yes.” You moaned.

“Then lift your hips for me.”

You did so, allowing Gavriel to peel both your pants and panties down your legs. He did so slowly, tawny eyes locked on yours as the fabric was removed from your body. He gently tossed them on the floor next to the bed. You were left completely bare for him, squirming as Gavriel’s gaze shamelessly wandered down your body and settled on the apex between your thighs.

You had never felt so vulnerable, left on display for a male who has been around for centuries bedding gorgeous women all over the country. You weren’t one for self-pity, but part of you was insecure that you could never compare to them. And yet Gavriel looked at you like you were the most alluring female in the world, chest rising up and down with desire as he stared down at your naked form.

“Look at you, all dripping and ready for me.” His voice was velvet and silk, laced with a desire that sent even more wetness to your core. “So fucking perfect, laid out for me like a goddess at the altar to be worshipped. I cannot wait to taste you.”

“You’re too dressed.” You complained.

“We shall remedy that, then.” Gavriel smirked before sitting up fully. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and effortlessly peeled it off, tossing it to the side. His grin was of pure male pride as you salivated over his sculpted, tattooed chest. Sure you had seen him shirtless before, but up close in the glow of the fire light was entirely different. His golden hair framed his face artfully, coming down just below his shoulders. He looked like a god, power and prowess personified in front of your very eyes.

Large hands found your thighs and grasped them before dragging your body down towards the edge of the bed. You gasped at how easily he did it, as if you weighed absolutely nothing to him – which was probably true. Before you could process what was happening, Gavriel dropped to his knees on the floor in front of the bed and pried your legs open. He lifted one of them up and pressed heated kisses up along the inside of your thigh, causing you to gasp. You were practically aching with need at this point, his kisses getting so close to your core before switching to the other leg and repeating the process.

You whimpered, wriggling your hips in the hopes Gavriel would do something.

“So eager,” Gavriel murmured, placing your legs back down. “It’s ok, Daddy will give you what you need so desperately, do not worry.”

You expected him to shove two of those large fingers into you, as Aelin had quite graphically, and drunkenly, described Rowan doing to her several times. You tensed up in preparation for the foreign intrusion, but it did not come. Instead, Gavriel leaned forward and buried his face between your legs, licking a bold stripe up your pussy.

“Holy fuck.” You breathed. The new sensation had you reeling like a hurricane, sparks of pleasure igniting from your core as Gavriel skillfully stroked and lapped at your juices. You had no idea your body was capable of feeling this way – it was almost overwhelming, between his mouth and the firm grip he kept on your hips.

You could tell he was holding back a bit, that he wanted to simply ravish you but did not desire to overwhelm you completely. Whimpering as Gavriel’s lips found your clit and sucked, your hands shot to his golden hair instinctively.

“That’s a good girl,” Gavriel purred against your pussy, sending vibrations straight into your core. “Pull on Daddy’s hair.”

You obliged, digging your fingers into the locks and tugging as he dove back into your thighs. The male growled as you pulled like he asked, clearly enjoying himself. Your moans echoed throughout the room like a symphony mixed with the crackling of the fireplace and the lewd sound of Gavriel’s lips against your core. Your sounds seemed to have spurred him on even more, for his grip tightened and his efforts doubled. It wasn’t long before your legs began to shake as an unfamiliar coiling sensation built in your core.

“Oh, gods,” You murmured shakily.

“That’s it, baby girl.” Gavriel moaned back. “You’re so close. You can feel it, can’t you? Let go, sweetheart. Let daddy see you come for him.”

As the older male sucked your clit and lightly grazed the bud with his teeth, your world shattered and waves of pleasure crashed over you. Your vision went black as you cried out his name, hips rocking into his grip as you rode out your high. Gasping, your body shook at this newfound sensation as Gavriel coaxed you through it.

After a minute or so you finally recover, regaining your focus as Gavriel lazily stroked patterns along your hip.

“You look utterly beautiful when you fall apart, little one.” He murmured. “How do you feel?”

“I-” You can’t even form words yet. “Wow.”

Gavriel chuckled, spreading your legs further apart. “We’ve only just begun.”

You tried to sit up and reach for the older male, wanting to return the favour. But your arm was gently swatted away.

“No, darling.” He said softly. “Tonight is all about you.”

“But what about you?” You protested, confused. Lysandra had always complained that males were so adamant about receiving after giving, you just assumed that your next move would be to finally take Gavriel in your mouth.

“As much as I love the thought of you on your knees before me with those pretty eyes looking up at me as you choke on my cock, this is your night and your night alone. We have all the time in the world later on for me to teach you all of the things I like and how I like them, little one.”

The thought of Gavriel teaching you how to suck his cock, how to ride him and make him fall apart almost had you on your knees begging to taste him. But you knew better than to protest, still curious to see what he had in store. So you nodded and settled back down, allowing Gavriel to resume his position between your legs.

A large hand moved from your hip to your cunt, gently swiping through your folds and collecting the wetness there. “I want you to tell me if you experience any pain.” Gavriel said sternly. “I will be gentle, and the stretch of multiple fingers may be uncomfortable at first, but if I am going to be inside you tonight I will need to prepare you properly.”

“Yes, daddy.” You replied keenly.

Gavriel’s voice was unnervingly like a purr. “You learn so quickly, little one.” Pride filled his voice, causing you to blush.

Gently, one of Gavriel’s large fingers pushed its way inside of you. You gasped at the intrusion, your body automatically tensing up – it didn’t hurt, but it certainly felt strange, and very different from your own fingers.

“Just relax, and take a deep breath.” Gavriel said patiently. “It will be easier when your body relaxes, but it’s perfectly natural to be tense at first.”

You let the soothing baritone voice wash over you like a blanket, allowing your muscles to relax as your cunt adjusted to the large finger inside of it. You moaned as he crooked the finger, brushing up against a spot deep inside of you that made your head spin.

“Right there, that’s the spot isn’t it?” Gavriel said, retracting his finger ever so slightly before pushing it back in and crooking it again. “I can feel the way your legs shake when I do this. You’re so responsive to me, a perfect little thing just begging to be ruined.”

You weren’t coherent enough to form a response. Gods, if you’re reacting this way to just one of Gavriel’s fingers, how will you fare when he puts his cock inside of you?

Murmuring gentle praises, Gavriel continued this motion with his finger, retracting it more and more with every stroke. He was not fast nor rough, but assertive nonetheless. You could tell he’s extremely experienced, knowing just what to do to get your body shaking.

After a few minutes, you began to feel much more relaxed. Your cunt was dripping, aching for more. But before you could voice this, Gavriel gently slid a second finger inside of you very slowly. You hissed slightly, the sensation burning with the addition of the second finger.

“Fuck, you’re tight,” He breathed, kissing the inside of your thigh. “You’ll get used to Daddy’s fingers, just relax again.”

You inhaled and exhaled as smoothly as you could, trying to force your body to relax like he said. After a few minutes of gentle movements, the discomfort faded and morphed into pleasure. It was a different sensation than from when Gavriel’s mouth was devouring you – one that was more intense and primal. He crooked those fingers again, and you swore as the pleasure was double what it was with one finger.

“There we go,” Gavriel praised you as you arched your back. “Doesn’t that feel good?”

“Yes, Daddy,” You moaned. “Fuck.”

Eventually, the two large fingers inside of you sped up their motions, reaching places inside of you that your own fingers never could. He then attached his lips to your clit again and sucked, flicking it with his tongue. You quickly reached that familiar coiling sensation, and before you knew it you were crashing over the edge once again with your second orgasm.

You laid there panting as Gavriel slowly retracted his fingers from you. You watched in awe as he brought them to his mouth and sucked, moaning. It was without a doubt the hottest thing you’d ever seen in your life.

“You’ve been doing so good for me, little one.” Gavriel praised, leaning over your body to kiss your cheek. “We can stop here if you want. There is no pressure to take this any further. I will gladly accept however much you are ready to give me, and if you want to leave it at this for now we can do that.”

“Please, no.” You practically begged. “I want you to fuck me. Please, Daddy, I’ve been dreaming about it for so long. Please, please I need to feel you inside me.”

Your own words caught you by surprise. You refused to beg for anything in your life, anything except for this apparently. You already had two mind blowing orgasms, but you were already addicted to his touch.

More. You wanted more.

Luckily for you, your begging seemed to have weakened Gavriel’s resolve. He stood up, his large frame towering over your trembling one as his tawny eyes glowed with desire.

“If that is what you truly wish, if you truly want me to be the first male to fuck you with his cock, then I am happy to oblige.” With that, Gavriel’s tattooed hand dropped to the buckle on his pants and undid it in one motion.

You practically salivated as he gracefully pulled down his pants and undergarments, revealing the part you had wanted to see for so long. His cock stood proudly, so massive you weren’t sure if it would actually fit inside of you. The tip was red and wet with precum, a tribute to the effect that pleasuring you had on the mighty fae male – and your chest swelled with pride at the realisation.

“This will hurt at first,” Gavriel warned, cutting off your admiration of his lower half as he crawled over your body. “But you just need to take deep breaths. I will try and make it as painless as possible, but it shouldn’t be agonising. Your body will adjust, I promise.”

You nodded, slightly nervous. You knew he wouldn’t hurt you, but gods the sheer size of him made it question if it was even possible to make this work.

Gavriel rested his elbow beside you, letting his arm cradle your head and pressing his forehead against yours as he gripped his cock in his free hand. After collecting more of your wetness, the male pushed the tip of his cock inside of you.

You tensed up, the burning sensation you had felt with his two fingers a hundred times more intense now. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes, and you felt ashamed, not wanting to let Gavriel down.

“It’s ok, little one,” Gavriel murmured, kissing your tears away. “You’re doing great. Let your body adjust and relax, just focus on me.”

You stared into those tawny eyes that had been there by your side for the past two years. Even though you were very sexually attracted to him from the start, you always appreciated that kindness and tenderness that Gavriel’s eyes reflected. He was always there as a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand, a sturdy presence in your life – despite the sinfulness of the desires the two of you were acting on tonight, you knew that he respected you and you respected him, that his supporting presence in your life was not just because he was attracted to you, but because he genuinely cared for you.

