I controlled the fire corridor, keeping the hungry ogres back as Layla and I rushed to the exit.
And then Carlyn stepped right in our path.
16
Layla
“Where are your manners?” Carlyn asked, sugar lacing each one of her words. “Leaving without saying goodbye?” She tsked, shaking her head. “That’s not very polite.”
Monologuing in the middle of a fight like an evil tyrant? Carlyn had definitely changed.
I sent my magic to my fingertips. “Get out of our way, Carlyn.”
She leaned forward and smiled. “Or what?”
That was it. Despite the exhaustion that took over every inch of my body, the pain in my wrists and arms, and the dizziness that threatened to send me under, I threw my hand out and sent a black bolt directly at her chest. She gasped and stepped to the side, deflecting it. Oh, so she hadn’t been expecting me to attack?
I threw one bolt after the other, forcing her to step back. Meanwhile, Varian controlled his fire, keeping it up and around the ogres, making a path for us to leave this room.
When we were a couple of feet from Carlyn and the exit, she finally recovered and raised a barrier of magic in front of her. My bolts died upon contact.
With a shout, Carlyn burst her shield into a million pieces and sent it toward us, like shards of glass. Varian pulled at my hand and sprinted out of the room. The moment we stepped outside, the fire raged higher and stronger.
We were halfway to the outer wall when an explosion shook the ground.
My steps faltered and I glanced back, shocked. Had the explosion killed them all?
As if reading my thoughts, Varian said, “I can feel the witch’s power. She’s somehow containing my fire, even with the explosion.” I nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief. I probably shouldn’t care about her after all of this, but Carlyn was a part of my past. I didn’t wish her dead. Varian tugged at my hand again. “Let’s go.”
Pushing thoughts of Carlyn and the ogres out of my mind, I turned to Varian and let him guide us away from the ogres' fortress.
“Wait,” I said to Varian once we crossed onto my estate. “I want to ward this place.” I dropped his arm, which I had been holding for balance and strength—he did run faster than me—and spun around. Dizziness rushed through me and I stumbled forward.
Varian caught my arm before I could fall on my face. “Careful.” He kept me steady. “You’re weak and hurt. You need to rest.”
I pulled my arm free from his grip. “No, I need to do this; otherwise, they'll come after us and we’ll be defenseless.” We could also leave my cottage and hide in the forest, but that meant we would be open to more predators and monsters, and I wasn’t sure we could handle another fight right now.
Varian clenched his jaw, but nodded. “I’ll stay here while you do it.”
And he did. He stayed a step behind me while I tripped my way along the border of my land and created a magical wall around it. If the ogres came, it wouldn’t stop them forever, but it would hold up long enough to warn me so we could escape.
“Done,” I finally said, lowering my arms and as the energy was sucked from my body.
Varian grabbed my arm and hooked it around his broad shoulders. He practically carried me all the way to the cottage, and sat me in one of the chairs in the kitchen.
Without a word, he heated up some porridge and prepared some tea. “What do I put in it for healing?” he asked, glancing at me as his hands hovered over my grand array of herbs.
I fought a smile. “Bay leaf, carnation, agrimony, sage, and mint. These will help with healing and bring back my energy.”
He snorted. “Sounds like magic.”
“Well, it kind of is.”
He glanced at me again, his golden-green eyes hooded, but visibly concerned. No, I was dizzy and weak and was imagining things.
“Here you go.” Varian pushed a bowl of porridge on the table toward me and handed me a mug of tea.
I took it from him and inhaled the sweet scent deeply. The aroma already tickled my senses and made me more energized. I blew on it before drinking. One sip and I let out a relieved sigh as I felt my energy coming back to me.
“Thanks,” I said before taking another long sip of the tea.
Varian pulled up a chair close to me. “You’re welcome.” Although he had set a plate of porridge for himself on the table, he didn’t pay attention to it. He was looking at me, his gaze examining me.
“What?” I asked, looking down at myself.
I was a little dirty from being dragged through the forest, my wrists were bruised from the ropes, and my hair was a mess from the fight, but did I look so hideous he couldn’t stop staring at me?
“I was worried,” he muttered.
I blinked at him. “Of course, you still think I’m the only way you have of getting out of here. But I’m not. You shouldn’t have come for me.”
His brows curled down. “And leave you there to fend for yourself? You were taken because of me. Of course I had to come.”
I took another long gulp of my tea. I already felt much better. “You’re a fool.” I remembered the medallion. I had told him about the medallion during the fight, and we had left it there. I was still mad at him for coming for me, but now I was madder that the medallion had been in our grasp and we had lost it. “And we’re fools for leaving without the medallion.”
“If we had stayed, we would either be captured or dead.”
I knew he was right, but now we were back to square zero.
Well, that was not true. We now knew Ranzio, the leader of the ogres, had a fae medallion. All we had to do was come up with a plan to steal it.
So easy.
Varian handed me a damp rag, and I used it to clean my hands and face. When I finished, I drank a little more of the magical tea. I rolled my shoulders and groaned as pain ricocheted down my arms and back. Being tied down had left me sorer than fighting.
