Page 99 of The War of Four Winters

As heat built between us, I whispered against his ear, "I want to watch you finish."

His eyes met mine, understanding immediately. Without breaking our rhythm, his hand moved between our bodies. The sight of him lost in pleasure while I moved within him nearly undid me, but I held back, determined to witness his release first.

"You're beautiful," I breathed, my voice breaking with emotion. The words were inadequate but true—in this moment of complete vulnerability, he was magnificent.

His rhythm faltered as his climax approached, his strokes becoming erratic as his body tensed beneath me. I could feel him tightening around my length, his internal muscles clenching with increasing urgency.

"Ruith," he gasped, my name a prayer on his lips as his release overtook him.

I watched in awe as he came apart beneath me, his body arching, seed spilling over his fist and onto his stomach in hot pulses. The sight of his pleasure, the knowledge that I had brought him to this moment of perfect vulnerability, sent me tumbling after him. My own climax hit with shattering force, vision whiting out at the edges as I emptied myself deep inside him.

For several heartbeats, we remained locked together, both trembling with aftershocks, neither willing to break the connection. Then, slowly, I lowered myself to lie beside him, gathering him against my chest as our breathing gradually steadied.

"I thought I'd lost you," he murmured against my chest, his voice rough with emotion. "When I heard of your capture, and then the trial..."

I pressed a kiss to his forehead, inhaling the scent of him—sweat and sex and the underlying spice that was uniquely his. "I promised the boys I would return," I said softly. "I intend to keep that promise."

A smile touched his lips at the mention of Leif and Torsten. "I know you will. They've been so brave while waiting for us."

I took a breath, finding his eyes with mine. "Before they took me, I had made a decision." My fingers traced the line of his jaw. "I want to adopt them formally. Not just as wards, but as our sons. Princes of House Starfall. My heirs."

His eyes widened. "Ruith..."

"I had the documents prepared," I continued, certainty growing with each word. "They would be princes, not just in our hearts, but by law. My father would have had me renounce them along with you." My voice hardened. "I refused."

Elindir's eyes shimmered in the dim light. "The boys would be... our sons. Truly ours."

"If you'll have them with me," I said softly. "I want us to raise them together, as their fathers. Give them the childhoods neither of us had."

He reached up to cup my face, his touch reverent. "Nothing would make me prouder. They already feel like our own."

"Then it's decided," I said, feeling a weight lift from my chest.

His smile brightened. "The first human princes in elven history."

"The first of many changes to come," I promised. "D'thallanar will be their home—our home—as it should be. Though perhaps we'll keep Calibarra as a summer residence. The boys seem fond of it."

Pride swelled in my chest at this news. Those boys were thriving despite the uncertainty that surrounded them. They were becoming the people they were meant to be, free of the collars that had once defined their existence.

"We'll return to them," I promised. "Both of us. Together."

He nodded, belief in his eyes despite the challenges we still faced. After a comfortable silence, he spoke again, his voice hesitant. "Ruith... there's something you should know. About Michail's forces at Homeshore. It's worse than we thought."

I tensed, reluctantly allowing our brief respite to end as reality reasserted itself. "Tell me."

Elindir sat up slightly, his expression shifting into the focused soldier I'd first recognized in him months ago. "He's not just invading for territory or power. He's systematically exterminating elven populations. Men, women, children... doesn't matter." His voice tightened with controlled rage. "And he's harvesting their…theiressence. Modir has developed some kind of ritual extraction. They're using blood magic to treat Michail's condition."

Cold dread settled in my stomach. "The Rot."

"Yes." Elindir's hand found mine, unconsciously seeking connection as he delivered this grim news. "It buys him time, but it's never enough. He needs more and more as the disease progresses. That's why the attacks are escalating."

I processed this information, fitting it alongside everything else we knew. "This changes things," I said finally. "If Michail's forces aren't just invading but committing genocide, the neutral clans can no longer afford their neutrality. Even those loyal to Tarathiel must see that our internal conflicts mean nothing if Michail succeeds."

"That was my original mission," Elindir confirmed. "To warn the Assembly. Then I learned of your capture, and..." He shrugged, a half-smile touching his lips despite the grim topic. "Priorities shifted."

I pressed a kiss to his forehead, gratitude overwhelming me once again. "It seems we have two wars to fight now," I observed. "One against my father for the soul of our people, and one against your brother for our very survival."

Elindir's expression hardened with resolve. "We'll fight them both. And win."

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