She sighs heavily and tosses a pillow down instead, smacking me in the face.
“So generous,” I tease.
She huffs. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,me'lira,” I murmur the term of endearment without thinking.
Her head lifts from the bed, eyes narrowing. “What did you just call me?”
“It’s a Dark Elf term. It means beloved—my heart.”
She flushes again, her lips parting before she quickly flops back onto the bed. “Don’t call me that,” she mutters.
“Why not?” I reply. “It’s true.”
She exhales sharply but says nothing.
I lie back, listening to the sound of her breathing becoming soft and even as she drifts off to sleep.
I glance up at her and smile to myself. We’ve pledged ourselves to each other before the gods. I am hers… and she is mine.I’m the luckiest male alive.
CHAPTER 6
VIVIENNE
My eyes snap open, and I blink several times as my vision slowly adjusts to the bright morning light spilling in through the nearby window. I shake my head, trying to clear the fog of sleep from my mind.
I just had the strangest dream that I married a Dark Elf.
Something tugs on my hand and reality comes crashing back in. It wasn’t a dream after all.
A green silk ribbon still binds my right wrist to his left, the knot slightly loosened from sleep, the fabric crinkled from where my fingers curled around his during the night.
I freeze as Auren stirs, stretching in a slow, languid motion before propping himself up on one elbow, his expression bright and easy. Far too awake for this ungodly hour.
His dark hair is tousled, a few strands falling over his forehead. My gaze travels over his bare chest, and the thick cords of muscle along his arms. Warmth flushes my skin as I study the taut ridges of his abdomen and the soft knit pants that stretch tight over muscular thighs.
I’ve seen images of male anatomy in books, but I’ve never been this close to a man partially clothed. Heat curls low in my belly as my gaze lingers on the unmistakable outline of his manhood. I swallow hard. It seems… much larger than I imagined.
“Good morning,” he says, and I gasp, realizing that I’ve been caught. A handsome smirk curls his lips as his eyes meet mine, as if he knows exactly how much his dangerously gorgeous body affects me.
I grit my teeth, furious at myself for even ogling him in the first place. It’s much too early in the morning for this. “Is it?”
He chuckles, the deep rumble sending an unwanted shiver down my spine. Not of fear, but of something else entirely. “Come on. We need to get up. We have a long journey ahead of us.”
I lift my head. “Journey?”
His lips twitch as if he enjoys watching me piece things together. I’m not sure I like that.
“To the Dark Elf Kingdom,” he replies matter-of-factly. “To Valethryn—my home.”
The weight of his words crashes over me, and I jerk up to sitting, the sheets pooling around my waist. “You mean we have to leave? Today?”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn’t you rather remain here?” I ask hopefully. “Live in the castle?”
His brows lift slightly. “Wouldn’t you prefer us to have our own home?”
