<h4>Chapter 367: Private Moments With Rafe</h4>


    <strong>Eira’s POV</strong>


    "Don’t worry," he murmured, his voice low and unhurried, "I will never drink from you."


    My brows drew together at once. I despised the way he always implied that I smelled shitty, that even my blood would taste the same to him. "Because it’s shitty to you?" I asked coolly, refusing to let the sting show.


    He smirked and leaned closer, his breath warm against my skin. "Are you disappointed to know it?"


    He could have softened the moment. He could have chosen a gentler answer. Instead, he admitted it without remorse, almost as if he took pleasure in provoking me. I should have been relieved. What sane person would desire a beast sinking his fangs into their flesh? And yet, somewhere deep within me, a faint ache stirred.


    I did not want him to see that.


    When I gave him no reply, he tilted his head slightly. "That’s some badass kink you seem to have."


    I raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"


    His gaze darkened slowly, trailing over my face before settling at my neck. The way he looked at me made my pulse quicken, as though he truly might lunge forward at any second.


    "Want me to drink your blood while I fuck the hell out of you?" he said without shame. "That kind of kink."


    My throat tightened. The image his words painted was both rming and thrilling in ways I did not wish to examine.


    "Do you n to?" I asked, my voice lower than I intended, betraying a flicker of uncertainty.


    "Do you want me to?" he countered, his eyes never leaving mine.


    I frowned faintly. "Don’t answer my question with another question."


    A faint smile curved his lips. "If I fuck you, I will end up marking you. Bonding with you. And once that happens, it would be impossible for me to walk away if you ever ask me to."


    Why would I ask him to walk away?


    "I won’t," I said quietly.


    His gaze sharpened at my response.


    "Does that mean," he asked, his voice softer now but no less intense, "that you want me to mark you?"


    "You are bonded to the others. That means you will be my mate as well," I said quietly.


    "Your will matters more than the bond we brothers share," he replied, his voice steady. "If it did not, Jason would have taken the initiative to mate with you by now. For us, your choicees first."


    I did not know how to respond to that.


    The other three had acted of their own ord. I would never ask them to mate with me as though I were some desperate bitch craving more bonds.


    "Why did you bring me here?" I asked instead, unwilling to continue that line of conversation.


    He exhaled softly. "If you could take your mind out of whatever horny conclusions you are drawing, I would like you to look around," he said, stepping back and freeing me.


    I turned.


    The sight beyond the wide ss windows stole the breath from my lungs.


    Mountains stretched endlessly beneath the open sky. Waterfalls cascaded down rugged cliffs, their silver streams glinting in the sunlight. Greenery covered thendscape in richyers, vibrant and alive.


    It was breathtaking.


    He climbed onto the bed behind me. "You can use me as your pillow," he said casually, arranging the cushions around us and settling backfortably.


    I shifted awkwardly at first, then allowed him to guide me.


    I sat between his legs, and he adjusted the cushions so that I could lean against his chest. Slowly, I rested my back against him. His warmth feltforting against my cold back. My head rested against his shoulder as he sat steady while leaning against the huge firm cushion behind him.


    It felt unexpectedly intimate.


    Not demanding. Not heated.


    Just warm. Steady. Comforting.


    His arms wrapped around me loosely as we watched the view unfold beyond the ss.


    "From up here, you can see everything," he murmured.


    I hummed softly, letting myself take in the beauty before us. I understood now why he had brought me upstairs.


    I had been overthinking his intentions.


    Silly me.


    After a long stretch of peaceful silence, as we watched the ethereal beauty of nature unfold before us, I shifted slightly in his arms. A faint difort tugged at me, subtle but persistent.


    "What happened?" his voice sounded above my head, calm yet attentive.


    "Nothing," I replied, though my tone betrayed me.


    I adjusted myself again, my hand moving discreetly to fix the tight band pressing beneath my breasts. I thought I had managed it without drawing attention.


    "Your boobs got bigger than before."


    The fuck.


    Did he have to phrase it like that?


    I immediately crossed my arms over my chest. "Pervert."


    "What?" He chuckled, amused. "I don’t have to be a pervert to notice the change. Others can see it too."


    The image of all of them ncing at my chest shed uninvited into my mind, and heat rushed to my face.


    "I am pregnant. That’s expected," I said, striving to soundposed.


    "You should take it off if you are ufortable," he suggested casually.


    "I am fine," I insisted.


    "I don’t think you are," he replied evenly. "Want me to help you?"


    I turned my head sharply to look at him. "Just looking for an excuse to make me remove my clothes?"


    In response, he let out a bored sigh and shifted one hand to my back.


    "What are you..."


    Before I could finish, he deftly unhooked my bra with practiced ease, without slipping his hand inside my dress.


    "You..."


    Ignoring my protest, he carefully slid the straps down my arms beneath the fabric, then drew the bra up and out through the neckline of my dress in one smooth motion.


    He held it in front of my face triumphantly. "Removed it without even taking your dress off."


    I snatched it from him and shoved it beneath a cushion. "Shameless."


    "You should thank me for the care I showed," he replied lightly. "There is no ce for shame between us," he added in a more natural tone, settling me once againfortably against his chest. "Just be yourself. Free. Comfortable."


    Without that tight, irritating bra pressing against me, I finally felt relief. The ache beneath my breasts eased, and I allowed myself to breathe more freely.


    Yet I knew I could not walk downstairs like this. If I did, they would undoubtedly notice. Their gazes would linger, and the thought alone made heat rise to my cheeks.


    Raven was still young, but even then, I had to remain mindful around him.


    For a fleeting moment, I found myself wondering why I had to carry this constant, ufortable weight on my chest at all. With the pregnancy, they had grown heavier, fuller, and far more sensitive. At times, they even hurt.


    Suddenly, I felt a wave of irritation toward them.


    Alice used toin endlessly about her small breasts, wishing they were bigger. I could not help but think how fortunate she truly was.


    "What are you frowning for? I already helped you," he said above me.


    I let out a quiet sigh. "You cannot understand. You are not the one carrying this weight around your chest."


    "I am sorry for that," he replied lightly. "It must hurt, being that heavy. Want me to ease it?"


    "How?" I asked, though I warned him at once. "Do not do anything perverted."


    "If I had such intentions, you would already be under me, and there would be no one here to stop me," he said calmly.


    Annoyingly, that was true.


    "Then what do you n to do?" I asked, curiosity slipping into my voice despite myself.


    "Just sit still and let me handle it."


    Before I could object again, his hands moved over my chest.


    "Rafe..."


    But his palms had already cupped my breast gently over my dress, his touch firm yet controlled. He began to massage slowly, carefully, as though he truly meant only to ease the strain.


    The sudden relief caught me off guard.


    The fuck. It felt good.