by Layla Harper
Tonight, I let go. I soar up through the glass roof and into the night sky. The cooling air works like a balm against my skin, which is so strange because in my head, I know my body hasn’t moved from the spot in the cage. And yet…
“Female, I smell you. Come higher.”
Oh my God. This is going to be the best dream. I’m free, and Rogar is hidden in the clouds.
Below, campfires dot the ground, fires flickering in the darkness. I take a minute to breathe it all in. The miles and miles of sand surrounding the castle ruins. The black spires that look like claws reaching for the moon.
I’m gawking when a large muscular arm wraps around my hip. The tip of a nose nuzzles the column of my neck. And a scent I’d recognize anywhere falls around me like a blanket.
“Female. How I have missed you.”
I groan and arch my back, threading my fingers through his thick mane of hair. “Me too."
He spins me around and clutches my face between his big hands. “Do not despair. I come for you.” His gorgeous crimson eyes take in my face. My body. The skin no longer throbbing in pain. “Tell me you are well. Tell me she has not hurt you.”
I kiss him. His lips. His mouth. His hard jaw. “If this is my dream, I don’t want to waste time talking about Aelinor. I want you inside me. I want you to make me forget everything that’s happened since we’ve been apart.”
“This is real, my mate. We are together in the dream realm.”
I should be leery. A million questions should be pouring out of my mouth, but I only manage one. “How? How is this possible, Rogar?”
“The bond. My soul is tethered to yours.” He raises my knuckles to his mouth and kisses my fingers. “When you complete the mating ritual, you will see our link.” There’s wonder in his voice. He follows the outline of something I can’t see. “It is beautiful, my càirdeil. We are entwined. One day”—he points to his temple—“my thoughts will be yours.” He presses my hand flat against his heart. “Never will you doubt your male’s devotion to his queen.”
“I’m ready.” God, am I ever.
“You”—his fingers tighten over mine—“you have chosen to remain here?”
“I should have told you before.”
His face lights up, and I literally stop breathing. “You have made me the happiest male in all the realms.” Rogar kisses me. “Soon,” he murmurs against my lips. “When we are together again. We can complete the ritual.”
“That day can’t come fast enough.”
“I will not let Aelinor take this from us.”
Fear pops my happy bubble. “You can’t be here. She’ll sense you.”
“We are protected.”
“You don’t understand—”
He lifts the medallion around his neck. “Trust me. We are safe from Aelinor, but only for a short time.”
“Are you sure? Because she’s crazy. Since she’s revealed herself, it’s like her sanity is gone. She used a man to break the ward over the castle. He… he—”
Alarm flares in Rogar’s handsome features. “She broke the ward?”
“No. No, she tried to, but he—” The man’s cry sounds in my ears. The broken sob from the crowd. The way his flesh disintegrated—
“Shh.” Rogar crushes me against his chest and kisses the top of my head. “I will come for you and Ilearis. Tomorrow. Be ready, female. Survive until then. Promise me.”
I curl my hands into his shirt, emotion welling in my heart. I have never felt love like this, and if I could, I’d promise him the world.
But I can’t lie to him. I can’t make promises I don’t know I can keep.
He must hear the truth in my silence because he clasps me to his chest more tightly, to the point that I can barely breathe. He lowers his mouth to my ear, his breath fanning the side of my neck. “Imagine a place. A wonderful place. Anywhere. Your world. Mine. Close your eyes, imagine it now, and I will take you.”
Only one location comes to mind. “I have a locale, but I can’t picture it because I’ve never seen it.”
Rogar kisses my neck. “Where?”
“Drengskador.”
His breath hitches. “You honor me, my càirdeil.” The red of his irises glows like gorgeous rubies twinkling in firelight. “With your words. Your spirit. Your love.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Close your eyes, my queen, and do not open them until I tell you.”
His lips are warm against mine. Gentle. Always so gentle with me, my fierce warrior. I moan into his kiss and feel his lips shift against my mouth.
