Her Forever

Orion’s POV

What have I done?

I growled as soon as I felt Willa’s body slumped in my arms. Her breathing was steady as I felt the tiny breaths on my arm. She was sleeping peacefully while I had too many thoughts running through my mind.

I lost control today. I don’t lose control when it comes to my love, and here I was, only a month into our relationship, and I f*****g lost it. I grew up learning to control my emotions. Entrap them in the corner of my mind and never let it out. I was the next in line to be king. It was required of me to be the stoic fearless leader. Everyone feared me, respected and moreover listened and obeyed.

Not my Willa. My mate.

When Willa rode in on Horus, I knew the majestic beast would keep her safe, and he would not have brought her if he thought otherwise. Still, Willa disobeyed a direct order from me. I told her to behave, sit tight, and wait for my return, yet she still came for me. Granted, she doesn’t understand the mate bond very well; her education is limited. The striking pain she felt in her body when I was hit would only make her jump into action.

My real anger should be to whoever told her I was in danger. They made her worry and jump to a ridiculous plan. I gripped her a little tighter, causing her to fall back into my chest.

Willa was in real danger today, and there would have been nothing for me to do to stop it if she were in trouble. She came in triumphant, thankfully, on a beast, she has ridden only a handful of times. The battle cry she yelled for me and the worry and want made me swell with pride that she would risk her life for me. Willa wanted the sorceress or Sibile as dead as the rest of us.

There she was, trying to come to save me. I told her I would protect her from the very beginning, and she would have nothing to fear. I would battle the demon king himself and any other creature that stood in our way of being together. I should be flattered, honored even that my mate who has no fighting experience, no muscles to compete in physical sparring would come for me.

Willa showed how much she cared and how much she loved me, and I spat it back in her face because of my pride and my terrible personality trait for complete control. Willa liked control from how I picked out her clothes and babied her each morning; she wanted to be taken care of, especially in the bedroom. But she disobeyed me purposefully and came into harm’s way.

I didn’t like it. She didn’t listen, but Willa was her own person. She lets me do things to her I never thought possible. The once closed-off, stubborn, and independent woman broke down her walls for me and let me care for her, love her and protect her all while not understanding anything in this world. Willa surrendered herself, and I have not yet submitted myself to her.

My chest tightens at the thought of me being too rough with her this evening. I wanted to put her in her place, let her know I was in control, and I feared that it was too much.

The hours have slipped by, and I still cannot sleep. My thoughts wandering what my Darling is dreaming and thinking. I swore I wouldn’t invade her dreams after being apart from her; I couldn’t invade her privacy now. There was no distress in her sleeping as she nuzzled closer into my neck, but why do I feel the heaviness in my heart?

Guilt.

It overwhelms me. I’m angry at myself and the situation I’ve put us both in. I want her safe, but I still have to give her the independence she has spoken of from the beginning. Willa’s getting ready to take on a role so vital to the kingdom, being strapped down to one place and taking on a great responsibility she never knew she would have.

Willa would be at my side, ruling an entire nation. She’s given up her freedom to be attached to a devilish fae, and I go and take her o****m from her.

f**k.

The frustration became too much, and I could feel damn tears pool in my eyes. I don’t remember the last time I cried; it could have been when I was just a little thing sparing with my brothers. Willa has to wake up; she has to tell me she is alright. I need to depend on her now to hold me together, or I will fall apart.

“Willa,” I whispered in her ear. I dropped a k**s to her cheek as she began to stir. The window started to lighten as I saw several light sprites dust the window. They can sense their king is upset, something I rarely show, if ever. I wave them away, but they still sit quietly on the balcony edge.

“Darling, please wake up,” I pleaded like a child. Willa stirs and rubs the sleep from her eyes.

“Orion? What’s wrong?” her voice is rough as she looks up. Her hair is a mess, and her cheeks are red from lying up against my chest.

“I’m sorry,” was all I could mutter as I gripped her tightly. “Goddess, I am so sorry.”

“Orion,” her voice was muffled as her lips tickled my chest. “What are you sorry for? Are you alright?”

“I’m sorry,” I muttered again. “I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you like that.” I held back a sob, and Willa sat up in the bed. Tears were forming now, and they were too heavy to stay in my eyes.

“Orion,” she cooed as she smiled. “There isn’t anything to be sorry about. Why are you so upset?” I buried my face into her stomach and held onto her tightly. Her hands brushed my hair, smoothing out the knots.

