CHAPTER 27
VIVIENNE
It’s been two days since my courses finally ended, thank the gods. Auren says we only have a few more days of travel left, and I’m eager to reach our destination. Although I’m not sure what his home will be like, I do know for certain it has a real bed, at least four walls, and a roof.
I can hardly wait to sleep on a mattress again and take a long hot bath. For now, I’m thankful, at least, for the river nearby. It feels lovely to be clean after a long day of travel.
Sitting before the fire, I wring my hair to get the last of the moisture from the long strands and then take a seat on a fallen log while I wait for Auren to return from bathing in the river as well.
Vaelen has gone off to hunt, but Auren asked him to remain close to camp, so I’m sure he’s not very far from here.
When Auren returns from the river, he’s dressed in only his soft knit pants. Before I can stop myself, my gaze travels over his broad shoulders, the thick cords of muscle that wrap around hisarms and the hard planes of his chest as he pulls a fresh tunic over his head.
A cool breeze blows through the woods and I shiver slightly. Auren notices immediately and drapes his heavy cloak around my shoulders, wrapping me up in warmth and his delicious masculine scent.
Just that extra bit of care he gives me makes something tighten in my chest.
Auren crouches beside the fire, feeding it more wood, his sharp features highlighted in the flickering firelight. "Is that better?"
I nod, but the warmth settling inside me has nothing to do with the flames. "Thank you."
His lips twitch. "I live only to serve, my beautiful wife."
I stop short of rolling my eyes, and arch a teasing brow. "Well, if that’s true, then perhaps we can find an inn tomorrow so I won’t have to sleep on the hard ground like a barbarian.”
His laughter is a low rumble of amusement that makes heat curl low in my belly.
I feign a scowl. "It seems my suffering brings you joy."
He flashes a teasing grin. “Immeasurable joy.”
I’m unsettled by how much I enjoy this easy back-and-forth between us… the way he takes my sharp edges and softens them with nothing but his handsome smile and his voice. And even though I enjoy my independence, I must admit that I like when he takes care of me.
A soft sigh escapes me as I study his face. I don’t know when it happened… when noticing him stopped being something I resisted and has now become something I cannot seem to stop.
“I’ll set up the tent,” he says.
“I can help,” I offer. He’s done so much for me over the past few days. I want to do something for him.
Auren glances up at me, something unreadable in his gaze. “You could. But you’re still shivering.” His insufferable smirk returns. “And like any good husband, it is my honor to care for my lovely wife.”
I mock glare at him, fighting back a smile as he winks and then rises to his feet. I watch as he sets up our tent, studying his aristocratic nose and chin, the sharp lines of his jaw, the way his dark hair falls across his forehead, and his piercing blue eyes.
I shouldn’t be staring, but I can’t help it.
Last night, I woke, wrapped in his arms, his breath steady and warm against my temple. I tried to convince myself to pull away, but instead I allowed myself to melt into him… to let myself pretend, just for a little while, that this is permanent between us.
I still have a few weeks left to decide if I’ll stay… if I’ll choose him. I’m ashamed to admit that the choice might be easier if he were a prince or a high lord. But he’s a soldier, and I’m not sure what sort of life that might be.
A sharp pull moves through me as I think of how he makes me feel so safe and wanted, even in sleep. And I want that again, tonight. But I’m not sure how to ask.
Maybe I won’t. Perhaps I can simply pretend to be asleep, let myself roll against him, and allow him to pull me close. Just for warmth. That’s all.
He grabs the blankets and furs from our satchel, and disappears into the tent to arrange our bedding, while I wait by the fire.
A strange shimmer in the forest mist catches the corner of my eye, but it’s gone when I turn toward it. Unease moves through me as the memory of my nightmare… of those golden eyes, flickers at the edge of my mind, watching and waiting. I shake my head, forcing the terrifying images away.
The glistening light reappears, barely visible in the shadows. It brightens, then slowly morphs into a pale green glow hovering just beyond the reach of the fire. I’ve never seen a pixie before, and I wonder if that’s what it is.
