Forbidden Knots (Shadow Duet #1)

27. TWENTY SEVEN

TWENTY SEVEN

Shadow

W hen I saw her gasping for air, I wanted to die with her. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't. Losing her would dig a grave for me, and I was not ready for that. The red mark on her neck made my blood run cold, and all I could do now, from a place of regret, was to place my lips on her neck and kiss her until the red mark disappeared. I wanted to tell her how sorry I was, but my ego wouldn't let me. I couldn't let her know that the Shadow was weak for her. But I could show how much I needed her.

Her eyes were hungry for me, and her whole body was telling me she wanted this, wanted to be punished. I placed my lips on hers, thrusting my tongue inside her mouth, going deep, dancing around as she climbed on top of me, her legs wrapped around my hips. Her wetness left a trail on my pants.

A chuckle escaped me as she rubbed herself against me, and it turned me on to see how much she wanted Shadow just as I wanted my Storm. My hands moved to her shirt, tearing it apart, and leaving her bare breasts exposed to me. I tilted my head and buried my face in her breasts, kissing and gliding my tongue across her nipples.

My hand slid down to her lower lips, while my other hand gripped her lower back, pulling her close. I traced slow, tantalizing circles around her clit before slipping my fingers inside her. She was wet, dripping down my fingers as she moved her hips in a seductive dance.

"Do you like this?" I whispered against her ear, my fingers curving like a hook inside her, drawing her closer.

"Yes," she moaned, arching her back, her body a perfect arch of desire.

"Good," I murmured, quickening the pace, my fingers moving faster, circling inside her while keeping her locked against me.

She spelled a 'C' with her hips, her movements rhythmic and precise, even as she lay back on the bed, her hips still pressed against me. With deliberate slowness, I pulled my fingers out, lifted myself off her, and stripped off my pants. She didn’t hesitate; she lay back, raising her legs and spreading them, holding her thighs wide.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, my eyes locking with hers, an intense gaze that spoke volumes.

I moved closer, teasing her with just the tip of myself, dipping slightly inside her. She closed her eyes, already moaning, her body responding to the anticipation, the promise of what was to come.

"Say it," I commanded, thrusting deeper inside her.

"Say it," I whispered again, gripping her hips as I moved in and out, my pace growing more urgent. I leaned over her, my tongue tracing the side of her neck as her fingers tangled in my hair, sending shivers down my spine.

Her lips brushed my ear, her voice a gentle whisper, "I want you to fuck the life out of me, Tristan."

A smile spread across my lips as I increased my pace, devouring her with every thrust. Her nails dug into the skin of my back, making me moan against her neck. Our lips met again, my tongue exploring the contours of her mouth as I plunged deeper.

"Thalia?" I whispered.

"Y-es," she moaned, her voice trembling with pleasure.

"Get on top of me," I commanded, lowering her legs to the bed and lifting her onto me, our hips locking as I flipped us around, drawing her on top.

I placed my palms on her hips, pinning her against me.

"I want you to spell my name with your hips while you ride me."

Teasing me, she moved her hips, spelling out 'S' on me, her inner flesh tightening with every movement. Then an 'H', her eyes locked on mine, her palms hitting my chest as she wrote an 'A'. Biting her lip, she drew a 'D', her head tilting back as she rounded an 'O'. With the 'W', she shouted my name, her thighs squeezing next to me.

My hands slid to her cheeks, spreading them as I pinned her against me, thrusting inside her until she began to shake, her eyes rolling back in pleasure.

I reached for the locks of her blonde hair, tilting her head back to the ceiling as I continued my relentless pace, her hips lifted in the air.

"I will ruin you, Storm, so no other man will be enough after me," I said, pinning her against me, lifting my upper body as I thrust deeper inside her.

"There was no other man before you, nor will there be any other one after you," she whispered, her face falling onto my neck, exhausted.

I wrapped my fingers around her hair, bringing her face close to mine, and locked our lips. She moved her legs against me, moving up and down, dancing with her hips above me.

"Good girl," I hummed against her lips, gliding my thumb down to her clit.

My lips moved from her mouth to her neck, down to her breasts, my teeth nibbling her nipples while my tongue moved in sync with my thumb.

