Page 52 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

She rested her head against his chest, trying not to get distracted by the soft thumping of his heart, the rich cadence of his breath.

“And I thought that if you were struggling even a bit of what I was struggling with...I wanted to ease that burden for you, and help...” he struggled with the right words.

“Take away...the tension?” she guessed. She could see the look on his face in the mirror, and knew he was relieved for not having to explain further.

“Yes. But we aren't fully mated. We didn't seal the bond.”

“But what else is there?” she asked, utterly perplexed.

“Oh Julietta, you're not making this easy. There's more to the physical act of...sealing the bond. Essentially, there are parts of me that must...claim you.”

She blushed, finally understanding his meaning. She thought they had consummated their bond, but he didn't do what he needed to do. “So, I didn't...pleasure you?”

He rubbed his eyes and scrunched up his forehead. “You are more pleasurable than anything I've ever experienced,” he said, kissing her temple. “If it weren't for my own shortcomings, I would snatch you up and claim you from here to the Tidal Kingdom. I'd steal you away, imprison you on a boat and navigate to the nearest uninhabited island where I could take you over and over and make you mine and never let another man near you.”

She gulped, her body buzzing at his words. She reached her hand up and rubbed the scruff on his face, and then placed a soft kiss on the underside of his jaw. He groaned, and she realized he liked to be kissed there, so she moved her mouth to the other side.

He growled, and then shifted her to her back, crawling over her. “You're tempting me, sweetheart,” he said, settling on top of her. He used his knees to nudge her legs apart, and then settled between her thighs, letting her feel his hardness. He leaned forward, and then whispered in her ear.

“This is how I would take you. This is how I would claim you. I'd have you on your back all night, sink inside of you until both of us can't stand another drop of pleasure. And even then, I'd want to keep going.” He thrusted against her, showing her exactly what he would do. “And then you would know you've been claimed by me, and you'd never doubt who you belonged to, sweetheart.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Phillippe sat in the great hall, his leg jiggling. He'd been idle for far too long, and he was itching to get outside the city walls. The Sun Realm was nice, but the city was far too urbane for him. He preferred his landscapes wild, with hills instead of houses, trees instead of townspeople. There were only a few patches of natural land within the city, and even outside its walls...it was all desert. He didn't know how Grayden could ever manage to live here permanently. The only thing that bugged him about the Snow Lands was that he'd pretty much explored every single bit of it–during both his youth and as a soldier.

A gentle touch on his thigh brought his gaze down. Esmeralda was looking up at him, her face lovely, although her eyes seemed a bit red. He figured it must be the dust and sand from the desert aggravating her eyes. She was wearing a peach gown that hugged her curves, and he had to admit he had missed her Tidal Kingdom wardrobe during her time in the Snow Lands. Her hair was braided, but a tiny piece had fallen free, and–

“Phillippe...pay attention,” she whispered, somewhat harshly, much unlike her usual tone. Grayden had been going on for a half hour about another book they found that would ultimately lead them to another book. It was far too much reading, in his opinion.

“...so, we have to decide, where do we go from here? Thoughts?”

“I vote whatever gets us out of here and into the wild,” Phillippe said, his fingers twitching, eager to grab his sword.

Grayden gave him a glare. Then, Sion spoke up.

“I'm willing to go to this mountain.” The second Sion uttered the words, Selenia echoed his sentiments. “If Sion is going, then so am I.”

Grayden frowned. “Selenia, I don't think...” he trailed off, a concentrated look coming over his face. Phillippe looked at Renya, noticing a similar expression.

“Fine.” Grayden said, and Selenia looked pleased, and then flashed a grateful smile at Renya. Phillippe wasn't sure how he missed it, but it appeared as if Renya and Grayden shared some special insight into each other through their bond. He'd have to ask Grayden about it sometime. Although the second he thought about his brother's bond, he felt a surge of jealousy go through his veins. How was it that his brother got so lucky to have a fated mate? He would give anything to be fated to Esmeralda.

It was a strange feeling. Never had he given a thought about having a fated mate. It just...didn't concern him. He was happy with his own lot in life, happy with his liaisons with willing girls in the village or those he met on his travels. But now...he imagined a life with her...having to work inside the lodge didn't seem so bad if Esmeralda was there with him. Something he could tolerate.

“I'm going for sure, and I'm taking Esmeralda with me,” he said. To his surprise, Esmeralda looked a bit hesitant at his suggestion.

Grayden frowned again. “I'm not sure if–”

“Grayden, I swear if you try and say that Esmeralda can't come because she's female, I will kick your backside from here to the human realm.” Renya's eyes flashed dangerously.

Phillippe chuckled. In all honesty, he was glad Esmeralda was going to be beside him. The more time they spent together, the better.

“While everyone is making announcements and while we are all here together, I have news to share too,” Selenia said, her smile bright. “Sion and I are getting married.” She held out her finger proudly.

Phillippe recognized the ring instantly as his mother's. A funny feeling started in the pit of his stomach, but he wasn't sure what it was. Something bothered him. He watched as Esmeralda fawned over the ring, congratulating Sion and Selenia.

That was it. Grayden was giving out his mother's jewelry right and left. He pushed out of his chair and nodded towards Grayden. “Can we talk outside for a minute?”

Grayden looked confused, but nodded, and he headed for the side door off the dining room.

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