by Cara Wylde
“Tavian?”
***
His name felt weird on her tongue. On second thought, her tongue felt weird because she hadn’t used it in a century. The kiss had left her breathless, and his handsome face hovering over her made her stomach flip in excitement. And it flipped so hard that it ended up rumbling, reminding her of the terrible hunger which had poisoned her cursed dream. He smiled down at her, and she made an effort to smile back. She tried to sit up, but her arms failed to support her weight, and she fell back on the soft pillow.
“No, don’t move, my love. It’s too soon.”
“You came…”
“Of course I came. That’s why I left in the first place.”
“You… you knew the curse was real.”
Tavian shook his head gently. “I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t take the risk. When I couldn’t convince you to pull out of the game your friends had started, I had to find a way to be there for you in case things went really bad.”
Rose averted her gaze. “They’re not my friends.” The white, creamy skin on her neck and cheeks turned red with anger. But she wasn’t angry at Angel, Juliet, and Talia. She was angry at herself.
“Hey, look at me… look at me.” He took her face between his hands and forced her to look into his eyes. “You’re here now, and I’m here. We’re finally together, and that’s all that matters. What’s done is done. We all have a new chance to start over.”
Rose lost herself in his green eyes. Oh, he was breathtaking! His long, dark brown hair was tied in a loose ponytail, and his square jaw was covered in just enough scruff to make him look hot and mysterious. His strong hands felt nice on her round cheeks, and his massive body leaning over her made her want to snuggle against his chest.
As if reading her thoughts, Tavian pulled her in a deep kiss for the second time. She moaned in his mouth, and it turned him on so hard that he had to shift his position on the bed to release some of the tension in his trousers. The fact that they were a size too small didn’t help. Rose wrapped her arms around her neck, which made him press himself against her. Her round, heavy breasts were trapped between them, and he trailed a hand from her cheek, down her neck and collarbone, to cup and squeeze her right breast through her corset. All he wanted was to untie the thing and let her breasts pop out free, then take a nipple in his mouth and suck on it until she begged for more.
Rose entangled her fingers in his hair, pulled at the strands which had fallen out of his ponytail, and arched her back to give him better access to her virgin body. The things his kisses and touches were doing to her were unbelievable. Overwhelming. His hands were everywhere now, squeezing her breasts, running up and down her sides, grabbing her hips, and caressing her thighs through her long, summer dress. Then, Tavian found that small roll on her waist, right where the corset ended. She hated it, and hated the fact that she couldn’t cover it no matter what she wore. He found it and he pinched it. She snapped her eyes open and used both hands to push him away.
“My love, what’s wrong? Am I going too fast? Oh, I’m going too fast, I’m sorry…”
“No, no… It’s not that.”
She swallowed heavily and averted her gaze again. Suddenly, she realized she couldn’t look at his handsome face anymore. Yes, Tavian had always told her that he liked her. And now, he had told her that he loved her. But, would he still love her when he saw her naked? The corset did a good job of hiding part of her curves, but once it was gone, her waist went back to its thick, full shape.
“What is it, then?”
Rose made another effort to sit up, and this time she succeeded.
“I can’t… Not now, I…” She bit her lip, unable to come up with a pertinent excuse. She wanted him. Her body craved his touches, and she had felt his rock hard erection against her leg when he had leaned over her almost completely. She was sure he could tell, too, especially now that his senses were heightened. Then, a thought crossed her mind. “You’re different.”
Tavian pulled away instantly and stood up.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and allowed herself a moment to get used to the new position before she stood up as well. She had to be sure her feet could hold her weight.
“You look the same,” she continued. “Last night, in my dream… our dream… I felt something inside your chest. Inside you. Something… wild, and restless. It wasn’t there before.” She paused for a moment, but when he didn’t say anything, she added: “Was that the price you had to pay to be able to live for one hundred years?”
“Yes.” His voice was merely a whisper. “But I have no regrets. After the curse was activated, I went to the good fairies and asked for their help. They sent me on my way, telling me there was nothing they could do. My only other option was to go to the evil fairy who cursed you and your kingdom. She turned me in what I am now…”
“What are you?”
He looked into her eyes: “A bear-shifter.”
They were both silent for a while. Rose took a couple of steps around the room, slowly getting used to being awake again. Tavian watched her shyly. The sun was setting, and burning rays of red and orange were dancing on her young features. Various sounds started coming from down the hall, which meant the curse had been lifted and everyone was waking up.
“There are…” Tavian hesitated. He didn’t know how she felt about him being a bear-shifter, and he didn’t want to scare her away even more. “There are advantages, though. I had a whole century at my disposal to build a good life for myself, a name, and a generous fortune. If you still want me, I will ask your hand in marriage and the King will have no reason to refuse our union.”
Rose smiled. “It’s not like Prince Phillip is still around…”
Her fiancé from the neighboring kingdom. Of course he wasn’t around anymore. He had died years ago.
Tavian chuckled. “It all depends on you, my Princess. We will do what you feel is right.”
