Told you this one would be quick!

All speech in Italics indicates speech being said in a different language.

Warning: Some mild cruelty and sexuality in this chapter.

Chapter Seventeen: I love you.

Six months later…

"Is this it?" asked Tomas as he and Kuai Liang walked into the dojo. "Are we the only ones graduating and doing the next Rite of Passage?"

Kuai Liang looked around the huge dojo as he and Tomas took their shoes off, and was shocked to see how empty it was. Being in this room made him excited and nervous at the same time as it was the Grandmaster's private dojo. The oak walls were decorated with various tapestries, weapons and portraits of the previous Grandmasters. There was no electricity in this room so the only light was provided by the burning candles and torches strategically placed around the room. It was intricately cleaned and cared for by the servants and if anyone were to be caught wearing shoes whilst inside, the Grandmaster would most likely cut that foot off. Whilst only the Grandmaster and his family were allowed to train in this dojo, it was also the location where all the important Lin Kuei ceremonies were held, including the Rite of Passage. The only people in the room besides himself and Tomas, were Rickard, Tabansi and Shang who were seated on one of the wooden benches and looked just as puzzled as he did. Their class was quite large so it was a surprise to see that only a small handful of them would be graduating this time around.

"I'm sure Nyssa will be here in a minute. I'm sure I saw Sifu Mikhail pass out one of the notes to her as well. I'm surprised that Matteo isn't here…" said Kuai Liang as they sat next to Rickard.

"He wanted to be. He begged Edward sensei to let him graduate with us but he wouldn't let him. He's very bitter about being held back a year," said Rickard.

"Did sensei say why they're holding him back?" asked Tomas.

"He's the youngest out of us lot by about six months. His birthday is right at the end of December and the Rite of Passage normally takes place once everyone in our age group has turned eighteen. The options were to either hold Matteo back for another year or to hold all of us back. You can guess which option the Grandmaster chose,"

"Poor Matteo. I'd be furious as well if it were me being held back," said Tomas sympathetically.

The shoji screen door to the dojo slid open again and, to Kuai Liang's relief, Nyssa walked in, dressed in her usual black training uniform with her hair in a high ponytail. She smiled when she saw Kuai Liang and Tomas and started to walk over to them but slowed when she saw Rickard. A frown graced her features and she refused to look at the blonde teen as she firmly sat down next to Tomas and deliberately looked in the opposite direction, pretending to study one of the portraits of Oniro's predecessors.

An awkward silence fell over the teens and Kuai Liang and Tomas exchanged exasperated glances with each other. They didn't know what had happened between their two friends since the incident in Tingri. They'd asked on numerous occasions, but neither of them had answered, stubbornly refusing to give them any information regarding their secret disagreement. Kuai Liang thought that it would have blown over by now and the two of them would make up, but there was no sign of either Nyssa or Rickard making an effort to resolve their issues. The cryomancer made a mental note to ask Nyssa about it in private later that day. He'd arranged to meet outside the temple. He had something to show her.

The door slid open yet again and this time, the Grandmaster hobbled in, hunched in his red and black robes and assisted by his cane, closely followed by Huiliang, Bi-Han, Edward sensei and Sifus Asato and Mikhail. The apprentices leapt to the feet and politely lined up, bowing to the Grandmaster in respect before kneeling down in front of him as he sat in the large oak-carved chair.

"Is this it?" demanded Oniro in Mandarin, his thin, reedy voice carrying easily throughout the dojo. He waved his wooden cane at the apprentices irritably before slamming it on the ground, making them jump slightly. "These pathetic weaklings are to be the next generation of Lin Kuei assassins? I am most disappointed especially in you, Asato. You usually present me with a more impressive set of warriors!"

"Forgive me Grandmaster. I can assure you that every one of these apprentices is just as capable and efficient as any group of apprentices that came before them," grovelled Asato, who appeared slightly nervous at the prospect of displeasing his Grandmaster.

"Even that one? She does not look capable or efficient to me!" snarled Oniro, pointing his cane at Nyssa. Kuai Liang's hands balled into fists in anger and he fought his desire to stand up and punch the Grandmaster for insulting his beloved girlfriend.

"Of course Grandmaster. Looks can be deceiving after all,"

"We shall see about that…" growled Oniro, glaring at each of them with cold black eyes that reminded Kuai Liang of a bottomless pit. He suppressed the shiver that tried to shoot down his spine.

