Sorin
Lace is so beautiful, but when she sleeps? The stress of the day falls away and peacefulness radiates from her form. She is the only thing making this cramped cave bearable. I hold her in the crook of my arm, her soft breaths echoing in my ear, her plush, soft pink lips open just a fraction.So fucking perfect. She shifts, nuzzling deeper into my hold and I hold back a groan. It feels amazing having her like this. To be touching her. Herbetrothal had me almost giving up on the thought of being this close to Lace but by fate or temporary insanity here we are.I cannot lose her now.I squeeze her a little closer.
My mind cannot help but wander back to earlier. Her soft ass in my hands. Her scent filling the room as she ground against my leg. My vines encircling her beautiful breasts.She felt so fucking good.My cock twitches, begging to be released and relieved of its frustration. I let my head fall back against the cave floor. Staring at the cave ceiling for a minute, I convince myself to let my eyes fall shut. If her powers did not choose that moment to show themselves, I know we would have gone much further. In a fucked way, I’m kind of glad for the cockblock. It was too much too fast, and she deserves to have her first time on a bed or, at the very least, not in a cave of all places. She’s so vulnerable right now and who’s to say her decisions aren’t being motivated by the fucking near death experience we just shared rather than her actual feelings towards me.
I pinch the bridge of my nose with the arm Lace is not currently using as a pillow. I can’t fuck this up. I have been in love with Lace for as long as I have known her. I vowed I would always protect her, would die for her if it came to it and that had nothing to do with her royal status. Not long after that I met Sam. Sam had already been a part of the king's guard then and he convinced me to join him as well. I used this as an opportunity to learn how to protect Lace with more than my status but with my body as well. I became a master assassin, my vines allowing me to sneak into small places and kill quietly and effectively. Once Sam was assigned to Lace he informed me he had a calling when it came to Lace and it only made sense to include him in my vow. If I break Lace’s heart, not only would I not be able to forgive myself, but Sam would kick my ass.As he should.My eyebrows furrow.I hope he is okay. Knowing Sam is out there alone in this place has me worried. I know he canhandle it. He is the one who trained me, but still lone missions are much more difficult, and neither of us know what danger this place holds.
Opening my eyes again, I glance back over at the stunning creature in my arms. It feels wrong to be pursuing Lace without talking to him. I twirl a piece of her hair in my fingers. I hope Lace’s upbringing will not close her mind to being with the both of us. We agreed we would both offer ourselves to her if given the chance. If she wanted us both? We were not opposed to the idea. Sam is already closer to me than anyone and sharing a woman is not out of our realm of experience. We promised each other we would make it work. Lace deserves all those her soul sings for. If her prophecy holds any truth at all she will need an army to stand by her, and who better than those completely devoted? We refuse to limit her, especially when such limitations could lead to death. I shudder at the thought and allow myself to think of other things.
Her soft breasts pressing into my side have another image blasting into my mind. An image of her between Sam and me. I can almost hear her pleading whimpers and feel her soft skin, my vines holding and caressing her while Sam teases her with his tongue. My cock once again tightens against the restraints of my pants and I sigh, adjusting myself. As exciting as the thought would be, it is definitely too early for it to be a consideration. I don’t even know the depth of her feelings with me, let alone with Sam and I don’t want to scare her off or inadvertently push her to do something she would not be comfortable with based on my own desires.
Then there is the issue of her betrothed.I grit my teeth. King Nikoli’s ambitions are always fucking up my plans. Obviously, Sam and I knew the king would use his daughter in a political marriage, but we thought he would have given her a bit more time and, at the very least, explain her own fate to her. In thattime, we were going to confess to her our true feelings and let her decide whether she wanted to mark us as hers.Instead, I get my tongue cursed against revealing the kings' plans or any mention of Lace’s fate.
If the prince can put aside his own agenda and assist in her rise to power, then I will let there be no reservations in Lace having another suitor.Even if I do not trust the man.The power she holds needs people to channel through. I fear the outcome if she is left to harbor it on her own. If Sam and I play our cards right, everyone can be happy. If not, we may cause the beginning of her ruin.Or her ours.I can only hope everything works out without much bloodshed.
Releasing myself from the spell of those thoughts, I bring my gaze back to the corner of the cave, zeroing in on the noises around us. The cave will be safe tonight, I will make sure of it. Lace needs rest if we are going to begin our search for Sam tomorrow, especially without being caught. Turning on my side, I hold her closer and rest my chin on her head. Using what is left of my energy I encase the cave with half-dead vines. They will alert me if they are touched. Satisfied at our makeshift alarm system, I drift into a light, dreamless sleep.