Part of you felt guilty that your best friend’s father was currently inside of you, naked and on top of your equally as bare body. You knew that it was morally questionable, letting such an older male who had close relations to your friends corrupt you like this. But deep down you knew that he did not think any less of you for it, and the thought comforted you enough that your body finally began to relax.

Noticing, Gavriel pressed a kiss to your lips as he pushed his hips forward, edging his thick cock into you even more. It still burned a bit, but much less so. Like with his fingers, Gavriel retracted slowly before pushing in again, a bit further this time. He repeated the process until he eventually was all the way inside of you. Once there, he stilled, kissing every inch of your skin and murmuring praises.

You sighed and looped your arms around his muscled neck, the discomfort evolving into pleasure that was almost animalistic – it was so intense, especially when you looked down and could see a visible bulge in your stomach from the size of the male’s cock. You wriggled your hips in an attempt to encourage him to move.

“Are you sure?” Gavriel questioned.

You stared at his face and realised how much he was holding back. Those thick muscles were practically trembling with restraint, no doubt having to ignore his primal fae male desires to pound into you. His hair was dishevelled, and a thin layer of sweat coated his face.

“I need you to move, please Daddy.” You whined. “I asked you to fuck me, so fuck me.”

Gavriel’s eyes sharpened, indicating that this was the only time he’d let that demanding tone slide. Before you could complain again, he brought his hips back and pushed them forward forcefully, causing you to gasp.

“Is that better, princess?” Gavriel mocked lightly as you eyes rolled back into your head.

“Please keep going!” You mewled, clinging onto his muscular form as the pleasurable sensations threatened to overwhelm you. And your best friend’s father obliged, and each snap of his hips grew more forceful. Within a minute or so the male had set a sturdy pace, pounding in and out of you. The hand that cradled your head now gripped your hair, forcing your gaze to remain on Gavriel.

“Look at you, pretty girl,” His voice was pure filth, the gentle coaxing tone from earlier almost entirely gone and replaced with something more primal. “So small underneath me, a sweet little thing just begging to be fucked and utterly ruined. I told you Daddy was going to take good care of you. And you listened like the good little girl you are, isn’t that right? No other male can male you feel this way, can he? Only daddy.”

You bit down into his shoulder to muffle your pathetic moan at Gavriel’s words. However, your action caused him to growl with pleasure, and he began to fuck you harder. At this point, the bed was shaking and you thanked the gods that there was no other cabin or house around for several kilometres.

Gavriel’s rock hard abs brushed against the soft skin of your stomach as he moved in and out of you, sweat mingling as your bodies pressed close together. It was pure bliss, the powerful male on top of you moaning at the feeling of being inside of you. It wasn’t long before you felt that coil again, and Gavriel’s grip on your body tightened.

“Please come inside of me.” You begged.

Keeping his pace, Gavriel flashed you a concerned look. “But–”

“I’m on a tonic anyways,” You cut him off, knowing he was worried about you getting pregnant with his child. “Please, daddy, I just need you to fill me up.”

Gavriel nodded, grunting as he moved a hand to your clit and began rubbing. Your eyes rolled back in your head as you were barely even able to acknowledge your approaching orgasm before it crashed over you. Hips stuttering, Gavriel followed moments later and roared out your name, spilling his hot come inside your cunt.

The sensation almost made you pass out – your entire body was shaking and exhausted from a third orgasm. You and Gavriel panted for a minute before he slowly slid out of you and stood up.

You were confused when he left the room, wondering if you had done something wrong. Oh gods, what if he regretted it?

Luckily for your pathetic inner thoughts, Gavriel returned a few minutes later with a piece of toast, a tall glass of water and a cool towel.

“Drink this.” He ordered, handing you the water.

Still panting, you took the glass from his hand and gulped the water down, not realising how dry your throat was. Gavriel wiped down your thighs, which were coated in a mix of sweat and juices. After a few minutes of silence and finishing off your toast, Gavriel sat next to you and stroked your hair.

“You did so well tonight, little one,” He murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of your face. “Thank you for trusting me.”

You blushed. “No, thank you,” You corrected, and Gavriel raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t laugh me off when I said I hadn’t been with a male before.”

Gavriel frowned. “Why would I have done that?”

“I’m not saying you would have,” You quickly corrected, embarrassed. “It’s just that… the reason I waited was because males my age just expect every female to know what she’s doing and be good at it. I just didn’t want to disappoint anyone I guess.”

Gently, Gavriel cupped your face in his hands and turned it towards him, forcing you to meet his gaze. “You could never disappoint anyone, darling,” He said sternly. “Especially not me. I don’t give a shit if you’ve been with no males or if you’ve been with a hundred. It makes no difference to me.”

You smiled, kissing him gently. “Thank you for teaching me,” Your voice turned mischievous. “But I did also recall you saying there were other things you could show me?”

Gavriel laughed, swooping you up in his arms before you could protest. “And I meant it,” He said, carrying you down the hallway towards you room. “But you are exhausted, and don’t try and deny it. Rest, for now. They will be home soon and it’s best you be back in your own bed.”

He carried you all the way to your room, gently settling you down on the bed and brushing your hair behind your ears.

“But there will be a next time?” You asked sheepishly, unable to help it. You already craved more of him.

“If that is what you wish,” Gavriel smirked. “Then I am happy to show you how pretty you would look on your knees.”

The next morning you opened your eyes and sat up in bed. Your sore shoulder was gone, but the second you went to stand up your legs gave way. Ungracefully, you caught yourself on the bed frame to avoid the thumping noise of your body hitting the floor.

Last night had felt like a dream, but you knew it was real from the soreness in your lower half. Gavriel had been careful to not leave any visible bruises, but you still struggled with walking. Aedion, Lorcan, and Elide got home after you fell asleep last night, and you thanked the gods for that.

Painfully, you made your way down to the kitchen where everyone else, including Gavriel, was already seated.

“Look who’s finally awake!” Aedion exclaimed, pulling out your chair. Freshly cooked breakfast was laid out on the table, and you didn’t realise how hungry you were until you smelled it.

You couldn’t help but hiss in pain as you sat down, cursing the soreness from last night and praying nobody noticed. Unfortunately, your father did.

“What’s wrong with you?” Lorcan demanded. “I thought Gavriel fixed your shoulder.”

You froze, and so did Gavriel for a split second, mug of coffee halfway to his lips. Mentally swearing, you fumbled for an excuse.

“He did,” You said quickly. “But I’m still sore from training in general.”

Lorcan frowned, glaring at Gavriel. “Well why didn’t you fix that then, too?”

“Because I didn’t ask him to.” You snapped, cutting him off.

Luckily, Elide elbowed her husband in the ribs before he could snap back. The rest of breakfast went by without any awkwardness, until your parents and Gavriel left to do the dishes and Aedion took you upstairs.

“Hey, I think my dad has some ointment for sore muscles,” Aedion said. “I’ll go grab it.”

“No no, it’s fine!” You insisted, unsure of if your scent still lingered in Gavriel’s room. “I’ll manage!”

But Aedion was already gone. You cursed the gods, waiting in the hallway until Aedion’s confused voice came from the end of the hall.

“I found the ointment! But why is your shirt in my father’s room?”

[saphirered]

Hello, I'm not sure if you write for him but could you maybe do newly mated Aedion? Like, you know, he's able to settle and have a mate (she's fae/demi fae). Something fluffy

If not, it's totally fine. Just delete this request.

Love your writing <3 Take care of yourself

I adore Aedion so I could not wait to finish this request! Like any of the Newly Mated fics it's spicy but has a good amount of wholesome fluff. Hope it is to your liking! 😘

The Wolf of the North is lost deep in thought. Should he be reading the reports he had received earlier this morning? Perhaps so but his mind travels elsewhere and he couldn’t care less about paperwork, or responsibilities. They come second to the sound of metal clanking against metal, to the laboured breathing, victorious laughter, and sometimes disgruntled or pained curses. His work comes second to the view he’s found in the inner courtyard, where two people are engaged in a dance of steel. Each and every movement is thought out carefully, each step is one with grace and precision only years and years of training would bring. One moves quick and precise, striking to take down an opponent. The other, the other his focus is truly drawn to. Each movement is fluid, seamlessly through to the next one. While speed is present, if only to keep up with the opponent, it is done so in defence. This fighter is a patient one. 

Aedion’s eyes focus on that graceful fighter, because that’s the one he has eyes for, the one his attention is drawn to even in the most crowded of places. You are unique. You are beautiful in every sense of the word. He could watch you train for hours and never grow bored. He could study every muscle twitch, and still not grasp the extend of your being, because every time he learns something about you, he only feels intrigued to learn more, knowing there’ll always be more to you no matter the years you may face. His thoughts wander to those years, to that future. You have a future, together. The moment you walked into his life he knew you were special, different than the flings that had come and gone. You tested him in ways no one else could, pushed him to be better, to do better, but most of all you allowed him to be himself, for you held no expectations for the general, or the prince. You cared not for a birthright he carried. You asked him who he wanted to be. That might have been a conversation you two had amidst an argument but the words ring true and have stayed with him ever since. You allowed him to be who he wanted to be- who he wants to be. When he is with you he looks towards his future, the future you share together instead of the future of a legacy carved in blood and death and dirt. 

He couldn’t quite place why you were different for the longest of times. You’d gotten on his nerves from the moment he met you because you pushed him, challenged him like no one else dared from the very first second he met you. Were you a soldier in his army, you’d have been punished for that sort of disobedience and disrespect, yet he never saw you like that. You were not someone under his command, or someone he had to play his part for. You were not a conspirator in kind, or someone he desperately needed to pamper to keep his secrets. You were just you, and no matter how much of a pain you could be, and he could be in turn because you told him many times he certainly was, you two always gravitated back towards each other. You accepted each other. It wasn’t until the fae came into his life, brought in by his cousin, he started putting the pieces together. For the longest times you both denied what you suspected, then you put it off because the world was about to fall into ruin, and then you were free and unsure what to do next. Finally you admitted; you’re mates. You’d known it but both were too stubborn to admit it. 

