360. Rexford’s Motive

Ravenna arched her back, a sharp gasp escaping her as she clamped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them.

Looking straight into his deep red eyes, she asked in a soft, dangerously quiet tone, “You are my loyal lover, right? Rexford?”

Right behind his head, a vibrant orange panel instantly flickered to life in her line of sight.

[ Reputation System v4.1 ]

[ System Notification: Lie Detector Activated. (-2,000 RP) ]

He paused and answered. “Yes..” His mouth crashed back onto hers, tasting of salt and desire, while his hand ventured lower, finding the damp heat waiting for him.

[ Statement is True ]

Ravenna let out a sharp, jagged cry as his fingers bridged the gap, sliding deep and decisive. She bucked beneath him, her hips seeking the friction, her mind clouding into a haze of pure sensation. The world outside the bedroom ceased to exist. There was only the scent of his skin and the oppressive, electric weight of him pressing her into the mattress.

Rexford stripped away the last of their clothes with a violent efficiency, his eyes scanning her body with a possessive hunger.

“Did you approach me with a motive when we first met at the academy?” Ravenna asked, her voice trembling slightly.

He didn't offer the answer right away; instead, he gripped her thighs, hauling her toward the edge of the bed. The sudden shift in position sent a jolt of adrenaline through her, her breath coming in shallow, frantic gasps as she looked up at him, completely exposed and wanting more.

He moved over her again, his chest heaving as he finally answered. “I did.”

[ Statement is True ]

When he finally drove forward, filling her in one singular, powerful motion, the air left her lungs in a strangled moan. She clamped her legs around his waist, locking him in, her nails digging deep into the muscles of his back. They hit a frantic, punishing rhythm, the sound of their bodies colliding echoing the desperation of a long overdue collision.

“Ha... were you just tricking me all this time for your ultimate goal?” Ravenna choked out between her gasps.

Rexford gripped her wrists, pinning them against the pillows as he shifted his angle to drive deeper. He watched her face, his eyes dark and focused, confused on the questions as the way her expression fractured into pure pleasure and interrogative seriousness.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“I... I didn’t...” he replied, his voice strained as he kept up the rhythm.

[ Statement is False ]

Every thrust was a claim, a heavy, rhythmic pounding that pleasured while emotions running threatening to break her apart. Ravenna couldn't think, couldn't speak; she could only gasp between sharp, shallow breaths, her hips arching to meet every surge.

“Do you even love me?” she asked, her hands clutching into tight fists against the sheets. Rexford swallowed hard, the intense friction building into an agonizing heat, a tension coiling so tight in her gut that it radiated out to her very fingertips. “I do... Your Highness.”

[ Statement is True ]

She felt herself slipping, the edges of her consciousness blurring as the pleasure became too sharp to bear. He sensed it, too, his pace accelerating into a blur of raw power. He groaned, a low, animal sound that vibrated against her skin, his grip on her wrists tightening until they were nearly crushed into the fabric.

Just as the first wave of release crashed through her, sending a violent shudder through her entire frame, Rexford let out a guttural roar. He slammed into her one last time, burying himself deep as he surrendered to the peak. They collapsed together in a tangle of sweat-slicked skin and ragged breathing, the silence of the room returning, heavy and thick with the scent of their exertion.

“Do you blame me for your mother’s death?” Ravenna asked, her voice cutting through the heavy silence of the room beside him.

Rexford didn't pull away. Instead, he reached over and gently wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close against his chest.

“So you finally figured it out?” he murmured softly. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he rested his chin lightly atop her head. “When I initially approached you back at the academy, it was indeed with the intent to carry out revenge for my mother on father’s orders. But... you were just a child back then, Your highness. It wasn’t you who gave the official order for the imperial knights to open fire on the crowd during the uprising.”

“Even so... it was me who inadvertently made so many people gather in that sector,” Ravenna’s voice cracked, a sudden lump forming in her throat as the weight of the recovered memory hit her anew. “They died like livestock getting slaughtered in a trap...”

Rexford tightened his embrace, his grip firm and steady. “No... they did not die like livestock. They died honorably, standing up and fighting for their beliefs.”

He paused for a long moment, the rise and fall of his chest steady against hers. “I honestly considered sabotaging your overarching plans by handing over Emperor Andrew’s true 'killer' to Prince William the moment the quest-based succession is officially announced by the imperial court.”

Turning her body slightly, Rexford looked directly into her jet-black eyes, his dark red gaze burning with sincerity.

“But Your Highness... if I were to actually do that, I would lose you forever. And worse, the Empire would simply end up with another puppet tyrant like Emperor Andrew on the throne in Prince Willian. Just to satisfy a fleeting urge for personal revenge, I would be completely trampling on my mother’s ideals, the very principles of peace and justice she fought and died for.”

“Rexford...” Ravenna whispered his name, her heart aching as the tension that had been coiling inside her chest finally broke.

She leaned up and kissed him passionately, a desperate, fierce desire taking over as she buried her doubts.

“I really am a villainess...” she muttered softly under her breath against his lips, right before they willingly plunged back into a second round of breathless passion.