Rose turned to him and sighed. He was tall, with broad shoulders, perfectly sculpted chest and abs, and strong thighs. His hard cock was visible through the tight trousers that didn’t do much to cover the lower part of his body. She refrained from licking her lips. Heat spread between her legs, and her pussy released more juices. She clenched her walls to stop that from happening again, aware that Tavian’s shifter senses were sharp enough to catch the scent of her arousal.
Tavian did his best to respect the distance she had put between them. He couldn’t understand why she had pushed him away when it was clear she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. But he couldn’t ask her, couldn’t insist. He had to let her choose the pace of their relationship, if what they had could even be called a relationship.
Rose fixed her eyes on his face and took a deep breath before speaking. “I’m sorry, I can’t… It’s too soon, things are happening too fast.”
“Is it because I’m a bear-shifter?”
“No! No… I don’t know…” She bit the inside of her cheek.
Tavian hung his head in defeat. It broke Rose’s heart to see him like this, but it would break her heart even more to let him see her naked and then deal with the disappointment in his eyes. Because there would be disappointment, she was sure of that. Angel, Juliet, and Talia had always told her men didn’t like big women. She had no choice but to believe them, given that they had had so many admirers, and she had had none. Except for Tavian. But, maybe, he had a completely wrong impression about her and her body. About who she was and what she really looked like.
“I understand,” he said. “I… I will give you the time and space you need.”
Rose wanted to thank him, but she was interrupted by her parents and friends bursting in through the door. The King and Queen hugged her tightly, while Angel, Juliet, and Talia waited patiently for their turn. They were happy it was all over, but they couldn’t show their excitement. Everyone knew it had been their fault. They needed to apologize to Rose and beg for forgiveness.
Tavian wanted to lea
ve them alone, but the King turned to him, and before he knew it, he was the hero of the whole kingdom. Given that they had found Rose and Tavian alone in the room, it was obvious he had been the one to wake her up with a true love’s kiss. They were meant to be together. When the Queen suggested it and expressed her excitement about a possible wedding, Tavian tried to catch Rose’s eyes. The Princess, however, averted her gaze and went to her friends. She hated them now, but they were the only ones who could save her from the awkward conversation. When her mother pushed for an answer from her part, Rose smiled sweetly and told her she was incredibly hungry and in dire need of a hot bath. The trick worked, because both her parents realized their daughter needed some time to recover. They all did.
As Angel, Juliet, and Talia took Rose with them and offered to run her the best bath she had ever had, Tavian was left alone in the room. He looked out the window at the gardens and the villages in the distance. The Lost Kingdom was coming back to life. For some reason, he had imagined he would feel happier.
CHAPTER FIVE
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stay put. Even though she was in the large bathroom on the ground floor, Tavian could still hear her, smell her, feel her. His shifter senses were sharper than ever. He had found his mate, and now his bear was thrashing and growling underneath his skin, demanding to be let out. The beast couldn’t understand how the woman had even found the power to push him away when she had been clearly aroused. Tavian’s human side, however, was more calculated. While he was walking from one room to another to make sure everyone was fine, Tavian tried to imagine what Rose could have been thinking.
“She never said she loved me…” he thought.
But she was young and confused. The world she had been thrown back in today wasn’t the exact same world she had left when she had pricked her finger on the spindle. The King and Queen had locked themselves with their advisers, and they were debating how they could make the reintegration smoother for everyone. What the rest of the world knew about The Lost Kingdom was that it was a myth. They had to find a way to fix that. They were even considering asking for the fairies’ help and hope for the best. Apparently, it never ended well when fairies were involved. Tavian thought Rose was dealing with the same issues while having her bath downstairs. After all, she would be the one to inherit the kingdom in a couple of years.
On the other hand, she had pushed him away when he had gotten bolder with his kisses and touches. Then it struck him: thanks to those three witches who called themselves her friends, the Princess was very insecure about her body. Tavian smiled to himself and headed towards the bathroom, almost on instinct. “If I pay attention, I can read her like an open book,” he thought. His bear helped him. The beast could smell the fear, discomfort, or insecurity on someone, and if Tavian focused, he could summon the moment of passion he and Rose had had in her room and analyze it until he reached the right answers. She was afraid he might not like her.
“Silly, lovely, adorable Princess…” he whispered.
He was close. He listened carefully and noticed Rose was alone in the huge, marble bathroom. She had probably asked her friends to leave her be. There were no servants close by, so he sneaked around the corner and knocked on the door. Rose froze at the sound. He could feel her tension and uncertainty in the air.
“My love, it’s me. May I come in?”
He heard her take in a sharp breath before her small, shaky voice invited him in. She was lying in the tub, chin deep in white, fruity foam. Her hair was wet, her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes were bright from the intense heat. Tavian closed the door behind him and approached her carefully.
“That’s enough,” she said in a demanding tone.
“Yes, my Princess.”
He stood awkwardly in the middle of the bathroom, wishing he could see more than just her pretty face floating above the water and bubbles.
“This isn’t exactly appropriate, Tavian.”
He smirked. “Then why did you invite me in?”
