Page 29 of Faeheart
Elias
I’d been poring over my grandmother’s journal for the past hour, but I hadn’t managed to read a single word yet. My mind was elsewhere.
Wild was sprawled across his bed, supposedly working on his Diplomatic Relations homework, but I could feel his restless energy through our bond like a constant hum of electricity. Every few minutes, his gaze would drift over to where I sat at my makeshift desk, and each time, a spike of want would pulse through our connection that made my concentration fracture completely.
Caden had escaped to the roof with Atlas again, claiming they needed to “discuss the bond situation privately.” I suspected it was more about finding somewhere they could make out without an audience, but I couldn’t blame them. The sexual tension in our small dorm room had become suffocating.
Professor Blackwood’s words kept echoing in my head.Sexual energy is one of the most powerful forces in magic. Channeled properly, it could strengthen your connection exponentially.
I slammed the journal shut with more force than necessary, earning a questioning look from Wild.
“Problem with grandma’s magical secrets?” he asked, his voice carrying that familiar teasing lilt that sent heat curling through my stomach.
“I can’t focus,” I admitted, setting the journal aside and turning to face him properly. I did everything I could to ignore the very obvious halfie I was sporting in my pants. “Not with you broadcasting every inappropriate thought that crosses your mind.”
Wild’s grin turned predatory. “Inappropriate? I haven’t even gotten to the really good stuff yet.”
Before I could formulate a response, a wave of very explicit imagery flooded through our connection, Wild’s hands on my skin, his mouth trailing fire down my chest, the two of us tangled together in ways that made my breath catch.
“Stop that,” I gasped, my body responding despite my protests.
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” Wild said, though his eyes glittered with mischief. “The bond’s getting stronger. I can’t help what you’re picking up.”
He was right, and we both knew it. The magical connection between us had been intensifying daily, making it increasingly difficult to maintain any semblance of privacy. Our emotions, desires, even our dreams were bleeding together in ways that left me feeling exposed and vulnerable.
“This is impossible,” I muttered, pressing the heels of my palms against my eyes. “How are we supposed to function like this?”
I heard the bed dip as Wild moved closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming. When I looked up, he was kneeling on the floor beside my chair, close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his green eyes.
“Maybe we’re not supposed to fight it anymore,” he said softly, his hand coming to rest on my knee.
The touch sent electricity shooting through me, and I saw his pupils dilate in response to whatever he was feeling through our connection.
“Wild...” I warned, but my voice came out breathless rather than stern.
“I know you feel it too,” he continued, his thumb tracing small circles against my knee. “Every time we touch, every time our magic syncs up. It’s not just the bond, Elias. There’s something real here.”
I wanted to deny it, to retreat behind the walls of propriety and control that had protected me my entire life. But his touch was making it impossible to think clearly, and the honesty in his voice was stripping away my defenses one by one.
“It doesn’t matter what I feel,” I whispered, though even as I said it, I knew it was a lie. “My family, my reputation?—”
“Fuck your family,” Wild said fiercely, his hand sliding up to cup my face. “They want to use you as a weapon against people like me, like Caden. They tried to have us killed, Elias. When are you going to stop caring what they think?”
The truth of his words hit me like a physical blow. Through our bond, I felt his frustration, his longing, and underneath it all, something deeper. Something that looked dangerously like love.
“I’m scared,” I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “I’ve never... I don’t know how to do this.”
Wild’s expression softened, his thumb brushing across my cheekbone. “Do what?”
“Any of it. The bond, the magic, this...” I gestured helplessly between us. “You. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you, and it terrifies me.”
For a moment, Wild went completely still, his emotions cycling through surprise, wonder, and something fierce and possessive that made my heart race.
“Elias,” he breathed, and then he was leaning forward, his lips hovering just inches from mine. “Can I kiss you? Really kiss you this time, not to save anyone’s life or prove a point. Just because I want to.”
I should have said no. Should have pulled away and rebuilt my walls and pretended this wasn’t happening. Instead, I found myself nodding, my eyes fluttering closed as he closed the distance between us.
This kiss was nothing like the desperate, magical ones we’d shared before. This was soft, tentative, Wild giving me every opportunity to pull away. When I didn’t, when I instead leaned into him with a quiet sigh, he deepened it slowly, his tongue tracing the seam of my lips until I opened for him.
