by Quinn Loftis
His frustration at her unwillingness to admit her feelings made him want to shake her … or kiss her. He wasn’t sure which desire would win out. “Tell me you don’t feel it. Tell me you don’t want me.” He pressed the issue. When she remained silent, what little control he had left crumbled. “Answer me!”
Chapter 7
“It’s a scary thing to bare one’s soul to another. In some ways, it would be easier to strip naked and bare your flesh instead. The soul is eternal. It lasts forever. But the body is just temporary. One day it will waste away. How much
easier to take the risk of rejection on something that is only temporary than to have one reject your soul for all time.”
~ Cyn
“Answer him dammit!” Peri snarled.
Cyn paused her story as she raised a brow at her commander.
Peri took a breath and brushed off invisible lint from her shirt. “Sorry. Got a little caught up in the moment.”
Alina patted the high fae’s knee. “Don’t feel bad. I yell at the characters in my books.”
“Do they answer you?” Peri asked.
“Not yet.”
“If they start, let me know. I like to keep tabs on those who might one day listen to the voices in their head that tell them to kill me.”
“How do you know the voices are saying to kill you?” Alina asked.
Peri adjusted to a more comfortable position as she spoke. “Well, I don’t know that specifically. But it’s always better to err on the side of a possible assassination. That way I won’t be caught off guard. Surely, by now, I’ve pissed someone off badly enough that they want to kill me.” She looked over to Cyn and gave a quick lift of her chin. “Continue. I need to know what you said. And so help me if this is a cliffhanger—”
“It’s my life, Peri, not a blasted book,” Cyn interrupted.
“I knew that.” Peri shrugged. “I totally knew that.”
“Good. Let’s try not to forget it again. Now, where was I?” Cyn asked, tapping her chin with a finger.
Alina tried to be helpful. “He wanted to know if you felt the same thing he did.”
“Right.” Cyn nodded. “So he said…” And the fae carried on, telling them the memories that, at times, did seem more like a story than her real life.
“Answer me,” Thalion said again.
Cyn wanted to scream, ‘No!’ But she would have been lying. She didn’t like to lie if she could help it. She attempted once again to put space between them, but Thalion’s strong arms held her in place. “Fine.” She huffed. “Yes, I feel a pull toward you.”
“And?”
She frowned at him. “And what?”
“You want me,” he said with a sly smile and a boyish spark in his eyes.
“That’s your over-inflated ego speaking, prince. I admitted to a pull and nothing more.”
“So my touch doesn’t affect you?” he asked, as the hand that wasn’t rubbing her back trailed a finger from below her collarbone up to her cheek.
“Maybe a little.” She panted like a girl with no ability to control her wayward emotions. Since when had she become such a jumbled mess of emotional chaos?
“A little?” Thalion chuckled, his disbelief plastered on his handsome face. “I think it affects you a great deal more than a little.” He paused and then grinned with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Would you like to know how your touch affects me?”
“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “Definitely not. No. Not needed.”
Thalion ignored her as he took her hand and placed it to his cheek. He closed his eyes and groaned as he pressed her tighter against him. He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her palm, allowing his lips to linger.
“You bring me to my knees,” he said softly. “Your skin calls to me, begs me to caress it. Your scent surrounds me, claiming me. Your taste melds itself to my lips, ensuring that nothing else will ever taste as good as you do. You leave me breathless with need, consumed with desire, and unwilling to settle for anyone else.”
“My—” Cyn stopped to clear her throat and then attempted to continue. “My touch causes all of that?”
He waggled his eyebrows at her and nodded. “And that’s just when you touch my cheek. Want to find out what it does to me when you touch me elsewhere?”
Cyn’s eyes widened to what she was sure was a comical size. “I do not think that would be appropriate.” She swallowed painfully and said again, “I need your answer.”
Thalion considered her, narrowing his eyes on her face. No, not her face—her lips. “I will give you my answer, for something in return.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What something?”
“A proper taste of you. I want a kiss, my lips to yours.”
He was clever, this elf prince. He’d made sure that the kiss wouldn’t be anywhere but on the mouth. Cyn would have been more than happy to make it less intimate.
“Fine. What’s your answer?”
He shook a finger at her. “Ah, ah, ah, Cyn. Kiss first. Answer second.”
Cyn expected him to immediately press his lips to hers to ensure that he received his end of the bargain, but he didn’t. No, Thalion wouldn’t have made it that easy. He took her face in both his palms, gently pulling her closer. His breath was warm as it swept across her skin. He hovered there momentarily. His eyes roamed over her face as though memorizing her features. Cyn sucked in a breath of air when she felt his thumb slowly begin to stroke her cheek. Her knees grew weak as she watched him run his tongue across his bottom lip. He looked as though he was about to devour his favorite meal for the last time.
Thalion pressed his body closer to her until they touched from thigh to chest. The heat emanating from his body flowed into her, causing her blood to warm and her skin to become more sensitive. No one’s touch had ever affected her that way. And she wasn’t sure whether she welcomed it. Enjoyed it? Yes. But welcomed it? She didn’t know how she felt about that. He wasn’t even of her race. There had never been a cross-species mating that she was aware of, at least not in the centuries that she’d been alive.