She moaned against me, her hips moving in circular motions as she began to shake on top of me for the second time. This time I was on the edge as well, so I pushed her down, her body hitting the sheets, her legs under her hips as I moved close to her until I exploded all over her chest. Her tongue was out, her eyes closed, so I brought myself to her mouth, thrusting inside until she gagged.

I moved away, lowering my body. The sun began to rise, casting a golden shine on her skin. Her olive skin was bruised, displaying hues of green and blue with a few red scratches on her wrists. I collapsed onto her chest, feeling a mix of guilt and a need for forgiveness.

"Who did this to you?" I whispered. "Was it Sophie?"

She quietly nodded, coming close to me, and wrapping her body against mine.

"It wasn't only her," she said, hiding her eyes from mine. "A few were from Grandma, and a few were from you," she admitted.

I lifted my body against hers, my elbow propping me up as I searched for her eyes.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I saw her, Tristan, and I followed her. By the time I reached her, she was already gone," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm sorry, so sorry. If I had stayed with her..."

I clenched my fists, wanting to break the whole world apart, but I couldn't drag her into my rage.

"No, you are here, with me," I soothed. "I don't even want to think about what would have happened if you had stayed in those woods."

Her face met my chest, her tears wetting my skin.

"I lost Sophie. I don't want to lose you too," I whispered.

The sun shone through the small windows of the boat, and I woke up with more regrets than I had carried to bed. When I saw her face, her neck so bruised, I had to check if she was sleeping or dead. I traced my palm down her cheeks, placing a soft kiss on her skin. She was sleeping so peacefully that I didn't want to wake her.

All the anger I had toward her was left on those sheets along with her. As I got out of the cabin and saw the sea so calm, it broke me.

I needed pain now, the same amount of burn I had inflicted on her last night. I jumped off the boat, leaving her alone inside, and I hated myself for not being the gentle, caring man she deserved. Her body was so bruised that I wanted to take her pain as my own. All chaos fell upon me as I walked back toward the town.

I rushed, my own shadow following each step I took, the sun burning my skin. As I approached the entrance of the city from the west side, I noticed an old man opening a tattoo studio. My body craved pain, dragging me toward the man, and I approached, staring at the window.

"Do you have an appointment?" he asked.

"No," I shook my head, "but I have an idea in mind."

His mustache spread along his lips, and he waved his hand, gesturing for me to come inside. "Come in."

I sat down in the chair, then laid back, the white light blinking above me.

"I want a knot," I said, "like the one you see on boats."

As he prepared the ink, looking at me, I placed both my palms on my neck.

"I want it to be on my neck. I want it to look like it's choking me."

"I'll do it," he said, "but you might need a shrink afterward." He chuckled.

"You have no idea," I chuckled back.

As he leaned close, preparing to apply a cream to numb my skin for the needle, I stopped his hand.

"I don't need it."

The man stared at me for a few seconds.

"If you pass out, I'll tattoo a dick on your forehead," he said in a deep voice.

"Deal," I said, looking straight at him.

He rolled up his sleeves, his arms full of tattoos that told stories of their own. As he dipped the machine in the ink and it buzzed to life, I closed my eyes, placing my hands on my chest.

"Big or small?" he asked.

"I want my whole neck to be covered," I said as the needles touched my skin.

Every prick of the needle, every tear, and shading on my skin, brought my nerves to the point where my eyes watered. Emotions overwhelmed me—Sophie was gone; Thalia was broken. I was so exhausted, knowing I was the main culprit of all this, that I wanted it to hurt as much as possible. My skin tingled, my teeth chattered as the veins in my arms congealed.

This tattoo, my biggest regret so far, would be a sign, a reminder that my mistakes live with me. That my pain is theirs, and theirs is mine. This tattoo would be a forbidden knot, a reminder that Thalia, no matter how forbidden, would always be mine. Its interweaving lines, without beginning or end, represented our lives, tied together forever.

After a few hours, while I forgot that I existed, my body and skin becoming almost numb to the touch, I got up and looked in the mirror. A rope stretched from one end of my neck to the other, with a knot in the middle, almost loose but as strong as the bond I had with Thalia.

"Storm, now you are my forbidden knot forever ," I whispered to myself.