A moaning catches me off guard, bringing me back to our procession. The whole place is a labyrinth, darting off into similar-looking walkways, fiery sconces lighting our path as we traverse sandstone walls and cream-coloured curtains. Swivelling my head towards the sound, I find a couple plastered to a wall moving in unison, groaning out their pleasure. The strangest part is that they are well within viewof everyone travelling along the white stone pathways. The sound of another loud groan comes from an open doorway, and I see a group of at least three—no, four—shimmering bodies writhing on a bed, tails swishing and…Oh my Goddess, is that tail inside…
My cheeks flush. I squeeze Rivern’s hand harder, looking away. Moyrie doesn’t bat an eye at the endless nudity and grunting going on around us. Like this is just a normal day in the Silver Sands for her.
What I’m even more surprised about than the sights and sounds being illuminated by the soft glow of the moon is that my body reacts in a way I don’t expect it to. Instead of merely being intrigued by the unusual customs of this new realm, my body tingles in anticipation, and my core grips to squeeze something hard. I whimper.
Stopping in my tracks, Rivern halts in front of me, spinning deftly on his heel to come face to face, taking my cheeks between his palms. “What do you need, love?”
“What is going on here, Rivern?” I shoot my hand out, waving it towards a threesome taking place ahead of us in a darkened alley.Surely this is not the norm.Has he been having orgies every night with his new betrothed?
Frustration at the idea of my golden-lined prince writhing against sandstone walls brings a well of tears to my eyes. The bond keens at these new possibilities. It’s also pulling me closer to him, wanting to soothe the ache in my chest.No one else can have him but me.
I feel like I’m spiralling.
Pulling back from my bonded, I fall into Gideon.
He grips my upper arms, a heat instantly washing over my skin. The smell of old spice travels through me, and my body gravitates towards it.
“Dove.” Rivern’s voice is an almost possessive rumble as it hits me deep in the anguished side of my heart. My arms want to reach out to him, but then I remind myself that his very naked, almost-betrothed is leading us through some type of sex party. Instead, I give him my best glare.
I may not be well-versed in the art of sexual seduction, but I have heard tales. The other servants did love to gossip about the goings-on in the manor and the village. Who was having sex with whom behind whose back, and whatnot. Because I didn’t know any of them, it all seemed like some sort of wild, outlandish, crazed fairy tale, but standing amongst multiple pairs and piles of silvers as naked as the day they were born fills me with rage.Has Rivern been doing this with her?
The bond sends a walling pain through my heart, making me whine. As much as I’m sure he hates the idea of Gideon holding me firmly against his chest, Rivern steps into my embrace, giving me the answer he knows I need. “I have not touched her, love. She kissed me one time. That is all.”
I squint my eyes at his pooling violets. Kind, soft eyes that whisper only promises of the truth—our truth. Around us, flickering lights from bronzed sconces littering our path highlight the curved, intricate pieces of gold that curl around the sides of his face. “She kissed you?”
Grasping my hips, he leans our foreheads against each other. “It was a horrible mistake, and I will regret it every day of our existence. The only lips I want or need on my body are yours.”
His confession is paramount to a slap in the face. The image of Moyrie kissing Rivern is too much. I want to shrink inward, licking the wounds forged anew on my heart and our straining bond. However, Rivern does not let me. Instead, his hard body presses into my front asmy back is forced into the formidable wall that is Gideon behind me, reminding me of my fight.
“Do you hear me, Dove? It’s only you, forever.” Rivern’s face is in mine again, desperately searching for something. Something I don’t know I can give him right now. “I want you above all others. I don’t care what my mother does. I will protect you. I will take you away if I must. I don’t want to be a prince if it means I lose you. Fuck it all. I love you.”
Love.
A word I’ve longed to hear for what seems like an eternity, but pushed aside due to the pain of losing the only person who meant anything to me. Now, that word is a lilting melody out of perfectly carved fae lips—the humans’ enemy—and I couldn’t be more ecstatic, the bond humming along happily at the admission.
I can no longer ignore his pleas of sorry. We are here now, and he is mine. I will not let past mistakes destroy this.
“I have not participated in any customs of the Silver Sands people. I’ve been telling Moyrie how I need to find you. She never understands me, though. Before you showed up, I was on the precipice of taking Mage and following the bond to you…” Rivern’s breath is ragged, his words unrestrained.
Unable to resist him, I lunge, wrapping my arms around his neck. Everything within me sings to hear his confession. To think that only several turns ago, I did not want this bond. I couldn’t fathom it. I was happy being self-sufficient.No, not happy.I was just surviving until he came along. Until they all came along and ruined my plans of dying. If Gideon had just brought me to the king like he was supposed to, I would probably be kindling right now.
I’m still a broken shell, but slowly, this connection is mending not only my heart but my soul. I nuzzle into Rivern’s neck with my nose, feeling his tanned skin brighten my awareness of all the sensations within my body. I’ve somehow managed to climb the tall fae, and find myself clinging to his form, snuggling and grinding on his torso as the need within my core comes roaring back to life.
Just one thing is missing.I don’t want to think of it.
Ignoring the niggling bond strings constantly tugging at my heart, I focus on the prince before me.
“Let me take care of you, my love.” Rivern rubs his gloriously tender hands over my silk dress, my body melting for him.
“Always,” I whisper back.
five
Dove
Withourcombinedneedfilling my senses and the wriggling and moaning surrounding us in the narrow streets of the sands, I can’t help but start grinding along Rivern’s waist. Both Rivern and Gideon groan “fuck” at the same time.
“Let’s go.” The choked words move around us. We follow Gideon to where Moyrie has stopped by an open-curtained doorway to converse with another one of her species. Gideon addresses her, his face stern, unwilling to let his need slip. She grabs his arm. At the full grip of her fingers on his muscles and the leer of her white-toothed smile, my body locks up in Rivern’s arms.
