Warning: Mature content in the chapter


    - - - - - - - - - -


    Evaline:


    River''s arms tightened around me immediately, holding me steady as the tremors faded into aftershocks.


    He pressed his forehead against the back of my shoulder. And through the fog of my own pleasure, I felt how uneven his breathing was, almost as if he was fighting for control himself.


    I could feel it - the way his body was still tense, still wound tight, still nowhere near finished.


    His hand slid up my arm and he threaded his fingers through mine where they rested against the couch. He kissed my shoulder once... soft this time, almost apologetic.


    For a few seconds, neither of us moved.


    It felt like the world had narrowed down to that single point of contact between us.


    Then he pressed his lips against the curve where my neck met my shoulder.


    The touch was gentle, so different from the fierce hunger from earlier that my heart squeezed.


    "Evaline…" he breathed, my name rough in his throat.


    The sound alone sent another ripple through me.


    I turned my head slightly, enough that our foreheads brushed when he leaned closer. His eyes searched my face. Those green orbs still looked darker than usual, still intense, but no longer wild. There was something else there now.


    Wonder.


    Disbelief.


    Like he still couldn''t quite ept that this was real.


    My fingers slid up his arm, feeling the strength beneath his skin, grounding myself in the moment.


    "I''m here," I whispered.


    Something in his expression broke.


    Not in a bad way.


    More like the final wall inside him finally gave way.


    His mouth found mine again, and this kiss… this one was different from all the others tonight.


    Still deep.


    Still consuming.


    Butyered with emotion that made my chest ache.


    His hands moved over me slowly now, learning rather than iming. Mapping every curve like he wasmitting it to memory. When he shifted me to face him fully, I went willingly, my legs sliding against his as he drew me closer.


    The couch creaked softly beneath us as he leaned back, pulling me with him so I was half over him, our bodies pressed together from chest to thigh. The new angle sent a rush of awareness through me, and I felt his breath hitch against my lips.


    A quiet sound escaped me.


    Not intentional.


    Just… feeling.


    River''s eyes darkened again at the sound, and his grip on my hips tightened slightly, grounding me.


    "You okay?" he murmured in low voice.


    I nodded immediately, "Yes."


    More than okay.


    He rested his forehead against mine for a moment, and I felt his restraint there... like he was holding himself back again, even now.


    But I didn''t want that.


    Not tonight.


    Not between us.


    "Don''t hold back, River." I told him, cupping his face so I could make him look at the sincerity in my eyes.


    He studied me for a moment before finally confessing, "I don''t want to hurt you, love. Unlike my brothers, sex with me can be... a little overwhelming."


    It looked like he struggled to choose the right word, but I still got what he wanted to say. But if he thought I would be terrified, then he was so wrong. He had no idea for how long I had waited for this night.


    "You underestimate me, Alpha Thorne," I whispered as I pulled his face closer, "Just like you have done all this time."


    "I''m no-"


    I nipped on his lower lip, silencing him before he could finish defending himself.


    "Since I''m your fated mate, it means only I can handle you. So don''t even think about holding back tonight."


    And then I kissed him.


    Soft at first.


    Then deeper when he responded instantly. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me flush against him. The contact drew a gasp from both of us at the same time, and he let out a quiet groan into my mouth that made heat spiral through my stomach.


    Still kissing him, I reached down between our bodies and found his hardness. I gave it a few... nice and tight... pumps just to hear him groan into the kiss, before I guided it to my entrance.


    We both groaned as he entered me and went deep, his erection stretching my inner walls like they have never been before.


    We moved together instinctively after that. There was no rush, no urgency to reach anything.


    Just closeness.


    Connection.


    At some point he shifted us again, guiding me more securely onto hisp while his back pressed into the couch cushions. My hands settled on his shoulders for bnce, and the new position changed everything - he was even deeper now, and the sensation pulled a sharp inhale from my lungs.


    River''s head tipped back slightly and he closed his eyes for a second as a strained sound left him.


    "Stars…" he muttered under his breath.


    The reaction sent a flicker of confidence through me I hadn''t expected. So I decided to take the lead for a while. I moved experimentally, and his hands tightened on my hips immediately, guiding, steadying.


    "Easy," he murmured, though his voice sounded anything but controlled.


    We found a rhythm slowly... one that built rather than rushed. Every small movement seemed amplified, every shift sending warmth coiling tighter inside me.


    Our breathing synced without either of us trying, soft sounds escaping both of us in between kisses that kept breaking and reforming - mouth to mouth, cheek to temple, our lips brushing each other wherever they could reach.


    The room filled with quiet noises of our breathing, skin moving again skin, the faint creak of the couch, and my not so loud moans.


    The pleasure built inside me again, ready to break loose once again.


    River might have sensed it too because he shifted too. I felt one of his hands sliding up my back. His fingers spread across my shoulder des as he pulled me down against him and buried his face in my neck. His lips pressed there... open, lingering... and I felt the scrape of his teeth lightly against my skin.