Here he stands, watching you train with his cousin. It had been a tough first few days, after the bond you shared settled proper. Not tough for the two of you, but more so for everyone in your vicinity. Aedion’s cousin had been generous enough to send you away for an extended vacation so she did not have to deal with the scent of sex in the morning, or afternoon, or night, though she did claim the longing looks you two would share when in the same room were almost as nauseating. You’d spend your days together in solitude, away from the world and its people, just the two of you. For the first time you’d not been interrupted or knew you could be called away at a moment’s notice, instead you had all the time in the world and you had spent it well. 

He recalls how he made a comment about his past dalliances in reply to a joke of yours. You’d walked up to him, stood toe to toe but kept your hands firmly against his chest to stay just barely out of reach of his lips, even when he pulled you closer, you’d deny him your affections. In your eyes he’d see that wicked determination laced with playful challenge. You felt confident letting your fingers trace up along his neck, to his cheek to brush away some golden strands from his face as you tilt your head to the side, pucker your lips and a hairs breath away from his own, you’d whisper;

“Would you like to repeat that statement, lover dear?” You challenge, and Aedion was not entirely sure, still isn’t whether words or silence would have been the better course of action. He certainly knows his laugh in response was wrong. You’d placed your lips on his in a feverish kiss that left him longing for so much more, left you longing for so much more as you were generous enough to share in no uncertain terms. You allowed him to lift you off your feet, wrapped your legs around his hips and pull yourself closer to him. You let him carry you to the most convenient closest surface which happened to be the couch in front of the fireplace. You let him settle you among the soft cushioning and trail his lips along your jaw, down your neck, paying particular attention to your chest in the ways that would exert beautiful sounds that could have him come undone by your second hand pleasure alone, before he would trail down further along your stomach, teasing the inside of your thigh, until you lost your patience and gave him an order he could not deny. 

“Aedion!” The voice of memory; a cry of pleasure dissipates in one laced with amused giggles, still the voice is yours. He is pulled from his train of thought abruptly, and returns to the courtyard where his cousin and you have stopped your sparring match and instead have turned your gazes to him. 

“Are you going to keep standing there or…” You ask mirthfully covering your smile behind your hand when you see the look he gives you that tells you to keep trying him and he’ll set the record straight. 

“Yes, cousin, please do share so I can go find literally anywhere else to be before you two get it on, I don’t need to see, hear, smell or otherwise be aware of the two of you fucking like horny adolescents.” Aelin pretends to clean some dirt from under her nails, as Aedion steps towards you when you offer your hand to him. Crossing the distance at your invitation he wraps both of his around yours and you lean in for a kiss. What was intended as a simple peck turned into something far less innocent. Hand unwraps from yours, curving along your waist and pulls you closer to his side, you lean into his body, reminding him of how deliciously you mould into him, and how the layers of fabric between you two feel all too restrictive. 

“Seriously. You two are the worst.” Aelin shakes her head and clears her throat somewhat between annoyance and disgust. “Did you come here for a reason or was five minutes apart too much to ask for?” Begrudgingly you break away, Aedion replying in a somewhat disappointed noise but his mind returns to the world around him, instead of hyper-focussing on you. Why did he come here again? He’s entirely forgotten, and so his train of thought is lost when he sees your eyes teasing and bright, stare at him expectantly, when he feels your fingers play with the hair at his nape, gently curling along his scalp. Subconsciously he goes to lean in but when he catches a glance at his cousin from the corner of his eye he instead changes his trajectory and kisses your cheek, forcing himself to dig deep in his memory before he gets distracted… Again.

Aedion recalls Rowan’s request, if only because that bond between you and him remind him, his cousin has elsewhere to be and thus would leave you alone, with him. You can feel it too, expectantly waiting for his reply, urging him to speak. How could he deny you? He won’t. Though, he does pretend to take a second longer than he needed, if only for you to silently scold him. You know him through and through, as he does you after all. He knows what that kiss started and he has every intent of finishing it. 

“Yes, actually. Your mate requests your presence, dear cousin. Something about the harvest festival arrangements you were to approve?” He doesn’t even look at her proper, instead he keeps your gaze. 

“Great. An excuse for me to leave. Should have lead with that.” Aelin sounds exasperated, but the smile creeping at the corners of her lips and glint in her eyes tells otherwise. “Don’t go breaking my courtyard while I’m gone.” You allow your fingers to draw patterns into the general’s chest so light he barely feels the ghost of your touch. Aedion’s attention is fully back to you, lips grazing your temple affectionately as the queen grabs her belongings, throws your discarded sword at you. While your responses are fast, Aedion is faster just this once and catches the weapon. 

“Never thought I’d have to protect my mate from my own cousin.” He mutters jokingly. 

“Oh please, your mate was never in any danger. If I wanted to do harm, I would have.” Aelin counters, her cousin’s jaw tightening at the mere thought of you injured. He better not see the bruises forming from your sparring match. The two of you don’t hold back, after all. 

“Aelin, don’t push him too far, I might have to resort to desperate measures.” You begin trailing kisses along the warrior’s jaw, the tension alleviating instantly. You feel that familiar pull in your chest, that swelling satisfaction at the ability to do what you do to your mate. 

“Don’t remind me of your desperate measures. That is an order.” You laugh at the response and accusatory finger pointed your way before the young queen chooses to get out before she is witness to anything she would have to clean out her eyes with soap for, or wish for some magics to erase the visions from her mind forever. 

With a vulgar gesture she turns the corner and you and Aedion are left alone. You place his lips to yours in a lingering kiss as your fingers skilfully untangle his from your sword and once you are successful you abruptly step away from his embrace and make your way over to your belongings near the pillar. The light spring in your step, the sway of your hips and the brief look you cast over your shoulder are maddening. He follows behind you, keeping enough distance until your moves are clear. He watches you bend down at the hips instead of knees like you usually do, to grab the scabbard and sheathe the sword, giving the male ample view of your behind. He can’t see your face but he doesn’t need to to know you present a wicked grin. 

“Careful, darling. You don’t know who might be around to hear.” Aedion implies tapping the shell of his ear when you turn and lean your back against the pillar behind you, crossing your arms. 

“That has never bothered you in the past, lover dear.” You raise your chin defiantly as he steps forward, one foot at a time. Toe to toe once more you are cornered, staring up into those Ashryver eyes as you feel the warmth of his palm slide over your hip, under your shirt and stroke along your bare skin. Your body responds, curving into him, closer to his touch yet your features remain the same; defiant. His lips a hair’s breath from yours, leave you tempted to close that minimal distance and give in already but he doesn’t. It might take a soldier’s restraint, but he does not give in. Not yet at least. 

“In the past, I didn’t know you were my mate, and wasn’t stuck between wanting to keep those delicious sounds you make for just my ears, or leave the world to hear the pleasures I deliver you.” Your hands trail along his chest, all too slowly undoing the buttons of his jacket. If it were up to Aedion, and you two weren't involved in this little pre-play of yours, then he might just have but he is not one to refuse your challenge, the ones you so skilfully manage and tear through his self restraint like a hot knife through butter. You have him wrapped around your finger and he does not mind in the slightest. 

“So confident.” You croon as you let your skilful fingers slide under the neckline of his shirt, down over his abdomen and back up again. You’d make another comment over the layers he wears, but those are but a minor inconvenience. Easy enough to be rid of, or not if you feel like being a little creative, or heat rises too fast and neither of you can be bothered for the first round. 

“Would you like me to show you exactly how confident I am?” You laugh, pushing against his chest and forcing him to take a step back, he does so without question but looks at you somewhat disappointed to lose that close proximity to you. You don’t make him wait long, because before he knows it you are undoing the closures to his trousers. The confidence you radiate, the darkening of your eyes, leave Aedion in anticipation for your attention, for your next move, and do you deliver. 

“I think I’d rather let the world hear the sounds I’m capable of extracting from you.” You press your lips against his in a feverish kiss and while it lasts shorter than Aedion would normally have hoped, or you for that matter, your lips trail down, along his neck, his chest, and abdomen leaving a fiery trail from your every touch until your lips reach exactly where he needs your attention. You do not disappoint. You leave him moaning pleasantly at your ministrations and while his focus is entirely on you, the general within does not neglect to plot the ways he will repay you for this kindness, this satisfaction when you allow him to do so. 

[gothicbabydollz]

𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬

(*) contains smut

Last updated - 18th Aug 23

~~~

sub!dorian x reader x manon*

dom!manon + edging*

the thirteen’s plaything*

best friend’s!dad gavriel

lorcan x pregnant!reader + lactation kink*

poly!elorcan + sucking lorcan’s cock*

happy father’s day - gavriel*

dom!rowan*

[house-of-galathynius]

Only You ~ Rowaelin

A Rowaelin fanfic, set if Aelin’s parents had lived and she had met Rowan under normal circumstances, if Erawan and Maeve weren’t threats. Hope you enjoy!

*Two updates in one day?? Who am I? 

@jesstargaryenqueen @sailorsassley @sjmships @tomtenadia @endlessdaydream @aflickeringsoul @tillyrubes10 @fredweasleyhasadhd @rowaelin-cressworth @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @rowaelinismyotp @rosegoldannie @maryberry @viajandosinalas @becarefuloflove @allthebooksunderthemoon @sheharahu @swankii-art-teacher @superspiritfestival

Chapter Sixteen ~ Relenting

Chapter Fifteen ~ Chapter Seventeen

Aelin returned to her rooms, surprised to find her mother lounging in a chair, sipping on a steaming cup of tea. 

“The guards informed me that you and Rowan left for the city earlier. If you had wanted to have some time for the two of you, we could have moved some things around.” 

Aelin joined her mother on the couch, taking her own cup and pouring the steaming liquid into it. She took a long sip, savouring the warmth, before placing it back on the end table and turning to her mother. 

“We have plenty of time together. There was just something we had to do.” 

“Would this have something to do with Lysandra?” 

Aelin didn’t look at her mother. Instead taking another sip of her tea. 

“Is there something your father and I should know?” 

She didn’t look at her mother as she spoke. “There may be a baby on the way.”

Aelin’s mother coughed as she placed the tea on the table. Her posture moving towards Aelin. She cleared her throat. “I hadn’t realised you and Rowan had…” 

Aelin’s eyes widened. “No! No.” She shook her head. “I’m not… you thought I was pregnant?” 

“It is usual after mating to… consummate the bond. Much like you would after getting married.” 

Aelin cringed. She had always been close to her mother, but when it came to talking about relationships, it has always been a topic neither had wanted to approach. She had had the standard talk when she had come of age, and when she had been courting other men her mother had insisted on going on a tonic just in case. 

“I am not pregnant, mamma. Rowan and I haven’t… taken that step yet.” 

Evalin looked surprised at the confession, but quickly schooled her face back to normal. “It’s good to know that Rowan is respecting your boundaries. And I must say I am slightly relieved that you’re not pregnant. You’re so young, you have plenty of time.” 

Aelin hummed in agreement and took another sip of the tea. Her mother paused a moment, her eyes widening in realisation. “Lysandra is expecting?” 

Aelin nodded. “Aedion is the father.” 

Evalin stood from the sofa, a hand going to her forehead. Aelin did nothing as her mother stared into the fire and processed. 

“Where are they now? Is Lysandra okay?” 

“Lysandra is going to stay with Sam for a while in the city. She doesn’t want everyone to know yet. So until she is ready to tell people I have been tasked in figuring out what to do.” 

Evalin paced in front of the fire. “Aedion has not proposed marriage? It seems like the sensible thing to do.” 

“You know Lysandra. She is worried what people will think and with my marrying for alliances out of the picture, the lords believe it should fall to Aedion.” 

Her mother waved a hand. “Nonsense. I’ll have Orlon speak with them regarding Aedion. Terrasen will find other ways to build relationships. What is more important is everyone’s happiness.”

Aelin huffed out a laugh at her mothers ranting. 

“Whatever they decide, I should prepare new accommodation for Lysandra. Perhaps we’ll move her closer to you. There is an empty suite that would be perfect, I can organise some new furniture to be brought in.” 

Aelin let her mother finish before speaking. “Before you start getting too excited, let’s just give Lysandra some time to process. In the meantime we can speak to Orlon.” 

“Of course.” Her mother smiled to herself. “Oh this is exciting. I honestly thought Elide and Lorcan would be the first to have a child.” 

Aelin rolled her eyes slightly. If her mother was like this with Lysandra… then what would she be like when she eventually announced her and Rowan were expecting. The thought sent a pang through her. The image of Rowan holding a baby was jarring, one she had not envisioned until now. And it maybe it was the mating bond, or just the love she held for Rowan, but she warmed at the idea of a family with him. 

Evalin smiled at her. “I know that look.” 

Aelin pretended to look confused.

“One day, Aelin. But enjoy the time you have with him now, get to know each other a little more. You have plenty of time.” Her mother stroked Aelin’s hair in a soothing manner. “I’m proud of you, Fireheart.” 

The women stood, Aelin snuffing out the candles that were flickering on the desk and nightstand, calming the flames in the fireplace, lowering them until they were embers. A good way for her to siphon off bits of her magic when she had gone too long without using it. 

Aelin followed her mother out of the room, shivering at the loss of warmth. They meandered through the palace until they reached Orlon’s office. Her father was already seated in a chair, the two of them murmuring about something, their eyes scanning over papers that were laid on the solid oak desk. 

When Aelin and her mother entered the men looked up from their documents. Her father smiled brightly at her, Orlon giving her a nod and his own small smile. 

“My two favourite ladies.” 

Evalin laughed and walked over to kiss her husband. Aelin liked seeing them this way, she had seen enough unhappy marriages in her life to know how lucky she was that her parents had chosen to be together and not matched by someone else— and that Aelin herself had managed to escape that fate. 

“To what do we owe the pleasure? I had thought you would be attending to Lysandra.” Orlon gave her a knowing look. He was under no illusion to the fact she had lied to him this morning. 

Aelin gave him a sheepish grin. “That’s actually why we’re here. I need to discuss something with you all.” 

Evalin took a seat next to her father, whilst Aelin made herself comfortable. 

“Will whatever you have to tell me need damage control?” Orlon gave her a pained look. One she had seen many times over her short life.

She grimaced. “Potentially.” 

Orlon rubbed his forehead. “Aelin…” 

“Lysandra has discovered she is going to have a child. Aedion is the father.” 

Orlon looked to her parents, her father in his own state of shock. “Did you both know about this?” 

Her father shook his head. Her mother smiled sheepishly at Orlon. “I was informed just now.” 

Orlon stood from his chair, resting his hands on the desk. He didn’t speak for a moment, assessing Aelin, thinking over what she had just told him. 

When Orlon still hadn’t said anything, Aelin continued, “Lysandra does not want to cause a fuss, and has gone to stay with Sam in the city for the time being. But I came to you because I know since my mating I have made things slightly more difficult in regards to alliances.” 

“No one is angry at you Aelin.” 

She smiled. “I know. My point was that Aedion is now being considered for fulfilling what I couldn’t… but I am asking you to consider giving your blessing and convincing the other lords that Aedion should be allowed to marry whomever he chooses.” She paused a moment, her mother nodding in agreement, as her father and Orlon listened intently. “Lysandra would marry Aedion if he asked, but she’s afraid of the repercussions and also knows that many of the lords would not agree to it.” 

Orlon considered her words for a moment. The room in silence, save for the quiet footsteps of people walking outside the office. 

“The lords are not to know she is with-child?” 

Aelin shook her head. “She would prefer if it was kept a secret for now.” 

“That does make it slightly harder. But with your mating ceremony and wedding… and my upcoming announcement, I’m sure I can convince them, or at least get them to overlook it. With so many other things happening, they will be distracted.” 

Aelin did not react to his mention of an announcement. No more had been said about Orlon’s stepping down since she had been been in the healing wing and Aelin hadn’t been rushing to bring it up herself. 

“I’ll deal with this Aelin. You should focus on the planning, I was meant to inform you yesterday that the mating ceremony is being brought forward, it’ll be in one week.” Orlon came around the front of his desk, stopping in front of her. “We will follow the old ways, you and Rowan will have a week after mating to yourselves— we have prepared one of the cottages just outside the city for the two of you. But when you return, I’m afraid things will start to move quickly. Your wedding will be two weeks after Yulemas ball.” 

She nodded. “I understand.” 

“I’ll leave it to you to inform Rowan.” 

She removed herself from the sofa she had been sat on and bowed to Orlon. She turned to leave, pausing when Orlon spoke once again.

“I’ll sort everything out for Lysandra.” 

Aelin smiled gratefully. She bowed once more to Orlon and did the same to her parents, who had been unusually quiet. She was sure there would be words about this from her father at some point. 

She closed the door behind her and sauntered down the hallway, people curtsied to her as she walked past. The snow had started to ease since earlier and she found herself grateful for the reprieve in the harsh Terrasen weather. With Lysandra gone and Aelin having already told Orlon she would be unavailable today, she wandered the halls for a while longer. She strolled toward the kitchen where the smell of fresh bread and pastries wafted. As a child she had always been told off for sneaking into the kitchens and convincing the cooks to give her extra sweets. And as she’d grown older she did not frequent there so much, but occasionally she would pass by, the cooks always giving her something anyway. Today they handed her a plate with the warm bread and honey drizzled over it. 

She perched on a stool in the corner of the kitchens, out of the way, but still able to watch as the cooks flittered around, their hands kneading and chopping. The smells were heavenly. Garlic and onions soon filled her nostrils, then the delicious scent of roast chicken. Her mouth was practically watering. But still she sat, offering to help here and there, when she saw the flames dying, she easily reignited them, the cooks thanking her. 

She sat for a while longer, nibbling on the last of her bread and honey, before finally going to the sink to wash her plate and exiting the kitchens. She wasn’t sure where she headed next, but she caught the scent of pine and snow and felt the pull of the bond. Aelin arrived outside Rowan’s rooms. She had never actually set foot inside, at least not while they had been Rowan’s quarters. 

She knocked on the door, and warmed as she heard Rowan’s voice. 

He was sat by the desk, scribbling something down on parchment, barely looking up when she entered. The room was warm and Aelin noted the shirt thrown over the chair and the piles of books stacked by his bedside. 

She stopped behind him, her hands going to his shoulders— touching him was second nature now, whenever she neared him it was impossible not to let her hand slip into his or for her arm to brush against his own. Every touch was electric and she could feel the bond pulsing between them. Sometimes she didn’t know if it was the bond, or just the simmering sexual tension that was between them. 