Varian’s eyes widened and he reached for me. “What is it? Are you hurt?” He took my hand in his and gently turned it, looking for injures on my arms. “I don’t see anything.” He moved his hands up my arms and cradled my neck, turning my face to one side and then the other. “You’re fine. Aren’t you?”
I had lost all words. All I could do was stare at him, at how close he was, at the warmth of his fingers on my skin, at the strength radiating from his body, now only inches from mine. My knees were between his, my bare feet touching his booted ones.
Despite being almost as dirty and sweaty as I was, Varian’s scent enticed me. A mix of sand and heat and sea salt. I inhaled deeply, taking more of it into my lungs, letting it flood my senses.
The summer prince was quite handsome, and for some inexplicable reason, I wanted to kiss him.
Varian’s eyes searched mine. As if he had read my thoughts, Varian’s fingers dug into the nape of my neck gently, pulling me toward him, and he leaned into me. His lips were half an inch from mine when I felt it.
I gasped and pulled back.
“That was—“
With his hands frozen in the air between us, Varian nodded. “The mating call.”
It had been as fast as lightning and struck right into my core. A pulsing, burning feeling that touched every cell of my body and fueled a deep desire in my heart.
I shook my head. I shouldn’t have known what this was. I shouldn’t have felt it. Witches didn’t have mates. But fae did.
“I’m …” I couldn’t say it.
“You’re my mate,” Varian said, his tone a mix of awe and shock.
“It doesn’t make sense.”
Slowly, Varian took my hands in his again. My mind told me to pull back, but my heart didn’t. Instead, my heart told me to hold on tight.
“I know it doesn’t,” he said, his eyes locked on mine. “I know you’re scared. I am scared too. I hadn’t really thought about mating, and the last thing I expected was to find my mate in a strange land.” He entwined his fingers with
mine. Holy shit, my hand fit his perfectly. As if it was made for it. And perhaps it was. “But now I have found you and I’m glad I did.”
I shook my head, still struggling with my reasoning and my feelings. “This doesn’t make sense.”
“Stop fighting it, Layla.” Varian tugged at my hands. “Just surrender.”
17
Varian
Mating was such a normal thing in the fae world; it was expected. Anticipated.
I hadn’t given much thought to mating before. I knew that when my time came, it would simply happen. I hadn’t worried about it.
I just never thought it would happen outside of Wyth and with a non-fae woman.
Any reservation I had about Layla, any doubt I had of her helping me or trusting her flew out the window. Right now, all that mattered was that she was here with me, unharmed and looking especially sexy even with her messy hair and dirty clothes.
Afraid of going too fast and scaring her, I gently tugged at her hands, pulling her to me. “Surrender to me,” I whispered.
Layla let out a short gasp, but didn’t fight it anymore. When I pulled at her again, she came to me. I dropped one of her hands and reached for her, my fingers cupping her face as her lips met mine.
I inhaled deeply, taking in her scent and everything else, as I closed my mouth around hers, as she opened her lips to me, and let me in. Just this … just this kiss, just her lips, it was all amazing, intoxicating.
I deepened the kiss, needing more of her, and she melted into me. Without hesitation, I snaked my arms around her back and pulled her to me. She scooted out of her chair and into my lap, straddling me. I groaned as her hips rubbed mine, making my cock harder and harder by the second.
I slipped my hands down to her ass and tugged her even closer, so she could feel it all, so she could know how badly I wanted her. She let out a moan against my lips and squirmed over me, pushing even harder on me.
By the scorching heat …
In one swift move, I held onto her waist and stood up, holding her tight to me. Without breaking the kiss, I set her on top of the kitchen table and stood between her legs. Her nails ran up and down my shoulder blades, making me shiver. I slipped one of my hands under her skirt, running my fingers up her smooth leg. When my fingers grazed her inner thigh, Layla tensed and pulled back an inch, breaking the kiss.
“Varian …” she started, her cheeks suddenly red. “You should know, um, I’ve never—“ She pressed her lips tight.
Then it hit me. She had come to this land young and alone. She was still a virgin. “It’s okay,” I said. “I understand.” I cupped her face and showed her a small smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of you.”
Without hesitation, I knelt in front of her and pushed her skirt up. Layla sucked in a sharp breath when I helped her out of her panties, without moving from the table, and then I stared at her core. She tried closing her legs, but I held her knees apart.
Slowly, I lowered myself to her, and flicked my tongue on her clitoris.
“Oh my gods,” Layla whispered.
It was all the incentive I needed. I held on to her hips while I closed my mouth over her entrance and pleasured her. She trembled with each flick of my tongue, with each suck and rub. But she really lost it when I slipped one finger inside of her. Layla’s hands closed around my hair, tugging it gently, holding me to her. I almost laughed, but I was too focused on giving her what she wanted. I slipped a second finger inside her and she cried out. She lay back on the table, pushing all the things on top of it aside, and I placed her knees on top of my shoulders, changing the angle, and pushing my fingers deeper.
“Oh, Varian,” she said in a hoarse whisper. Hearing her call my name like that? I almost lost it right there. Instead, I pushed my fingers harder inside of her, and ran my tongue over her clit hard and fast.
