POV: Isaac from SVE makes you promise that you won’t put yourself in danger again, but in his own way 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Backstory (without too many spoilers for overarching story- mature content ahead!!! 18+ only!!!):
Aelin is a cleric for the Ferngill Republic attached to the Special Order of the Ferngill Knights under Camilla fighting alongside Isaac, Alesia, Lance, and Gwen (another OC, referenced as the Spirit Wielder- also Lance’s love interest).
After falling for her completely, Isaac has become obsessed with her safety and has sworn to protect his Lady with his life. He was distressed when he came back to their cavern base in the Crimson Badlands to find that Gwen and Aelin had encountered an Apophis, so he decided he needs to convince her to obey him in his own way…
~more notes at the end~
Thorned Desire
Crimson Flames and Violet Nights: Chapter 26 (No Spoilers- also this is smut if that wasn't 100% clear lmao)
Isaac's hand tightened around Aelin’s as he led her out of the cavern, his stride purposeful. The moon's faint glow illuminated the jagged cliffs, casting sharp shadows across the sand. Aelin followed without question, sensing the tension radiating from him. His broad frame moved with a contained energy as though he was keeping something barely restrained.
He turned a corner and stopped suddenly, his hand releasing hers to throw up a ward of unseeing. The shimmering field of protection surrounded them, blending seamlessly into the rocky surroundings. Only when it was secure did he turn back to her, his expression both weary and fierce.
Before she could ask, he pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tightly against him. His chest was warm beneath her cheek, a stark contrast to the chill of the night air.
“Isaac,” she murmured, her voice muffled against his chest. “What’s wrong?”
He didn’t answer right away, his head bowing slightly as his arms tightened around her, his large hands splayed across her back. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, raw, and strained. “When I’m away from you…” He trailed off, his brow furrowing deeply.
Aelin pulled back slightly to look up at him, her chestnut eyes searching his. “What is it?”
He exhaled sharply, the sound rough and unsteady. His jaw worked as though wrestling with the words, his fists flexing against the tension. It’s like stepping onto a battlefield unarmed,” he said finally, his voice rough like gravel. “Every instinct screams to fight, but I’m defenseless. When I’m not near you, it feels... wrong. Like I’m in a fight I can’t escape, and I’m already losing.”
Her eyes widened slightly at his admission, her heart aching at the vulnerability in his tone.
But the softness in his gaze sharpened abruptly, replaced by the smoldering ember of anger that hadn’t entirely cooled. His hands shifted to her shoulders, gripping them firmly but not unkindly. “Do you know,” he began, his voice low and taut, “if it had been anyone other than the Spirit Wielder you went out with today, I would have their head for putting you in danger?”
Her breath caught at the intensity blazing in his eyes, but she didn’t flinch in the slightest. “Gwen would never have let anything happen to me,” she countered.
“I know that,” he snapped, his frustration leaking through the cracks in his composure. He forced himself to take a calming breath before continuing. “I know she would die before letting harm come to you- that’s the kind of person she is. That’s the only reason I can stand here without losing my damned mind. But you- ” His grip on her shoulders tightened slightly, but he paused, composing himself slightly. “I cannot have you in danger if I’m not around.”
Aelin frowned, a flicker of defiance rising in her chest. “I don’t need that much protection. I’m capable of taking care of myself.”
His jaw ticked, the muscle jumping as he clenched it. “Do you realize,” he said, his voice low and firm, “if your ward had faltered for even a second, if you had hesitated and the Apophis had seen you, you would be dead? Do you understand that?”
“But that’s not what happened,” she countered quietly, working to keep her tone even.
His sharp gaze bore into her, and his voice came out harsher, laden with the weight of unspoken fears. “And if it had?” he demanded. “What then? You’re asking me to live with that possibility, to endure the thought of losing you, and I can’t. I cannot handle it, Aelin.”
Her mouth opened, but no words came out. The raw anguish in his voice silenced her.
He took a deep, shuddering breath, his gaze softening just slightly as he searched her face. “Do you want me?” he asked suddenly, his voice quieter but no less intense. “Do you truly wish to be mine?”
