The Devil's Cursed Witch

"What are you doing here?"

Her entire body froze.

Thud!

The leather-bound book in her hand fell down with a heavy sound as she whipped around to see a tall person standing behind her. The moment the red-eyed man in his black night robe came into her sight--

Thud!

She felt like her heart leaped to her throat and stepped back in hurry, only for her back to collide with the shelf behind her. This made the shelf tilt and the books above her head fall on her--

'Oh no!' she panicked, her arms subconsciously covering her head, but seconds passed by without anything hitting her. All those books stopped in the air before they reached her and moved up on their own to get back into their respective places.

While all of these were happening, Draven's gaze was on his flustered and scared little mate who was watching the floating books return to the shelves on their own.

After the last of those books were settled, Draven stepped closer to her, causing her to wish she could pass through the bookshelf behind her, and perhaps the stone wall, so she could escape from this shameful situation. She was so scared and embarrassed she didn't know what to do.

Once again, the King had caught her sneaking in a place she shouldn't be in.

"Y-Your Majesty..."

She stopped once Draven lowered his head for their gazes to meet on the same level. Still, his body loomed over her cowering form, his gaze seemingly burning her as he leaned his face closer to hers. His arms were caging her in, both hands resting on the bookshelf behind her. She was trapped with no escape.

His low, dignified voice brought a shiver to her body.

"Weren't you asked to stay in your chamber?"

If his personal servant was here, the observant elf would have noticed that his master was on the verge of losing his sanity. Taut veins were showing on the knuckles of his fists and neck as if he was trying to hold back himself, but he was losing the battle. The grip of his fingers on the bookshelf were tightening with each passing second, and the wood was letting out a crunching sound as if it would crumble into pieces soon.

He had barely slept a wink last night, and even today, he had been exhausted just keeping his sanity in check, battling his urges that were making him go crazy due to his little mate.

Despite trying all means, he could not stop smelling her scent, though that incense from Leeora eased him somehow. As long as Draven stayed in his study--which was one of the rooms farthest from Ember's chamber--and as long as the incense was burning right beside him, he found her scent bearable. Still, the incense failed to cover her scent in front of his heightened senses, not when his little mate had invaded his one safe haven.

Ember found herself staring at his eyes, seemingly spellbound. "I just...I wanted a book..."

"Any idea how dangerous it can be for you?" he asked with gritted teeth, not realizing that he had leaned to her so close their hot breaths were almost mingling.

'His lips...have they always looked this...appealing?'

Ember, who had been wallowing in self-regret, found her eyes wandering to those tempting lips that seemed to be saying something she couldn't hear.

She didn't know what he had just asked her, and she even forgot what situation she was in.

'It's this masculine scent again...like the smell of the forest...with a hint of peppermint...'

With this much closeness, his scent wrapped around her, causing her rationality to flee. She tried to be sane, but her senses were flooded with nothing but wanting more of the source of that comforting scent. She took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth, her soft lips parting a little.

Draven's eyes flashed with desire at the movement of her lips, and he witnessed how her gaze travelled from the opened slit of his night robe. He watched as she eyed his chest and then his neck and looked up to meet his gaze with fire that seemingly equalled his own.

'So bold...so desirably bold...'

His little mate didn't look scared at all, and in fact, the way she was looking at him made him feel like she was stoking the heat inside him that he was trying to calm. He guessed his scent had affected her senses as well, and she was feeling the pull of the bond they shared.

Draven wanted to resist, but it seemed like it was impossible. That alluring sweet scent coming from her was just too much to bear. The scent of his woman being in heat was impossibly irresistible.

"Do you know," he growled, "what I want to do with you right now?"

His right hand moved from the shelf to her face. Compared to the savery of his own desires, the way he caressed her cheek was especially gentle. But just this much and she let out a little gasp while looking into his eyes.

Draven understood as he felt the same. Just a simple touch was enough to make every single cell of his body turn alive. His heart was racing inside his chest, and he could clearly hear hers racing as well.

Ember felt like everything but this man was covered in haze. He was the only thing that exists in her mind. Nothing else mattered but him.

Just like he touched her cheek, her hand moved up as well, replicating the same action as him. Her entire body moved as if she was falling into a beautiful dream she didn't want to wake up from. Her cold hand caressed the warm skin of his cheek, and she parted her lips, gasping, tasting, relishing in the unique seductive scent coming from him.

Draven was the same as her, and he had already lost himself in the haze of their scents. His face was near enough for the tips of their noses to touch each other. And in the end, he closed his eyes.

He felt her hand brush his cheek, his nose, his lips, and he felt as if each time their skin would touch, warmth would spread all over his body. It made him want more. His thumb rubbed over her lips before it moved to cradle her head, his other hand moving to the small of her back to pull her closer, getting rid of what little distance there was between their bodies.

Draven and Ember were in a complete trance, blindly following the need they were feeling.

And then she tasted his breath.

She let out a soft gasp as his lips gently brushed along her slightly parted lips. The teasing touch made her feel like she was slowly getting intoxicated.  And when he fully captured her lips in his, she closed her eyes.

It was a sweet little kiss, almost shy, fitting to be their first shared kiss, but when they were about to part away, Ember's hands moved to get a feel of his strong and firm chest, impatiently pulling at his robe as if to say she needed more, Draven responded in kind.

He already wanted more from her. One kiss wasn't enough to satisfy his hunger. His hand cradling her head moved to entangle his fingers with her hair. With a light tug to them, he made her face move so he could kiss her better.

Draven didn't wait for a moment and swooped in to kiss her more properly this time, giving her what she desired and taking what he craved for. He opened his warm lips to capture her soft ones, giving into the deep hunger he had for her. Their kiss was fierce and greedy, agonizing and unrestrained, sucking and nibbling as their moans and groans mixed together in sensual harmony.

Their hot breaths mingled together and he pulled away, giving her only a brief second to catch her breath before punishing her lovely lips with another kiss. He pried open her lips and pushed his tongue inside her partially-opened mouth.

"Ahh...mmm..."

As Draven pulled her into a rough kiss, their bodies were pressed against each other, nothing but their clothes between them.

Ember had her hands circled around his neck, standing on her tiptoes as she let his tongue play with hers. That wild, mind-numbing kiss took her breath away, leaving her unable to even stay upright on her feet without his hold.

The air around them sizzled with tension as they continued to give way to their desires. They were each other's sweetest delicacies, and they wanted nothing more but to have more of each other.  As much as he wanted it, she was the same.

Only what their bodies wanted at this moment mattered, and nothing else. There was no need to deny their hunger.

After their long passionate kiss, they pulled away for the sake of breathing, and only then did Draven open his eyes. His mate was the incarnation of temptation. Seeing her gasping for air, those alluring swollen and moist lips slightly parted, images of what he could do with her flashed in his mind.

Her naked body pressed under him and how he was ravishing it with all his might.

------

Bonus chapter dedicated to reader "Hollygolightly" for gifting Dragon to the novel. Thank you so much. <3 <3