<h4>Chapter 213: Bed Deals</h4>


    "Another ability?" Aira asked him, trying to turn around to look at him, but he didn’t let her. His grip only tightened, holding her close, keeping her firmly within the cage of his arms as if letting her slip away was not an option.


    He held her tight as he continued to trail slow, deliberate kisses down the slope of her shoulder, the warmth of his lips contrasting with the coolness of the dimly lit chamber. His hands did not still. They slid across her body with a possessive certainty, moving over her waist, her stomach, higher still, brushing across the swell of her breasts as though every inch of her belonged to him and he intended to remind her of it.


    "Why would I gain another ability from joining the temple?" she asked, her voice caught somewhere between defiance and distraction,pletely focused on the conversation even if it was clear that Zyren didn’t feel the exact same way. His lips were still against her skin, his touch unrelenting, as though the words she spoke were of no consequencepared to what he intended to do with her.


    Zyren only hummed, a low sound against her neck, as he slid his face past the delicate curve of her jaw, brushing deliberately close to the side of her throat. His voice when he spoke again was calm, steady, almost careless.


    "...Because the ability you have now is one you got from the bonding ceremony. All messengers of light, after joining the temple, gain unique abilities," he told her, his words flowing like a truth he had no reason to doubt.


    But no sooner had he finished speaking than Aira felt a heavy dread coil in her gut. The unease was sudden and sharp, rising like a warning bell inside her. She instantly opened her mouth to speak, suspicioncing her tone, her eyes narrowing even though she couldn’t quite turn to see him.


    "...And what do you get from this?" she asked, her voice low, demanding, for she did not believe for even a moment that Zyren brought up such a thing without motive.


    "...Isn’t it obvious? There are shape-shifting monsters amidst us. I can take care of myself, but I can’t always take care of you," he responded smoothly. His tone was steady, but Aira—Aira knew. She knew he was lying through his teeth even before he finished saying the words, every instinct in her body screaming it.


    Still, she wasn’t about to call him out. Not yet. Instead, she frowned, her lips pressing into a thin line even as she gave her answer again.


    "No! Twice is all I can..." she began, her voice firm though her body betrayed her with tension. But she was still speaking when she suddenly felt him reach down between her legs, his hands parting her thighs with the press of his own.


    "Twice? Then I guess Harriet would have to hang. I don’t see why you care for her though... she tried to kill you," Zyren continued, speaking in a calm tone that did not match the sharpness of his actions.


    Aira’s breath faltered, turning into shallow gasps. Her chest rose and fell quickly, unevenly, as she felt the heat of his touch moving with deliberate slowness. Her heart thumped and raced, every nerve in her body sparking alive, every pore thrumming with a pleasure she tried in vain to push away.


    "Zy..." she tried to call his name.


    Although his face remained calm, his movements were precise, deliberate. One hand moved between her legs, the other explored the curves of her body, making her squirm helplessly beneath his touch.


    "Thirty," he said suddenly, tossing out another offer.


    But Aira knew it wasn’t kindness. There was little difference between always and thirty. By the time she had slept with him thirty times...


    The thought was still forming when she froze, realization striking her.


    I’m going to escape. I won’t be here in a month’s time.


    Arguing with Zyren was meaningless.


    "Ten," she told him, her voice breathless.


    But the word had barely left her lips before she felt him withdraw his hand — only to slide his throbbing, hard length slowly into her from behind.


    "This doesn’t count," he whispered, thrusting into her with a force that made her gasp, her feet lifting slightly from the floor. The only thing keeping her upright was the iron grip of Zyren’s arms around her.


    "Zy..." she tried again, clinging to his arms around her waist. But words failed her as he thrust steadily into her from behind, each movement sending shivers of pleasure through her body until all she could do was hold on.


    The fact that she couldn’t see him somehow heightened the sensation, making it all the more overwhelming.


    "Can we at least go to the bed?" she managed to gasp, though Zyren only chuckled darkly, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered — never slowing his hips.


    "If I wanted the bed...I wouldn’t have started here. Moreover, isn’t this better? This way you won’t have to see the face of the man you hate."


    His words bit into her, but his thrusts were relentless, striking the ce inside her that made her gasp and moan no matter how desperately she tried to resist.


    Until she could resist no longer. Her body trembled, her legs giving way beneath her, saved from copse only by Zyren’s arms. And in that same moment, she felt him finish inside her, his groan vibrating against her skin as he pressed a hand lightly to her lower belly.


    Aira, too far gone, didn’t care what else he did. She only tried to steady herself back on her feet, relief washing over her as she waited for him to withdraw.


    But instead, both her feet suddenly left the floor.


    Before she could react, she felt him drive deeper into her, carrying her in his arms, turning her toward the bed.


    "...Since you wanted the bed so badly, then we might as well use it," he said, lowering her onto the mattress, hovering over her as he pushed into her again.


    Aira turned her face away, as she always did whenever they were together face to face.


    But his voice came low and heated against her ear as he slid into her, making her feel every inch of him.


    "You might fight it, but we both know you want this," he whispered, gripping her waist and moving faster, harder.


    Her toes curled, her back arched, her fingers dug into his shoulders. The pleasure was undeniable — sharper, deeper, almost unbearable. It was better than ever before, and she knew it had everything to do with the bond between them.


    Meanwhile, Liora — her sister — was deep in the middle of a ritual she mighte to regret.