Page 87 of Twisted Bonds

“I know who I want to be doing,” he whispers, and my stomach flips deep in my belly. I grin into his chest, running my finger across his cheek. Down his neck to the hard lines of his bare chest. A low growl in his throat sends my lips chasing his.

His kiss is sweet, and warm, and oh so intoxicating. I find my fingers tangling in the auburn hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer. His arms tighten around me, pressing me into his broad chest.

In seconds, he’s on top of me, kissing his way down from my collarbone to my puckered nipples, eager for his attention. I moan as he pulls the tip of my breast into his mouth.

Heat radiates from his touch, each kiss leaving trails of fire in its wake. I squirm under him, his solid weight causing friction with the soft sheets beneath us. My hands grip his broad shoulders, nails digging in just enough to make him growl low between my breasts. The sound sends a shiver down my spine as he moves lower until his face is nestled between my legs.

His purring intensifies as he breathes in my scent, my core already moist for him. He presses soft kisses to my inner thighs and over my plump lips, begging to be parted.

“Patience,” he murmurs against my heated skin, his large hands steady on my hips to keep me from squirming away. His teasing kisses drive me mad with desire.

As if hearing my thoughts, Bobble breaches the final distance between us, his tongue parting my folds and coiling around the throbbing bundle of nerves at my center. I moan as his purring tongue ripples over me, each vibration sending delicious shocks of pleasure up my spine. My back arches, desperate for more contact, more of him. His massive hands pin me down, fingers digging into my hips with a primal possessiveness that lights a spark deep within me.

“Bobble…” My plea is silent, whispered in the air as I writhe against his hold, chasing the high that his tongue promises.

Just as I’m about to crest over the wave into bliss, my moaning increasing with rhythm with his movements, he pulls back to stare at my body that now aches for him. I curse at him for teasing me as he works his way back up my body before plunging his cock deep inside of me with one fluid push.

The pressure builds - unyielding, infinite - spiraling higher with each rhythmic thrust until I’m teetering on the edge of euphoria.

His voice is a growl as he says my name, both demanding and pleading. It’s the final push I need. Stars burst behind my eyes as my body tenses, then spasms around him with the force of my climax.

Tension lines his face before he roars out his release, following soon after mine- a river rushing into an endless ocean pulsating deep within me as he floods me with heat that mirrors our carnal dance.

The tension bleeds away from my body and into the sheets below, leaving only boneless exhaustion. His eyes are sharp yet sated, reflecting the same tangled sense of breathless satisfaction that’s coiling around my lungs. His hand skates down my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Slowly Bobble pulls out of me, plopping back onto his side of the bed with a grin that stretches from ear to pointed ear, his amber eyes sparkling like gold in the dim light. A mischievous smile plays on his lips, and for a moment I can glimpse the tiny orange tabby cat that represents his other form.

“Was it good for you, too?” he teases, reaching out and tracing a tiny heart on my arm. I snuggle into him, embracing this moment of our bliss together while we can. “Want to check out the city? We could get some food, walk around. See the sights?”

Another thought comes to mind as I consider Bobble’s proposal.

“Actually, I think that’s a good idea if they’ll let us leave the castle. Let’s go see what kind of king this Cor’than really is. If we’re going to be working with him, I want to know what kind of ruler he is. What his priorities are to his people.”

“See, that’s why I love you. You always have the best ideas.”

Years ago, I would have taken a comment like that to be sarcasm and internalized the shame of voicing such an obvious plan. But with Bobble, I know he means every word with his whole heart. I press a kiss into a chest with a regretful sigh. “Let’s get dressed.”

An hour later, we’re walking hand in hand through the small streets of a bustling marketplace with two royal guards trailing us. I was surprised to find the two women in full armor who introduced themselves as Elora and Amirah, both members of Cor’than’s private guard. They were holding our shields in the hallway outside our room when we came out looking to explore. Cor’than left no restrictions on where we could go, so they followed us here without complaint.

While Elora stands tall with delicate features and light hair that cascades down her back, Amirah is short and curvy, with dark locks that frame her sharp features. But their differences go beyond just physical appearance - while Elora conducts herself with strict professionalism, keeping her attention focused on our safety, Amirah’s gaze openly radiates disdain and suspicion towards us as we meander down the busy street.

Merchants call out to potential customers, colorful stalls line the row one after the other, and groups of children run merrily, weaving through the crowd in a perpetual game of tag. Buildings with detailed architecture loom above us several stories tall, their windows adorned with intricate stained glass designs. The sun is setting, casting a warm glow across the cobblestones.

A river wide enough to carry a barge threads through the center of the city, spanned by several stone bridges. On its banks, children squeal as they chase ducks that quack indignantly. Elora explains that the Midios River cuts the city into east and west sides. If you follow it, there’s a huge cliff at the edge of the city where the water cascades over into a large waterfall known as Diel’s Veil.

Music floats in the air from a group of musicians playing on a corner. Their notes meld with the sounds of street vendors promoting their wares, children’s laughter, and the gentle rush of the river. We walk past a street food stall wafting steam and the aroma of strange spices. My stomach growls as we walk up, but the woman sneers at us, nostrils flaring as we approach.

“One of those shifter types? And a human.” The old lady spits at my feet as I jump back a step. Bobble growls beside me. But she doesn’t pay him any heed. Instead, she turns to our guard, Elora, and says, “Now we have two of these humans in the city?”

I blink at that. Two?

But before either of us can react, Elora is by our side. “You will not speak to the personal guests of King Cor’than in such a manner. Serve them.”

“Don’t look much like guests to me,” the woman mutters with a nod to our guards. But she moves about, spearing the roasted meats onto a skewer before passing them to us. Elora passes the lady a few coins, and I quicken my pace to be away from her.

“Thank you,” I tell the guard under my breath. When she gives me a friendly nod of acknowledgment, I feel emboldened to ask more. “What did she mean there’s two humans here?”

I’m naturally introverted, but the chance to speak with another human after such a crazy few months would be a welcome reprieve. A sense of normalcy. Plus, I’m more than a little curious how another human got here, considering the portals to the human world are supposed to be closed.

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