"Edward! You may begin!" ordered Oniro, slamming his cane on the ground once again. Edward sensei obediently stepped forward to address the apprentices.

"You have been called here today, on the 25th of August 2006, to begin your preparation for the Rite of Passage ceremony that will take place in approximately one year, once all of you have turned eighteen. This is a momentous occasion in your lives and will be the first step in your careers as Lin Kuei assassins. All your training and everything you have learnt has been preparing you for this one moment," Edward said as he paced before the apprentices, looking each of them in the eye so they understood how serious this occasion was. Kuai Liang stole a quick glance at Tomas and Nyssa, who both fidgeted nervously.

"Think of the Rite of Passage as a final exam or an opportunity to showcase your abilities and powers to the Grandmaster. The exam has four parts in total. The first part will be a kata demonstration that you will all perform together in order to show your ability to work in perfect harmony and synchronisation. The second part is the talent section, where each of you will prepare something unique and individual that will set you apart from everyone else. This could be a new technique that you have developed from your special abilities, a new and original kata, or maybe even a weapon that you wish to present to the Grandmaster. You have a lot of freedom with this section but make sure you are prepared for it. During the third section, you will be asked to demonstrate your medical knowledge. You will be given a simulation where you have to administer first aid to a wounded assassin. You will all have this partner assigned to you and your partner will also be essential to the fourth and most important part of the Rite of Passage; a full contact sparring match where all the rules are lifted. You must fight your partner and win by whatever means necessary, whether that's killing your opponent, knocking them out or forcing them into submission," said Edward.

A lump had built up in Kuai Liang's throat that he swallowed loudly. He hoped that he would not be partnered with Nyssa. Or Tomas. He didn't think he could bear hurting either of them.

"Should you pass your Rite of Passage, you will graduate and go on to complete your first assassination. If you successfully complete your first mission, you will become a fully-fledged member of the Lin Kuei. Should you fail either the Rite of Passage or the assassination, then you will be disposed of. The Lin Kuei expect nothing but the best and if you cannot live up to these standards, then you have no place amongst us. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sensei," the six of them chorused loudly.

"Very good. Now I know that a year seems like a long time to wait, but use this time wisely. It is likely that the Rite of Passage will take place between July and September but you will not know the exact date until the day before it takes place so it is essential that each and every one of you is prepared. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sensei!"

Their sensei studied them carefully before nodding his head, appearing to be satisfied, before he beckoned Sifu Mikhail to stand forward. Kuai Liang noticed that the large Russian man was carrying a small wooden box in his giant hands.

"This box contains all the names of the past ten generations of apprentices who passed their Rite of Passage and went on to become Lin Kuei assassins. You shall draw one name from the box and they shall your partner for the third and fourth sections of the Rite of Passage. Be warned that they will not go easy on you. They have as much to prove by winning as you do. Pick one name and then read it out so we can all hear," warned Edward.

Mikhail walked up to Tabansi, who was first in line and offered him the box. Kuai Liang held his breath as the African boy closed his eyes and rummaged around the box before drawing a small slip of paper out.

"Ichiro," said Tabansi, his voice betraying no emotion.

Shang went next and read out; "Huiliang." Kuai Liang almost exhaled in relief. The cryomancer knew that he'd have no hope in hell of passing had he drawn Huiliang's name. Still, there was a chance that he could draw Bi-Han. Kuai Liang didn't know which one was worse…

Mikhail moved to Rickard next. The blonde boy dug through the box, pulled out the paper and said; "Alexei,"

Now it was Kuai Liang's turn.

The cryomancer's hands shook slightly as his Sifu held the box out to him and he reached inside, digging as deep as he could and crossed his fingers, hoping against hope that he wouldn't pick Bi-Han. Sifu Mikhail glared at him and snapped at him to hurry up, so Kuai quickly grabbed a slip of paper and pulled it out. He nervously unfolded the paper and read the name written on it.

"Huang…" he said as another wave of relief swept over him. 'Thank God for that!' he thought happily as Mikhail moved onto Tomas who picked Alejandro to be his partner.

Kuai Liang glanced over at his girlfriend as her turn came. She appeared to be calm and collected but he recognised the small signs that gave away her fear and nervousness. He saw the way she blinked rapidly and the way her fingers flexed nervously as she reached into the box and snatched up the first piece of paper she touched. He found himself holding his breath for her and immediately knew that it wasn't good news from the look of dread in her brown eyes.

