Page 52 of Trials of Dusk and Dreams
A glint in his eyes. His lips curve, lighting up his face in a way I’ve never seen before. Butterflies riot in my stomach as he leans in again but hovers an inch from my mouth. The heat of his body, the smell of leather and spice mixed with male—it turns my insides liquid. His hand curves around my nape and controls me so I’m pinned as he drives his tongue in deep. His plundering kiss is dizzying, drugging, and it fries every cell in my brain. He kisses nothing like Fox. Fox was enticing, seductive. Bodin is taking, claiming.
I exist as the object of his fascination, and I’m okay with that.
More than okay.
I fist his shirt and tug him closer. He growls, hand slipping up into my hair and clenching tight, holding me still so he can finish how he wants. When he pulls back, we’re both panting hard. My lips are swollen and tingling. A pleasant warmth has spilled through my body, loosening my limbs and heightening my awareness of every hot, mouthwatering inch of his square jaw, thick neck, and taut tendons. Fuck, that vein—that smooth, velvety skin. It reminds me of a hard, rigid cock, and now I want to see what his looks like. My eyes dip down to the bulge in his pants. No one will notice if I get on my knees now.
A low, appreciative growl rumbles from the base of my throat. My knees weaken, and I try to drop, but he holds me steady, a concerned look in his eyes.
“What was in that berry?” he muses.
“It’s likely a grape from a faerie vine, not a berry.” Legion appears like an apparition at our table. Whoa. I blink. He’s also looking mighty sexy with those brass spectacles framing his long-lashed eyes. Such beautiful, soulful eyes I can get lost inside.
Styx arrives also, all lazy, puffy-eyed, and messy-haired. He searches the tray. “Any left?”
“Styx!” I squeal. He gives me a dubious look. I tug myself from Bodin’s arms and throw myself onto him. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“The effects are mild,” Legion drawls, steadying me when I stumble. He holds me at arm’s length and searches my eyes. “More a loosening of the body than the mind. Still, don’t eat another.”
“I feel fine.” I grin, all warm and fuzzy. “This is nothing like what Milford drugged me with.”
Someone snarls viciously, but I can’t tell who. They’re all suddenly furious.
“Lighten up, guys.” I toss a grape at Bodin, the scowliest. “Or we’ll never get out of here alive.”
He catches it before his face. Styx’s lips twitch. Legion’s gaze hardens as he scans me from top to toe. “This is problematic.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not that bad.”
“You smell like a berry.” He frowns. “Instead of . . .”
“You?” I boop his nose, grinning when his frown deepens.
“Precisely. You need to smell like us.” His nostrils flare. “Fae have heightened senses.”
“I’m well aware of that.” I point to my ears.
“So then you’re on board with us covering you with our scent.” This coming from Styx surprises me. I partly think he’s mocking me, partly testing me.
I shrug. “Actually, I think that would be comforting. I’ve been secretly stealing your clothes . . . Especially Fox’s.”
“Agreed,” Legion nods. His eyes already tell me he’s formulating the best way to have them all set up a roster for who marks me and when. Whose shirt can I borrow next. I have to admit, I was teasing them at first, but now they’re staring at me so Well-damn seriously.
Wolves have glands on their paws. They also mark by—ew. “No one is allowed to urinate on me. Got it?” I scold a little too loudly. “Just in case you were confused.”
“No confusion here.” Legion’s eyes glimmer with amusement. He gently directs me back into Bodin’s arms. “You are the first queen we’re biologically compatible with.”
“Not a queen,” I correct. Wait. “Biologically compatible?”
“Yes,” he says simply.
A thought occurs to me. “That means I should probably go on some kind of birth control, right? Do they have that pink elixir my aunts take here?”
Legion tenses. He takes a noticeable step away from me, but I don’t think I offended him. He seems to be composinghimself. It’s good to see him get affected by the same things I do. The more I see these little genuine tells of emotion, the more my old, misguided thoughts about the Sluagh disappear. These little moments, these little looks cast my way, remind me of the fondness shared between my parents. I can only be good. Right.
“Cait is honoring her deal with Fox,” Legion notes, returning to business. “She leaves tomorrow.”
“That’s good news,” Bodin replies, eyes flicking to me with thought. “What is this elixir?”
