Page 120 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

“Yes,” she said. “I believe I am. And when I’m drunk, I get happy. And horny.” She crawled up his chest to kiss him, lightly at first, then deeply.

Vaara lowered his hands from the small of her back to grasp her by the hips, pressing her body against his hardening cock. She moaned softly.

It was only thanks to absolutely ironclad mental fortitude that he was able to gently push her away again. “Aruna is waiting for us,” he said.

Crow sighed. “We’ll be continuing this later. You know you can’t get away from me that easily.”

He shot a smile over his shoulder as he got up to find his clothes. “I was counting on it.”

Chapter 34

Crow straightened her clothes and smoothed her hair as she and Vaara left the bedroom.

They found the others still in the foyer, sitting on the floor against a wall. Novikke had fallen asleep on Aruna’s shoulder. He nudged her awake when he saw Crow in the doorway.

“I hope you’re finally ready to go,” Novikke said groggily as they stood up. “Aruna refused to leave until he was sure everyone was all right.”

Crow went straight over to them and threw her arms around them both, even though they both tried to pull away as she did so.

“Thank you,” she said, squeezing.

Novikke hesitantly patted her on the back. “You’re welcome.”

Crow pulled back to look at them, still holding them by the shoulders. They were still looking at her like they thought she might change her tune any second. She was so pleased with them both that she didn’t really care. “Do you want wine?”

“What?”

She went to the bottles she’d left at the doorway and picked up several of them.

“We really should be getting back to Valtos…” Novikke said. Crow pushed a bottle into her hand.

“I agree,” Crow said, uncorking another bottle. “Drink with me while we walk.”

She went to Vaara next, giving him an easy smile. She handed him an uncorked bottle and waited expectantly. Reluctantly, he took a slow drink. His eye never left hers. She smiled, patted his arm, and started toward the front door.

The world outside the manor was cold and huge and open. The wind had died, and snow was falling. It was silent and motionless, as if awaiting something. As if awaitingher. The clouds had moved away from the moons, illuminating the white landscape. She stepped onto the path outside the door, her feet crunching in the snow.

For the first time in her life, she could go anywhere, do anything. She had no one to answer to except herself. No one to obey. No pull of a binding, no worrying about breaking rules or sneaking around.

This was what freedom felt like.

She took a step, then another. Then she started running.

“Crow,” Vaara called. “Where are you going?”

“Anywhere I want!” she called back. She kept running. Icy air rushed into her lungs and came out hot and clouded. The cold bit into her cheeks and stung her eyes. The smell of clarity and emptiness filled her nose.

She only stopped running when she reached the top of a large hill, when a stitch had formed in her side and she was gasping for breath. She was still smiling. She had never felt so good.

In the distance, Valtos rose up above the rest of the landscape. Somehow, it looked bigger and more complex than ever. Full of places to be explored. Full of opportunities.

She didn’t know what she would do with the rest of her life yet—but she was free to make her own future now, and that felt incredible.

Eventually the others caught up to her. Despite their initial hesitance, she spotted Novikke and Aruna furtively passing one of the bottles back and forth.

Vaara stopped beside her. “Are you all right?” he asked, in a way that sounded more teasing than concerned.

“I’m fantastic, thanks to you.” She gave him a friendly nudge. He glanced away, uncharacteristically quiet, and she wondered, not for the first time, whether he was more comfortable with bickering than with honest affection.

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