Passion ignited between them, fueled by the time spent apart - an eternity in their world. Asher's fingers wove themselves into Rowena's silky black hair, deepening the kiss further still, as if trying to erase every moment they were forced to spend apart.
Rowena's pale cheeks flushed, betraying the warmth that spread throughout her body at finally being able to have him back in her embrace, safe and sound.
Even if it wasn't long, she yet again realized how she can't stay alone for too long without her man.
A shiver ran down her spine, awakening dormant desires, as she breathed in the alluring scent of Asher's blood, potent and tantalizing. Unconsciously, her fangs threatened to extend, eager to taste what she craved most. Unable to help herself, she broke the kiss and left trails of kisses along his cheek, her fangs grazing his skin, mapping the veins that throbbed just beneath the surface before, finally, her fangs found their mark on his skin.
"Nngh…" Asher let out a soft groan of pleasure and subtle pain as her fangs dipped into his neck while he was a bit surprised by her act.
Usually, she would hesitate and ask his permission if she could drink his blood since she wouldn't want to force him into doing it or make herself seem like a woman who couldn't control her thirst.
But now, for her to crave his blood to this extent made him smile softly as he realized that she missed him that much.
Rowena drank greedily, savoring the sweet ambrosia that flowed freely from the vein. It was a heady experience, the combination of the exquisite flavor and the knowledge that it belonged to the man she loved more than anything else.
But Asher was not one to sit still.
With a featherlight caress, his fingertips danced upwards from her waist, tracing the contours of her slender frame until they reached the swell of her deep cleavage. Slowly, deliberately, he cupped her voluptuous bosom, causing a gasp to escape her lips as the sensation sent waves of pleasure coursing through her veins.
His thumb brushed against the fabric covering her round nipple, teasing it to hardness as her breathing grew ragged. Despite being preoccupied with quenching her thirst, Rowena found herself unable to resist the carnal desire that sparked within her at his touch. She arched her back slightly, pressing herself further into his hand, as if silently urging him to continue exploring her body even as she maintained her grip on his neck.
Asher obliged willingly, kneading her firm yet soft breast with just enough pressure to heighten her arousal.
He knew her well – too well – and understood precisely how to manipulate her responses. Each stroke brought forth another sigh, another shudder, until eventually, he slipped his hand beneath the fabric confining her curves, seeking direct contact with her sensitive skin.
Asher sighed in pleasure, not only from feeling his blood flowing into her warm mouth but also upon feeling her soft, heated mound of flesh in his palm and feeling her skin shiver under his touch was just icing on the cake.
He felt he should shower her with his love right here and now. But then he remembered how she got heavily injured, and even if she looked alright on the outside, she still needed some rest before getting back into top shape.
His heart became heavy as he also remembered how injured she was when he woke up and that she could have died, especially when she faced the Moon Guardian, and all he could do was watch helplessly.
Rowena felt a tremble in his emotions as she gently let her fangs recede and asked, "What's wrong?"
Asher exhaled a weary sigh as he took a step back.
He sought refuge on the edge of her desk, "I was just thinking about how the Moon Guardian literally toyed with us, and we stood no chance. I had no idea he was that strong. He is the strongest one I have ever seen," he confessed while feeling frustrated about it.
Rowena nodded as she said with a narrowed gaze, "Even though I never met him before today, I wasn't shocked. My father used to tell me stories of the Moon Guardian and how tremendously powerful he was, just like all the Moon Guardians before. They always were the strongest people in our realm. This title is revered by all werewolf clans. To them, the bearer of this title is like their god. They wouldn't dare disobey anything he says or does."
Asher slowly nodded and felt that he hadn't gotten his ass handed to him like that in a long time. The last time something like that happened was during his days as a Hunter, training to become the strongest. Even as a Hunter, he had learned about Moon Guardians, and every Hunter in history had mentioned avoiding fighting one at all costs, even if they rarely make an appearance.
A sigh of frustration escaped him as he lamented the strength he once possessed, the words "If only I had..." trailing off into silence, realizing what he was about to say.
Rowena, ever attentive, pressed for clarity as her hand found its way to his thigh, "If only what?" The admission that followed from Asher was tinged with regret and a raw honesty that rarely surfaced. "If only I was stronger, then I wouldn't be feeling this shitty. He could have killed us all, and I almost lost all of you. I couldn't have done anything if he..." Asher's voice faltered, the weight of his fears and the close brush with disaster too heavy to articulate fully. His head bowed as he closed his eyes shut, his jaw clenched.