A smile?
I give him one of my own and dutifully keep my eyes closed. “Are we there yet, big guy?”
He chuckles, and then his heart thuds against my palm.
Is he nervous?
A breeze flutters against my skin, and I breathe in fresh air.
“We are here. Welcome home.”
I open my eyes. The view draws a gasp. I don’t know what I expected to see. A medieval village? A town teeming with wild brawling orcs? The inside of a drab castle? Whatever I’d imagined, it certainly wasn’t this splendor.
“I can see why you’ve fought so hard for this place.” A snow-tipped mountain range abuts a clear turquoise lake. The grass tickling my toes is a green so rich it looks fake. Puffy white clouds hang in the distance, the sky a brilliant blue.
And the weather? Mild.
I turn around. On this side of the lake—did I mention it was turquoise, like Bahama-blue turquoise?—a meadow stretches for miles on end filled with brightly colored wildflowers in shades of blue, white, gold, and purple.
“This is Drengskador?”
He nods. “A small part, but yes.”
“It’s… beautiful. Breathtaking, actually.” Like an alpine village nestled in the heart of a huge mountain range. A truly magical setting.
“Do you see those?” Rogar leans over my shoulder and points to the slate giants dominating the sky.
“Kinda hard to miss.” I know our souls are locked together in some type of astral projection because of the bond, but the knowing doesn’t explain how real the weight of his hand feels against the small of my back. Or the heat his body emits. The scent of mint wafting from his breath.
“So fresh, my mate.” He tugs my hair. “Those are the Infernal Mountains.”
“The location you’re considering for the goblins?” If memory serves, this mountain range encompasses the entire northern border between winter and Drengskador.
“The very same. Do you think they will approve?”
“How could they not? I’d move here in a heartbeat.”
“Perhaps I shall withdraw my offer. I will not have a band of mangy goblins ogling my queen.”
I laugh. “Don’t you dare. There’s enough land here for everyone to live happily ever after.”
The grunt he makes sounds like an amused “Hmm.” Rogar curls his massive arms around my torso. I love when he holds me from behind. The feel of his hard chest, warm and solid, against my back. I relax into his embrace, gazing out over the landscape. White birds fly over the lake, occasionally dipping their bills into the glistening surface.
I let out a contented sigh. “I could stay here forever.”
“I do not visit here as often as I should,” he murmurs against my hair. “But when I need clarity, or when the rigors of my role overwhelm me, this is where I come. I fish—”
“You fish?”
“Yes, I fish. And not with my hands.” I hear amusement in his voice. “These waters soothe. I have a small cabin.” He gestures to the log house I hadn’t noticed behind us. “It does not hold the grandeur of an elven castle, but it is comfortable.”
I turn around in his arms until we’re face-to-face. “It’s beautiful, Rogar. Take me here. For real, when—”
He stoops and sandwiches my face between his hands, his thumbs stroking my cheek. “These lands are yours. All of this is yours. And one day soon, min droning, I will show you all of Drengskador’s treasures. One day very
soon.”
“Good, because you’re stuck with me now. There’s no going back. This is forever.”
He wraps those killer arms around me and laughs, the rich sound disrupting the flock of birds that dared to land several feet away. “My sweet càirdeil, I would have it no other way.”
This is home.
A dream I’ve spent my whole life pursuing. And now it’s finally within reach. Here with Rogar. I won’t let Aelinor steal this from me. From him. I swear with all that I am, I will stop her somehow.
Heat hurtles out of my body, spearing around me before dissipating in the air with a pop. The inside of my wrist stings.
“What the hell was that?”
Rogar draws away, sniffing the air. He steps back and reaches for my hand, exposing my wrist and the red swirl tattoo.
Holy crap.
He lifts his fiery gaze to mine. “What have you done, my love?”
“I don’t know. That’s never happened before, but, um, I may have just made a vow.” It’s the only explanation that fits.
