“I think I would really like to kiss you... Your lips look very soft. You’ve been with hundreds of women, haven’t you?” I ramble, and I cannot for the fucking life of me stop the words from falling from my mouth. “You probably have a really big?—”
Kael splutters a cough, cutting me off.
“Alright, alright—time for sleep,” he laughs, reaching for me. He leans in, smirking. “And yes—it’s huge.” He smiles, completelyunrestrained. It’s the first time I’ve seen him smile like this, and I like being the cause of it.
“Hold me,” I blurt, the words spilling out before I can stop them. “I’m... so cold.” My hand wipes at my brow, slick with sweat, trembling as I shiver against the heat burning in my veins.
Kael’s expression shifts, the teasing glimmer in his eyes replaced by something deeper, more serious. He hesitates for a heartbeat before moving closer, his arms sliding around me with a careful strength that makes my chest tighten.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, his voice impossibly gentle. His breath is warm against my temple, steady and grounding, yet it sends a shiver racing down my spine.How could someone feel so safe and so dangerous all at once?
The warmth of his embrace seeps into me, chasing away the chill in my veins. My head rests against his chest plate, the rhythmic thud of his heartbeat steadying the chaos in my mind. For a moment, the world feels safe.
“Here,” he says softly, reaching for something at his side. “Chew this. It’ll dull the pain and help you sleep.”
He presses a piece of lunabark root to my lips, and I obediently take it.
“Kael...” I mumble, my voice trailing off as the root takes hold. “You smell nice. Like how I’d imagine a rainforest. Warm, earthy... safe.”
His arms tighten around me, just slightly, as he murmurs, “Rest, El. I’ll keep you safe.” His warmth is overwhelming, like a raging fire in the dead of winter, and yet the chill clinging to my skin refuses to release me.
The weight of his words settles over me, heavy and comforting. My eyelids flutter closed, the heat and the ache in my body softening as darkness pulls me under once more. Somewhere in the fading edges of my awareness, I swear I feel his lips brush the top of my head, feather-light, before everything fades to black once more.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ELYSSARA
We packup in tense silence, smoke still clinging to the air. My thighs ache from nonstop riding, the leather saddle rubbing them raw. The lunabark has nearly worn off, leaving only sharper pain behind.
Therion leads the way, as always.Grumpy bastard. Ronyn and Seren follow, their voices a soft hum of conversation ahead, and Kael and I bring up the rear.
It’s quiet at first, save for the rhythmic plodding of the horses’ hooves. But I can feel him. Smirking. Watching. Even without turning around, I know his insufferable grin is etched across his smug face.
I spin around in the saddle, my irritation bubbling over. “What is it?”
“Why so agitated, Lightborne?” he smirks. “Is it my symmetrical face? Or my big shoulders?”
The blood rushes to my cheeks so fast it’s dizzying.Fucking Stars.It wasn’t a dream.
I scramble for composure, praying the heat on my face isn’t as obvious as it feels. I opt for feigned ignorance as my tactic, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Well,” he drawls, leaning forward slightly as if to share some great secret, “if it wasn’t my symmetrical face, or my big shoulders, or my soft lips,” he starts gesturing towards his groin, pressed into my ass in the saddle, and punctuates the gesture by raising his eyebrows, “Perhaps it was my really big?—”
“Oh my Stars, enough!” I cut him off, my voice louder than I intend, as I throw my hands up to cover my face. My fingers dig into my temples as if I can erase the memory of whatever ridiculous nonsense I spewed at him last night.
Behind me, Kael laughs, deep and rich, the sound rolling through the forest like a rumble of thunder. It’s the sort of laugh that demands attention, that feels both infuriatingly smug and impossibly warm.
“Don’t worry, El,” he says, his voice softer now, though the teasing edge remains. “I found it... endearing.”
I groan, pulling my hands from my face to glare at him over my shoulder. “I was... delirious,” I scoff. “Obviously.”
He grins, his gaze locked on mine, and for a moment, something flickers there—something that makes my heart stutter. But then it’s gone, replaced by his usual playful arrogance.
Ahead, I hear Ronyn snicker. “Having fun back there?”
I narrow my eyes, ready to retort, but Seren’s quiet voice interrupts, her tone equal parts teasing and concerned. “Your cheeks are quite flushed, El. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine!” I snap, a little too quickly, and both of them exchange a knowing glance. Ronyn’s grin widens, and I swear I hear him whisper,“Symmetrical.”