“I was too rough with you earlier. I was so angry with you coming to the middle of a battle, I worried for your safety, and you didn’t listen to me. I did what I did to show you I was in control, and I regret every moment of it. I shouldn’t deny you anything….”

Willa started shooshing me and tickled my bareback. “First of all, you did not hurt me physically in any way. I was mad you didn’t let me o****m with you; that’s kind of our thing, so I missed that.” Her hands grabbed both sides of my face and lifted me up to her face. A quick k**s and adoration of her eyes gave me a bit of relief.

“I liked everything else, though,” she winked. “I know you need control, and you don’t like it when I get my spurt of ‘I do what I want’ attitude. But I think that is why the goddess put us both together. We both need to be evened out a bit, don’t you think?” Willa smiled brightly at me and kissed my lips softly. “Just know if you are ever in danger, I’ll find you just as you will find me. We can both be thrown in the wrestling ring of passion until both of our desires are met. How does that sound?” Her eyes lit up like the summer solstice.

“How about we both just stay out of danger but still do the lovemaking?” I sucked back a sniff. She threw her head back and laughed.

“Of course, as long as you still are the dominating one in bed,” her voice grew a few octaves lower than made my lower region stir.

“How about I make it up to you then, let you c*m around my c**k?” I sat up and grabbed her bottom l*p, and gave it a suck. A breathy m**n left her lips as she met me back with her needy lips.

“I would like that,” she breathed. Her eyes were filled with wonderful love. I kissed her softly, our mouths entangled with one another just like our first k**s. We explored each other, tasted, and savored. She was my main course and dessert all into one.

One of her hands ran through my hair while the other wiped away my tears as I felt her body against mine. Her tunic was discarded as we lovingly touched each other softly. Gently tugging each other’s hair, getting lost in our touches. Heaven couldn’t compare to the traces she left on my skin.

We slowed our k**s as she pulled away and softly kissed both my eyes. My eyes continued to water, not of anger or guilt but of the pure love I had for her. How could a bond be this powerful? How could a love like this exist?

I could feel the wetness pool between her legs; her hand trailed down my right side as our breaths started to even out as our bare bodies lightly touched each other.

“Make love to me,” she whispered. What my queen wants, she gets. I parted her legs and positioned the tip of my c**k to her entrance. She gasped as I slowly sank into her. It was like making love to her for the first time as I slid slowly into her wet cavern. Both of our eyes shut so we could feel the ways our bodies became one. Her p***y was tight as it took my girth. I felt every crevice of her body as I slowly pulled back.

Slowly, sensually we rubbed our bodies together. The sheets were the only thing coving our bodies as both of my elbows entrapped my destined one. “Orion,” she m****d as I captured her h**s. My movements became faster as she met me thrust for thrust with her h**s.

“My Darling,” I spoke strained as my hair trapped us in our own canopy around our faces. “I love you,” and I felt her core tightening.

“I love you, Orion, so much.” The grip she had on my biceps made me want to pull closer. Willa’s m**n shook me as she rose to her peak. “Willa!” I g*****d as we both came around each other, our bodies hot and wet. We finished with one final passionate k**s as I fell to her side. Her legs wrapped around mine as our pants became slow whimpers as sleep finally took me, with my love in my arms.

….

It was early morning, the light sprites had disappeared for the night, and the light sources were starting to rise on the floor. Willa was still sleeping peacefully in my arms, and I didn’t want to leave. There hadn’t been 24 hours for us to even lay in bed to worship each other. Now that we were this close to our binding ceremony, I know it would all be downhill.

The following day we would be in the throne room, our loved ones surrounding us as the sun rises and hits the stain-glassed window. The light sources would paint a beautiful portrait of my Darling on the marbled floor. I’ve had glaziers working through the night, so Willa would overlook part of her surprise. Not that she would have had time to notice anyway.

I rose from the bed, grabbing the closest pair of trousers I could find. Willa would be with her new mother and friends for the day. Prepping her body, the dress, and hopefully just relaxing. I grabbed the blue rose from the neighboring vase and left it on my empty pillow. Writing down a quick note, I laid it beside her. Willa’s hair was strung all over the pillows as she snored softly.

Going to the far left corner of our room, I moved the large painting of Asland to the side and slipped through the surprise that I had waiting for her after our day of celebration.