Azriel had just stepped off the balcony to fly back to the River House when Cassian noticed the note on the dining table in the House of Wind. It was written in Nesta's hand, with a swirling "Cass" on the front of the folded page. "emI received important information today that we have to discuss. Come find me as soon as you're available./em" His heart caught for a moment. What could be wrong? He had just spent an hour meeting with Az about boring Court issues, but the spymaster hadn't brought up anything concerning. Cassian turned and strode from the room and down the hall towards Nesta's room, a path he knew with every muscle of his body, a direction, towards her, that his mind and soul were constantly reaching towards.
He turned the handle on the large wooden door to her bedroom and walked in, lifting the note and starting "Nes, what's going on?", but stopped as the words caught in his throat at the sight of her. She was sitting at her desk, golden brown hair half up in a braided crown at the top of her head, half cascading down her left shoulder in loose curls. She was wearing a form-fitting midnight blue dressing gown, the rich velvet fabric clinging to every curve of her. From her elegant wrists up her slim but toned arms, around the curve of her swan-like neck, parting in a wide V and straining slightly at the roundness of her breasts, it then tied in at her waist. He followed the line of the fabric as it flowed over her rounded hips and opened in a slit that showed off her long legs, covered partly in matching thigh-high stockings, the lace tops of them hugging into the creamy flesh of her thighs as she crossed one over the other. Cassian knew Nesta was a true warrior, as capable of fighting, and killing, as any Illyrian, but in this moment, she looked nothing short of a queen. A queen that he would fight for, kill for, and even die for, without a moment's hesitation.
"Ah yes, come in and close the door." Her words shook him out of his trance, and he entered the room, closing the door behind him without taking his eyes off of her. "That's new", he smirked, raising his eyebrows and jutting his chin in the direction of her gown. She stood and moved towards him, sighing "Hmmm, this?" She slid her hands over the gaping fabric across her chest, feigning innocence at what that did to his nerves. "A gift from the house. You kind of ruined the last one I wore", she said while looking up through her lashes to his eyes, sensing his rising temperature at the memory of the recent night when he ripped her gown to shreds trying to get to her bare skin.
He swallowed hard and tried to refocus, remembering that she had asked to talk to him. If he didn't stop looking at that gown, he wouldn't be able to process any of the information she deemed so important. He looked back up at her eyes and lifted the note again. "You beckoned?"
She smirked and turned, stepping slowly back to her desk, making sure he saw how the fabric of the gown slid over her hips and hugged her backside as she walked. She pivoted again and sat against the desk, letting the slit of the gown slide open down the sides of her legs. "Up. Look up!" he shouted to himself in his own mind.
"Yes. I learned some very important information today", repeating the sentiment of her note. "I was speaking to Emerie and she was telling me some very vital information about Illyrian males." Cassian's breath caught again, this time triggered by his protective instincts. He knew how dangerous Illyrians were in battle, but also how dangerous their antiquated views could make them towards females. Emerie, one of Nesta's best friends and an Illyrian herself, was well aware of the threats Illyrian males posed to females, and there was no way in hell Cassian would let anything like that harm come to Nesta. He could feel his muscles puff up and his primal instincts flare as he stepped forward, demanding "what about them?" He was already running through a list in his head of which Illyrians might be posing a threat to his mate, and in what ways he would rip them apart, slowly.
Nesta sensed what was happening in her mate's mind, and couldn't help but smile at his reaction. He had always loved her first, asked questions later. Sometimes that slipped into over-protectiveness, but it was never to control her. Only to serve her. Like a true knight for his queen. "Hold on Cassian." She stood and put a hand to his chest, feeling the warrior's heart pounding through his muscled chest. "Nothing is wrong. But I am upset with you." He started. "You have something to apologize for."
Her words startled him, triggering flashes of confusion, pain for her upset, anger at himself for causing it, desire to make amends. Then confusion again. Wait, what had he done? "What do you mean Nesta?"
"I'm going to tell you, but first I need you to do something." She leaned forward and whispered, her warm breath caressing his ear. "Get on your knees." He leaned back to look at her, and saw the fire in her eyes and the slow grin blooming on her beautiful mouth. The confusion on his face turned to amusement, and then desire, as he smirked back. Every instinct he had as a 500-year old battle-hardened General told him that these knees would bend to no male. But this wasn't a male. This was the most beautiful female he had ever laid eyes on, one that he would bow and kneel to every day of his life if she asked.
