Page 133 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
Alezya slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her legs around his waist, and she didn’t want to let go. They hugged each other, their breathing calming down together.
Whatever Kein had done to that man, it was over. She forced herself to focus on him. She focused on his scent, his warmth, the steady rise and fall of his chest. Everything had happened so fast, but as panic subsided slowly, more erratic thoughts came crashing through her mind.
That man had grabbed her, yanked her by her hair, like in her worst nightmares. What if Kassein had been too far? What if Kein hadn’t heard her?
She exhaled a shaky breath, belated fearful tears springing in her eyes. She held on tighter to Kassein, like he was her lifeline. And Lumie.
How many more times would she have to survive before she could see her baby? How many times would she be scared into thinking she’d never see her again? Why couldn’t she get a moment’s peace? She shuddered, emotions washing over her all at once, waves of anger, frustration, fear, and, thankfully, relief. She had survived. And Kassein was here, holding her.
He’d saved her life,again.The one man she didn’t fear; the one she could count on to protect her, comfort her, and chase the nightmares away.
Without another word, Kassein gently carried her, and Alezya didn’t care where. She held on tight to him, her heartbeat going fast, her gaze going to the falling sun behind him.
Their last evening. Their last hours together. Tomorrow, she would have to go... but they still had a night together, and she was going to make it count. She needed him to know. Once, just once, Alezya was desperate to give all of herself to Kassein. And then, she would go back to being Lumie’s mother.
They got back inside the leather shelter, and Kassein dropped her on the bed gently.
Alezya could almost predict everything that was going to happen next, because she had come to know this man so well: he brought her food, ate with her, took the dishes away, and went to boil some water for her. She didn’t have to leave the bed, he just did it all. She knew he had probably cleaned her body and changed her as well while she was asleep.
It was the kind of man he was, and she knew exactly how lucky she was to have been with him. She wanted to commit it all to memory: his gentle movements, his strong but kind hands, his warm skin, his faint smiles, his deep voice, and those green eyes.
It was her goodbye, and he had no idea. She was about to break his heart again, and then leave him with the hardest thing she could ask of him, to take care of Lumie. That was, if her plan worked...
The thoughts that swarmed her mind brought Alezya to tears, and she couldn’t stop them. Kassein noticed right away; he put the water on the bedside table and rushed to her side with a concerned expression, already scanning her for injuries. She let his hands hold hers, marveling again at the difference. His hands were bigger, rougher, darker. And they had become one of her favorite things in the world.
“Kassein,” she whispered.
“Alezya?”
“Kiss me,” she asked.
He frowned, but of course, he obeyed, pressing a gentle, long kiss against her lips, before pulling back a bit, still unsure about her tears.
“Touch me,” she continued. “Kiss me again. Like me.”
“I like you,” he said, caressing her cheek.
“No,” she shook her head, bringing her teary eyes to his. “More. I need... more. I need you. All of you.”
“Alezya...”
“Please,” she croaked before he could stop her, pressing her forehead against his, her hands on his torso. “Please, Kassein.”
He must have felt that something was different because this time, he didn’t try to distract her. He stared at her, his green eyes worried and confused, his hand cupping her cheek.
“...Habi ti,” he whispered.
“What?” Alezya frowned at the new word.
“Haishun, Alezya,” he repeated, gently pressing her hand to move it against his beating heart.“Only Alezya. My amari. I habi you.”
“I don’t understand,” she cried, her heart choking. “What does that mean? Kassein, I–”
“You,” he whispered, pressing their foreheads together again. “You. My amari. Only you.”
He didn’t explain, but he was showing her.
He cut off her words with another kiss, his hand cupping her cheek again. The other moved to her dress and pushed her up his lap. Alezya’s stomach made a loop as she straddled him across the bed. She could feel him, his body aching for her. Something felt different that night. Perhaps it was her heart, and perhaps it was him.
