Court of Aether and Shadows (Crowned Monster Trilogy #1)

23. Heart Of Shadow And Light

Heart Of Shadow And Light

~ A ETHEREON~

My iridescent Starlight…

The starlight caught in her hair like a crown of creation itself, each strand shimmering with power that called to my very essence.

Sparrow stood before me, transformed yet entirely herself, a perfect balance of ancient magic and mortal strength that made my carefully maintained control waver dangerously.

Her scent had changed since entering our realm — no longer just the sharp tang of human determination and survival, but something richer, deeper.

Like night-blooming flowers mixed with storm clouds and raw power.

It pulled at something primal within me, making my shadows writhe with barely contained need. How I’ve longed to see her raw beauty, to reminisce on the woman who I sought in the depths of her dreams, craving her lips, touch, and the immense pleasure that fed both our hungry desires.

Now this was real.

My reality, in the very world we built to be as thriving and enchanting as it is now.

Our past had forced us apart, but here she was, reborn, on a new path that would not overcome who had shielded her soul from the dangers of mortals, but one who would blend and be an asset of power, strength, and immense glory when we’ve finally reached that platform of vengeance.

"You're magnificent," I breathed, reaching out to trace the line of her jaw.

My shadows followed my touch, caressing her skin and drawing soft sighs from her lips.

"Do you have any idea how remarkable you are? To face everything you have…betrayal, ancient horrors, an entirely new realm, with such courage? Such empowering grace?"

The lingering strands of shadowsilk that hadn’t yet felt my touch clung to her form like thin threads. The mere response to my proximity, it became more translucent where my power touched it.

Beneath the magical garment, her skin seemed to glow with an inner light that called to my darkness like a beacon. Her power reached for mine instinctively, tendrils of pure light weaving through my shadows in patterns that spoke of destinies intertwined.

Every point of contact between us sent sparks of electricity through the air, making the star-lights overhead pulse in rhythm with our synchronized heartbeats.

"Your strength calls to me," I murmured, my hands sliding down her arms, leaving trails of shadow that made her shiver. "Not just the ancient power awakening within you, but your own inherent strength. The way you've fought, survived, carved your own path through darkness."

The room around us responded to our combined energy, the walls seeming to dissolve into a vista of endless stars and swirling shadows. Reality itself bent to accommodate the force of our connection, creating a space that existed between worlds — just for us.

Her scent grew stronger, more intoxicating with each passing moment.

It reminded me of twilight itself — that perfect moment between day and night when all things are possible. But there was something else there too, something uniquely Sparrow that made my ancient power surge with recognition and need.

"You smell of starlight and shadow," I told her, nuzzling against her neck where the scent was strongest. "Of power and possibility. Of things even older than my reign in this realm." It took everything to try to think and speak with my mind and not with how desperately I yearned for her.

I wanted to relish in this moment, or maybe, I was trying to prolong it just a little longer — knowing if I g o t a taste of her, I’d become addicted all over again.

My lips brushed her pulse point, feeling the rapid beat of her heart.

"But beneath it all, you smell of yourself. Survival and untamed spirit."

My shadows wrapped around us both now, creating a cocoon of intimate darkness shot through with points of light from her awakening magic. Where our powers met, reality shimmered and distorted, creating auroras of energy that danced through the air.

Her hands came up to trace the silver and gold markings on my chest, sending jolts of pleasure through my entire being.

"I've dreamed of this," she whispered, her voice carrying harmonics that made my power surge in response. I can see that layer of blush that began to swarm upon her luscious cheeks.

Even in the depth s of her dreams, I always enjoyed the sight of her flushed cheeks, especially when she was moaning and screaming my name.

The anticipation makes me restless with excitement and agonizing desire.

"Sometimes…I’d see things. Scenarios play in my mind when I think of whether I’d meet you when I slipped into slumber. I never admitted it to anyone. That I yearned to see a different scenario unravel in my head like some sort of replay.”

I feel this is such a rare confession, and having her share this with me and not even that wolf made my ears perk with immense interest.

“Now that this is all happening, I realize that was memories with you…which leaves me to wonder…if the ones I’d imagine between…us…could become a reality as well. Or maybe a peek of the future.” Her cheeks get redder, but she doesn’t back down from admitting what she’d been craving back then. “When you began to visit my dreams, I wondered whether it was wrong for me to begin craving you. To be excited to sleep and fall into the arms of slumber, knowing for a few hours, I can run away from the stressful world of violence and uncertainty and enjoy the bliss you always delivered. The…safety…I felt when I was in your arms.”

