I spin. Wavering before me are Rosalina and Ezryn. They’ve got their arms around each other.
The strangest joy blooms in my body at seeing my best friend holding my mate so protectively. I realize I haven’t even been worried about her; I knew she was with him, knew he would protect her as fiercely as I ever could.
A deep desire to get closer to them cuts through everything else. I drop my drinks and stagger toward Ez, clasping his hard shoulders, feeling his solid weight support me.
I’m so happy he’s here. He’s never here. He loves to leave. Because he hates Castletree. Hates me. But he always comes back.
“Ez, I missed you.” I think I might be speaking loudly, but it doesn’t matter. I place a kiss on the front of his metal helm. Still using him as support, I lean down to the woman wrapped around his waist.
She blinks up at me, the most adorable expression on her face. I’ll kiss her, too. I snatch her jaw, and she sighs, the sound igniting my body.
No.I pull away from her, my eyes cutting across the courtyard to the staircase of thorns.I’ll never let him have her.
“I think he had more drinks while we were gone,” Rosalina says.
Ezryn gives a deep sigh. “I’ve never seen him this drunk.”
“I’m perfectly fine,” I tell them. But my words don’t have the desired effect because Rosalina giggles.
“We’ve stayed long enough.” Ez tightens his grip on me and the three of us are moving. It must look odd to an outsider that Ezryn is dragging two stumbling people through the party. I’m sure I could walk if I wanted to, but I happen to like leaning on him.
The familiar glowing branches of the willow tree rustle, and Ezryn deposits us on the soft cushions. I topple down, somehow finding myself on my back and Rosalina lands beside me, her hair falling in dark waves. She has one leg up, and the skirt melts away, revealing her beautiful thigh, the smooth curve of her calf.
I want to taste every inch of her body.
“Keldarion.” Ezryn’s harsh voice cuts through my hazy mind, and I blink up to see him standing above us. “Where are Dayton and Farron?”
I search through the clouds of my mind. “I think they went to find somewhere to fuck.”
“Of course they did.” Ezryn sighs. “Where?”
I shrug.
“I’ll find them, and then it’s time to go. We’ve more than fulfilled Farron’s bargain,” Ezryn says. “Rosalina, you’re in charge.”
She sits up, nodding obediently. “So, I can boss Kel around?”
“Do whatever you wish. Just do not leave here. Understand?”
She smiles and nods, and he gently bends to caress her cheek, then turns to me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“When have I ever done that?”
After another long sigh, Ezryn leaves Rosalina and me alone.
And I’m certain it was him who did something stupid.
“Ez left me in charge,” Rosalina purrs, and she draws nearer to where I’m still sprawled on the pile of cushions.
Her beautiful breasts are covered only in inky thorns. Her knees push through the panels of her skirt with each movement. And I know there’s nothing between that bit of fabric and her pussy.
A deep groan rumbles through me at the thought. She is perfection. The night she came into my room, sensing my pleasure, was the first time I ever glimpsed her truly bare. Every part of me ached to touch her, to bury myself inside her and never leave.
I know the mating bond makes her crave me too. Makes her crave a monster. And each day it’s getting harder not to give in to this need.
She rests her head on my shoulder, pressing the softness of her breasts against my side. One leg drapes over mine.
“Ez said I could do anything I wanted to you,” she whispers.
