Page 104 of Joy Guardian
“May I endure the fate of a curse breaker if I ever hurt you. May my spirit never rest if I break your trust or your heart,” I vowed.
She smiled.
“You sure know how to woo a girl, speaking like that,” she cooed sweetly.
A shiver ran through my body with the urge to have her closer. I tightened my arms around her, but it wasn’t enough. It felt like our souls had merged. And now, my body wished to be impossibly close to her as well.
A need I couldn’t name pulsed through me, growing inside me, urging me to satisfy it in a way I didn’t know.
“I…I need you.” My throat spasmed, catching my words.
“What is it, Kurai? Are you in pain?” She hovered her hand over the cut on my shoulder, mistaking it for the reason of my affliction. When the true reason was her.
A low growl reverberated deep in my chest, erupting from my throat with a roar.
“Oh, no!” the yellow-haired woman by the door squeaked, grabbing on to the prince’s arm. “It’s happening to them too.”
Twenty-Four
CIANA
“It’s happening to them too!” Dawn gasped, grabbing Rha’s arm.
I wasn’t sure what she meant by “it”, but something was definitely happening with Kurai.
He roared like a wild beast. His features distorted in a tortured grimace as he clung to me like to a lifeline.
“What’s going on?” I turned to Dawn in desperation, unsure how to help him.
“You must be ovulating,” she said the most bizarre thing in reply.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
I haven’t had my period for many weeks now. Being abducted then half-dying in the desert seemed to have temporarily shut off the reproductive function in my body. But even if it didn’t, why did it matter?
“They can’t do it here.” Dawn tugged Rha by his arm. “Just look at this place. Ciana deserves better for their first time together.” She turned to me. “It is your first time with him, right? He hasn’t had a mating fever yet, has he?”
“I don’t think she knows what you’re talking about.” Rha stepped back out of the cell with a gesture for us to follow. “Ciana, you don’t have much time before he’ll lose his control completely. Come, I’ll move you two to the queen’s quarters.”
“Ooh, the queen’s quarters are gorgeous,” Dawn approved. “It’s an entire mansion built specifically to accommodate the queen and her court when she visits, which hasn’t happened yet and is unlikely to ever happen.” She waved her hand vaguely. “But it'll be perfect for you two to…um…”
Kurai groaned, bending over and propping his hands on his thighs.
“Come, we’ll get you to a more comfortable place.” I climbed to my feet and grabbed his arm in an attempt to help him up from his knees.
“It’s best if you stay away from him for now.” Dawn grabbed my hand and pulled me to her.
“Ciana!” Kurai bellowed, lurching after me.
“Quickly now,” Dawn speed-walked down the corridor with Rha, dragging me after her.
Kurai stomped behind us. His head down, his shoulders hunched over, he looked like a predator on the prowl, tracking his prey. And by the looks of it, the prey was me.
“What’s happening to him?” I hurried along the corridor out of the dungeon, tripping over my feet.
“You know how the shadow fae don’t have any dicks?” Dawn explained. “Well, he’s about to get one. And not just one. These guys have lots.”
“Lots of dicks?” I tried to keep up with both our dash out of the dungeon and the new information she was imparting on me.
