In response, his fingertips moved to her soft lips, his thumb caressing them intently. His eyes showed the hunger he felt for her, but he didn't attempt to do anything other than lie next to her quietly.
Seren understood it was because she had warned him not to do anything without her consent. Was he really that obedient to her? It was impossible to understand what was in his mind as he never talked or expressed himself in any other way.
"How are you?" she asked, not expecting an answer, but she needed to express her worry towards him, to show her sincerity. "You didn't show up after that day, so I couldn't help but worry about you. It's your body as well; it must have hurt, right?"
Without answering, he continued to explore her face, a beautiful face he was seeing for the first time without a veil. In the light from the lamps, she looked even more enchanting to him.
Seren allowed him to observe her. Once his attention finally moved to her long hair and he started to caress it, she moved her hand and placed it over his heart. "Do you feel pain here?"
Erebus looked at her, emotions in his eyes unknown. He placed his hand over hers and continued to look at her. Seren didn't get an answer once more.
Looking into those dark, enigmatic eyes, she asked, "Do you find me beautiful as well?"
It wasn't just a question for him; she genuinely wished to know what he thought about her now that there was no veil. But she knew he would never answer her, making her wonder if he even listened or understood what she was saying.
Was she, like with Drayce, expecting to hear from him how beautiful she was and how much he liked seeing her without a veil? Would she be disappointed to see him not acknowledging the biggest risk she had taken in her life—removing that veil by trusting her own feelings towards Drayce and him?
Seren noticed his gaze moving down from her face to her neck and her exposed breasts as the duvet had already slipped down. It didn't linger on her face for long, making her question: Does her appearance even matter to him? Veil or no veil, does it even make a difference to him?
She had an urge to cover herself, but she held back and waited to see what Erebus would do. He had never been this calm before. All he did was pounce on her whenever he appeared.
She could see the change in those pitch-black eyes as they moved further down towards her waist, making Seren gulp and feel nervous under his gaze. Her heart started to race.
She didn't know what to ask him. Asking why he was looking at her like this would be idiotic when she was his mate—a mate-to-be, maybe, as the bond was yet to be fully formed between them. There was surely a hunger in his eyes for her.
Along with the nervousness she felt, there was another feeling—anticipation. What would he do? How would it feel if he were intimate with her at this moment? She had consummated with Drayce, but how would it feel to do it with Erebus? Would he be like Drayce, insatiable with his needs or different from him?
As if to answer her unspoken questions, Erebus finally moved, pressing her under his naked body. Drayce had no clothes before falling asleep, and neither did Erebus. Just a simple action, but she could feel the dominance and roughness in it, as if showing he owned her and could do anything with her.
His gaze moved from her eyes to her neck, the desire to mark her right away surfacing in his eyes.
"You cannot mark me now," she declared, understanding his intentions. "We will go to Agartha soon. There you can mark me. For now, maybe you can just spend some time with me. Let me know more about you, what you think or what you..."
Seren stopped talking as she felt Erebus' hand move between her legs. Disregarding her words, he had already moved between her thighs.
"Erebus, you haven't marked me yet. Will it be alright for us to consummate..." she sucked in a deep breath the moment she felt his mouth between her thighs, exploring her wet folds. "E...re...bus..." she lost the will to stop him as he skillfully made her body surrender to him.
Her thoughts became a haze of sensation as Erebus continued, his mouth working expertly to drive her to the edge of ecstasy. Every touch, every flick of his tongue was deliberate and intense, making her forget all her worries and promises. The world outside their intimate bubble ceased to exist, leaving only the raw connection between them.
As her body responded to his touch, Seren's hands found their way to his hair, fingers tangling in the dark strands. She could feel the heat building inside her, a fire he had ignite. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her heart pounding in her chest.
He was like a beast, reveling in what he desired most, not wanting to let go of her, driving her to intense pleasure.
All the nerves in her body tensed, sending her to the heights of ecstasy, her mouth letting out loud moans, calling Erebus's name. But he had no intention of stopping, continuing to taste her as he willed.
"Erebus, please stop," she pleaded, lacking the strength to endure another wave of pleasure. "I might die now," she begged.
He finally stopped and moved his face up from between her thighs to look at her.
"Just sleep with me. I can't take it anymore." Her voice was ragged, and her body was exhausted. "Listen to me."
Erebus moved back and lay next to her, pulling her into his arms just like Drayce always did. He held her firmly against his body, as if not wanting to let her go.
"Good night, Erebus," she mumbled, all spent and eager to close her eyes.
In the comfort of his embrace, Seren felt a sense of security and warmth. Erebus, despite his primal nature, showed a tenderness that was unexpected. As she drifted off to sleep, she realized that there was no need for her to be wary of him.
She could not help but wonder, how will it feel to consummate the bond with Erebus, finally allowing him to have his way with her, entirely giving herself to him.