He stepped back, trying to maintain some presentation of cockiness and male bravado as he pretended to consider it. "I suppose if I must make amends for some unknown crime, then I can start here." And he slowly kneeled to the floor, watching her eyes flash and her cheeks flush. He still didn't know what he had done that warranted an apology, but he didn't care.
"Good." She also stepped back, apparently liking the view of him on his knees in front of her. Remembering what usually happened when he was on his knees in front of her, her heart skipped and a warm throbbing started between her legs. He sensed her arousal and let out a low growl. "Tsk tsk." he said, waving her finger. "We're nowhere near that yet".
"Oh House, I think we might need to make sure that the General stays on his knees until he's been appropriately punished." And before he could react, Cassian felt something hard and strong clasp onto his wrists, his ankles. He reflexively pulled away but couldn't move, and looking down, saw that he was completely shackled to the floor. He pulled again, harder, but couldn't move his arms past his sides. "What the…? Nesta, this is a bit much isn't it? I honesty have no idea what I'm supposed to be apologizing for, but I am truly sorry for whatever it is." He paused, pulling again at the chains with no success. "Seriously though, what the hell is going on?"
She only smiled again, this time biting her lip. He growled again instinctively. He wanted to bite that lip. "Wings up, soldier" she commanded. He started again. What was she playing at? He sighed deeply, looking at her, sensing what fun she was having. Sensing her arousal. He stopped caring again about what he had allegedly done. What she was planning to do. He only wanted to keep that smile on her face. He returned the smile, and threw his wings out, puffing up his chest and lifting them higher than they needed to be. The tips of his wings stood at attention above her head, even with him on the floor. She tried to suppress her gasp, but he could tell she was impressed. Yup, let her remember just how big he was, he smirked to himself.
"Ah so he can take orders" she purred as she walked towards him and ran a finger along his jawline. A jaw that could have been cut from stone. "Now, to your punishment."
"Um excuse me, my lady, but what exactly was the crime that I'm being punished for?"
He slowed over the words "my lady", seeing her bristle at them, knowing how she felt about that term. She was regal, fit in every way to be a queen, but she was a warrior at heart, and she was not interested in playing the role of damsel. Her eyes flared at the words. He knew she wouldn't actually be hurt by the comment, but he liked seeing the fire in her eyes that it triggered. And warrior that she was, she knew how to fight right back. She stood up, took a breath and stared sharp, but sensual, daggers into his eyes. "Hmm, so the Lord of Bloodshed wants to spar". It was his turn to bristle. He hated that term just as much. Not the bloodshed part, that was fair, given his history. But he never was a Lord and never would be, and having to play courtier was one of his living nightmares.
"House, I think the General's ego needs a little more… containment." He suddenly felt slight pulling on the edges of his wings as silk ties dropped from the ceiling and wrapped around them, holding them aloft. It wasn't painful, it actually felt good, but his centuries of training to protect his wings in battle caused him to reflexively pull at the ties and shackles. "Nesta" he growled with a hint of annoyance and warning as he looked at her. Her eyes softened and she kneeled in front of him, gently kissing his mouth. She stared into his eyes and he saw only love there, playfulness. Her eyebrows raised and with that look she was asking for his permission to continue. He was perfectly safe and he knew it, knew that they might throw soft barbs at each other for fun, but would never actually intentionally cause harm.
He took another breath and whispered throatily, "so… my crime?"
She grinned and popped back up to her feet, putting on her "I will slay my enemies" look. He knew it was for show here, she was roleplaying in this room, but he also knew that it was real out in the world. She could and would slay her enemies to protect those she loved, without hesitation. The power she wielded, not just the magical kind, but her innate power as an Illyrian-trained warrior, as a Valkyrie, as a female, made his blood burn for her. He could feel his arousal increasing, his skin feeling too tight over his muscles and bones. She sensed it too and tried to hide her grin as she leaned over and cupped his jaw tightly.
"Your crime, General, is withholding information." He tried not to stare down at her breasts as she leaned over him but he couldn't help himself. That gown was straining to hold her in. His pants were having the same struggle with him. She saw his eyes move and dropped his chin. "Hmph. Seems like the General needs more encouragement to confess." She stood and walked slowly to his left side, staring along his wing. "As I was saying, Emerie was sharing some very interesting information with me about Illyrian males. Information, that my Illyrian male, failed to share with me." His heart skipped at the word "my". He knew this was a game, but the ease at which she took possession over him made his heart sing.
"Apparently", she continued, "the wings of the Illyrian males do more than just fly. And battle. And protect." Nesta marveled at the colors of Cassian's wings, seeming black on first sight, but held aloft and with the light of the fireplace shining through them from behind, she could see the flashes of red and gold throughout the skin, like stained glass in a cathedral. "Apparently… they can also give great pleasure to the owner." She ran a finger lightly over one of the veins bulging through the wing and felt Cassian shudder. She turned away from him to contain her smile and thought to herself "oh, this is going to be good."
