Disclaimer: SJM owns all!

A/N: Okay, so, first of all, I do apologize for it taking a week to get this posted. It took me a little bit to get the ending done. Secondly, I do need to say that this chapter has some MATURE CONTENT AHEAD! I put that in all caps in case people aren't reading the notes. If you're triggered by mature content or sexual content...you'll want to skip the ending. I hope this chapter makes up for this chapter taking a hot minute. Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen

It was about a month later when Gwyn found herself preparing for another family dinner down at the River House. She had been spending a lot of her time training lately. In the morning, she would train with the priestesses and Valkyries, then in the afternoon, her and Azriel would do some spy training.

Every now and then, Rhys would come to her with a request on something he needed researched. She would put that as priority over her training, and Az understood. He knew she was trying to fit into her new roles and adjust to everything. He also knew that when your High Lord requested something, it was better to get to it sooner rather than later.

So, they spent their days training and having their meals with Nesta and Cassian when she wasn't researching, but when she was he would join her in the library when he could. He would bring his reports in and join her by the fireplace. They would sit in a companionable silence as they both read, occasionally brushing their knees or hands together. They would usually eat their dinner in the library on those nights as well.

They'd only had a couple of family dinners in the past month. Feyre and Rhys had both been pretty busy lately with their responsibilities and with Nyx, so some weeks they would have to cancel. She was excited to be going over tonight. Nyx was getting so big and she loved seeing all of her friends in one spot. She had also made a decision, finally, on whether or not she was going to Rita's with the group. Mor had postponed for a bit because she'd had to go on a mission for Rhys for a while. They were finally going to be able to go out in a few days and learn what surprise Mor had for them all.

Azriel had been taking her on trips around the city in their free time to get her used to being around people more. It was still difficult, but she was managing. If Azriel was there along with her friends, she knew she'd be alright.

She walked out of her room and was so lost in thought about getting to see everyone that she ran right into Az. She bounced right off his chest and was about to trip when his arms snaked around her waist, pulling her right into him. "Are you alright?"

Gwyn looked up at him and smiled. His hair was still slightly damp from his bath and was curling at the ends. He had a crooked smile on his face as he looked down at her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. "I'm perfect now."

He chuckled and bent down to plant a kiss on her cheek, but she moved her face to the side and captured his lips with her mouth. His hold on her tightened, holding her firmly to him. They stayed that way for a few moments, lips moving against each other. When her tongue brushed against his lip, he pulled back. "We need to get going. We'll be late."

She pouted. "Nesta and Cassian are always late. Can't we be a few minutes late for once?"

He chuckled, the reverberations vibrating through her chest. He kissed her again, but before it could deepen he pulled away. "Come on, I thought you said earlier that you were excited to get over there?"

She shrugged. "I am. I just…never mind. I am. Come on, let's go." She pulled out of his embrace before he could object and grabbed his hand, starting down the hallway. She could tell he was coming up with words to say, probably to ask what had just happened, but before he could voice them, they rounded the corner and Nesta and Cass were standing there waiting for them.

Nesta smiled at her. "About time. I thought we were usually the late ones."

She shrugged, not looking at Az. "I just lost track of time is all. Are you ready to go?"

Nesta raised a brow at her, sensing there was something more, but let it drop. "Yeah, we were just waiting on you two. We're ready when you are."

Cass was already moving towards the open doorway. "Come on! I'm hungry! And Feyre said Elain's going to be there tonight for once, so the food will be even better than it has been!"

Gwyn's heart stuttered. Elain would be there. The last time she'd seen the female, other than in passing while she'd been staying at the River House while searching for Az, there'd been that argument between Azriel and Elain that she'd somehow gotten mixed up in. While she'd been staying at the house searching for him, she'd done her best to steer clear of the female to avoid any other confrontations. None of them needed that when they were all stressed and worried.

Azriel sensed her unease and looked down at her, frowning. "What's wrong, Gwyn?"

She shook her head, trying her best at a smile. "Nothing, I'm fine. Come on, everyone's waiting."

