“You don’t need to keep apologizing, my dearest,” I say, trying for a warm tone.
Hearing her address me asMasterso casually was more than a little unsettling.
Yes, there’s a part of me that likes owning her, a part of me that likes knowing no one can take her away from me because by law she is my possession. However, I don’t want her to view me as her master.
I want her to view me as her mate.
Gods, when will she feel the bond?
When?
Maybe I am the silly one. I could inform her that we are mates at this very moment. Yet I keep holding back. Am I truly so afraid of her rejection that I will continue keeping this secret from her?
“Your teeth are actually quite lovely,” she murmurs, finally meeting my eyes again. Gradually, she lifts her head, no longer looking so downcast. “Really. I mean it. They are white as snow, and so very sharp, and strong too, I would imagine.”
The sweetness that radiates from her tells me she’s not mocking me. She’s paying me a real compliment.
For a reason I can’t fathom, the tips of my ears suddenly burn.
“Thank you, Gwen,” I eventually reply, deciding not to tell her that I enjoy using my teeth to rip out the throats of human and orc soldiers during battle. I nod at her half-eaten meal. “Please continue eating.”
She briefly glances at her plate and reaches for the utensil she dropped moments ago. “All right. I’ll keep eating, but only if you promise never to bite me.”
I find myself fighting a smile. “I won’t promise never to bite you, my dearest, but I will promise that if I do, you will enjoy it.”
She promptly flushes, then tucks into her meal without offering a response. But as we finish eating, I keep detecting her excitement through the bond. More than once, I also catch a hint of her feminine slickness in the air.
Soon, I tell myself.
Soon, she will become mine in every way.
Our bodies joined as one.
Our hearts entwined.
CHAPTER 7
GWEN
I can’t helpbut feel shy as Merak guides me toward the bed. Exhaustion weighs me down, and I can scarcely keep my eyes open. After the hot bath and the lavish meal, I feel as though I could sleep for a full year. But I’m very aware of the huge fae male’s proximity as he draws the covers back and beckons me to get settled beneath them.
Does he truly plan to hold me throughout the night?
I suppose I’m about to find out.
He carefully tucks the covers around me, then he walks to the other side of the room. My breath catches when I realize what he’s about to do. He’s preparing to get undressed.
Oh, my gods.
I shouldn’t watch. I should turn on my side and face the window that overlooks the glimmering, ussha-blessed mountains. But I can’t seem to tear my eyes from his powerful, lithe body.
He removes his leather shirt first, revealing an expanse of muscles that ripple with his every movement. When he turnsto drape the shirt over a chair, I’m provided with a look at his impressive back and broad shoulders.
Goodness.
I watch as he bends down briefly to remove his boots and socks. He rises to his feet and turns to give me a heated look that causes my core to clench.
When he reaches for the front clasp of his pants, I truly forget how to breathe.
