Page 102 of Her Ivory Flame

“If that is what you want.”

She nodded her head against him and he let out a soft chuckle.

Silently they started towards the main hall and said a quick goodnight to their friends still having conversations at the table. None of them batted an eye when Kaden followed her into her room and once the door was closed, she stepped into the adjoined bathroom to ready herself for bed.

Kaden was already in bed when she stepped out, her face freshly washed and a new nightgown falling down her curves.

She was finishing her braid as she walked around the corner, Kaden looking up at her instantly and she saw his eyes brighten.

“Are your eyes from your mother?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“You didn’t live in this town did you?”

She finished tying off her braid and crawled into bed next to him, his body propped up on one elbow facing her.

“No, we lived on the other side of Mydalsa beyond the mountains,” he answered quietly.

She knew there were smaller towns throughout the kingdom, but her mother didn’t often mention the one he was talking about. It was said most of the people there were descendants of the rebellion so they didn’t bother going there.

“That makes sense,” she mumbled.

“We had traveled here a few times when I was a youngling to get supplies but our town was usually self-sufficient. Once I got older and we allied with the Fae, I decided to leave to see more of the world. I knew Mavros was my father at that point so when they started a war, I joined Ermis’s army.”

She rolled onto her side to face him, her hands under her pillow and watched him continue his story.

“Luckily I was out on patrol when my power emerged and I knew in my gut something was wrong. Once back here after hitching a ride with one of your Valkyrie warriors, I learned how to summon my wings and control my power before I returned to Emris. Then I saved Xander, met the rest of the males and learned how to give some of my power to them.”

He laid down next to her on his side and they stared at each other in silence for a moment.

“They are lucky to have you.” she smiled.

“No,” he started. “I’m lucky to have them.”

She moved herself closer to him, his arms opening up around her and she tangled herself in him like the last night they were together.

He didn’t stop her or try to pull away, instead pulled her in closer and wrapped his arms around her in a protective hold.

She pressed her head against his bare chest and let out a long relaxed breath.

“Thank you for coming after me,” she whispered.

“I would never stop coming for you, no matter what stood in my way, princess.” His last words rolled off his tongue in a way that made her body shiver, an endearing promise she hoped he kept.

He didn’t react to her body shuddering and stayed silent, his only response was his hand tracing up and down her spine, lulling her to sleep a short time later.

Chapter 38

The sound of movement in the main hall roused her from sleep and soft breaths on the back of her neck were tickling her skin.

Her back was up against Kaden, one of his arms wrapped around her front side and the other under her neck. She couldn’t help but smile and felt her heart instantly beat faster as she tucked herself back against him.

She knew it was time for them to get up and go; multiple footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door and she was just waiting for someone to come wake them.

Until then, she would relish in the fact she didn’t have a single nightmare the entire night and stayed in the warmth of Kaden’s body.

His arm pulled her in tighter as she shifted into him, his breathing staggering a little bit and she knew he was waking. Her neck was still on his other arm, her finger tracing down it until she intertwined her hand into his.