Recent content by Cullen

  1. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen’s breath came heavier now, his pulse a thunder against her skin. The sound of her gasp, her challenge, lit something wild in him. He met her gaze, and for a heartbeat, there was no air between them, only the pull of something inevitable. Cullen’s low growl vibrated against her throat...
  2. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen’s mouth continued to explore her jaw and neck as she spoke, breath was warm against her, his smile a low rumble that she could feel through her skin. “I must do the decent thing,” he murmured roughly. “Ask your parents’ permission first. It’s their name I’d be besmirching, after all.” he...
  3. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    “Fuck…” The word slipped from him, low and rough, his chest tightening at everything she said. Every promise, every vow, he wanted all of it. Her love, her shelter, her damn stubborn heart. He hadn’t realised how much until she offered it so freely. Before she could say another word, his mouth...
  4. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    “Alright?” he echoed in disbelief, his voice rough and uncertain. She wasn’t angry, wasn’t hurt, or offended. Just sure. Just herself. That twisted something deep in his chest, a mix of relief and shame. Gods, she deserved better than a man who flinched from his own name, who was too afraid to...
  5. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    He watched her as she moved like a storm rolling in. His hands instinctively found her thighs, fingers digging into the supple flesh and hard muscle there as she settled atop him. He could feel the heat of her even through the leather, and the sound that rumbled up from his chest was low and...
  6. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    He sighed when she snapped, “I know,” he murmured quietly. “I just… hope, for your sake, and for Stasya’s, that these changes you both believe in actually take root. Forgive me for being sceptical.” His hand found her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. It wasn’t that he wanted to dampen her...
  7. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen’s arms wrapped around her the moment she settled into him, his large hands smoothing up and down her back until she melted fully against his chest. He breathed her in, and felt the tightness in his shoulders ease. When she spoke of Esdyr, his brow rose, a faint, disbelieving sound leaving...
  8. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen sat in a lavish armchair by the hearth, waiting for her, his gaze distant in the flames. His gaze rose as she stepped into the doorway, and he leaned back slightly in the chair, the fire casting flickering shadows across his face. His hand lifted slowly, palm open toward her, a silent...
  9. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen had said little during the debrief, staying beside Nadya like a shadow while she gave her report to the Princess. The exchange had been formal and tense, hours of recounting the ambush, the pursuit, and the deaths that followed. When his turn came, Cullen’s voice was steady, his words...
  10. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen’s head tilted, and for a few moments, he just watched her in silence; the defiance in her shoulders, the tremor she was trying to disguise in her voice. He’d seen that same fire in Nadya countless times, but from Stasya… it was quieter. Softer. The sort of courage that bloomed out of...
  11. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen’s jaw tightened as he listened, his thumb pausing against Nadya’s arm. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to bite back what Stasya was saying, but instead he let out a long, weary sigh through his nose. He could see that she wanted to believe him, had already taken a liking to the...
  12. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen’s voice was low, rough from keeping it to a whisper, his arm tightening around Nadya as though grounding himself. His gaze lingered on Stasya, then drifted back to the boy laid out on the blankets. The boy who's hand he'd wanted to sever from his body the moment he'd walked into this...
  13. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Yes, he was brooding. He always brooded. He didn’t get to keep much in this life; everything he allowed himself to grow comfortable with, everything he cared for, had a way of being wrenched from his hands. The thought of another man touching her -ever- had his blood running hotter, darker, a...
  14. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen’s arms folded tight across his chest, his dark eyes tracking Stasya’s retreating form through the trees. The muscle in his jaw ticked, and he huffed, the sound edged in irritation. A shoulder rose and fell in a heavy shrug as he looked back at Nadya. “Might as well have thrown a bucket...
  15. Cullen

    Private Tales In the Vicinity of Thunder

    Cullen had been fumbling, scrambling for words the moment he heard Stasya’s voice cutting through the trees. “Not what it look li—” he started, sitting up quickly and dragging a hand over his face as though that would erase the evidence written all over him. But then Nadya’s voice cut in...