He scrubs a hand over his face. “I should have warned you. In this realm, we are joined by our bond as one. Temporarily. Your life force can draw from mine as long as we are connected. The same oath magic that binds me in Alfhemir now binds you too. As if we are truly mated.”
Rogar runs his fingers through my hair. “What oath did you make, my fierce orcress?”
“Nothing I haven’t sworn a thousand times before. To find a way to stop Aelinor. I won’t let her take this from us. She’s already stolen too much from you.” My body fills with the validity of my intention, the truth of my oath flowing through my veins.
Rogar nods and briefly closes his eyes. Like he’s coming to terms with something he has no control over, and when he looks at me, my breath stalls. Fierce desire, pride, determination, or a combination of all three flash in his eyes. He lowers his mouth. “I have need of you, my queen.” His forehead meets mine. His long fingers thread into my hair, holding me close. “I want to lose myself inside you, but my need is great. I… I fear I will not be gentle. Not this time.”
I didn’t know if was possible for thighs to quiver, but I swear to God mine just did.
“Good,” I breathe, “because the last thing I want right now is gentle. Fuck me hard, my king. So hard I forget everything but you.”
9
Rogar
At her words, a growl rips from my throat, the sound completely feral.
My mouth crashes to hers, claiming her lips with an intensity she matches lick for lick, stroke for stoke. Her passion should not surprise me. She is mine. My mate. The soul I was made to pleasure and protect. Yet every moan, every sigh, is a gift. One I never thought to claim in all my years.
Despite my lust, I have the good sense to lift my female and stride across the field, my lips never leaving hers. I will not rut upon the grass like a mindless beast, although every instinct demands I take her here.
Now.
My queen deserves more. I want her in my bed. On my sheets. Enveloped in my scent.
Balancing Kyra in my arms, I shove the cabin door open. She kisses my jaw, my neck, and when her needy mouth latches on to the spot behind my ear, I see stars. My cock twitches against my leathers, and cursed fates, I grind my teeth to keep my seed intact.
Stumbling across the living room, I avoid tables and chairs on my way to the bedroom.
Kyra’s hands grip my tunic. She pulls the hem free, the warmth of her fingertips soaking into my flesh, garnering a flinch.
“Ticklish?” she teases, splaying her palms against my abdomen. “God, Rogar. I love how good you feel.”
“Female, you will have me spilling in my pants before I lay you down.” I turn left into the hallway, passing the kitchen on our right.
“Then you should hurry.” She giggles. “Of course, blowing a load isn’t a bad thing. I’d take it as the ultimate compliment.”
I snort. “I am no booshlung.”
“I don’t know what a booshlung is, but I’m sure you’re as far from one as possible.” She drags her tongue against my jugular.
I drop her on the bed with a bit less finesse than I had intended, then rip off my tunic and drag air into my lungs. The sight before me steals my breath. With her bottom lip caught between her teeth, Kyra’s dark hair spills around her shoulders, the ends fanning over the swell of her breasts. Face flushed, her cerulean eyes are stormy, watching me with a hunger that makes my balls ache.
Ulda’s glory, this temptress is too beautiful for words. I do not know what I did to deserve her, but whatever it was, I thank the ancestors.
A hundred times over, I thank them.
Holding my gaze, she sits up and crawls to the edge of the bed. Smile widening to a wicked grin, she rises to her knees. She runs one slender finger downs the center of my chest, stopping just shy of my waistband.
My breath hitches.
“I’m sure no booshlung has pecs like these.” She leans in, her tongue circling my left nipple, and all thought drains from my brain. “Mm-mmm. So good.” Her lips weave a path to my other side. Wet heat encases the sensitive bud, her tongue rough and insistent.
I groan and clench her hips, grinding my cock into her center.
“Female.” The word is choked, sounding nothing like the warning I intend it to be.
“I bet no booshlung tastes as good as you either.” One slender hand slides up my back, the other gliding lower, stroking the throbbing bulge in my pants. “I love how out of control you are for me.” A lick follows a nip.