He was still frowning at her when got into position to leave. He lifted her up into his arms and she laid her head on his shoulder. "Can we just winnow there once we're past the wards? I don't really feel like flying today."

Az looked down at her again, holding her tightly. "Gwyn, what's going on? You love flying."

She shrugged again, as best she could whilst in his arms. "Nothing. I just want to get there. As you mentioned, I said earlier today that I'm excited to get there."

He stood there for a moment watching her, even after Cass and Nesta had taken off. "Yeah, we can winnow. If that's what will make you happy, sweetheart."

She squeezed him as tight as she could without choking him, letting him know she appreciated his words. She kept her head resting on his shoulder as he launched them into the sky, shooting them up past the wards in no time, and then winnowed them away.

She was used to the sensations of winnowing now. Azriel had winnowed her several places since they'd become friends months and months ago. When they appeared on the front lawn of the River House, she felt relieved to already be there.

He set her down on the ground, keeping a steadying hand on her waist while she regained her balance, and then took her hand in his as they walked up to the door. They walked in and she smiled, loving the homey feeling of the River House. She loved the House of Wind, but it was so big and empty, not to mention far away. She couldn't even leave unless she took all those stairs or had someone take her somewhere.

She vowed to herself that one day…one day she would live in a house like this one. Maybe not as big, but as homey and welcoming. She wanted a home closer to her new-found family, a home where she could leave if she wished and do it on her own terms. She wanted a home…with Azriel. That thought shocked her more than anything else.

They'd been sleeping in each other's rooms all the time, so she rarely spent a night alone anymore, but they hadn't really done anything. They kissed, but it didn't go very far. He always pulled away and stopped it before it got too heated. It made her cravings more intense, she found. She also found that she was actually having those cravings. She wanted him. She knew she might not be fully ready to go all the way, but she thought she was ready for more than just kissing. It was frustrating her to no end that he kept pumping on the brakes on everything.

Az looked down the hall briefly before turning back to her. "Apparently Rhys needs to see me in his office. Will you be okay until I'm done?"

She nodded, moving to marvel, once again, at Feyre's numerous paintings. "Of course. I know my way around."

He nodded, pecking her quickly on the cheek before walking down the hallway. She sighed, staring up at the painting of the three brothers on top of Ramiel, about to complete the Blood Rite. She stared at it for a few moments before she heard footsteps walking towards her. She turned her head in time to see Elain stop in her tracks and stare at her. "Oh, I wasn't aware you'd be here tonight."

Gwyn nodded, "I've been coming to all the family dinners lately, since before Az was captured."

Elain pursed her lips, looking away. "I see. In that case, I'll take my leave."

She sighed. "Elain, just because there was a disagreement between the three of us a couple of months ago, doesn't mean we can't, at the very least, be civil towards each other. We're a part of the same family after all. We'll be seeing a lot of each other."

Elain's head whipped back towards her, eyes narrowing. "We are not family. You may have stolen Azriel and convinced him that he's better off with a warrior brute like you, but that will never make us family. I don't care if you are 'mates'."

Her emphasis on mates had Gwyn grinding her teeth. "First of all, I'm not a warrior brute. And second, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Elain shrugged, a smug smile coming to her face. "The way I heard it, you hadn't accepted the bond. That doesn't really make you mates, now does it?"

Gwyn turned to fully face her. "Last I heard, you hadn't accepted yours either, so you're one to talk. And it's none of your business how Az and I go about our relationship. That's between me and him. No one else."

Elain laughed. "Oh please, my bond is a joke. Lucien? He's not exactly the ideal mate, now is he? I mean, he only has one eye, for Cauldron's sake. But at least I'm not fucking him to get myself further within the Inner Circle."