"Bi-Han…" she muttered heavily, crumpling the piece of paper in her hand.

The Grandmaster cackled loudly, slapping the arm of his chair in his amusement. It was an unpleasant sight and the noise was even less so.

"That girl against Bi-Han? We might as well kill her now to save ourselves the trouble!" he said once he'd finished laughing. The cryomancer hoped that he was joking.

'Shit…' thought Kuai Liang fearfully, looking up at his brother who was standing next to the Grandmaster's son and was now wearing a wicked look on his face, smiling nastily at Nyssa who hung her head to avoid his gaze. There's no way in hell that Bi-Han would let Nyssa win. He'd kill her before she even had the chance to lay a single blow on him.

Kuai Liang couldn't let that happen.

"Excellent. Now everyone has picked their partners you may leave," said Edward, bowing to the apprentices. Just as he went to take a step backwards, Oniro suddenly slammed his cane on the ground once again. Even the instructors jumped this time.

"I have decided to hold an impromptu test right now in order to determine whether they are ready to take their Rite of Passage and to determine their loyalty to the Lin Kuei!" announced Oniro suddenly, his black eyes gleaming maliciously.

"Sir?"

"These boys have a lot to prove, considering that they are the first generation of Lin Kuei to take the Rite of Passage with a girl in their ranks. How will I know that these boys are capable warriors when their competition is a mere girl? If she can beat them, then any of our enemies can. Will you let a girl beat you, boys? Humiliate you?" The Grandmaster demanded.

"No, Grandmaster," chorused the boys. Kuai Liang felt sick as the words left his mouth. He glanced at Nyssa and saw her cheeks burning red with humiliation and her fists clenched tightly.

"Then prove it to me! Nyssa, step forward!" he ordered, beckoning Nyssa with a wave of his frail old hand. Nyssa did as she was told and took two steps forward and turned to the side, as if she were about to spar.

"Tabansi, Shang, Rickard. Step forward all of you,"

The three of them obeyed and stepped forward to face Nyssa. Both Tabansi and Shang were glaring angrily at her, whilst Rickard looked as though he really wished that he was somewhere else.

"Hit her!" demanded Oniro, his disgusting mouth stretching into an evil grin.

"Why sir?" asked the dreadlocked boy, looking uncertainly between Nyssa and Oniro.

"Because your Grandmaster commands it! Now do it!"

Tabansi and Shang bowed to the Grandmaster obediently before lunging at Nyssa with their fists raised. Nyssa leapt backwards and lifted her arms into a guard, preparing to fight both boys.

"No, that will not do! Bi-Han! Huiliang! Restrain her!" snarled Oniro.

"Yes, Grandmaster!" they responded eagerly, stepping forward immediately and grabbing Nyssa roughly. She struggled against them and tried to break free, but they were a lot bigger and stronger and they forced her arms behind her back. Both Tabansi and Shang grinned at each other and raised their fists once again.

"STOP IT!" shouted Kuai Liang and Tomas in unison, much to their surprise, but Tabansi ignored them and struck Nyssa hard across the face, making her cry out in pain. Shang quickly followed suit, hitting her on the other side of her face, eliciting another cry from the brunette girl.

Rickard took an uncertain step forward and reluctantly prepared to punch Nyssa as well, but both Tomas and Kuai Liang charged forward and pushed the blonde boy back and away from Nyssa.

"Pathetic weak boys!" snarled Oniro, shaking his cane angrily at Tomas and Kuai Liang. "She has beguiled them with her feminine ways! Probably spread her legs for them!"

"That's not true!" argued Tomas, glaring at Oniro hatefully as wisps of smoke started to waft from his tightly clenched fists. Even Kuai Liang was now unable to control his anger. He felt his powers flowing through him and a thin, flexible sheen of frost began forming along his arms, cold steam radiating off him.

"SILENCE BOY! Are you both so spineless that you can succumb so easily to the charms of a whore?" demanded Oniro.

"Nyssa is not a whore and we are not spineless!" argued Kuai Liang.

"Then prove it! Prove your loyalty to me and the Lin Kuei! Hit her!"

"I won't do it! She has done nothing to deserve this!" snapped Kuai Liang.

"You will do it because your Grandmaster ordered you!" demanded Oniro, shakily rising to his feet and slamming his cane down once again.

