She paused. “What if I don’t return before you?”
Frazer didn’t growl or snap. Just whirled and stalked over to grab his Utem?. He answered only when he’d strapped the blade to his waist. “Then, I’ll make the climb.”
Adrianna stared for a moment. “Don’t be stupid. Shout my name when you’re at the bottom of the mountain. If I don’t respond, do the smart thing and wait.”
Shadows and flames kindled in his stare, but he was quiet as he followed her to the lip of the cave. Without hesitation, Adrianna lifted him as if he weighed no more than a babe and took to the skies in a single leap.
Wilder and I were alone again.
My breathing snagged as I caught him giving me a sideways look.
In one smooth motion, he’d hauled me onto his lap. I felt breathless, and daring as I shifted to straddle him. His wings splayed out a bit, but he didn’t move to kiss me. Wilder’s hands instead traveled to the top button on my jacket. I watched him undo it, slowly, purposefully, and move to the next one down.
Close to forgetting my own name, I spoke quickly. “I should tell you who I am. You might not feel the same … You might not want me afterward.”
Fingers paused on that last button. Those green eyes flickered, lifting. His focus locked onto my mouth. Wilder’s lip curled lazily. “Not possible.”
A promise and an answer.
A tight, near-panting answer rushed from me. “You don’t know that.”
My thoughts scattered as he continued unbuttoning. He tugged away my jacket, peeling it from my skin gently. My shoulders were left feeling impossibly light. A shiver played its tune down my spine as he slipped his hands beneath my shirt to press his knuckles into the small of my back, kneading out the kinks. I sighed softly and moved into the soothing motions that quickly became featherlight strokes. He drew whorls and lines there until at last those beautiful, teasing fingers left my top to travel up, up. Aware of every inch between us and every move he made, I watched with bated breath as he plunged his thumb and forefinger down my neckline and plucked out the droplet. He let the blue gem rest in his palm and whispered, “I know this has magic. I know you’ve got something big to tell me. But Frazer wasn’t wrong when he advised caution. Trusting me with your story is dangerous, and if Morgan ever got in …”
Raw, rasping words. He released the necklace and both his hands lowered to brace my hips. Wilder sagged against me; his forehead touched close to where my raging, thunderous heart pounded. I chewed my lower lip, weighing the risks. He wasn’t wrong. I shouldn’t take Morgan’s obsession with Wilder lightly. And yet …
My arms floated up to wrap around his neck. I spoke quietly. “Are you still wanting to come with us—with me?”
He pulled back from my breast to look up and say, “Of course.” As if I were mad for even asking.
“Well, then …”
With a deep breath to prepare, I began from hearing Auntie’s voice and talking to Frazer mind to mind. And finished with meeting Maggie, Hazel, and the purpose behind the items we were collecting.
Wilder sat in silence for the entire tale. The only sign of his true feelings being the grip on my hips tightening.
With no more words left to say, I waited for his reaction.
All I got was a vacant expression.
I bowed into his shoulder, whispering, “Say something.”
His chest expanded rapidly. On the exhale, he breathed, “It’s hard to know what to say. I’m shocked, terrified, relieved—”
I leaned back to consider those pained eyes. “Relieved?”
His gaze deepened. “If becoming fae—if shifting back means you’ll live longer—then I’d welcome it.”
One of his hands flattened against my back, the other reached up to play with my hair. I moved into the touch, cherishing it, and got a crooked smile in return. One that made me want to kiss that tiny spot where his lip curved.
Wilder began, “And as a fae with light magic, you won’t be as breakable. Maybe, then, I won’t worry every time you leave my side.”
Desire, hot and heavy, shattered me in a pulse. A frown touched my brow. My lips drew apart to say something … anything.
His hands stopped their roaming. “What’s wrong? Did I—”
Wilder didn’t get another word in. I covered my mouth with his, devouring the sound.
This time, he didn’t hesitate. He tore into my mouth with a fervor that stole the will from my limbs. A kiss. Possessive and wild and frantic. His hand pulled at my short hair. Not hard, but enough to show how much he wanted me.
I’d been so lonely for so long. Rejected, exiled, scorned. Others had helped fill that cold, barren place in my chest. But this—this—set the whole damned place ablaze. Burning up the darkness until there was nothing but light. And life.
He sunk backwards with me astride him. I felt like I’d been winded as he deftly flipped us, rolling me onto the bedroll, his body covering mine. A mighty wall of muscle settled between my legs. Enough that something hard pushed against me, nudging me.
Heat flooded my body, the flames pooling at the apex of my thighs. A pulse started up, insistent and loud.
His hand slipped down my thigh to cradle the underside of my knee as the other hand traveled up to entwine our fingers; he pinned my arm above my head.
His mouth left mine with a small nip at my lip that made me inhale sharply.
A glassy gaze met mine and roamed, scanning every bit of me. The way he was looking at me with such rawness brought a boldness crashing into my chest. I relaxed, softening so that his full weight hit that oh-so-needy spot. My body cried out, more, more, more.
Wilder’s canines snapped down. “Look at you—beautiful.” A hoarse whisper. Animalistic and sincere.
He lowered his head and paused at my nape. My free hand rushed to twine my fingers into that golden mane as the sharpened points of his teeth awaited. I was breathless, anticipating.
His canines scraped up against soft, soft skin in a perfect duet of strength and tenderness.
Sweet, exquisite torture. That’s was this was. Every sense narrowing to that single point of contact where my heart’s blood pounded and his needles waited. I moaned a little as his ass clenched and he grated into my hips.
I was overwhelmed by him—his scent, his weight—
My male’s body.
Molten flames liquified my insides as that claim sent a thrill through my blood. I groaned, and at that precise moment, Wilder flicked his hot tongue against my flesh, licking up to my earlobe.
I trembled beneath him.
He moved back a touch and released my hand. The perfect opportunity for me to reach up and start to tug his top off.
Wilder gripped my wrists and brought them up over my head, pinning me. Again. He took one look at my pout and loosened a beautiful laugh that snaked up the groove of my spine, setting my scalp tingling.
“Darling, you can’t think I’m going to take you right here? We need time to explore; not rush because I think your kin’s about to arrive and slaughter me to defend your honor.”
I opened my mouth to say that I didn’t give a damn, but Wilder was already saying, “Forgive me, but you’ve never been with a male before, have you?”
I turned my head to the side, cheeks flaming.
Of course. Stupid. Stupid.
I was inexperienced. Maybe he didn’t want to be with a virgin. Or maybe he just thought I was a harlot for rushing things. But today, he’d almost been taken from me. Just like so many others. I was sick of it. I wanted for something to be in my control, to forge something good and permanent and lasting.
“Look at me, valo.” A growl and an order.
I struggled to meet that hardened voice. He released a hand to grab my nose between thumb and forefinger. It didn’t hurt, but he wasn’t gentle as he dragged my eyes to his. “Don’t shut me out.” He freed my nose and continued. “I’d be honored to be your first, but I don’t want it to be in a cave, that’s all.”
I gave him my best growl.
He beamed beatifically. “You’ll make a magnificent fae, darling.”