“I—I was with the prince last night.” The truth spilled out, dread curling tight around her ribs as she pulled away. Wild and frantic, her heart pounded, each beat thick with confusion and guilt as she braced for Fenn’s reaction.
He went still, studying her, tracking her every breath.
Serenna’s stomach knotted as silence stretched between them.
Then he tipped his head, the corner of his mouth curving just enough to reveal the point of a fang before asking, “Is that a challenge to catch up?”
Serenna blinked. “What? No. I mean…” Her pulse stammered erratically and she dropped her eyes, staring at the small silver fish darting around their feet. “I just thought I should tell you. In case… I didn’t want to hide it from you.”
Fenn tilted her chin, the touch so light it barely registered as a demand. “You don’t have to tell me every time you’re with him.” There was no anger or accusation as he searched her face. “But if it matters, I was with Koln at—”
“I know,” Serenna interrupted, her cheeks flushing. “Well, I—I assumed that’s what you were doing when you went to the lake.”
A smirk slowly pulled at Fenn’s lips, but it wavered on the edges, not settling in the confident way it usually did.
“I’m not going to pretend I don’t feel anything when you’re with him,” he said, a quiet acknowledgment.
His claws drifted over her shoulders, lingering as they skimmed down her torso and settled firmly at her hips. He tightened his grip, tugging her against him. “And right now…” His voice sank lower, rougher. “I feel like it’s my turn.”
In a blur of movement, Fenn swept her up into his arms.
Serenna squeaked, her legs locking around his waist as their bodies collided beneath the water.
Fenn’s arms curled around her back, dragging her flush against him as his mouth claimed hers. The kiss seared through her, leaving only fiery desire in its wake.
Serenna clutched his face and moaned against him, arching into his touch. Sucking his lip ring into her mouth, she steered him deeper into the kiss, demanding more. A growl rumbled through his chest and into hers—a sound of approval, surrender, and something darker.
She tangled her fingers in his hair, guiding him closer until every gap between them disappeared. The bond crackled where they touched, heat and lightning curling between them, a space charging between breaking clouds.
Unhurried, Fenn waded toward the shore, savoring her. Every brush of their lips, every stolen breath, deepened with his stride.
Reaching a lush patch of grass beyond the water’s edge, he lowered her slowly, gliding every inch of her body torturously down his. Her bare skin burned where it met his, but Serenna shivered as Fenn settled between her thighs.
Anchored beneath him, she traced the lean contours of his chest, the muscles flexing under her touch. Her palms roamed lower as she followed the trail of his thundering heart, exploring the expanse of him.
Fenn’s claws skimmed paths down her body in return—talons charting every curve. He circled her breasts before palming her sensitive skin, thumbs teasing and tormenting.
As he rolled her budded peaks between his fingers, Serenna moaned, pleasure spiking. Leaning in, his breath fanned against her throat before his fangs grazed over her pulse. Not a bite like she wanted, but enough to make her convulse.
She writhed against him, hips arching, seeking friction. The moment she trapped his heavy arousal against her center, the pressure made her breath stutter, her body strung too tight with senseless want.
Fenn didn’t match her urgency. His movements were slow—excruciatingly controlled and measured. Each leisurely rotation of his hips was delicious agony, a restraint that left her panting.
“Still thinking about scouting instead?” Fenn asked against her throat in a velvet purr. “Because right now, it feels like you’re mapping out something else entirely.”
Serenna’s answer came in a gasp when he lightly nipped her pulse. Body jolting, she clenched her legs around his waist, caging the hard heat of him between her thighs.
Fenn gripped her hips, grinding against her with enough force to make her whimper, his breath a ragged growl against her lips. “It certainly doesn’t feel like you want to leave.”
“Because I don’t,” Serenna hissed, the needy roll of her hips a silent plea, every shift sending sparks of pleasure racing up her spine. Aching for more, she raked her nails down his back, urging him on.
Fenn growled as he devoured her mouth, the sound primal and demanding. The kiss was rougher this time, stealing the airfrom her lungs. He shifted, the hardness of his arousal sliding through the slickness between her legs, the teasing friction nearly making her combust.
His lips skimmed the curve of her jaw, his breath tangling with hers when he pulled back and asked, “Do you know the moment I became yours?”
Serenna tried to grasp a single thought, but the tilt of his hips shattered it. He aligned himself with her, the thick head of his length nudging at her entrance, lingering at the edge.
Weaving his fingers through hers, Fenn pinned her hands to the earth and hovered above her, waiting for an answer. Serenna arched toward him, a desperate offering, but he pulled back.