My eyes practically roll to the back of my head.
“It wicked turns me on.”
My restraint snaps. “Enough play.”
“I’m just getting started.”
I kiss her hard, my mouth devouring hers. I know not what tomorrow brings. If fate will bless me with the future I so desire. But if today, if this moment, is all I have, I will commit it to memory and forever treasure it for the gift it is.
And I will start by reacquainting myself with every inch of my mate’s body.
I step back, far enough where she cannot touch me. “Remove your clothing.”
A blush stains her cheeks.
My heart squeezes. We are so alike, she and I. We wear shields made of confidence and strength to protect us from the world. But at moments like these, the vulnerability peeks through, and my soul bleeds all the more for her.
Kyra pulls the tunic over her head and drops it to the floor. Next, her leathers. Her nipples harden beneath my gaze, and the scent of her glorious arousal thickens the air.
“So beautiful, my mate. I will never tire of telling you. Of showing you.” My voice is thick, a rumble of syllables and sounds. “Lie back. Spread your legs. Show yourself to your male.”
She scoots and reclines her lithe body on the mattress. Long slim legs part, knees falling to the side against crisp white sheets. Her folds glisten, wet and slick.
I bite back a snarl.
“So, big guy.” The vixen runs her tongue along her bottom lip. “Are you going to stand there gawking, or—
I climb over her body. “Or?”
“I don’t know.” Her pupils dilate. “You smell so good I can’t freaking think anymore.”
Bracing my arms on either side of her shoulders, I nuzzle my nose against her face. My shaft presses against her stomach, sending shivers down my spine. I nip her bottom lip and then cover her mouth. I intend for my kiss to be slow and taunting, but instead, it is fervent and desperate.
Kyra runs her hands down my sides and grips my ass. I savor her taste before pulling away to kiss her jaw, the column of her beautiful neck. I could spend days here alone, feasting on this supple skin. Inhaling her scent. My tongue laves each breast until she’s wriggling beneath me, panting, legs wrapped around my hips, begging me to bury myself inside her.
I memorize her face, the way her brows contort, how her expression changes when she loses herself to the pleasure rolling over her body.
As I kiss a path down the center of her abdomen, my hand teases the inside of her inner thigh, and inside I tremble, caught between the impulse to take and the drive to give.
Her slender fingers curl into my hair, digging into my scalp. “Now, Rogar. Now. Don’t make me wait. We—” She gasps when I brush against her center. “We can take it slow later,” she says between pants.
I work my finger into her sex. She’s hot and wet and ready for my cock, and I want nothing more than to sink into my mate. To feel her tight sheath close around my shaft the way only she can.
“Please.”
The word breaks me.
If all goes well, if Khao arrives with my army and Daenestra’s forces, I will have a lifetime to play. To explore. To love and cherish my mate’s body as she deserves.
But if this is all I have left…
I cannot deny her.
Holding the base of my cock, I slide the tip against her wet folds and feed my length inside until I am seated. Until her core clenches around me, pulling a moan from our mouths. I hold still, catching my breath and letting her adjust to my size. Another internal squeeze breaks the last of my restraint. Hips surging, I pound my shaft between her legs.
Kyra curls up to steal my lips, her tongue sliding inside my mouth. “I love you,” she says between kisses. “I love you.”
My throat goes tight, emotion swelling in my chest. I hold her face between my hands. “You are everything to me, my sweet mate. Everything. Ancestors above, I cannot love you more than I do right now.”
“I’m so close.”
“Let go.” I thrust, losing myself in her. In her taste. The scent of her hair. The glide of our bodies. A perfect fit.
Mine.
My thrusts grow frenzied, driven by the whimpers against my neck. The nails digging into my ass.
“Harder, Rogar. Harder.”
I slide my hand between our bodies, delving my finger between her folds, over her sweet, swollen nub.
