Ancestral Lineage - Chapter 259

Chapter 259: Exploding Feelings and Emotions (#r18)
He kissed her—slow and deep—like he was learning the shape of her soul through the connection of their lips. There was no rush, no hunger, only a profound gentleness that made Carmen’s heart tremble. His lips moved against hers with intention, reverence, and something far deeper than desire.

Carmen’s breath hitched, her fingers tightening slightly on his arms as she melted into him. Every brush, every pause in the kiss sent soft ripples of warmth through her chest. Her nerves began to ease under the weight of his steady presence.

When they finally parted, just barely, Ethan rested his forehead against hers again, their breaths mingling.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” he whispered.

She nodded, eyes fluttering open. “Like we were always meant to find each other… like we’ve done this before in another life.”

His thumb grazed her cheek, eyes locked on hers. “Then let’s make this one count.”

The moment lingered, wrapped in the kind of quiet intimacy only two people deeply connected could share. In that silence, in that look, they both understood—this wasn’t just about passion. It was about trust, discovery, and finally giving in to a love long held at bay.

Ethan gently lifted Carmen into his arms, his movements fluid and sure, as if she’d always belonged there. His clothes shimmered briefly before vanishing into the golden air, dissolving like light itself. His warmth surrounded her, both grounding and electrifying all at once.

Carmen clung to him instinctively, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t afraid—but the vulnerability of the moment, the intensity between them, made her feel weightless in more ways than one.

His gaze swept over her again, not with lust, but admiration—like she was art he could finally touch.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered against her ear, voice low and reverent.

She buried her face in his neck, hiding her blush, her tails curling protectively around them both. But he chuckled softly, brushing a hand along her back, calming her storm of nerves.

Then, without a word, he moved—carrying her slowly to the center of the room, where the soft warmth of the glowing space cocooned them in solitude.

“Are you ready?” Ethan asked, his voice low and sultry, eyes locked on hers with a quiet intensity.

Carmen nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “Mm… please go slow.”

A teasing smile curved his lips. “I might,” he said, brushing his fingers along her cheek, the contact sending shivers down her spine.

He drew closer, their bodies aligned with a charged stillness. She could feel the heat radiating off him, powerful and steady. His hand found the small of her back, pulling her gently to him, their skin brushing with a tenderness that made her heart race.

Carmen’s breath hitched as she looked up into his eyes, eyes that promised her both safety and a fire she’d never known. Her tails trembled slightly, brushing around them as if trying to hold on to the moment, to slow time itself.

He kissed her again—deep, slow, and full of emotion. And this time, she responded with more than just breathless shyness. She gave in to the connection that bound them, the unspoken understanding that had always lingered between them.

Wrapped in each other’s warmth, they sank into the light around them—bodies and hearts drawn close, finally crossing the boundary they’d danced around for so long.

Ethan pierced her, his large member stretching her cave in ways she’d never imagined.

Carmen released a loud moan as her hymen was broken. Blood and love juices flowed out of her cave, but Ethan paid no attention to it.

“So tight…” He muttered as he entered further into her cave.

“Ww… wait! Ahh!” Carmen gasped as Ethan’s full length entered her, forming a bulge in her stomach.

It was slow at first, then Ethan increased his pace. Soon enough, Carmen was screaming in pleasure as Ethan relentlessly assaulted her, hitting her womb.

…

Far away from Carmen’s private moment with Ethan, in a realm that felt both dreamlike and timeless, Barki stood atop a floating obsidian platform, suspended in a glowing amethyst sky. The air shimmered with power—Ethan’s power. She could feel it thrumming beneath her feet, resonating through the space he’d created. It was… beautiful. Terrifying. And isolating.

She crossed her arms, her orange hair catching the light of a floating moon overhead. Her orange eyes, fierce and fiery, scanned the endless horizon. She could feel them—the others. Carmen, Clara, Harley—scattered throughout this dimension. But she couldn’t reach them. Ethan had made sure of that.

“Tch. So he’s playing games now, huh?” she muttered, tapping her heel against the obsidian surface. “I didn’t wait a century just to be sidelined in some beautiful prison.”

The truth was—she was scared. Not of Ethan. Not of the others. But of how vulnerable this made her feel. She’d always been the strongest, the most unshakable. The one who took charge when others faltered. But love? True, soul-binding love? That was a battlefield she hadn’t conquered.

And yet, the moment she’d touched Ethan’s hand—really touched him after he returned—something ancient and raw had awakened in her. A memory buried deep beneath centuries of pain and discipline.

She clenched her fists, trying to crush the tremble in her chest. “I won’t be left behind.”

