He effortlessly carries me toward the larger bathing room in the hallway. I rest my head against his chest and breathe in his familiar winter scent, noticing that the aroma of pine and freshly fallen snow is stronger than usual, nearly overpowering the peppermint, smoky wood, and spices.
I sigh against him and trace my fingers over his sculpted chest, struck by how safe I feel with him. Safe and treasured. Hetruly cares for me, a devotion that feels so eternal, I cannot help but imagine that a few thousand years from now, we will find one another in the afterlife. It feels as though not even death could separate us.
He presses a kiss to my forehead. Then another.
He sits on the chair beside the tub, cradling me close, as he nuzzles his nose against mine. His winter-cold breath drifts over me, a pleasant wave of coolness in the aftermath of our amorous exertions.
Still holding me, he reaches over with one hand and starts the water. He also adds a dash of lavender to the bath, along with another scent I can’t quite place. Eucalyptus? I could ask, or even search his mind for the answer, but I find I am suddenly too exhausted to think.
“Just relax, my dearest,” he murmurs. “Relax and let me take care of you.”
His words wash over me like a gentle wave, but as the affection surging through the bond deepens, tears once again sting my eyes. My throat also burns.
Gods help me, but I am falling for the highborn fae savage.
I am falling for Merak.
CHAPTER 14
MERAK
After our bath,I quickly don a clean pair of trousers, then gently dry Gwen’s hair with a towel and wrap her in the purple robe. She suppresses a yawn and gives me a fatigued smile. My chest tightens with emotion. Gods, I like taking care of her. Not for the first time, I find myself in awe that she is mine. My mate. Forever.
True, she hasn’t agreed to consummate the bond yet, but I sense that it will not be long now. In a secret part of my mind, a place I don’t think she can access, I pray that she will agree to mate with me before we leave Ellonnar. Though I can use my winter magic to erect wards around my tent in the war camp to ensure her safety, I will still feel better if the bond is fully consummated. I want the ability to sense her location if she is ever in danger.
I sweep her into my arms and carry her back to the hearth. The bird is still sleeping, though that is not a surprise. I healed the creature, but I also glamoured it so it would remain utterly calm, fearing it might flit about the suite trying to escape.
I take a seat on the sofa near the makeshift nest Gwen created for the bird, and she eagerly peeks out at the little creature. Her concern for the bird reaches me, but I sense her relaxing when she notices it’s still breathing.
“It will be fine,” I say with confidence. “I promise.”
She nods and starts to lean against me, but as she moves deeper into my arms, I notice the key hanging from her necklace shifting across her skin, and I find myself reaching for it.
I meet her eyes. “Tell me about this, my dearest.”
A wary look crosses her face. She opens her mouth as though to speak, then hesitates.
“Please,” I say, unable to sense the truth of the necklace’s origins or what it means to her when I brush my mind against hers.
She draws in a long breath before slowly exhaling, and her expression eventually becomes distant, so distant I know she is thinking about the past.
“Well, back in Braemar, I liked to hang around the markets, even when I didn’t have a single copper to purchase the smallest trinket. I simply liked hearing the traveling merchants talk about their adventures and glimpse the wares on their carts.” Her cheeks grow pink. “Well, one day I was hanging around the markets and an elderly man I’d never seen before rushed up to me and placed the necklace in my hand. He told me it was important and said never to take it off. He said I would need it one day. He claimed it would prove useful at a time when all hope seemed lost. Then he rushed away, disappearing into the crowd before I could question him further. I tried to find him. I spent the entire day searching for him and asking around, but I couldn’t find him and no one had seen a man fitting his description.”
Something about her story tugs at a forgotten corner of my mind, though I cannot say why. It’s as though a memory or anold legend is trying to resurface, yet it’s not able to fully take shape. I let go of the key and stare into Gwen’s eyes.
“What did this man look like?” I ask.
She shrugs one shoulder. “Very old. Honestly, he looked ancient. He was wrinkled and very tan like a sailor, but the way he spoke, despite the urgency in his voice, was rather polished for a sailor—an accent I’d never heard before. I suppose he was a bit mysterious.” She laughs briefly. “Perhaps I am foolish to still wear the necklace after all these years. But I find… I don’t want to take it off. The mere idea of taking it off makes me feel anxious, and so….” Her voice trails off.
“It comforts you.”
“Yes. It comforts me… but it also makes me feel prepared. If that makes sense. Prepared to face whatever might come.”
“Well, I think it is a lovely necklace,” I say, “and it suits you.”
“It is old and tarnished, but thank you for saying so.”
We share a long look as another moment of silence falls between us. She starts leaning against my chest again, only to tense and pull back to stare up at me.
