Married To The Dragon Prince Against My Will-Chapter 284: VICTORIOUS

Lumina moved before either of them could second-guess the moment, after all she missed her husband so much.

She closed the final breath of distance between them, hands rising to cradle his face. Her thumbs traced the sharp edge of his jaw slowly, gradually then one palm slid around to the nape of his neck as she pulled him down.

Ashen’s breath hitched, a quick, unsteady sound, and he didn’t resist.

Lips brushing lips he only answered by leaning in just a fraction with their lips parting on a shaky exhale and that was all she needed.

She kissed him deeper slowly at first, savoring the way his mouth yielded under hers.

Her tongue traced the seam of his lips until they opened, then slipped inside in one languid stroke. Ashen made a low, broken noise against her mouth half groan, half surrender.

His hands found her hips and gripped hard, fingers digging in as though she were the only solid thing left in his world.

Lumina tilted her head, changing the angle, kissing him open-mouthed and unhurried. She sucked gently on his lower lip, then his tongue, coaxing him forward. When he finally chased her when he pushed into the kiss with real hunger heat detonated between them like dry tinder catching flame.

She pressed her entire body against his chest to chest, hips slotting together. One hand stayed tangled in his hair, tugging lightly to keep his mouth exactly where she wanted it, the other slid down his neck, over his collarbone, then under his shirt so her fingertips could drag across warm, trembling skin. Ashen shuddered violently at the contact, a full-body ripple that made her own pulse stutter.

Their kisses turned messy and then he caught her lower lip between his and bit down just hard enough to sting before soothing it with slow, wet licks.

Lumina moaned into his mouth making the sound vibrate straight through him.

She retaliated by sliding her tongue along his in a long, filthy glide, pulling back only to dive in harder, kissing him like she could crawl inside his skin and live there.

Ashen’s hands roamed up her ribs, under her shirt, palms flattening against the bare curve of her back. He hauled her closer until she was pinned between his body and the wall, one thick thigh sliding between hers.

She rocked against length instinctively, he groaned again and kissed down the side of her throat, open-mouthed, sucking marks she knew would darken by morning before returning to her mouth with renewed desperation.

She arched into him, nails scraping lightly down his back beneath the fabric. He hissed against her lips, then kissed her so deeply she forgot how to breathe for a heartbeat tongue stroking hers in slow, possessive circles while his hand slid higher, thumb brushing the underside of her breast through thin linen.

They were both shaking now, sweaty. Panting between kisses. Utterly lost in the lovely moment when the voice rang through his head again..

"Pathetic."

He froze mid-kiss, lips still touching hers, breaths mingling in harsh little pants.

Horror flooded his face as his eyes snapped open.

Lumina felt the shift instantly, the heat draining from him like blood from a wound. She didn’t release him yet, though her own legs trembled beneath her, weakness from the poison creeping back in waves. Ashen could see it in the way her lashes fluttered, the slight sway in her stance.

He jerked back as though she had burned him, his hands falling away. Guilt and self-loathing twisted his features into something almost unrecognizable.

Lumina stayed pressed against the wall, lips swollen and wet, skin flushed. She didn’t look ashamed.

She looked furious.

"Stop," Ashen rasped, voice wrecked. "Lumina... you are getting weaker. I can’t control myself."

She tried to step closer. He retreated another pace.

"I told you," he said, quieter now, almost pleading. "I promise I will find something to fix this. Can you please bear with me? Just for now?"

Lumina’s expression crumpled. Hurt flashed bright before she turned her back on him, shoulders rigid, arms wrapped tight around her middle, as if she could hold herself together that way.

"But I miss you so much... I hate being far from you." Ashen stared at her back for a long second heart hammering, throat tight. He hated the distance he’d forced between them and hated the poison more and himself most of all.

He crossed the room in two strides and wrapped his arms around her from behind gentle, careful, chin resting on her shoulder.

"I am sorry," he murmured against her hair. "I am so damn sorry... Just give me more time."

She didn’t melt into him immediately. But she didn’t pull away either.

He pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck right over one of the marks he had left earlier. "I hate this too. More than you know."

Slowly reluctantly her hands rose to cover his forearms where they crossed her waist. She leaned back into him, just a little.

"I know," she whispered.

They stood like that for several long minutes breathing together, hearts thudding in uneven rhythm until the worst of the tension bled out of her shoulders.

Then she turned in his arms. Looked up at him.

"Make sure I don’t see you with Breilla," she said quietly. "Or in any scenario where I can’t take it."

Ashen caressed the backs of her hands with his thumbs. "Of course. Never again. I swear."

Her eyes narrowed. The softness vanished.

"I’m serious... If you can’t be with me for now you better control that leg.." she let out as her hands moved toward his length, he let out a smirk at once.

But she wiped the faint smile off his face with a single look. "If you don’t listen, I will go back to my realm. And I won’t come back."

The words landed like stones in still water. Ashen’s expression sobered instantly. "I hear you. I promise."

She studied him for another beat searching then nodded once.

Without another word, she crossed to the wide couch tucked against the far wall of his office and sank onto it. Her fingers brushed the upholstery absently.

She paused, recalling how she had felt the difference between the coach when she had sat on it the second time she came to his office. She was still blind so she couldn’t tell then, but she could see it now.

A small, private smile curved her lips. She hid it by ducking her head, reaching for the medical scroll he had left on the low table beside the couch. She unrolled it across her lap and began scanning the faded script, pretending absorption.

Ashen returned to his desk. Picked up his own parchment. The room fell into a fragile, companionable existence, and only the scratch of quill on paper and the occasional rustle of pages could be heard.

Hours slipped past and suddenly the alarm bell shattered the silence. Deep, frantic clangs echoing through stone corridors.

Ashen’s head snapped up with every muscle locked.

He tried to stay seated and hold composure but his knuckles whitened around the edge of the desk.

Lumina rose at once. Crossed to him. Laid a gentle hand on his arm.

"We should go see what’s happening," she said softly. Before he could answer, the door burst open.

Ero stood there breathless, face ashen.

"My lord there’s a problem." Ashen was already moving at once. "What?"

Ero swallowed. "The Queen is dead."

The words dropped into the room like lead.

Ashen went still while Lumina’s hand tightened on his arm.

Then slowly a victorious smile curled the corners of her mouth.