Page 137 of Anywhere

Elewyen was fast becoming the glue that kept us together. Although, the angry make-up sex with Rhys when he sniped something sarcastic was fucking incredible. The image of us rolling around on the bed as we fought for dominance last night made my soul burn hot, and my heart pounded harder than I thought possible. Elewyen wisely kept her distance until it was out of our systems. I wasn’t sure I could’ve held back from fucking her if she’d crawled on the bed.

I shook myself out of the little reverie before I did something that would make all of us miss the ritual.

“You look beautiful,” I said.

It was strange that, with as many people as I dated and slept with, I couldn’t remember when I gave anyone a genuine compliment. Yet now they came so easily with Rhys and Elewyen. Having this woman for real and sharing her with Rhys made me feel like the king of the world. Of all the things I wanted and knew needed to happen, all I wanted right now was to make her ours finally.

Elewyen’s cheeks blushed a bright pink that only added to her beauty and made her green eyes sparkle. Not long ago, she tried to take my head off with her cane. We’d come far in such a short time.

She took the ends of my cloak from my hands and focused hard on attaching the two ends with the tricky pin. Elewyen smiled and dropped her hands away, but I grabbed them before she could move. Staring her in the eyes, I slowly sucked one of her dainty fingers into my mouth, savouring the heated look that crossed her face.

“You ready for what’s about to happen?” I asked, moving on to the next finger.

I wondered that same question a million times. Was I more prepared now—to be united with the same two people until one or all of us died— than when I first arrived? It was a dark thought, and yet it was true. We would be tied in a way that would make the connection feel like child’s play. As many times as I asked the question, I always got the same answer. My mind would say it didn’t know, while my heart screamed that it was exactly what I wanted.

What did ten years look like? What did twenty or thirty or eighty? Would we all want to kill one other by then? Would we have all fallen in love by then? Would we still be in love? Would Elewyen and Rhys still look at me with as much desire as this moment?

No clue.

One thing was certain, though. I couldn’t picture my life without them in it. As hard as I tried to visualize a future where I left them here and went off to continue my life as it was before meeting Rhys the first time, the images wouldn’t come.

“I dinnie know, but me likes you and Rhys a lot. Ya make me feel very different, and I be happy wit ya,” she said, in her typical honest and nonchalant manner that made me smile.

“You only like us a lot?” I asked, emphasizing the word like as I teased her.

The pink deepened to a red, and the smile that pulled at her mouth made me smirk.

“Maybe a wee bit more den like,” she said.

Pulling her in close, my arms slipped around her body, and I instantly grew hard with her pushing up against me.

“Yer gonna make us late. Rhys no’ gonna be happy if dat happens,” she said, her voice wispy as I lowered my mouth to hers.

“We won’t be late.” I captured those full lips that begged to be kissed and appreciated this moment alone without those from the ritual watching. “I can’t wait to have you for real, to make you ours,” I said, breaking the kiss. I stared into her eyes, eyes that reminded me of spring.

“Din’t be forgettin’ dat ya will become mine as well.” Her eyes glittered, and the excitement thrummed through my body as she claimed me as hers.

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten. I’m looking forward to it, but what’s this I hear you don’t want my name?” Eley’s eyes cast to the ground.

“Are ya angry?”

I was hurt by the thought when Rhys spoke to me. After I thought about what the name meant to me and how I shunned it my entire life, I decided that the proud way Rhys said his last name was what I wanted for her as well. She should be proud, I was still unsure whether mine deserved the respect it got.

“No, I’m not angry.” I gave her lips another soft kiss. “Do you know what’s going to happen at the ritual? Did Rhys explain it all?”

“Aye.” She looked away from my eyes. “I no be likin’ da human sacrifice—dat just be wrong—but he said dat he din’t make da rules. Dat the spirits demand it.” She shook her head slowly. “Yer spirits be cruel ta demand the blood of an innocent.”

“The person won’t be innocent, at least not in the traditional way. They’re chosen from those who have wronged the Faction or have committed a crime.”

“Aye, he told me. Still seems wrong ta do, an’ I’za dinnie know if I want ta be layin’ wit ya fir real fir da first time in front of all dose men. Why do dey ‘ave ta watch?” She shuddered a little in my hold, and I tightened my arms around her.

“I’ll make sure that you remain as covered as possible and just look at either Rhys or me. You’ll never have to do this again, I promise.”

We stood quietly and held onto one another until my reminder went off on my phone.

Elewyen looked around the room. “Where be Rhys?”

I lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Rhys said he wanted to get changed privately and collect his thoughts before the ceremony,” I didn’t mask my fear well. Elewyen stepped back and narrowed her eyes at me.