"Grandmaster, is this really necessary?" said Edward, stepping forward uncertainly in an attempt to put a stop to this.

"Yes it is! I have no use for disobedient and insolent assassins. What good is a Lin Kuei if he cannot follow his Grandmaster's orders? Listen here, boy. You will strike her. Hard. Or I will give her to my son for the night where he may hit her as often and as hard as he likes," Oniro threatened, brandishing his cane at Kuai Liang, whose heart had almost stopped beating in his chest, a look of horror plastered on his face.

Being a cryomancer, Kuai Liang rarely felt the cold. He could walk for hours in a blizzard in nothing but a t-shirt and cotton trousers and the freezing temperatures would not affect him in the slightest. But he felt it now. He felt the chill seep through his veins and a frozen fist clench around his heart. He'd hate himself for hitting her. But he couldn't let Huiliang torture her either.

"Just do it, Kuai Liang!" snapped Bi-Han, glaring at his younger brother.

Inhaling deeply and steeling his courage, Kuai Liang stepped forward. He ignored her wounded facial expression and the way her tear-filled brown eyes pleaded with him not to do it…and then he hit her…

The sound of his slap resonated throughout the dojo and her cheek turned red. No cry of pain came from Nyssa this time. Instead it was a choked sob that filled him with self-loathing and hatred towards the Grandmaster, Huiliang and his brother.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" said Bi-Han, giving his brother a cold smile.

'Fuck you,' thought Kuai Liang furiously.

"Excellent. You may all leave now. Use the rest of the evening wisely…" said the Grandmaster, a satisfied look on his wrinkled old face. Bi-Han and Huiliang released Nyssa, who promptly bowed to Oniro before turning on her heel and running out of the dojo as fast as she could. They waited for the Grandmaster to hobble out of the dojo first and then they all filed out behind him. Kuai Liang barely noticed how the instructors slipped away to go about their business or how Tabansi and Shang scurried after Huiliang and Bi-Han whilst he and Tomas just walked back to their bedroom in an awkward silence.

Kuai Liang opened the door to their room and hurried over to the chest where the three of them kept all of their belongings, opened it and pulled out his bow and quiver of arrows and the hunting knife that Nyssa had given him for his birthday.

"Going hunting?" asked Tomas, as he stripped his grey training tunic to put on a vest top.

"Either that or target practice where I pretend I'm shooting the Grandmaster, Huiliang or Bi-Han. Or I might jump off the side of the mountain. I haven't decided yet," replied Kuai Liang as he slung his quiver onto his back.

"Kuai…don't beat yourself up about it. It was a lose-lose situation. You know what Huiliang would have done to her…" said Tomas, gently clasping the cryomancer's shoulder. Kuai Liang's face crumpled and he hung his head in shame.

"Did you see the way she looked at me?" he muttered, squeezing his eyes tightly shut so tears wouldn't leak out. He knew if he cried in front of Tomas, he would never let him live it down.

"I know it's tough but trust me when I say that the look on her face would have been a hell of a lot worse if you hadn't done it. I think you did the right thing…as fucking horrible as the right thing was,"

"Great pep talk, Tomas. Making me feel a hell of a lot better. I'm going to find something to shoot…" growled Kuai Liang, picking up his bow and walking towards the door.

"Enjoy pretending to hunt whilst you secretly meet up with Nyssa and try to win her back!" called Tomas cheerfully, making Kuai Liang freeze in his tracks.

'Holy shit he knows!' he thought as he felt a drop of cold sweat trickle down his neck. The cryomancer violently spun around and roughly shoved Tomas back up against the wall, an ice dagger forming in his hand.

"Have you been spying on us? We tried so hard to cover our tracks! How did you find out?" snarled Kuai Liang angrily, pointing the sharp end of the dagger at Tomas' throat, who regarded him with cool grey eyes.

"Kuai, you and Nyssa are my best friends and I've watched you be in love with her for years now. It wasn't hard to work out. Plus, did you really expect me to believe that the plastic snow leopard toy you bought in Tingri was really for you? You must think I'm pretty stupid…" remarked Tomas casually, taking the ice dagger away from Kuai Liang and throwing it across the room. It landed on the floor with a small crash and shattered into several pieces.

"Not stupid. I was hoping that you'd forget," grumbled Kuai Liang.

