I lean my forehead against hers.
“I’m not reading your thoughts, little moth, or sifting around in your mind,” I murmur quietly. “Not truly. The bond between us is beginning to strengthen. I can only sense your emotions… your fears, your hopes, and your uncertainty.”
Her breath catches.
“That is still quite unsettling,” she whispers.
“Yes, I suppose it is,” I admit, knowing how fiercely she still wishes to escape me. “What about you? Can you sense my thoughts and emotions?”
“Yes, though I’m not sifting around in your mind either. It just keeps happening, even though I wish it wouldn’t.”
For a moment, I simply hold her there, allowing the sounds of the awakening forest to settle around us. Squirrels and chipmunks scamper amid the branches, and somewhere deeper in the trees, a pair of magpies perform a cheerful duet.
I draw back to better meet Isabel’s gaze. All around us, the glimmer of ussha clings to the leaves and vines like scattered starlight, bathing her in vibrant, magic-infused rays. My heart quickens. Gods, she is a rare beauty. And she is a rare, sweet soul.
“As I searched for you, I was eventually able to sense your location,” I say. “I followed the tug of the bond, and it led me to find you in the forest. I sensed you were somewhere below, very close; then I heard your scream.”
Surprise flickers across her face, but some of the tension in her shoulders eases. She relaxes further in my arms, and her hands roam lightly over my chest, her fingers running circles over my leather shirt.
“Might I remind you that if it weren’t for the bond, I would’ve never been in the dangerous, ussha-blessed forest in the first place,” she says with a hint of reproach, though there’s also the faintest trace of a smile.
“You speak as if I’m responsible for the bond. But it’s the gods who’ve decreed that we are meant to be together. I cannot break the bond, just as you cannot sever it.” I brush my lips against her ear. “Our mating union is inevitable. Eventually, you will surrender to me.”
A little gasp leaves her, and when I pull back, I admire the fresh tinge of pink that covers her face.
“You are adorable when you blush, Isabel. I believe I shall endeavor to make you blush more.”
She narrows her eyes at me and presses her lips together, but there’s no hiding her burgeoning need and the achiness that’s growing between her thighs. I easily sense her desire through the bond. I also sense her internal struggle to tamp it down, though her efforts are unsuccessful.
I smile at her, then press a soft kiss on her forehead. Her warm breath caresses my face as I straighten.
I tighten my hold on her, keeping one arm beneath her knees, the other braced around her waist.
It’s time to leave.
Time to begin our journey.
The Winter Court army and my responsibilities as King Theron’s top commander await, yet as I hold Isabel close, the significance of every other expectation in my life begins to fade. At this moment, nothing feels as important as she does. Because she is my mate. And I will always revere her above all others and place her needs before all else.
I bend my knees slightly and tuck my wings back, then I launch upward. The clearing drops away beneath us in a blur of lush greenery and multicolored glimmers as my wings beat hard against the morning air, carrying us above the forest canopy and toward the distant horizon.
Holding my mate close, I fly north.
CHAPTER 11
ISABEL
I’m flyingthrough the sky with a handsome fae lord.
Though this isn’t my first time flying with Gideon, something about it feels new. Perhaps that’s because it’s daylight and I have a better view of the landscape—when I feel brave enough to peek out from his arms—but it’s also the knowledge that we are bound for the Winter Court army. He’s taking me away from my people, away from my father and the only life I’ve ever known.
What if… what if I never escape him?
As he flies over strange mountains, forests, lakes, towns, and other landmarks I’ve never glimpsed before, I begin to feel more and more uncertain about the future. When I lean into the bond, I experience glimmers of peace and belonging. But the second that contentment falls over me, I’m quick to pull myself away.
Gideon’s thoughtfulness doesn’t help either. He pauses frequently to give me breaks or to show me a particularly beautiful landmark. He picks berries and nuts for me, and for lunch he cooks a freshly caught fish over a fire. The ease with which he can catch a fish in a wide, roaring river with his barehands leaves me stunned, and I can’t say I’m not impressed by his skill in preparing the fish and quickly building the fire. Though he’s a highborn lord, he knows how to live off the land. I suppose that’s why the pack he carries is rather light.
Though he flies slowly, the roar of the wind and his beating wings are still loud enough that it makes talking difficult, so we don’t converse very much while in the sky. That, of course, leaves me with plenty of time to think. Too much time, if I’m being honest. I long to clear my mind and push Gideon away from my thoughts entirely, but it’s impossible when he’s holding me close.
