“Fuck you!” I shouted and kept walking.
A few of the Lords snickered.
“Is Ember the only one with any sense here?” a new voice roared.
It was General Ranor, newly arrived and absolutely livid. He stomped past me to glare at all the men, not just Rath and Xae. “You are Wraith Lords, not a bunch of common ruffians! You are supposed to hold yourselves to a higher standard. The enemy is out there, you fools!” He pointed behind himself, toward the gate. “We don't bring our grievances to the training yard and work through them with our fists. That only leads to division among us, and we cannot be divided. The war is more important than whatever petty bullshit this is!”
The men looked down at their feet like a bunch of chastised children. Most of them murmured, “Sorry, General.”
“Do noteverlet me catch you fighting each other like that again!” the General roared. “If I do, I will be the one you fight next. Am I clear?”
“Yes, Sir,” everyone said.
“Now, shake hands.”
Rath and Xae grudgingly shook hands.
The General grunted. I did too, then I turned and walked away. The General lecturing them didn't change anything for me. I was still furious.
I heard footsteps coming my way and spun to find Xaedren rushing up to me. He came to a stop and lowered his gaze, looking sheepish, even more so than he'd been with the General. But that wasn't what got through to me. It was the way his hands shook and how his chest moved rapidly with his anxious breaths.
“Yes?” I prompted.
“I'm sorry. I should have listened to you.” Xae met my stare. “Forgive me?”
I softened immediately. Holding out a hand, I said, “Always.”
Xaedren grinned, the motion making his lip bleed, and took my hand.
I winced. “Come on, honey. Let's get you cleaned up.”
“I'll be fine.” He squeezed my hand. “All of this will heal by dinner.”
“So, you don't want me to tend your wounds?”
Xaedren's expression turned sensual. “Always.”
As we walked away, I glanced back to see Rath staring after us, his expression forlorn and shoulders fallen. My heart broke at the sight, but I had made my choice, just as he had. I wouldn't let Rath bully Xae simply because he changed his mind about me. That was Rath's problem, not Xae's.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I tended to Xaedren's wounds, then he tended to me. All night. He even stayed the night in my room—a first for him. Previously, when we spent the night together, I slept in his room. I liked having him in my bed, but it didn't matter to me where we slept, as long as it was together. I was quickly getting used to having his large body beside mine during the night, warming and comforting me. Making me feel safe. But it was morning now.
“Xae, I've got to get up. If I'm not in the dining hall in fifteen minutes, Rath will come looking for me.” I pushed at Xaedren's chest, but he didn't budge—his body remained above mine, pinning me in place.
“I don't give a fuck,” Xae said just before he kissed me.
His cock was a hard, demanding presence against my balls, and his hips had my thighs wedged apart. As I groaned into his mouth, he slipped a hand between us. First, he gave my dick a few strokes, then he wandered lower, past my sacs, along the sensitive skin beneath, and to my entrance. It was already oiled from our escapades the night before. It had been so exhausting that we'd fallen asleep in my bed before I could think to get up and shower. So, his finger slipped into me easily, and he groaned to feel me squeeze him.
Breaking away from his devious lips, I panted, then said, “We can't.”
“Yes, we can, and we will.” Xae removed his finger from my ass, but only to move both hands under me, hooking his arms beneath my thighs to lift them, then pushing forward, taking me into his favorite position—my body bent nearly in two, ass lifted from the bed, and legs bent out to either side of him. “I need you. Will you accept me?”
It was an odd phrase and one he'd been using a lot. I approved fully of Xae's checking in with me, getting my approval before he entered. That was great. But it always felt like more than that, as if he were asking me to accept all of him, not just a certain part of his body in mine.
“Always,” I gave my usual approval, my stare holding his, showing him how much I loved him, as he liked to be shown. But he also knew I liked the words, so I added, “I love you, Xae. All of you.”
Xaedren grinned wickedly and a bit smugly. “I love you too, my Ember.” Then he slid into me, rocking gently despite my slickness. “Now, take my cock like a good boy.”
