It was the day after Sindrel had released her companion, Xelion. They awoke only an hour ago. Sindrel noticed he said nothing and sat in a chair in the corner of the room, near her laid out equpment, watching her. After Sindrel double checked her wounds, relieved when she saw them healing quickly. A potion and a bottle of blood made quick work of any throbbing pain she had. Still standing next to the table, she picked up a small loaf of bread to offer to him for breakfast. He made no motion to get up or even refuse it, only continued to stare at her. She didn't know if he was angered or just thinking.

His silence concerned her. She thought of asking what troubled him, but as her mouth opened, she went with another question instead.

"What will you do now? Will you return to the Deadlands?"

"You held me to you, bound and your slave. You torture me, tease me, by flaunting yourself about. Finally, you made the mistake of releasing me last night. You had infected my mind for far too long, child, and I acted on my desires for you. Because of that, I've betrayed what little loyalty to my kyn I had left by bedding you." he stood up suddenly from the chair to take two long strides over to her. He glared down at her, his voice venomous and sharp. "I would never be accepted back."

Guilt bubbled up from the pit of her stomach and she felt queasy under his intense stare. She couldn't look away. After he took her last night, she told him that she did not regret releasing him. His reply was that he had no regrets either. Now he was using the word "mistake" again. Did he not mean what he said last night?

"I'm sorry," she whispered up to him.

A large hand shot forward, enveloping her throat firmly. Her breath hitched in surprise. Arm extended, Xelian took two large steps forward, guiding her by her throat backwards. The bed they had joined in only laid a foot behind her now. Instincts told her to pull back and run but she was frozen within his powerful grip. Holding her there, he bent down to closer inspect her face for any sign of fear. A shiver trickled down her spine under his scrutiny but she would not allow herself to be afraid of the dremora. Her face remained solemn with her eyes repeating her apology.

Xelian smirked at her. His other hand came up to brush away her stray bangs from her eyes. It reached back and grasped a thick handful of hair. The hand around her throat loosened enough to allow his thumb to rub against the tender exposed skin. Those dark eyes of his never broke away from hers. The depth of his hard gaze mesmerized her. She was sure he could feel her pulse quicken under his fingertips.

"Sindrel..."

The beat of her heart faltered before resuming its quick pace, hammering against the walls of her chest. This was the second time she had ever heard him use her name. It almost came out as a grunt on his lips but she held onto the sound of it, repeating it in her mind, long after it passed through the air between them.

"I had told you once that I will not leave you... So I will follow you still," he told her sternly. "If you will have me."

"I will," Sindrel breathed out anxiously. The grip on her throat tightened slightly as he pulled her hair, as if to punish her for speaking. This elicited a gasp in response. Their eyes were still locked.

"However, if I come with you, woman..." he continued. "I will take you again."

Sindrel's cheeks reddened as she thought back to last night the fingers in her hair pushed their way deeper into the mess of copper locks. Dull nails grazed her scalp, sending a soothing sensation along the base of her neck. The lids of the ebony eyes staring down into hers were lulling half open now, making his expression overall softer.

"I will bed you as often as I please and to deny me would be... unwise," his words simultaneously chilled and excited her. Was this some way of saying she was his mate? Dremora are immortal, their souls are everlasting. Do they even have mates?

"But-"

Sindrel was not allowed to finish as his lips pressed firmly against her own. Without their lips separating from his searing kiss, she felt herself falling backwards. Cushions and sheets caught her and strong hands pinned her arms into them. His tongue lapped at her lips, urging them to part. With a moan, she complied, giving him entrance. Soon, the swelling urge to ensue the passion led Sindrel to attack his mouth. Their kiss deepened as their tongues warred for dominance, taking each other's lips captive under nibbling teeth from time to time. Without her even noticing, one of his snaked their way into her robes, parting them to grab a handful of breast. A moan was all it took for him to be satisfied with her mouth, deciding then to move to her neck with his biting.

"I'm... fine with that, Xelian. I just would like one thing..." Sindrel breathed out. Her flesh burned under his touch and his lips. The heat was making her clothing unbearable.

