C19 Ryan

She relaxed when my hand touched hers. Aria searched my face, gauging my reaction, I presume. She hoped this would show me she was strong enough to forge ahead with me, that she wasn’t as fragile as I thought. It wasn’t fear she saw when she looked at me. It was more confusion mixed with relief. Relieved her secret wasn’t another man.

“We’re a family of healers, mostly just grandma these days. I know a few for protection, too.” She paused, letting me process. I took a minute to let her words sink in. She had magic. What are the odds we would both have this fantastical family heritage? I took a breath, smiling. We were perfect for each other. I nodded, urging her to keep going?

She gazed intently into my eyes, pulling my hand to her heart. “Nothing you say will make me leave, try to hide, and,” she paused, dropping my hand. “I’ll just track you down if you try to leave me behind. That simple. If you’re not really in love with me, I get it; you were grateful and horny. Just say that, and we can just be friends again. I won’t lie, it will be hard for me, but either way, you’re not going this alo-”

My lips slammed into hers, rubbing them together, my tongue asking for access. Aria opened her lips and welcomed me home. She pushed me back on the bed and climbed on top of me slowly, trailing soft wet kisses as she pulled up my shirt. My skin danced at her touch, warm and soft, tingling. Aria’s tongue and mouth swirled around on my neck. Our breathing grew louder and faster. She bit me gently.

“Containentiam.” I wrapped my arms around her and flipped her on her back.

“What does that mean?” I whispered against her ear while my hand grazed up her inner thigh, lifting the skirt she was wearing. Aria sucked in a breath, and her chest rose as she dug her fingers around the sheets. She breathed out shakingly, clenching her eyes shut from sheer anticipation. I lifted her leg to my lips, trailing down to her thigh.

“A containment spell. It’s time.” She opened her eyes, leaning up a little. The movement forced her leg down out of my hand, making me frown. “You don’t have to hide in the house, afraid of the moon. Embrace it. If it starts to be too much, just focus on me.” My heart pumped faster, and energy surged through me. “Relax your muscles. Don’t fight it.” I relaxed every muscle in my body when she caressed my cheek. She reached above her head with her other hand to open the curtain, but I grabbed her hand, stopping her.

“What will you,” she kissed me, making it hard to speak, “do if I rage out?” She kissed me again. “You’re trapped in here too.”

“I have spells to protect myself.” Her lips crashed into mine, fierce and passionate. She slid her hand down my chest. “Without hurting other people,” her lips following the trail of her hand, “protection circles that kind of thing.” I trusted her. If she were an evil witch who used magic on a whim, I wouldn’t have had to fight Dorien. Maybe that’s why she blamed herself. If she had used magic, I wouldn’t have had to save her. I wouldn’t have lost control of my temper and went to jail. Magic was the last option. She didn’t have to explain her magical intentions; I knew her, nothing changed that. I let her open the curtain. She was making it easy to stay calm.

Aria pushed me up a little, switching places with me. She wanted on top and in control. I certainly didn’t mind. Her tongue slid across my body. She was writing her name across my chest with her tongue. The brand excited me. Shivers zipped through me, electrifying. She wanted me so engulfed in the satisfaction that it outweighed any anxiety about turning.

When my eyes snapped open, Aria was enticing me more with her tongue. The warmth of her mouth embracing each finger individually with the same amount of love. I shook a little at her wetting touch. She felt so good. Her lips came back to mine. She laced her fingers through my hair before gripping it tightly, letting me get used to a little pain mixed in with the pleasure before the moon shone through the window, she told me. Grinding against my pants a little, our desire overpowering our objective, she pulled my head aside and kissed my neck like she was devouring the juiciest of fruits. “It’s getting dark. Are you ready?” I nodded.

“I- I love you.”

Aria pressed down against me harder, “I - love you.” It came out shaking in between moans and grinds. “Remember to focus on me, on this feeling.”

“Hard not too,” we both let out a breathy laugh. Aria watched me closely for signs of change. She noticed before I did. I only cared about the feel of her, wishing I could be inside of her. She stopped moving when she felt the hair slowly thickening along my skin, petting my now fury muscles that were bulging, ripping off my clothes. She is probably trying to gauge how long she has before I fully turn. I don’t want her on me when it happens. I want her clear across the room with time to protect herself if she needs to. But damn, she feels good, even through my tearing sweats.

I slid her off of me, pushing her away. I grabbed a pillow to hide my shifting and muffled my screams. Mom was home, and I didn’t want to scare her. We weren’t sure how well the audio ward she put up would hold against howls and growls. Aria held my hand with one hand, my face with the other hand, as my muscles and bones broke and morphed into something different, something new. She didn’t leave. She whispered in my ear, calming reminders, memories, jokes, and anything else to keep me thinking and remembering who I was.