“The commander is at the ramparts,” Elliot replied. “Do not worry, my lady. He should be back soon.”
Maxi accepted the tray with a sullen expression. Although she was famished, recalling Riftan’s obstinate behavior left an unpleasant taste in her mouth. It felt as though she had swallowed sand.
She sat at the table and crammed the bread into her mouth. Halfway through the tray of food, fatigue and drowsiness suddenly flooded through her body. Maxi gulped down the remaining wine and sat on the cot, sleepily staring at the entrance. However, Riftan did not return even as the night grew deeper.
Was he so angry that he did not wish to see her at all? Her heart stung when she remembered the pain in his eyes. She had been expecting him to be furious, but she had never once thought that she would cause him anguish.
Hunched on the cot, Maxi buried her face in her knees. Should she have waited patiently in Levan? She wished to be by his side no matter the danger. If it meant she could be with him, she would gladly endure the hardships of a campaign.
She decided to tell him as much when he returned—that being with him was what mattered to her the most. That being Maximilian Calypse made her feel more alive than ever.
Her neck became strained as she sat there waiting for him, her gaze fixed on the flaps of the tent. Eventually, tired and sated, she fell asleep.
She groggily awoke to find a sturdy arm wrapped aroundher waist. Her eyes flew open. In the dim light of dawn, she could make out Riftan’s sleeping, muscular form. She gazed up at his calm face in surprise. He must have lost weight in the past few months, as his face looked a little gaunt. Faint shadows darkened the skin below his eyes.
Despite his anger, he had quietly lain down next to her so as not to wake her. Her heart constricted with emotion at the thought.
She brushed aside the long strands of hair covering his forehead. He looked younger with his hair swept up. She devoured him with her eyes before leaning in to give him a peck on the lips. When Riftan did not wake up, she grew more daring. She stroked his stubbled chin and held her lips to his a bit longer.
For someone whose body was as hard as iron, his lips were surprisingly soft. Maxi was gently caressing them when he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
“That tickles.”
Maxi froze as her face flushed crimson. “I-I’m sorry. Did I…wake you?”
“I didn’t get a wink of sleep.” He opened his eyes. They were completely lucid as he gazed at her. “I still can’t believe that you’re here.”
Maxi’s heart sank at his brusque tone. She burrowed deeper into his arms.
“I’m sorry for coming here a-against your wishes,” she whispered. “Please…don’t be angry with me.”
Riftan stiffened, then wordlessly pulled her into a tight embrace. Relief flooded over her at his comforting warmth. Maxi pressed her face to his chest and breathed in deeply.His masculine scent filling her lungs kindled an intense warmth in her heart. She felt like a wanderer who had returned home after a long journey.
“I really…missed you,” she said softly. “That’s why I came. I truly am h-happy to be here.”
Riftan scoffed. “Don’t think that you can settle this with sweet words.”
He slid his big hand behind her head and pressed her against him as though trying to meld their bodies into one. Maxi could feel his heart pounding like a drum, and the vein standing out on his neck pulsed rapidly. His long, callused fingers combed through her hair and hungrily stroked her nape.
“I have no idea what to do with you,” he mumbled. “Goddammit, if I could have my way, I would drop this war and take you back to Anatol myself. I truly wish that were possible.”
His words were so enticing that they made Maxi gulp. Of course, she could never ask such a thing of him.
“I-I have no intention of being a hindrance. That is not why I came,” she said. “I simply…wanted to be near you. And if possible…I-I want to help.”
“But I can’t bear the thought of you being in such a place!”
Riftan pried her away from him and sat up. The bluish dawn illuminated his broad shoulders. He gazed down at her for a moment, his eyes shadowed, before roughly rubbing his face. “This is not what I wanted for you when I brought you to Anatol.”
“R-Riftan, I…truly am content here. I am your w-wife,” Maxi pleaded. “I also…wish to be helpful. I-I might not beable to do much…but I am a healer, and I’ve mastered a few spells. I’ve grown healthier, too. I’ve m-managed to make it this far, haven’t I? I am not th-that weak.”
Despite her impassioned argument, Riftan still looked wholly unconvinced. Maxi was about to pull him into her arms again when she stopped herself, the fear that he might jerk away making her hesitate. Seeing this, Riftan sighed and pulled her into a deep kiss.
Maxi moaned when she felt his thick tongue push into her mouth. His hard chest crushed her breasts, and his muscular arms tightened around her like the roots of a tree. Maxi gasped for air like a fish caught in a net.
He explored her with such passion that his regal nose bore down on her own, his stubbled chin chafing her smooth skin. Maxi shuddered as his hot, wet tongue hungrily tasted the roof of her mouth and the insides of her cheeks. It was a feverish kiss, one that made Maxi feel as though he were trying to devour her whole.
“Maxi…” Riftan murmured, his voice thick with desire as he lowered her onto the cot.
