Salty tears flow down my cheek as he bends to kiss me. “One day, my Rose. One day, I will have you unbound. I will sheathe myself inside you and never leave.” His hand glides up to my stomach. “And I’ll fill you with my seed as many times as it takes.”
The thought has me whimpering with sadness and desire all at once. “Yes, yes.Yes.” My words descend into chaos as he moves the object, slowly at first, letting every cold inch touch my inner walls. But his speed increases as I adjust to the size, and the length of it slides in and out in the most delicious rhythm.
“How are you not …” I gasp, tears streaking down my face. “God, Kel, how am I the only one coming undone? You’ve untethered me from the earth.”
He keeps pumping the icicle in and out, my whole body thrashing. His eyes flash as he growls, “Trust me, it is not without great difficulty. But my will to watch you come in my arms is strong.”
The bed is soaked between us, from the melting ice and my own warmth. He pulls his hand away, the ice dildo diminished. He raises a brow and tosses it to the floor. “I could remake it, but I think I’d rather feel you writhe around my hand.”
With that, he shoves two fingers inside me. “Oh, yes, Kel. Yes.” The heat of his hand compared to the ice has me seizing. I grip his face madly, seeing the passion in his features.
I’m yours.The thought explodes through our bond. It’s so much stronger now that I know his truth. Know why he kept himself away. But this thought has always been there:I’m yours, I’m yours.
He pulls me into a kiss. “My Rose, my love.”
My storm crests in a cascade of pleasure, muscles clenching around his fingers. He softly strokes me through wave after wave of it.
We fall together on the bed, and he clutches me tight to him. “You’re still here,” he murmurs. “I knew Ez was right, but still I worried the pure euphoria of my pleasure would be enough to trigger the bargain, even without a physical release.”
I can’t help but laugh in his arms while the starlight still flickers through me. “Fae bargains, so dramatic.”
He brushes the hair from my brow and kisses my forehead. “Now that I know what we’re capable of, Rosalina, it is only the beginning.”
I grasp his hand. “Until one day.”
He squeezes back. “One day.”
69
Rosalina
The sun is shining through Castletree, and it seems a mockery of the sadness that gripped it two nights ago. Ezryn’s waiting for me in the entrance hall so we can return through the mirror to Keep Hammergarden.
But I can’t leave yet. Not with the way things are.
My mind has been eerily quiet. I know it’s Farron giving me the space I asked for, but I can’t stand it anymore. Can’t stand the pain I put him through or the pain he put me through. Our words have always been weapons; I just never thought we’d wield them at each other.
I open the door to the library and peer inside. Farron’s sitting at a desk, examining a stack of papers. Dayton leans near him, wearing only trousers.
You’re not my mate.The words had edges, gouging me open. But he’s right. I was so angry, it was easy to find something to be angry about. And my jealousy—my grief at losing Dayton to someone else—was so close to the surface. I can’t blame Dayton for telling the truth.
They both look up at me as I enter. Dayton slaps Farron on the back and mumbles something to him. Then he heads my way.
He moves as if to pass, but I reach out and snag his wrist. Our eyes meet.
The air ripples with the unspoken words.I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.
But instead, I say, “You know.”
“I know,” he responds, voice a low rumble. “And you know.”
“I know.”
Taking a deep inhale, I let the moment ripple through me. This is how things are with Dayton. Never said, always felt.
He smiles. “Give him hell, Rose. He’s less fragile than he looks.”
I snort, but Dayton’s soft expression sends a jolt of energy through me. I turn to watch him walk from the library.