Gwyn took a step towards her, her voice dropping an octave. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

She shrugged again, looking pleased at having riled her up. "Maybe, maybe not, but at least I'm not walking around faking it. You, on the other hand, came strolling in here out of some priestess sanctuary pretending to be all broken and healing, but I saw right through you from the start. My sisters might think they see you, but I see the real you. The one who doesn't give a damn about anyone but yourself. I see the person who is just using Azriel for his connections and his cock. I mean, really? The bond snaps into place and then five minutes later you're training to be a spy for the court? I don't buy it. What is it that you really want? What are you really trying to accomplish here?"

Gwyn shook her head, willing the tears not to fall. "I don't care what you think of me. Everyone else sees the real me, knows the truth. I had once thought that maybe we could put whatever this is between us in the past and move on, maybe eventually be friends, but you're making this impossible. What did I ever do to you to bring out all this hostility?"

Elain took a step towards her, her face twisting with rage Gwyn had never seen on her face before. "You took him from me. He was mine and now his head is all confused and muddled with your lies."

Gwyn got right into Elain's face. "I didn't take him from anyone. Do you understand me? He makes his own choices. He was already moving on from you when he started getting feelings for me. You had already shot him down. And if you were so convinced that he was yours, why didn't you tell him or make any kind of indication? You let him feel like garbage about his feelings for you, that they were only one-sided. And then the second he moves one, you're suddenly interested in him? You need to get your priorities straight. He deserves better than to be treated like a second thought. So, back off and stay out of our business."

Gwyn turned and walked away. She was about to leave the hallway when she heard Elain's voice flutter back to her. "At least I'm not a whore."

Gwyn kept walking, willing the tears not to fall. She walked into the living room and saw Feyre standing there, her eyes wide. She'd heard their conversation. Seeing the look on Feyre's face made the tears start falling.

"Gwyn…I'm so sorry. I only caught the last half of that, but…I don't know why she's doing this. Are you okay?"

She shook her head, trying to wipe away the tears. "I don't know what I did to make her like this towards me. I'm sorry, Feyre, for causing all of this drama."

Feyre waved her hand in the air, coming to stand in front of her and wrapping her arms around her friend, trying to comfort her. "It's okay, Gwyn. You haven't done anything wrong. I'll talk to her later, see if I can set things straight. Right now, let's just make sure you're okay."

Nesta and Cassian walked into the room, the smiles on their faces disappearing when they took in the scene. Nesta was instantly at their side. "What happened? Did Azriel do something?"

Gwyn shook her head, but the tears kept coming, making her unable to speak. Feyre looked at her sister, frowning. "It was Elain. They had a confrontation out in the hallway a few minutes ago. She said some…awful things to Gwyn."

Nesta's head snapped in Feyre's direction. "Elain did this? What does she have against Gwyn? She's the nicest person I know."

Feyre nodded, running her hand along Gwyn's back soothingly trying to calm her down and failing. "I don't know, but it seemed to revolve mostly around Azriel. Elain kept saying how Gwyn stole him from her…and…"

They were silent for a couple of minutes and Gwyn knew they were speaking telepathically. Nesta gasped. "She called her a what? Where is she?"

Feyre shook her head. "Don't. I'll speak with her later. Just…help me calm Gwyn down."

It was only a moment later when Gwyn heard three sets of footsteps making their way towards them fast. That's when she knew Cass must have slipped out to go get Azriel. It didn't take long before Feyre's arms disappeared and she was wrapped up in Az's instead. He held her tightly against his chest, rubbing her back as Feyre had.

"What the hell happened?"

The room was silent for a few minutes, with only the sounds of her crying filling the room, as she knew Feyre was relaying the conversation between Gwyn and Elain to everyone, silently so as not to upset her further.

Azriel's hold on her tightened, confirming her suspicions. He leaned down and spoke quietly into her ear, so that the others couldn't hear them. "Nothing she said to you was true, Gwyn. I don't know why she's being this way and I sincerely apologize for her actions, but…you did not steal me from anyone. You are kind, caring, and wonderful. My feelings for you are genuine, I can promise you that. As for her insinuations that you're only using me…well, I know that isn't true. You're too good of a person for that."