“Stop overthinking this,” Thalion whispered, causing his lips to brush against hers.
Surprised by the touch, she tried to pull away but he anticipated her intentions before she could move. He slipped his hand to the back of her neck, holding her in place, just before she felt the sweep of his tongue across her lips. She noticed that he’d pulled her to him as he lowered his head. He’d made her meet him halfway. His tongue swept across her lips again, pressing more firmly, demanding that she yield to him. Cyn yielded to no one. Well, not until now. Her mouth opened before she could stop herself, and Thalion took quick advantage. His mouth covered hers and his tongue pushed inward, brushing against her own. He explored every inch of her mouth, pushing and pulling as he sucked her tongue into his. He nipped her lips with his teeth, causing a sting that was much more pleasurable than she wanted to admit. Thalion never gave her time to seal her lips. For those few moments, he consumed her. He demanded her response, and she gave it with just as much passion as he shared with her.
Later, when she was alone, without the distraction of Thalion before her, Cyn would look back and be embarrassed by the way she was grasping him, attempting to pull him closer, though there was no way to slip even a shadow between them in that moment. She would wonder at her ability to push reality aside and allow herself the pleasure of his touch. Cyn was not her own to give to him, at least that’s how she saw herself. She belonged to her race as a warrior and her duty was to the fae, first and foremost. Their protection, and the protection of those weaker than her, had been her guiding principle throughout her entire life. Having a relationship, a lover, a mate, had never been a part of her future.
Just when she was sure she would pass out from lack of oxygen, he pulled his lips from hers. Thalion made no move to back away any further as he pressed his forehead to hers. Their chests rose and fell in rapid succession as they attempted to gather themselves from the
storm in which they had just willingly danced.
“I knew it would be good.” He panted out. “But damn, female. That was as close to perfect as it comes.”
She closed her eyes, unable to look at him and not imagine kissing him again and again. He was not meant for her. “Your answer?” She said, sounding more breathless than she liked.
She expected him to be upset that she didn’t acknowledge what had just happened, but he surprised her by chuckling.
“If I were a lesser man you might have bruised my ego.” He pressed another lingering kiss to her forehead and then stepped back. “If you will stay with me, let me make you mine, then I will offer my warriors for any aid the fae realm requires.”
The passion in her eyes was replaced by fury. “You would put your personal relationship above the safety of your realm? Above our realm?”
Cyn was boiling inside, and this time it wasn’t because of his lips. How could he be so selfish? Didn’t he understand that the strong among them had a responsibility to protect those weaker? How could she have such powerful feelings for a man that wouldn’t sacrifice for the greater good?
“Don’t look at me as though I’m a monster,” he responded. “I am responsible for an entire kingdom, an entire race. I cannot make decisions based on emotions. I have to make them based off what is best for my people. That doesn’t make me a bad person,” he defended.
“But that is exactly what you are doing,” she retorted. “You are basing your decisions on your emotions about me.”
“That should tell you just how serious about you I am,” he replied.
She stared at him, considering his words. “I should not judge you,” she admitted. “I do not know what it’s like to be solely responsible for an entire race. I am a warrior, not a politician.”
“So what is your answer, Cyn?”
“What if I cannot stay here?” she pleaded.
“Then my answer, my beautiful love, is no. I will not risk my people for the safety of the fae.”
“You are making the wrong decision.” She growled, inwardly cursing his bullheadedness.
He stared back at her, and she had to admit that she respected his confidence and unwavering commitment to his people. That didn’t mean she agreed with him.
“I need to take my leave.” Those were the words that left her mouth, but what she was screaming on the inside was, ‘Kiss me again and don’t let me run.’ But since he couldn’t read her mind, he only answered the spoken words.
“I will see you again.” It wasn’t a question. With one last look he bowed his head and laid a hand across his chest, just over his heart. “Until we meet again.”
Cyn took that as her permission to flash. She reappeared, standing next to a fuming Adam.
“Are you okay?” he asked her, looking her up and down for injuries, which made her want to laugh.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t be?” she asked him.
“I don’t know.” Adam huffed. “I’ve never dealt with the elves. Who knows what kind of customs they have.”
“I’m fine. We need to leave before he changes his mind.” Cyn felt her face flush as she thought about why he might decide to change his mind. That kiss was enough to even give her pause.
Adam, being way too astute for her liking, narrowed his eyes at her. “Did something happen?”
“He said no. We need to inform Perizada.”
“Did he say anything else? You were in there an awful long time for him just to say no,” Adam challenged.
Cyn wasn’t about to admit to her comrade that the elf prince had just held her captive by his kiss. Nope. That was not happening. “He said nothing of consequence, other than his decline to offer his warriors.”
Adam snorted a disbelieving laugh at her. “Is that why your lips are deep red and swollen as if they were nearly sucked off your face?”
She had absolutely nothing to say to that. At least not anything that wouldn’t dig her grave any deeper.
Peri’s low whistle had Cyn leaving the memory of Adam’s shocked face and bringing her back to the present.
“That was hot.” The high fae practically sang.
