CONTENT WARNING: SKIP THIS CHAPTER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ EXPLICIT S*X SCENE.

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Wrecked. She was totally wrecked.

Alexandros somehow ran back to the town, asking the prince to wait for his report. The medjay were troubled by the reddened eyes of the healer, but their master refused to give an answer. He took her to his house and latched the door. Inanna threw herself on the bed, dipping her head in the stack of pillows to cry her heart out.

"My..." She hiccuped. "My family?"

Alexandros wrapped his arms around her. She ducked her head in his chest, spoiling his chiton with her salty tears. With one hand he brushed her back, and with another clutched her shivering fingers. Her bones were as if chilled to death, and her body shook like a helpless twig. He fought hard to hold on to her raging self.

"They are alive, Inanna. Be happy."

Marred was her resplendent beauty. The sadness dimmed the beauty of her marble face. Crescent-shaped lips quivered, like a bow afraid of releasing an arrow. The arrow was her words. She didn't know if silence was a better explanation than the whirlwind of emotions she desired to convey.

She had a family. Yes, she always knew she had one, dead or alive. Perhaps she had naturally thought them to be dead. Assumed her parents died and someone thought abandoning the baby would be best. She had never imagined in over two decades that she had siblings. No, not a sibling. But siblings.

And the jade pendant that she wore since infancy was the only connection to her real blood.

"Inanna." Alexandros cupped her face. Were his eyes more crimsoned than before? Perhaps yes, because they were watery too. Their foreheads touched in a feathery kiss, noses rubbing against each other. Alexandros pulled away first, restless to speak. "Do not cry. Please don't. Your family, we...we will find them."

"Where?" She didn't know. She didn't know where they lived, who they were. "You think the dream I had will help me? I feel like I am going crazy. With these visions and these spirits, they...they are all," she stammered, raking a hand through her hair, "they are making me a lunatic."

"Steady yourself. Listen to me, Inanna. Listen to my voice." He brought her closer, his grip fiercer yet tender like a silky ribbon sliding down her open back. His touch made her melt in the most magnificent ways possible. "We will find them. I have a lot of connections. If you can't put together the pieces, I will do that for you. You only invite me to your mess. It's my pleasure to see what I can do to make it better."

"Are you really so caring?" she asked, a funny frown dancing on her brows. "Will you really help me find my family?"

"Yes. But on one condition."

Inanna released her hold on him, retreating her hands to her lap. Tears fell over them, creating a pool of lost memories. She wasn't here to play games. If Alexandros didn't want to sincerely help, it was alright. She was not asking him to dive headfirst into her tangled life. "Don't. Don't do this–"

"If you want me to find your true family," he hushed her mid-sentence, "you must regard me as one. You must accept me not just as a lover, but as family. A part of you, your eternal life."

She clasped his fingers, feeling those trace her lower lip.

"I am not a fleeting moment, Inanna. I do not want to be just an experience, a love that came like a storm and destroyed everything in its wake. What I feel for you may be sudden and strange, but since I do, I won't step back. I will do everything for you and go to the end of the world if needed. Yes, Inanna, wherever they may be, I will find your family."

"Why?"

Alexandros' jaw dropped. "Why?"

"Yes." Inanna took the folds of his chiton in her fist, twisting them as if those were his treacherous ways of displaying love. "Why do you want to help me? It's not like you have been in love with me for ages."

"What if I have been?" Alexandros argued. "We never know."

"Stupid." She smacked his chest. "Finding my family is like searching for needle in a haystack. We will lose–"

"Vow on my name and confess, did you not think the same about love? Did I myself not think the same about companionship?" Alexandros kissed her hands. "See where we are."

Inanna stared at his lips worshipping her palms. His skin was calloused from the activities he had to do as a medjay, yet they were so soft when in contact with her. She was growing weaker. The tears were turning to fire, his unabashed show of love causing her great wrath.

"Think, think Inanna. You and I, obeying rules in day and being mages at night . We meet. We hate. And we find each other's secrets. There's a pull– no, don't give me that look." He wiggled a finger. "You know very well. You couldn't go a day without seeing me and I was shocked by how you were making me reconsider life. And then you become a Necromancer. The visions. The spirits. Is everything a mere coincidence? Not to me, Inanna. I am a true magician and I believe in the art Amun does."

"I don't understand." She puckered. "My mind is not working."

"Is your heart alive?"

She scoffed. "It's a silly little thing. I fell for my enemy."

"Fine. And that enemy promises to bring back your family. I am not a man who goes against my words. I keep them."

Inanna hid her face with a blanket. Alexandros pulled it off and made her face him. She scratched his skin, her sharp nails marking him. Her relentless attacks weren't stopping anytime soon.