Gwyn tilter her face to the side, just enough to see his face. There were tears still running down her cheeks, but his words were making them slow. He took her movement as encouragement and continued. "You have grown so much in the past few months that we've been getting to know each other. I am so, so proud of you, Gwyn. I know it's hard. I know coming into a new family is hard, but you've welcomed them all in with open arms. I am so sorry that she…Everyone else loves you so much, Gwyn. You are welcomed into this family not because of me or Nesta, but because of your own strength and love. I had nothing to do with this. As for what she said at the end…please…"

He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his words, before opening them and staring into her soul. "Please don't take it to heart. That's not who you are. I know that, everyone here knows that, and I know that you do too. What do you need, sweetheart? How can I help you?"

She tightened her hold on him and swallowed down the lump in her throat. "This. All of this. You've already made me feel so much better, but…I don't know if I can stay here for supper tonight. I just…want to go for a walk. Be as far away from her as possible."

He nodded. "I understand. We'll leave and go for a walk. Everyone will understand after what happened. No one will think anything of it."

She nodded, pressing her face back into his shoulder. She felt him move his head away as he looked up at their family. "We're going to take off. I don't think it's a good idea for her to be anywhere near Elain right now."

Rhys's voice was close when he spoke up. "That's fine, we all understand. Do you want to take some food with you at least? You both must be hungry."

There was a pause and she knew Az was waiting for a sign from her so she subtly shook her head. His hand rubbed up her back in comfort. "No, that's okay. We'll grab something later. I don't think either of us have much of an appetite right now."

Nesta's voice came from closer to the doorway, angrily. "I think I'll take this time to go find my sister. Give her a piece of my mind."

Gwyn raised her head at that, locking eyes with Nesta. "I don't want to start anything, Nesta. I'm not trying to cause any drama."

Nesta gave her a soft smile, reeling in the anger for her friend. "This isn't your fault, Gwyn. None of this is. She just…needs to be given a piece of my mind. We'll get this taken care of, don't you worry."

Azriel's hold on her tightened. He placed a kiss to the top of her head. "Let them handle it, Gwyn. You don't need to."

Feyre nodded, walking over to her sister. "Azriel is right. Nesta and I got this, Gwyn. If she can't be civil, then we'll handle it accordingly. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, Rhys and Cassian, why don't you start getting the table set up while we go have a chat with our sister about manners."

Rhys threw Cass a look as the two sisters exited the room. "You do realize that won't end well, right?"

Cass nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "I bet you fifteen gold marks that there's shouting in the next five minutes."

Rhys chuckled. "Twenty on Nesta slapping her."

Azriel's voice rumbled through her chest. "Thirty on Feyre having to pull rank."

Gwyn's head snapped up to look at him incredulously. "Azriel!"

He shrugged, smirking down at her. "She deserves it. She hasn't been the nicest lately."

Rhys snorted. "He's right. I honestly don't know what's gotten into her lately. The other day, she bit off Nuala's head for trying to help her in the kitchen. Honestly, it all makes me want to fill Lucien in on what's going on with her, see if he can do anything."

Cass looked at Rhys, his brows furrowing. "Have they been getting closer?"

Rhys shook his head, staring at the doorway. "Not that I'm aware of, but you never know."

As Rhys and Cass kept talking about Lucien and Elain, Azriel excused them and walked them through the River house and out the front door. They were able to slip away practically unnoticed.

Azriel kept his arm wrapped firmly around Gwyn's waist as they walked down the sidewalk towards the Sidra. "Where exactly are you wanting to go?"

She shrugged. "Not somewhere that's too noisy or busy. I just…want to sit and be able to hear myself think."

He nodded, looking out over the city. "I think that can be arranged. Do you want to grab a bite to eat on the way? Take it to where we're going?"

She shook her head. "You can if you want. I'm sure you're probably hungry. I don't want to make you miss dinner because of all of this."

He tightened his grip on her waist, leaning over to kiss her temple as they walked. "You're not making me miss anything, Gwyn. I'll be okay. If you're not hungry now, then either we can get food on the way home or back up at the House. It doesn't matter to me. I had a big lunch anyway."

