<Episode 73>

“Elkais!”

Eveline’s voice rang out as she shivered, drenched from head to toe and overwhelmed by the cold. Yet, despite the chill, wherever she touched him felt astonishingly warm.

She hadn’t realized his body heat was so high.

“Sorry.”

He apologized, but his smile never left his face. Eveline found herself staring at that smile, lost in its charm.

Maybe it was because of his wet and strikingly beautiful appearance, but she quickly forgot the coldness of the water.

“Eveline?”

“Oh, yes.”

She snapped back to herself, standing upright.

Just moments ago, she had been leaning heavily against him, making the water rise up to her shoulders. Now, as she stood on her own, the water reached her waist again.

“You look like a mermaid with your hair wet like that.”

Elkais remarked as he took in the sight of her soaked hair. Eveline’s red lashes were wet too, contrasting against her blue eyes, giving her a pale but ethereal beauty.

“Do you believe in things like that, Elkais?”

“Mermaids are famous legends, after all.”

He replied, gently running his fingers through Eveline’s clumped, wet hair.

He was about to brush her hair behind her ears but hesitated. Doing so would reveal her chest.

Maybe she had left it that way intentionally.

Despite his hesitation, he found himself wanting her to trust him as she had seen his bare self.

“Eveline.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to brush your hair back.”

“Ah… alright, go ahead.”

For a moment, Eveline’s gaze dipped downward, a sign of her shyness, but when she saw the joy in his eyes at her consent, she couldn’t help but smile back.

Gently, Elkais swept her hair back, exposing her chest as his large hands pushed the strands behind her shoulders.

He made sure to tuck her hair completely behind both ears, revealing her entirely to him.

With her wet skin glistening in the sunlight, she truly did look like a mermaid who had just emerged from the depths.

“El…”

As if mesmerized, he leaned in and kissed her.

This time, he kissed her urgently, without the gentleness he’d shown before, and Eveline instinctively responded in kind.

She knew this could lead to dangerous places, but she decided to set that thought aside for now.

His lips roamed inside her mouth, his tongue exploring, before he nibbled on her lower lip. When he finally pulled away, a thin string of saliva stretched between them, disappearing slowly.

Elkais watched as the mixed droplet of their saliva ran down her chin. He wiped it away with his thumb, taking in her appearance again.

Her hair, wet and clinging together, shimmered like treasure under the sunlight. With her red hair glistening like shattered glass, she looked otherworldly.

And her pale blue eyes, which had constricted in the light, were now wide open after the kiss.

Not to mention her swollen lips, bearing the faint mark of his bite.

“Elkais.”

“I said I’d help you wash… so I will.”

He managed to regain some control over himself and let her go, retrieving the yucca leaves he’d placed near their clothes. He rubbed them between his hands, creating a foamy lather.

Then he began to wash her, his palm sliding over her slender neck.

If he left his mark here and claimed her, she would be his forever.

He wouldn’t have to worry about her being influenced by another Alpha’s pheromones ever again.

“You’re scrubbing my neck a little too thoroughly.”

“It’s because I want to bite it.”

Eveline found herself speechless at his candid confession.

It was strange.

She, too, wanted to bite his strong neck.

“An Omega’s bite can’t leave a mark, right?”

“Right.”

“Then should I bite you instead?”

Elkais studied her, trying to decipher the meaning behind her words. Her pupils quivered slightly, but she met his gaze without flinching.

It couldn’t just be because of the pheromones. That wasn’t the kind of person Eveline was.

But there was clearly something she was hiding from him. Her excuses about pheromones were not solely out of fear.

“If you bite me, I think I’ll want to make you mine.”

“That’s…”

“No, I’d like it if you made me yours.”

He spoke with a plea in his voice, his brow furrowing slightly before letting out a sigh, his hands resting on Eveline’s shoulders.

With the suds making everything slippery, her skin felt incredibly soft under his touch.

“It’s the pheromones… yes. My mind feels a bit clouded,” Eveline said, trying to rationalize the situation.

“Yes, that’s all it is,” he reassured, though even he didn’t fully believe his own words. His hands slowly slid down from her shoulders, moving along her arms until he clasped her hands.