Her heart twisted at the vulnerability in his eyes, and she reached up, cupping his cheek with one hand. “Yes,” she said firmly, her voice steady. “More than anything.”
He sighed, his eyes slipping shut for a moment as if her words eased some inner tempest. When they opened again, the vulnerability was gone, replaced by a sharp, protective intensity. “Then you need to know something,” he said, his tone gentler, but still laced with steel. “I am not fully sane when it comes to you, Little One.”
Aelin’s lips parted slightly in surprise, but she didn’t look away, didn’t falter.
“I am controlling it,” he continued, his voice taking on an edge, “but every time another man even looks at you, I want nothing more than to rip his eyes from his skull.” He gently brushed the back of his knuckles against her cheekbone, the softest touch he’d ever given her. “Because they’re not worthy to look at you- I’m not even worthy to look at you.”
“Isaac,” she began, but he pressed on, his voice dropping lower, darker.
“And if anyone is foolish enough to put you in true danger without me there to protect you,” he said, his voice dropping to a near growl, “their life is forfeit in my eyes.”
Her breath hitched at his words, which were unnerving and electrifying in their raw ferocity. With his towering presence and unrelenting intensity, she should have been afraid of the man before, but all she felt was a peculiar comfort in his declarations. He was chaos and sanctuary, a storm that she wanted to weather.
In her next breath his mouth was on hers, stealing her breath and claiming her completely. The combination of his unbridled emotions- his possessiveness, his affection- she felt everything through each stroke of his tongue. Melting into him was beginning to become easier and easier, but something about the rigidity of his presence told her that he wasn’t done with her yet.
“I need to show you,” he said suddenly, his voice rough with emotion. He pulled back, crazed fire dancing in his onyx eyes, baring down into her. “What it means to be mine.”
Aelin didn’t move, her breath caught in her throat. But still she felt no fear.
She looked up, resolute and strong, and addressed the beast. “Show me.”
In one fluid motion, his hands shifted to her wrists, guiding them above her head as he backed her against the rocky wall behind them. The chill of the stone seeped through her cloak, a sharp contrast to the searing heat of his body pressed close.
Isaac’s gaze raked over her, his smoldering eyes lingering as though committing every inch of her to memory. He buried his head in the crook of her throat, attacking her with his tongue and teeth. The faint, floral remnants of her cleaning spell seemed to intoxicate him as he trailed his mouth up the curve of her neck, kissing and nipping along the sensitive line of her jaw until he stopped just below her ear.
His breath was hot against her skin, the contrast sending shivers racing down her spine. “I want nothing more,” he growled, his voice low and rough, “than to rip your clothes off and take you right here, against this wall, until you’re screaming my name loud enough for everyone to hear- even through my wards.” He nipped at her ear, his voice a husky whisper. “And believe me, Little One. I have very strong wards.”
Her resolve wavered, heat pooling low in her abdomen as his words sent her heart into a frenzy. But as his intensity threatened to consume her, something sparked inside her- a daring need to meet him on equal ground, to turn his dominance into a challenge.
She craned her neck and struggled slightly against her binds, taking his earlobe between her teeth and sucking gently. When he froze she released him, but she was poised to strike.
“Then take me, Isaac,” she mewled, matching the need in his tone. “I want you.”
Isaac’s breath hitched, his hands tightening instinctively around her wrists as her words sent a ripple of raw need coursing through him. He pulled back slightly, just enough to meet her gaze. His dark eyes blazed, their wild intensity now mixed with something more profound, almost reverent.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, their breaths mingling in the confined space between them. Her challenge hung in the air, daring him to close the distance, to give in to the storm they’d both been resisting.
But Isaac wasn’t the type to rush. Not with her.
His lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. “You’re playing with fire, Little One,” he murmured, his voice rough but laced with amusement. His thumb traced lazy circles against the pulse point on her wrist, as though testing her resolve.
