Elven Oath

Chapter 6

Vevina

T he door to our chambers shuts softly behind us, but the sound echoes loudly in my ears. My heart is pounding wildly in my chest as the weight of the entire day crashes down on me all at once. I stand there in the center of the room, my hands clenched tightly into fists at my sides. I try to steady my breathing.

Married.

I am married.

To the dragon prince. Gods!

The ceremony passed by like a blur. One moment I was being rushed through the halls in that ridiculous looking wedding gown, and the next I was standing before the entire court as my father announced my union to a man I didn’t even know.

Aodhan. His name still feels foreign on my tongue, though I’d whispered it to myself a dozen times since we’d exchanged vows.

Closing my eyes, I try to make sense of it all. How could this have happened? I had no say, no warning. I’d been dressed and prepared like a doll to be put on display, for a ceremony I didn’t even know was happening until it was too late. And now, I was bound to this man for the rest of life.

I move toward the window, needing to fill my lungs with fresh air. The heavy gown that I’m still wearing swishes around my legs as I cross the room. The jewels at my neck and wrists weigh me down like shackles. Outside, the night sky is dark and endless. There was a cool breeze, but it did little to calm the fire burning in my chest.

Dragons.

The idea of being bound to a dragon, to Aodhan, still seemed unreal. I had grown up hearing stories of their people—some as ancient allies, others as fearsome enemies. And now, the dragon prince was my husband. My husband. Would I ever get used to calling him that?

Hearing soft footsteps behind me, I’m reminded that I’m not alone in the room. My pulse quickens as he draws closer. Turning slowly, I see Aodhan standing just a few feet away. Having discarded his ceremonial robes, he is now dressed in simpler attire, though his presence still fills the room with an intensity that makes my skin prickle. His golden eyes glow faintly in the candlelight as they lock onto mine.

For a moment, neither of us speak. The silence between us stretches thick with tension.

“You don’t have to be afraid,” he says, breaking the silence.

Afraid? I wasn’t sure if fear was the right word. Angry, confused, betrayed; those were closer to what I was feeling. But fear? No. Lifting my chin slightly, I meet his gaze with all the defiance I have left to muster.

“I’m not afraid of you,” I reply, though my voice is quieter than I intended it to be.

He tilts his head slightly, narrowing his eyes as if he is trying to read me. Trying to understand what I’m feeling. I’m not even sure I understood what I’m feeling. There’s a fire inside me. Anger, yes, but something else too. Something I don’t yet want to acknowledge that seems to want to pull me in Aodhan’s direction.

“I know this wasn’t your choice,” he says after a long pause. “It wasn’t mine either.”

That catches me off guard. I had assumed he had wanted this as much as my father apparently did. But hearing him say it wasn’t his choice... it stirs something inside me. A small flicker of understanding, though I quickly push it away.

“So what now?” I ask, my voice sharp from frustration than anything else. “We’re just expected to... play our parts? Pretend this is what we wanted?”

He takes a step closer and I fight the overwhelming urge to take a step in his direction. “I don’t expect you to pretend anything, Vevina,” he says calmly, his voice almost a purr. My body once again fills with heat that now pools to one area. “But we are bound now. Our union is more than just a formality. It’s meant to bring peace between our people.”

I turn away from him, facing the window again. The breeze catching my hair, sends a shiver down my spine. “You expect me to just accept this?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper as I sweep my hand in the direction of the bed.

He doesn’t respond right away, and for a moment, I think he might leave. But then I feel him behind me, Close enough that I can sense his warmth even without touching. My heart races even faster.

“I don’t expect you to accept anything,” he says, his voice almost a rumble in the quiet room. “But I want you to know that I will not hurt you. I don’t want this to be a prison for either of us.”

His words surprise me. For a moment, the tightness in my chest eases but the heat within seems to burn stronger and a small gasp escapes my lips.

I turn to face him again, and his eyes meet mine, searching before a small smile turns the corners of his mouth. He doesn’t move closer. He just stands there, watching me with an intensity that makes it hard to think straight.

That’s when I notice how deeply he is breathing. As if he smells something so divine, he wants to eat it up before anyone else has a chance to do so.

