Page 4 of Luca

“You know how I am,” I said with a light shrug. “I can entertain myself.”

“Very well.” Cair smiled before leaning in to kiss me again, though it wasn’t the sweet and longing goodbye kiss I’d expected. It lingered. It grew impatient and greedy. His tongue swept out, demanding entry, and my lips parted for him without hesitation, every nerve in my body his to command.

His hands roamed my thighs, squeezing the delicate skin hard enough to make me moan into his mouth—a sound he swallowed with a smirk. He pulled back to nip and suck at my jaw and neck, and when he spoke again, I felt the rumble of each word vibrate deep in my chest.

“You had to wait for me this morning. It seems only fair that I make it up to you.”

I hummed, pretending to think about it, though my cock had already decided to get on board. “Yeah, I think that would be acceptable.”

Cair laved at my nipple as he lowered the waistband of my sleep shorts and palmed my dick, coaxing me to full hardness. I let out a questioning sound as he tugged down his own pants and lined his cock up against mine, taking us both into his fist.

A gasp escaped my lips at the first firm stroke.

“Today, I feel like covering you in my scent,” he said, gazing at me, his black eyes glinting with possessive hunger. “I want everyone in the palace to smell it on you.”

Fuck.

* * *

I knelt on the dirt path, leaning over the flower bed to inspect the progress of the nathrach I’d planted two months ago. They were sprouting beautifully, not quite in full bloom—they had a week or so to go yet—but a few buds were beginning to split, the blushing pink petals peeking out from underneath.

Warmth swelled in my chest, and the smile that spread over my face was entirely out of my control. I felt immense joy knowing that I’d nurtured another species to life—one previously unknown to me—with my predominantly human hands. This particular variety could be used as an antidote against naga venom, but even if their only purpose had been to sit there and look pretty, I would still be proud of every single seed that didn’t fail. And as I sat back on my haunches, glancing over the colorful patches dotted around the garden filled with a variety of different plants, I was able to see just how many that was.

It was these simple triumphs that had played a huge role in helping me settle in. Immersing myself in nature, finding a purpose and being accomplished at it, made me feel more fulfilled than I ever had in the human realm. I missed Edenglas—of course I did—it was all I had known for so long. Plus, with Alex and Tee there, and everyone else at the club, I’d always have a tie to that world, no matter what, but since we had the choice to return freely, the guilt I’d once felt for leaving it behind was slowly dwindling. It may have been my Fae blood nudging me toward my roots, but I thought I’d be happy to live the rest of my immortal life here.

I often imagined Cair and me having a patch of land away from the capital, with a small cottage and gardens where I could grow flowers and we could live a simpler, more peaceful life. The palace was everything I could ever have imagined it to be. A fairy tale, really. It was the type of luxury most people would kill for, and a far cry from what I’d expected for my future, but it was still daunting.

While I knew in my bones that I belonged in the Otherworld, that this was myhome, I often felt out of place in the palace. It was easy to get lost amid the opulence and sheer scale of everything, and the thought of one day having to rule over it all filled me with dread, but I guessed that discomfort was a small price to pay for unconditional love.

Besides, knowing Cair and his high-maintenance ass, he’d never give up those finer things, or his penthouse back in the human realm. Nor would I ask him to. I was content as long as we were together, truly, and that would never change.

Our cozy little hamlet could live rent free in my fantasies for now.

A pointed cough startled me, and I twisted on my knees to see Orian hovering a few steps away. His hands were behind his back, and his distant gaze was glued to a spot over my head. I hadn’t even heard him approach, which was mildly concerning, but as I so often wandered off into my own little world, it wasn’t entirely shocking. Once I was focused on a task or engrossed in a daydream, an elephant could trample through and I would be none the wiser.

Recovering quickly, I wiped my face with the back of my gloved hand and smiled up at him. “Hey, Ri! Sorry, I was lost in my head. I didn’t even hear the gate.”

The space between his brows creased ever so slightly at the nickname, but his otherwise wooden exterior didn’t change except for a slight nostril flare. Ireallyhoped that was a natural reflex and not him smelling Cair on me. That would be mortifying.

“I should have announced myself, but you looked…” He hesitated, eyes still not meeting mine, but he glanced briefly to the side as if caught in an internal panic. His throat bobbed on a swallow, and I could have sworn the tips of his ears had turned pink. “My apologies.”

“It’s okay.” I frowned, concerned by his behavior. Granted, he’d never been overly animated, but we’d spoken more in the last few months—as I had with all of Cair’s siblings bar Maeve, but she was impossible.

Orian had avoided me for a while after we’d settled here. I’d never gotten the vibe that he hated me or wanted me dead like I initially had with Teighan, but it had been obvious he’d done everything in his power not to accidentally cross my path. That was until I’d cornered him outside the library once, asking if he knew the properties of a fuil plant. Ever since, he’d made more of an effort to acknowledge my existence.

We weren’t exactly buddies, but we’d made progress. We didn’t ignore one another in the hallway, and he’d indulge me whenever I asked a question, though he looked uncomfortable doing so. He’d even started to stop and ask me how I was on occasion, but today, something felt off.

“Did you need something, or…?” I hoped the question was delicate enough to sound inquisitive, instead of confused or outright rude.

Orian stood up straighter. “You have no escort.”

“Um.” I laughed, holding up my soil-caked gloves. “I’m only in the garden.”

Finally, he looked at me, but his expression was so severe it made me recoil. “You should not be alone. Not for a single moment.”

“Oh-kay… Well, I’m not alone now, am I? You might as well join me.”

“I have no intention of intruding on your activities,” he said, looking straight ahead once again.

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