When the two parted away, Draven found his mate all breathless and panting heavily while he himself was the same. She opened her hazy eyes to look at him, her gaze silently saying she didn't find it enough.
Draven could see through her and how she was expecting more from him. "If I do more, you will once again end up cursing your heart out."
Draven could still clearly hear her voice in his head when she angrily called him a monster. That brief memory of her adorable anger never missed to bring smiles to his lips.
"I won't curse as long as you won't overdo it," she remarked.
"I cannot not overdo it," he whispered hoarsely. "You think too highly of me. I am unable to control myself when it comes to you. I will always want more of you and I can never stop until I am fully satisfied."
"I don't mind you wanting me but..."
"But?""
"At some point, I want to stop but I can't stop you...and..." She lowered her head, feeling like she was complaining but then heard him sigh.
"Tell me."
"That...feeling of helplessness is what I hate," she replied with reluctance with her head still lowered. "Since you are not human, our endurance is not the same, so I hope you can be a little more mindful of my state. I enjoy doing it with you but I have my limits. I had been feeling helpless all my life but I don't want to feel like that ever again. That feeling is frustrating when I can do nothing but keep bearing it."
Draven understood what she meant. His hand moved to her chin and he made her look at him. "I will keep this in mind and will never let you feel helpless again."
She felt better to hear his promise. "Thank you."
"You don't have to," he said and kissed her once more. As things have started, it wouldn't just stop there.
Soon, two naked bodies were on the large bed, engaged in passionate intimacy, their loud pants and cries of pleasure echoing inside that chamber like music.
After some time, Ember felt she could no longer take it any more. Her sweaty body felt as if it had lost every ounce of its energy.
"D-Draven, I...can't take it anymore...I need to rest..."
Draven, who had buried his face in the crook of her neck after that intense release, lifted his head to look at her. Her sweet scent had driven him near-crazy once more, but he wanted to keep his word to her. He observed her tired face and used his fingers to push away those hair strands stuck to her sweaty face.
"As you say."
He intended to keep his promise that he would not let her feel helpless ever again, so despite his urges still demanding for more, he chose to stop. He moved to lay on the space next to her and scooped her into his arms. "Sleep well."
A content smile painted on her lips. That he kept his words and listened when she asked him to stop caused a sweet feeling to flutter in her heart. This felt heavenly-- like a perfect pair of how a husband and wife should be.
----
When Ember woke up the next morning, her gaze was welcomed by the grand view of her mate's chamber brightened with sunlight. She turned to her side and was even more surprised with what she saw.
Red eyes on a chiseled face. A man with messy black hair was also lying on his side.
Draven was with her in bed, awake and staring at her.
She was taken aback, and the lazy yawn about to escape her mouth was cut midway.
Seeing his handsome face made her heart flutter but at the same time made her puzzled. This was not the first time they spent a night intimately, and Draven was always an early riser--he was not the type to stay in bed. Whenever she happened to wake up, she would always be alone no matter whether they did the deed in his or her bedchamber.
What happened to cause this change?
"Good morning," she heard him say in a leisurely voice she had never heard before.
"G-Good morning?" she replied instantly. "How come you are still in bed?"
"Can't I?"
"No, I mean, you are never in bed whenever I wake up."
"I am following the same routine while you changed yours. You woke up early," he replied offhandedly.
Ember looked at the window once again and it took her several seconds to realize what he meant. She woke up in the morning instead of at noon, but wait...what did he say? Following the same routine?
She looked back at him and asked, "So you stay in the bed like this always? Looking at me? Like this?"
He nodded which surprised her.
"Really?" she asked once more, which caused him to raise a brow at her.
For a heartbeat, she found herself staring at him in disbelief.
'Why is he so attractive this early in the morning, and how come I never knew?!' She wanted to let out a groan of frustration. 'I thought, I always thought he would leave as soon as he could! Have I been misunderstanding all this time?'
She didn't know what to say, only to hear him speak in the same leisurely tone, "Do you plan to stay in bed for long? If so, I can give you a reason to do so."
She blinked a few times as she observed that playful smirk on his lips.
'Am I dreaming? Since when did he learn to smile? He is even teasing me like this? Is this Draven? Did I get another whiff of that dangerous white flower?'
"Seems like you want me to..."
"W-Wait!" She placed her hands on his bare chest to stop him from moving closer to him. "I was just thinking about something. I don't want to do it again. For the first time, my body is not badly sore. I am feeling unexpectedly good."