“I’m not afraid of being burned,” she shot back, her voice steady but her body betraying her with the slight tremor in her chest.
Isaac growled low in his throat, the sound vibrating against her skin as he leaned in, brushing his lips just shy of hers. “Careful,” he whispered, the warning in his tone offset by the way his gaze lingered on her mouth. “I’ll make good on every word I’ve said.”
“Then do it," she challenged, her breathing becoming faster as she closed the small gap between them. Their lips barely touched before his mouth descended on hers, taking his time to savor the sensation. The kiss deepened quickly, the pent-up passion between them igniting into a blaze.
She’d put up a fight, but so far Isaac was winning.
He held her hands above her head with one hand and explored her body with the other. Slowly, he lifted the bottom of her shirt, running his hand up and down her side, relishing in the smoothness of her skin. She shivered under his touch and he couldn't help but smirk against her lips before moving down to kiss and nibble on her neck. His smile faded when he felt the fabric of her bra and ran his hand over her breasts.
“Fuck, Aelin…” he groaned huskily against her lips. He let his hand wander lower, skimming the edge of her shorts before slipping his fingers under the waistband and dragging his nails lightly across the flesh underneath.
Without warning, he bit down on her neck, causing a whimper to escape from her lips. The sting quickly turned into pleasure as he kissed and licked away at the mark he made. All that mattered to him was Aelin's panting breaths and how she reacted to his touch; she was his sole focus. Her flushed cheeks matched the rosy hues of her hair, and she could feel her heartbeat racing between her legs as he moved closer to her heat.
Just when she thought he was going to give in and touch her where she needed him most, he changed course and instead gripped onto her inner thigh.
“Isaac,” she whined, “please…”
He paused his movements to look at her with those blazing eyes, but continued massaging her inner thigh with his massive palm. “Please what, princess,” he mused lowly.
Princess. For a reason she couldn’t place, the mention of that word sent a jolt of electricity through her body, and she couldn't hold back any longer. She shifted her hips, silently urging him to move his hand closer to where she wanted it.
His grip on her hands tightened, still holding them above her head as he continued to overwhelm her senses. "Please, I need you..." she whined again, grinding against him despite her restraints.
He searched her face for sincerity, and found it, but this still wasn’t what he was looking for. He wouldn’t ask her, she needed to tell him what she wanted. “Tell me what you need.”
“I…” her blush deepened, and she was unable to meet his gaze.
“Look at me, Aelin,” he commanded hoarsely. “Don’t stop looking at me.”
"I need you," she panted heavily, determined to meet his gaze despite her embarrassment. "I need you inside of me now, Isaac."
His eyes darkened at her permission, sending shivers down her spine. He kissed her hard, giving her a moment to adjust before skillfully moving his hand down over her undergarments to find her core, before repeating that circular motion that had alerted him to her innocence a few nights ago. The soft, lazy movements of his rough fingerpads rubbing through the thin cotton fabric sent rushes of static from her hips to the pits of her stomach, and she suddenly had never felt so empty within herself. She ground against him, working to generate more of the saccharine friction she desired.
He smirked into the kiss, suddenly feeling her wetness coating his skin through the garment. "Patience, princess," he began gently rubbing small circles onto her most sensitive spot, careful not to overstimulate her too soon. Despite the intense pleasure coursing through her veins, something about their dynamic- with him in complete control and her submitting to him fully- made her feel closer and more connected to him. It awakened a primal desire within her that was meant for him alone. “I’ve never been a… gentle lover.”
He kissed her even more hungrily, the strokes of his tongue becoming longer and more intense against her own. He could feel her inexperience but he tried to hold back, not wanting to hurt her. He had never bedded a virgin before- though he did not particularly care to share the history of his bedroom with his Lady.
“I don’t want you gentle,” she said hurriedly. She stopped kissing him, needing him to understand and believe her. “I’ll have you as you are. I want nothing else.”
This took him by surprise, but he’d be damned if he didn’t do what his Lady wanted. He kissed her again, softly and deeply, before increasing his pace both on her tongue and between her legs. The light circles became harder, and smaller, and her rushed pants became moans that filled the warded air around them.