She hesitated and studied a giant soap bubble with interest. “I guess I feel guilty about earlier.”
“You have nothing to feel guilty about…”
“You became a shape-shifter for me, you chased after a place which moved constantly… for me. You brought me back from that cursed dream, you gave me back my life. And how do I repay you? I… I was scared and I’m sorry.”
Tavian shook his head. “Do I frighten you, Rose? Does my bear frighten you?”
She lifted her eyes to fix him. “No.”
“Then what is it?”
She sighed. “I’m scared that once you learn who I am, you won’t like me anymore.”
“That’s not possible. Not in a million years.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” He dared to step closer to her.
She noticed his gesture, but chose not to say anything about it.
“You don’t know me. You have this image of me… which is not real. I’m not like the other girls.”
“No, you’re not. You’re better. You’re more beautiful, more intelligent… you’re special.”
Rose chuckled darkly. “That’s definitely not what I meant.”
Tavian was silent for a moment, hoping she would continue on her own. “Rose, you can tell me anything. Tell me what you feel, what you think… Tell me what I must do to make you happy. I will do it, Rose, because it’s all I live for.”
She looked at him for a long while, chewed on her lip, then sighed deeply a couple of times. How could she put into words what she felt? It was so humiliating… No, she had to show him. She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, then stood up in the bathtub.
Completely naked, hot droplets of water running down her luscious skin… She was the most beautiful woman Tavian had ever seen. He started at her, mouth open, unable to wrap his mind around the fact that this wonderful goddess had just emerged from the water bare, vulnerable, untouched.
“This is the real me,” she whispered. “No make-up, no corsets, no high heels…”
He moved his lips, but no sound came out. Suddenly, his tongue was parched. He was thirsty, he needed to lick the water off her body to regain his sanity…
“Do you still like me?”
Her question finally snapped him out of his trance. His eyes traveled from her thick thighs, to her round hips, the triangle of soft, blond hair between her legs, her full waist, heavy breasts, and plump lips. When he reached her eyes, his soul didn’t belong to him anymore. The moment was so intense, so unexpected and overwhelming, that even his bear had fallen silent.
“Rose, you’ve just enslaved me forever.”
She bit her bottom lip. “But I’m not… I’m not graceful like Angel. I don’t have Juliet’s smooth, perfect skin, or Talia’s naturally thin waist. I honestly thought the curse didn’t exist and the fairies’ magic was a hoax because I never had the gifts they had given me when I was born. Beauty, grace, wit… you know…”
Tavian stepped closer to the tub.
“Oh, I know. I know, my Princess, because I’ve seen them in you all along. You should have never believed Angel, Juliet, or Talia. They have always envied you. The only thing that made them feel better about themselves was bringing you down little by little. If you want to trust someone, please trust me when I tell you that you’re the most beautiful, graceful, and amazing woman I have ever met.”
With every compliment, he took a step closer to her. She stood there, unmoving, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. The chilly air had dried some of the water off her body, and her nipples had become as hard as tiny pebbles. They were pointing right at Tavian. Because she was in the tub, she was a few inches taller than him. When he reached out a hand to touch her, she didn’t pull away. His palm rested on her stomach.
“Right here and right now, I promise you I will worship you all my life.”
Rose smiled, and her smile was all the encouragement Tavian nee
ded. He knelt in front of the tub, and his hand traveled from her stomach, down to her mound, and between her legs. She sighed and parted them slightly, shyly, unsure if she was doing it right. She had never been touched like that by a man, but she had dreamed about it. She had dreamed about Tavian touching her that way, and she had woken up drenched in sweat, her breasts swollen, and her hard nub throbbing with need. Now, he was there, doing exactly what she wanted, what she needed. Soon, he would be doing more than that, things her innocent imagination couldn’t have come up with.
“You smell so good,” he whispered as he leaned in to press a kiss on her folds. His tongue darted out to lick a trail from her clit to her entrance. “And taste even better.”
Rose moaned. When she felt his hand on her thigh, urging her to place her foot on the edge of the tub, she complied. The position gave him perfect access to her pussy.
Tavian parted her folds with two fingers, and shoved his tongue deep inside her pussy. He moaned when her juices poured in his mouth, and his bear growled when she sank her fingers into his hair. She tasted better than honey. He thrust his tongue in and out of her hot cavern a few times, then turned his attention to that sensitive spot that could make her see stars if it was handled well. The tip of his tongue started swirling around her clit. He drew quick, firm circles around the hard nub, enjoying her tiny moans and the way her muscles tensed in anticipation of the first orgasm in her life.
“Oh, Tavian… so close, so close… How do you do this to me?”
Her body was responsive and so pliable in his hands. He teased her entrance with a finger while he kept licking her clit. When she tried to impale herself on his finger, he sank it deep inside her, loving the way her walls clenched around him, letting him know her pussy was ready for something bigger and thicker. His cock twitched in his tight trousers at the thought that he would soon claim his mate. He would bury himself inside her sleek passage and make love to her until he filled her with his seed.
“Right there… Oh, don’t stop.”