She smiled slightly and leaned into him as they walked, keeping an arm wrapped around his waist as well. She needed the feel of him to help her feel grounded. She knew she shouldn't let what Elain said to her throw her off so much and upset her, but it still did. She had called her a whore. That word didn't sit right with her.

It didn't take very long for them to get to a little secluded area off the beaten path. It was a little wooded area along the Sidra, not far from everything, but far enough that they felt a little removed, tucked away.

Azriel led her over to one of the trees and sat down, pulling her down onto his lap. "Is this okay?"

She nodded, leaning into him and laying her head on his chest. "This is perfect. This is exactly what I needed. I'm sorry to have taken you away from your family."

He shook his head, rubbing her back. "Right now, you are what's important. You are my mate and you're upset. That's all that matters to me right now. When Cassian came to Rhys's office and said there was an issue…That it had to do with you…my heart stopped, Gwyn. I felt like I couldn't breathe until I saw you. And then I was running through the halls looking for you. When I found you, you were in Feyre's arms crying…"

She looked up at him to see his eyes were closed as he took a deep breath. "Az? I'm okay. I wasn't hurt."

He shook his head again. "But you were. I saw the look on your face, felt the tears. I can't stand-by and watch you be treated like that. Not when you mean so much to me."

Gwyn stared up into his face, waiting for him to calm himself down. When he finally opened his eyes, he just stared at her. "Gwyn, I…Do you believe the things she said to you?"

She looked away from him, staring out at the Sidra, getting lost in the laps of the water, allowing it to settle her. "Not all of them, but…it was hard to ignore everything she said."

Az's fingers lifted to her chin and tilted her face back towards him. His eyes were worried, but the rest of his face was calm. "Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what upset you. Let me help."

She could see that he wouldn't feel better until she did. Maybe it was his instincts kicking in or maybe because he really did care for her, but either way, she wasn't getting out of the conversation. She sighed and nodded. "Well…She said that I'm just using you for your connections. And…you know…the other thing…"

He tilted his head to the side. "The other thing?"

She blushed, ducking her head. "You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"

"Gwyn, I don't know what you're talking about. I want to help you, but in order to do that, I need to know how."

Gwyn covered her face with her hands. "Your cock."

There was a long silence. "I'm sorry, my what?"

She knew her face must be as red as an apple by that point. "She said…I'm only using you for your connections…and your…cock…"

He was silent for a couple of minutes as he thought over her words. She could have sworn she detected a slight shift in scent coming from him, but she figured she was mistaken. Finally, he cleared his throat. "Well, we clearly know you're not using me for my connections. You have your own. Plus you don't need me to help you succeed, I'm just helping you. As for, um, the other thing…"

He shifted beneath her slightly, moving her around on his lap, making her blush even more. "We know that isn't true." He cleared his throat again.

She spread her fingers just enough so that she could peer out at him through them. He was biting his lip and looking very nervous. She dropped her hands into her lap. "Did I upset you? I didn't mean to."

His eyes immediately flicked back to hers, widening. "No! Of course not! I just, uh…"

His eyes flicked down to her lips briefly before looking away, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. She put her hand on his chest and leaned forward. "Azriel, are you okay?"

He nodded, keeping his eyes closed. "It just seems that today I'm being tested in a couple different ways is all."

Her brows bunched together as she shifted herself on his lap, trying to get a more comfortable position. When she shifted, that's when she felt…it. Her eyes widened and she stared at his face as he took another deep breath.

She took in his face. He was doing everything in his willpower to make his cravings go away for her benefit. He didn't want to scare her or traumatize her. He was the sweetest, most thoughtful male she'd ever met. He was her mate. He'd been there for her through quite a bit now. Just staring at his face, watching him try to will his urges away for her, made her do what she did next.

