And with that, she flew.
Her body clenched and spasmed around his as she let out a shuddering moan and writhed beneath him. And as she did, he let go of his control, pumping into her hard and fast, his fingers clasped tightly around hers as they exploded into a shattering release together.
He rolled them to the side and she lay, tingling and flushed in his arms as they slowly came back to earth. The room was musty with the scent of sex and sweat, and her body still throbbed deliciously as he pulled a blanket over her and wrapped his arms and wings around her so that they could lie quietly together, lost in each other.
Eventually he climbed out the bed and found a jug of water in the corner of the room, wet a washcloth, and came back to wipe her clean before climbing back into the bed beside her.
Alanna drifted in a warm glow of love and release. She had never felt so replete or so much joy.
Val dropped a gentle kiss to her forehead. “We should talk about everything that happened today. And about tomorrow.” His voice rumbled against her ear.
They should, but she didn’t want to. There were too many things to be afraid of, and she didn’t want to take away from the beauty of what they’d shared.
“Mmm,” she agreed sleepily. “Let’s think about it in the morning, not now.”
He lay quietly, running his fingers through her cropped hair, and she thought he might argue, but instead he pressed another kiss to her forehead. “Okay. In the morning.”
“I love you, Val,” she mumbled.
He might have answered, but she was already asleep.
Chapter Eighteen
Val woke to a loud thump,his entire body immediately alert.
Alanna stirred beside him, soft and warm, her short hair falling untidily over her face in pale golden curls. The gentle pattering of the fountain outside was now accompanied by the first birdcalls before dawn, but otherwise the room was silent. The thump had come from outside.
He slid from the bed and quickly stepped into his leather breeches before pulling his knife from his boot just as whoever it was banged on the door again.
Alanna lifted her head sleepily, and he waved to her to get dressed as he made his way to the door, knife in hand. “Who is it?”
“It’s me, you idiot!”
What the fuck did Nim want?
He glanced over to see Alanna, still half asleep, trying to tie the front laces of her dress, and pulled the door open to let his sister into the room.
“Thank the gods, you’re up!” Nim flew into the room, scooped up Val’s shirt and threw it at him. “Quick. Put this on.”
He drew the shirt over his head and started pulling on his boots as Nim flew around the room, passing them both clothes, helping them to dress, and, bizarrely, clambering onto the unused bed and rolling around in the blankets, pulling and twisting them.
Someone thumped on the door again.
“Who is it?” Nim called quickly.
“Mathos.”
She tugged the door open and let in the squad’s second-in-command, pushing it closed again behind him. A flicker of burgundy scales ran along the length of Mathos’s arms and a tight muscle jumped in his jaw.
“What is it?”
Mathos ignored Val’s question. Instead he glanced at Nim and muttered, “Thirty seconds.” Then, hurrying Nim along in front of him, he strode to stand between Val and Alanna, took Alanna’s hand in his and brought it to his lips in a gallant kiss that made Val want to break his nose.
“What the actual—” Val never finished his sentence as the door smashed open and Blue Guards, closely followed by Clibanarii warriors flooded into the room and then spread apart to make room for Dornar and Ramiel.
The arrogant smile the new Lord High Chancellor entered with fell away as he pressed his lips together. His narrowed eyes raked them up and down with disdain and then lingered speculatively on Alanna.
Fuck, no.
