Page 64 of Their Trials

A slight breeze against my skin had me coming back to myself before warm lips encircled my nipple, my loud moan swallowed by Baer. If I had thought that Lennox was captivating, both of them together had me so turned upside down that I didn't know which way was up. All I knew was that I needed more. I tried to rub my clit against the erection that was still pinned between us, but Lennox held me firmly.

I whimpered, needing more, no longer satisfied with what little we were doing. In all honesty, what we were engaging in was quite tame in comparison to the other fae. They hadn't been lying when they said the fae were sexual beings. Tonight had been proof enough.

“What the hell are you all doing?” A loud voice pierced the haze of seduction that had us drugged and caught up in its spell.

I jumped, Baer and Lennox groaning in complaint at the interruption. My cheeks flamed at the realization that I had almost let these two take me in public. And while I was totally down for both of them at once, I didn't want to do it in front of a crowd.

Callum grabbed Lennox and jerked him away from me as soon as my feet hit the ground. Baer steadied me and pulled my clothes back into place. As soon as I had my feet under me, I pushed myself between them, not happy at the caveman routine they were pulling.

“He didn't do anything that I didn't want,” I told Callum.

Callum shook his head and glared at me before looking at Lennox with disgust. “He didn't tell you that the ale has the ability to lower inhibitions and increase libido when too much is consumed?”

I blanched, partly shocked by this information, but when I evaluated what we’d been feeling, I didn't believe that. I had wanted what was going on. I even encouraged it. “He didn't take advantage of me. I still knew what I was doing and wanted everything that was happening,” I defended Lennox.

“In front of the entire pub?” he questioned further. I couldn't lie, instead, I swallowed as I held my ground, glaring up at Callum.

“That's what I thought. These two should have stopped you before you made a spectacle of yourself. You didn't know any better, but they sure did.” Callum glared at Baer this time, who ducked his head in shame. “Even I know that you're not the type to enjoy public displays, and I barely know you. They should have been the bigger fae and kept you from making a fool of yourself.”

“That's enough, Callum. I'm sure they get the point,” Arryn broke in, the voice of reason. “It's about time we all call it a night. We've got a busy couple of days ahead of us.”

With that declaration, Baer grabbed my hand and led me back to the room, leaving Callum and Lennox behind to deal with their shit while Arryn played mediator.

Chapter Twenty Seven: Lennox

We all stood in the stables the next morning, waiting on the hands to get our horses ready for the journey ahead. Baer and Rhowyn laughed at something across the aisle from where I stood watching them, leaning against an empty stable door. I couldn't pull my eyes away from the sight of her, laughing at whatever joke Baer had made. Her eyes danced with laughter as she pushed him playfully, and I couldn't help the spike of jealousy that shot through me.

I wanted her more than I had ever desired anyone before, a part of her calling to my soul. The way she moved, spoke, and challenged me in every way kept me coming back for more every time. I honestly didn't think it was possible that I would ever grow tired of her. Every encounter with her was new and exciting in all the ways I had ever dreamed of.

I had come so close to taking her against the wall in front of the whole pub last night, Callum the only thing that had kept me from crossing that line. I glanced down at the ground, ashamed of my inability to keep my wits about me. But there had been something different about her last night. Something that called to me on a level I had never bothered to examine too deeply before. She had seemed so free, so uninhibited that I couldn't resist the pull.

Last night, she had represented something that I had dreamed of all my life. Freedom. The ability to be exactly who I was without fear of the repercussions. The things I had been so afraid of before committing to the trials no longer seemed pertinent. It hadn’t been a physical freedom that I had so desired, but the mental kind. The kind that she could offer me.

She accepted me for who I was, even when I frustrated the hell out of her. I wanted to be more for her, to show her the same freedom she had shown me. I needed to be with her in every way that mattered.

Yes, I desired her sexually, to the point that it was painful. I constantly walked around with at least a semi hard on, but the thing I craved the most was the connection to her soul. The one Baer and now Arryn had enjoyed.

Both of them offered her something, gave her strength or joy to get her through these trials. What exactly did I have to offer? She wasn't interested in my position in court, my wealth, or my playboy attitude, something all the other women had fallen all over themselves for in the past.

Rhowyn was different. She was more. So much more.

And yet, last night, I had almost screwed everything up, just like I always did. Everything I touched turned to ash and shadows. From the outside, it seemed I had everything going for me, but inside, I was a mess.

Looking back, I was glad that Callum had stopped me from doing something that Rhowyn would have regretted. I had no qualms about having sex in public, being watched was exciting for me. However, Rhowyn wasn't from Avalon. She had all the hang ups that humans did. She wasn't ready for that kind of exposure.

After Baer had taken her back to our room last night, I had proceeded to drink my weight in ale. While not the autumn ale Rhowyn had enjoyed, it was still suitable for drowning my shame. Callum didn't need to say anything else; my own shame consumed me completely. He'd let the issue drop, but I found that I was unable to let go of the mistakes of my past.

If I could leave, I would. Rhowyn was better off without my messes, without my mistakes adding more to her burden. But as sure as the moon followed the sun every day, I was pulled into her orbit, unable to do anything other than try to be the man she deserved.

The horses now saddled, we all mounted, the Raven arriving just as we had finished our preparations. I eyed the man suspiciously, not sure we could trust him, even if Arryn said we could. There was more to their relationship than he was telling us, more to Arryn than what we'd seen so far. I couldn't help the questions that arose as we set out, leaving the small village behind. Who was this man before he'd joined the Queen's Guard? What were his motives? Was there more to him than what he showed us?

I knew there was; hints of the man's deeper character peeked out every now and then, revealing themselves if we only paid close enough attention. While I didn't think that he would ever do anything to harm Rhowyn, I still feared that his past would come back to haunt us. Were we making a deal with the devil by trusting this Raven?

The hours passed quickly as I remained lost in thought. I caught Rhowyn glancing at me from time to time, questioning my mood, but I couldn't bring myself to release the demons that were haunting me.

We avoided other villages, going around them through the open hillsides, the scenery slowly bleeding from tilled ground to pastures and now the forest that opened up before us. In the middle of this forest, we would find the Arderin Mountains, impenetrable unless allowed passage by the Gwyllion, a task in and of itself. Needless to say, not many made it through.

“Wanna talk about it?” Rhowyn voiced, causing me to jerk in the saddle, not having noticed her ride up beside me as we entered the forest.

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