She reaches the peak, and her movements quicken. Her body hugs me, and she slicks over my cock. The freckles on her cheek ignite, and her eyes are the center of the hottest fire. The blue core that swelters when it incinerates everything.
“That’s it, Starfire.” I hold her while she chases her release.
Her eyes fill with pleasure and fear. Her desire tangling with her obligations. Which is why, even as it rips me open, I say what she needs to hear in this moment.
“I will always choose you, Elorie. Always. You don’t have to choose me. But I will always choose you.”
She has no idea just how far I’ll go to keep that promise.
Chapter 45
Elorie
Wilder sticks closeto my side. Not physically touching as we walk through the manor, but his magic toys with my palms and grazes my wrists. It tickles the back of my neck and wraps around me.
“And you say my magic is fond of you? You’re one to talk.”I hitch an eyebrow.
He grins, not meeting my gaze as he continues to look ahead, even as I feel the aether hold he has on me tighten.“Every part of me is fond of you, Elorie. Including every last flicker of my magic.”
I bite my lip, barely able to contain my grin as he finally glances down at me. My cheeks burn where my glowing freckles dot the apple of my cheek.
We turn a corner and pass two females who don’t take their eyes off Wilder. He doesn’t look their way, so I think he must not notice until the slightest tug of his magic pulls me to his side.
His arm slips around my waist as he leans in and whispers,“Your freckles are glowing, Starfire.”
He might be pointing out my little flare of jealousy, but when I meet his gaze, all he’s watching is me, and that makes my bellyflutter. The females pass, and I press closer to him. Once we’re back at the palace, we won’t be able to walk like this.
I won’t be able to have him at all.
But today…
Just today, I can pretend I won’t have to let him go.
Wilder presses his nose to the top of my hair and takes a deep inhale. The comfort of his touch—his presence—has my lashes fluttering closed. Our fingers lace together, and it’s right in a way that nothing has been before this.
It figures my heart would latch onto what I can never have.
“Where are we going?” I ask, my eyebrows pinching as we turn another corner.
Wilder’s answer is cut off by Lochlan and Cyan stepping out of a room. Instinctively, I pull away from Wilder. There’s no explicit order that says I need to stay away from other males while King Malachi does as he pleases. But something about Malachi’s kiss in the courtyard tells me to tread carefully so I don’t make him angry again.
The last thing I want to do is make things worse than they already are.
Wilder’s hold loosens. Only that small graze of his magic remains, brushing the back of my neck as I stand beside him.
Lochlan smirks, his eyes darting between us. His long white hair is down and tucked behind his ears, and he’s wearing a casual wrap that draws out the blue ring around his pale eyes.
Grinning, he bares his sharp teeth, but I no longer feel threatened by him after we fought side by side.
He helped even when the Crown Guard didn’t bother showing up. He might avoid political games, but he protects his people.
“Wilder.” He grins, his eyes moving to me. “Elorie. I was wondering where you two disappeared to after the battle.”
Amusement plays in his tone, but Cyan’s face remains neutral. Either not noticing or not caring what Lochlan is insinuating.
“King Malachi was sorry to hear about the rip in Solace,” Cyan apologizes on his behalf.
Lochan’s smile darkens. “I’m sure he was.”
