“You could try adding a please,” Orion continues, and flashes Draven a devilish smirk. “That might help.”
Draven flexes his hand, but before he can retort, Isera saunters over from somewhere on my left.
“You’re one to talk,” she says to Orion as the both of us reach the rest of them at the same time. There is a small smirk on her lips as she arches an eyebrow. “Or are you just jealous that Draven actually gets people to obey his orders while you have fruitlessly told me that I will submit to you how many times now?”
His eye glints in wicked delight as he shifts his gaze to Isera. “Careful with that tongue, little viper.”
“Careful with your commands, pretty boy. Or one of these days, I’ll show you exactly what I can do with this tongue.”
“Oh, I look forward to it.”
“Sure about that? Because that day, you will beg.”
“For you, I just might.”
Surprise pulses across Isera’s face, and whatever retort she had been about to give never makes it past her lips as a hint of red instead flushes her cheeks.
“Ready to go?” I say in order to save her from trying to recover before Orion can spot the faint blush. Though based on the way his eye glitters, he already has.
Isera quickly clears her throat and snaps her gaze away from Orion.
“Yeah, we’re ready,” Lyra replies with a grin. “We were just waiting for the two of you.”
“Alright then,” I smile back at her. “Let’s go get the Soul of Trees.”
After looking to Draven, who gives her a nod, she jogs towards a more open space a little to our right so that she won’t crush us with her dragon form when she shifts.
While she does that, I grab Draven by the arm and pull him with me a couple of steps away from the others. He follows but raises his eyebrows in silent question.
“Are you okay?” I ask, keeping my voice low.
The tether of magic that I braided into our mate bond yesterday is still there, sharing half of my addiction to magic with Draven. I’m fine. In fact, I’m better than ever. This level of craving is so far below what I’m used to battling that it no longer bothers me at all. But Draven didn’t used to have any of these feelings, so I’m worried that such a prolonged exposure to this urge will be hard for him.
I flick a pointed look towards his chest. “With what my magic is doing to you?”
His golden eyes soften when he realizes what I’m asking, and what I’m worried about. Lifting his hand, he draws his fingers along my jaw before brushing his thumb over my cheekbone.
“Yes, I’m okay, little rebel,” he answers. “I promise.”
And I can hear the sincerity in both his voice and his words. But I still can’t help but push.
“You don’t feel any of it?” I ask. “At all?”
“Oh, I feel it.”
Worry crackles through me, and my mouth drops open.
A sly smile spreads across his face as he slides his thumb over my bottom lip. “But not in the way you think. Or the way you do, I suspect.”
“What do you mean?”
“I feel a constant craving. But since I can’t crave the feeling of your magic, because I have no idea what it feels like, I instead just crave… you.”
I blink at him in surprise.
He slides his hand down to my throat and moves closer. “And I already wanted you, all the fucking time, before this additional urge was added.” His hand rests around my throat, keeping it in a firm grip. “So now…”
Heat flickers through me, and I lick my lips before prompting, “Now?”
