“You paid to reserve me,” Jerrek says, shaking his head. “And I told you already. I have a soul bond. This reservation is never going to—”
“I’m Sandra,” I say, cutting in sharply. I extend a hand, but she just looks down at it, shaking her head imperiously.
“I have no interest in you, human.” She looks back at Jerrek. “How could you do this? It’s enough that you claim to have some farce of a dream mate, but you bring some random stranger to wave under my nose?”
“Now wait just a minute,” I say, pushing myself up to stand face to face with her. “I’m not some random stranger. He and I…” I have to think for a moment about what I want to say because I don’t really know how to explain it. “We’re dating, at least.”
She scoffs. “Dating. I’ve been waiting for him a thousand years—”
“You have a dozen warriors in your harem,” Jerrek mutters. “Surely, you aren’t waiting—”
“He’s special,” Gilla says. “He’s unruly, but I’m strong enough to handle it. I’m the strongest queen for three realms, other than Kerren.” She shrugs. “So whether you’re dating or not, it doesn’t really matter. In a week, he’ll be mine.” She grins, looking him up and down lasciviously. “I’ll be happy to finally take him in hand.”
Jerrek shakes his head, stepping between us. “Leave, Gilla. You have no right to me yet. I still have a week to win my dream mate.”
Gilla just gives me a dubious stare. “Hm. Sure. I can tell that isn’t going to work out for you.” She leers at him again. “Keep that ass tight, Jerrek. I like fit warriors.”
Then, without even saying good-bye to me, she saunters away, swaying her hips and probably hoping Jerrek’s watching. He isn’t, though, because he has already turned to me and is rubbing my shoulders.
“I’m sorry you had to meet her,” he says, shaking his head. “What a mess. Look, there isn’t extra pressure, soul bond. Gilla is my problem. I just want to have a good time with you, spend the time I can with you—”
He’s interrupted as a group of fae women pass by, leering at him like Gilla did.
“I hear he excels at sex,” one of them murmurs, loud enough to hear.
“I would love to experience his skills, just once,” another replies.
Jerrek merely glares at them, then ignores them, turning to focus on me. His broad shoulders almost block them out, but I can still see the women on the side of the group staring at me curiously.
I reach up around his neck, drawing him down to me so I can take his lips in a fierce kiss. He’s shocked but then comes in closer, wrapping his hands around my waist as I tangle my fingers in his hair. His tongue slides into my mouth to twist against mine, and I moan, letting him in deeper.
We kiss for a few more moments, and just when I feel my legs weakening, I pull back to get my bearings. I can’t help glaring fiercely at the fae women who were daring to talk about my man.
They move away, murmuring with wide eyes and aghast faces, and Jerrek laughs as he pulls me in against him, hugging me tight as we sit back down to eat our lunch.
“That was amazing,” he says. “But you don’t have to feel like you need to defend me.”
“What do you mean?” I ask haughtily, picking up a sandwich.
“I know you did that to warn them off.”
“I guess I’m tired of the way people treat you,” I say. “Like you’re doing something wrong or you’re only good for sex… or like your dream mate doesn’t want you…” I look at him guiltily. “Which I know is my fault. It’s not true. I do want you. I just… It’s complicated.”
“I know,” he says. “I knew it was complicated when I first saw you were my dream mate, all those years ago, but I didn’t see a trail leading to where you were. That’s what’s supposed to happen.”
“That must have been hard.”
“It was,” he says. “So was waiting.” He takes a bite of sandwich. “But beautiful things are worth waiting for.”
I giggle, taking a bite as well. I already can’t wait to be alone with him again. One thing I miss about the human world already is my privacy. Fae communities are very open, and they seem to spend a lot of time around each other, know each other really well.
I think that’s nice, but after that kiss, I’m wishing we could just go find a dark corner to get lost in.
“You’re right. I was pissed off,” I say, taking another bite of my sandwich.” I grin at him. “Well, I guess you might say I can be a little unruly as well.”