The furthest they had gone was still only kissing, Rowan still refused to take her before they had mated officially, and it was driving her insane. She had tried many different tricks to try and get him to cave, including wearing a scandalous nightgown that she had planned on reserving for her wedding night… but she had seen Rowan sprawled on her bed, wearing little to nothing himself, and she had to try. All it had done was frustrate them both more, and Rowan had excused himself and came back ten minutes later with wet hair and a sheepish look on his face. 

She pushed the thoughts aside and pulled her focus back to the male in front of her. 

“Where did you go in Orynth?” She rubbed his shoulders, sliding her hands down the front of his shirt and leaning her head on his shoulder. 

Rowan stopped writing and turned around, pulling Aelin onto his lap so she straddled him. 

“You’ll find out soon enough.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve arranged for us to have dinner alone this evening. I hope you don’t mind.” 

Aelin hummed in response as she kissed his neck, slowly moving to place kisses over his chin, his cheeks, his forehead. Rowan’s eyes fluttered closed as he leaned into them. Aelin placed her mouth over his, the kiss meant to be sweet and soft, but Rowan gathered her closer and deepened it. Their noses brushing as they fell into the kiss, her hands in his hair, his fingers gripping her waist. 

Her breathing was heavy as Rowan swiftly picked her up and strode over to the bed, placing her down gently on the end. His body came over hers, she blinked up at him, a smile playing on the corner of her mouth. She saw the desire in his eyes and scented exactly what he wanted. 

“Just give in.” 

He shook his head as he studied her. She remained lying beneath him, Rowan bracing his hands to the side of her head. Aelin leaned up to kiss his mouth once. Then again. 

Rowan sighed, letting her take control. She pulled at his shirt as she moved up the bed, Rowan crawling along with her, their chests touching, their lips still together. Her heart was hammering in her chest, the feel of him against her setting her on fire. 

She kissed his face, yanking at the bottom of his shirt to pull it off. “Please, Rowan.” 

He didn’t stop her as she finally got the shirt free, pulling it over his head. 

Gods. 

She ran her hands over his chest, his skin warm against her fingertips. His muscles flexed as he held himself above her, Aelin let her hands wander to his arms, to his back. She couldn’t stop touching him, the feel of his soft skin was enough to send her wild. 

Rowan’s own heart was beating just as fast. He watched her as she touched him, exploring him. She stopped a moment, looking back at him. She gave him a wicked smile before pulling her own blouse off. Throwing it to the floor beside her. 

Rowan did not move as he took in her naked torso. 

She slid her hand along her stomach and up as she moved it to her breast, rolling her nipple between her fingers.

She had never seen Rowan move so fast. One second she was free and teasing him, the next he had her hands pinned above her, his mouth moving to where she had just been playing. He took her nipple in his mouth, sucking and flicking with his tongue. Aelin groaned in pleasure, her body writhing beneath him, needing more skin, less clothes. 

He moved his mouth to her other breast, repeating what he had just done, and she felt every nerve in her body come alive, goosebumps erupting on her skin. 

Rowan kissed and nibbled his way down her stomach, he took one of his hands away, holding her wrists with one, the other coming down to unbutton her pants. She wanted, no needed Rowan between her legs, she wanted his mouth to lick and suck and send her to oblivion. She wanted him deep inside her, she needed to feel him move inside her, to have their bodies together as one. 

Rowan almost growled as he set her free, leaving her completely naked on the bed. The way Rowan looked at her… she had never felt more exposed or more beautiful in her entire life. 

She let her legs fall open wider, allowing him to see all of her. She could see the bulge in his pants growing, straining against the fabric. Rowan did not move, so Aelin brought her hand down, letting her fingers move in circles against her core. She could see the struggle on Rowan’s face as he battled with himself— he had wanted to wait— but she knew that she was making it impossible for him to stay strong. 

She stroked herself, smiling at Rowan, taunting him with her own touches. 

It took half a second before Rowan was pulling off his own pants, crawling up the bed and crashing his mouth against her own. The kiss was rough and tantalising and she loved every moment of it. His length brushed against her leg and she grinned, her hands wandering until she wrapped around him and started to move. He let out a groan and let his own hands find her centre. Aelin sighed as his fingers replaced where she had been moments before, moving in just the right way that sent sparks through her. 

Rowan kissed her as he slipped a finger inside, she moaned, which seemed to be enough encouragement. He added another one, filling her more, pumping his fingers in and out. Her own hand was still wrapped around Rowan and she increased her speed, loving the way he felt in her palm. Rowan let out his own moans of pleasure as they both touched each other frantically, finally giving into it all.

Aelin arched her back, letting her breasts slide against Rowan’s stomach, his fingers still pleasuring her, she shifted slightly to kiss him again, then she pulled away, directing Rowan to lay on his back. 

She crawled over him, straddling him, going back to his length, slowly teasing her hand up and down. She enjoyed watching him squirm beneath her, his breathing heavy as she played with him. She gave a couple more strokes before she bent down and wrapped her mouth around him, going to the base and slowly back up. At the feel of her mouth Rowan let out a groan, his hands clasping her head to steady her. 

Aelin licked his length, savouring his taste as she sucked the tip, letting her tongue slide over it. Rowan bucked beneath her, she took it as encouragement and took him entirely in her mouth, her hand at his base following her mouth up and down as she picked up her pace. She found her rhythm and kept going until Rowan was writhing beneath her, his hands tangled in her hair. 

“I’m close.” 

Aelin lifted her head slightly to look at him, and she felt satisfaction as she took him in— eyes closed and his chest rising and falling quickly. 

“I didn’t tell you to stop.” He practically growled.

She grinned and went back to him, taking his length in her mouth once again, sucking and licking and touching. Rowan held her breast in his hand, squeezing and flicking his thumb over her nipple until she was crawling up his body and taking his mouth to her own. The kiss was manic, a fight of lips, teeth and tongue as they tried to get enough of the other. 

Aelin was reaching behind her, finding his length. She didn’t break eye contact with Rowan as she positioned herself above him, both of them anticipating the joining— the mating bond practically singing at the promise of what was to come. 

Aelin began to sink down, his tip teasing her entrance. 

Three knocks at the door, then a voice calling out. “Your highness?” 

[seasonofthewicth]

kings and queens

a smutty rowaelin halloween oneshot

(if smut isn’t your thing you can still read, just finish when Aelin says ‘you’)

my masterlist

------ 

The clear gems on her crown shone in the dim, evening light. She had found the crown a week ago in a thrift store and the moment Aelin had seen it she knew it was perfect. It rose up from her golden waves to reach three peaks, the middle slightly taller than the two either side, and they were each topped with shimmering imitation diamonds. A far better find than any useless piece of trash she could have found in a costume store.

Aelin didn’t do costumes by half. The dress she wore was a deep red velvet, with a corset style top that helped to give her chest a boost and a gold lace trim that she knew would draw the eye. It had a short but flowing skirt that hit mid-thigh, showing a peek of the border of her thigh high stockings. She had painted her lips a bold red to match the dress and her eyes were lined with heavy black.

Dressing up as a queen for Halloween didn’t mean she had to be a maiden.

Aelin always went all out for Halloween, but her costumes were never gimmicky. She could find a way to make the dorkiest of ideas sexy to make sure she felt good and more importantly, looked hot.

“You ready?” She heard her roommate and best friend Lysandra call. “Aedion just texted asking where we are.”

Aelin grabbed her small shoulder bag off her bed, her only out of character item for the evening, and left her room to meet Lysandra in the hallway between their rooms. They shared a small two bedroom apartment off campus, it was far from luxury, but it was their space and she loved it. Since meeting Lysandra in her first year of college she hadn’t lived with anyone else.

Lysandra was leaning against the wall, fully dressed in her own costume. She wore a dress with a tight green bodice and a short but full skirt that flowed as she moved. Her hair was piled atop her head in a messy bun and her make-up was peachy and subtle. Tinkerbell.

Aedion had invited them to the party he was hosting in his own house off campus that he shared with a few roommates. Aelin had spent most of her first and second years at college tucked away in that house spending time with her cousin and his friends, she loved his friend Fenrys who shared her appreciation for all things devilish and she had been close with his other housemate Dorian. She and Dorian had shared a mutual attraction but had quickly moved past it to become as thick as thieves and he had been one of her best friends.

The time she spent there had plummeted in her third year when Dorian moved out after his graduation and Rowan Whitethorn moved in, filling the spare room. Aelin hated Rowan Whitethorn with a burning passion. He was arrogant, hot-headed and spiteful, all traits she despised.

The first time they had met she had thought they could have been friends, he got along well with Aedion as did she, but he had opened his mouth to let her know his thoughts on the opinions she had shared in a political theory class she hadn’t even known he was in, and that had been it.

Since that day she noted his presence in the same class, and they would share verbal barbs and taunts every week. She knew it made the other attendees of the class uncomfortable and even the professor leading the sessions seemed at a loss with the sparring students. Aelin couldn’t even understand why they would argue, no matter whether or not she agreed with his point the sound of his voice, the rich and swirling Wendlyn accent would set her off.

Aedion had tried to bridge the gap somewhat, playing moderator to their fights whenever they crossed paths, but ultimately even her easy-going cousin couldn’t fight the fire Rowan made her burn.

She knew he would be there tonight, but she wouldn’t let him ruin what was predicted to turn into a great night, especially not on Halloween when she looked so good. Aedion’s teammates from the football team would likely be there, and it wouldn’t take her long to find someone to distract her from Rowan’s presence.

------

The music at the party could be heard from down the road, and as they walked up the path she took in the decorations in the front yard. Someone had strung spider webs through the branches of the twisting tree in the corner and there were fluorescent lights shining orange and green in all directions. There were people in all kinds of costumes spilling into the street as she and Lysandra battled their way into the front door.

