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I swallow a groan and force myself to think about something else. I’m a long way from any of that with her.
“We can all go home? Do you really mean that, Zabriel?”
“The villagers and townspeople of Maledin, yes. I swear it on my sword. On mylife.”
“Can you even promise that? On what authority?”
“I’m the commander of the dragonriders. You saw for yourself tonight how the soldiers follow my orders.” A little voice in the back of my mind prevents me from uttering the words,and I’m their future king. Isavelle has probably had a gutful of kings for now.
“Your people will honor your oath?”
“Ourpeople. Yours and mine.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know about that. To me, you’re the invaders who have forced us from our homes, and now you give me this strange story about the mountains and an evil wizard.”
Not so strange. She’s heard that story all her life from the sounds of it. She just didn’t realize every word of it was true, and that it was about her mate.
“You will see soon enough how we all fit together. The dragonriders and the people of Maledin. You and me.” My hungry gaze slips down her body without me realizing what I’m doing.
Isavelle turns pink—even pinker than the hot water has made her—and spins quickly away from me.
“I’m sorry,” I say, and cut my gaze to the left. I can’t help my frustration and ask, “You don’t like me to look at you? I don’t mind if you look at me. I wouldlovefor you to look at me.”
“We’re naked,” she replies in an uncertain whisper. “It’s not right to look upon each other naked.”
“Who says?”
“Everyone. The Brethren.”
I move around Isavelle until we’re face to face again but keep my eyes above the waterline. “The same Brethren who beat you and starved you? You think they told you the truth about anything? You and I share a bond,sha’len. Water is a sacred place, and it pleases me to be close to you here. I won’t touch you unless you want me to, but there’s nothing to be ashamed of in enjoying these springs together.”
She gazes at the water droplets gleaming on my chest in the moonlight. “I’m not ashamed. You’re—you’re just a lot.”
I smile at her. “Where am I a lot?”
“All over.” Her eyes fly open as she realizes what she’s said. “I mean—you’re tall.”
Oh, my sweet blushing Omega. I saw you staring at my knot.
If Isavelle wasn’t so shy, I’d invite her to wrap her fingers around me and feel me swell even bigger by her touch.
“And you’re a delicious armful,” I murmur, remembering how she’s plump and soft in my arms. I’ve never felt anything so delectable.
Isavelle swallows, hard. “Thank you for saving me from the Brethren, twice. I really do appreciate it. I don’t know why you and your friends came to Maledin, but you’re here now, and you seem to be winning, so please try not to be worse than the Brethren and the last king.”
My eyes narrow as Isavelle makes her little speech. It sounds like she’s working her way up to bidding me goodbye.
“I’m heading toward the southwest because that’s the closest border to my village, and I think my family may have fled that way. I know you’re probably a busy man, being a commander in the army, but may I please ask you to fly me somewhere that’s a little south of my village? I’ll ask around to discover if anyone has seen people from my home.”
I gaze down my nose and grit my teeth against the torrent of outrage that wants to spill from my lips. Take her toward the south, in the direction that the Brethren have fled?
When Scourge’s dragonfire turns to ice, I’ll take her south.
“I can’t do that.”
Her face falls. “Oh. Well, can you please point me in that direction? I’ll walk.”
“I can’t do that either,” I growl.