"Seriously Kuai, just chill out. Your secret is safe with me. I'd never betray you guys. And yes that pun was intended!" said Tomas, giggling to himself like a child. Kuai Liang rolled his eyes and shoved Tomas in the shoulder, but that didn't stop him from smiling as well. He said goodbye and then he walked out of their room, through the corridors that still seemed to be cold and gloomy even in the Summer time, before he exited the temple and started to make this way through the trees.

As it was the Summer, there was currently no snow or ice to slip on thanks to the fiery orange sun and the heat, but Kuai Liang still found himself stumbling through the hedges and ducking under low-hanging branches, as he tried to get as far away from the Temple and Amaya's hut as possible. He'd carved a marking onto a birch tree deep within the forest and told Nyssa to meet him there after the Rite of Passage meeting but he wouldn't be surprised if she stood him up today.

Fortunately for him, she was there, sitting cross-legged on the lush green grass and he noticed that she was fiddling with the small plastic snow leopard that he'd given her on her birthday. Her cheeks were red and tear-stained, her eyes were bloodshot and still swimming with unshed tears that made the cryomancer's heart break.

Throwing his bow and quiver to the ground, he ran to her, dropping to his knees and pulling her into a tight embrace, repeatedly kissing the spot on her cheek where he'd hit her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, tiánxīn" he begged, his own tears now streaming freely down his face, not bothering to try and hide them.

"It's ok. I'm not crying because you hit me, you didn't mean to. I'm not angry at you, I promise," she muttered thickly, her voice trembling and her breath shuddering. Kuai Liang leaned back and raised his hand to gently wipe her tears away but they kept flowing as she broke down in front of him. She latched onto him and sobbed into his shoulder whilst he rubbed her back and rocked her soothingly.

"I fucking hate them. I hate all of them! I'm not a whore. I've done nothing to deserve any of this! I feel like I'm guilty for just being fucking alive!" she wept uncontrollably. Kuai Liang felt the shoulder of his tunic start to go damp, but he didn't care. He just held her until her tears subsided, stroking her back and kissing her hair.

"I hate them too, tiánxīn. It won't always be like this. It'll get better, I promise!" he whispered and then placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Nyssa sniffed loudly and wiped her tears away with the back of her sleeves. "I'm ok now. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Anyway, you said you had something to show me earlier on?"

His reason for meeting Nyssa out in the wilderness suddenly came back to him and he grinned widely at her as he pulled her to her feet. He quickly picked up his bow and quiver and then began leading her by the hand through the trees until they came to the rock face that was almost hidden behind a large collection of fir trees and bushes that grew over their heads. Kuai Liang pushed his way through the branches and shrubs to reveal the small cave opening hidden behind the plants.

"Go in. It widens out the further you go in," he encouraged her as when she gave him a sceptical look. She crouched down and entered the cave with him followed closely behind her.

"Kuai, I can barely see,"

"Hang on, I brought a candle," said Kuai Liang, fumbling in his pockets for the candle and the box of matches he brought along. He struck a match and lit the candle that provided them with enough light so they could see where they were going.

"How did you find this place?" asked Nyssa as Kuai Liang took her hand and lead her down the tunnel that gradually got big enough for them to stand up straight in.

"I was out hunting a few weeks ago and chased a fox through the bushes. It tried to hide but I managed to catch it and then I found this place," he told her.

"But what if there are other animals in here?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"Don't worry, tiánxīn. It smells too much of human in here now so that'll keep most animals away. But I did mark the outside and surrounding trees and bushes with wolf and tiger urine just to be safe. We shouldn't have any problems,"

They finally reached the end of the cave that was tall enough for a man over 7ft tall to stand up straight in and wide enough for a group of six people. Kuai Liang fumbled his way around the dark, searching for the candles that he'd placed strategically around the cave a few days ago, eager to show his girlfriend his handiwork. As a warm, glowing light began to illuminate the cave, Nyssa glanced around the room and saw that Kuai Liang had decorated the cave floor with various rugs, mats, blankets and cushions in an attempt to make it as comfortable as possible. He'd even gone and collected some wild flowers and put them in a glass of water in the corner.

"You did all this?" she asked, smiling widely at him.

"You said a while ago that you wished that we had our own place that only we knew about. Somewhere where we could meet up and not have to constantly worry about being walked in on. I know it's not much, but I tried to make it more comfortable. Stole a bunch of old blankets and stuff that the servants were going to throw out. Do you like it?" he asked hopefully. His response was a long sweet kiss.