They edged their way into the kitchen, pushing past groups of already intoxicated revellers to fix themselves a drink.

Once in the kitchen a loud cry caught their attention.

“Ladies!” Fenrys shouted to them, his voice booming over the music. He reached them and tugged them each under an arm, pulling them into an extravagantly painted but otherwise bare chest.

“What are you?” She yelled.

“I’m your dreams come true,” He gave her shoulders a squeeze as she and Lysandra both rolled their eyes at his proclamation. Fenrys was an ass but they loved him for it.

“Have you seen Aedion?” Lysandra yelled in his ear as she twisted to search for a cup and a drink.

“So desperate to leave me when you’ve only just arrived?” He raised a hand to his chest in mock offense but released them and turned to find them each a drink.

“The vision of you is burning my eyes so bad I’m desperate to get away,” Lysandra told him as they accepted the drinks he handed to them. Fenrys only stuck his tongue out at her, seemingly too drunk to bother trying to come up with a better response.

“I think he was in the main room with Rowan and Lorcan.” He told them before saluting them and venturing back into the throng of moving bodies.

Aelin raised her glass in a toast to Lysandra before taking her first sip and tugging Lysandra to find her cousin.

It only took a minute to spot her cousin, his golden hair spilling out of a small brown cap tucked onto the top of his head. She took in the green tights and tunic before sending a sharp glance at Lysandra. She hadn’t known they had planned a couple’s costume, but one look at Aedion told her he was clearly the Peter Pan to Lysandra’s Tinkerbell.

She took in the two males stood next to her cousin, opposites in their exterior, light and dark, Rowan and Lorcan. Lorcan had made the safe choice, a black mask pushed up onto his forehead the only part of his Batman costume that was out of place.

The sight of Rowan Whitethorn had her blood boiling. He wore a deep green velvet cape and a glowing golden crown atop his silver locks. She was going to kill him, how dare he come as a King to the same party she was dressed as a Queen.

She was vaguely aware of Lysandra slipping up to Aedion and Lorcan’s brief greeting and dismissal as he sought out his crush, Elide, before she was marching up to Whitethorn and hissing in his face.

“What are you wearing?” Her voice was tight.

“Hello to you too, Princess,” He drawled, tipping his chin down to look her directly in the eye.

“I’m not a princess,” She snapped, feeling her anger bubble in her throat. “I’m a Queen.”

“You look like a princess to me,” His voice was as smug as the smirk that spread across his face, showing rows of straight white teeth, canines flashing in the light. He reached a hand up to poke at her crown. “Especially with your little tiara.”

She slapped his hand away. “It is a crown!”

“Sure it is, Princess.” He was making her blood pound in her ears, the sounds of the party fading into the background and she stepped closer to him again, trying to crowd into his space, no matter the fact that he towered over her. She took a deep breath in, readying herself for the barrage of insults she could throw at him when a voice behind her pulled her out of the spell.

“Aelin, hi!”

Aelin turned her head to the side and spotted the source of the voice. Feyre Archeron. She and Aelin had shared an art class in the previous year and Feyre had been a natural, painting with smooth strokes of her brush where Aelin was all pointed jabs.

Failure in her artistic endeavour aside, Aelin liked Feyre, and she knew Aedion ran in the same circles as her boyfriend Rhys.

“Oh hey,” She smiled at Feyre with a small wave. Feyre seemed to take a moment before approaching, glancing between Rowan and Aelin.

It was then that Aelin noticed their proximity. Her body was fully pressed against the length of Rowan’s where she had managed to back him against the wall. The hard planes of his body sending an aura of warmth into her. Their faces were close enough to share a breath as she leaned up and he down. An outsider could easily assume they were lovers, and to Aelin’s horror it seemed an outsider did.

“I didn’t know you guys were together!” Feyre exclaimed and Aelin’s mouth dropped open. “And a King and Queen costume? Gods, such a great idea, I’ll have to tell Rhys for next year.”

Aelin couldn’t find the words. Her and Rowan? Her eyes flicked to his face and he seemed in a similar state of shock, pink lips slightly parted as he stared at Feyre.

When neither of them spoke Feyre blushed and before Aelin could find words she had disappeared into the crown. Aelin immediately took a step back, putting space between herself and Rowan, trying to ignore the way her body moaned at the lack of contact. It was Rowan rutting Whitethorn for Gods’ sake.

He seemed in a similar state to herself, arms frozen where they hovered at his sides, and she glanced around desperately seeking Lysandra but her and Aedion were gone.

“Fuck you,” She spat at Rowan and turned on her heel, pushing through the crowd, putting some much needed space between them and ignoring the way she desperately wanted to turn back.

------

She spent most of the party slipping between groups of people she knew, refilling her drink each time her cup emptied. She didn’t see Rowan again and spent at least an hour catching up with Yrene Towers and Manon Blackbeak in a toilet.

She shook her head, laughing at the unusual combinations alcohol and loud music could bring out in people. She was still yet to see Lysandra and Aedion again, poking her head into each room and looking for her best friend.

Once back at the kitchen, having searched each room she resolved to take a look outside, musing that as long as she spoke before she arrived she’d be unlikely to stumble upon anything she wished she wouldn’t have to witness between her cousin and best friend.

“Lysandra?” She called, wrapping her arms around her body as the chilled October air bit at her skin.

There was no response from her best friend, but a male voice reached her as she tucked the door shut behind herself.

“Unlucky for you, Princess, I’m the only one out here.”

Just her rutting luck. Rowan Whitethorn leaned back against the wall of the house, the butt of a mostly burned cigarette dangling between his fingertips. He threw it to the side as she took a step closer to him.

“Stop calling me princess,” She snapped, crossing her arms across her chest. She didn’t miss the way his eyes darted down to her chest, lingering a second before dragging themselves back up to her face.

“Why would I do that,” He pushed off from the wall taking a single step closer to her, “When it suits you so well?”

She rolled her eyes. “Suits me how?”

“Well, I think most people would probably describe princesses as spoiled and entitled.”

Despite his close proximity she unwrapped her arms from her chest and flashed him her middle finger. His own hand came up as fast as a flash of lightening, to grab her hand and wrap her fingers up in his own as he tugged slightly, knocking her off balance and she stumbled into him slightly.

“I’m not spoiled or entitled.” She mumbled, unable to draw her eyes away from his lips, now close enough that his warm breaths washed across her face.

“I’d beg to differ, Princess. Seems to me like you always get what you want.”

Her breathing had quickened, coming in short pants and gasps where he had her pressed against the cold wall of the house. His hand still wrapped around her own, burning her skin where he touched.

“I don’t always get what I want.” She whispered as he leant into her even further, bracing his free hand against the wall by her head. He cocked his head at her words.

“What could you possibly want that you haven’t got?” His voice was a seductive caress against her neck where he tilted his head down.

She didn’t let herself break eye-contact, her unyielding gaze staring him down.

“What I want,” She began, voice weak.

“Mhmm,” He hummed, the sound sending vibrations through her own chest.

“What I want is for you to take that damned costume off. I’m the Queen.”

He laughed; a dark sound filled with promise.

“Princess,” He drawled. “If you wanted me to take my clothes off you only had to ask. Don’t pretend it’s about some dumb costume.”

She gasped, frustrated to no end that he always managed to rile her so. Always left her speechless, her mind swimming with rage. Her body drowning in arousal at his closeness. Fuck.

She stared him down, his body now pressed along every inch of her own as he blocked her into the wall. His eyes flashed to her lips and she couldn’t hold herself back from doing the same. He seemed to be warring with himself, his expression pained as he stared into her eyes.

She took a breath, begging herself to do something, anything, but she was frozen.

A beat passed, and then he crashed his lips to hers.

He kissed her as furiously as he argued, his hand grasping her face hard and plunging his tongue into her mouth. She gasped and twisted her fingers into his hair in response, holding his face to her own, and she registered the clunk of his crown hitting the floor. Good.  

A fire spread through her veins as he kissed her, taking control and owning her completely. She allowed him, opening her mouth to him greedily as he nipped at her lips. She knew they would already be swollen.

He kissed her as if she was a prize to be won, as if he needed to or he would shatter. The desperation spreading through his hands as they roamed her body, slipping down her sides and back up to lightly brush the undersides of her breasts with his thumbs and back down again to tug her hips against his own.

He slid a thigh between her legs, and she writhed against the pressure, letting out a small cry as the sensation sent a jolt through her entire body, finishing with a flood of heat below her bellybutton.

He drew back with a gasp, panting. He only got as far as she let him, her fingers still twisted through his silver strands as he pressed his forehead against her own.

“Fuck.” He growled, tucking his chin to bury his face in her neck. She tugged at his hair, begging for him to do more than just press his lips gently against the soft skin of her throat. “What is it that you want, Princess?” He asked again.

She tugged his face back to meet her gaze, vaguely aware of her crown slipping from her head as she looked up at him.

“You.”

------

Back at her apartment he crowded her against the door, his heat behind her and a delightful pressure against her lower back had her fumbling with her keys in the lock. She had managed to shoot Lysandra a quick text letting her know she was leaving, knowing her best friend would be safe with Aedion when Aelin left.

When Aelin left with Rowan Whitethorn. Shit.

He had been a storm she hadn’t seen coming, kissing her with a passion that burned all the way to the soles of her feet. He pressed her back against the door once they were inside, leaning down to kiss her hard and fast. His tongue lavishing sweeping strokes that lit a fire inside of her.

He pressed his knee between her legs and this time she didn’t hold herself back from rocking against it, letting out a breathy moan as she pulled back, tilting her head back until it hit the door with a thud.

He pressed hot and wet kisses down her jaw until he reached her neck, nipping and sucking his way down. The sensation sent her wild, drawing short gasps from her lips with every press of his tongue and scrape of his teeth.

His hands burned a path down her side, not stopping with a brush against her chest this time, instead wrapping her breast in one of his large hands and squeezing sharply. She bucked her hips against his thigh as he rubbed a thumb across her nipple. Rowan let out a dark rumble of laughter at her reaction and did it again, timing it perfectly with a swipe of his tongue up the side of her neck.