Rowena's response was immediate and unwavering, her hand moving to grasp his, anchoring him in the moment, "But he didn't. No Moon Guardian would kill mindlessly. We would be dead already if he wanted to, and you have no reason to blame yourself for things that are beyond your control. You shouldn't compare yourself to the Moon Guardian right now. He is more than 500 years old, and you are barely 23 years old. It isn't fair to do that to yourself. You are already among the strongest in our world without even being a peak Soul Devourer. I have no doubt you will be the strongest within just a few dozen years."
Asher's determination was palpable as he shook his head, "It's not good enough. Age doesn't matter before strength. I also don't have a few dozen years to spare. I have to grow strong enough fast before the key can no longer protect us. That old wolf must be up to some scehemes. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spared us like that," His conviction left no room for doubt; he felt the pressure of time against them, a ticking clock that they could not afford to ignore.
Rowena, understanding the depth of his concern, softly nodded in agreement, her brows furrowing, "You are right. I also wasn't strong enough. I have to become stronger if we are to protect our kingdom in the future."
"You already are. You defended yourself against the Drakar and his queen alone and even fought off his army. But I know you will become far more stronger. In my eyes, you have more potential than those destined to be a Moon Guardian," Asher said, remembering the true power of the Devourer.
Rowena softly smiled, feeling moved by his confidence in her and said, "And you have the highest potential than any soul in this realm. I can't wait for that day."
Asher nodded with a smile while hoping he can really fulfill her expectations as fast as possible.
He then sought to unravel some mysteries he was grappling with, "How are these Moon Guardians so strong? What makes them special? Or are they all born with shockingly high potential?" Asher remembered how Ceti or Luna, in that situation, was absurdly strong enough to even fight against the Moon Guardian when none of them stood a chance. She at least lasted a while against him, and she wasn't even old. As far as he knew, Ceti was more than 40 years old but wasn't above 50 for sure.
Considering what he saw, she could easily be given the title of the strongest genius among the young generation.
Rowena's response was thoughtful, her gaze distant as she said, "I don't know for sure, but there are lots of myths and legends surrounding that title, each telling a different story. The one I know is that the Moon Guardian is a title first bestowed to the progenitor of all werewolves, whose bloodline directly descended from the essence of the Moon, allowing the bearer of the title to control thunder and dominion over all werewolves. Their power peaks when the Moon is fullest and reddest, signifying the Moon's favor."
Asher's question that followed was tinged with skepticism, a logical mind grappling with the ethereal nature of myth, "When you say the essence of the Moon...how does it work actually? I mean...it's not like the Moon is a person, right? And the only way a bloodline can be passed down is through...sex or giving up their bloodforce. So I am a bit confused here," he admitted, his attempt to make sense of the mythical sounding less than convinced.
Rowena, momentarily taken aback by his blunt interpretation, cleared her throat as she said, "Like I said, it's just a myth. You don't have to believe every word of it. Some of it could be true, or all of it could be exaggerated, or maybe...we don't really know."
Asher nodded as he let out a loud sigh, "Haa…they can even see glimpses of the future. I can see why the werewolves see them like gods," Asher's brows furrowed as he remembered what Lupus and Luna talked about before they fought...something about him destroying the world.
At that time he couldn't think clearly. But now, he frowned as he wondered if there was also some stupid prophecy among demons that he was going to destroy them or something. Will these demons turn against him as well?
Such a thought made his heart clench tightly, especially when he thought of the people he loved. Would they kill him by believing they would be saving their world or would they stand by him no matter what kind of dumb prophecy spreads around?
He didn't even want to imagine such a scenario. But if the Moon Guardian wanted to, he could have spread rumors of such prophecy but he didn't.
This made him wonder what kind of plans that old monster was cooking.
"What are you thinking about? It doesn't seem like it's anything good," Rowena said upon observing his face that briefly turned somber.
Asher shook his head and smiled as he held her hand and softly kissed it, "I was wondering whether I should just let you be. But now that you enjoyed feeding on my blood, how about you let me make your night exciting to make up for the blood I lost?"
Rowena's cheeks flushed as she briefly looked away. No matter how many times she had seen him trying to shamelessly bully her in bed, she still couldn't get used to saying 'yes' with a straight face. It usually ended up with him sweeping her off her feet as if he was asking her just to make it seem like she agreed to it.
But then she suddenly remembered something that made her eyes narrow.
Asher was about to pull her up with a smirk.
But his brows raised when Rowena suddenly got up and stopped him with her hand on his chest, "I would love to compensate you. But before that, I want to confirm one important thing."
"Confirm what?" Asher was visibly taken aback, not expecting her to suddenly look serious.
"Is something going on between you and Naida? You trusted her enough to let her hold onto the key for a while and convinced me to bring her inside that room. I know you are not someone who easily trusts people."
'Oh fuck...' Asher winced on the inside as he wasn't expecting this bomb to drop now.
"I hope it's not an answer I don't want to hear," she asked, her gaze piercing while Asher's breath froze.