“Take them off,” he grunted, tugging on her waistband before releasing her wrists from above her. She almost hesitated, but she knew he would immediately stop if she did- that would be her ruin. Her shorts hit the rocks beneath them as the desert chill sent gooseflesh prickling down her aching hips. "Hold onto me."
She wrapped her arms around his neck just as he hooked one of her thighs over his hip. He touched her again, moving in those addicting circles at just the right speed, then ran a single finger down the center of her entrance, luxuriating in the slick wetness it coated him with. A string of curses escaped from beneath his breath.
“Yoba above… you’re fucking soaked,” he licked his bottom lip before slowly pushing one finger inside of her. Pleasure shot through her like lighting, the feeling of being filled consuming every sensation, every thought that had been coursing through her. Her mind was a jumbled mess, her senses overwhelmed by the intensity of their connection. But he guided her back to him, and kissed her gently once again.
He watched with half-lidded eyes as she dug her nails into him, her face contorting with pleasure and pain as her walls clenched tightly around him. When he noticed the slight discomfort on her face, he paused, kissing her cheek gently. "Are you alright, princess?"
“Yes… ‘ts more than I thought… it would be,” she managed to say through bated breath. As she adjusted to the new sensation, she understood the appeal of it all. She pulled him closer, kissing him with everything she had and began moving her hips to create more friction inside of her. He cursed but curled his finger inside of her, moving with her and matching her pace. “‘ts good Isaac… so good,” she moaned in his ear softly.
He eased a second finger inside her, curling it to match the first one as he continued their rhythm.
“Fuck!” She cursed but kept riding his fingers, a lewd and wet noise filling the air around them. He had never heard her curse like this before but something primal within him relished in the fact that he was causing such a reaction from her. He curled his fingers even more, expertly targeting and stimulating the spongy spot inside of her.
“You’re doing so well, princess,” he murmured in a low voice. He brought his thumb to rest on her clit, using the slickness that coated it to bring her closer and closer to where he wanted her.
Aelin's head fell back against the rocky wall, her chest heaving as waves of pure bliss coursed through her. Isaac's skilled fingers worked relentlessly, drawing moans and whimpers from her lips that she couldn't have held back if she tried. The dual sensations of his fingers inside her and his thumb on her clit were overwhelming, building a pressure low in her abdomen that threatened to consume her.
"Isaac," she gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders. "I'm... I think I'm..."
He paid close attention to her body and its reactions to his ministrations, and right when he knew she was about to crash over the edge, he withdrew his fingers and slowed his pace, drawing her back from the brink.
Aelin's eyes flew open, a strangled cry of frustration escaping her lips as Isaac denied her release. Her body trembled, teetering on the fringe of ecstasy but unable to fall.
"Isaac," she whimpered, her voice a mixture of need and desperation. "Please..."
He silenced her with a searing kiss, his free hand cupping her face as he pulled back to meet her gaze. The intensity in his dark eyes made her breath catch.
"Not yet, Little One," he murmured, his voice low and rough with desire. "You’ve caused me a lot of grief today."
His thumb resumed its torturous circles on her clit, but slower now, building her back up with agonizing patience. Aelin's hips bucked against his hand, seeking more friction, but he held her firmly in place.
"Patience," he growled, his voice a dark covenant. He withdrew again, commanding her full attention.
His onyx eyes bore deeply into hers, searching, demanding, unrelenting. Aelin’s breath hitched as the weight of his gaze pinned her where she stood, her hands trembling lightly against his chest. He kissed her once softly, then began working his fingers inside of her, the languid strokes causing her to exhale sharply.
“I need you to listen to me,” he drawled, looking down at her through lowered lashes. “Do you understand?”
She nodded, her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out, only breathless pants she was unable to control as he continued his ministrations.
“No,” he rasped, one hand moving to cradle her jaw, tilting her face up so she couldn’t look anywhere but at him. “I need you to say it.”
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.
