Page 40 of An Arrow to the Heart

“I felt it,” he said, smiling ear to ear.

“You did?” She wasn’t sure if humans would have been capable of feeling it, then again she didn’t know fae could bond with humans.

“Yeah, it pierced me straight in the heart, something changed within me, I felt it immediately,” he said, lifting her onto his lap. “And I felt your magic whirl through me, little flowers appeared on the ground beneath you before disappearing again as it did.”

“Oh, I.. I didn’t realise,” she said, “doesn’t that frighten you?”

“Nothing about you frightens me,” he said, pulling her tighter against him, as he began to kiss the soft skin of her neck.

“I’m more than happy to be your bonded, your mate, your husband, your whatever you want me to be as long as I’m yours.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

-Sylvie-

It had taken them thrice as long to get back to Wyrmwind without their mares. Their pace had been slow on foot, the weather not aiding them in the slightest. The rain came down in torrents without much reprieve and despite the heavy blanket of clouds the temperatures remained low. They’d had no option but to camp out a second time.

In spite of the arduous journey back, she wouldn’t change what happened. Her and Ardál had become bonded, in the eyes of nature they were now one and she’d never felt happiness like it. He was hers and she was his. Now and forever.

Thanks to the mother, they struck out on the final stretch of their journey, being able to hitch a lift on the back of a passing potato delivery wagon.

They walked the short remaining distance from Wyrmwind to the cottage, the rain drenching them entirely,

Sylvie could have wept at the sight of her home and relief flooded through her. She had never been so happy to be home, and when she turned to Ardál she could see similar emotions etched in his features.

They were home.

Sylvie unlocked the front door, and its hinges groaned upon her opening it, as though in warm welcome of her return. She dropped the bag she’d been carrying, the dripping water quickly forming a puddle under it. The flowery scent of her home hit her nostrils and she began to immediately strip her wet clothes off herself.

Ardál’s eyes widened as a crooked smile appeared and he said, “not that I'm not enjoying the sight of all this,” he waved a hand in her direction, “or that I’d ever turn down an opportunity of devouring you.” His eyes shone with anticipation as his gaze lingered on her now bare breasts, glistening from the rain water that still coated them as he let out a deep groan.

“We have all the time in the world,” he said, letting out a deep breath almost as though he was trying to convince himself not to pounce on her.

Sylvie let out a chuckle before she said, “no, I just need to get out of these wet clothes, they’re filthy from three days of travelling and I stink.”

He paused for a moment, recognition falling over his face as he said, “oh, right, yeah that makes more sense I guess,” and he laughed as he began to strip off his own drenched attire.

“How about we get bathed and fed then, but just so you know, I happen to quite enjoy your stink,” he said, then in a much lower register he added, “and it would definitely never deter me from tasting every bit of you.”

“Maybe later,” she said, a suggestive smile on her face as she headed toward the washroom. When she arrived back in the living area, a towel wrapped around herself as she dried the lengths of her hair with another she’d found that Ardál had changed into dry pants, his chest was still bare though and he had lit the fire, two big water buckets on top of it already, heating water for a bath.

He had gathered the last of the fresh food that they’d had stored in the kitchen, neither of them having the energy to cook anything hot, much less head into the garden or the larder for anything fresher, they ate the buttered rye bread with sliced gouda cheese.

“We should really think about getting a bigger tub in here,” Ardál said, leaning on the doorframe of the washroom. The room was filled with steam and the scent of lavender.

Sylvie spun herself around in the water so she was facing him. The small copper tub, just about large enough to comfortably fit one person.

“Oh I don't know, I’m sure you could squeeze in, just about here,” she said, swirling the bubbles of the water in the space between her legs.

Ardál let out a hearty laugh, before he said, “the only way we’re both fitting in there is if you’re sitting on me. And not that I'd object to that at all, I can’t see either of us getting clean that way.”

“Hmm, I suppose I’ll have to handle cleaning myself all on my own then,” she said, her tone inviting as she brought the soap over her breasts, making sure to cover every inch of her skin in the lavender smelling soap.

“Are you asking me to wash you?” He chuckled, a wicked grin upon his lips, as he pushed off the doorframe and sauntered over to the tub, the way he looked at her heated her core and his eyes burned with desire as her fingertips darted across the aching bulge in his pants.

“Yes,” she breathed, her pulse racing with anticipation.

Without another word Ardál stripped off his pants, cock already standing at attention and he practically jumped into the tub.