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NAKOA
She belonged here. She was quite literally the woman of my nightmares -ahem -dreams. All the previous dread I’d carried since I’d begun having these often violent and rarely endearing premonitions of her evaporated further with each moment I spent beside her. Trying to deny the tether anchoring my soul to hers would be like trying to deny my body food and water.
The sight of her sitting on Chihiro and simply staring out at my home with such tremendous longing written all over her face made my heart swell to bursting. Only further intensifying at the sight of her undeniable beauty. She lacked a certain feminine softness found in conventional beauty… There was a certain harshness to her features… An expression and demeanor I could clearly imagine being a deterrent to lesser males.
My gaze dropped from her profile, luminous in the moonlight despite the sooty streaks. I followed the line of her full lips… the generous swell of her breasts beneath her dress…
Another vision bled into the present, drowning out my present reality.
An identical silhouette of the moonlight illuminating Mareina’s profile. Dressed in a long silk robe, standing in front of the window that has a panoramic view of Bastrina. Her face turns to meet my gaze. Her green eyes glow brighter than I’ve ever seen, but within them, I see no love. I see… Sadness.
The vision disappeared, leaving nothing behind but a sore fucking ache in my chest. And questions that no one can answer. Not even my Knowingness.
The vision left a thick, sticky emotion in my throat that I refused to let ruin the present moment.
Mareina, at my stare, gave me a questioning look.
I cleared my throat like it might clear my mind and emotions, trying to make myself seem normal.
“Yeah… You just look… Beautiful.”
Not even remotely a lie.
Her brows leapt before burrowing with skepticism.
“Even covered in soot,” I add over my shoulder, turning towards my house.
I heaved a sigh as I finally dismounted Pumpkin, removing her saddle and reins and setting them on the porch railing.
“Thank you,Punkin…” I pressed my forehead against hers, giving her powerful neck a pat before she turned and strode off to graze. I didn’t need to keep her in the stable on temperate nights like this. Thanks to my magic, any creatures who would wish her any harm stayedfaraway. She also knew better than to wander in The Sentient Forest, which was its own kind of fortress of protection around my lands and home. Very few beings were allowed to enterandlive…
“You don’t have a stable?”
I turned to face Mareina, praying that the hardened length in my trousers had softened enough to not be visible in the moonlight, but considering her sanguinati sight, I wouldn’t be surprised if she could.
“I do, but in this weather, they’re safe to roam.”
Mareina hesitated, eyes scanning the hills and dark forest that surrounded us.
“Don’t worry, I have wards up.”
She piqued a brow.
“Wards?”
“Yes, wards,” I affirmed, approaching Chihiro to unsaddle him.
“Do you need aetra to maintain it?”
My hackles raised the question.Neverwould I take that gods-forsaken plant. I didn’t need it. I already had more power than I knew what to do with. It was constantly churning and ready to burst out of me.
“No. Never,” I managed, perhaps sounding a little more dour than intended.
Her delicately arched brows drew together, eyes roaming over me as if it would reveal how I could do such a thing. It was unusual for someone to be able to maintain constant wards… But I attributed that to my mother, who was an exceedingly formidable human witch, and my father, who… I knew nothing about it. Only that he was fae.
Silence followed as I set Chihiro’s tack down on the rail beside mine and made my way up the steps. The sound of claws scraping against my front door cut through the silence. Iwilledthe front door open as my two loyal beasts, Peanut and Bellona, flung themselves towards me, and I knelt to embrace them.
“Yes! Oh my goodness, my sweet babies! Did you miss Daddy? I missed you bothsomuch. Did you behave while I was gone? I know you did, my angels. Wanna meet our new friend?”