Maybe it was the slick feeling of the soap, but Eveline felt her body becoming more sensitive with every touch.

“Your hands are so small, Eveline.”

“It’s because your hands are big, Elkais. Maybe that’s why you handle a sword so well.”

At her comment, he chuckled. He found her small hands endearing and held them before his gaze wandered down to her belly button.

“Even your belly button is so small.”

“Why are you so obsessed with my belly button all of a sudden? And you…”

Eveline pulled her hands free and touched his abdomen.

“It’s like stone.”

She found it astonishing that a person’s body could be so firm.

She had hugged him a few times before, but his body felt as hard as a balloon filled to the point of bursting.

Yet, there was a hint of softness underneath.

“Keep feeling around. Maybe you’ll find a spot that’s not so hard.”

His teasing tone threw her off. It felt odd—like he was acting out of character, yet it suited him in a strangely familiar way.

She moved her hand to his neck.

“There’s absolutely no fat here, is there?”

He laughed softly.

She pressed down on his shoulders, then traced her hands down to his chest.

His chest was truly solid. She couldn’t help but think that if her face collided with it, her nose might break.

Her hands slid down to his abs, and she poked at the shadows between each muscle. She noticed how his body subtly trembled with each touch.

He tried to hide it, but the slight quivers sent ripples through the water.

“There’s no soft spot, after all.”

She was about to continue her exploration but stopped, realizing it might be dangerous. The sight of something in the water, either buoyed by the water or for another reason, made her think she should stop.

“I want to touch you too.”

“Touch what?”

“Your body, Eveline.”

“Oh, right. You did say you’d help me wash.”

His attempt at using a practical excuse made him chuckle again.

Elkais gathered more yucca leaves, working them into a lather. He gently ran his soapy hands over Eveline’s collarbone.

“This part of you is so soft too.”

“Why are your hands shaking so much?”

“I’d appreciate it if you pretended not to notice.”

Eveline’s words made his ears burn with heat, but they also made him happy.

Despite his efforts, his hands trembled as he touched the area just below her collarbone. She responded by straightening her back, clearly tense.

He felt the weight of her soft skin pressing into his fingers. The flesh beneath his touch was heavier than he expected.

“It doesn’t seem like I could hold it all in one hand.”

“Are you saying that because you want to try?”

“…Yes.”

Elkais knew that even as she spoke confidently, Eveline was also feeling embarrassed.

Seeing her remain still, he gently pressed his hand against her skin, testing the softness that gave way under his touch before returning to its original form. Her pale skin was remarkably supple.

He let his hand linger, savoring the velvety texture beneath his palm.

The smoothness of her skin seemed to bleach his thoughts to a blank white.

“Do you like chests?”

“No, I like you.”

“Ah…”

Elkais, seemingly unaware of his own words, squeezed her chest with a gentle touch.

He found the way her softness yielded to his hand to be deeply satisfying, letting out a contented sigh.

“I thought I’d feel better if I touched you, but now I just want to touch you more.”

“What part do you want to touch?”

“All of you.”

His low voice made Eveline avert her gaze. In response, he slowly withdrew his hand.

She was surprised when he turned her body around, her back pressing against his firm chest. His muscular chest against her back made her tense up, her skin prickling with the sensation.

“Elkais…”

“If I try to bite you, tell me to stop. I’ll do my best to hold back.”

He whispered into her ear, his breath warm against her skin, as his hand slid down to gently caress her ribs, his fingers curving to cup her breast.

“Ah…”

Eveline let out a small breath as he lifted her breast, easing the weight off her back.

“If you grip like that… it’s too…”

“Does it hurt?”

“No, it… it feels good…”

At her words, he loosened his hold, letting his fingers brush lightly against a sensitive spot.

“When I touch you here, your back stiffens.”

“Ah…”

Eveline felt her wet hair trailing over her shoulder, while the sensation of his stomach pressing against her back, moving with each of his breaths, created a strange friction against the water.

With every movement he made, their bodies stuck together, then peeled apart, creating odd, wet sounds.

“Eveline.”

“Ah… w-wait a moment…”

Her body shivered as something pressed against her thigh.

“El… ah…”

And at that moment, he nipped at her ear.