Then the space in front of her shimmered. A soft blue rift opened—gentle, like moonlight on calm waters. Her breath caught, and without a second thought, she stepped into it.

The world around her shifted.

She found herself standing in a lush temple courtyard bathed in violet twilight, surrounded by wind-kissed blossoms that hummed with a magic of their own. At the center stood Ethan—his back turned, arms folded behind him.

“I was wondering when you’d come through,” he said, voice low and calm.

She blinked, stunned by how serene he looked—like he had all the time in the world.

“I should be angry at you,” she said.

He turned, his eyes locking onto hers. “Then be angry. But don’t pretend you didn’t want to see me.”

The silence between them thickened, charged with years of unsaid words, near misses, and aching dreams. Her steps were slow as she approached, every movement deliberate. When they finally stood face-to-face, inches apart, Barki tilted her chin up defiantly.

“I’m not like the others,” she said. “I don’t break easily.”

“I know,” he replied, raising a hand to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. “That’s why I wanted to break with you… together.”

Her breath caught in her throat—but not out of fear. Out of hope.

Barki’s breath hitched as Ethan’s hand lingered by her cheek, warm and grounding. For someone so powerful, his touch was unexpectedly gentle. Her defenses, usually steel-plated and unwavering, felt… pliable. She hated it. She loved it.

“Don’t say things like that,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, eyes narrowing—not with malice, but with the aching need to protect herself.

Ethan leaned closer, not touching her yet, but close enough that his presence wrapped around her like gravity. “Why not?”

“Because I’ll believe you.”

That admission felt like more than vulnerability—it was a confession wrapped in old wounds, a truth carved deep beneath her warrior pride. Her voice cracked slightly at the end, and she hated that he heard it.

But Ethan didn’t mock her. He didn’t retreat. Instead, he stepped in, closing the space between them with aching slowness, like he understood that rushing her would break the moment.

“I didn’t create this world to hide from you,” he said softly. “I made it so I could finally stop running… and stand still with the ones I love. Especially you.”

Barki’s eyes shimmered, the violet hue of the temple reflecting in her pupils. The air around them thickened again—not with awkwardness, but with a blooming warmth. Her heart thundered in her chest.

“I don’t know how to do this,” she admitted. “I can slay monsters, win wars… but this? Feeling like this?” She shook her head, but didn’t step away. “It terrifies me.”

Ethan took her hand, threading his fingers through hers like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Good. It should terrify us a little. That means it’s real.”

She stared at their interlocked fingers for a long moment, then looked up at him again. Her lips parted as if to respond, but no words came.

Instead, she stepped forward and rested her forehead against his chest.

Not a kiss. Not a plea. Just closeness. Trust. Surrender.

Ethan wrapped his arms around her, holding her—not possessively, but protectively. His heartbeat was steady against her ear, grounding her in a way she never knew she craved.

And for the first time in centuries, Barki allowed herself to breathe in peace.

Ethan gently tilted Barki’s chin upward, his gaze searching hers for permission—not dominance, not urgency, just quiet understanding. Her orange eyes, normally so guarded and sharp, softened as they met his. The temple air hummed softly, thick with an energy neither of them could deny.

“You don’t need to say anything,” he murmured, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I just want to be here… with you.”

Barki’s lips quirked in a barely-there smile, the corner of her mouth twitching with hesitant affection.

Ethan chuckled low. “I don’t want to break them. I want to sit behind them with you.”

That… did something to her. Her expression wavered between awe and disbelief, and then—slowly—she stepped closer. Her hands found the fabric of his shirt, resting against his chest like she was grounding herself.

“I’ve always kept my feelings locked away,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Duty. Strength. Discipline. That’s all I ever let myself be.”

Ethan nodded, placing his hand over hers. “But you’re allowed to be more. You’re allowed to want… more.”

Silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken words and shared breath.

Then, as if caught in gravity’s pull, Barki leaned forward and placed a feather-light kiss on Ethan’s cheek—soft, hesitant, but purposeful. Her lips lingered there, and when she pulled back, her cheeks were tinged with a faint pink.

“I don’t know how fast I can go,” she admitted.

“We go at your pace,” Ethan said, his voice firm but kind. “There’s no rush. This… whatever this is between us, it’s real. And it’s worth the time.”

She laughed—just a breath of it—and shook her head. “You’re really not making this easier, you know.”

“Good,” he smiled. “I’m not supposed to.”

She leaned into him again, resting her head on his shoulder as the magical lanterns above flickered in warm, golden hues. The temple faded into silence, the world outside paused by Ethan’s own design.

In that moment, surrounded by enchantment and memory, Barki allowed herself to feel the beginning of something she’d always denied herself.

Not war.

Not duty.

But love—slow, unspoken, and real.