Rivers of blood and sand
Chapter 6

The cabin wasn’t a scenic place plucked out of a fairy tale, but it also wasn’t straight out of a horror movie. Nestled between two large trees, was a small wooden cabin. Vines crawled up the walls as if nature was trying to claim it. The grass was tall here, up to the middle of my thighs, and would’ve tickled my legs had I been wearing shorts. There wasn’t a pathway to the front door. Maybe at one point, there had been a path, but it had long since vanished under the wild grass.

Inside was a modest one-room dwelling. A tiny “kitchen” sat on the right side, with the bare necessities. On the other side, was a small sitting area beside a bed. There was a door in the back that I hoped led to a bathroom. Unlike the haunted hotel, this place wasn’t musty or covered in dust. Even though I knew no one had stepped foot in it in a long time. Whatever traces of any Mythics' scents were long gone. There was an abandoned air in here, with an undercurrent of magic that was probably the reason it was so clean and fresh.

Seth placed Ander on the relatively small bed, and I was half expecting Ander’s feet to hang off the edge.

He didn’t stick around for long, stating he needed to get back and that I shouldn’t hesitate to call him if something else came up. It wasn’t like I was expecting him to stick around and chit-chat, but it would’ve been nice to have some company.

The interior of the cabin was sparse, with only the essentials. There was only one chair that was uncomfortable as hell. A wooden chest sat at the foot of the bed, containing a floral patterned blanket. The bathroom only had a bar of soap and a towel, to go along with the tiny shower that only one person could squeeze into. The shower head was low, to the point that Ander would struggle to take shower here. Whatever this place once was, I doubted it was someone’s home, and if it was they were a serious minimalist.

Searching the entire cabin didn’t take long and eventually, I pulled the chair close to the bed to watch Ander. I told myself it was to make sure nothing happened, but that was a lie. His face was so peaceful in his sleep. All the stress, cold fury, or closed-off expressions that were usually present were gone. He almost appeared younger and less weighed down.

Jade, Harmony, and Ari have all alluded to Ander having a dark past. I never attempted to try and pry details from them. It felt wrong to do so. While I wanted to know what happened, I knew better than anyone that some things from your past were meant to stay there.

It didn’t take long for me to feel like Edward Cullen and I didn’t like that one bit.

I covered my mouth as I yawned, the noise was so loud in the quiet of the cabin. It was only late afternoon, but I hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. Both due to getting home late from another reconnaissance mission and the fact my brain refused to shut off.

I don’t know when I fell asleep, I didn't even know it was possible with how uncomfortable this chair was. I ended up jerking awake from my slumped position, my body stiff and aching. My focus immediately shifted to Ander, only to find him awake and looking at me. Neither of us spoke for what felt like several minutes, just staring at each other. There wasn’t any hostility in his expression or any emotions. It was carefully blank, the expression he seemed to favor and it frustrated the hell out of me.

Rain pattered on the roof and windows. The sound was so loud, I was surprised I managed to sleep through it for as long as I had. A booming clap of thunder had me covering my ears and breaking my stare off with Ander.

“What happened?”Ander asked, and relief poured through my system upon hearing his voice again. It was something I never thought I’d be relieved to hear. Normally I hated when he spoke, simply because he was usually a dick. But after facing the very real possibility that he could've died earlier today, I’d take him being a douchebag over the alternative.

“I called Seth and he saved your life. He was the one to carry you here.” I don’t know why I didn’t take more credit. I should’ve been an asshole and rubbed it in his face. The only reason his heart was still beating when Seth showed us was because of me. But I hadn’t done that for bragging rights or to have something to hold over him.

He pursed his lips and stared off to the side. “That blood…”

“Wasn’t normal, it clung to you. Even Seth was wary of it.” I shuddered at the memory of the black blood.

