And that higher power was Beth, and their love. When he was inside her, their mouths moving so their kisses matched the frantic pace of their hips, he felt her in his soul. They were entwined both inside and out, their love springing them into a sky of pleasure beyond anything Ken had ever experienced before.
Their breathing synched as they moved together in perfect harmony, her gasping pleas rushing into his ear. "Ken," she chanted. "Ken, I love you."
Ken groaned against her mouth. The sound of her musical voice brought him back into the moment, away from that hazy, lust-addled space to stare deep into her crystalline blue eyes. "I love you too, Beth. I've missed this. Missed you."
She nuzzled him. "I know. But neither of us has to want for anything anymore."
He kissed her again, gentler than before, letting his heart fill to the point of no return on the amount of sheer love he felt for her. He shifted his hips so as their bodies joined together in the most primal act of love imaginable, he hit a deeper spot inside her that made her nails dig into his back.
Ken hissed a laugh. "You like that, do you, my love?"
"Yes," she cried out. "More. More! I'm so close."
He could feel it, too, the rise back to that unimaginable heated place, like he was floating on a hot air balloon with Beth at his side. The wolf inside him howled for more, howled to take possession, to leave Beth with a night she'd never forget. In his pursuit of unparalleled pleasure, Ken took hold of Beth's wrists and pinned them above her head.
She gasped as he pounded into her harder and harder, hitting that same spot that made her gape up at him with wild eyes. Her gasping pleas came rushing into his ear, growing ever more high-pitched and senseless.
Finally, her whole body clenched. The heat coiled and uncoiled inside Ken, building up like a hurricane about to explode. Beth cried out first, her body bowing up off the ground as she came undone around him. She growled and panted, clenching and unclenching around his cock in a way that threw him right over the edge. Ken followed shortly thereafter with a deep guttural moan, spilling himself inside her.
They lay there afterward for a long time, tangled up in each other; their bodies were trembling and weak as they clung to one another. They were still joined together by the intimate act they had just shared, coming down from the incredible waves of ecstasy. Ken kissed Beth tenderly, caressing her face as they came back to reality, their passion temporarily sated.
For now, at least. They knew that this was only the beginning of a long and lustful journey ahead.
Finally, they pulled apart, still breathless as they rested in the grass under the stars. For a long while, all Ken could hear was their panting, the frantic race of their heartbeats.
"What happened to our home?" Beth asked after a long silence. She came to rest her head on his shoulder, and as soon as she did, Ken didn't think they'd be leaving this position for a long while. "It wasn't there anymore."
Ken sighed. That was a memory he'd tried to block out, but it came to him again and again over the years. "I was a drunk for a few years after you were gone. I was such a wreck, I couldn't even tell you what happened. I was passed out after another blackout night, and all I remember is someone rushing inside to drag me out after the fire had started. They weren't able to save much of what was left. I kept a few things in storage, but I haven't looked at it in years because it hurt too much." Ken tangled his fingers in Beth's hair, mindlessly tugging on the strands. "I'm sorry. I lost our home because I was a fucking idiot. I started sobering up after that."
Guilt swirled in Beth's eyes. He didn't want her to feel like any of this was her fault, but he knew he couldn't stop her from feeling it. They both had a lot to feel guilty about, but he knew, with love as strong as theirs, that it would pass, in time.
Finally, Beth relaxed with a smile. "That's okay."
His eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"The past is the past. It'll swallow us if we don't move on." Beth's hand found his, and she threaded their fingers together and squeezed. "But we have the rest of our lives, and Joanna's life, to look forward to. Let's look ahead to the future instead."
It would be hard to let go of all the pain, the longing, the anger that had almost swallowed Ken whole over the years. But he knew, if he didn't, that it would sour the future he looked forward to with Beth and his daughter.
Ken relaxed into Beth's side, holding onto her for dear life. "No more getting stuck in the past, then. Onward with the rest of our lives."
Chapter 14 - Beth
They delved deeper into the wilds out from the spot where she and Ken used to live. Construction was underway on their new house, now re-imagined with enough capacity to try for the son that Ken had always wanted. If that was what fate brought them, then they would be so happy, but neither was Beth rushing into any more drastic life changes.
For now, she just wanted to enjoy what they had. Ken walked hand-in-hand with Beth as they jaunted across the forest path, and Joanna was on his other side, holding his hand and the picnic basket. She'd insisted that she would be the one to carry it, and Beth couldn't have been more thrilled.
Joanna seemed happy and carefree as they explored the woods together. "What kind of tree is that?" She pointed to one that looked out of place amongst the others, with needles that were starting to turn yellow against a backdrop of pine that stayed green even as the season turned from summer to fall.
"That's a larch tree," Ken explained. "There's a lot of them around Silvercoast, just not on this side of the town."
"Really? I'm learning more things in the outdoors here than I ever did in school."
"That's good. I'm glad, muffin."
"Does that mean I don't have to go back?"
Ken and Beth both laughed. "No, angel, you're still going to Silvercoast High starting next week. But we can still come out on family outings every weekend."