Chapter twenty-two
Closer Please
Alaceandra
Waking up, my body is warm and languid. I snuggle into the heater to my left and sigh happily, fighting and losing against sleep trying to pull me back into its depths. Before I can surrender completely to my familiar friend, my heat source starts to chuckle, startling me back to reality. I groan and blink my eyes open. My body stills. I am staring into a very naked, muscular chest. A shirt that smells suspiciously of Sorinis draped over me. Still half asleep, I shiver as I feel Sorin start to stroke my hair lazily. Snuggling deeper into what I now remember to be Sorin, I start to slowly trace the lines of his chest, committing them to memory. Life has been fucking insane lately and I cannot help but want to ensure I do not forget this moment in the safety of Sorin's embrace.It may be your last.My finger pauses over a scar curving up the side of his chest. It is raised slightly but definitely not new. Before I can examine it further, a voice brings my attention upwards.
“Having fun, Firefly?” Sorin is staring down at me, a small smile touching his features.
My eyes dart up to his before falling back on his chest, my cheeks flushing pink. “Sorry, I have not noticed this scar before. When did you get it?”
He glances down at the scar.
I frown. “It looks brutal,” I whisper tracing over a particularly jagged line.
He shrugs. “I got into a scuffle during what was supposed to be a training mission your father sent me on a few years back.” He runs his fingers through my hair, causing goosebumps to race along my skin. “It’s a souvenir. I am fine though, promise. You should have seen the other guys.” He winks at me. “I think it was around mid-year? When I was gone for a moon cycle.”
“After our adventure to the borders?”
He nods.
I shift away from him. “Why am I only now hearing about this mission? Mother told me you were visiting another village... I thought maybe you wanted to take time away because...”because we almost crossed a line. We ran into some guards right before we made it out to the bordering lands. When we ran away, Sam, Sorin and I ended up sandwiched between each other at the bottom of a hole hiding from my father's men for hours. I had just turned nineteen and the men had started actingdistant around me. I was excited to be alone with them. Sam had been more and more obsessed with some assignment, and Sorin had been training hard in the king’s guard. This was the one adventure they both agreed I could go on and we ended up almost caught. Being bored and cooped up in that hole started out innocently enough. We talked. We waited. Only this time the conversation did not stay on king-mandated topics. This time I pushed our conversation to more heated subjects. Their hands wandered as their bodies pressed against either side of me. Thinking back now, I realize this could have been the time that my crush became reality. Where I could have finally explored these two men without society or familial duties getting in the way. No one would have known, but before anything could truly happen, a bell rang in the distance announcing it was time for dinner, jolting us out of whatever spell we had been under. I quickly crawled out of the hole, using light-hearted jokes and feigning ignorance of the whole situation until we had arrived home.
It was awkward between us after and when I heard he had left I was terrified it had something to do with me. To make matters worse, Sam had also gone back to being withdrawn, refocusing on whatever assignment he had taken a break from. When Sorin returned, he acted as if nothing had ever happened. Sam had finished his assignment, and we continued as normal. As if we had never been trapped in that hole in the first place.Which honestly had not made me feel any better.I always wondered what would have happened that day. If that stupid bell had not rung. If I had never climbed out. I am not sure if it is better now knowing he was out risking his life and almost dying instead of avoiding me or not. I let out a long breath. “Well, it does not matter now, but I always thought the timing of your departure was... odd.”
He quirks an eyebrow and then scoffs. He nudges my chin up to look at his. “I did not choose to leave, Lace. Your father sent Sam and I on many missions after that day. This one was just the beginning. Once he knows you are useful…” He gives me a knowing look. “I was tasked with chasing a group who had infiltrated our southern border. They um... apparently had intel the princess liked to venture around the borders and decided to make a move.” He smirks, before his face turns serious. “They dressed as Tikilium guards and had followed soldiers back to the castle. After poisoning the crops in the King’s Garden, they made their escape. If it wasn’t for the queen’s sister nearly dying from the ingestion of the plant, it might have ended up on your plate. The king sent me out to... take care of the men, but the mission was much more difficult than what I had been briefed on. I should never have been on it, especially not alone, but—”
“What? Alone? You had only started training a year prior—”
“Like I said, I should not have been alone. I think the king wanted to teach me a lesson.”
Guilt slams into me. “That was all my fault." Horror fills my tone.
His eyes harden and a faraway look steals away his focus. “No, it was not, Lace. If anything, it was mine for...” he chokes and then lets out a frustrated noise before sighing. “Please… just don’t blame yourself.”
I stare at him but decide not to push it, simply nodding at him. “Can I ask one more question?”
“Depends.”
“Was the queen’s sister okay?”How have I not heard of an aunt before?