I can’t help but let my hands trail along her body, pulling her even closer as if she wasn’t practically pressed against me. I still wanted to peer into her face. To seek every emotion in the depths of her eyes.

“So now…that you’re here. That you’re real…and I can feel your warmth. Your touch. I realize…maybe I was starting to wish you could be mine? That I could enjoy what this other me did?” She doesn’t sound as sure, but I grasp what she’s trying to portray. Understand why she needs to speak these confessions out loud. “I guess…I’m trying to conclude that I want this. That I have my own wants when it comes to you."

The admission made something fierce and possessive rise within me.

This wasn't just about ancient bonds or prophecies fulfilled. This was about her — this remarkable woman who had fought her way through one world only to revolutionize another.

My hands slid up her body, until they framed her face, thumbs tracing the delicate bones of her cheeks as I drank in every detail.

The shadowsilk had all but dissolved now, transformed into pure energy that danced around her form like a second skin of starlight and darkness intertwined.

Her eyes held flecks of gold now, echoing the dancing burn of molten-gold of my own, but maintained that fierce independence that made her uniquely Sparrow.

"Do you know what you do to me?" I growled softly, feeling my control slipping as her power pulsed against mine. I hoped the power vibrating in my speech didn’t frighten her, but I couldn’t control the raw truth oozing out of my words. "How the very shadows of my realm reach for you? How every fiber of my being aches to claim you, to worship you, to show you exactly what you mean to me?"

Her breath hitched at my words, her own power flaring in response.

The air between us grew thick with possibility, with centuries of longing and new desires perfectly merged. Where our skin touched, patterns of light and shadow played across the surface, creating designs that spoke of ancient magics and new beginnings.

"Then show me," she challenged, tilting her chin up in that defiant way that made my heart clench with admiration and desire.

How I’d watched in the distance, desperate to fight her battles for her when men of insignificant value fought to bring her down. She’d tilt her head at their loud mockery, eyes blazing with every intention of ruining any doubt they portrayed when it came to her potential.

To her worth in a world that wished to see her fail countless times.

"Show me what it means to be loved by the Lord of Shadows and Twilight."

The last threads of my restraint snapped at her words.

I pulled her against me, claiming her lips in a kiss that felt like the collision of galaxies.

Her hands tangled in my hair as she pressed closer, her body fitting against mine as if we'd been carved as two halves of the same creation.

Every point of contact sent waves of pleasure and power coursing through us both, building toward something that felt bigger than either of us.

It encouraged me to change our environment to cater to our needs — allowing our energies to shift our surroundings from the bedroom to somewhere that could shield our energies from the rest of the world.

Where our moans and groans could be kept between ourselves, until the early hours of dawn where I’d enjoy letting those soft whimpers of encouragement be the morning hymn of our radiant sunrise.

"My warrior," I breathed against her lips between kisses, before I scooped her up with every intention to lie her upon the most tender silk of our realms. "My survivor. My queen in every way that matters."

The shadows wrapped around us tighter, creating a world that existed only for us, where nothing mattered but this connection, this moment, this perfect union of shadow and light.

I enjoyed the way Sparrow’s gaze remained locked on mine the entire time, even as I laid her upon the white sheets and cushioned her sacred body like a temple that was worthy of being worshipped.

It reminded me of the plentiful dreams I’d ventured through.

How I’d seek her out from the endless darkness. The way her eyes would bore into mine, knowing I was but an illusion and yet accepting I’d deliver the lust and euphoria her body needed to relieve all the tension weighing her down from the days of uncertainty and strife.

My lips fight hers as our kisses get deeper with more urgency. My large hands sink deeper into the fine silk as I hover over her small frame. I’m so much larger than her, and yet this feels so perfectly balanced as though the scales would be even between us.

Maybe they were.

Our elements were enjoying a dance of their own; the intense melody of starlight and shadow singing a whispering hymn that only empowered us further.

The kisses we shared were less intricate and slow, but feverish and desperate. I didn’t hesitate to slide my tongue into her mouth the moment I got the chance, and how she further melted in my domain — allowing me to take control of this rollercoaster ride that was driving us mad with our building ache for one another.

As much as I wanted to use my element to our advantage and do one of the many pleasurable things I’d ensue in her dreams, just this time, I wanted to do it just right.

