“Fuck, Ez, I’m going to—”
But she doesn’t need to tell me. I can feel it: her walls tremoring against my hand. I curl my fingers again, and it’s all she needs. Her delectable scream erupts over the lake as her orgasm ripples through her.
My heart hammers in my chest. Slowly, I pull out of her. She shakes, arms barely able to hold herself up. But she doesn’t need to do that. I hold her in my embrace, cradling her against my chest, kissing her neck, her jaw, her pointed ears. A tear trembles down her face, and I kiss that, too.
“Holy fuck,” she whimpers. “That was amazing.”
I take her hand in mine, massaging her palm, then kissing her knuckles, the soft skin of her wrist. “Now, darling, I’m going to fuck you like you deserve.”
Rosalina looks up at me through her dark lashes, the softest smile. She crawls from my lap and lies down in the grass, tracing her fingers over the soft blades.
I place my hand over hers, channeling my magic. Little daisies bloom up around her.
She lets out a small gasp. “It’s beautiful.”
I stare at her face. “I know.”
“I’m ready, Ez.” There’s the most genuine look of happiness on her face.
I’ve seen Rose laid out before me in the past, but this is different. This is more than the gift of her body, more than any sort of base fun.
This is something sacred. Something forged in the story of the stars.
I hold her head and position myself. Her chest heaves beneath me, and I wonder if she’s nervous.
I wonder if I’m nervous.
There is no doubt in me that I will show my woman the furthest reaches of pleasure, but I’m nervous about something else. For how this changes who I am. I’ve always known there was darkness living inside of me … That I brought pain to those who got too close. What does it mean for me to—
Rosalina softly smacks my cheek, and I focus back on her. “Stop it,” she says fiercely. “Stop thinking and just love me, Ez. That’s all I want.”
Just love.
I can do that.
I can do that.
My mate captures my mouth and my mind, and I enter her body and into oblivion all at once.
It’s like no feeling I’ve ever experienced before. This … This is what life is. Her warmth around my cock, fitting me like we were crafted in the same forge. She wraps her legs around my hips, dragging me deeper.
Most glorious of all is her face, her eyes shining, mouth in a trembling smile. How of all the fae in the realm do I deserve her? My chest feels heavy and light all at once, a bursting sensation that simmers like coals and burns like fire.
I lean down to suck her breast into my mouth, reveling in her moan of pleasure. She rakes her fingers into my hair; how wonderful it is to be touched, to feel her skin against my face. Is this what it is to be seen? Is this what it is like to see for the first time?
We twist so I’m on my back and she’s riding me. My mate. My beautiful, funny, strong, kind mate who sits upon my cock like it’s a throne.
“Ezryn,” Rose breathes, dragging her hands through my chest hair. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Rose.” I’m holding tight to a semblance of restraint, my cock thoroughly ravished by the up and down movement of her pussy.
She bucks hard, her hips grinding down. Her breasts bounce, and I have to squeeze them before I lose my mind. “Your cock is so good,” she sighs.
“You take it like a queen.”
Her breath is ragged and stuttering now. “Then worship me,” she growls. “Give me your cum.”
“Anything for my mate,” I say lowly. “And you’re going to come with me.”
I grab her hips, lifting her to the tip of my cock before plunging her down. A breathless plea escapes her, and her eyes ignite with a sultry flame. I don’t stop—and she doesn’t, either. She meets me stroke for stroke. Our gazes never leave each other, and it’s an unspoken connection—we will find bliss together.
I know you. Her sweet voice is a caress in my mind.
I know you. And as I say the words within her, my body responds. Light streaks across my vision as I explode. A roar breaks out of me, and her cry is equally feral, fingernails raking down my chest. I feel her tighten and pulse around my cock, only making me come harder. My seed erupts deep within her.
A beat passes. Our gazes never break. Tears stream down her face, but she’s smiling.
Smiling at me.
And I know something has happened—something greater than even the sealing of a mate bond. We have forged this bond so tightly that nothing will ever tear us apart.
79
Rosalina
The air around me seems to sparkle. Flower petals float from the cherry blossom trees, a warm breeze blowing through its branches. Lazy clouds drift by, and the sun’s rays feel like kisses over my skin. I lie in the grass, encased by the rocky wall, gazing up at the sky and wondering how my ordinary life could be so touched by magic.
My mate lies beside me. Our clothes were nearly dry, so I pulled on my dress and Ezryn’s wearing his pants, but he’s shirtless. Staring at his carved chest, the bob of his throat as he breathes, makes me want to leap back on top of him.
But that will come. What happens next is most important. My heart bursts with excitement. I sit up on my elbow and peer over at him.
He smiles up at me. I can’t believe this face has been hidden from me for so long. But now it’s mine forever. “Ez?”
“Yes, Petal?” He caresses my cheek.
I can barely contain my smile. This is it. I can feel it, my heart bond singing out in a chorus. A familiar feeling that reminds me of a rainy afternoon underneath a canopy of fall leaves, and yet something new all together. “I meant what I said earlier. I see who you are. Whatever life you’ve lived in the past, whatever you’ve had to do to make peace with yourself, it doesn’t matter to me. Because I know this heart.” I place my hand on his chest. “It beats with strength and goodness and love. You are more than your beast. You are everything to me.”
He sits up, hand tightening on my face. His brown eyes swirl with emotion. “I was born and raised to be a great leader for Spring. And at every turn, I have only let my people down. Destroyed the hopes and trust of those who love me.” His gaze drifts up to the willow tree. “There’s always been something wrong with me, Rose. Something jagged and broken. I thought I kept it at bay by killing … by falling into malice. I never thought I could leave it behind.” He sucks in a breath. “But there must be some hope for me if I have earned your love.”
“There is more than hope.” The air sparks and light shines beneath Ezryn’s skin. “The world needs you, Ezryn.”
“For you, Rosalina, I will be better,” he breathes. “For you, I would do anything.”
I recognize the shimmer from Farron’s skin months ago. I can’t help myself, crying out and wrapping my arms around Ezryn’s neck. It’s happening.