“I’ve read about it but I wasn’t convinced it was possible. You can feel it too, can’t you?” He asks.

“What are you talking about?” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

He leans in closer until I can feel his breath on my cheek. “The heat Vivina. The heat that’s pooling in your body, begging for me to touch you. To seal the mating ritual. I can smell it on you.”

My eyes widen at his words, still not understanding what he means.

“You don’t know about any of this, do you, my sweet?” He asks softly, looking deep into my eyes.

“The old texts talk about the soul mating bond between Elves and Dragons. The first step is the formal ritual in marriage.”

He stops talking as I get distracted by his tongue wetting his bottom lip. The thought of biting that lip myself overwhelms me. He chuckles softly and my eyes snap back to his.

“And the second step?” I demand.

He reaches out with his hand slowly, running his fingers down my cheek. I feel a fire burning to lay my head in his hand.

“Where we mate, becoming one.” He says so softly that I almost don’t hear him.

“I barely know you.”

“That will change.” He says, moving in closer, his lips almost on my own. “The burning you feel will get worse the more you try to fight it. This is inevitable. Tonight, you will belong to me in all aspects. Mind, body and soul.”

As he talks, his lips barely touch mine and I realize that he is right. He currently holds a magic over me that I’ve never known to exist. No one ever told me there was something that could overtake an Elf, rendering them unable to fight.

“What are you waiting for?” I ask with heavy breaths.

“Your permission, my sweet. Once you submit to me, I will take you and mark you as mine alone.”

Squeezing my eyes tight, I try to block the images that are invading my mind of the both of us naked on the bed. I ask myself if that is really what I want and at this moment it truly is. I can’t fight whatever has a hold on me. I may regret it in the morning but for now I want it all.

Opening my eyes, I look into his and shake my head. His lips curl up in a grin.

“You have to say it.” He demands.

“I submit to you.” I breathe out.

“Good girl.” He purrs before taking my mouth in a kiss so deep, I gasp in surprise.

I’ve never been kissed before. It feels so foreign yet so right all at the same time. I didn't realize he was moving us over to the bed until my legs bump into it.

Pulling out of the kiss, his hands work behind me to undo my dress. It plops to the floor as his hands begin to work on my laces. I’m completely naked in front of him in the fraction of a time that it took to get it all on.

My arm crosses over my chest as I try to hide but he moves it back to my side without a word. His golden eyes look his fill at my exposed body before him.

“Stay right there.” He demands, his hands making quick work of his own clothes.

As his last piece of clothing falls, I take my own time looking at his gorgeous body. I can’t deny that my new husband is absolutely handsome in all the ways Elven men are not. His muscles are sculpted and defined. I can tell just from looking at him that he’d be a devil on the battlefield.

His cock springs forward like cold hard steel. It’s bigger than what I’d thought one might be and I wonder if it’ll fit.

“It’ll fit.” He chuckles and my gaze snaps back to his face.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“In case you were wondering. It’ll fit.” He shrugs.

For a moment there I was afraid I’d spoken out loud. He moves closer to me until his hot skin is touching my own.

“I’m going to touch you now. To make sure that you are ready for me.” He whispers into my ear and all I can do is shake my head.

His hand reaches up, cupping my face, slowly running the tips of his fingers along my skin. He continues his slow soft stroke down my shoulder as his other hand also comes up to do the same.

“Vevina. Look at me.” He demands and my eyes fly open, not realizing I had closed them.

He looks at me for only a moment before his lips cover mine. I faintly hear a moan but get more distracted as his hands cup my bottom, pulling me firmly into his hardness.

It’s hot pressed between us against my stomach. His hands slide down my backside until I can feel the tips of his fingers close to where I’m on fire. My passage throbs with wanting as I feel myself becoming more wet that even my fantasies have conjured up in my room late at night.

He breaks the kiss with a growl and my lips feel bruised from his onslaught.

“I need to taste you now.” He declares in that same deep rumble, helping me to lay on the bed.

When he gets on the bed, spreading my legs wide, I open my mouth to protest just as his mouth covers my most private areas. Instead of a protest, I moan, throwing my head back onto the pillow.

“Oh, Gods!” I scream out and feel him chuckle between my thighs.

