The Rite

During the ceremony, I couldn't take it anymore. I left left community and ventured deep into the forest, seeking solace in the silence and solitude. There, amidst the towering trees and whispering leaves, I found myself face to face with the very thing I feared the most: my reflection.

It was in the same river I'd murdered my mate, two months ago.

The water rippled gently, distorting the image of my own haunted eyes. I knelt down by the riverbank, unable to tear my gaze away from the reflection of my past sins. The memory of that fateful night flooded back to me, the anger, the betrayal, the desperate actions taken in the heat of the moment. I reached out a trembling hand, as if expecting the water to reach back and drag me under its murky depths.

But instead, a voice broke through the silence of the forest. "Amina," it whispered, echoing through the trees. I spun around, heart pounding in my chest, my gun pointing in all directions, looking for the source of the mysterious voice. The forest around me seemed to hold its breath, every leaf frozen in place as if awaiting my next move. "Who's there?" I called out, my voice barely louder than a whisper. Silence greeted me in return, broken only by the gentle rustling of the leaves in the wind.

And then, as if materializing out of thin air, a figure stepped out from behind a gnarled oak tree. He was cloaked in shadows, his face obscured by darkness. But his eyes... his eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light that sent shivers down my spine.

“You won’t try to shoot me again will you…?”

I froze.

The Shadow stood before me, his presence casting a cloak of darkness over the already dimly lit forest. His eyes bored into mine, the same piercing gaze that I remembered all too well from that night by the river. My hand trembled around the gun as memories flooded back, the weight of my actions heavy on my conscience.

I dropped my gun as relief flood me and I flung myself at him.

Shadow caught me in his arms, his touch strangely comforting despite the fear that still lingered deep within me. His embrace felt like a lifeline in the midst of my turmoil, anchoring me to the present moment. For a heartbeat, we stood intertwined in the darkness of the forest, two souls bound by a shared history of regrets and mistakes.

"I thought I had lost you," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath as I buried my face in his chest, seeking solace in his acceptance. Without a word, he reached out a hand to gently lift my chin, guiding my gaze back to his. In that moment, the weight of my past transgressions seemed to melt away, replaced by a glimmer of hope for redemption.

With a hunger that matched mine, his lips found mine in a desperate, consuming kiss. The forest around us seemed to hold its breath, the only sound the pounding of our hearts as we clung to each other in the darkness. The Shadow's touch ignited a fire within me, pushing aside the memories of my sins as he breathed new life into my weary soul.

As we broke apart, gasping for air, I saw a flicker of something unspoken in his eyes. It was a silent promise, a vow that transcended words and bound us together in this moment of shared vulnerability. I reached out to touch his face, tracing the lines of his features as if committing them to memory.

"Don’t ever leave me again,” I pled.

He didn’t answer, but instead tore my t-shirt open. My nipples hardened against the cool forest air as his touch ignited a primal desire within me. Every brush of his fingers against my skin sent shivers down my spine, awakening a hunger that had long lain dormant. In the darkness of the forest, we were two lost souls seeking solace in each other's embrace.

Shadow's hands roamed over my body with a familiarity that spoke of shared history, of a connection that transcended the boundaries of time and space.

His wet tongue trailed down my naked upper body until he buried his face under my skirt, his warm tongue danced along my wet folds, sending shivers of pleasure up my spine. His skilled mouth engulfed my swollen clitoris, sucking gently as his fingers teased my entrance. This was one of my favorite parts, the anticipation of him discovering every hidden spot, driving me wild with desire. I could feel him smile around my throbbing sex as he sensed my arousal. He loved to tease me, to prolong the release he knew I so desperately craved.

I couldn't help but moan; it felt too good to keep quiet. He rewarded me with a low growl, a primal sound that vibrated through me, sending another wave of pleasure coursing through my body. I squinted my eyes, bracing myself against a nearby tree trunk as he continued his sensual assault. My nipples hardened under his firm grip, the contrast of sensations overwhelming my senses.

The forest around us came alive with the sound of our heavy breathing, the quiet rustling of leaves in the wind mere background noise to the symphony of lust we created. His tongue flicked at my clit in perfect rhythm with his fingers, plunging in and out of my slick core. I knew I wouldn't last much longer, and I grabbed onto the rough bark of the tree to steady myself.

"Oh, gods, yes," I moaned, my voice a desperate whimper in the cool night air. "Don't stop, I'm so close..."

I felt him smile again, and he increased his pace, swirling his tongue around my clit in teasing circles until I thought I would explode. The orgasm hit me like a bolt of lightning, shooting through my entire body and leaving me trembling from the intensity of it. I cried out his name, lost in the overwhelming sensation as my juices flowed onto his waiting tongue.

As my climax subsided, I collapsed against the tree, gasping for air. He stood up, wiping his messy chin with the back of his hand, and grinned at me. His arousal strained against his pants, and I knew he was just as turned on by this as I was.

"Damn, woman," he breathed, his voice raw with lust. "You're insatiable."

"Hey, it's your fault," I managed to croak out between panting breaths. "You started it."

He chuckled and leaned in, capturing my lips with his in a passionate kiss that left me weak at the knees. Our tongues danced together, mirroring the dizzying dance of desire coursing through our bodies.

I reached down and unbuttoned his pants, freeing his hard length. He groaned as I wrapped my hand around his shaft, stroking him from base to tip. Payback was a bitch, and I aimed to give as good as I got.

In one fluid motion, he picked me up and pressed me against the tree. The bark dug into my back, but I didn't care. All I could think about was the delicious friction between our bodies.