Page 9 of Eclipse of Fate
Raelle’s head drops back as an orgasm rips through her. She digs her fingers into my hair, pulling me further into her, stealing every ounce of pleasure from her body. I thrust into her pulsing center again and again, and then I let my own roar of release burst from my throat as I spill deep within her. The walls of the room seem to close in on us as we pant the same air, our foreheads resting together.
“I’m sorry.” The words come out as barely a croak, but I mean them with more truth than I have ever offered to anyone. I promised I would be a better man, and I lost sight of that in the shadows of death. But just like she has before, Raelle is my guiding light, and I won’t lose sight of that again.
Luckily, we are decent again as Maki enters his smoking room. Raelle is lounged across my lap on the leather couch in front of the opulent hearth. Running my fingers through her hair, she is nearly asleep when Maki clears his throat.
“Dax. We need to talk about things.” Raelle’s eyes begin to flutter open at the sound of his voice, but I run my fingertips lightly along her lashes before hushing her back to relax. She hasn't slept much since everything happened. She's too busy trying to care for me and everyone else. She needs rest. I pin Maki with a look, but he ignores it but does lower his voice.
“We need to discuss the arrival of dragons and what it may mean.” I take a deep breath, and Raelle stirs again.
“Let me sit up, Dax. I'm awake.”
“You need rest. Sleep.”
“I’m fine. Maki is right.” She sits up but stays in my lap. I hold her a little tighter as I glare at Maki. I understand that the dragons are a big fucking problem, but waiting for Raelle to get a little bit of rest isn't going to make a fucking difference. Maki grabs a crystal decanter from the table between the chair and sofa, pouring a measure and then offering it to me. Then one to Raelle, which she refuses.
“Look, all I'm saying is that we need to have some conversations about it. There haven't been dragons here in centuries, Dax. Considering that they are back…Do you think that means dragon wielders are back too?” Maki sips on his liquor, and Raelle presses her fingers to her temple as her face scrunches up.
“I’m not going to have this conversation. Your Queen needs rest. We will have this conversation another time,” I say through clenched teeth. Maki looks Raelle over, her face soft with sympathy, but she also doesn’t argue.
“Very well, but we will have the conversation, Dax.” He drinks the rest of the golden liquid from the crystal before setting it on the table and standing. Brushing his sleeve off, he nods his head at Raelle, before turning his back and leaving us alone again.
“He’s right, you know,” Raelle whispers, turning in my lap, her legs straddling my hips.
“Yes.” I slide my hands up her back on either side of her spine, and her legs squeeze my hips. She drops her lips to mine as I make my way up to the back of her neck. The kiss is slow, and as her tongue dips into my mouth. I catch it in my teeth and smile. It brings a smile to her lips too, and I release her tongue so I can bask in the glow of it. Every smile I can get from her is like witnessing a solar eclipse. Awe-inspiring.
“I want you to truly know that I'm sorry.”
“You need to apologize to Trent, not me.” She says. I grunt and she smacks my chest playfully, making a smile twitch at my lips again before she's nuzzling into my chest. Rubbing small circles into the exposed skin on her lower back, she sinks into my embrace. “I'll rest; just don't leave me, Dax.”
“I won’t. You are the keeper of my soul, Raelle. To say I love you would be an injustice, because what I feel for you is more than love. It's a never-ending torrent of emotions too complex to word. There are not many people in this world I feel confident saying I would die for, but you—I would die a thousand deaths for you. You’ve lit a fire in my soul that will never burn out.”
Chapter eight
When I come backinto the infirmary, Trent is awake and sitting on the edge of the bed. He’s got his back to me as he looks in the direction of the window. I can see the tension in his shoulders, his back ramrod straight as he sits and silently thinks. I clear my throat as I enter the space with Ginny at my side. He doesn’t turn as he says, “I’m fine now, Ginny. I don’t need any gross herbs right now, no offense. I just need some real food and a drink.”
“Perhaps I can help with that?” I say with a lopsided grin at the back of his head. His head whips around to face us as I speak, and his face reddens minutely before he turns away, stands, and walks to the window.
“Has anyone seen him?” His voice cracks as he asks about his brother. His emotions are so thick, I can feel them pounding on the barriers I have in place. Moving closer, I join him looking out the window.
“He returned a short while ago. Maki told me that he and Raelle are talking…” His brows pinch as he processes that. “I’m Ambriel,by the way.” I give him a coy smile. His eyes slowly track back to me. I have my barriers firmly in place because I know he is hurting, and I don’t want to broach his personal space at such a painful time. I’ve been doing everything I can to block everyone out right now, but heat clenches in my stomach and—lower suddenly taking my breath away. Closing my eyes, I grind my teeth. I need to teach Raelle how to use barriers to control her emotions. Because whatever it is she and Dax are doing is nothing close totalking. “You want to come with me to the kitchen to get some food?” I ask, a little breathless.Shit.
“I can eat.” He grunts, sounding a lot like his brother. My smile widens as I spin on my heel.
“Let’s go then; can you cook?” He laughs a deep-bellied laugh, causing me to pause as a strange sensation washes over me.
“Never cooked a thing in my life other than a rabbit on a stick in the forest out of necessity.” I shake the feeling off as I step from the infirmary room and into the hallway that leads to the antechamber. Either I effectively shut Raelle out or she's done doing whatever she wasclearlyenjoying.
“I guess we will have to change that then. Since it’s dinner time and we have to get you and Dax back into good graces…” I quirk an eyebrow at him as he groans, rolling his eyes. “Let’s make one my Pa’s favorite. Meat stew.” I tell him.
“Sounds like your Pa has good taste, but only if there’s biscuits.” The first small smile brackets his mouth as we descend the halls outside of the antechamber, and I can't help the warmth that rises in my cheeks seeing it. There are Fae still running about in the castle, trying to get things back to normal after the battle. Many of them are also preparing for what’s to come. The battle Dax has promised with Cano at the wastelands.
Maki has told his people that he plans to travel for battle and will be taking his army with him, but the ones who will be staying have to prepare in case Cano has any plans to try to take Loema while most of the army is with Maki. Not only that, but with dragons to worry about…we are vastly overpowered.
We turn into the kitchen, and Trent wastes no time finding food. He opens the pantry and grabs out fruits, cheeses, and dried meats. Shoving piles of it into his mouth. I stare with my eyes wide, and when he finally looks over his shoulder, he has a mouth filled with all sorts of food. He shrugs, laughing around the mouthful.
“I mean, if I knew you ate like an animal, then I could just feed you from a bowl on the floor.” I muse with one eyebrow pitched. His shoulders shake as he continues laughing with his mouth stuffed full of the contents of the pantry. He chews for a minute, and when he finally swallows, he smiles like a boy who just got busted by his mother for eating all the cookies.
“Sorry, healing makes me hungry.”
