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New and terrifying.
And confusing, because… how could I press myself against Sebian like this, soaking up his warmth, his care, the sense of protection he provided? And in the same moment, long for the closeness of the man who insisted on hating me? How could I enjoy them both, each in a different way? How could I long for them both?
My throat tightened.
How could they allow it?
The ruffle of feathers pulled me out of my internal ramblings. Sebian’sanoashaped out of shadows and darkness beside his arm, lifting a wing, preening beneath it before he flattened it to his body. His eyes caught on my bracelet, on those buttons thatclankedas I caressed Sebian’s arm.
There was no fear when I reached for the bird, running a finger down along its throat, smiling at the way he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “Do you do this often? You and Malyr? Share women the way you’re doing with me?”
Sebian looked down at me, frown lines deepening between his brows for a moment before they faded to the sensation of his arm clasping me tighter against him. “It happened on a few occasions. Granted, none of them were his selected wife…”
A long exhale left my lungs. “This is so strange.”
“This is amazing. Strokes my ego, for sure. I never had a queen’s lips wrapped around my cock, sucking me off so nicely. And here my father thought I’d never make anything out of myself.” When I jerked my knee against his thigh, a deep chuckle vibrated in his chest, jolting my head around. “You’re looking at this through the eyes of a human, Galantia, but we are Ravens. No matter how human we might look to you right now, we are not… not fully. Deep down in our cores, in our souls, we are animals. And what did Malyr tell you earlier, hmm? Under the spring sun, the male will…”
“Inch toward the female along a branch.”
“Yeah, well, what he failed to mention was that the fucking branch was about to snap because there were about a dozen other males trying to do the same. They puff up their feathers, spread their wings, and strut their chests, trying to convince the female to bond with them.” He stroked a strand from my cheek, eyes dipping to my lips before they found mine again. “The female chooses, sweetheart… not the other way around.”
I frowned at that. “Birds in nature. Fate chooses for your kind.”
“Few of us can rely on fate anymore, giving us no other choice but to fall back on our most animalistic instincts.” He nuzzled his nose at my hairline and down along my temple. “Marriage is a human concept, sweet thing—a strong political tool for your titled lot. Malyr knows this. But as much as Malyr might be a prince, first and foremost, he’s a Raven. Who is he to keep you from me? And who am I to keep you from him?”
“What about my secret suitor? Malyr is clearly trying to keep me fromhim.”
“Because he has political ambitions.”
“What about your ambitions?”
“None. If you don’t believe me, ask Asker. He’ll confirm it.” That strange hardness settled in his jaws again. “It’s simply not in our nature to make that sort of decision for you, sweetheart.”
“You’ve robbed me of just about any decision.”
“Have we?” The question breathed down along my cheekbone. “Politics. Fucking confusing.” His mouth lingered at the corner of mine. “Or maybe you’re just too much of a temptation for both of us.”
The vibration of his voice quivered over my lips while the moisture of his breath lapped at them, sending a rush of blood into vessels that seemed to pound in my bottom lip. His eyes slipped to my lips in the inch of space between our faces. His tremulous body pressed deeper into mine. Our mouths shifted, floating closer, shyly seeking the other.
Kiss me, Sebian!
Something clacked in the nearby bushes, like a hollowtock. With frantic flutters and terrified trills, a flock of small birds fled from the shrubs. They slunk around branches and through fronds, only to lift off toward the big, bright moon.
Sebian’s lips drifted away from mine on his trembling exhale. “There might just be a fox nearby.”
And I wanted its pelt around my shoulders for how it had cost me this kiss…
Frustrated, I turned my head away from the ruins of this moment and looked after the flock of birds. “When I played at the beach as a child, there was that one white seagull that used to circle the bay behind Tidestone often. I loved watching how its wings wobbled in the breeze. How it dove down, only to come back up on an easier drift.”
“If that impressed you, then I promise I’ll take you to the most western coast on sun’s day. Many of the youths mingle there after prayers at the shrine, jumping off the cliffs, testing their limits. Nothing’s quite as daring as a boy trying to catch a girl’s attention, most certainly not a squawking seagull.”
My pulse quickened at the thought of watching them. “I’d love that.”
“It was no seagull, but a dove.”
I nearly jumped at the sudden baritone of Malyr’s voice, having all but forgotten he was there, then squinted at his shadowy outline. “How would you know what I saw?”
He rose and walked off toward the creek, mumbling, “Because there are no white seagulls along our coasts.”
