Vale kissed her deeply. His fangs nicked her lip, and Ivy murmured her appreciation as he sucked on the small spark of pain.
“We have time before we must leave to find another assistant,” Vale said, rubbing his thumb over her bloodied lip. “We could find a heatbloom.”
On cue, a heatbloom plant rose out of the dirt between them. A rose bloomed with it, ivy twining up the rose’s stalk and then curling around her finger.
Ivy laughed, curling her finger to greet the plant. Then she looked up at Vale expectantly.
“Weren’t you the one,” she began. “Who said there is always more work to do?”
“There is,” Vale said. “But it is being taken care of.”
“Notallof it.” Ivy tugged at the makeshift crown around her head, as if thinking of the responsibilities it held. “If I get lust-pollened, I’ll be useless for days.”
“You do not need to be useful,” Vale reminded her. “You only need to be you.”
Ivy’s eyes went shiny. She kissed him again, and Vale licked the blood left on her lip.
“In that case,” Ivy said as she pulled back. She raised her head toward the tent ceiling, her eyes flashing void-green. “Don’t let anyone in the tent unless the sky is crumbling!”
The tent rippled in a nonexistent breeze, confirming its response.
“Thank you,” said Ivy sweetly.
She ran her hand over the heatbloom between them. Then she dug her finger into the center.
Golden pollen poured out from the petals, filling the tent. Ivy giggled as it coated her skin and covered the braid that Vale had so carefully tied into her hair.
Vale waited intently. Sure enough, Ivy’s breath began to pick up, her pupils swelling. The scent of her desire consumed the tent as readily as the pollen, making Vale growl and dig his claws into her hips.
Ivy gasped, her eyelids fluttering as his claws drew the slightest amount of blood. She grabbed his antlers, frenzied in a way they had not experienced since the last time they had done this. They tried to limit their pollen doses to twice a year. But sometimes they got impatient.
Vale threw her into their nest and climbed on top of her, chuckling as Ivy tore at his robes.
“Off,” Ivy gasped. “Take themoff!”
“Anything for my queen,” Vale said.
He shed his robes. Then he dragged a claw down her dress, which changed depending on her mood. Today’s was a short, breezy pink, and it parted under Vale’s claw like any other.
Ivy made a desperate noise and grabbed for him.
Vale held her down, enjoying how she squirmed against his touch.
He had been numb to his own desire for so long. Then this mortal had come into his life, and he could ignore it no longer, no matter how much he tried to resist. He was not anemotionless beast built to perform tasks. He was an animal with animal needs: hunger, sleep, lust, and a love so deep he could barely contain it.
“Not yet,” Vale said. “Are you not forgetting something?”
Ivy frowned. Then her mouth dropped open, twisting to watch two strong ropes of ivy knot around her wrists and bind them into the nest.
“Oh,” Ivy gasped.
“There is more,” Vale assured her.
Ivy looked down and groaned as she saw the large, bulbous vine that was sliding up her thigh. It was not wet, but that did not matter. Ivy was slick enough for all of them. And if she was not, the magic would make it fit painlessly.
Hence why Vale dug his claws into her hips, drawing the smallest amount of blood.
Ivy moaned, bucking up against him as the plants held her down. “Vale!Gods, I need it.”
