I stared at his body as he lowered himself on top of me. “You’re in charge,” he whispered, peppering my neck with kisses. His wet tongue sent tendrils of pleasure through my body.
The heat started to pulse between my legs and I grasped one of his hands, placing it between my thighs. The second he touched me down there, rubbing small circles over my most sensitive spot, I gasped in shock. Waves of pleasure danced over me as I leaned forward and rested my lips on his shoulder, panting through the ecstasy.
He hovered over me, propped up with one arm, gazing down at me with a rakish grin. He liked my pleasure, and I wanted more.
Reaching down, I lined him up with my hips and then we came together. He slowly rocked forward and back and I hissed at the sharp stab of pain, causing him to freeze. “Are you okay?” He looked down at me with concern.
I nodded, leaning up to kiss him, and then he rocked some more. The pain was still there, but lessened with each thrust until there was just a deep throbbing which gave way to more pleasure.
Now I understood why my mother pressed upon Adaline and I to keep our purity until marriage. This was an incredibly intimate thing shared between two people. Something I couldn’t imagine doing down at the tavern for one night like some of the girls did.
He started to tremble on top of me, and then quickly pulled himself away from me, grabbing himself with his hand.
For a moment, I thought something went wrong—he’d left so abruptly—but then I realized this was the method he spoke of to make sure there was no pregnancy.
It was the most special moment of my life, giving myself fully to him, giving him something I’d saved for him alone. But my face fell when I realized that he would soon be sharing this moment with other women. That we would never have a child together.
He peered over and scanned my face, worry taking over his as he seemed to understand what I was thinking.
“It won’t be like that with them. I won’t kiss them, I’ll barely touch them, just enough contact to get the job done.”
A single tear slid down my cheek, running behind my neck and I realized that our marriage was doomed from the start. I’d never truly be okay with this arrangement. It would fester inside of me until I exploded. I learned in that moment that I was a horribly jealous woman who didn’t want to share one inch of my husband. Not even to save a kingdom.
But I said nothing, because I knew if I did he would back out of the arrangement, and Adaline and everyone I loved who carried dragon magic would die.
The next morning we made love two more times, staying in bed until midday. Finally, we bathed and got dressed to have lunch in the dining hall. Drae promised to take me on a two-day trip to Grim Hollow. I’d never seen the shipping port, which was famous for its wares from beyond the realm and was full of trader stalls and markets.
We were going to have lunch and plan out the trip, but when we stepped into the dining room, Cal and Falcon burst in through the other doors just as the horns of war blew from the city gates.
Without hesitation, Drae took off running toward where Cal and Falcon stood.
They murmured something to him and Drae looked at me. “Stay here, my love!” he shouted, and they all ran down the hall, presumably for the barn to ride to war.
Like Hades I’m waiting here! Just because I was his wife didn’t mean he could tell me what to do. I jogged after them, grateful I’d worn trousers and a small tunic today.
“The Nightfall queen has taken Middle Bridge. Our army is keeping her back, but barely,” Cal said as they ran.
I jogged up beside the three of them, passing Annabeth on the way, who flattened herself against the wall in fear as we passed.
“The king and I will fly to lend aid,” I said.
Drae stared at me and shook his head. “You must stay back and keep safe.”
I growled, an almost inhuman growl which caused all three men to glance over at me in shock. “I am still a member of the Royal Guard, sworn to protect you. I will fight and you will not tell me what to do.”
His eyes narrowed. Cal looked like he was hiding a grin.
“The queen has spoken,” Falcon said. “We could use her power, sir. Especially after losing Regina.”
Her name hung in the air like a tangible thing. Her loss was felt deeply in that moment. She would know what to do, she would call the shots. Drae hadn’t even replaced her yet. I believed a part of him didn’t want to accept she was really gone.
“A queen who fights in the Royal Army?” Drae said as we burst outside to the chaos of the entire Royal Guard suiting up for battle.