Ander shocked me when he scooted over in the bed and lifted the quilt in an invitation to join him. Raising my brows, I glanced up at his face, half expecting him to laugh and say just kidding—even though that wasn’t his style. Only he didn’t do that. “We might as well rest. The storm isn’t going anywhere, and I doubt that chair is too comfortable.”

I had no arguments to use against him. He’d been right on all fronts, but still, I hesitated for a few moments. I kept my movements slow as I climbed into the bed that wasn’t meant for two people. We both managed to fit, but not without our arms being pressed together. My body tingled everywhere we made contact as I awkwardly lay there, staring up at the ceiling. Based on the way I was acting, you’d think this was my first time in bed with a guy. I never knew how to behave around Ander, and that was before today. Now I was in uncharted territory, not knowing how to handle the shift in our dynamic.

As if he was trying to surprise me more than he already had, he pushed his arm under my back and pulled me so I was half laying on him. I placed my hand on his bare chest, fully intending to push myself off of him. “Just relax and go to sleep,” he murmured, his breath fanning the top of my head.

“You almost died earlier today, I don’t want to hurt—”

“I’m fine, you’re not heavy enough to hurt me,” he gruffly said.

“Thank you?” I wasn’t sure if that was meant as a compliment, and my tone said as much.

He chuckled, his chest vibrating against the side of my face, as I marveled at how it was a real laugh and not a cruel or mocking one. “Sleep,” he said again, but I wasn’t sure that was possible. Not with him touching me.

Or at least that was what I thought. He ran his hand lightly over my spine, sending tingles of energy through my body. At the same time, it soothed me in a way I hadn’t been expecting and lulled me to sleep.

* * * * * * * *

I awoke sometime later, half sprawled on Ander. My leg was draped over him and my face was buried against his neck, his scent invaded my senses with each inhale. I must’ve curled up against him in my sleep and for some reason, that embarrassed me. When I tried to retreat before Ander woke up, he captured my hip and flipped me onto my back. He hovered over me, his body inches above mine. He stared down at me with hooded eyes that sent warmth and tingles spiraling down to my core.

The raging storm was the only sound in the cabin as we watched each other, waiting to see what the other would do. If I hadn’t been so focused on Ander, I might’ve been worried the winds whipping at the cabin would do some damage, but I was way past focusing on anything other than the mere inches between our chests. The weight of his hand on my hip felt heavy. Tension coiled in my stomach, but was very different from the panic I’d felt earlier today. This one was filled with anticipation. He was barely touching me and already I was soaked and aching for him. Waiting for him to do something, anything.

There was little doubt in my mind he knew how he affected me, but I wasn’t the only one.

My lips tingled when he glanced down at them. The heated and charged moment lasted for several moments before he slammed his lips against mine. Once again, it was a rough kiss that drew blood from me when he bit down on my bottom lip. I was so engrossed in the moment, I didn’t care that I was bleeding around a blood mage. A sharp sting throbbed in my lip until it healed. The metallic taste of my blood hadn’t stopped our frantic kiss and neither did the pain in my lip.

Ander’s hold on my hip was far from gentle, its grip almost punishing with how tight it was. Had I been human, I would most likely be bruised from his hold. He wasn’t the only one being rough, my nails were clawing at his back, and ended up drawing blood from him.

I regretted having worn jeans as it was an annoying struggle to try and rid myself of them as I squirmed under him. Ander chuckled as he sat back on his heels and unbuttoned my jeans. I lifted my hips to help him as he stripped off my jeans. His hands slid up my legs starting at my ankles and inciting goosebumps. They stopped at my thighs where my tattoos were.

On my right thigh was a homage to the lynx summoners, with depictions of the animal, their motto written in summoner script, and something to honor my parents. My left was dedicated to the dragon summoners and the family that took me in and raised me as their own.

Ander’s hands lingered for several long moments, his fingers tracing a few of the designs. The singular focus he gave them had the same effect on me as when he kissed me. My legs tingled everywhere he touched, and my breathing had picked up as I waited in anticipation for what he’d do next.

