Page 205 of Dare

Afterward, I sank into his frame, and he nestled me close as we stared into the fire, basking in the rapturous aftermath. Jeryn nuzzled my throat, making me chortle and shove him down, the better to see this private spectacle. Sprawled on the rug, with his arms crossed behind his head, he admired me looming over him.

Naked and astride Jeryn’s cock, I traced the side of his face. My villain king. Mine forever, until the last sun set.

Outside, flurries drizzled from the sky like fallen stars. The blustering wind howled, along with a resident dire wolf. The day had only begun, dawn barely rising over mountains fringed in needle forests.

The world outdoors called to me. Jeryn quirked an amused brow, knowing what would happen. I hadn’t been able to keep still from the moment we’d arrived in Winter, in a carriage pulled by towering stags. He’d loved watching me marvel at every drop of snow, every pine tree, every warm drink, every furry creature, every wing of the castle. He had shown me endless places in this Season, and there was so much more to discover.

As he expected, I hopped off his lap. The furs slipped from my body as I whipped around, hastened past intricately cut glass doors, and raced from our suite. My bare feet sprinted across the terrace overlooking alpines, redwood timbers, and a frozen lake. Wild snowfall dashed around my face, the cold stinging yet invigorating.

Puffs of frost blasted from my lips. Not bothering with any of the extravagant robes or coats Jeryn had gifted me—blue velvet and purple silk and gray cashmere—I flung my arms overhead, shut my eyes, and welcomed this new tempest.

Heat brimmed down my back. A handsome shadow loomed from behind as Jeryn approached. Waiting until I’d had my fill of the snowstorm, he swaddled a fuzzy cloak around my shoulders, the hem brushing my ankles, then rubbed my arms.

Shivering, I leaned into him, and he strapped his arms around my middle. This was freedom and happiness and love.

Jeryn’s voice filled my ear. “Tell me what you would like to see today.”

“Everything,” I whispered.

“Ambitious. Adventurous. It’s a good thing I have patience.” The sated husk in his tone curled my toes. “I’m at your command, Little Beast.”

I laced my fingers with his. “I warn you. I’m rather daring. We might end up somewhere dangerous.”

“So be it. We’ll survive.”

Yes, we would.

Jeryn had gradually introduced me to his kingdom, starting with all the landscapes I yearned to see. Always attentive to how I felt, what I needed. Always protective to the point of terrifying his subjects. This hadn’t changed about him, because only I saw the softer parts.

For now, we played roles. I was his Royal guest, the Summer drifter who had crashed on an island with him and saved his life more than once. Miraculously, I’d turned up alive despite Jeryn’s previously staged theory that I had died once we’d lost track of each other in The Phantom Wild.

My survival skills impressed Winter, especially since I hadn’t succumbed to any of the rainforest contagions Jeryn had listed to the world. He wasn’t the only one who had lived there for a year, without getting struck by a virus. To this, Winter credited our resourcefulness and cited pure luck graced by the Seasons. And well, they weren’t wrong.

As for what became of my tattoo collar, we told everyone the truth. The rainforest had washed it from me.

This still didn’t mean anyone wanted to go near the so-called contaminated forest. We would make sure to keep it that way. At least, until the time came to reveal more.

Jeryn and I had our plan. We would let the court grow used to me, the way Autumn had slowly gotten used to Briar, Poet, and Nicu. I proved what they’d finally been learning, how this world needed to understand more about madness and the nature of born souls.

I had my demons like everyone else. But I wasn’t what Summer had painted me to be. Winter was realizing that too.

Although many in this court looked at me with suspicion or bitterness, some were intrigued. Maybe there would always be enemies. Such was the life of a ruler and a rebel.

Yet it was worth the risk.

Meanwhile, Jeryn and I kept our bond a secret. Hidden in plain sight, like the rainforest. A private passage between my suite and his made that possible.

Soon, we would stand before this court and share our union. Once it was safe, we would shout it to the world, with our clan beside us.

Whatever lay ahead, we would endure. If we could survive a dark rainforest forged of legend—our second home, where my fauna pack dwelled—and if we could overcome our pasts, we could overcome anything.

Ahead, candlelight sparkled from a city of museums and universities and chalets. The air carried the scents of woodsmoke and him. Excitement fluttered through me as I craned my head, searching for a glimpse of a snowy wolf or the infamous Iron Wood hidden in the alpines.

In a few days, our clan would be traveling here, our plans against Rhys and the threat of invisible enemies growing more perilous by the day. Yet regardless of the distance between Autumn and Winter, unity blossomed with each battle fought and won. With them, I felt the makings of a stronger bond, not merely friends but a family.

Jeryn kissed my shoulder. “You shall freeze.”

“Don’t you know?” I teased. “I’m fire.”

---