His fingers drifted south, stroking along my thighs until he found my clit. Fire licked my insides, and I gasped and clung to him while his fingers began working me in earnest.
“You’re mine, Ilara Seary,” he growled softly in my ear. “Forever. You are my mate, and you belong with me. Anyone who tries to take you from me will suffer my wrath.”
And then his mouth found mine as he pumped a finger inside me while kissing me deeply. All I could manage was to cling to his shoulders as his air affinity heated my skin and licked at my clit while his fingers wrung another climax from me again and then again.
CHAPTER 22
The prince was insatiable. All night he worshiped my body, making me come again and again. Even though I did the same to him just as often, he still wanted more. More. More.
We dozed intermittently. Each time we climaxed after a clash of teeth, tongue, or magical air affinities, he would pull me to him, touching me softly while murmuring promises into my ear. And then we’d fall asleep only for him to wake me again a short while later as his body hardened and his desire flamed.
I was completely exhausted by the time dawn arrived. Matron Olsander would be furious if she knew I hadn’t heeded her instructions to sleep, but I didn’t regret a second of it.
Norivun stroked my hair as I lay on his chest. “I don’t want to, but I have to go.”
His arms tightened when I tried to stand. “Stay. Just a little bit longer.”
I leaned up and kissed him softly. He cupped my jaw, pulling me closer.
“I can’t. I have to meet Sandus.”
He growled when I dragged myself out of bed. I looked at my tattered clothes on the floor. The only thing intact was my pants. I pulled them on before glancing in dismay at the window. A fierce wind howled outside.
The prince stood, still naked. Everything about him was hard, big, and enticing. My pulse quickened when I took in the broadness of his chest and thick muscles. He was hard again, his erection begging me to forget my responsibilities, and just thinking about the grueling day ahead made me want to crawl back into his bed.
His arm curled around me, his movement tender despite his arousal. “Do you need a day off?” he asked quietly, gently, almost reverently. It was as if he’d known what I was thinking. His hand ran up my back, so softly. “Why don’t you take today to yourself. No fields. No training. No Trial dinners. And no—” He swallowed, and a soft growl escaped him. “No dates.”
“No dates, even with you?”
His lips lifted in a crooked smile. “Well . . . a date with me is another story.”
I suppressed a smile and stepped away from him. “No. This is why we can’t let things progress between us. Not yet. I have no idea what my future holds, and you’re likely to be an insufferable territorial mated male any chance you get.”
“Are you saying you would disapprove of me ripping any male to shreds who tries to touch you?”
A laugh slipped out of me despite trying to stop it. “That would be a tad . . . overkill.”
He scratched his chin. “Really? It seems rather tame to me.”
“How about you direct that aggression toward Vorl and leave the other innocent males alone?”
A dangerous light grew in his eyes. “Ah, yes, Vorl. I’ve been meaning to pay him another visit.”
“Another visit? You’ve visited him? What have you done with him so far?” I almost didn’t ask, not sure if I wanted to know, but curiosity got the better of me.
“A few threats. Several beatings, but nothing beyond that . . . yet. I’m taking my time with him. Savoring it.”
“You’ve beaten him?”
A manic glow lit his eyes. “Twice now, and I enjoyed every second of it.”
I blanched.
“But don’t worry. I’ve decided to let him sweat for a few more months before I visit him again because my next visit won’t be so tame.”
I winced. “You’re not actually going to torture him, are you?”
“Would it displease you if I did?”
I picked up my shredded shirt. “I don’t relish the idea of anyone being tortured regardless of what they’ve done.”
The manic light in his eyes didn’t abate as he trailed a finger along my collarbone. I shivered. “And that’s the difference between you and me. You’re inherently good, and I’m—” He shrugged.
I placed a hand on his arm. Sinewy muscle jumped beneath my fingertips. “You’re not a monster. We both know that even though your father’s tried to turn you into one.”
His look grew pensive. “Do you truly believe that?”
“I do. After seeing what you did—” I pointed toward the window in the northern direction toward the Cliffs of Sarum. Since neither of us had created a silencing Shield around us, and since I didn’t know if anyone was listening, I only said, “Yes, I do believe that.”
“But if I did torture Vorl, and I enjoyed it, would that change your opinion of me?”
I frowned, trying to recall what I’d heard of mate bonds. It was quite common for the male to submit to his baser instincts. If those instincts demanded that Prince Norivun punish Vorl excessively, I wouldn’t hold that against him.
Still, I shuddered. “I suppose I prefer that you don’t, even though I despise my former archon, but if you’re unable to control yourself, and you do torture him . . .” I wrapped my arms around him. “I won’t think any differently of you, but I don’t want to see it.”
All amusement fled from his face as he caged me to him. He gripped my hips and leaned down before breathing in my scent. A low growl rumbled his chest. “When it comes to you, Ilara Seary, I’m not above torturing a male.”
My breath sucked in at the wildness in his tone. “Did you feel that way about me before the bond clicked into place for you?”
His nose trailed up my neck, sparking a ripple of desire in me. “I did. I abhor violence against females, so when I saw those bruises on your neck back in your field barn, it took immense self-control not to rip Vorl to pieces right then and there.”
I gripped his shoulders more tightly. “Do you hate violence against females because of your mother and the abuse she’s suffered?”
A pained look entered his eyes when he lifted his head. He nodded. “While females can be much stronger than males magically, if that magic is stripped from them, physically they are at a disadvantage. My father has no qualms about using his superior strength and size against my mother. Any male despicable enough to submit to such weak depravations against a female—” His jaw tightened, the muscle pulsing. “There are times I relish being Death Master of the continent. So much so that you may change your mind about me not being a monster.”
My jaw slackened. “Those actions are to protect fae who cannot protect themselves, and you still think I would view you differently? Never.”
Some of the darkness around him lightened. “And that, Ilara darling, is why you’re perfect for me.”
This time, I couldn’t stop my laugh. I swatted him playfully when the aura around him grew, and I pulled away before he could sway me to join him in bed again. “You’re insatiable. I need to go, get dressed, and meet with Sandus for training before you whisk me away to another field.”