As I recall his words, hope rises in my chest. I feel his affection for me now, a deep, soulful warmth that radiates straight from his heart.
I relax further in his arms, and I can’t help but squirm when his cock pulses beneath my ass, becoming larger. Harder.
I quickly decide to worry about the visions and what they might mean later. It’s a problem for tomorrow or the next day. Right now, I want to savor this closeness with King Theron.
No, just Theron.
He asked me to call him by his name, omitting his title, and that’s what I’ll keep doing all through the night.
His shaft continues to throb under my ass. We’re not done, I realize as my breath catches. We’re just getting started, and I’m certain we’ll be exploring one another’s bodies until the early light of morning spills through the balcony windows.
I feel so much tenderness for you, darling human, that sometimes my chest aches with the wanting of you, he says through our bond.
His confession is as shocking as it is pleasing.
And I decide to be honest. He just opened up to me, and now I will open up to him.
I feel tenderness for you too, Theron,I murmur down the tether.I don’t want to be considered your concubine or your pleasure slave, but… I do like the idea of belonging to you. Even though it’s a little scary. By the way, I never once, not even for a moment, truly hated you. I care about you, and I’m so fiercely drawn to you that I can’t help but wonder if it could be possible that…
That perhaps we are mates, he finishes for me.Yes, the thought has crossed my mind as well. As for being my concubine or my pleasure slave, I understand your reservations about such labels. I will admit that I once thoughtI would keep you as my concubine, but darling, you are so much more to me than that. You are mine. Just mine.
Tears burn in my eyes. I remain silent for a while as I process his words.
If I’m yours, I eventually say down the tether,will you ever grant me any freedoms? Or do you plan to keep me locked in your bedchamber for all eternity?
There’s a pause, and I glimpse images of his worries. He fears I’ll run away from him. Or that I’ll get hurt, perhaps by a fae creature. I don’t possess magic, so I cannot protect myself very well from the fae animals that will soon roam freely in the human and orc lands as ussha continues spreading. But also, he doesn’t quite trust everyone in the Winter Court. There are some who might try to use me to harm him.
“I don’t want you to feel trapped,” he says aloud. “Yet I cannot take any risks where your safety is concerned. Eventually… I will probably bring you to the Winter Court palace, and you will have the freedom of the castle grounds.” More images crash into my head, a glimpse of a recurring dream. He’s seated on the Winter Court throne in an opulent banquet hall, but the entire castle is empty, not a soul in sight, and the throne suddenly crumbles to dust beneath him.
“Where will you live when the Winter Court is finally gone?” Will I even still be alive then? This worry whispers through my head, a reminder that our lifespans will be very uneven. I haven’t asked him directly how old he is, but I once heard a traveling merchant proclaim that King Theron was over two thousand years old.
“I don’t know yet, darling human,” he replies in a distant, contemplative tone. “Perhaps one day I will build a grand castle in a new fae city somewhere in the north, close to an area with a high concentration of ussha, of course.” He nuzzles his face inmy hair again, placing another lingering kiss to the crown of my head.
His eyes blaze with warmth. Endless affection. It makes my throat burn anew.
Do I hope that we’re mates? And is it truly possible? It’s my understanding that highborn fae are rarely fated to full-blooded humans, though I’ve heard stories about it happening.
Guilt suddenly hits me when I think about Harry. I’d cared about him, and I mourn his death still. Yet what I feel for King Theron is so much more than I ever experienced with my late husband. It’s more intense. It’s more intimate. It’s a profound warmth, a connection that fills the quiet loneliness I’ve carried for years.
But if we are mates… won’t such a union end in tragedy? I’m twenty-two, and my lifespan won’t stretch for thousands of years like Theron’s.
A knowing look crosses the king’s face, and he gently strokes a hand through my hair.
He’s heard my most recent thoughts. My worries. The uncertainty that’s brimming in my heart.
He sends me waves of comfort through the bond, as well as a rush of affection.
“If we are mates, darling human, as long as we consummate our union and you remain with me, my winter magic would extend your lifespan. In fact, you would probably live as long as me. Thousands of years. Together.” He leans down to press a soft kiss to my lips.
My heart skitters, and shock ripples through me.
Are you certain?I ask down the tether.
Yes, I am certain.He kisses me again.But even if we are not mates, Helena. I am still keeping you. You are mine. Mine.
CHAPTER 24
THERON