“I’ve been mated a long time.” Alina grinned. “And even I found that hot.”
Cyn was sure she was going to live with a permanent blush anytime she was around Peri or Alina from now on.
“Okay, so going back to the start of that encounter. It wasn’t a dark and stormy night?” Peri asked.
Cyn shook her head. “No. But it was fun to annoy you.”
Peri smirked. “I think I liked you better when you stuffed your emotions and your sarcasm into a box and only smiled when you were cutting down an enemy.”
“Yes.” Cyn sighed. “Those were the good old days.”
They were quiet for a few minutes, and though Cyn had no clue what the other two women were thinking about, all she could think about was Thalion—the man who had stolen her heart one piece at a time and now was demanding her soul.
“Well, since you two are so hot and heavy nowadays, we know that you must have continued to enjoy these little intimate encounters or you would have kicked him to the curb long ago. So now we want to hear all the yummy little details. All in the name of wanting to help you make a decision, of course.”
“Hmm, of course,” Cyn said dryly.
“But put the next little encounter on hold for a second. I’m hungry and thirsty.” And with that, Peri flashed.
Alina looked over at Cyn and gave a reassuring smile. “It’s okay to be confused. People think that finding their soul mate means the road to love is smooth. But the truth is, if it wasn’t difficult, if it didn’t require tears and anger, lust and passion, choice and sacrifice, it wouldn’t be worth it. The things worth keeping are the things we fight for, Cyn. None of the relationships you have witnessed in our pack came without sacrifice and pain. Each of them, Vasile and I included, had to fight for the love we now enjoy. Tears have fallen, heartbreak has happened, unspeakable joy has been given, and even blood has been shed, all in the name of uniting the soul mates destined for one another. Our wolves have only one true mate, one special person for whom they are destined, and they still have to fight for that relationship.” She paused and Cyn found herself leaning forward, captivated by the passion and truth that the Alpha female was sharing.
“And once joined, the fight doesn’t suddenly go away. There are new battles to face. Frustrations that come with living in such intimate proximity begin to surface. Jealousy seeps its way through the small cracks of doubt and insecurities that each of us struggles with. The daily work of a relationship begins to weigh on our shoulders and, if we aren’t careful, can cause a rift between mated pairs. That rift can quickly turn into a chasm. With all of that said, sweet Cyn, it is more than worth it. Every touch, every kiss, every kind act or whispered word of passion that he has only for you helps to mend the injuries that get inflicted by all the difficulties we face. Don’t let your fears steal those things from you.”
Peri reappeared at that moment holding three bottles of some sort of fruity liquor and a big bag of chips. “What’d I miss?” She looked back and forth between Cyn and Alina, her head whipping around as though she was following a tennis match.
“Alina was just doing what she does best,” Cyn said with a smile as she reached to help relieve Peri of some of her alcoholic burden.
“She was giving you some of that deep, relationship mumbo jumbo that makes you suddenly want to jump your man’s bones, wasn’t she?” Peri said raising a brow at Alina.
Cyn laughed. “Something like that.”
“Well, cool your jets. You haven’t told us about the rest of you and Hottie Mcprince’s angsty-ship.”
“Angsty ship?” Cyn questioned. “Who are you?”
“What?” Peri scoffed. “It’s those freaking trouble triplets. They’re always saying things I don’t understand so I make them explain it. Then I hear them saying it constantly and then bam, I’m saying it.
It’s like I’m their own personal sadistic parrot. Peri want a cracker?” She opened her drink and the chips. As she pulled out one and started munching, she waved for Cyn to continue. “What happened next?”
Cyn smirked. “It was a dark and stormy night.”
Peri fisted her hands as she lifted her arms and threw her head back as she yelled, “Seriously! Come on!”
Chapter 8
“I haven’t seen her in a year. The emptiness that has consumed me makes me weary. If I had any doubts before, I do no longer. I know now I cannot exist without her.”
~ Thalion
“You finally got your taste,” Reeve said as Thalion finished telling him of the third encounter he had with Cyn. “How were you able to let her leave after having dipped into her well and realizing that it was the only water that would quench your thirst?”
“Cyn will have to come to me of her own free will. There will be no forcing her or demanding. She’s fiercely independent, loyal, not only to her own people, but to the other supernaturals as well. She’s so loyal that she won’t even consider her own needs.” Thalion both admired those traits and loathed them. They were traits that made her who she was, but they were also the very traits keeping her from him.
“What did you do after she flashed from your presence?” Reeve asked.
Thalion furrowed his brow. “I did anything I could to keep from chasing her.”
His friend grinned. “Was that why you had the castle walls reinforced, though we hadn’t had a war in centuries? And all of our battle armor polished? Our weapons sharpened and counted?”
“Among other things that I did, yes. Our soldiers never knew why their workloads increased, but they could tell that something was bothering me,” he admitted. “It was a year later that I finally saw her again.”
Reeve simply stared at him, waiting for him to continue with his tale.
Thalion sighed, unsure if walking down memory lane was a wise endeavor, given that he was already at his breaking point. But, then again, he’d begun this tale without much coercion on Reeve’s part, so he might as well finish it.