He bent down slightly, sliding a hand down her thigh until he reached the crook of her knee and straightened, wrapping her leg around his waist and pressing his hips firmly into the gap he had created.

She let out a moan, slamming her head into the door again as he pressed his lips to hers again. The pressure of his hips was firm, burning against her core, and his lips were relentless as he licked into her mouth aggressively as she fisted her hand in his cape.

She pulled back, panting.

“You need to take this off.” She yanked even harder on the cape and he grinned, hands leaving her leg and chest to loosen the clasp at his neck. He didn’t stop there, reaching down to the hem of his shirt and pulling it off his body in one sharp motion.

Her mouth went dry at the expanse of tanned skin now exposed. His chest was covered in firm muscle and down his left arm swept a swirling and intricate tattoo. She traced a line across his shoulder with a finger, transfixed by the beauty of his body.

His hand flashed out to grab her by the chin, tilting her face up to look at him.

“You too, Princess.”

His fingers left her chin, trailing a torturously slow path down her neck and across her chest to rest at the knot at the top of her corset top. The sheer possession in his touch had her grinding her hips against him, desperate for any kind of relief.

Undeterred, he slowly wound one of the laces around a finger and bit his lip as he took in her heaving chest.  Her skin was flushed as her heart pounded beneath.

Torturously slow he pulled the string, unravelling the only closure of her top. His deft fingers loosened the ties as the red fabric slid away to reveal her heaving chest and full breasts. His dark eyes devoured the exposed skin and his tongue darted out to moisten his lower lip.

His head ducked down as he slowly wrapped his lips around a peaked nipple, tongue swirling around the sensitive flesh. Her head fell back to the door again as she moaned and her hand flew behind her, trying to find any purchase on the flat surface.

He hummed against her skin, the vibration sending sparks down to her core. His thumb found her other breast, flicking her nipple hard. She groaned, pressing her hips into his own, becoming desperate.

She laced her hands through his hair as he looked up at her, lips still around her, and she groaned pulling his head up.

“Bedroom, now,” She said breathlessly as she pushed him away from herself and pressed away from the door, dropping the rest of her dress to pool around her feet. Rowan was silent as he took her in, his eyes trailing a burning path from her face to the tips of her toes.

At the sight she trailed a feather-light touch across the front of his trousers where they strained against his hardness. He groaned at the touch, his head tipping back and the vein in the side of his neck straining.

“Bedroom,” He growled and grabbed her by the waist.

------

Rowan laid her down on her bed, having lost his trousers along the way. She lay bare for him, only a thin pair of black panties prevented her from being exposed entirely.

His head tilted as his predatory stare assessed her.

“You look so good like this Princess,” his voice was raw as he crawled up the bed between her legs, resting his weight against her body and pressing her into the mattress. “We really should find you that tiara again.”

She rolled her eyes but tugged his face to hers. Pressing her lips against his firmly, his short stubble scratching against her cheeks in the most delicious way. He braced a hand by her head, supporting his weight, and the other brushed down her body, starting at the base of her throat until his index finger pressed gently against her centre.

He let out a moan at the dampness of the dark fabric and he swiped a long stroke over the line of her folds. Aelin bit her lip, trying to hold in the moan that his electric touch elicited. Her hips shifted at his teasing, raising them to try and press further into his touch, but he only laughed against her lips.

He nipped her lower lip, the pressure almost painful, but it sent another wave of arousal through her.

Slowly he slid his finger beneath the fabric, pressing a finger into her and the heavy pressure had her fisting her hands in the sheets. His tongue swept into her mouth again as he pumped his finger inside her, slipping a second in a moment later. His thumb came up to press against the apex of her thighs, the friction sending sparks through her entire body as he swirled his thumb against the sensitive bundle of nerves.

She broke away from the kiss to moan, twisting her face to the side, unable to focus on anything other than the sensations he was creating. The delightful pleasure his fingers were creating as his mouth pressed hot, open mouthed kisses down her throat.

“Please,” She gasped, and she felt his lips against her neck curve into a smile.

“Please what?” His voice was playful as he teased her, pulling his hand back leaving her clenching around air.

“You know what. Dick.” She snapped, tugging his head up to look at her.

“Now, now, princess,” He carded his fingers through her hair, twisting them into the strands at the base of her head before pulling hard. “Remember to use your manners.”

She gasped again, back arching off the bed to press her body against his. He ground his hips against her own, the hard length of him catching against the spot she needed most.

He nipped at the skin on her neck before pulling back, tugging her panties down her legs, wasting no time before shucking off his own briefs revealing the full length of him to her. Her eyes rolled back at the sight.

He tucked himself back between her legs, pressing the tip lightly at her entrance. Her hips bucked up as he grabbed a hold of her chin.

“Condom?” He asked, his voice low.

“I’m on the pill.” She breathed, rolling her hips, urging him to hurry.

He groaned, lining himself up and pressing into her as he crashed his lips to hers.

Her mind cleared at the sensation, thinking only of where he filled and stretched her. The brief flash of pain sinking into a burning pleasure. He paused his hips, allowing her to adjust, but still pressed his lips to hers. His togue sweeping into her mouth.

She sank her nails into the skin of his broad shoulders, urging him to move and he eagerly obliged, snapping his hips into hers with a force so strong the bed crashed against the wall, rhythmic thuds in time with his thrusts.

Her skin was on fire as he pounded into her, drawing breathy moans from her throat as she clung to him in desperation. Rowan’s hands tightened on her hips, owning her with his touch as he moaned low in her ear and nipped her lobe with his teeth.

Rowan tugged one of her legs up to tuck it over his hip, changing the pace and thrusting into her wildly. Aelin clung to him, fingernails pressing crescent moons into his shoulders as his hands dug into the flesh of her thighs.

His pace became frantic as he brought one hand around between their bodies, swirling his thumb over her clit. Her breath hitched in her throat as he growled.

“Come on, Princess.”

His words sent her over the edge, shattering around him with a cry. She felt him increase his pace and he bit sharply into her shoulder as he came sending another wave of pleasure through her.

He ghosted his lips over hers a final time as he pulled out gently before lying next to her on the bed and pulling her into his side, wrapping a broad arm around her shoulders. She pressed her face to his chest, hiding her satisfied smile.

“I still think you’re a dick,” She muttered eventually, interrupting the easy silence.

His laughter rumbled through her, shaking the bed they lay on.

“That’s okay,” He said squeezing her hip. “I still think you’re a princess.”

[leiawritesstories]

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: ROLFE STRIKES AGAIN

MASTERLIST

Word count: 2.6k

Warnings: language, lots of naughty jokes, slight NSFW, possible small angst

Enjoy!

A/N: @heirofflowers I think your chapter endings have negatively influenced me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aelin and Rowan met the Terrasen and the Doranelle at Perranth only a few days after their ships had arrived at the port, docking to much laughter, catcalls, and hooting from their respective crews. Aelin caught more than one wolf whistle, most likely directed at the way she leant into Rowan’s side, playing up the whole idea that he’d made her unable to walk. 

Which, of course, he had. 

But nobody needed to know the details. 

“Lookin’ good, Cap!” Manon crowed, the Second Mate winking bawdily at Aelin as she swung herself over the Terrasen’s railing. 

“Fuck off,” Aelin laughed, flipping the woman a crude gesture. 

Manon just smirked. “Actually, Cap, that’s you.” 

“Gods above,” Aelin groaned, chucking a loose coil of line at her fellow pirate. “Remind me why the hell I keep you around?” 

“Entertainment,” Lysandra snickered, wiggling her brows aggressively. 

Aelin snorted. “Babe, that’s why we have Aedion.” She flashed the surgeon a grin. “As you know.” 

“Shut up!” Lys’s cheeks flared pink. 

Aelin blew her a kiss. “Oh, I’m not making a joke, I want little nieces and nephews.” 

“Fucking gods,” Aedion groaned, clamping his hands over his ears. “Really?!” 

“Your own damn fault for choosing to hear it,” she returned, merciless. “OY!” she bellowed, pulling the attention of her scattered crew to her. 

A chorus of “yeah, Cap?” echoed around the deck. 

“Stock up and all that shit, and then go have fun!” she commanded, winking slyly. “Just be back in a week or so, yeah? I’ve heard there’s gonna be a convoy passing the Isles round about then.” 

Raucous laughter and a smattering of crude jokes from her crew. “Aye, Cap!” Feet thundered against the wooden planks of the deck as the pirates swarmed off the ship, leaving behind a chosen handful to guard her, and headed into Perranth to restock the stores of the Terrasen and the Doranelle as well as the stores of lust running rampant among the pirates. 

Too long at sea, apparently. 

She sauntered down the gangplank once the throng of rowdy pirates had dispersed, thinking over what the best plan of action would be--go to the offices first and make sure shit hadn’t been stolen, or go to the first tavern she found for a good strong pint of Perranth ale? 

As it turned out, option three was the winner. Option three involved the man who wound his muscled arms around her waist the moment her booted feet hit the cobbled streets of Perranth and pressed a teasing kiss to the back of her neck. 

“Hullo, love,” Rowan purred into her ear, his low rumble making her nerve endings dance. 

“Hullo, Captain,” she hummed right back, arching herself into him so the curve of her ass rocked up against the growing hardness in his pants. 

He hissed softly, hands bracing against her hips and restricting her movement enough that she couldn’t continue to tease him. “Aelin.” 

She fluttered her eyelashes. “Rowan.” 

“We’re in plain fucking sight,” he murmured. 

She winked wickedly. “I think you mean fucking in plain sight, love.” 

He inhaled sharply, the heat and hardness of him pressing up into her back. “And here I thought you weren’t an exhibitionist, Captain.” 

Her smirk broadened. “Alleys are hardly exhibitions, buzzard.” 

And that was how she found herself pressed against the rough brick exterior of the closest building, her head thrown back and her legs locked around Rowan’s waist as he pounded into her, his lips attached to her neck, alternating teasing, biting kisses with sinful whispers into her skin, rough and filthy and oh so, so glorious. “Fuck,” she groaned, “so good, so good!” 

“So fuckin’ perfect,” he ground out, his breath hitching as his pace sped up even more, feeling both of them hurtling toward orgasm. “Fuck baby, I love you.” 

