Magic erupted through our life force. It sent waves of heat through us, burning us inside and out with the need to complete the bond. I rolled Calista to her back and lost myself to the dizzying effects of the moment. Staring into her teary eyes, I promised her a forever of forevers. Anything she ever desired, I would provide. If she required vengeance, I would be her sword. I would hoist the weight of the universe onto my shoulders and carry it for her if she but muttered the word. All I asked in return was for her to let me.
My emotions flooded through our newfound connection, heightened by the magic I hadn’t reabsorbed. Tears welled to overflowing, rolling down her temples to soak into her hair laced between my fingers. I reined in my overwhelming adoration when she released a sob and blocked myself from her. She deserved some privacy while processing our union. That’s what I told myself. Truth was, I ached to know but feared the worst.
Stroking that spot between her legs that drove her wild, I said, “Come for me, Cali.”
I worked us to the point of breaking until we shattered. Instead of coming undone, the magic wove us together. If only I could convince her to weave her love with mine.
Light snores filled the room when I came to. Blinking, I licked my dry lips and focused my vision. Calista’s breast rubbed my nose with every breath she took. I turned my face into her chest and took in her scent. All I could smell was our coupling. When I moved, her loose hold tightened around my shoulders. I smiled against her and lightly kissed her breast. She shivered and arched into me.
The steady thrum of her heart pressed to my ear lulled me into a peaceful state. That and the lingering effects of the everberries. I stroked her skin as she held me and pictured a future with her as peaceful and satiated as this one. Leisure days wrapped in each other’s arms with the sheets askew, tangled hair and swollen lips, fucking to exhaustion and napping only to start all over again. I grew hard imagining all the ways we’d bring each other to the brink of insanity and delight in its ecstasy.
“Your Highness?” Ziggy whispered outside the door, then gave it a light thud.
I sighed, not wanting to get up, but we would need energy to fuel the next round. As gently as I could, I unwound myself from Calista and peered down at her flushed face. She was a sight to behold. An arm draped over her ribcage and one leg lay open, bent at the knee as if welcoming me back between them when I was ready. Faint hints of blood spotted the sheet between her legs. A streak farther down resembled my cock. I needed to be gentler with her.
The light thud came again, breaking my trance. I covered her with the discarded blanket and went to the door.
Cracking it open, Ziggy stood with a platter of food and drink in his arms, and two servants on either side of him were doing the same. Behind them, the maids were weighed down with clean sheets, towels, and water, attempting to keep their gazes on my face.
He cleared his throat. “You missed dinner. I thought you two might like refreshment.”
I glanced back at Calista to make certain she was still covered. Her sleepy eyes cracked open and met mine. “Hungry?”
Lips curling, she stretched and purred, “Famished.”
I couldn’t help but stare at her as her arms came over her head, back arched, and knees drew up. The blanket slid achingly slow until it reached the peak of her nipples and fell from their tips. Her head lolled in my direction, and she screeched, yanking the blanket up to her chin.
Little, excited faces stacked atop one another filled the growing gap in the door. I quickly stepped in the way of their view, and they scuttled backward, picking their items off the floor. With a stern look, I opened the door and let them in. Keeping their heads down, they went straight to work. They set the food on the table and deposited the sheets and towels on a nearby chair. Then they filed out, pursing their lips to keep from smiling as they took quick glances at their future queen curled up in a ball with the blanket hiding everything but her wide eyes and wild bedhead.
When the door latched, I strolled to the bed and snapped my fingers. The table covered with food appeared at the foot. I grabbed the platter I knew Calista would like best and put it on the bed between us. She sat up, trapping the blanket under her arms and blocking my view of her. I frowned and went about pouring us drinks.
“Ziggy and his fascination with pizza.” She laughed and picked up a slice, shoving it in her mouth and humming.
“You gave him a new passion. I’ve never seen him so….”
“Happy?” Calista finished for me.
“Yes, I guess so.” A lot of the staff appeared lighter, more energetic since Calista arrived. “Your presence has brought an immense amount of joy to my brethren.”
Her jaws slowed as she chewed and inspected the slice pinched in her fingers. I lowered the walls to our connection and felt a mix of guilt, nervousness, and curiosity.
“And you?” she inquired, picking a piece of the toddling ninny biter off and putting it in her mouth.
I gave my emotions a gentle shove through our bond to ease her insecurities. She gasped and clutched the blanket over her heart as my joy, contentment, and love washed over her, along with the image of us entwined on the bed. “There is never a need to question how I feel. I share it with you always now.”
Calista blushed and quietly ate her pizza. Taking the last bite, she covered her mouth as she spoke around it. “Are you going to join me or watch me eat?”
I took a piece and moved to sit next to her. She scooted over an inch when I brushed against her and tugged at the blanket. I didn’t keep my frustration locked down. Wrapping an arm around her, I pulled her flush to my side. Calista regarded me out of the corner of her eye as I ate and stroked her hip with my thumb. It was hard not to be smug, but I kept a straight face as she battled her desire for me.
“What happens next?” she asked when we finished our meal.
I knew exactly what she meant. She worried I would focus on breeding with her, using her body as a lust-driven dumping ground until I impregnated her and forced her to bear my spawn. Forced her to raise them. Forced her to do it again and again. Although I would like children with her, that is not her sole purpose here. One day, she would remember. And on that day, I hoped she chose to forgive me.
I snapped my fingers. The platter disappeared from the bed and reappeared on the table. “We visit the four corners.”
“As curious as I am about all that, that’s not what I meant.”
My brow furrowed. “Whatdidyou mean?”
She scratched behind her ear and took a deep breath before motioning between us with her finger. Her worry plopped heavy on my gut. “With us. What happens next?”
“I strip that blanket from you and make you scream my name again.”
“Ast—” Calista clamped her lips shut when I squinted at her and squeezed her hip, daring her to disobey me and call me the wrong name. “I’m being serious, Roth.”
“So am I.”
I gripped the blanket beneath her hand. Her breaths quickened as I tugged it from her grasp and tossed it down by her feet. This time, I went slow and gentle, savoring every inch of her flesh and inhalation as I suckled, stroked, and teased her. Like an adventurer, I traveled her body with eagerness and stitched every freckle to memory, taking note of what made her back arch, her legs tremble, and what caused her to make all those lovely little sounds.