Just skin-to-skin, bare touch and immense intimacy, that we’d always remember was our first.

It would be something I know I’d cherish, and I was confident Sparrow would keep this experience sacred in her mind.

Her body’s warmth continued to grow, as mine felt cold in comparison with how our elements encouraged our euphoric endeavor. I couldn’t help but get impatient as the scent of her slick that pooled between her legs hit my nostrils, making them flare and inhale further.

“My Starlight needs me, hmmm,” I taunt and lean down to suck at the side of her neck, prompting a moan from her parted lips.

“I’ve needed you for so long,” she moans in defeat, her body flushed and impatiently waiting for me to give her what she craves. With how wet she is, I’ve been taunting her for too long. “You’re making me wait on purpose.”

The way she pouts those soft swollen lips makes my lips creep into an upward curve, as I dip down until her lips are far too occupied with my scrutunizing ones.

I deliberately distract her, so when my two fingers slip between her folds, I enjoy stifling the gasp of surprise that is followed with a moan of relief when my cold fingers slide effortlessly into her hot pulsing pussy.

“So…cold,” she breathes and yet I can feel with how tightly her pussy is gripping my fingers that she absolutely adores the temperature difference. “Deeper,” she encourages desperately.

“As you wish,” I assure her, removing my fingers just slightly, slipping them out before thrusting them back in deeper. Her groans of relief and whimpering moans only encouraged me to keep going.

Just watching how she wiggles on these sheets and allows her back to arch hypnoticly, sets me ablaze — the ignited push to give her what she craves outweighs the need to draw this out.

I increase my speed, working my fingers and enjoying her heady breaths and panting exhales. She’s fighting to meet my thrust with her lifted hips, riding my fingers in anticipation of her own climax.

Allowing her to take control has always given this different heightened turn-on. To take a back seat in taking the lead and giving the reins to my woman.

“Oh goodness…yes,” she moans, and I can tell from her erratic movements that she’s so close to cumming all over my fingers. I’m not only bracing for the feel of her slick forcing itself to gush around my fingers but to watch my little bird come undone before my eyes.

Just like in all those vivid dreams.

“Aetheron.” She moans those words like a forbidden melody — my shadows spiking in pride and praise, as though we’re ready to land in the heart of war for this woman — our starlight queen — one’s on the edge of a blissful wonderland.

“Ah!” She tries to brace herself for the whiplash of pleasure that riddles through her, but her locked body of tension only rattles with pleasure as she cries out and quivers through her climax.

It’s the most mesmerizing thing I’ve seen in so many decades, and I watch every second of her high as she fights for breath. Her pussy clenches my fingers so tightly, I’m sure if I was mundane in the slightest, they would be blue with no blood flow.

“Good girl,” I praise her, admiring the glistening glow that twinkles along her flesh that glimmers of light. The taste of pleasure only ignited a hum of power that itches for more, making my cock harden at the approaching invitation that I’ve yearned to experience in reality. “Does my Sparrow want more?”

“Yes,” she pleads breathlessly. “I want to feel your length deep inside me.”

She loves to ask for exactly what she wants when it comes to the bedroom.

“Do you?” I tease her and press my lips to hers to give her a solid kiss. I like to reward her when she speaks her mind — and when it inflates my ego. Breaking the kiss, I watch as she fights for air while those doe eyes admire every inch of my frame as I sit back on my knees.

The shadows enjoy whisking along my muscled frame, allowing the lingering fabrics of silk to slip away, until I’m completely naked.

I catch onto how she inhales swiftly as if the sight before her is too divine for her to process. Despite that, she does take every given second to admire me with those stunning eyes of hers.

As if the intention only boosts my shadows, they further wrap around me, as if to accentuate the lines of muscle and various inked markings and incantations that glow with purpose.

“Even more divinely handsome than in my dreams,” she whispers in awe as her gaze descends until it lands on my length. I can see the way her pupils further widen, taking in my length from every inch. I’d admit, my cock was impressive to many, male and female, which I found amusing seeing as only one woman could ever keep me in a state of celibacy outside of our intimate dreams.

I guess, in this special case, it would be ruled as two.

The veins of my cock pulsed further as I grew harder and impatient. The tip of my cock was already leaking with precum, the aching need to slide into her tight pussy is making it difficult to remain completely still.

“Ready to make love until morning?” I inquire with interest. She looks at me in horror at first, her mind attempting to process what I mean by that. Then there are those spikes of curiosity that make their debut.