His thumb brushed over her cheek, but his gaze didn’t soften. “You are mine, Aelin. My charge. My Lady. My life.” Each word fell heavy, final. “And I will protect you with everything I am. But you-” His voice faltered slightly, then sharpened again. “You must let me. Swear it to me, Aelin.”
Her hands curled into the fabric of his shirt, grounding herself against the overwhelming intensity of his presence. “I swear,” she breathed, her voice wavering but certain.
He shook his head, leaning in closer until his lips hovered just over hers, his breath hot and uneven. “Not good enough,” he growled, frowning slightly at the slight fluctuation in her tone.
He began pumping his fingers harder, curling them to meet the spongey wetness of her inner walls. His hand moved from her jaw to her hair, tangling his fingers firmly in her pastel strands. “Promise me you won’t put yourself in unnecessary danger,” he demanded, his voice rough but steady.
“I promise,” she said quickly, her voice tinged with desperation.
“And that you will allow me to fulfill my oath to you,” he continued, his lips brushing against her ear now, his breath sending a shiver down her spine. “That you will not take that from me.”
“I won’t,” she swore breathlessly, her head tipping back slightly under his hold. “I won’t.”
“You will say it, and you will mean it, Aelin,” he commanded, now pushing her to reach her limit. The swell of tension was pulsing inside of her along with him, crashing and burning in sparkling waves. “Swear to me you understand what being mine truly means.”
Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, clinging to him to anchor herself against the storm of emotions and sensations passing through her. "Yours," she whispered, her voice breaking with devotion, the single word a vow, a truth, a relinquishment of everything she was. Her gaze remained locked on his, unflinching despite their raw intensity, her breaths shallow and uneven. "In every way," she said, the words slipping from her lips like a sacred promise. "Always."
Aelin inhaled sharply, her trembling fading as his words wrapped around her, binding her in an inescapable, undeniable way. Her lips parted, her breath unsteady as she panted, "I swear." Her thoughts dissolved under the weight of his presence, leaving only him- his command, his unyielding need, the sheer force of his claim. "Whatever you ask, whatever you need," she breathed, her voice a trembling confession, her words carrying the weight of surrender.
For a moment, the tension between them hung heavy, her breath hitching as his lips brushed her temple, then her cheek. His grip on her tightened, possessive but protective, his overwhelming need to guard her tangible in every touch, every word. The space around them seemed to dissolve, leaving only the heat of his demand and the absoluteness of her surrender. She was unable to focus on anything: she felt only him, the gravity of his presence, the safety of his dominance, the completeness of belonging wholly to him.
He hummed his approval, continuing the movements, building the coil of tension inside her, his eyes shining as if they were mana-laced steel. “Good girl,” he finally said, his voice a husky whisper. “Now, come for me, Aelin.”
The taste of copper filled her mouth. She bit down on her lower lip, her eyes clenching shut as that coil burst, sending her into the Light, even in the desert night. She unraveled around him, praying and cursing, shaking and writhing through the depths of her pleasure. The lighting from her core pulsed, sending shockwaves she swore she could see within the blackened depths behind her lids.
He kissed her softly, swallowing her moans while coaxing her through her orgasm. As she came down from her high, her senses returned to her. She dropped her hand to his hardness, palming him through his pants. He groaned softly, enjoying her touch for a moment before brushing her hand away and interlacing her smaller fingers with his.
“Not tonight, Little One,” he whispered huskily. He went to kiss her lips, but she turned her cheek, intercepting him. Her eyes flashed with disappointment, then frustration, then questioning- he saw it all at once. “You might be the most forgetful girl I’ve ever known.”
Brows furrowed, she huffed, pursing her lips slightly, but he kissed her gently, and she melted into him once again. He bent down, picking up her shorts and undergarments and helping her step back into them. She blushed at his proximity to her sex, but he paid her no mind, gently smoothing the fabrics to make sure she was comfortable.