"Why are you hitting me?" He grabbed her and laid her on bed. "I told you I will find your family."

"Why are you so nice to me?" she cried. "I don't feel good."

"My lady, you are in a shock." He pushed her back as she tried to sit. "You are shocked because of the news of your family being alive. Not because I am being kind to you. I beg you to recall how how our bond has transitioned into something sweeter."

She panted. He freed her hands, coiling them around his back.

"I am sorry that I can't do anything at present other than loving you. Let it be enough for now. But I will soon get to work. I will bring you back to the ones you lost."

"My mother is dead. I know that," she said. "She was a scribe."

Alexandros smiled upon seeing a little flicker of hope in her gaze. "Maybe this jade pendant is a protective charm. It took you to the best possible man who would love you no less than a parent. Ah, we need to tell Hor-Aha about our discoveries!"

Finally, Inanna seemed to compose herself. "Yes. Master has been my Baba all my life. If I find my siblings, I will tell them about him. How he cared for me like his own daughter."

"Definitely."

Inanna heaved a sigh. "I am sorry. I overreacted."

"Absolutely not. It's natural for someone to be mad in a situation like yours. And you were venting out to me, your love. What's wrong in that?"

Inanna pressed his body to hers, running a hand over his sculpted torso. "How did I even find you?"

"Because you lied about being a Lady of Love."

Inanna laughed. Alexandros showered on her kisses, drying up all her tears and replacing those with giggles. He made sure his amorous touch was ticklish, causing her to squirm in delight. She screeched him to stop. When she was red with love, he took a break.

He looked so divinely perfect while hovering above her. She could freeze this moment and paint it. A marvel of god he was, so fair and warm. She found herself smiling like a fool over his scarlet eyes. "I think I am as coloured as them," she said, placing a kiss over his eyelids.

"You are blushing."

She was. She knew it. She also knew the warmth exploding inside her body wasn't a consequence of her exhaustion. It was her flesh wanting to be felt by Alexandros. He too, was warm to touch. Her attention was fixated on his lips. Alexandros read her desire, and without wasting any moment, locked them.

He was slow at first, taking her lip between his, wetting them gently. He gave her pauses to breathe and pecks to relish. When her impatience reached a feverish height, he unfolded his wild wings. Rolling a tongue inside her mouth, he gave her a taste of ambrosia. Her moans sounded like a melody. She kneaded his back as if it wasn't their first time. He momentarily thought if she was, actually, some lady of love. He decided he didn't care.

He moved down to kissing her chin, then to the nook of her neck, staying there for as long as it took to make a lovemark in the shape of a necklace. She clawed at his chiton, wanting the barrier gone. He got up to remove it but hesitated.

"Are you sure?" he asked. He wanted it to be perfect. He hadn't done it ever before, although the visits to the brothels and watching the men being served gave him good ideas. But was he wise enough to know what made a woman happy and comfortable?

Perhaps the unasked advices from those overly interested ladies of love would now come in handy.

He placed a hand over her belly, caressing it as she unbuttoned her robes. His eyes widened when she was all bare, her breasts poking at him. They were positioned in a careful manner– each peeked at opposite directions, firm in shape but looking bronzed and smooth. The valley between tempted him. Her buds were already erect. He had felt them while kissing her.

"I need you more than ever now," she said.

There was her command. He, the Head of Medjay, was going to obey. "I shall oblige," he undressed too, and helped her slip out of her undergarments, "I will love you."

With much thought, he placed a hand over a breast, squeezing it lightly. The small gesture made her legs grip tighter around his waist. He recalled the way the medjay would groan and dig at the moulds of flesh. The women seemed to enjoy, but he never understood how war and love could look alike on bed. So, instead of being the aggresive one, he slowly dotted her areola with kisses. She grabbed his golden strands. "Oh, Alexandros!"

She was rough, but he enjoyed it. Perhaps it was contradicting his belief, but he wasn't going to overthink and ruin the passion.

His phallus was already throbbing. When he would spend time pleasuring himself, he would last an hour. But now he doubted if he would be able to hold back. Her moans caused his stomach to stir and his mind to go blank.

"The other one," she whispered.

He took his free hand and played with the breast that was left lonely. Unjust, he thought. He should have given them both undivided attention.

She began shivering and moving a bit too much, her cries of bliss a little too loud. He had to lock her hands above her head. She didn't object and instead parted her lips. But he wasn't done sucking on her buds. He liked the feeling. To love a woman was far better than doing anything by himself. He was thankful for all those stupid welcomes to the brothels. At least he saw something.

But truth be told, his lips moved on the whim of instincts. She guided him with her hands, and he followed her signs. He felt his manhood turning harder against her skin, much like her buds. A strange fantasy revolved in his head. He would want her pregnant, and then drink from her nourishing chest. His cheeks burnt at the idea. 