He paused from attacking her neck. "What would that be?"

"I'd like to keep our relationship from others," she replied. She mewed softly when he plucked a nipple under the cloth of the robes.

"Do I shame you?" he went back to her neck, licking down along her collarbone before placing a bite. She let out a laugh, to think that he would care about such things.

"No. It's just, given the circumstances, I don't think it would be wise for either of us to- oooh..." he pulled back the robe, exposing her breasts. His mouth quickly made its way to them.

"Then we'll keep it between us," the dremora told her simply from her bosom. As soon as his lips finished his statement, they descended quickly to lavish her supple skin.

The more he worked her breasts, the more he pulled off her robe until she lay there, blissfully squirming and naked. Xelian pulled back from her ever so slightly and shifted his hands from her breasts, down her side, finally to her thigh slowly, giving it a firm squeeze. Sindrel had it in her mind that she knew where he was going next. She thought he would play and tease that sweet spot in between the legs. How she very much loved as well as hated what he did to her before. Her assumptions, however, led her astray and she let out a stunned squeak when she was flipped over onto her stomach. By the hips, she was tugged down. Before she had a chance to recover, he slid into her, pushing past the resistance of the tight walls of her womanhood. In sheer surprise, she curved her back in attempt to look back at him. He forced her back down with one large hand upon her back. All she could do as he began pumping furiously into her was grasp pathetically at the sheets beneath her.

From her mouth, a chorus of uncontrolled moans tumbled out. The initial shock was long gone and she was overwhelmed with the feeling of him sliding his member within her. Each twang of pleasure that came from his head rubbing against that sweet spot deep within her made her tense, constricting her muscles even more so. He would grunt and growl, throwing back his head when her core squeezed his cock in that delicious way. Xelian slowed, having her further enjoy the sensation. Sindrel began bucking into his thrusts. Soon her movements began to get wilder as she neared her climax. Xelian's hand pushed down on the small of her back, forcing her stomach once again into the mattress and pinning her to the bed. He steadied himself on his other arm, keeping her pinned still.

Sindrel couldn't take it any longer. His cock made deliberate and firm strokes against her swollen sweet spot and she cried out into the sheets she clung to. Her brows knitted together in ecstasy as she felt the waves of pleasure wash over her. Xelian's strokes became even more slippery as her liquid pleasure seeped out around his member. From then on, he abandoned the slow and measured thrusts and reverted back to the frenzied carnal pumping he began with. He grabbed her ass with both hands and held her steady with an iron grip, despite her frustrating desire to buck madly into him. Sindrel clawed at the sheets, tearing them in a few spots, while screaming into them again. The feeling of having him within her was exquisite. If only it didn't have to eventually end. After what seemed like an eternity in a limbo of blind pleasure, she finally felt him let go into her and again, began to slow his pace.

Streams of heat vapors danced off of their skin in the cold night air. Sindrel could have melted away into nothing under his touch and would have been completely content with it. His hands let up, sliding all across her back. They ultimately made their way off of her and onto the bed so that he could stable himself, allowing her movement again as he withdrew from her. Still breathing heavily, Sindrel twisted under him so that she may face him. Her hand went to touch his face but he grabbed her wrist before she could make contact. She realized how tiny her wrist and hand was within his grasp and didn't dare try and fight it. Instead, she watched him drag his lips across her skin before descending upon her flushed body.

Xelian nibbled along her collarbone as she kissed his forehead, both of them relaxing within each other's arms. Sindrel was the first to break the silence.

"So when would you care to leave this inn? I kind of made ribbons of the sheets," She jested, stroking his thick ebony hair.

"Perhaps after I'm finished with you…" Xelian replied wickedly.

Sindrel realized she wasn't about to get off the hook just yet. But, she honestly didn't mind all that much.

Author's Notes:

Yo. Sorry about the LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG hiatus. School and work, you know the excuses, as well as a lack of inspiration. :(

Hopefully, however, I'll get my butt in gear more and pump out the ending to "Not Without Thought". HOPEFULLY! I hope this'll tide you guys over until then. :)