He smiles back, and this is the easiest things have felt between us. “You might need to be taken in hand, then,” he says, eyes glimmering.
I smirk. “Sounds like a plan.”
But first, I’m going to enjoy this sunny day and these beautiful fields, next to Jerrek, who I think I might be falling for faster than I ever thought.
9
Jerrek
That night, after dinner at the castle, I whisk Sandra off to show her more of the marvels of the dream fae lands.
“Where are we going?” she asks as I hold her hand.
“You’ll see in a moment,” I respond, snapping my fingers. The world spins around us, bending and twisting for a moment until we’re standing in front of one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited.
Sandra gapes upward as a wall of trees hundreds of feet high stretches out in front of us. The trees have light, smooth bark and full, fluffy green boughs that stretch far, far above. The sky, which is normally light purple, is darkening to a deep wine, and the air is cool and calm.
“What is this place?” Sandra asks, gaping up at the fantastic sight.
“The eternal forest. Here, come with me.” Still holding her hand, we walk forward, passing between two large trees like sentinels, entering the forest. Around us, there are other couples holding hands and a group or two of fae speaking amongst themselves quietly, but I ignore them as I take her deeper into the forest.
All the trees are perfectly spaced, creating a dense quiet around us that is heavy like blankets. The canopy is thick, letting almost no light in from above, and there are no sounds of wildlife to disrupt the utter peace and quiet that gives the whole place a feeling out of time.
“It’s so still here. Tell me more about it.” Sandra’s arm brushes against mine as she walks closer to me. Only the trickling of a tiny brook can be heard nearby.
“Legend says this forest was planted by green fae, long ago when all types of fae lived in harmony with each other.”
“They don’t now?”
I shake my head. “Over time, our societies diverged. Elemental fae created kingdoms to associate with other fae of their kind and to protect from incursions by chaos.” The moist ground on my bare feet is soft, molding to my toes, not a sharp rock or uneven spot of earth to be seen anywhere. “Dream fae decided to live in the safety of their dream palaces, far from chaos and squabbles between kingdoms, in order to better fight the threat of nightmares and monsters from the badlands.”
“So what’s the story with this forest?”
“According to the stories, there was a green fae prince who was deeply in love with a dream princess. Society was splitting, and they were doomed to be separated, their families not approving of their union. Every night, the prince would come to this place, at the edge of the dream fae realm, and would meet his lover here. In order to hide her from the machinations of her family, he planted this enchanted forest to conceal their presence from any searching eyes.”
“What happened to them?”
I smile, loving the way the pale light plays over her dark skin. At any moment, the real magic will begin.
“The legend says his family discovered their clandestine meetings, and he was barred from ever seeing his love again. Some say he remained here, unable to meet his love, planting trees until the end of his days. Others say the two can still be seen, hand in hand, wandering these endless woods together, remaining out of sight forever.” I sigh, always moved by romantic stories, g
lad to have the woman I have been yearning a thousand years for here next to me.
“Why are love stories always sad stories?” Sandra walks up to a particularly large tree and runs her hand along the surface.
“Even Earth has such stories, does it not? Helen and Paris. Osiris and Isis. Romeo and Juliet. Fated love made keener by tragedy.”
“For someone who doesn’t like Earth a lot, you know a lot about humans.”
I wave a hand. “It’s not the place I dislike. It’s the people.” She raises an eyebrow at me. “Notably, the warriors. Men.”
She laughs, the sound echoing slightly through the forest. “Something we can both agree on.”
Darkness is nearly about to fall over us, and I take her other hand in mine, facing her as I await the magical moment.
“I can barely see,” she says, hands clasping mine.
“Just watch.”
Then, as the last wisps of light disappear far above the canopy, bluish-white lights begin to appear everywhere amongst the treetops, blooming as glowing flowers open around us on the ground, luminescent and giving off soft light. In minutes, the entire forest is cast in a low, blue-green hue, bright enough that I can see my dream mate perfectly, dark enough that as one looks out into the forest, there are still shadows in the distance.
