Page 131 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

Nodding, I bite my lip. Other than a kiss, nothing else has happened with either of them, but I’m pulled to them just as much as I am to Vaeril. I don’t mention the bond with them, not yet, not until I figure out more about how it works.

“I can help you forget about them.” He rises on his knees, his voice soft as his hands land on my thighs, sliding slowly up as he moves in closer, lighting a fire inside me.

My throat is tight. I know what’s about to happen, and I want to give into it, I’m desperate to give into it, but I need him to know how much they mean to me. “I don’t know if I can ever forget—”

“Clarissa,” he interjects, his face so close to mine now that I can feel his breath against my skin. “I can be everything you need,” he promises.

“Vaeril—”

His lips are a hairbreadth away from my own, but he pauses, waiting for me to speak, for me to make the first move. My mind scrambles, so focused on the elf before me and how good it feels to be here with him. In moments like this, I can almost forget everything that’s happened, it’s just him and me. I know if I pull away, tell him I’m not ready, he will respect that decision, but that’s not what I want.

Surging forward, I close the gap between us, a noise of surprise escaping from his throat which quickly disappears when he kisses me back. He moans, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me onto his lap so I’m straddling him. Embracing him, I press myself against his body, feeling the evidence of his desire for me. I’ve had sex a couple of times in my life, but they were always hurried, desperate needs for release, yet this is different. I feel like he’s consuming me, or that my desire is so fierce that itwillconsume me if I don’t state this need within me.

All of a sudden, he pulls away with a pained look on his face. He rests his forehead against mine, and I notice his chest is rising and falling in rapid movements like my own, his breath quick as he tries to clear his head enough to speak.

“Clarissa, wait,” he starts, before pausing when my hands slide up under his shirt, my fingers moving over the scars on his back. “The bond, we need to talk about sealing it.”

“I don’t want to talk about the bond anymore,” I whisper against his lips.

With a confidence I didn’t know I possessed, I bite his lower lip, and his resulting growl sends a flash of need straight to my core.

“Clarissa—” His hand threads into my hair and twists, gently pulling me back so he can stare at me. “You are perfect.” Looking into his eyes, I can see he’s fighting a battle, but I’ve had enough of waiting.

My cheeks flush at his appraisal, which only makes his smile grow. He releases my hair, and our lips crash back together like there’s a magnet pulling us towards one another, my hands on his shoulders as I draw him against me.

I’m so consumed by him that it takes a while for the sound to cut through my bliss, and it’s only at Vaeril’s growl that I pull away and realise someone is pounding on the door.

“Vaeril!” Naril’s shout is muffled, but thewarning in his voice is clear. Whatever is going on outside is enough to ruffle the feathers of the warrior brothers, so it must be a threat.

We look at each other before jumping to our feet and rushing towards the door, and even I can hear the arguing and shouting in the corridor as someone makes their way towards us.

Is someone trying to attack us? No, they wouldn’t be arguing if we were under attack.

Vaeril takes a step in front of me, his face barely recognisable as he snarls, dropping into a defensive stance. “I will protectyou,” he tells me, his voice more guttural than I’m used to hearing from him. I’m about to open my mouth, to say, something, anything, but I hear a shout that makes me freeze.

“Clarissa!”

The door suddenly flies open, broken off its hinges. Vaeril is trying to hold me back, but I need to get past him—I have to see the person who called my name. I manage to slip under the elf’s arm, only to come to an immediate stop. The tall figure is one I recognise, his body heaving as he raises his axe, resting it on his shoulder. “I found you.”

Eldrin and Naril appear behind him with anger and frustration on their faces as they stare at the intruder. “You know him?” Eldrin growls, and I know he would like nothing more than to throw him out of the closest window.

I’m not dreaming, this is really happening. Taking a step forward, I run my eyes over the familiar man in front of me, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

“Tor?”

---