Page 7 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

In that moment, Julietta felt the bond snap into place, an unbreakable connection forged between them. She stumbled forward, drawn to him by forces beyond her control.

For better or worse, she was fated to the most unyielding, seemingly emotionless man she'd ever encountered. And judging by the look on his face, he was just as unhappy about this development as she was.

Chapter Five

It took every ounce of willpower Sion possessed not to claim Selenia right then. With her eyes closed gently, her lips full and pouty, he yearned to lose himself in her entirely. But she was still young and inexperienced, and he felt duty-bound to protect her in all things.

Moreover, the emotional scars of the past year still weighed heavily on his heart. Yet slowly but surely, Selenia was becoming his beacon of light, his calm after the storm, the shore after sailing upon a treacherous sea.

She lay peacefully in his arms, her ringlets spread across his chest like a fiery halo. He knew he should leave her room, but she slept so serenely that he couldn't bring himself to disturb her. Besides, the sun had already begun to rise, its morning rays deepening the beautiful scarlet of her hair, reminding him that they needed to be up soon anyway.

Anxiety consumed him at the thought of their impending journey back to the Sun Realm. He feared for Selenia's safety every time they left the protective barrier of Snowden Lodge. Though the threat of Cressida was over and the Shadow Realm soldiers had dispersed, their lands were rapidly becoming unstable with the increasing loss of magic. It seemed shifts in weather and conditions occurred daily now, and he knew Phillippe was inundated with reports of breaking dams, melting glaciers, and seas of ice flooding the lowlands. Something needed to be done, and quickly.

The stability of their world was crumbling beneath their feet.

Selenia stirred in her sleep, her cheek rubbing softly against his chest. He sighed deeply, stroking her back lightly with his fingertips. She moaned softly, and he tensed, thinking back to their evening together. He hadn't intended to go that far, to expose himself to her hungry eyes, but his resistance was wearing thin. It had been over a month since she revealed their bond, and he was feeling the effects of her nearness even if his part of their mating bond wasn't present.

It was nearly impossible to resist Selenia Snowden, especially when her mind was made up. And she was determined to have him.

A knock on the door jolted him from his thoughts.

“Selenia?” Doria's voice sounded through the door, and Sion quickly nudged Selenia.

“Wake up, darling girl,” he murmured, stroking her cheek and coaxing her off his chest.

She sat up quickly, and he untangled their limbs and snuck off to the bathroom. He closed the door just as he heard Doria enter Selenia's bedroom.

“You asked me to wake you up at sunrise,” he heard Doria remind Selenia.

“Oh, yes, thank you,” Selenia fumbled, and Sion knew she was nervous about Doria suspecting she hadn't slept alone.

He could hear Selenia move about the room, could hear Doria arrange a tray on Selenia's table.

“Do you want me to draw you a bath?”

“No!” Selenia screeched, and Sion inwardly groaned. It was obvious to him, at least, that she was hiding something. Doria, having practically raised Selenia, would surely figure it out.

“I'll just tidy up around here then,” Doria replied. Sion waited in the bathroom, dreading the possibility of Doria discovering him at any moment.

After a few more minutes, the bathroom door opened, and Selenia smiled shyly at him. She was dressed in a crimson riding outfit, her hair neatly pinned back.

“That was close. I was worried she'd know you were here.”

Sion walked out of the bathroom, taking in the tidied room. Selenia was notorious for the messes she left behind.

“Selenia?” he asked, turning a full circle in the room. “Where are my clothes?”

Selenia gulped, and Sion chuckled.

“Well, it seems like Doria now knows that you weren't alone last night.”

It was nearing noon before they took off; Selenia spent the morning rustling around and packing more and more things before Sion finally stopped her.

They rode quietly, Selenia on Frost and Sion riding Damion. Selenia was unusually quiet, which worried him.

“What's wrong, Little Fox?”

She turned up her head and looked at him.

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