"It's perfect. I love it," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling happily at him. Joy and pride swelled inside the young cryomancer's chest. He felt glad that he'd managed to cheer her up and that she appreciated all his hard work. He stared into the beautiful brown eyes that he'd fallen in love with and admired the way the candlelight was reflected in them. He began memorising the details and features on her face; her perfectly straight nose, her soft plump lips, her long thick eyelashes, her high cheek bones, her straight white teeth.

"Tiánxīn...Wǒ ài nǐ..." he whispered in his native tongue as he cupped her face with his cold, calloused hands and kissed her softly and lovingly. He wanted to add something else to his confession, he wanted to give her a long and eloquent speech to tell her how much he loved her and how much she meant to him. But he soon realised that there weren't enough words, in English, Chinese or any other language he knew that could express those feelings. So he settled for repeating himself; "Wǒ ài nǐ,"

"Wǒ ài nǐ shèngguò yíqiè," she replied in Chinese. The cryomancer felt as though his heart was beating faster and slower at the same time as he pulled her into another kiss, placing one hand on the back of her head to pull her thick wavy hair out from its ponytail. This kiss was passionate and fiery and their tongues wrestled for dominance with each other as the two of them made their way over to the make-shift bed and knelt down on it.

Kuai Liang soon found himself sandwiched between the hard ground and his girlfriend, who was straddling his hips, grinding slightly against his aching cock, and running her hands over him as if she were trying to touch him everywhere at once. He grabbed her wrist suddenly when he felt her undoing the ties of his blue training tunic and belt.

"I didn't bring you here for sex…" he said quickly.

"Don't you want to?" she asked, cocking her head at him.

"I do but…I know you're not ready. I know I joke about it but I don't want to put any pressure on you. I only want it if you're 100% up for it," he told her, gently running a hand through the long silky locks that were tickling his face and neck.

"I'm not ready for sex just yet but…" she said slowly as she undid his tunic and then lifted his undershirt over his head, exposing his bare torso to her for the first time. Her gaze was so intense that he could almost feel her brown eyes burning onto his chest as she looked him over. Her hands began tentatively exploring him, her fingers caressing a heated trail over the dips of his muscles that was soon followed by her curious lips, and as her tongue gently rolled around his nipple, Kuai Liang's mind began to go foggy.

"Uhhhhh…but what?" he murmured breathlessly. He wouldn't continue with this until he knew what she wanted and what she was ready for.

"I want to see you…I want to touch you and I want you to touch me,"

That was all he needed to hear.

"It can go as far as you want it to. You're in control here,"

He sat up slightly so he could pull her into another kiss and help her as she fumbled with the ties to her own uniform. He slipped the tunic off her shoulders and pulled her undershirt off and then she undid her training bra and showed him her breasts for the first time. He only had a brief moment to admire the perky fullness of her breasts or her hardened nipples because he was soon pinned to the ground again, her lips attacking his. Curiosity got the better of him and he raised his hands to cup her breasts, feeling how soft and warm they were and how they filled his palms perfectly, whilst her quick, nimble fingers undid the drawstrings of his trousers and pushed them down over his hips along with his boxers.

Kuai Liang groaned loudly, deep from within his chest as his hard cock sprang free and she wrapped her fingers around it and began stroking him slowly. He hastily tugged at the waistbands of her leggings and underwear and pulled them down low enough so he could slip one hand in-between her thighs and was greeted by a warm wetness that enveloped his fingers. She broke their kiss as a small whimper escaped her lips and she grabbed his hand to guide him to circle her clit gently but firmly before reaching for his dick once again.

Kuai Liang kissed Nyssa again, their hips grinding slightly as they stroked each other, muffling each other's gasps and groans with their kissing. Kuai felt his orgasm approaching fast so he rested his forehead in the crook of Nyssa's neck in an attempt to ground himself, his breath coming out in short, shallow pants. He tried desperately to hold out, but her name soon burst from his lips just as his balls contracted and spasmed and then he was spilling into Nyssa's hand.

And moments later, he heard his own name echoed back to him as Nyssa trembled on top of him when she reached her own climax.

END OF CHAPTER SEVENTEEN!

You won't believe the number of times I rewrote this chapter. It originally contained a full on sex scene but I wasn't satisfied with it so I toned it down to this. I mainly wanted to see how you guys would react to the development in their relationship before I took it all the way with Kuai Liang and Nyssa.

Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review!