“My lady.” My voice grew even more gravelly than usual. The scent of my disagreeable nature filled the air. The tiny hairs along my neck and trailing down my back raised as a curious feeling overcame me. As if she enjoyed the scent my emotions created, she gave a sniff at the sudden sharp tang I could literally taste, blinked, sniffed again, and her eyes took on a strange, faraway look.
My brow furrowed as I attempted to puzzle that out. My hand tingled in hers. Her eyes were starting to look glazed as I put some of my magicks behind attempting to mask it. If anything, the scent grew so strong it was suffocating. And now I was the one feeling glassy eyed and a little piqued. I was unsure how this was happening. I was tempted to roll down a window for ventilation. My body was betraying me? Now? Contemplating this, I froze when she leaned in, bold as a fire loiga and feisty as one, licking her lips, before pressing her mouth to mine.
Magicks literally sparked from my shoulders, the tingling awareness of it washing over me. She did that to me. I’d never been more eager to be mauled in my life, until now.
The taste of her burst on my mouth as her lips parted, her little pink tongue darting out to taste. Feminine hands slid over my shoulders. She clung to me, short, blunt fingernails digging into my flesh through my tunic. She was leaving her mark. A tiny little mewl of protest left her when I didn’t immediately reciprocate her amorous gestures. I was stunned stupid, as the Plant boy had taught me the wordings of. I was learning the new terms. I was not so old so as not to be taught new things—that phrasing was ridiculous, but one was never too old for anything. I’d never felt it apply to me until this moment.
Despite how strong I could tell she was, my sunshine was still fragile. I had no desire to scare her off. I wanted her here and, once here and in my arms, there for good. Once I had her and she’d claimed me, that was it—she’d never be able to escape me. She was mine, and once we were bonded, she’d feel the vehemence of my claim.
My hands slid around her, hesitantly at first, but then her tongue darted into my mouth to meet mine and my hands slid up her back and tightened. A soft, breathy moan left her as our tongues tangled and my fingers dug into her shoulders. One long, needy moan from my little Queen was all it took and I broke.
With a rumble leaving me that rattled us both, I jerked her to me roughly, until she was pressed against me, her hands slapping to my thighs for leverage.
“Mine,” I muttered, curling my hands around her back until I was banding her to me. Taking over when she didn’t protest, the sweet smell of her arousal swelling at my rough handling, I ate at her lips. I wanted to devour her, taste every inch of her until she knew without question who was hers, to whom she would be forever bound. I found myself acting a great beast, but thank curses she was enjoying it. “Mine,” I muttered louder, more vehemently, between quickly heating kisses.
My little Queen muttered, “Fuck it,” and practically crawled into my lap. Her hands were everywhere. My length swelled, pressing against my breeches hard enough to hurt, in search of her heat.
A grunt left me as her knee jammed into my inner thigh. I was not small by any means. Large as my chosen transport may be, there just wasn’t enough room.
“I must ease your hunger first,” I grumbled out between kisses. “You must come inside with me and allow me to-”
Jerking back, my little mate let out an impatient noise and clapped a hand over my mouth. “Baby, look, less talking and more dry humping in the dirty old van, huh?”
My brow drew down until I was just shy of scowling, about to protest her thoughts on my van’s cleanliness, but as if guessing my thoughts, she shook her head.
“Nuh-uh.” Leaning in, removing her hand, she slammed her lips to mine in a fiery kiss that had our teeth clashing. She grunted as the tang of blood tinged our lips but she didn’t let up in her assault.
I was so turned on I forgot why I’d been trying to ease her into all of this. I was drunk on my bonded.
“My sunshine,” I muttered against her bloodied lips. My blood. Shoving a hand into her hair, curling my thick fingers in it, I gently pried her from my mouth. My head dipped as she squirmed in my lap, her soft lips parting to mewl out a protest. My lips latched onto her neck then. Her breath caught as I nipped at the spot playfully, and then her tiny little hands were everywhere. My tunic was lifted, the coolness of her hands on my warm flesh sending goosed flesh erupting all over me. Those little hands absorbed my warmth, as if to zap it from me, sending my body into a riotous frenzy. Sliding those tiny hands over my upper chest, she found my nipples and the small bars piercing them and plucked at them. My cock jerked as if to request special attention. A deep, needy noise left me. Her hips shifted and she boldly gyrated against me.
A groan rumbled up my chest, even as I got a hold of myself and pulled back. I knew what madness was to be wrought from this. I wanted my sunshine forever, not for a day. She was such a standoffish thing. It was not unreasonable of me to assume she would grow skittish after such early intimacies in our courtship and try to flee me.
“Wait.” The word left my lips in a gruff burst. It took everything in me to say it, when it was the last thing I wished to do.
“Wait?” Pulling back slightly, a hint of rejection flashing in her expressive eyes, sending her brow crinkling, she halted her advances.
Feeling like I’d just pulled the rug up from under my goddess of the glowing rays, I swallowed thickly but proceeded with caution, “I do not wish to simply be a male you’ve partaken of.” Cupping her face, smoothing my thumbs over her soft, supple skin, my lips touched hers. “My Queen… I would be your everything and settle for nothing less.” Before she could form a response, I attempted to steal her next breath.
Breaking apart, gasping for air, she blurted, “Bond to me, Segrid.” She didn’t sound so eager to bond with me so much as her tone struck me as fearful, almost tearful, frantic for a solution. Or perhaps I was growing paranoid in my worryings.
The need to save her from what she thought dogged her, whatever it may be, warred with my need to wait until my sunshine was ready to claim and be claimed. It was a conundrum.
My brow furrowed as I stared at her. Unable to control my reaction, my countenance fell. I wanted my sunshine to cleave to me because she chose me, but would I find I had another chance? She may leave me, I knew, and quite possibly planned to the first chance she could no matter how the next turn of events unfolded. Did I allow us to form a bond knowing she wished to be rid of me shortly after and risk dying alone and without her, or worse, being alone and without her with no bond in place to assist her in battling her dreamwalking demons?
Those beguiling blue-green eyes bore into me. She was looking for a hero in all of this, not a life companion. This wasn’t necessarily as I would have liked but I wasn’t an unreasonable male.
I needed to be what she needed of me. The answer smacked me harder than Mum ever could have walloped me one.
I was nothing if not infinitely patient when it came to the things I wished most.
A treasure worth coveting, is never an easy feat.Da’s words came to me then and I let out a deep breath. I’d trade all the gold and magicks, every last one of my pretties in my chests in The Helm for my Queen—that was how I knew she was the one.
“Is that what you wish?” I asked of my lady of sunshine.
Her lips parted as if she fully intended to answer me, to vocalize her wishes, yet she halted before she could speak. Licking her lips, she nodded and leaned in, as if she thought I meant to ravish her right here and now.
Jerking her to me tight, I planted one on her, a heavy, hearty kiss to hold her over.
