Page 24

“What are you looking for?” I ask. Hopefully a five-star inn…

He just throws his head back and bellows, “Eldric!” loud enough to shake the trees.

“Who’s Eldric?” I ask, my eyes darting around.

“Someone who owes me a favor.”

“What does he—oh.”

The words melt from my throat when I see a jacked forest nymph appear from a tree. He just appears, like he steps out of the trunk even though there’s no door or passageway. A beautiful female steps out behind him, smiling shyly at Tharion.

They look almost human except for the green skin, amber eyes, bark-like markings on their skin, and leaves and vines woven naturally through their dark green hair. Actually, they look nothing like humans, although they’re both strikingly beautiful. They wear minimal clothes—just a few scraps of fabric covering their private areas.

When the female walks, tiny flowers bloom in her footsteps. She stands beside her hunky forest nymph boyfriend and holds his hand.

“Hello, Eldric,” Tharion says, nodding to them both. “Fenella.”

“It’s good to see you, friend,” Eldric says, stepping forward with an eager smile. The two giants shake hands and I wince, imagining being caught between those two powerful palms. I’d be crushed to pieces. “Word is you got into some trouble on our account.”

“Lord Harshballow,” Tharion says with disdain and then spits on the ground. The two nymphs spit on the ground as well.

I try to spit too (in solidarity), but I’ve never been very good at it and it mostly ends up on my chin. Luckily, they’re focused on each other as I quickly wipe it off with the back of my hand.

“He wants you dead?” Fenella asks in a melodic, whispery voice. She’s so beautiful and dainty. I can’t imagine what kind of monster would want to hurt her.

“He does,” Tharion says gravelly. “I turned to stone to outwait their lives, however a miracle has occurred.” He turns to me, and the tenderness in his silvery eyes nearly undoes me. He’s looking at me like I’m the miracle. I feel the full weight of what I mean to him and it nearly knocks the breath from my lungs. “My mate has arrived.”

The two nymphs look at me for what feels like the first time.

“You are the mate of Tharion?” Eldric asks in his deep, rumbling voice.

“I am,” I say, clearing my throat.

“Has his towering manhood plunged into your virgin lady loins yet?”

My eyes dart around to Fenella and then Tharion as my cheeks burn. They’re all waiting for my answer like that question was entirely appropriate to ask.

“Um… Not yet,” I say, swallowing hard.

“Then we must change that at once,” he says, squeezing his hand into a fist. “Tharion, you saved my mate’s life from those barbarians. It is now my turn to repay that favor. I will facilitate your mating without a second to spare. Eldric of The Wildwood will help your erect thrusting penis enter this human female’s warm lady cave.”

“Right here?” I ask, panicking a little. “And how exactly will you be involved?”

I keep shooting anxious glances at Fenella, hoping she’ll get her hunky boyfriend under control, but she just stands there smiling like this is all perfectly normal.

“We will grant you access to our home for three passes of the moon,” Eldric says. “Where you can mate in privacy.”

“Oh,” I say, overcome with relief. “Why didn’t you just say that?”

“Is three moon passes enough time to ravish your human female?” he asks Tharion.

Tharion’s heated eyes look me up and down, leaving me tingling all over. “I’ll spend the next eternity ravishing this woman, however for our first time, three nights should be plenty.”

I swallow hard as I imagine what I’m in for and what exactly it will feel like to be ‘ravished.’

“Is three moon passes enough for you, human female?” Eldric asks, those sharp amber eyes burning into me.

“Um, yeah,” I say, nodding nervously as my cheeks burn hot enough to light this whole forest on fire. “That should be good.”