“Wait…” she trails off when something seems to click. “We can do that here. Like…we have the stamina to do that. To…fuck until morning?”

Truthfully, it was a good question to ask, especially because she didn’t understand what we could do in this vast world of bending realities and rules that were meant to be broken.

“Yes, we can, Sparrow,” I assure her. “Your magic is endless within our bubbled realm. We’ll have the stamina to go for weeks if you wish it.”

Her whole face is red from the thought, making me smirk before I’m taunting her folds with the crown of my cock, positioning it at her entrance when she can barely keep her breath steady.

“Please, Atheron,” she practically begs while her body quivers impatiently. “Please, fuck me already.”

In all of Twilight, she’s the only one who can order me to do her bidding.

I don’t answer with words.

My actions follow through as I slide myself in, inch by inch, listening to how her breath hitches and her wide eyes fight not to roll back in pleasure. My. cock is throbbing, desperate for her pulsing heated walls to strangle me every damn second it can.

I have to bite my bottom lip painfully, drawing blood as if that’s going to muffle the rumbling groan that thrums against my chest as I dare to fit the entirety of my massive cock.

“Fuck,” she curses whimpering as I inch closer to the base. “There’s no way I can take it all.”

“You have before,” I assure her, assessing every bit of her to ensure I can tell what she wants and what she can’t handle.

“B-But, oh….” her drawled moan trails her off, and she’s gripping the silk cloth of our sheets. “So good! Ah…bit…more.”

I know she can take me, just like in the depths of her dreams. She doesn’t know how the threads of her light magic remember what she’s forgotten and how easy it is to manipulate what needs to be moved aside to not hurt her essential organs.

In the realms of Fae and magic, so much is possible and nothing is unobtainable.

"Aetheron,” she begs, and how my name on her lips is driving me mad.

“Say my name again,” I encourage almost beggingly because hearing her say it so perfectly makes me feel valued. Acknowledged. A normal being who is being praised and loved by their lover versus the endless individuals in my Court who sought my ability to make their lives easier.

“A-Aetheron,” she repeats, meeting my heated gaze just as I approach that final inch that will surely leave the head of my cock at the entrance of her womb.

She doesn’t stand a chance of not cumming again, and I watch every moment of it as she withers in pleasure.

“So beautiful,” I praise as I enjoy how her pussy is milking my cock, making me so hard, I had to tame my breaths or else I’d lose control of many things that run on autopilot in the Twilight Court.

Though the people of my realm knew there was only one woman in all the universal planes that could make me need a “factory reset” when it came to ruling my own court — or our court — I couldn’t give it away.

Not so soon.

Allowing her to adjust to my massive length, I wait for her to permit me to move, encouraging me to pull out just as slowly — my tip already cloaked in her juices that glisten despite our darkened alternate universe.

“Please move faster,” she encourages, and I can’t complain in the slightest.

“Yes, my Queen,” I assure her, continuing to thrive on those hugging muscle clamps her pussy has enjoyed since she had my frigid fingers in her captivity.

Now my cock was next for the best ride.

I begin to fuck her at a different tempo, knowing how to work her up and build that rise of pleasure that’s coiling in the depths of her core. Her mewls and pleas for more get louder, while the woven threads of her magic seem to amplify with each orgasm she experiences.

My mouth ends up finding hers, the two of us kissing intensely while I keep up with the pace. Her legs soon found their desire to wrap around my waist, forcing me even closer — something I wouldn’t complain about.

We go with the rhythm, lost in the melody of each other’s symphonies until we’re both moaning, groaning, and panting. Sweat drips down the sides of my face, the first beads of exertion as we both seem to be fighting the building urge to come.

It’s as if there’s some unspoken challenge — both of us determined to watch the other one come undone by their doing. It was amusing to think that even with this rebirth, our stubborn tendencies hadn’t changed, which was going to contribute to our suffering if we didn’t submit to our pleasure that was rocking towards the deep end of euphoria.

Heat fights to consume me as my temperature drops further to counter her body’s efforts to find some sort of weakness to break my determined resolve, but I can’t submit without taking her with me — the frost of my body only escalating to combat her immense warmth.

For centuries they’ve said opposite attracts, and I’ve yet to prove such an analogy wrong, for I’ve lost every single time.

Aether and Shadows

Warmth versus Frost

Rivaled versus Unrivaled.