She leaned forward, grabbed his face gently with her hands, and pressed her lips against his in a passionate kiss. She felt him tense beneath her. After a moment, he relaxed into it, but only for a few moments before he tried pulling away. She shook her head, staring into his eyes. "You're not pulling away this time, Azriel. It's okay. I want more."

He just stared at her while she shifted on his lap, moving into a more comfortable position. She moved so that she had her legs on either side of his thighs, straddling his lap. She sat back just enough so that she couldn't feel his bulge and leaned towards him. His breathing had picked up slightly. "Gwyn…"

She shook her head, placing a soft kiss on his lips before staring into his eyes to make sure he knew she meant every word. "I want this, Azriel. I don't…I don't think I can go all the way quite yet, but…I want to go farther than we have been. I'm ready to. I want…get to know you. I don't know how far I'll be able to go, but…I want to at least try."

He placed his hands on her hips, stroking his thumbs in circles. "You're sure? We can stop at any time. Don't think just because I want to means that we have to. I'm perfectly content just sitting here being with you."

She nodded, leaning forward and pressing her lips to the side of his neck, eliciting a hiss from him. He tilted his head to the side as his fingers tug into her hips, holding her securely to him. "If we're actually going to do this…we may want to go somewhere more private…"

She flicked out her tongue and licked up the side of his neck in answer. He actually groaned this time. His arms came around her, pulling her towards him quickly before they were winnowing away into nothing. The next thing she knew, she had the sensation of falling. It only lasted a moment before Azriel's wings snapped out and they glided. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she quickly repositioned his legs and wrapped them around his waist to hold on tighter in his position. She continued her work on his neck, even while in the air.

"You're going to make us crash, you realize that, right?"

She giggled against his neck. "Would you prefer I stop?"

There was no hesitation in his words, "Definitely not."

He handed on the balcony and quickly carried them down to their hallway. "Your room or mine?"

"Yours. Nesta might come looking for me in mine. I'd rather not be disturbed for a while."

He chuckled, sending out his shadows ahead of him to open his door for him. Her tongue was making its way back up his throat just as he was closing the door. Another moan escaped from him as he turned and pressed her up against the wall, moving his hands to her ass to lift her up higher.

"Gwyn, you're completely in control here. I don't know what all you want or don't want, so you need to tell me. Tell me how far you want me to go. If I'm going to far or too fast, just tell me. Nothing will hurt my feelings."

She nodded, pulling back from his neck and looking into his eyes. "I want your clothes off. All of them."

His brows raised halfway up his forehead. "You're sure about that? That's not going to make you uncomfortable?"

"Azriel, either you get naked in the next thirty seconds or I will rip your clothes off myself. Which would you prefer?"

He smirked. "Can I think about it?"

She rolled her eyes, but before she could respond, he gently lowered her to the floor, pecked her on the lips and started to undress, slowly. She leaned back against the wall, watching him. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was gorgeous. Of course, she'd seen him shirtless before in training, but somehow this was different. This was an entirely different world.

He slid his pants and undershorts down together and his cock sprang free. Her eyes widened involuntarily when she saw him. She remembered Nesta mentioned something about wingspan equating to size and another comment from Cass about Azriel having the biggest wings…All she could think was, 'It definitely equates, alright.'

She swallowed and moved her eyes up to meet his. He was watching her, taking in her reactions. "Whatever you decide you want…we take it slowly."

She nodded, waiting until his pants were completely off before reaching out and wrapping her fingers around his velvety member. He gasped at her touch, his eyes sliding shut. She slid her hand towards her and then back slowly, reveling in the way his breath hitched from her movements.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, placing his hands on her waist. "Do you want to continue to stand here or would you like to move this somewhere else?"

She nodded, surveying the room for the best spot. "Let's…go to the bed."

He grabbed her hand and led her over to the bed, stepping over his discarded clothes. He climbed on the bed and laid down, using his elbow as a pillow, but before she joined him, she decided to level the playing field. She gave him a sassy smile before lifting the hem of her sweater up over her head and tossing it to the floor. When she looked back at him, his eyes were wide, taking her in.

