"Well then, fuck me."

The seductive whisper against his ear sent a shiver down his spine. He let out a grunt and disentangled himself from her, instantly longing for her warmth. His eyes narrowed at her sly smile, and he shook his head in exasperation when she tugged at the buttons of his shirt. She was going to be the death of him.

"Not today." Her heat may be strong, but he was stronger. He stepped out of her reach and made his way to the bathtub, filling it to the brim with cold water. "And I stopped you because it wouldn't have helped. Heat is a call for mating."

"Then what should I do?"

He motioned for her to get into the tub, but she protested by running out of the bathroom.

"Anaya, come back!" he yelled, but when she didn't respond, he went into the room, dragged her in, and dumped her into the water.

She yelped and faced him with a glare. "You didn't!"

"It's for your benefit." He pushed the stray tendrils of her hair behind her ear and gathered them all to form a messy bun atop her head. The gesture wilted her heart, and she couldn't help herself from looking up at him, into his gorgeous brown eyes. He stared back at her, memorising the way the hues of green and blue in her eyes danced together. She was absolutely mesmerizing. "I'll get the medicine and food. Stay here."

All she could do was nod wordlessly as she watched him disappear behind the door. Having left alone, her thoughts again clouded with desire for him, and she felt a sweet arousal brew within her. Heat enveloped her wholly, spreading through every nerve endings inside her body and no matter how much she tried, she couldn't redirect her focus on anything else but Icarus. She wanted him buried inside her, their flesh pressed against each other.

With a shaky breath, she leaned back against the edge of the tub. She needed to relax. Closing her eyes, she forced every thought to shut down, wishing to sleep for a while in the arms of the cool water. But within minutes, the water heated up to a degree that had Anaya scream and bolt out of the bathtub at the pace of lightning.

Her head felt dizzy, and she blinked back the tears, staggering towards the door. "Icarus?" It was difficult to breathe with her throat and chest burning. In fact, every inch of her body felt like it was on fire.

He came rushing inside, his eyes going wide. "Shit, I'm so sorry." If he knew the water would boil from her temperature and scald her skin, he wouldn't have forced her to bathe.

Her feet left the ground as he carefully picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. She glared at him, a hiss of agony wrenching out of her lips when the satin sheets rubbed against her wounds.

"Give me a second." He poured the medicine into a glass of water and handed it to her. She took it, very eager to relieve the ache.

Next, he passed the bottle of lotion to her which she threw back at him. His eyebrows shot up, and he firmly shook his head. If he started, he wouldn't be able to stop.

"Help me," she repeated, her bottom lip quivering.

Groaning in disapproval, he squeezed a generous amount of it into his palms and rubbed it on the curve of her neck, trailing his hands to her soft, warm breasts, loving how responsive they were to his touch. She let out a moan and closed her eyes, allowing herself to drown in the overwhelming sensations. His hands lowered to her stomach, travelling down to her nether regions. She shivered in anticipation, her legs parting for him. She was wet before but now she was soaking with every stroke and caress of his fingers. She expected him to lose control but like a soothing breeze, it only lasted for a few seconds before his touch vanished.

"This is going to keep you cool for a while. You better sleep." He tucked the sheets above her and this time, she didn't protest as she pulled them under her chin. He let out a sigh, for only he knew what she did to him. Her skin was the most delicate thing he'd ever seen, like a sliver of precious velvet and if it wasn't for her heat, he would have savoured her already.

"But I'm not sleepy."

"Just close your eyes."

"Lie down with me." She patted the space beside her but he shook his head to which she frowned at him. "Only until I fall asleep."

"Alright." He nodded as he climbed onto the bed. When she tried to pull the covers over him, he shot her a stern look. "No funny business."

"Okay," she said quietly, then met his eyes. "What's your favourite colour?"

"Red. Your?"

"I don't have one. But the colour of your eyes reminds me of chocolates."