"You sure you didn't sleep with anyone before?" she asked. "Is this your first time?"

"Hmm." He was too involved to speak. Before moving below her earlobe, he whispered, "I saw men and woman making love. I never did it myself. But witnessing the act several times, I learnt a lot."

"You sinned," she said. "You saw but I didn't."

"You want to see us?"

He threw her over his shoulders, took her to the mirror and made her stand in front of it. At once she covered her eyes in shame, but he took her hands and fetched a veil from nearby, using the cloth to tie her hands. Now, he had the highest independence. "Watch," he said. "See what I do to you."

He groped her and kissed her neck. She swore it was a wonderful sight, but it was difficult to stand on her wobbly knees. "I can't. I need a better position."

So they headed back to bed. "I hope this is not too clumsy," he said, untying her hands. "Guess we should experiment later when we have mastered this."

"Maybe you can take me to a palace build only of mirrors. And all around I will be able to see us making love."

"You are dripping."

Before Inanna could hide inside the blankets, he caged her again. "You are so bold at the beginning. What happened now?"

"I am feeling shy."

"In between it all? Should I leave?"

"You dimwit! No!"

"But how will I love you if you try to flee?"

"Keep me in place like this. Please, do whatever you want."

Ah, he had heard those women scream such words. The men would hit their core like riding horses. He understood that she required some toughness. "Do you want to get tied?"

"Yes. Please."

So she was bound again. He ran his hands over her body, separating her legs that unwittingly attempted to occlude the rosy lotus. He inspected the pink flesh. What did the men do? Yes, fit in a finger. Some all four. But the women secretly don't like it, so was he told by the prostitutes.

Alexandros pursed his lips. "Ready?" He blew on her. Inanna moaned. He could bet some people outside already heard it. Perhaps she would be always so noisy. He suppressed a grin.

"Stop teasing me," she shouted.

"Feral cat."

"You can't do this–"

Her words were gone with the wind when he flicked a tongue in her lady parts. Her legs were crushing his skull, but he loved this sexy suffocation. He wasn't going to stop until she quivered to a climax. Thrice she requested him to halt. Alexandros didn't heed to her words. At last when her juices coated his tongue, he gave her some rest.

Her raspy breaths mingled with his as he moved his phallus over her clitoris. She stared down at his member. "Isn't it too thick to be in me?"

"I am sure you will stretch?" He casually put a finger in. Then two. "See. You are relaxed."

It earned him another cry of joy. "You like it?" he asked. "Should I play with you more?"

"No," she said. "Just go in. I want to feel you."

"No. I think otherwise."

Taking her legs and putting them around his neck, he inserted a finger inside her, tickling her within. She wriggled like waves on seashore. With a smirk, he kissed her navel. At once she came in his hands. He licked the liquid and cleaned his fingers.

"What else did you..." Inanna gaped when he finally united their bodies, going inside her with his manhood. "What else did you learn from the prostitutes?"

"That some women make a lot of noise."

He untied her and she hung her arms around his shoulders. "I can't be quiet. Forgive me."

"It's not like I dislike it. I am worried you will be questioned tomorrow."

"You suspect people– ah, oh my! Yes, there. I like it. What was I saying? Oh, you think people can hear us?"

"I am afraid so."

"Will that–" Is he going deeper? I will die from this ecstasy. "Will that make them stare at us?"

"Yes."

The deeper penetration caused her a little pain. As the thrusts quickened and his hands adored her breasts more, she forgot the burn. The only fire that existed fed the flames of her love.

"You have scratched me all over, Inanna."

"Are you complaining?"

"I am not–" He felt her walls on the verge of contracting. "You are there. Hold on for me."

"I can't–"

"You will." He bit the loose skin of her collarbone. She arched her back and moved her hips in symphony with his pushes. Alexandros breaths grew heavier, morphing into growls. Inanna kissed his bobbing larynx.

"You may."

Upon getting his permission, she released control and together, they finished. He lay over her breathless, her kisses still adoring his face.

"You are gorgeous," he whispered.

"Thanks."

"Won't you compliment me, sweetheart?"

Inanna looked down. "You are still inside me."

"I will be unless you say I was great."

She traced the hairline slithering down his toned chest. "You need improvement."

He raised a brow. Well, he knew he was more than great from the sensuous songs her mouth sang and the sweat beads decorating her body, but if she was willing to challenge him, he could do another round.

"As a compensation," he turned her around, "I shall start again from the beginning."

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Total word count: 57,172 words

I think this story will be over in a total of 32-35 chapters. So I am hoping to quickly wrap this up. The second book of the series I'll bring in Feb 2025 hopefully