He slid his palms the rest of the way up my thighs, his fingers brushing my damp panties. His pinky stroked the damp material a couple of times in a teasing move before he quickly discarded them, throwing them off to the side.

I don’t know when he rid himself of his clothes, but when I lifted my hips for some relief, I rubbed against his hard dick with no barrier. A whimpered groan slipped free before I could stop it as Ander grunted, placing his hands on my hips and pushing them against the mattress. His hold on my hips held me captive, not allowing my hips to move an inch. I stared up at him as he closed his eyes, tension locking up his body. His jaw was rigid, a muscle feathering in the base of his jaw. It was almost like he was trying to restrain himself or was fighting some internal battle.

Annoyance at how he held me down raced through my body, boiling my already heated blood. I’d been clawing at his back trying to snap him out of his thoughts to no avail, and I finally got fed up and raked my nails down his back and drew more blood. He grunted again, growling under his breath.

One moment, I was staring up at him, trying to figure out how to get him to fuck me and the next I was being flipped onto my stomach. My asscheek stung, and it took me a long moment to realize he spanked me. Before I could complain, retaliate, or even get my head wrapped around the fact that he did that, he grabbed my hips and lifted my ass in the air. My chest was still on the mattress, forcing my back to arch in a way that was slightly uncomfortable. He thrust into me, and even with how wet I was, he still met some resistance, creating a slight sting as I stretched around his large cock—which was far bigger than I was used to. His initial thrust was quick and unforgiving, but once he met resistance, he slowed significantly as he eased the rest of the way inside.

After waiting a few seconds to allow the stinging burn to subside, Ander began sliding in and out of my pussy. Either it was the angle or his massive size, but Ander was reaching places others before him hadn’t. His pace was hard and fast, but not like the guys who would jackrabbit fuck you and left you unsatisfied.

I wasn’t used to being fucked like this. No man had ever been this rough with me before, but clearly, I was into it with the way pressure was quickly and steadily building in my stomach as Ander kept up his punishing pace. Or maybe I was only into it because Ander was the one doing this to me. It was hard to imagine being okay if another man spanked me, or had the side of my face pressed against a pillow. Hell, if another man tried holding me down, my dragon probably would’ve been pissed and pressed close to the surface, but she wasn’t now.

A couple of hard thrusts later and I was screaming into the pillow as I came harder than I ever had before. My legs shook as I came down from my orgasm. He kept his steady pace throughout and smacked my other asscheek. A whimpering moan slipped free as the pain mixed with the tantalizing friction as he slid in and out of me. “I didn’t say you could come yet,” he growled.

I gasped at his audacity, ready to tell him that he couldn’t tell me what to do when he smacked my ass again. I should’ve been annoyed that he kept spanking me, but if I was being honest, I’d never been more turned on in my life. Something that had to be apparent to him, with how my arousal dripped down my thighs.

It didn’t take long for my second orgasm to build up. “Don’t you dare come yet,” Ander ordered, and rather than tell him to fuck off, I clenched the pillow in a tight grip as I held off my impending orgasm coiling tight in my core.

I’d have an easier time starting a fire with wet sticks with the way it kept building, begging for release as my body shook from the exertion. I wasn’t sure I could hold off any longer.

When I was moments away from saying, fuck it and fuck him, he said, “Come.” It was like he took complete control of my body because as he spoke, I immediately let go and let the waves of pleasure wash over me and drag me under. I was distantly aware of Ander groaning and stilling above me as I clenched around him and he found his release.

Ander released my hips and I crashed onto the bed in an exhausted heap, too tired to roll off my stomach. The mattress shifted as Ander climbed out of bed, and a few moments later the bathroom door clicked shut. Like with all of our homes, once the bathroom door was shut, no sound escaped the room.

My eyelids were heavy as sleep tugged at me and pulled me under before Ander returned from the bathroom.

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