~Ella~
I stayed frozen in place, unsure of what to do next. When I finally turned around, he was standing right behind me. I bumped straight into his chest, my breath catching as I staggered back. His expression gave nothing away...calm, cold, unreadable, while mine was a mess of panic and trembling nerves.
How did he even move without me hearing him?
I swallowed hard and stepped back quickly to put space between us. The inevitable hovered in the air like a storm cloud. No amount of time, not even a century, could prepare me for what was about to happen. I had never imagined giving myself to a man like this, under circumstances so forced and loveless.
He took one step forward.
I immediately moved aside, avoiding the direction of the bed as though it burned. Gathering what little courage I had, I finally forced out the question twisting painfully inside me.
"Will this be painful?...- I.._ Is there no other way?"
My voice shook. My thoughts raced and tangled, each one louder than the next.
"It will be painful," he said steadily while ignoring my second question. "But I'll try my best not to hurt you."
His words gave me almost no comfort. I knew what was supposed to happen between mates, even if I had never experienced it. But knowing did nothing to stop the rising fear.
Then I watched him shrug off his black coat, letting it fall silently onto the chair. His fingers drifted to the buttons of his shirt, slow and deliberate. His eyes stayed locked on mine, unblinking, as if waiting to see how I would react.
My breath hitched, and I looked away, heat rising in my cheeks.
That was when he spoke again, his voice low and steady.
"Do you want to help me out of my clothes, Ella?"
The sound of my name on his lips unsettled something deep in me...fear, yes, but something else too. Something I wasn't ready to acknowledge.
"N… no," I whispered. The idea of touching him, undressing him, was too much. His presence alone was overwhelming.
He studied me for a moment before asking, "Do you need help getting out of your gown?"
I opened my mouth, but before I could form a response, he shook his head slightly.
"Actually, never mind."
He began walking toward me with quiet, predatory steps. Instinct told me to move away, but his voice cut through the air.
"Don't."
The word rooted me to the spot. It was like his warning had hypnotized me into reacting just as he would have wanted.
His hand rose slowly. My breath tangled in my throat as the back of his fingers brushed my cheek in a feather-light touch that stole every thought from my mind. His hand drifted lower, cupping my chin, lifting it so I had no choice but to look at him.
Then he leaned in.
The first brush of his lips was soft, surprisingly so. My knees weakened at the warmth, the scent of him, the controlled restraint in the way he kissed me...as if he thought that I would break if he pushed too fast.
His fingers moved to the intricate buttons at the back of my gown. Each soft click echoed through the silent room. I felt the fabric loosen around my shoulders, sliding down my skin with a whisper. Embarrassment burned hot across my cheeks, but his touch kept me from curling in on myself.
He murmured against my temple, his breath warm, almost soothing. "I won't hurt you more than necessary, I promise."
When the gown pooled at my feet, I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest. He paused, eyes lifting to mine, giving me a chance to breathe.
He kissed me again, slower this time, coaxing me forward as his hands explored my waist with careful reverence. Every touch was designed to soothe the fear trembling beneath my skin. He brought me closer, letting my body adjust to his warmth.
When he reached for the buttons of his shirt, I forgot how to breathe. One by one, he loosened them, revealing skin that looked carved from shadow and moonlight. My eyes trailed over the sharp lines of his chest, and then the ink that marked his body.
On the right side of his chest, a black wolf bared its teeth, eyes a pale white that almost glowed. On his ribs, there was another script that I couldnt read in the dim light but there were three bold ones that I could see, Death before dishonor. His left forearm was wrapped in thorned vines, dark and elegant.
When he let the shirt fall away, I thought I might collapse with it.
He stepped close, fingers brushing the strap of my bra.
"May I?" he murmured.
I nodded, even though my pulse was spiraling.
Vincent caught my wrists gently.
"Don't hide from me."
And I just did as he asked despite having the urge to hide the little chastity left in me.
He led me backward until the back of my knees hit the bed. His hands roamed my waist, my stomach, the curve of my hip...each touch slow, reverent, like he was memorizing me.
His lips brushed my collarbone, then moved lower.
When his mouth closed over my breast, I gasped loudly, fingers curling into the sheets to ground myself. His tongue teased, slow and deliberate, making my whole body arch toward him on instinct.
"Beautiful," he murmured against my skin. "You're so damn beautiful."
When his hand dipped lower, I tensed hard, but he paused immediately.
"Look at me," he said.
My eyes fluttered open, meeting his.
"I'll be gentle," he promised. "Just tell me if something feels wrong."
I nodded, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip.
When he touched me there, my breath stuttered. When his finger slid inside of me, I winced due to the pain.
Vincent cupped my cheek with his free hand.
"Breathe," he whispered. "You're okay."
I tried..God, I tried- my lashes trembling as I forced myself to relax. He waited for me, not moving until my muscles finally eased around the ache. Only then did he coax me gently, slowing my ragged breathing with every whisper of encouragement.
Just when something warm and dizzying began rising inside me- just when my fingers clutched the sheets and my legs trembled..
He pulled his finger away.
I blinked in confusion as he reached for his belt.
My heart lurched into my throat when he lowered his trousers.
I turned my head quickly, too embarrassed to look at his member.
"Look at it... I want you to see it Ella."
I swallowed hard as shock and embarrassment flooded me.
How would that fit inside of me?!
******
He guided me to lie back, propping pillows beneath me. When he hovered over me, the heat of his body was overwhelming.... his scent, his weight, the intensity of his eyes.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Somehow, I nodded.
The first press of him stole every breath from my lungs. Pain knifed through me, sharp enough to rip a scream from my throat. My hand flew to my mouth, mortified.
Vincent gently pulled my hand away.
"No one other than me will hear your screams. The room is soundproof."
Even with his reassurance, humiliation burned my cheeks, but he kissed the corner of my eye where a tear was sliding, then my cheek, then the corner of my mouth...soft, patient, coaxing me through every tremor.
He moved slowly, stopping whenever I clung to him too tightly, whispering reassurance against my skin.
"It's okay… breathe for me… you're doing so well…"
The pain gradually dulled, turning warm, melting into something new. By the time pleasure broke through me,I couldn't hold back the sounds spilling out of me.
My arms wrapped around him without thinking.
He moved deeper.
My world blurred.
Just when I felt myself breaking apart beneath him, his lips brushed the side of my neck.
I barely had time to gasp before his fangs grazed my skin.
And then he bit into my skin.
Pleasure and pain slammed through me so hard I cried out. Heat surged through my veins like liquid fire, the mating bond burning itself into place.
"Vin…cent…" was all I managed before my voice splintered.
The world tilted.
My body crumpled beneath the weight of the bond.
Everything went distant and dark.