He added another finger and pumped them faster as he scraped his teeth over her clit and the tension in her body snapped so suddenly that she couldn’t even make a sound. The orgasm tore all the air out of her lungs. Her body was suspended, arched off the bed as she gasped and clawed at the belt around her wrists.
He watched her with hooded eyes, his fingers moving at their same insistent pace, his tongue flicking against her. Her chest was so full of pleasure—both the feelings in her body and Teddy’s through their bond. He was enjoying this as much as she was, and that made her even hotter. She shouldn’t have cared how he felt, but she really, really did.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the waves of ecstasy settled into ripples and she collapsed to the bed. Teddy knelt between her thighs, unbuttoning his pants.
Stella watched in stunned stupor, straining against the binding on her wrists. “Let me?—”
“No, I just need—” He stroked himself with his soaked fingers. It was so filthy but so hot to see him helpless for her. He slid his drenched hand up and down his length a few times until a guttural groan tore out of him and he cursed as he came on her stomach.
He fell forward onto one arm, breath sawing out of him. He cursed and stared at her spread wide for him and Stella flushed and started to close her legs.
Teddy pressed a hand to her inner thigh. “Don’t be shy now. Seeing you like this is doing something to me.”
Stella knew what he meant. She felt a strange, wild possessiveness. She liked that he’d marked her in such a primal way—liked that he couldn’t contain himself. She even liked the way he’d groaned and cursed when he came on her.
He brushed a thumb over her cheek, swiping away a tear. “Guess I got those tears out of you after all.”
She didn’t like that he saw something in her that she’d missed in herself. It made her feel exposed and raw. She’d craved that level of intensity, the complete lack of mercy he’d shown when she needed to be pushed, but she hated that Teddy had been the one to give it to her.
Stella didn’t know her body could feel so good. Sex with Arden was fun, but it never felt like this—this feeling of being a slate wiped clean. Her body was suddenly a revelation. She’d never felt transformed by pleasure, and she had the strangest feeling of lightness from it.
Now Teddy looked like he wanted to do it again; if Stella wasn’t so wrung out with pleasure, she would have let him, but as it was, she could barely keep her eyes open.
Instead, he released her hands from the belt, gently wiped her clean with a rag, and settled into the bed beside her. He tugged theblankets up to cover them and threw his arm across her waist, nuzzling into her neck.
It felt at once both strange and like the most natural thing, but she was too exhausted to question the new shift in her feelings for him. What she was feeling was alarmingly close to affection, and not just because he had made her climax harder than ever.
It was because he’d trusted her in the river. Because he’d carried her miles to the cabin and had chewed a poultice for her wound. Because he’d murmured comforting things to her as he worked and because he’d curled up beside her so she wouldn’t be cold or afraid when she woke.
Stella’s limbs were heavy as rocks. “Teddy?”
He hummed softly.
Stella could barely keep her eyes open. “What doesMinyhamean?”
He was quiet for a long moment. “Go to sleep,” he whispered.
Stella wanted to argue, but she was fighting a losing battle with her exhausted body.
26
STELLA
Wind whistled through the boughs high above Stella. Gray clouds peeked through the lush summer canopy. A storm was threatening.
Teddy walked ahead of her, his pace so quick that Stella practically had to jog to keep up with him. “I don’t like the idea of splitting up,” he said. “Especially after yesterday.”
“You saw the map,Your Grace. The caves are close enough. It won’t be a big deal for us to split up. It’s only a couple of miles between the two. Besides, we don’t have enough time to wait until you’re finished with your trial. Our swim cost us enough time already and the memory trial could take hours. We both need to finish as soon as possible so we can make it home before the challenge deadline.” Stella stumbled over a root, barely catching herself before she bumped into Teddy. “You’re walking awfully purposely for being in the middle of the woods.”
“There’s a bad storm coming. I can feel it. And there’s an old hunters’ hideaway up ahead,” Teddy said. “From the war.”
Dry leaves in the underbrush kicked up and Stella’s braid whipped against the side of her face as the sky swirled with heavycharcoal clouds. She loved the scent of the northern forest in a storm—like pine and damp moss and the smell before rain.
Stella heaved a breath, quickening her pace to keep up with Teddy. Her side was perfectly healed thanks to Teddy’s hard work, but even with healing magic, the ache of the injury would linger for a few days and she felt it every time she took a deep breath. She looked forward to paying Rett back.
“How do you know where you’re going?”
Teddy glanced at her over his shoulder. “I’m not sure our alliance goes as deep as sharing kingdom secrets.”
