“Lay back, love. I don’t want to hear the words ‘no’ or ‘stop.’ You are mine until I say so. Understood?” My heart tumbled over itself as I felt his breath at my sex. This was… so intimate. A flush crept across my skin.
The way his fiery green eyes stayed locked on me, while his lips grazed sensitive skin, caused me to wiggle and writhe under the scrutiny of his piercing gaze. He slid me forward, forcing me fully on my back, then settled in with a possessive growl. His tongue boldly ran along my center, causingme to release a startled groan. Soft, warm kisses turned into swirling tight circles as he expertly flicked his tongue over and over. I arched up, twisting and kicking, needing relief from his relentless pursuit to devour me.
“Lay still for me,” Galen commanded. I did my best, but…six gods, he was asking for the impossible.I was drenched and he still wasn’t done with me. I squirmed in anguish, cursingCyro, and whoever else was responsible for gifting him so thoroughly.
I’d caught fire, though his flames were nowhere in sight. He moved his tongue in and out, up and around, gripping my thighs with bruising force. “Galen…” I breathed, fisting his hair.
Then his fingers were working me, while his mouth continued its conquest, wringing every ounce of sensation from me. I panted, legs quaking, as I reached the top of the mountain. Frost bit at my fingers while I bucked, thrusting my head back as I rode wave after wave.
“Galen..." I moaned. He made no motion to move from his position, perched between my legs. "Galen… it’s too sensitive.Please. Stop,” I said desperately.
“Not yet,” he huffed between greedy mouthfuls and dove deeper. He couldn’t mean to make me shatter again. I’d die from it.
The pleasure had turned to something else. He held me down with a flat-palmed hand over my stomach. Just as I thought the sensation would kill me, I came a third time. Frost spread over my body… over the bed. Galen looked up at me, licking his lips. “You taste like sunshine, ice wielder. Explainthatto me.”
We laid tangled in a heap as we drifted down from the clouds. He nuzzled into the crook of my neck and promptly began to snore.
I stayed awake, mind racing, as morning light filled the room. Could I truly let myself fall for this male? Was there a universe where our lives—our people—could co-exist? I had my doubts, but for the first time, I was willing to set them aside and find out where this could lead.
I’d let him bite me and it had felt better than I wanted to admit. I prodded the puncture wounds to find that they’d scabbed over but hadn’t completely healed. In contrast, my wound from the village brawl had disappeared in hours. I pondered why a bite would heal slower than a cut. My stomach sank and I took a deep breath, shutting down the shame that was creeping its way in.
I was trying not to let negative feelings worm their way into my head, but I could already hear my guilty conscious asking,what would Ophelia think?
Annoyed, I countered the intrusive thought.Ophelia hadn’t even told me about faeries or magic—she might very well be Fae. It was her fault for letting me walk blindly into this world.
I snuggled into Galen, until the voices faded. Over the last decade, I’d let my fear of abandonment keep me from living life to the fullest. I’d let it fester into insecurity and self-doubt. Somewhere along the way, I’d grown ice around my heart. It was time to admit that my loneliness was partially self-induced. I’d pushed people away, declined invites, and judged others without truly knowing them; until I’d found myself jaded and alone.
Galen had walked right past my boundaries—more accurately, he’d set them on fire. And now he was sleeping soundly on my chest. I watched gold lashes flutter as he dreamed, feeling the full weight of his presence upon my heart.
He terrified me as much as he elated me. Sometimes he was overly confident, sometimes his moods were unpredictable, and I did worry about his relationship with his mother. But he’d saved me, in more ways than one. He was exactly what I needed at this moment: Safety, warmth,passion. We were both a little broken, but together we were whole.
twenty-three
Iwoke to the sound of Lusha gasping and slamming the door. “Sorry, Miss Marigold!” I cracked an eye open. I’d fallen back asleep—it was well into mid-morning now. Galen was passed out on his back, his mouth gaped open. I laughed softly and it was enough to wake him.
“Hi.” I smiled, kissing his shoulder.
“Hi,” he said with a reciprocal peck, sitting up. His stomach muscles expanded as he stretched. Feeling bold, I stared at every beautiful inch of him.
“Galen, if it’s not too personal, would you tell me what yourpneumaform is?” I rolled over until I was laying on my belly, my chin resting on my folded arms. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and scratched his head until his hair stood straight up.
As I watched him stretch again with feline grace, I blurted out, “I know what you are—I’d bet my life on it.”
“You shouldn’t make bets with your life, love. Especially in a land of cursed faeries that would happily take you up on it.” He stood up and faced me. My mouth went dry as I took in his muscular, lean body.
In a matter of one… two… three seconds… a gigantic, golden lion appeared in my bedroom. His fur was the same fiery color as his hair; auburn with flecks of gold that weaved through a brilliant, thick mane. His head was the size of my torso. He was so big, he filled up nearly all the floor space in my room, leaving me sitting on my bed, unsure if I should be afraid of making any sudden movements.
Many things in this new world had surprised me, but nothing had prepared me for the awe-inspiring sight of Galen’s lion form. I wanted toreach out and touch his velvety face, bury my cheeks in his luxurious fur; but instead I watched him in silence… waiting for his next move.
Galen approached me slowly and it took all of my bravery to keep from backing away as he laid his massive head on my lap andpurred. I cautiously stroked between his eyes, up into his silky mane, scratching behind his ears. His purr increased in volume and I grinned down at him, giving him a kiss on the nose.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “You are glorious, in both forms. And I want you to know that I’m done fighting this. I’m ready to be yours, for you to be mine… if you still want me.” He blinked up at me with emerald eyes that held the reflection of his soul, even in his feline form.
“Losing my mother… I think it stunted my ability to dream. It was a loss that consumed my adolescence, but I think I’m finally ready to let myself live again. I still have doubts… I might never be able to let them all go. And I think you may understand that, in your position. Sometimes duty takes precedent over what we want—over who we wish we were. But right now, I sit here before you, telling you that I care… and I don’t want you to disappear again.”
Galen transformed back into his Fae form and appeared on his knees before me. “I’m not going anywhere. Although, I feel at a slight disadvantage kneeling before you in the nude.” We laughed together at the situation—at the fate that brought us together.
“Somehow, you look at me like I’m not a liability, even after seeing me broken—knowing what I’ve done. It makes me want to be better. It makes me feelinvincible.I’ll try to not be a disappointment to you,” he said as he sprinkled kisses on my hand, up my arm, and along my neck. “Let’s keep this a secret for now—until we have more leverage with my mother and the Elders. Once you can world walk, they’ll approve of our relationship. The last thing I want is for them to target you because of me.”