Page 38 of An Arrow to the Heart

“I love you too, Ardál,” she said without hesitation and his heart nearly skipped a beat, he almost couldn’t believe it. He was fully prepared for her not to reciprocate, that was okay, he had anticipated that. He just needed to say the words out loud, needed her to hear them. But the fact she said it back left a stupid grin on his face for he couldn’t hide the pure joy he felt.

He wanted nothing more than to pick her up, bring her into that tent and devote himself to her all night. But he was on the verge of delirium, heck for all he knew maybe he was already hallucinating. As though sensing his struggle, she began planting kisses over his face, before she said, lips still against his skin, “let’s get some sleep, so we can get back to our cottage as soon as possible.”

The warmth of her breath against his skin was nearly enough to push him over the brink. Why the fuck was he always injured around this woman, he really needed to stop walking into arrows.

“Let me just see to this,” she said looking at his injury and with her usual gentle touch she cleaned the wound and dressed it. His mind was reeling, he had so much he wanted to say to her but his body ached all over and above all fatigue reigned over him and before he could protest, she led him to the tent, her touch lulling him to sleep.

So they slept entangled in each other, neither of them wanting to let the other go. It was the soundest sleep he’d ever had, despite the pain of his shoulder, as he slept to the sound of her heartbeat knowing that she loved him maybe just as much as he loved her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

-Ardál-

Ardál woke to find he was alone, he pushed himself up, and winced at the pain of his shoulder. He’d forgotten about that.

“Sylvie?” he called out with a tad more panic than he wanted, he suddenly feared that he’d been dreaming this entire time. His heart warmed as he remembered how she’d told him she loved him, and that she was a dragon. Maybe he had dreamt up the last couple of months. And dread pulled at him as he came to realise he no longer wanted the life he led before, his life was nothing without her.

Oh Gods, please don’t let it all have been a dream.

Pull yourself together man, he thought as he emerged from the tent, the chill of the air kissing him, the fire reduced to fiery embers. He looked around and saw the two backpacks hanging in one of the branches in the rowan tree next to the tent. He relaxed slightly at that and headed to the trees just beyond the camp to relieve himself. He had made it just about halfway back to the camp when Sylvie appeared. She looked nothing short of a Goddess, her silvery hair wild with curls shining in the morning light. A smile instantly appeared on his face and he let out a sigh of relief.

“Look,” she said as she gently took hold of his hand, putting a halt to his steps. “I won’t hold you to anything you said last night,” she said as she looked to the floor as she continued, “emotions were heightened and I wouldn’t blame you if you said things you didn’t entirely mean. And I completely understand if you want to end whatever this is between us.”

Ardál looked lovingly into her eyes then, those beautiful lavender-lilac eyes, the little band of pure gold in the centre, intense adoration radiating from him.

“Nothing in this world or any other could possibly deter me from loving you Sylvie,” he said with more confidence and certainty than he’d ever said anything to anyone ever before.

“I don’t care if you eat an entire flock of sheep. I mean, I’ll just sit that meal out I think, but you do what you gotta do. It’s cool with me. It won’t stop me from loving you. I meant what I said last night, I’m only a fool for not having said it sooner,” he said with a smile that reached his eyes.

“You think I eat flocks of sheep?” She asked as she looked at him dumbfounded with scrunched brows.

He scratched the back of his head, “well, yeah, Ernst told me how a herd of sheep went missing after a dragon sighting, so you know…..” he trailed off.

“You assumed it was me?” She broke out into a laugh, that glorious sound enchanting him all over again.

“I don’t eat sheep…. Ever.” He let out a sigh of relief, he had meant it wholeheartedly when he said he’d love her regardless, he would, but he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that he was glad to learn he was mistaken about the whole eating sheep thing.

“I come from a long line of shifter fae, Ardál. This..,” she looked down at herself, waving a hand over her body, and she looked mighty fine from his angle, “is my normal state, I just have the ability to shift into a dragon.”

“Well,” he began, pulling her close to him by her waist, “I love you, whatever form you’re in. I’m yours Sylvie and I don’t scare easily, in fact, the only thing that does scare me is the thought of a life without you in it. I love you so fucking much the thought of you ever leaving my side scares the shit out of me. I want to be yours until the end of time, in this life and the next,” he kissed her deeply. “I do, however, much prefer you with your clothes off,” he practically growled.

She smiled a wicked little grin as she said, “like this you mean?”

“I love you,” she said, slowly, punctuating each word and dropping an item of clothing with each. She took her time, teasing him, as she again repeated the words until no clothing remained. His breathing hitched as he watched her undergarment fall to the forest floor. His cock couldn’t get any harder as it strained against his clothes.

“Your turn.”

And he did exactly as he was told, stripping off everything, though he didn’t have the patience to tease her, it took him all of a matter of seconds before he stood before her, ready.

He couldn’t wait any longer as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hungrily, his cock buried in the softness of her stomach. His hand found her breasts as he palmed them, his injured shoulder not allowing him to lift his other arm so that hand stayed firmly on her ass.

She guided him down onto the forest floor, placing herself beneath him. He didn’t hesitate as his cock entered her and they moaned in unison. The sound of her sent shudders down his spine and he buried himself deeper as she wrapped her legs around him.

He increased his speed, a rhythm that echoed in his heartbeat as her scent bored itself into his memory. He thrust harder and she bucked her hips in response as he planted hungry kisses over her breasts, his tongue playing with her nipples. His breathing became more laboured and she panted beneath him as he was nearing absolution, he held her tighter, with their foreheads touching, her hot breath on his skin he brought his mouth atop of hers and kissed her deeply.

Sparks shot up his spine and he let out a strangled moan and she cried her release, coming in unison, their worlds collided. It felt as though they were one, their souls forever joined. The world around him spun, and he didn’t feel anything but pure euphoria with her. All of his pain was gone and he could have sworn little forget-me-nots began to sprout amongst the moss where her skin touched the ground before they disappeared again.

He felt it then, her spirit, her magic, her love, it pierced him like an arrow to the heart. She was his as he was hers. The world around them seemed to still. Words evaded him as he burrowed his head into her chest, both of them panting and they lay there sweaty and out of breath entwined in each other.