Page 303 of Heat of the Everflame

The thought arose suddenly, taking me by surprise. I’d always feared commitment because I thought it meant sacrificing who I was. But being with Luther never felt like a sacrifice. He’d go to hell and back to help me achieve my dreams—and not just because he loved me, but because they were his dreams, too. Because we were the same in deeply fundamental ways that were etched in our bones and dyed in our blood.

Had I held myself back all these years because I didn’twantto give my heart away, or had I simply never found someone worthy of giving it to?

And if so... what happened when I finally did?

Luther cut a quick glance to my mother. She must have been watching us, because all the warmth in his expression immediately shuttered. He used Sorae as a shield to hide his hand as it slipped beneath the cloak and settled on my waist.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

A loaded question.

One that, were he anyone else, I would brush off with a joke and a promise I was fine.

But he wasn’t anyone else. And I wasn’t fine.

My eyes fell. I focused on the feeling of his palm on my hip: Solid. Strong. Certain of its place.

“I killed a King today,” I whispered.

“He deserved it.”

“And I killed the High General.”

“He deserved it, too.”

“And I betrayed my brother.”

His voice softened. “You did the right thing. You saved a lot of lives today, too. In Fortosandin Lumnos.”

I wanted so badly to believe him, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw the High General’s face. Felt the numbness in my heart as I forced him to take his own life.

I could try to convince myself it had been noble—he would have killed more mortals. Or maybe self-defense—he certainly would have killed me.

But I knew the truth. He was dead because I’dwantedhim dead and because I’d known I was strong enough to do it. I’d killed him simply because I could. No more, no less.

It was that sense of total power, that addictive draw of wielding fate in my hands that haunted me most of all.

I shook my head sharply, needing to outrun those thoughts as fast as I could. “It looks like our night alone will have to wait a little longer.”

His eyes narrowed at my change of subject. I waited to see if he would push, but whatever he saw on my face, it convinced him to let it go for now.

“Although...” I cracked a tiny smile. “We could tell my mother we need to go collect firewood.”

A noise rumbled in his throat. “I didn’t really want to have you for the first time against a rock with snow up to our knees.” His fingers found a slice in my tattered clothes and grazed over my flesh. “But I could be persuaded.”

I hooked a finger into the weapons belt slung low on his hips and tugged him closer. His eyes darkened with desire.

“Diem,” my mother called out loudly. “Leave the Prince to his watch, dear. Let’s get some sleep.”

I bit my lip and shrugged. “Sorry, Prince. Better luck tomorrow.”

I reluctantly pushed him away and turned toward my mother. He grabbed my hips and jerked me backward, grinding into me so roughly I felt his hardened cock against my back.

He leaned his mouth to my ear, his voice dominant with command. “Dream of me.”

Despite the emotional turmoil of the day and the enormous trials that lay before us, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

And dream of him, I did.

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