Page 26 of Surrendered to Mate

"Because," I say, my voice low and seductive, "I have a feeling you enjoyed our little... encounter as much as I did. And there's plenty more where that came from."

She scoffs, but I can see the interest in her eyes. "You're incorrigible."

"Part of my charm, sweetheart," I wink.

"I'm not going back to Liiandor," she huffs, turning her face away.

I open my mouth to protest, but then I remember my pack. A flicker of hope sparks within me. Hooking one finger under her chin, I turn her face up to mine, savoring the warmth of her skin against my cold touch. "Did you grab my bag by chance?" I ask, my voice low and urgent. She had my sword, so I have to hope she snagged the rest of my belongings too.

She turns to look in the corner, her golden-brown eyes scanning the dim cave. "It's over there," she says, noddingtowards a shadowy recess. "But I didn't see much in there. Just some clothes and useless junk."

"You went through it?" I raise an eyebrow, feigning offense. "That's not very nice, sweetheart." But I can't help the grin that spreads across my face as she turns back to face me, her expression a mix of defiance and amusement.

"Get over it, pretty boy," she retorts, rolling her eyes.

I reach for my pack, my long fingers rummaging through its contents until they brush against something smooth and cool. Relief washes over me as I grasp the tablet fragment.

"Actually..." I pull it out, holding it up so the faint light catches its surface. "You must have missed something because I found this little beauty right before that thlii decided to make me its lunch." I turn the fragment in my hand, watching Faye's eyes widen with curiosity. "And trust me, sweetheart, this is far from useless junk."

Faye leans in, curiosity piqued. "What is that?"

"No idea," I admit, turning the tablet over in my hands. "But it's got some serious magic wards. Led me right to it...and led the thlii to me."

She snorts. "So you're telling me you just stumbled upon some ancient magical artifact in the middle of the forest?"

I raise an eyebrow. "You doubt my incredible luck and charm? Clearly I'm so smooth, I got a tree to let me." I wink at her. "I'm wounded."

"Oh please," Faye rolls her eyes, but I catch the hint of a smile. "So this thing set off the thlii?"

"Seems like it," I nod, tracing the strange symbols etched into the surface. "Damn thing went berserk the moment I picked this up."

Faye reaches out, hesitating before touching the tablet. "And you have no idea what it says?"

I shrug. "Not a clue. But it's got to be important if it's got that kind of power."

"Great," she mutters. "So now we've got dark elves and magical artifacts to worry about. Any other surprises you want to share?"

I grin, leaning in close. "Well, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that might surprise you, sweetheart."

Faye pushes me away, but there's no real force behind it. "You're impossible."

"Impossibly charming, you mean," I wink.

She groans, but I can see laughter dancing in her eyes. "So what's your plan now, oh charming one? Wave that thing around and hope it leads us to more trouble?"

I narrow my eyes at her, feeling entirely too amused. It's foreign to me. "I think I need to figure out why it called to me. There's got to be more to this than meets the eye."

Her gaze drops from me to the tablet, her mouth twisting to the side in that way I'm starting to find oddly endearing. "Let me see it," she demands, her voice a mix of curiosity and impatience.

I can't help but chuckle at Faye's sudden interest, holding the tablet just out of her reach. The weight of it in my hand feels significant, like it's more than just some ancient relic. "Oh, now you're interested? I thought it was just 'useless junk.'"

She narrows her eyes at me, a delightful mix of annoyance and curiosity flashing across her face. I can practically see the gears turning in her head as she tries to figure out how to get her hands on the tablet.

"Don't be an ass," she growls, her voice low and determined. "Let me see it."

I lift it up higher as she tries to lunge over me, my wing wrapping around her bare waist and locking her in place. Her nipples scrape over my chest, and I will myself not get hard right now.

But damn I want her.

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