She moved her hands down to her leggings, pulling them down along with her panties. Once she'd stepped out of them, she removed her tank top and stood completely naked in front of him. It didn't seem like he was breathing. She crawled onto the bed and knelt between his legs. "Is this okay?"

"Gwyn, that's not a question you need to ask me…believe me. Anything you do…you could be sitting there with multiple layers on and I'd find you the sexiest Fae in the world. This is all at your pace, not mine."

She smiled at him and bent forward. "Well, in that case…"

She took a steadying breath before wrapping her fingers back around his member and squeezing gently, eliciting a groan from him. She smirked and started moving her hand. She'd been mentally preparing herself for this very moment for weeks now. She'd been wanting this, wanting to show him just how far she'd come. She wanted to show him her feelings and desires in a completely different way than she had been. She'd been craving this and she knew he had been too, he just would never admit to it.

She pumped her hand up and down for a couple of minutes, watching his eyes close and his muscles tense. She could tell he was thoroughly enjoying the sensations she was giving him. While his eyes were still shut, she bent forward and flicked her tongue across his head, keeping her eyes on his face.

His eyes shot open, flying down to hers. They were wide open as they took in the site of her sliding her tongue down him and back up. "Gwyn…"

She smiled, but kept moving. When she reached the top, she slightly tightened her grip on the base as she slid her mouth around him, taking him as far into her mouth as he could fit. He moaned deeply, throwing his head back against the pillows.

She'd never done this before, but she'd read several novels where they'd given the male head and they'd described it in detail. From the sounds Azriel was making, she assumed she was doing a decent job for her first time. He reached down and grabbed her shoulder, trying to pull her up to him. "Gwyn, if you don't stop, I'm gonna…"

His words trailed off as she increased her speed. She wasn't about to let him not be fully satisfied. It didn't take too much longer before his hands tightened on her shoulders and he was roaring with pleasure as his seed shot down the back of her throat. She swallowed as much as she could as she continued sucking him down, riding out his waves of pleasure until he was fully sated.

When she finally pulled herself away, she looked down at him and smirked, wiping away a stray line of seed that had escaped from her mouth using the back of her hand. He just watched her, his eyes watching every movement. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

She nodded, moving up towards him and hovering up over his chest. "I know, but I wanted to. I've been wanting to for a while now, actually."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Why tonight then?"

She shrugged, leaning down and kissing the side of his neck. "You were getting aroused out there by the Sidra and…it made me aroused as well. What better time than when we're both aroused?"

He chuckled, gently grabbing her face and pulling it up to his, kissing it passionately. When he was done, he pulled away breathlessly and stared into her eyes. "Is it my turn now? Can I…pleasure you or would you like to do something else?"

She smiled, pretending to think for a moment. "I know that you're giving me all the control in these situations and are being thoughtful of everything, but…right now…I need you to just go for it. If I start feeling uncomfortable, I'll tell you, but until then I don't know how to guide you through what I need without just letting you do it."

He smirked before twisting them to the side, rolling them so that he was on top. "Promise me that you'll let me know if I do anything to make you uncomfortable."

She nodded and smiled at him. "I promise."

He gave her a wicked grin before placing kissed on her neck, slowly making his way down to her breast. She moaned when his tongue flicked out and found her nipple. She immediately arched up into his mouth slightly. He had one hand holding her breast in place and the other reached out and started massaging her other breast. After a few moments, he switched sides. She couldn't stop the moans from escaping her lips.

As he retreated, he glanced up at her. "You don't know how long I've been wanting to do that."

He kept trailing kisses down her stomach until he was fully between her legs. Before he continued, he glanced up at her. "How am I doing so far?"

She smirked, looking down towards him. "You'd be doing better with less conversation."

He rolled his eyes, but had a grin on his face. She knew he was just trying to make sure she was doing okay. Before she could say anything else, he had a finger pressed lightly against her entrance, his eyes trained on her face. She tilted her head back, nodding for him to continue. He slowly slid it inside of her, going as far as he could, before stopping and just staying like that for several seconds. He was letting her get accommodated to the feeling of someone being inside of her, even if it was just a finger.