"Hmm." He smiled and caressed her cheek. "Favourite food?"

"I love lasagna, cheesecake and Macaroni."

They talked for a while, and eventually, Icarus watched her eyelids flutter close. He let out a relieved sigh and ran his fingers through her wayward curls, occasionally touching her forehead to check her temperature.

Watching someone sleep wasn't on his to-do list, but honestly, she was too cute.

Just an hour had passed when her lips parted and her chest rose up and down like she couldn't breathe. With a gasp, her eyes flew open and she sat up. Icarus didn't need to touch her to know that her heat had returned in full force, for he could smell her arousal. The musky, heavenly scent filled the room and he let out a curse, his calm fading away. His wolf prodded him to take Anaya and when she flung the sheets aside and straddled him, there was no stopping either of them.

Her lips descended against his and instantly, a zing of white-hot passion shot through his veins, snaking him in a frenzy for more. As her fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt, ripping them apart to explore the hard planes of his chest, gliding down to his abs and V of his hips, he could do nothing but allow her. A satisfied growl rumbled in his chest and his muscles clenched, goosebumps dotting his skin with every brush of her fingertips. He gripped her waist and flipped them over, the need to take over surpassing every rational thought.

He kissed her again, and this time, it was soul-shattering. The hunger between them had grown, and it was hotter, wetter. It was a promise of more to come, of what he was capable of doing, of the carnal desire that resided in them.

"Icarus," Anaya whispered hoarsely, her grip on his shoulders tightening.

The sweet trance broke. He froze and slowly rolled away from her, his eyes wide and guilt-ridden. "Fuck." He ran a hand over his face and turned to look at her. She was staring at him with confusion written all over her face and if Icarus wasn't mistaken, hurt too.

"W-what?" she asked consciously, tears shining in her eyes, then she began to cry.

Horrified, he moved towards her and cupped her scorching cheeks. "Hey, shh."

"I hate you." She sniffed and turned away from him.

"You'll be grateful tomorrow." He rested his chin on her arm, and she looked up at him with a big scowl.

"No, I want this. I want you."

"I want you too, more than I ever wanted anyone." He pressed himself against her back, to convey that he wasn't lying. Anaya let out a whimper and turned towards him, her hands touching his fly.

"Then let me."

"No." He removed her hand and held it to her sides. "What you need is another shower, food, medicine, and a night of good sleep."

She shook her head, her nose scrunching up in revulsion. The thought of food made her stomach roll. "I'll throw up."

"Then sho—"

"Just-just hold me."

"You're willing to sleep?"

She nodded and licked her lips. "Only if you take off your pants."

Here we go again, he thought. He never expected his incredibly shy Anaya to be so forward.

"C'mon," she urged, very aware of the conflict within him. "I won't do anything. I just want to feel every inch of you."

He nearly choked on his spit, having caught off guard. He shook his head, but looking into her beseeching eyes, he eventually kicked off his pants, as if he genuinely had no other choice.

Her gaze zeroed on his gray boxer briefs, but before she could make any move, he switched off the lights. "No peeking and no touching." He slid his arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest. His fingers trailed up and down her bare back. "Okay?"

"Better." She went lax against him, entwining her legs with his while her hand rested on his torso. To be honest, what she wanted was to seek his mouth, pepper kisses all over his olive flesh and ride him to oblivion.

When quietness fell on them and his hand on her spine paused, she thought he was asleep. It gave her the perfect opportunity to do as she pleased, and she couldn't hold back from inching her fingers lower and lower, languidly stroking him through the soft material.

He jerked in shock and pushed her hand away. "Darling, no."

Her eyes narrowed at him in the darkness. With a soft, almost torn voice, she whispered, "Am I not your mate?"

"Of course, you are." He kissed the top of her head, smiling. "But your tactic isn't working, so sleep."

She huffed and closed her eyes, nuzzling her face into his chest.

Let me know in the comment section below what you dislike/like about the story so far! ❤️