Narisva Starisnova opened her eyes slowly as if her body was trying to savor every second of the aftermath. The morning light was already pouring in. For the first time in her entire life, the ever-victorious and ever-dominant Celestial prodigy had woken up late.
That alone made her blink twice.
Her man was lying right next to her, bare-chested, with those long white lashes fanned gently across his closes eyes. His breath was steady. His lips were relaxed into the faintest hint of a smile. His hair was tousled, almost unruly after last night, strands spilling over his face and the pillow like he had fought the bed itself and won. Narisva had seen him like this before, sure. But this one felt different.
Because after last night, she could no longer look at him the same way.
She lost. She had truly lost.
He used his Love Divinity and turned it into a weapon so devastatingly sharp it sliced through her pride. It wasn't just emotional but physical too. Her body, attuned and hypersensitive to the whisper of his touch, had melted under him. He kne exactly where to touch, when to pause, how to tease and when to press in and break her.
She, the strongest Sentina, had given in to him for most of their session. Not because she was weak or tired but because her body, her mind and entire being couldn't fight against the overwhelming presence that was Vastarael Richinaria in that moment. He was a beast and not a brutish, reckless one but a composed, strategic, dangerous beast who knew how to pin down a woman like her and make her unravel like a ribbon.
And the thing that hit her the most wasn't the defeat. It was how much she loved it.
She should have been fuming. She should have been plotting how to regain control and planning a rematch that would put her back on top. But here she was, her body sore in the most satisfying way. Narisva Starisnova tasted defeat and for the first time in her long and prideful life and she didn't want a rematch.
Because she realized something painfully rare.
Vastarael wasn't just strong. He wasn't just the divine ruler or the war-hardened Aeterium. He wasn't just a loving father or the elegant combatant.
He was complete. And Divine males like that rarely existed.
Sure, they were out there. There were men with might and tenderness but rarely both. The strong ones were often cold. The affectionate ones were often weak. But Vastarael had it all. He could silence a battlefield with his presence and still whisper softness into her ear without losing an ounce of authority. He could wrestle control from her without ever making her feel small. And when he claimed her last night, when he shattered through her Celestial defenses like they were glass, he did it with so much intention and love that she didn't even care about her dominance anymore.
She looked at him again.
The love slammed into her chest so hard she had to exhale, her hand pressing gently over her heart as if trying to steady its sudden surge.
The stars in her eyes burned a little brighter, almost pulsing in sync with her heartbeat.
And she wanted to do it again right now. She was already aching for another round. Her fingers twitched as she brushed her knuckles along his jaw, taking in every detail like she was afraid he'd disappear. She could still feel the ghost of his touch across her thighs, her back and neck. She could still hear that low, teasing laugh and that smug glint in his eyes when he made her gasp.
Why was he so good?
Maybe it's because he understood her. He didn't just explore her. He studied her, revered he and, claimed her with the kind of intimacy that only came from total trust.
She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder.
Maybe she would tease him later. Maybe she would act like she was still mad about losing control. Maybe she would say something cocky to save face. But right now? She just wanted to stay like this in his warmth.
Vastarael stirred beside her, his lashes fluttering slightly before his eyes opened fully. The moment his gaze landed on her, time seemed to pause. Narisva was already awake and watching him with the brightest smile he ever saw out of her.
It was so wide, bright and unapologetically radiant.
"What?"
She asked, tilting her head slightly, blinking as if trying to feign confusion though the smile never faltered. He blinked once, then laughed softly under his breath.
"Nothing's wrong. It's just… I've never seen you smile like that before."
He leaned over without another word and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I love you."
Narisva froze.
Her body remained unmoving as if her mind had disconnected, trying to process the impossible. She stared at him Vastarael chuckled nervously upon seeing her reaction.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No."
Her voice was so faint it almost wasn't there. Her eyes scanned his face, as if trying to find the exact frequency of honesty in his expression.
"Say it again."
"Say what?"
"You know what."
She reached up and pressed her finger to his lips like a silent command, her eyes glittering with such serious intent it almost made him laugh again. But something about her gaze held him back. She needed to hear it.
So he obliged. This time, he exaggerated it on purpose. He placed a hand to his chest, closed his eyes like he was performing in some grand drama, and said;
"I love you. I love you with every fiber of my being, every cell in my reconstructed Aeterium marrow, every misplaced heartbeat and misaligned neuron. Narisva Starisnova, you absolute menace of a woman, I love you."
She burst out laughing. It made her clutch at her sides and fall halfway onto his chest, gasping between giggles. Her voice cracked as she laughed. It wasn't her usual mocking tone. It was genuine. And when it faded, what remained was something even rarer than her laughter.
"I love you too, Veneri. I'm never letting you go, you got that? I don't care what realm, what war or god tries to separate us. You were my first and you'll be my last."
He pulled her close, burying his hand into her long strands of starlit hair.
"You're stuck with me."
The intent in her movement made him raise a brow. Her hand trailed somewhere it shouldn't be going so casually in the morning.
"Nari, don't."
"Why not? You tired already?"
"I can sense them downstairs. You know who I'm talking about. They know, Nari. You weren't exactly quiet. I think they came in the middle of the night but we didn't care."
She blinked with shameless expression.
"Hey, I was expressive."
"You broke the Soundproof Runes from your—"
"That is your fault," she said, poking his chest. "You made me like that."
"Still..."
"Don't worry about what your other women think. Focus on me this morning. I get your concern but don't think of them when you're with me now."
"Understood ma'am."
She rolled her eyes, sat up with the sheets clinging to her back. Her hair was a mess across her shoulders. She glanced toward the window with a devilish hum.
"Shower?"
He hesitated.
"Yes. But after we change the sheets."
"Change?"
"We're burning these, Nari. These sheets have seen too much."
She cackled. "They've absorbed too much Love Divinity."
"And Space Divinity. And Lust. And your.... I'm pretty sure if we left them unburnt... you know, I'll just leave it at that."
She leaned over, kissed his cheek with a grin and whispered, "Then let's give them a final encore in the shower."
He groaned into the pillow.
"Stars help me..."
"They already did," she replied, sliding off the bed with her legs barely holding her steady. "They sent me. You should be glad that someone like me loves you."
"Oh I'm grateful alright. Seeing the faces you made last night for someone like you will never leave my mind."
"..."
"What?"
"You're shameless, you know that right?"
"It's not if it's true."
And with that, Narisva Starisnova walked to the bathroom. She didn't need to say it but the way her eyes shimmered when they locked with his one more time before she got in said it all.
She was his. Completely. And now, she make sure he never forgot it.
"Hey are you coming Darling? It's not as if I'm going to shower alone."
"Yeah yeah. I'm coming."