A sacrificial Queen and a merciless King…

Her scent is but a heightened perfume, so good, and hot, and makes me even more needy for her than ever. Even as sweat drips off my ripped muscles as I fuck her with so much of me, I bathe in her aroma and how it blends perfectly with the scent of her aroma and our dripping bodies.

We’re so close.

So close to that wonderful edge, and I know I have to take her with me. That I’ll have to let us both fall or else we’d lose this battle together.

We’ve never been the type to compromise.

We ride or fall…and no matter the life of our past and this reborn blessing, I’d do it all over again if it means keeping us as equals in all things.

I rock deeply into her, our voices endlessly bouncing off invisible shadowed walls. Our breaths hasten, bodies dripping with endless beads of sweat, and we’re both chasing the edge because we’re gripping each other for dear life while enduring every deep thrust.

“A-Aetheron!” It’s the only sign of submission she’d dare give me, and I take it like a grand prize because it’s my exit ticket into sinking myself as deeply as I can — crushing her lips like the final move needed to ignite our fall.

“Cum with me, Sparrow. Let’s come undone.”

She can’t fight what our bodies have desperately needed; the two of us hitting our peaks in unison as our climaxes consume us. Her outcry is the perfect harmonic note of bliss, leaving me to groan in relief as I allow the torment of pleasurable waves to wash over my senses.

The spurs of her starlight and the gusts of my shadows had finally come to a lull, though I wasn’t a fool.

This was just the calm before the storm.

A storm that would repeat, again and again, until the crack of dawn.

I’ve forgotten the chase and freedom an orgasm can deliver to a being like myself. How it feels like centuries of tension had suddenly been stolen from me — a burden I didn’t realize sat in rooted company, waiting to be revoked as an unwanted guest in my existence.

Seeking pleasure in her dreams had aided just a bit, but this sensation, in reality, is far stronger and enriched with relief. My senses feel alive, as I fight for breath and need to keep still as my cock continues to twitch and shoot out an endless flow of cum into her.

I’m not worried about impregnating her, especially when she’s yet to adapt to our world, but I’d allowed my shadows to wrap a film of protection around my cock prior, just out of respect for her peace of mind.

“That…” Sparrow begins to breathe, but it takes her some time to gather her thoughts. “Better than monster prince sex.”

“Monster prince sex?” I’m amused already.

“I thought, in the beginning, you were some monster prince or King of some shadow lands and enjoyed fucking for shits and giggles.”

“Shits and giggles,” I tease the combination, watching how she opens her drooping eyes to look at me with a taunting gaze.

“When you say it like that, it sounds like a diabolical mastermind waiting to happen.”

“If I put more emphasis, maybe,” I assure her, but I’m already taking in her glistening body and how amazing she looks. How her locks cling to her drenched face. Those perky breasts of hers are flushed and those nipples hard as ever. It takes me a moment to realize a few incantations had come to the surface of her flesh, leaving me intrigued but they’re already too faded to try and decipher them.

Either way, I’m already buzzing to go again, and she must feel how my cock already twitches impatiently.

“You need to give the mundane a second,” she breathes, making me chuckle deeply while I lightly trail my fingers along her front side — along the lines of her abs, leading between her breasts, all the way until my fingers are lightly wrapping around her neck, almost possessively.

I see the flame that kindles at my possessive move, and she can’t hide the spike of lust that forms in her dilated pupils.

“Yes, my little Starlight. I’ll wait as long as you need me, too,” I assure her and can’t help but sink a bit deeper into her, having not pulled out, even after we came.

She moans heavily before she’s trailing her tongue along her bottom lip.

“Lord Aetheron,” she grunts.

“Hmm?” I can see those sparks of defiance already dying.

“Fuck me all over again.”

I can’t even try to fight the smile dawning upon my lips as I tighten my grip around her throat so I can give her a kiss that steals the air out of her. The threads of starlight slap at my fingers, making me chuckle because the counterattack of her element is so weak, it’s clear she’s not even trying to swat me away.

In fact, she enjoys all of this possessive madness.

Laying a peck on her lips once more, I place my forehead against hers. She seemed confused at first, but her body relaxed at the touch — realizing that this was my way of giving her a moment of peace to regroup before we jumped through that cycle of pleasurable madness all over again.

Dwelling in our moment for a minute more was enough for us to pull back and share a look of consensus. My smile further spreads, as my shadows flicker in spiked excitement, ready for another humming dance of power.

Round two of many to come…

“As you wish, little bird.”