As I carried Kalia into her room, her body trembled against mine, her face buried in the crook of my neck.
The weight of the chief's death hung heavy in the air, her sobs muffled but unrelenting.
I eased her down onto the bed, but she clung tighter, her fingers digging into my shirt like she feared I'd vanish if she let go.
"Ragnar," she whispered, her voice raw and broken.
"Please... can we go to the window? I need to see outside. Just for a moment. The fresh air... it might help."
I nodded, understanding the plea beneath her words, anything to distract from the grief clawing at her.
Scooping her up again, I carried her to the open window overlooking the hideout's central cavern.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting golden glows on the scattered fires below where tribe members gathered, murmuring in low voices.
Aria and Sarah were down there, chatting by a bonfire, their laughter a faint echo against the night's quiet.
Kalia leaned against the sill, her back to me, gazing out. I stood close behind her, my hands steadying her shoulders.
The heat of her body seeped through her thin robe, and as she shifted, her curves pressed back against me.
My breath caught, unintentional at first, but then deliberate.
I brushed my hands down her arms, my scaled fingers tracing the soft skin, a reminder of my evolution's changes.
She didn't pull away; instead, she arched slightly, grinding her hips back into mine with a subtle, needy rhythm.
A low growl escaped my throat, my body responding instinctively.
My hardness pressed against her through our clothes, the friction building as she moved.
Her breath quickened, matching mine, the cool breeze contrasting the growing warmth between us.
Down below, Aria glanced up, spotting our silhouettes. She waved casually, Sarah following suit with a grin.
Kalia froze for a heartbeat, her body tense, but she didn't stop the grind, if anything, it deepened, a silent thrill in the risk.
I raised a hand and waved back, my other arm wrapping around her waist to pull her closer.
She said nothing, her eyes locked on them, cheeks flushing in the dim light.
Then, with a sharp intake of breath, she reached up and yanked the shutters closed, plunging the room into softer shadows.
She spun in my arms, jumping up to wrap her legs around my waist.
Her lips crashed against mine in a desperate, hungry kiss, her hands fisting in my hair.
I staggered back toward the bed, holding her easily with my enhanced strength, but she broke the kiss first, her forehead pressing to mine as tears welled up again.
"Ragnar... I've had these feelings for you for so long," she confessed, her voice hitching.
"Watching you with Aria last night, it tore me apart, but I couldn't look away.
I told myself it was wrong, that I was just lonely after... after him.
But now he's gone, and you're the chief. The tribe needs you, and... I need you.
To protect me. To make me feel alive again. Please, don't push me away."
Her words hit like a storm, raw and vulnerable. I cupped her face, wiping away a tear with my thumb, careful of my claws.
"Kalia, you're not alone in this. I've felt it too, the way you look at me, the strength in your eyes.
You're not 'old' or broken; you're fierce, beautiful, and I want you.
As chief, I'll protect you, and as a man, I'll claim you, if that's what you want."
She nodded fiercely, pulling me into another kiss, this one slower, deeper.
We tumbled onto the bed, her robe slipping open as I trailed kisses down her neck, tasting the salt of her skin.
She arched beneath me, her hands exploring the ridges of my scales, gasping at the textured friction against her palms.
I peeled away the last barriers between us, my mouth finding her full breasts, teasing with lips and tongue until she moaned, her fingers digging into my back.
Positioning myself between her thighs, I entered her slowly, savoring the tight, welcoming heat.
She wrapped her legs around me, urging me deeper with whispered pleas,
"Harder, Ragnar... take me." The rhythm built, our bodies syncing in a primal dance, her nails scraping lightly over my scales, sending shivers through me.
I flipped her onto her stomach, mounting from behind, my hands gripping her hips as I thrust with controlled power, her ass rippling under each impact.
She pushed back against me, submissive yet demanding, her moans filling the room.
"Yes... like that... make me yours." The sensation was intoxicating, her body yielding, yet clenching with every stroke, drawing me in deeper.
Pleasure coursed through it all: my tail coiled around her thigh for leverage, adding a possessive hold that made her gasp in delight.
As climax built, I reached around to tease her most sensitive spot, her body shuddering beneath me.
We came together, waves of release crashing over us, her cries muffled against the pillow.
I spilled inside her, holding her close as aftershocks rippled through us both.
Afterward, we lay tangled in the sheets, her head on my chest, my arm around her protectively.
"The rebellion... Rax won't stop," she murmured, tracing patterns on my scales.
"But with you as chief, and us together... maybe we can end this."
I kissed her forehead. "We will. You're part of this now, part of me."
For the first time since the news, a spark of hope lit her eyes.