The Pure-Hearted Princess and the Kiss of Darkness

-KATALEYA ~

"You are my f*****g life, Mi Amor, so please wake up so I can breathe again."

The whisper of the man I love with every particle of my body and soul. Enrique needs me. I fight through the haze that has been lifting steadily, grappling to wake up.

I feel a teardrop on my cheek, one that feels like a drop of refreshing coolness in this place. And just like a pleasant breeze, the fog is pushed away. I open my eyes, seeing him turn his head away. kiké...

I reach up with one hand; the pain is pretty much gone, but I feel so exhausted.

I gently touch his cheek. He tenses, turning back sharply to me, his heart racing, his eyes full of raw emotion.

"Enrique..." I whisper.

"You're awake. Fuck, you're awake."

He slides off the bed and drops to his knees beside the bed, cupping my head as he kisses my cheeks and forehead before pulling me into his chest. 1

"I'm ok," I say softly, unable to stop my own tears as I clutch onto his shirt. Reaching up, I cup his face. "Are you?" 1 "Now I am," he replies softly, his voice thick with emotions. Then his lips are on mine. Pleasure dances through me as he kisses me like a man starved.

A kiss that consumes me entirely. I gasp as his tongue flicks mine, realising the sparks are even more intense than before. I marked him...

I smile as I kiss him harder, relishing in those tingles, the way his lips feel against mine, the way his hands feel on me, the way he tastes, the way he smells. Everything that I desire, and I can never get enough.

In his arms, in his embrace, I'm finally home.

He breaks away when I gasp for air. But he doesn't stop, leaning down he begins ravishing my neck with kisses; passionate, sensual, with a hint of pain when he sucks on my neck.

My core clenches and I pull back slightly and tug him down with me until he gets on the bed, straddling me as he kisses my neck and up my jaw.

He groans and I hear him inhale deeply.

"Kiké..." I moan, knowing he can smell my arousal, my cheeks flush, but right now I don't care. 1

"Fuck, Mi Amor... you need to rest," he groans as he pulls back breathing heavily, and I can't help but giggle when I see the prominent tent in his grey sweats. 1

"I hope you get to rest with that," I tease as I sit up. He smirks slightly before he caresses my face, kissing me softly before he presses his forehead to mine. "Lo siento..."

I frown as I look at him. "Don't apologise for something that wasn't you," I say softly.

He looks into my eyes, and I can see the pain in them. "Promise me that you won't be so reckless again. How can you do that? Don't you realise there's no point in protecting me? Because if there's no you, there is nothing left for me..." His words send my heart thrumming.

He closes his eyes as he drops onto the narrow bed beside me and gently lifts me onto his lap. My cheeks burn when I rub against his manhood. I sit sideways, snuggling into him as he buries his head into my neck.

Neither of us speaks, the silence and each other's embrace speaking volumes more than any words could.

"What happened after?" I ask after a moment. As much as I want to enjoy the comfort, I need to know.

He sighs heavily as he kisses my neck once more and lifts his head, he looks tired.

"Well... aside from being a failure, we lost two from my pack..."

My heart clenches as he continues to tell me exactly what happened after I fell unconscious. Mama is here too, Hugo is missing. He tells me what Benigno told him. Raihana and Delsanra said they had some answers but hadn't shared what they had learned yet. They weren't at the pack house when things went down. He tells me everything, right up until he uses a magical compass to help him find the Ash Stone.

"... went to the waterfall with your sister's annoying mate. And I found the Ash Stone," he whispers.

My eyes widen. "You did?" I breathe.

"Yeah, and you will be pretty surprised to learn what it is," he murmurs, kissing my cheek before reaching into his pocket and pulling something out.

The moment he holds it out and I see it, I freeze. "That's..."

"Yeah... and it's the Ash Stone, as I predicted," he says smugly.

I feel relieved that he found it and also overwhelmed. It is the necklace I had made for him. 1Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Thank the Goddess he found it!

"How is it the Ash Stone? It was a mere stone, my prettiest one, but still just a crystal."

"I think we subconsciously manifest it, or the voice I heard said so."

"A voice?"

"Yeah, it sounded like a woman's voice, but also not of this world. It said, 'for you chose it to be... now rise from the ashes, reborn, and lead your kind to victory!"" "Maybe a goddess with your abilities, I would say perhaps Hecate."

"God's don't speak."

"They do. My father once spoke to Selene."

"The fuck he did. That shit doesn't happen."

"It does, my grumpy alpha." I giggle. My heart races as I stare at the necklace I made him as a child. I reach for it before I pause. "May I?"

"Of course, since when do you need to ask?" He passes it to me, and I look up at him, blushing.