"This is not going to be good." Cassian's panicked thought ran through his mind after the electricity that just ran through his left wing. He had considered bringing up wing-play with Nesta in the past, but they'd never really gotten around to it. Usually because Cassian couldn't keep his hands off of her long enough to get around to it. She had touched his wings before obviously, usually in the throes of passion as she was grabbing for any part of him, but she'd never seemed to connect those touches with his roaring climaxes soon after. The first time they kissed, the mere touch of her hand on his member had made him come too early in his pants. He swore to himself that he would never let that happen again. Maybe it wasn't an accident then that he had indeed failed to share the fact with her that the wings of Illyrian males could give great pleasure to the owner. So much pleasure in fact, that touching in the right place could make him instantly climax. Maybe it was just male pride, but the thought of not being able to control himself, of coming without being able to even touch her, made him instinctively pull harder at the restraints.
Nesta saw that pulling and tried to contain her glee as she continued to graze his wing. "Hmmm, they do seem… responsive", purposefully using a word Cassian had to describe her arousal in the past. She knew him. Knew that he would try to suppress his pleasure for as long as possible. To protect his male pride partly, to demonstrate his endurance. But also to win the game. The game of dominance that they played with each other, taking turns as the winner, even though there was never a loser. But she didn't want him to suppress his pleasure. She wanted him to feel all of it, to tremble in her hands at the pleasure she could create for him. The thought of it made her stomach clench and her core melt. She was going to have to slow herself down too, or she might lose her own control of the game. She took a deep breath to center herself and strolled back towards his other wing.
She ran her hand slowly down her neck and along the edge of her robe as she walked by him, pivoting just enough so he could see her finger graze her breast before she tapped that finger to her pouted lips and clucked her tongue. "I've even heard that every Illyrian male has a spot on his wings that will make him, well…." She smirked as she dropped her gaze to Cassian's pants and the growing bulge within them. She bit her lip and looked back into his eyes, absolutely on fire now. She grasped her hands behind her back, and stood straight in front of him in a stance reflective of a commanding general herself. Then she dropped her head down again to his and whispered, never breaking eye contact "I'm going to make you tell me where that spot is soldier. And your punishment for withholding information like this is that I'm going to make you show me what it does to you. And you can't touch me or yourself while I look for it." She smiled like an incubus. "And you can't do anything to stop me."
A low snarl came out of Cassian's throat and he breathed in Nesta's scent as she stood back up and strolled toward his right wing. Oh, she was good. She knew exactly what this was doing to him. The promise of pleasure was no threat, other than one of a good time. But she knew that making him feel these things without being able to touch her, even as he scented her own arousal, that was the torture. He had been tortured before, actual torture, and had never broken. It was a point of pride for him as a soldier, but really he had been trained for years to handle pain. Physical pain was bearable. But this was different. His breathing quickened as she got closer to his wing, studying it, and again grazed her finger lightly over the veins bulging there. He couldn't help his reflexes, and his whole body shuddered. Okay, this was the game for tonight. Hold out as long as possible. Let her have her fun, but damn if he was going to "confess" as she called it. She would have to find that spot on her own. Maybe he could hold out, even if she found it. Wait for her to get so frustrated that she let him go and then he could ravish her the way she deserved. Either way, as soon as he got free of these restraints he wasn't stopping until she confessed to all her secret spots, until he had touched and stroked and licked every part of her that might make her shudder the way he did right now.
Cassian's breath caught, his back arched and his thoughts shattered as she ran her hand along the top of his right wing from behind. He had to focus, to pay more attention to where she was and what she was doing so he didn't get caught by surprise again. If he could brace himself for her touch, he could control the reaction. At least he prayed he could. Maybe he could distract her. Faking a casual tone of voice, he teased "see anything you like back there?" She purred "mmhmm, I don't usually get this viewpoint. Just thinking about all the places to try….", as she grazed her entire hand along the back of his left wing. "FUCK". The ceiling shook as his wing pulled on the silk restraints. His heart was racing, his cock was pulsing, so hard it hurt. He knew that if he asked sincerely, she would release him without question. He was actually just as much in control as she was right now. But he wouldn't disappoint her by giving in so quickly. She was enjoying this, he could sense that. Could hear the joy in her voice, even while she played the role of punisher. And while it was definitely a type of torture for him, it was one that filled him with every feeling he could imagine. Pleasure, frustration, amusement, pride, pure love. Oh, he would hold out for as long as possible, for her.