She nodded again, swallowing. He pulled out the finger and then reinserted it, adding a second one this time and followed the same process. Once he let her adjust, he started slowly pumping in and out of her a few times, getting into a nice rhythm. Her moans started back up as she rested her head back on the pillow, her eyes slipping shut.

He pushed her legs farther apart and then suddenly his tongue was sliding up between her folds. She cried out in pleasure. It was enough to startle him and he froze. She shook her head, reaching down and patting his shoulder. "No, no. Please…keep going. That was good. Just surprised me. It was very good."

He chuckled against her, sending chills racing down her spine, before sliding his tongue back up the way it had come. He played around a bit before sliding his fingers out and replacing them with his tongue, wrapping her legs over his shoulders.

She was crying out in pleasure at the sensations he was giving her. She fisted the sheets, "Oh, my…Azriel. I'm going to come…Az…don't stop."

If anything, he increased his speed. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she reached down and grabbed a fistful of his hair in one hand and blindly reached out with the other. She was met with the velvety softness of his wing and began stroking it along the top where she could reach from her angle. She heard him starting to moan, the vibrations going right through her. She stroked faster as he did the same. It wasn't long and they both came at the same time.

He pulled away from her, looking up at her spent form and grinned. "How did you know about the wings?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

He chuckled, coming to lay beside her and wrapping her up in his arms. "Illyrian wings are very sensitive. There are certain spots that are…overly sensitive. So sensitive that it can be very easy…to orgasm when touched."

Her eyes widened and she looked up at him. "And I happened to find one of those spots?"

He laughed, holding her even closer, kissing the top of her head. "You did. So, I thank you for both times. I owe you one now."

"Hm. I think I like the idea of you owing me an orgasm."

He laughed loudly at that, smiling lovingly down at her. "So, tell me honestly, Gwyn, did you enjoy your first…whatever this was?"

She giggled snuggling down into his arms. "Very much so. We're definitely going to be doing it again soon. I know…" She sighed, trying to come up with the right words. He gave her the space and time to figure them out like he always did. "I know that I'm supposed to be this traumatized priestess who's afraid to leave, afraid to be touched, afraid of so many things, but…I am so much stronger than the person I was months ago. I know that I have a lot of work to do yet, but…when we first started hanging out a few months ago, I never would have let you touch me like this. Even if we were in a relationship the way we are now. I just…I don't know."

Azriel kissed her temple, pulling her even closer if that were possible. "Gwyn, you don't need to explain yourself to me. You have come farther than I could have ever imagined in such a short amount of time. You're incredible. I am so unbelievably proud of you and it's not just because I'm your mate. It's because I'm your friend too. You are not some helpless female stuck in the library anymore. You are strong and capable and motivated. You have so much to look forward to and accomplish and I cannot wait to watch you do it."

Gwyn smiled, looking up at him and kissed his lips. "Thanks, Az. I needed to hear that."

"Anytime. So…We never did get supper. Are you getting hungry?"

It was right on cue when her stomach started to growl. They both laughed and watched as food appeared on the table thanks to the House. They smiled ate dinner together, enjoying another night just the two of them.


A/N: Soooo! Elain is a bitch and they have moved farther in their relationship! Yay! So, in a lot of stories I read Gwyn is portrayed as kind of skittish and hesitant with everything and just...I don't know. I wanted to take a different approach. I fully understand she went through some serious trauma. I definitely get that! In no way am I undermining that. I'm just trying to show that she is very strong, very capable and is pushing herself further and further every day. And now that she has her mate...that will help her progress farther. Essentially, in this story, Gwyn is tired of being the helpless weakling and is taking the bull by the horns and just going for it. She will be cautious when necessary, don't worry. I just wanted to throw this all out there in case some people were wondering why I had them moving faster than some might have thought. Anywho.

If you're wondering about the whole Elain situation...only time will tell! :D Until next time! :D