His thumb and forefinger found her chin, his other hand gently placed on her hip. His dark eyes were devoid of lust and now only held reverence and affection for the woman before him. “I won’t have your maidenhood on a cavern floor or this cliff wall,” he began dutifully, then his tone deepened, filling her still-aching abdomen with liquid heat once again. “No, my Lady deserves much more.”
He planted featherlight kisses on her lips and cheek before whispering in her ear, “I will have you, Aelin, but only when I’m able to worship you thoroughly. I will take my time and savor every second, every sound you make, and every way you move beneath me. I’ll take you, completely and thoroughly, until you’re trembling and undone, knowing no one could ever make you feel the way I will.” He huffed a laugh, pulling back just enough to meet her gaze, his grin devilish. “You will feel everything I’ve been holding back- there will be nothing but my name on those pretty lips.”
Aelin’s breath hitched, her body trembling under the weight of his words. Her hands clung to him, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as though it were the only thing keeping her upright. His dark, devouring gaze softened slightly, a flicker of warmth breaking through the intensity.
“As I said, not tonight,” he murmured as if to himself, his voice low and steady now, a soothing balm to the fire he had ignited within her. His hand smoothed over her hair, a gentle contrast to the grip he’d held before. “You need rest, Little One. We both do.”
She nodded mutely, her lips parted as though to speak, but no sound came. Her mind was adrift ever since he’d sent her to meet the Light, and as much as she wanted to tell him something- anything- she couldn’t locate the words.
He stepped back, the absence of his heat leaving her bereft for a moment. Then his hand found hers, threading their fingers together with a sense of finality. “Come,” Isaac said, his tone commanding yet tender. “Let’s get you back inside before your Spirit Wielder comes looking for you.”
The cool night air wrapped around them as they descended back toward the cavern, the intensity between them lingering like an unspoken promise. Aelin’s pulse still thrummed in her ears, her mind replaying every word and look he had given her.
By the time they reached the cavern entrance, the warmth of the firelight spilling out was a welcome contrast to the crisp air. Isaac paused, his hand still in hers, his gaze flickering to the shadows beyond the flames.
“Rest now,” he said, his voice low and resolute. He brushed a knuckle along her jaw, his touch achingly gentle. “Tomorrow, we face whatever comes.”
Aelin nodded again, her chest rising and falling in steady breaths, the overwhelming intensity giving way to a calm certainty. Without another word, she slipped inside the cavern, the faint sound of his footsteps following a moment later.
As she settled into her bedroll, the heat of his presence still lingered in her skin, thoughts, and soul. She closed her eyes, knowing sleep would be hard-won but grateful for the quiet moment of peace before the next battle. Tomorrow would likely be difficult, and she silently prayed that she would not regret her promise to Isaac to allow him to fulfill his vow, should it come to that.
And as she drifted off to sleep, one thought repeated in her mind, steady and sure: his words were a promise, and she would hold onto them until the day he kept it.
Crimson Flames & Violet Nights ~ AO3
https://archiveofourown.org/works/59928727/chapters/152887555
Criticism is welcome!!! This chapter is part of an ongoing Lance x OC fanfiction I'm writing on AO3 (linked above). I have also posted some chapters on Wattpad, but it was getting no reads so I kind of stopped posting on there. If there's any interest I can update it though!! It's a high epic fantasy with slow-burn romance, drama, and subplots that I hope really keep building the world for readers and add to SVE in a way that's constructive and interesting. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Lance, but I just KNOW his buddy Isaac has got to be interesting too- I keep imagining him as Xaden Riorson from Fourth Wing, hence the images. Aelin was originally going to be a minor character, but I've really fallen in love with her dynamic with Gwen my main character (and the farmer in the story). Aelin's dynamic with Isaac throughout the story is also SPICY and I LOVE IT Y'ALL. Lance is more princely in my opinion but Isaac is that gruff warrior that doesn't give af about what others think and is a little more rough around the edges, so it makes him a little easier to write for me too. Right now we are at a point in the story where things with Gwen and Lance are about to pick up again, and there is about to be a HUGE happening (no spoilers at all hehe), so if you're looking to pick up a story I'd love to have you along! :)