“Love you more,” she moaned, her own hand snaking between her legs to join his fingers teasing her clit, the pressure all she needed to tumble into the throes of her orgasm, her whole body tensing and loosing with the force of her climax. Rowan groaned into her collarbone as he spilled into her, chest heaving as his body stilled, his heartbeat calming. 

“So naughty,” he whispered into her sensitive skin as they both righted themselves, tucking clothing back where it belonged. “Who’d have dreamed the fearsome Captain Galathynius was so dirty?” 

“Same people who knew the fearsome Captain Whitethorn was such a good boy,” she hummed, her eyes gleaming as she traced a finger along the edge of the knife strapped to her thigh. 

He swallowed harshly, linking his hand with hers as she strode out of the alley and led him towards her office building. “Is that a promise, Captain?” 

“You know what you like, love.” 

~

It had taken some convincing, but Aelin and Rowan had eventually made it downstairs and out to the pub to meet their inner circles, who of course greeted the two captains with great whooping and whistling. 

“Told you!” Fenrys crowed, smacking Rowan’s shoulder. “Told you to fu--” 

“Finish that sentence, I dare you,” Rowan all but growled, punching the blonde, but not with any actual force behind the hit. 

“All I was saying is, it worked,” Fen snickered, winking. “Need some restitution, Cap?” 

“Shut the fuck up, Fen.” 

Lorcan whacked Rowan on the back. “Boyo’s not wrong, Whitethorn. Y’need some food if you’re gonna keep us up all night with your moans.” 

“Fuck off,” Rowan grouched, flagging down the bartender for a round of beers and some whiskey. 

He’d need it to put up with his friends’ rowdiness. 

Aelin squeezed his thigh as he plopped down next to her. “Don’t be too grumpy, Ro, it’s all in good fun.” She flashed him a tiny, lewd grin. “Besides, they know you can make me moan loud enough for them to hear.” 

“Gods,” Rowan groaned, snatching a pint from the tray plunked down atop the table and taking a deep draft to hide his flush. “You’re bad, love.” 

“So punish me,” she purred, throwing back a shot of whiskey. 

Rowan nearly choked on his beer. 

Elide pounded her fist on the table. “Get a fuckin’ room!” 

“Already did, darling,” Aelin crooned. 

“Fucking gods!” Aedion cried, “I’m right here!” 

“We know,” Aelin grinned. 

“You’re awful,” her cousin grumbled, draining his beer. 

“You love it,” Lys snickered, slyly running her fingers up her husband’s thigh beneath the tabletop. Which rattled as his knee slammed into the underside of the old wooden table, the pints and glasses clinking. 

“Someone’s quick off the mark,” Aelin snickered, sending the whole place into rowdy laughter and bawdy jokes as Aedion’s cheeks flared crimson. 

“Shut up!” he squawked. 

She saluted him with her pint. “Cheers, Aeds!” 

~

Humming the last few bars of the last song the pirates had bellowed at the pub, Aelin leant into Rowan’s side as they made their way back to her offices. Rowan’s arm was warm and solid around her waist, his thumb tracing circles against her skin and only adding to her sleepiness. 

He chuckled when she let out a jaw-cracking yawn. “Sleepy, Fireheart?” 

“Hardly,” she mumbled, though she let out no protest when he scooped her into his arms and carried her into the building and up the stairs, depositing her gently on the end of her bed and helping her out of her clothes. 

Though that may just have been an excuse to watch her undress. 

She wasn’t complaining, though, not as he stripped out of his clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor as he tucked her under the covers and slipped in beside her, cocooning his body around hers. She certainly didn’t protest when he wrapped his arms around her--though by some coincidence, his hands ended up cupping her breasts--and kissed the top of her head as she drifted into sated sleep. 

Nor did she miss his softly whispered I love you. 

~

“Piss off,” Aelin grumbled, halfheartedly waving one hand in the general direction of whoever the fuck was trying to wake her up. 

Rowan’s soft, rumbling chuckle brought her into some semblance of groggy consciousness. “Message for you, love.” 

She groaned something filthy and extended her hand. “Gimme.” 

“Such impatience, Captain” he teased, dropping a kiss against her palm before placing the message tube in her hand. 

She mumbled something incoherent as she opened the tube and scanned the brief message. “Fucking hell.” 

“What is it?” 

“Summons. Again. Fuckin’ Rolfe, what the fuck does he want now?” 

Rowan sighed. “I don’t fuckin’ know, maybe he’s gonna do what he should’ve done years ago and blow up the whole Navy?” 

“You wish,” Aelin snorted, swinging herself out of bed. “Shit, we just got here!” 

“So let’s wait an extra day,” he offered, catching her wrist. “We can make up the time at sea, yeah?” 

She sighed, dropping back onto the edge of the bed to lean into his warmth as he fitted himself against her back. “What if it’s important, Ro?” 

He curled a lock of her loose hair around his finger. “Is Rolfe known for calling urgent gatherings, Ae?” 

“No,” Aelin admitted, “but still. I…” She trailed off. “Never mind, it’s stupid.” 

“Captain.” Rowan encouraged, tilting her head back so he could meet her uncertain gaze. “Nothing you worry about is stupid, my love.” 

She exhaled shakily, her fingers tapping randomly against his thigh. “I--after Maeve, I worry.” Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, attempting to gulp down her sudden, inexplicable nerves. “I worry that somehow, in some way, her Royal Fucking Henchmen are still out there hunting us down, and I can’t help but need to call departure right away.” She flicked her eyes back up to his, allowing him to see the vulnerability in her gaze. 

“I understand,” he murmured, carefully rotating her into his embrace, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. “I understand, Fireheart.” 

She exhaled thickly, one hand sliding into his loose, messy hair. “I hate feeling like this, I just feel so…weak.” 

“Hey.” He lifted her chin with his fingertips. “You are everything but weak, Aelin.” 

Something impossibly soft flitted across her face. “You’re an old romantic, Whitethorn.” 

“An old romantic who loves you,” he purred, far too smoothly for his own good. 

It brought a grin to her face. “Such a flirt, Captain.” 

“Only for you, Captain.” Rowan kissed her softly, sweetly. “I love you.” 

“I love you too, buzzard.” She smiled against his lips, slyly rocking in his lap. “There’s still a few hours before I need to round up the crew…” 

In answer, he rolled them over, pressing her into the mattress. “That we do, love. That we do.” 

~

“Fucking Rolfe,” Elide griped, still buckling her sword belt around her waist as she strode up the gangplank, barking at the nearest pirate to hurry the fuck up, dammit! 

Aelin raised her brows. “A little frustrated, aren’t we, Ells?” 

“Fuck off, Cap,” the First Mate grumbled, flipping her an obscene single-finger gesture. “I’m sure Rolfe’s little fuckin’ note tore you out of bed, too.” 

“Fair enough,” Aelin acquiesced. “You gonna want the Orynth at all?” 

Elide flashed her a wry grin. “Not if you and Whitethorn are there.” 

“Godsdammit, Ells! I’m staying on the Terrasen, okay?” 

“Mhmm, you keep telling yourself that,” the brunette smirked, disappearing belowdecks to yell at anyone unfortunate enough to be in her path. 

“Fuckin’ move!” Aelin commanded, enough of a lilt to her voice to indicate she wasn’t cranky. “We’ve gotta keep His Bloody Majesty from shittin’ himself, yeah?” 

Ripples of coarse laughter and “the hell we do, Cap!” echoed across the deck. 

“Hoist anchor!” she yelled once the gangplank was in. “Fall behind, yer left behind!” 

And the Terrasen, Doranelle, and Orynth sailed reluctantly out of Perranth Harbor, their joyous and no doubt rowdy liberty cut short once again by whatever the fuck Rolfe wanted. 

~

Two days out of the Iron Isles, Aelin caught the distinctive, thick tang of an impending storm heavy in the air, sensing the wind pattern shift just enough to indicate mother nature’s intention. 

“Keep a weather eye out!” she called. “Looks like we’re in for a bit of a blow!” 

“Honey, you’re in for a lot of a blow,” Lys snickered, elbowing her in the ribs. 

Aelin wheezed, doubling over in her fit of laughter. “Fucking hell, Lys!” She wiped her eyes and shot her best friend a wink. “Not as much as you are, though.” 

“Hmm, true.” Lys smirked right back at her. “Storms got nothin’ on the sounds Aed--” 

“Fuck, no!” Aelin shrieked. “Gods above, Lys, he’s practically my brother!” 

The surgeon cackled wildly. “Hey, you make those jokes all the time, darling.” 

“Oh, fine, I do,” Aelin conceded. “But you two make enough noise, you’d scare off the goddamn fish if there were any.” 

Lys beamed. “And I’m right proud of it, Cap!” 

“Good gods,” Aelin grumbled. “I--” 

The Doranelle’s shrieking whistle ripped her attention away from Lysandra. Three long blasts, which could only ever mean one thing. 

“ROYAL FUCKIN’ NAVY!” Rowan bellowed, already signaling his ship outward into battle position. “Roll out the fucking cannon!” 

“ARMS!” Aelin hollered, waving her left arm in a great big circle. “MOVE IT, you horrible blackhearted pirate scum!” 

Both large ships and the Orynth exploded into action, a handful of Aelin’s crew leaping down to the deck of the smaller ship to reset sail and pull out the twelve cannon, preparing to meet whichever dumbasses of the Royal Navy decided it was a good idea to try and engage. There were four or five of them, just a single patrol unit, probably having caught one of Rolfe’s birds and decided to hunker down and wait for the first pirate to come tearing towards the Keep. 

Too bad they’d stupidly chosen to attack the Terrasen and the Doranelle. 

Across the waves, Aelin made out bits of the Royal Navy captains yelling at each other in their frantic battle preparations, snickering at the scraps of conversation she picked up. 

It’s fuckin’ Ash Galathynius, Smithers! Wot?! That there’s the fuckin’ Terrasen, see the flag? Fuck me, Roberts, you’re right! Won’t that bring us a proper admiralty, then? 

“OY!” Aelin bellowed through a speaking trumpet, intending to have a little fun with the Navy men. 

The tiny figures’ heads jerked up, obviously not having expected to hear a voice bellowing at them. Especially not a woman’s voice.

“WHO THE FUCK WANTS TO DIE?” she hollered, grinning like a madwoman. 

From the way the minuscule navy men scrambled even faster around their ships’ decks, she took the answer to be “nobody.” 

“CAPTAIN!” Aedion’s yell broke through her rapid scheming. “Gods fucking dammit, Aelin, are you listening?” 

“When am I ever?” she retorted, whirling around to find her cousin striding towards her with a dark, grim scowl on his face.

“True enough,” he snorted. 

“What is it?” 

“They’ve got a shallop.” 

“Hmm.” Aelin tapped her chin. The one-gun shallops were valuable enough to the Navy, their single thirty-two-pound gun providing deadly might. But they weren’t easy to maneuver, and they could only fire as quickly as their gun crews could reload. “Guess we’ll just have to take her out first, hmm?” 

“Aye,” her cousin nodded, his grin a vicious flash of teeth. 

“Thanks, Aeds.” She clasped his hand. “No mercy, cousin.” 

“Never, Cap.” He tapped his fist to his heart in salute as he turned and loped off, yelling at his gun crew to move their sorry asses, dammit!

Aelin smirked as she watched her crew rush into battle stations, every pirate aboard thirsting for blood. “TERRASEN!” A roar of greedy acknowledgement from her crew. She let her full, wicked grin unfurl across her face. “Bring it down, people.” 

And as if on cue, the threatening iron-gray skies split open, and down poured the rain.

~~~

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