Her hands stilled in my hair and a moment later her entire body broke down in trembles as she came. I continued my onslaught until the trembling lessened, but I didn’t wait until it went away.
I stood and took off my clothes, then I closed my hands around her hips and pulled her to the edge of the table. I brought my cock to her core and very, very slowly, entered her.
“Oh my gods,” she whispered again.
Her walls were tight and wet, and they pressed around my cock in a way I had never felt before. By the blazing sun, if this was what it meant to be inside of her, I wouldn’t last long.
I went in until I couldn’t any farther and then I stilled, letting her get used to me.
Layla propped herself on her elbows and looked at me. “Are you just going to stay there?” she asked, with a naughty voice.
“Scorching heat, no,” I said with a laugh.
My chest swelled with desire and pride and everything else. I held on to her and started moving in and out, in and out. Slowly at first, getting used to this perfect sensation of being inside of her, but then I couldn’t help it anymore. She felt good, she smelled good, she looked good. With each stroke, I moved faster and deeper, and Layla’s moans got louder.
No, I didn’t want to end it yet, not like this.
Knowing I wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer, I pulled her torso up and held her in my arms, the both of us still connected, and took her to her bed. I sat her down on the thin mattress and helped her remove her dress.
Again, her cheeks gained that red tint that drove me crazy.
I ran my hands over her arms, up her stomach, around her breasts. By the blazing sun, she was gorgeous and soft and delicate and everything I wanted.
Slowly, I pushed her back in bed and lay on top of her, covering her body with mine. She exhaled softly and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, drawing me closer.
I started moving again, savoring the way our skin rubbed together, how her breasts pressed against my chest, how she tilted her head up and half-closed her eyes, lost in the sensation.
I wanted to give this to her. I wanted to give her everything.
Intoxicated by Layla, I thrust into her, taking my cock deeper and deeper, going faster and harder … I held on as much as I could, but when her walls tightened around me and her body started trembling again with a second climax, I was done for.
I thrust into her once more and came undone. I held her tight while we both rode the climax down, sheltered into a temporary bliss.
Never in my long life had I experienced something like this. This connection, this want, this desire. And I would do anything I could to make sure Layla understood what this—us—meant to me.
The next morning, I woke up expecting to not find Layla in bed with me. But to my surprise, she was tucked against my side, her head on my upper arm, her hand on my stomach, and her legs tangled around mine.
Besides having sex with her, this was the best feeling. Slowly, I turned to her, winding my arm behind her back and pulling her closer to me.
She groaned, but buried her face in my chest.
I placed a kiss on top of her head, still stunned by this turn of events. If I hadn’t been sent here, if I hadn’t ended up in this forsaken land, I would have never met my mate.
The circumstances might not be good, but right now, I was glad I was here.
“Good morning,” I whispered.
Layla froze in my arms. Her eyes shot open and she tilted her head to look at me. A moment later, she pulled back. “Hm,” she started, avoiding my eyes.
“No, wait.” I locked my arms around her. “Don’t leave. Talk to me.”
She stopped fighting, but kept an inch between our bodies. “Um, I’m not leaving. I just … I was going to get up to make breakfast.”
I watched her. She was tense, recoiled into herself, and looking everywhere but at me. What the scorching sun was happening here? I thought that after last night, she had lowered her guard and let me in. She had accepted she was my mate, and now had no reason to run from me.
Letting out a long, steadying breath, I reminded myself that it was rare for witches
to mate, and most of the time when it happened, it was with someone of another race, like with a fae, or a vampire, or a werewolf. She wasn’t used to thinking about mating. She hadn’t expected this. So, I needed to give her some space, to let her breathe and come to terms with this.
“All right,” I forced out, dropping my arms from her body, even though all I wanted was to hold on tighter.
Trying to hide her nakedness from me, Layla scurried out of bed and into the bathing room.
I closed my eyes for a minute, trying to be patient.
That would be hard.
18
Layla
Oh my gods, what the hell had happened?
After fleeing to the bathroom, I cleaned up, slipped into a green gown, and then dashed from the bedroom. All the while, I refused to let my mind go to the topic that was hovering over my head, pressing over my shoulders, filling every cell of my body.
Oh my gods, it couldn’t be.
I had told Varian I was going to make us breakfast, but I couldn’t. I needed space, I needed time, and I needed to be alone. So despite what had happened between us and despite knowing the ogres could come marching into my place at any moment, I went to my garden and busied myself with working on my herbs. Some had been destroyed yesterday when the ogres came, and I needed to fix it all.
But as much as I worked and got my body and my hands busy, my mind was another matter. And to make things hard, I sometimes spied a shadow walking by the windows of the cottage, a sign that Varian was still there. I hadn’t imagined him. That this wasn’t a dream.
That Varian was my mate.
I gulped.
Never in my entire life had I cared about mates. Even when I lived among the Spring Court fae, and had learned and seen mating bonds snapping into place, I never cared about it. It all sounded like some fairy tale I wouldn’t be allowed to take part in.
Summer Prince Page 6
