Page 64 of The Seeker

With those words, it was as if a weight I had been carrying on my shoulders finally loosened and I couldn’t resist rolling over to press my lips to Otho’s.

One thing led to another, and soon we were both breathing heavily on the forest floor as our hands roamed each other’s bodies.

“We should move this to the tent,” Otho suggested between kisses, his lips trailing down my neck to the collar of my shirt.

“But they might hear us,” I whispered.

“Runa, I hate to break it to you, but they’ll definitely be able to hear us here, and I’m reasonably certain they heard us that night in the inn.”

I groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” One look at Otho’s expression revealed that was not the case and I rushed to extract myself from him and rose to my feet. “Race you to the tent!”

I don’t know where the energy came from, after a day of hiking and the emotional stress of revealing my inner turmoil to both Otho and Askel, but I was able to jog through the trees with ease, the sound of Otho’s heavier footfalls drawing closer with each step.

We hadn’t gone far, however, and it was easy for me to dive into the tent before Otho, even if he did join me a mere breath later.

He didn’t waste any time peeling the clothes from my body, the temperature inside the tent increasing as he took one of my nipples into his mouth.

My hands tangled in his hair as he worked his way lower, his tongue finding the spot between my legs that ached for him.

Though I’d told myself I’d at least try to stay quiet, I gave up when he pressed one of his fingers into my center, curling it as his mouth sucked on my clit.

I came with a yell, only to blush when groans of annoyance arose from outside the tent.

“Not again.”

“This is even worse than the inn,” someone else mumbled.

Otho didn’t seem to hear them as he worked his way back up my body, his lips pressing against mine once more.

When he noticed my hesitation to continue, he said, “They’re already awake now, might as well enjoy each other a little more.”

I nodded my agreement as he parted my legs and lined himself up. When he slid inside, my heart rejoiced, reminding me that there was still a magical bond that fueled these feelings between us.

Regardless, I knew that even if we hadn’t been weighted, I would have found myself attracted to and probably in love with Otho anyway. Because I loved the way his eyes sparkled as he thrusted into me, making us one. The way his arms shook as he neared his own climax, and how he slowed his thrusts to press his thumb to my clit to ensure I climaxed a second time.

And most of all, I loved the way he shouted my name when he finally came.

CHAPTER 21

Life paraded on. While the route to Shianp was tough, and Otho persistently denied my raft idea, we made progress, all of us growing stronger during the route. Otho and I continued to have nightly talks, and we grew closer than we’d ever been before—which honestly wasn’t hard, considering the rift between us when we started the journey.

The rations were decent, with Karl and Otho taking turns hunting for us. Ena also taught me how to fish, which, while it wasn’t something I was naturally talented at, I did enjoy trying . . . over and over again. And Ena was the first to rejoice with me when I did finally catch my first fish, even if it was too tiny to eat and we ended up tossing it back into the rushing waters.

Ena was quite the forager, and I never went without the belladonna, though as the trees began to thin, and we drew closer to Shianp, I had an inkling I should stop and try to master my mind-reading abilities before meeting the king. But I never grew the nerve to do so. Nor did I feel I had the time with the toll the journey was taking on my body.

Thus, when buildings arose in front of us on the horizon, and I discerned it would be my last night sleeping in the dirt, unease snaked through my body at what was about to be a challenging confrontation.

As we reached the edge of town, my nerves peaked, and I grabbed Otho’s arm, pulling him back.

“Wait,” I breathed. Otho looked ahead to where the others were already disappearing into the crowded streets before looking back at me.

“What’s wrong, Runa?”

I brushed my hands down my face, trying to brush the sweaty hair to the side. “What do I even say to the king? Will he even see me?”

Otho smirked. “You’re only now thinking about that? After dragging us across the entire mountain range?”

I would have been angrier if I hadn’t felt his amusement. I frowned. “I’m serious, Otho. I know I should have thought of it sooner, but honestly, I didn’t think we would make it this far.”