Page 32 of Voyage with the Reclusive Billionaire

Corvan

Ifly around the cruise ship, seeking out anything someone might have dropped. Anything I can gift her for this rite. I’ll replace it with something better, something more her, the second I can, but for now…

My raven eyes spot something glinting by the pool. A golden ring. I splay my wings and sweep for it, clutching it in my feet before lifting off again and finding somewhere to hide myself while I study the ring.

And I decide it’ll do. Yes, Eliza deserves a fucking diamond the size of a golf ball for this night, for everything she’d done for me since the moment we met, but this will do.

I pluck a feather from my body before shifting back. I scoop both the ring and the pitch black feather up in one hand, and then I’m walking. Fighting the urge to run like a damn fool.

It’s time to claim my mate.

Eliza

Using my spare keycard, Corvan slips back into my room twenty minutes later.

He pulls me into his arms the second he has the door closed behind him, chuckling as he runs his hands over my cardigan. “Prepared for our flight?” he asks.

When I pull back to look at him, I gasp. Wings. His wings, silky black feathers that I have to fight the urge to touch, have appeared at his back. “Beautiful,” I murmur.

“You said once that you’ve always wanted to fly. You still mean that?”

I bring my eyes back to his and lean into his body. In an instant, Corvan scoops me up, holding me close to him. On instinct, I wrap my arms around his neck. “Yes,” I say. “I still mean that.”

“Good.” He grins down at me as he slides the balcony door open with his foot and slips us out the door. “Hold tight, mate.”

And then we’re in the sky.

On instinct, my eyes snap closed when the wind sweeps across my body. The beating of his large wings and the sound of the ocean crashing against the boat are all I hear, but I feel Corvan’s heartbeat against my body. Then he says, “Open your eyes, Eliza.”

“This a whole fucking lot scarier than I thought!” My voice is raised against the wind.

“You trust me?” he asks.

“With my life.”

“Then open your eyes.”

With a shaky breath, I do.

And it is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Nothing but the dark expanse of the sky, the breathtaking display of the green and purple aurora borealis, and the calm ocean reflecting it.

As we soar through the glowing night sky, Corvan's wings beat rhythmically, carrying us higher and higher. The cold air whips around us, but I'm warm in his embrace. I can't help but marvel at the sheer strength of his winged form, able to carry both of us with such ease. Suddenly, Corvan dips and swoops, causing my stomach to flip. I tighten my grip around his neck, a mix of exhilaration and fear coursing through me. He chuckles, the sound rumbling through his chest.

"Watch this," he whispers in my ear.

Without warning, we're plummeting towards the ocean. I bite back a scream as the dark water rushes up to meet us. At the last possible second, Corvan pulls up, his wingtips skimming the surface of the water. Droplets spray around us, cool against my skin.

"Show off," I mutter, but I can't keep the smile from my voice.

Corvan's response is to soar upward again, higher than before. As we climb, he begins to twist and turn in the air, executing perfect barrel rolls that leave me breathless. It's as if he's dancing with the wind itself, each movement fluid and graceful.

"This is how ravens court their mates," Corvan explains as we level out. "We perform acrobatic feats to impress our chosen partners."

As if to elaborate on that, he suddenly releases me. For a heart-stopping moment, I'm falling through the air. But before panic can even set in, Corvan swoops beneath me, catching me effortlessly. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I gasp, clinging to him.

He laughs, the sound carried away by the wind. "Trust me, Eliza. This is just the beginning."

True to his word, he begins a series of stunning aerial maneuvers. He dives and climbs, each move more daring than the last. At one point, he flies straight up, higher and higher until it feels like the stars and glowing swirls are all around us. Then, he folds his wings and we fall backward, tumbling through the sky in a controlled freefall.

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