I Left Before He Learned My Worth novel Chapter 93

**TITLE: I Left Before He Learned My Worth**

**Chapter 93**

**ARIA**

37

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“Kael,” I managed to say, my voice a whisper as he broke the kiss, trailing his lips down my neck with a featherlight touch. “We were supposed to be gathering herbs.”

“The herbs can wait,” he murmured, his breath warm against my skin, his voice a low rasp that sent shivers down my spine. “Right now, I have much more important matters to attend to.”

He found a sensitive spot just below my ear, and a gasp escaped my lips. I felt the corners of his mouth lift in a smile against my skin before he sucked gently, then not so gently, leaving a mark that made my head spin. The slight sting of pressure was followed by the soothing caress of his tongue, igniting a fire within me.

“I want everyone to know you’re mine,” he declared, his voice dropping to a deep, possessive tone that made my heart race. “I want them to see my marks on your skin and know exactly who you belong to.”

His words washed over me like a wave of heat. I should have felt objectified, perhaps even offended by his possessiveness. But instead, I found myself arching into his touch, craving more of the intoxicating connection we shared.

“Yes,” I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Mark me. Please.”

At my plea, he groaned, his hands tightening around my waist as he effortlessly lifted me. I was carried to a soft patch of grass beneath the sheltering branches of a nearby tree. With surprising gentleness, given the urgency thrumming through him, he laid me down and covered my body with his.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his gaze fixed on me, eyes darkened with desire. “So responsive. Do you have any idea what it does to me when you react like that? When you arch into me and beg for more?”

Heat flooded my cheeks, yet my body responded eagerly to his words. “Show me,” I challenged, my voice steadier than I felt. “Show me what it does to you.”

His smile was almost predatory, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “With pleasure.”

Despite the urgency that pulsed between us, he took his time, savoring every moment. His mouth traced delicate patterns across my collarbone, along my shoulders, and over the swell of my breasts just above my dress. Each kiss left behind a small mark—some gentle, others more intense—a map of his desire etched onto my skin.

“So perfect,” he murmured between kisses, his voice thick with emotion. “So responsive. I love how you tremble when I touch you here.” His hand glided along my side, making me shiver involuntarily. “And how your breath catches when I do this.” His thumb brushed over a particularly sensitive spot, eliciting a gasp from my lips.

The thought was poison. I knew it was poison even as it crossed my mind. Morrison had warned me about this—about allowing jealousy and insecurity to taint every interaction, about questioning what was clearly genuine.

But I couldn’t help it. Kael had shared intimacy with Ivory for years. He had known her body the way he was now learning mine. He had heard her responses to his touch, had marked her skin in the same way he had just marked mine.

Was he comparing? When he praised my responsiveness, was he thinking about how Ivory had reacted? When he called me perfect, was he measuring me against his memories of her?

“You’re thinking too hard,” Kael murmured, turning his head to look at me, his eyes penetrating. “I can feel it through the bond. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I replied, forcing a reassuring feeling through our connection, even as uncertainty gnawed at me. “Just… processing.”

He studied my expression for a moment, clearly not entirely convinced, but he didn’t push. Instead, he pulled me closer, tucking me against his side with a comforting arm around my shoulders.

“This was exactly what we needed,” he said softly. “Time alone. Time to just be together without pack politics intruding.”

“It was,” I agreed, my heart swelling despite the lingering doubts. “We should do this more often.”