“Wow.” Sandra’s eyes go wide as she looks up in wonder, marveling at the sight.
She’s so breathtakingly beautiful in this moment. The beautiful relief of her perfect features outlined by the glow of the everlights surrounding us. Her tall, curvy body in shimmering fae robes that glisten from the blue colors.
Her smile, with her full lips open and utterly kissable.
“That is really something.” Her gaze finally settles back on mine, brown eyes sparkling with interest as she moves closer. “What is it you like about this place so much?”
I can’t help wrapping my arms around her, pulling her in closer. The heat of our bodies is already stronger than the cool, fresh air floating around us in wisps. “For so long, I only had your face and the hope you existed to hold on to. Whenever I needed a place to calm my mind or heart, this was where I would come. And I promised myself that if I did ever find you, Sandra, I would bring you here to see it.”
Her smile is bashful, a rare sight on my strong, determined queen’s face. She looks down at the ground, and I tilt her chin up with a finger, wanting to gaze into her depths forever.
“What are you thinking, love?”
“I just, it’s still all so much. Your past. My past. Everything you show me just gives me more reasons I should leave everything behind and join you. But it’s hard to have the kind of certainty you have.” Her gaze softens as she studies my face. “Even if being with you is the best thing I could ever have hoped to experience.”
“I know I have a reservation. But whatever happens, Sandra, I love you. And that love is stronger than any bond, any agreement, any force that could exist outside of us.” I pull her closer to me, putting us chest to chest. I can see her pulse starting to race in her neck and feel her arousal even as everything inside me is going hot just at her nearness. “And all I can express is just how utterly happy I am to hold you right now.”
Then my lips crash over hers, unable to hold back any longer.
Her lips are soft like satin against mine as her body melts against me. I cup the back of her head, supporting Sandra as her mouth parts and I thrust in with my tongue, moving slowly inside her, taking my time.
If our time is limited together, I want to make the most of it.
And if this is still only the next step of my mate pursuit, if there is a happily-ever-after for us… then I still want to make the most of it.
Every moment with Sandra.
She groans against my mouth, tongue clashing with mine as I continue to tease her sensitive spots, running along the roof of her mouth, then back behind her teeth, then over across the sides and everywhere in between.
Then she surprises me by grabbing the front of my robe and pushing me up against the nearest tree, its smooth surface on my back trapping me against her curvaceous body.
She’s kissing me now, on my neck, on my lips. Hungry for me as I am for her.
“You know how hard it’s been holding back from you?” she says against my skin, hands running over my pecs and down my abdomen. “Not being able to have more of you until now?”
I grin. “I know exactly how you feel, Sandra. I’m not even sure you could withstand me showing you exactly how I feel,” I say, teasing the shell of her ear with my hand as her eyes shoot up at mine.
“Show me.” There’s challenge and hunger in her gaze.
My hands are on hers, and in an instant, I reverse our positions, pinning her body between me and the tree behind her. I take both her wrists in one of my hands, pinning them above her as I lean into her ear to whisper.
“Are you absolutely certain? If I give you everything, show you how I’ve longed for you, then you won’t be able to go back.” She shivers as I lick the shell of her small ear. “You won’t be able to stay distant. Because my love for you burns hotter than a thousand suns, Sandra. If I have you, I will only become more possessive, become more…” My gaze rakes down her, body tensing at just the sight of her curves pressed against me. “Obsessed.”
I know what my training would dictate. How I should acquiesce, let her call the shots, protect and pleasure her but let Sandra make the decision for us. But how can I quell the overwhelming desire I have to love her, to hold her, to make her scream my name when it’s all linked to these powerful emotions surging in my heart?
Saying that only seems to make her more aroused, and she gasps as I lightly bite down on her ear.
