Vesryn’s head tipped back, a ragged groan tearing from his chest as she hollowed her cheeks, drawing him deeper. His fingers tangled in her hair, cradling the back of her head rather than steering.
Uneven bursts of his breath puffed into the air as she continued to explore every inch of him, mapping his length with her tongue.
Serenna set a rhythm, drinking in the heat of him as her hand stroked what her mouth couldn’t take. Vesryn’s muscles flexed, his control fraying as he began thrusting deeper into her throat. Swallowing, she moaned around him, pulling a shattered curse from his lips.
Tentative at first, his hands drifted to cup her face. Serenna lifted her gaze through her lashes, and despite everything—despite what she was doing—heat rushed to her cheeks. Not because of the act, but because of the way he looked at her.
Starlight shimmered in the emerald depths of his eyes as Vesryn watched her with reverence—a dark, hungry devotion that transcended the haze of desire.
The barricade he’d constructed between them, the one that kept her at a distance, shattered. A flood of emotion surged through the bond—not just lust, but love and vulnerability, a fierce tenderness that wound through Serenna’s chest, stealing the breath from her lungs.
Holding his gaze, Serenna quickened her pace and a growl spilled from his lips. The rhythm between them faltered as Vesryn’s movements turned wild. His fingers curled against her scalp and he tried to extract himself, but Serenna seized the backs of his thighs, refusing to let him go.
A shudder and a curse tore through him. Vesryn gripped the back of her head, a low groan tearing from somewhere deep in his throat. Heat spilled across her tongue and Serennaswallowed him down, not relenting until the last tremor wracked through him.
She eased away, releasing him from her mouth. He was still staring at her, chest rising and falling like he’d just run a realm’s worth of miles.
Wordlessly, Vesryn reached for her and helped her back to her feet. The night pressed in around them, the crisp air swiftly encouraging him to tuck himself back into his leathers. As he clasped the buckle to his belt, the corner of his mouth twitched—a warning that Serenna wasn’t fast enough to decipher.
Ribbons of blue light fountained from Vesryn’s fingertips, a pulse of force curling around his palms. A heartbeat later, the tendrils latched onto Serenna’s trousers, yanking them halfway down her legs. She yelped as a strike of cold air nipped at her bare skin.
Before she could react, Vesryn seized her waist, lifting her like she weighed nothing. Serenna shrieked as the world spun, the prince pinning her back against the nearest tree. She scrambled for purchase, fingers digging into his cloak as her legs dangled over his shoulders, the fabric of her trousers still twisted around her lower legs.
Her pulse lurched at how close his face was—now nestled shamelessly between her parted thighs.
“Vesryn!” Serenna hissed, squirming against the heat of his hands on her backside. “What are you doing?” she demanded, her voice more of a breathless squeak.
Warm breath fanning across her chilled skin, he tilted his face up to hers, eyes gleaming with dark intent. “Surely you didn’t think I would let you get away withthatwithout returning the favor?”
The infuriating, heated look sent a thrill bolting through her. Serenna’s cheeks flamed as she glared down at him, though theintended effect was likely diminished by her current position. “I—I didn’t do it for anything in return.”
His thumbs brushed the curve of her backside, his smirk widening into something more feral. “I’m aware.”
Serenna stiffened as shadows surged, inky tendrils curling around her calves, teasing the bare skin of her thighs. The darkness caressed her, holding her open, drawing out a shiver as tingles raced in its wake.
Then his mouth was on her.
A slow, deliberate stroke of his tongue up her center had Serenna gasping, the sudden jolt of pleasure flecking her vision with stars.
When Vesryn’s shadows joined his lips, Serenna’s thighs clamped against his head. Her fingers knotted in his hair as she fell back against the tree with a moan.
By the time Vesryn resurfaced, she was half-dazed and shuddering, breaths coming in rapid draws.
“Tongue or shadows?” the prince asked, his mouth hot against her skin as he skimmed a trail of kisses down her thigh.
Heart thrashing against her ribs, Serenna’s question came out unsteady as she struggled to focus. “W—What?”
Vesryn’s grin was pure wickedness, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Both it is.”
CHAPTER 41
JASSYN
Jassyn hesitated at the edge of the firelight, the mugs in his hands growing heavier, anchoring him in place. A gust of wind swept across the mountain pass, spiraling into a sky streaked with fading strokes of rose and gold.
Lykor sat alone on a rocky outcrop, his silhouette darkening the horizon, shoulders hunched as though bearing the weight of the slopes. He stared at the skyline, where the mountains were shedding their frosty crowns.
Gathering his courage, Jassyn inhaled the crisp air, forcing his legs to move. But the closer he got, the more his feet dragged—each step feeling like an intrusion.
