Chapter Six: Beneath his Touch
The rain came softly that night, like a secret whispered by the heavens.
Faith stood by the edge of the balcony, wrapped in one of David’s shirts, oversized and heavy with his scent. She didn’t know why she couldn’t sleep — maybe it was the storm inside her that wouldn’t quiet.
Maybe it was the ghost of his touch still burning on her skin.
She could still feel the way his hands had trembled when he’d pulled her close after the chaos. Still hear the raw sound of his voice when he said she calmed the beast inside him.
He hadn’t marked her yet. Not fully.
And somehow, that made her ache even more.
The sound of the door opening made her pulse jump.
David stood there in loose sweatpants, shirtless, his bare chest still damp from a cold shower. His dark hair curled against his forehead, his eyes darker than the night behind him.
“You’re awake,” he said, stepping onto the balcony.
“So are you,” she whispered.
He leaned against the railing beside her, not wanting to her what happened back at council. The silence between them was thick with unsaid things.
“I didn’t mark you earlier,” he said at last.
“I noticed.”
“I wanted to.”
“I know.”
His jaw tensed. “But I don’t just want to claim you because of instinct or because my beast needs you.”
She turned to him. “Then why?”
His gaze held hers — fierce, unwavering. “Because I want you. The man. Not just the wolf.”
Faith’s breath hitched. That was the most human he’d ever sounded.
“I don’t care how broken you think you are,” she said quietly. “I see you. The beast. The man. All of it. I want you.”
A low growl rumbled in his throat.
She stepped closer. “Touch me, David.”
He hesitated.
“Please,” she breathed.
And that was all it took.
He crushed her against him, mouth seizing hers in a kiss that left no space for questions. His hands ran down her spine, possessive and gentle all at once, as if memorizing her every curve. His lips moved from her mouth to her throat, dragging heat in their wake.
“Tell me to stop,” he whispered against her skin.
“I won’t.”
His fingers slipped under the hem of the shirt — his shirt — and slowly peeled it away, revealing her bare skin to the cool air. Her nipples pebbled instantly, both from the breeze and the heat of his gaze.
David growled low in his chest. “Mine.”
He lifted her with ease, carrying her inside. The room was dim, lit only by the moon, casting silver light across the bed as he laid her down.
He stared at her, reverently. “You’re beautiful.”
Faith reached up, cupping his face. “So are you.”
“No one’s ever said that to me.”
“Then they were blind.”
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her collarbone, then lower and lower.
Her body arched under his touch. Everywhere his fingers moved, fire followed. His mouth explored her skin with an almost torturous slowness, as if determined to worship every inch of her.
“You smell like heaven,” he growled, dragging his tongue across the swell of her breast.
She gasped, fingers curling into the sheets.
He paused, locking eyes with her. “Tell me what you want.”
“You,” she moaned. “I want you, David.”
That was the end of his restraint.
He slid down her body, lips and teeth dancing along her hipbone, down to her thighs. Her breath hitched as he kissed the inside of her leg, then moved between them.
She cried out when his mouth met her core, pleasure crashing over her like a wave. He devoured her with hunger and care, each flick of his tongue pulling moans from deep in her chest.
“David…!” she gasped, hips trembling. “I’m…I can’t…”
He didn’t stop. He held her down gently, teasing her until she shattered beneath his mouth, crying out his name.
When her breathing steadied, he crawled up beside her, eyes dark and burning.
“Now,” she whispered, pulling him close. “Please.”
His pants were gone in seconds. She felt him hard, heavy, ready — and her body answered without hesitation.
He lined himself up and paused. “This changes everything.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I want it to.”
And then he was inside her.
Faith gasped as he filled her, the stretch delicious, the connection instant. He moved slowly at first, letting her adjust, letting her feel. But when she dug her nails into his back and moaned his name, his control slipped.
David’s thrusts grew deeper, harder, but never careless. He kissed her between each one, like a promise, like a claim.
“Mine,” he growled against her lips. “You’re mine, Faith.”
“Yes,” she cried out. “I’m yours.”
The bond between them flared — something ancient and powerful — but still unsealed.
He hadn’t bitten her.
Not yet.
As they moved together, the pressure built inside her again. She clung to him, sweat-slicked skin against his, heart pounding in rhythm with his.
“I’m close,” he groaned.
“Me too.”
And then they were falling together, crashing into ecstasy like two stars colliding.
He held her tight as they both trembled, breathing in sync, souls tangled.
David buried his face in her neck, teeth grazing her skin — but still he didn’t bite.
When he finally looked at her, his voice was thick with emotion. “I want to mark you so badly.”
“Then why haven’t you?”
“Because when I do… there’s no turning back. You’ll be mine forever.”
Faith smiled softly, brushing hair from his face. “I already am.”