My body is aflame as all my energy seems to pull from my limbs into the one spot his mouth is on me. I feel my body so close to that sharp edge. My insides begin to vibrate and he pulls away quickly.

I look at him wanting to demand that he continue but the look in his golden eyes as he crawls over my body renders me mute. His mouth takes mine again and I taste myself on his tongue. It’s such a strange thing.

With his body laying against mine, he moves his hips and his thick cock glides through my wetness, coating him with it. He stops moving, pulling his mouth from mine when he positions himself at my entrance.

“This will sting. But only for a moment.” His gaze bores into mine until I give a short nod.

Reaching down, he pulls my knees up as far as they will go. Swiftly he pushes himself in at the same time as he takes my scream into his mouth. Waiting for it to hurt more than the small bit of pain I just felt, I open one eye wondering what’s next.

Instead he begins to slowly pump himself into me. At first it just feels strange but as his pace gets faster, the pleasure to my body ignites.

With each stroke, he hits something deep inside. My passage throbs with realization that something glorious is coming. He lifts his top half from me, taking most of his weight on his arms, staring back down at me.

His eyes change slightly. Becoming almost catlike and I wonder for only a second if I am getting a glimpse of the dragon beneath the surface. I’m caught in the gaze as I gasp from the pleasure that is building even higher.

I’m about to explode from within when he speaks between hard pumps of his body into my own.

“I snáitheanna cinniúna, áit a bhfuil muid ceangailte go dlúth.

Tarraingt, tine, glaoch caoin,

A tharraingíonn sinn níos gaire trí ardú agus titim.

Arann ár n-anamacha le lámh na cinniúna,

Tríd an spéir agus an gaineamh ag sleamhnú.

áit a bhuaileann lasair dragan le grásta sí,

I do shúile geala, faighim mo áit.

Tá na réaltaí mar fhinné, osnaíonn an ghealach,

Agus muid ceangailte, tú is mise.

Ceangal chomh domhain, ní thig le h-am ná oíche,

Solas ársa na gealaí a mhaolú.

Vevina, A Bhean Mhilis, tú mo threoir,

Ionat, a ghrá mo chroí.

óir sa cheangal seo, scaoiltear sinn saor—

Le chéile go deo na ndeor.”

(Translation: In threads of fate where we both belong.

A pull, a fire, a whispered call,

That draws us closer through rise and fall.

Our souls entwined by destiny's hand,

Across realms of sky and shifting sand.

Where dragon's flame meets elven grace,

In your bright eyes, I find my place.

The stars bear witness, the moon does sigh,

As we are bound, you and I.

A bond so deep, neither time nor night,

Could dim the glow of its ancient light.

Vevina, Sweet Lady, you are my guide,

In you, my love, my heart resides.

For in this bond, we are both set free—

Together for eternity.)

As soon as the last word is spoken, his mouth crashes to mine. The wind seems to whip up around us in a hiss and there’s a bright glow to the room around us.

We both scream as we explode at the same time. I can feel the heat of his seed inside of me. We’re both breathing heavily in the quietness of the room. He moves over next to me on the bed. His cock pulls free of me as he moves. I can feel where he’s been from a slight soreness there.

We’re quiet for several long moments before I open my mouth to speak.

“Did you see that?” I ask, my eyes glancing around the room wondering what just happened.

“What?” He asks.

“That light that took over the room.”

Propping himself on his elbow, he looks down at me and I feel the need to cover myself from his eyes.

“It’s part of the bond. At least, I think it is.”

“You don’t know?” I ask, my brows drawing together.

“No. I only know what I could find in our old archives back at Sky Castle.” He says, wrapping a hand around my middle and pulling me close.

“What are you doing?” I demand.

“Going to sleep. You should do the same. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow.”

“At least let me go clean up.” I protest.

He leans up to look directly at me again. “No. I think I like the idea of you leaking my essence as we ride tomorrow.” He whispers as he pushes his cock that has become hard again into my back.

I open my mouth ready to beg if need be as I am already slightly sore but he speaks before I do.

“Go to sleep.” He demands, laying back down, his arm a steel band around me.

I try to stay awake long enough to wait for him to be asleep so I can slip out of the bed but I lose the battle with my heavy eyes.