"Even when it comes to your desserts in the fridge? So I can take them without asking?" I ask cheekily as I look at the stone that, although it looks the same as I remember it, I can feel the power thrumming from it.

He chuckles lightly. "Of course, it's all yours. After all, my dessert is right here," he murmurs, his fingers stroking my inner thighs, sending another sinful jolt through me.

I blush lightly as I hold it out to him. "I will change the cord for a longer one, or maybe a chain might be better?" I ask him. He takes it and looks at me. "Whichever you prefer, Mi Amore," he says before his face becomes serious. "You know I was not able to remove it completely from you... the tendrils of darkness that had made their way into you... are you sure you feel alright?"

"I do, you healed me enough," I say.

"Not even fully... so it doesn't count, and who knows what hold he still has on me..." he murmurs.

"I will be fine. We will be fine. There is no way that the darkness can ever hurt me," I say softly. Although it has managed too many times, I refuse to voice that and let him worry further.

What if Azarakh somehow brings me into his cavern? Will this somehow make things easier for him?

I push away the fear that is threatening to creep into me, remembering that negative emotions only work in their favour.

I am more concerned about Enrique than myself. I never wanted my love to be a weakness for him.

His hold tightens on me, unable to reply to what I said as I see the pain and guilt on his face.

"And I believe you can't be controlled. You have the Ash Stone, you are the Crimson King, and you are the man wearing my mark. The mark of the Asheton Queen. He can't touch you."

"I don't know, but what I do know, is he might be able to touch you," he murmurs, resting his head on top of mine. I place my hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

"It doesn't matter. We will fight it, with everything we have. We are stronger than those monsters," I say determinedly. "Yeah," he answers, but the worry doesn't fade. He strokes my arm, and although I do feel extremely tired and sleepy, I don't want this moment to end. "Enrique?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you be here tomorrow?" I whisper. The fear of him leaving me once again feels too much for my heart.

"I will be here every single day, for as long as this heart beats." He promises. My eyes sting at the thought of him not being here. I hold on to him tightly. He adjusts the bed sheet before pulling it over us both and lies down with me in his arms. 2 "I love you," I murmur as he brushes my hair back.

"And I fucking love you too..." he replies, gazing into my eyes, the intensity making me blush. "I've told someone to pass the message on to your family that you are awake. Do you want to see them now or leave it until tomorrow?"

"No, I'll see them tomorrow. It's been such a long day for everyone, they need to rest."

"I think your mother is possibly too worried to rest... she may feel better if she speaks with you," he says lightly, as if not wanting to show he's concerned. 1

He may not like Dad, but he is concerned about Mama's feelings. 1

I smile softly. "I'll mind-link Mama," I whisper. Once again, it hits me that this is real. I'm in Enrique's arms and he isn't pushing me away. I hold on to him tighter, as if scared that this is a dream that will disappear. 'Mama?'

'Kataleya!' Mama's reply is instant, and I can hear the worry in her voice.

'I'm ok, Mama. Enrique healed me.'

'So, you are completely ok?! Oh, thank the Goddess!'

'He said there was some that he couldn't get out of me, but I feel ok, Mama. Please get some rest. You must be so tired!

'No, I'm alright. I'm so relieved to hear from you. I love you, Kat. Your dad will feel better knowing I've spoken to you. We love you.'

'I love you too, Mama. Tell Dad the same, I love him, I love you all!'

I feel so emotional talking to Mama. 'I will. I saw your mark on him, it's beautiful,' she says gently, making me smile. But then I realise Enrique hasn't said anything about it...

'Thank you, Mama. Goodnight.'

'Goodnight, my darling. I will see you in the morning, Mama replies before I end the mind-link and look at Enrique.

"The mark, it's healed," I say softly, trying to see it properly.

His heart races as he turns his head slightly so I can get a better look. I reach up and touch it tenderly.

"I haven't seen it yet. I vowed I wouldn't until you woke up," he says softly, now looking down at me. "It's a mark I am not worthy of."

"Hush, you are the only one I would ever want to wear my mark. You or no one."

He caresses my face, cupping the side of my neck with his prosthetic, when I suddenly feel him throb against me and blush. "And that alone makes me think perhaps the gods don't hate me so much," he whispers huskily. "I will see it tomorrow. Right now, I do not wish to let go of you. I know it's beautiful, though. How can it not be?"

I feel him throb against me again and giggle. I open my mouth ready to tease him when he shakes his head, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't you dare... You can't blame me when you are next to me. I want nothing more than to be buried inside of you. Now be a good girl, give me a kiss, and go to sleep," he commands huskily.

"Yes, Papi..." I whisper teasingly, admiring that killer smirk that crosses his gorgeous face before I lean up, our lips meeting in a deep delicious kiss...