The chains and shackles rattled as Cassian pulled on them again. Nesta couldn't help but smile behind him. She knew they didn't hurt him, but she also knew the frustration of being contained like this was driving him wild. It was driving her wild too. She could feel the wetness between her thighs and started imagining being filled by him in the way that was sweetly painful only at first but then overwhelmingly pleasurable. The kind of complete, burning, fullness that made her see stars and forget how to breathe. She wanted him to feel that amount of pleasure, and in ways that she could control. She ran her fingers up his spine and watched his back muscles contract in response. His strong, broad back that could hold the weight of the world when it needed to. She continued to the tendons that connected his wings to his back, and rang both hands up the outside curve of his wings towards his arms. "OH GODS, NESTA".
She couldn't help but whimper at the way he said her name, desperate in longing, but worshipping her name like she herself was a goddess. She grabbed his long dark hair, soft as silk and gently pulled his head back towards her. Grazing her mouth along his neck, she whispered, "you've been holding out on me General. I could have been making you scream like this for weeks." She could feel him trembling, trying to steady his breath as he chuckled, "ohhh just you wait. I'm going to make you scream my name as soon as I'm out of these things." He pulled again on the chains so hard that for a moment she thought they might come out of the floor. She gasped and stepped back reflexively. Not out of fear of him, but out of excitement at what she knew would actually be coming her way once he got free.
She felt giddy as she stepped back to him, loving the power that she wielded in this position. Playfully again, "hmmm, these remind me of something…" She reached for the tips of his wings where large black talons jutted out like spear tips, .and stroked them. Stroked them like she would for another of his appendages. "Well they're certainly hard, but I wonder if they taste the same."
Cassian nearly choked as he heard her suck on the tip of his wing. Those talons didn't have a lot of feeling themselves, but the thought of her mouth around them, and the vibrations that her humming pushed down the length of his wing, made him dizzy. Oh god, what her mouth felt like on his body. His cock throbbed again so hard he thought that might be the end of it right there. Maybe it would be worth it to get that mouth on him where he could watch it. He was seriously considering just letting go, ruining his pants right then when she stopped.
"Well, looks like we might need more incentive to confess, huh General?" She started again down the back of his right wing, dragging her fingers along the span of it as she walked. His entire wing shook uncontrollably, and he silently cursed it for having no composure. She gripped it at the end as she pivoted around to his front, and his fingers tightened so hard his nails cut into his palms. Pretty sure that just drew blood, dammit. She again grazed her fingers slowly, up and down, tracing along the curves of his wing as she approached his shackled arms. His breath hitched and his eyes widened but he looked straight ahead, trying to hide behind the mask of a soldier, as he had been trained. But gods, he had never been trained for this. She swept her hand from his wing to his arms, straining still against the shackles, then up his shoulder, across his jaw, and stroked her finger across his bottom lip. She then brought that finger to her lip, as if in silent promise of what would touch later.
"Yes, more incentive. Well, I've tried my hands. I've tried my mouth. If I only I had something else to touch you with, to feel out where that special spot could possibly be…" She feigned a contemplative look, and then "I wonder if this might help…", and reached for the tie on her gown. As she slowly untied the knot and let the fabric drape open to expose her body, Cassian literally stopped breathing. His eyes followed her skin along the route he wished his hands could travel. Her breasts were round and flushed, nipples pebbled and at attention. Her taught stomach sloped down and curved out to her hips, then to her smooth thighs, wrapped in the lace and silk of her stockings, then back up the inside of her thighs to… His lungs had already stopped working, and now his brain followed. She wasn't wearing undergarments, and her pink, glistening sex was directly in his line of sight. The only thing preventing him from dying from lust in that moment was the reflex of his body forcing him to start breathing again. Only this time he had unfettered access to her scent, and the headiness of it made him snarl and growl and snap like the caged animal he was in this moment.