“I have to confess that I’ve been waiting to finish what we started ever since that night at the club,” she says. “That mating thrall, or whatever it is, only gets stronger.”
I grin, my free hand sliding down her side, lower to her hip. The thin fabric of the fae robes only accentuates the lines of her body on my fingertips.
“This isn’t just thrall anymore, Sandra.” It’s love, I want to say. But I know her past is marred with difficulty. It’s not my place to change her. “It’s more,” I whisper before kissing her neck.
“Then give me everything, Jerrek.” Her breaths are long and harsh, pressing her closer into me.
“Yes, my queen,” is my last response before I kiss her more roughly on the lips this time, owning her with my mouth as she cries out in arousal against me.
I will give you everything, Sandra.
Even my heart.
10
Sandra
Excitement and tension coil inside me as Jerrek kisses me senseless. My arms are pinned above me, the tree smooth against my back as he deepens the contact, our lips locked together.
And his other hand, which was on my side a second ago, comes up to squeeze my breast, thumb stroking over a nipple that’s already hard and aching as he overwhelms my senses with his touch and the scent of cookies mixing with the floral, evergreen smell of the eternal forest around us.
Each new place he’s taken me to has been more magical, more wonderful than I could have imagined, even in my wildest dreams.
And having him here, kissing me, loving me, showing me the depth of his affections, is just making my heart race with want for more and more of him.
This dream fae that upended my life and wants to make all bad things go away.
My Jerrek.
He growls as he kisses deeper, then pulls back to suck on the midpoint of my neck between my shoulder and jaw. Just the perfect spot to make me wet with arousal, make my legs quiver from anticipation.
He looks up at me, as if sensing this, and a moment later, he lets me go before picking me up like I weigh nothing and walking toward something I can’t see behind me.
Gently, his eyes full of intensity in those maroon irises, he lays me down on a bed of thick moss and tiny, glowing blue flowers that stretches out, just big
enough for the two of us. From the spot on my back, I can see thousands of tiny blue lights stretching up the sides of tree trunks and sparkling in the canopy like a sea of pale stars, casting Jerrek’s unbearably handsome face with smooth shadows.
He doesn’t pin me this time, instead beginning to pull the oddly comfy robes I’ve been wearing upward, stopping around my thighs as he kisses my knees and up along my calves. Then he goes slowly farther, to my thighs, licking and sucking my increasingly sensitive skin. And each inch he goes higher, the more my sex clenches with waiting as he builds the hot tension inside me like he’s stoking a furnace to its melting point.
He’s almost to my hips, then pulls the fabric all the way up, bunching it around my wrists and holding me down while he lavishes my belly and chest with kisses, like he’s worshipping me and owning me at the same time.
My legs clench together, but it does nothing to quell the sensations going higher inside me.
“My love. My everything.” His breath is extra hot as he speaks, murmuring on my skin between kisses that are getting longer, wetter, more erotic as he goes up my exposed arms.
Then he pulls the robe away from where it was wrapped around my wrists and takes each of my hands, sucking my fingers into his mouth, dragging his teeth slowly over the pads of my fingers. Kissing my knuckles one at a time.
The ground is so soft against me I’m almost forgetting we’re in a forest and not in the sky again, like the first time.
“What about those people we saw earlier?” I ask, knowing Jerrek could probably use an illusion or something but curious nonetheless.
He grins at me wickedly, unbothered by my question but attention focusing down on my chest next. “It’s one of the secrets of this forest. The deeper you go in, the farther away from everyone you get. It grants privacy, solace.” He leans down and sucks on my shoulder, hard enough I wonder if it will leave a mark. “A place for memories that belong only to lovers.”
I nod my head, realizing that I haven’t seen a single soul since we first entered. And looking up at the sprawling, endless woods around us without a single sound in them, I actually believe what he says.
Wildest Dreams (Rogue Dream Fae Book 3) Page 6