She giggled at the sight, not scared by his primal response, but aroused by it. "Later, General", she promised. She approached his left wing again, just out of reach of his mouth and shackled arms, and again feigned thoughtful consideration of the situation. "I wonder… if I use all of me, I'll be covering more area at once, right?" looking to him as if it were a perfectly normal conversational question. He couldn't think of words. Any words. No smart-ass retorts, no clever remarks. The only word that existed in his head right now was "Nesta". She looked at him again as he repeated it. He didn't even know what he was trying to communicate. Was he asking her to stop? Asking her not to? Expressing his passion for her, or his defeat at her hands? Was he surrendering? He wanted relief from this sweet torture, but he also so badly wanted to see what she was about to do…
She smiled at everything she saw. The fire and ecstasy and desire in his eyes, the raw primal urge clenching his jaw, the fabric of his pants straining against his arousal. He said her name with a guttural growl that made her own jaw clench. Almost made her untie him right then and there and let him have her. But she knew he liked this too. She had seen all of the thoughts leave his mind when she undid her robe. Not unusual for men to stop higher-level thinking when in contact with beautiful women, but she knew there was more between them. He wasn't just her lover, but her mate. He wanted her body, but he wanted her heart and soul more.
Seeing the permission on his face, she moved forward, and touched her entire body to his wing. She felt the heat of it on her skin, flesh burning with desire, meeting the same. She couldn't stifle her own moan as she was surprised by how good it felt to lean into this part of him. The tips of her breasts pushed against the webbing of his wing, her hands gripped the firm and strong tendons crossing the length of them, gently pulling them to her as if to cover herself in a blanket. Her mouth leaned forward and kissed the wingtip in front of her, then licked it, then nipped it, then kissed it again. She could feel the vibrations of his pleasure along her entire body. He cried out again, a more desperate, worshipping calling of her name. "NESTA!" But she heard in it "please".
She stared at him, watching him sweating, trembling, panting. She saw the passion burning in his eyes, burning through his body. And something shifted in her. She knew he wasn't in pain, just the opposite. But she no longer wanted to dominate him. No longer wanted to win the game. She wanted him to feel release, to feel the ecstasy that he so often gave her. She wanted to join with him, soul to soul, like they had been doing since that solstice night when their mating bond fused them for eternity. She kneeled on the ground in front of him. She took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes as she brushed his mouth with hers. "Cassian". He looked into her eyes and his breath caught. "Cassian" she repeated. "Please".
His head was spinning, trying to remember his own name as every nerve in his body was on fire. Then suddenly she was in front of him, holding his face and looking into his eyes, and he saw the shift. Heard her say his name. Not "General" or soldier" or "you". The game was over. She wasn't playing anymore. He could see the emotion in her eyes, he could see straight through to her soul. She was asking him to tell her what he needed for release. Not to win, but to serve. She didn't care about some stupid endurance contest to bolster his male ego. She wasn't asking him to be strong, to be a warrior. She was asking him to trust her, to be vulnerable with her. She was asking him to show her how much he loved her by letting go, for her. He had never felt so much love for her, and from her, as in this moment. His breathing slowed and staring into the depths of her eyes, he said "inside, behind my arms, where they meet my back."
She exhaled as he inhaled, sharing the same breath. She tipped her head forward, putting her forehead to his, but not breaking his gaze. "I love you more than life itself Cassian. I am yours. And you are mine", and she moved her hands from his face to reach behind his back and with all the love she could push into her fingertips, ran her hands along the inside of both of his wings, where they joined to his back.
Time seemed to stop. Like the world had ended and only the two of them, knee to knee, head to head, and soul to soul, were left in the universe. There was only quiet.
And then suddenly there was only sound. Overwhelming sound in his head, so loud he couldn't see or hear or feel anything. And just as suddenly he could feel everything. Every cell in his body was on fire, every nerve tensing every muscle and squeezing every bone with exquisite pleasure as he climaxed. He realized the sound was coming from him. He was roaring so loudly the House shook. The emotions followed the physical sensations. He felt relief, exhaustion, exhilaration, appreciation, connection, and love. Heartbreaking, soul-crushing love. No, those words were negative. There were no words for the love he felt for his mate. This female who could destroy men, with swords and words alike. This female who chose him, long before she knew of a mating bond. This female, who loved him as much as he loved her, though that seemed unfathomable in this moment. But as he continued staring into her eyes, into her soul, he knew it was true. She loved him, trusted him, with her entire being, and he just proved to her he felt the same.
Without a sound the shackles and ties disappeared and Nesta and Cassian held each other, still kneeling together, still head to head, neither having broken their gaze. They breathed as one, sharing the air between them. Sharing a soul between them. He repeated her words. "You are mine. And I am yours".
They breathed together in each other's arms for what may have been minutes, or hours, or days. Golden threads of their mating bond, of their love, surrounded them and floated through them. After some time, Cassian took a breath and a smile slowly started to burn across his face. He finally leaned away from Nesta and held her face in his hands, seeing the fire sparking back up in her eyes. He leaned back to her, gently kissed her neck, and leaned up, breathing softly and whispering as he smiled into her ear. "Your turn."