Page 109 of Oaths & Vengeance
His bedroom was at the front end of the hall, with a view of the royal gardens across the street. I barely had a moment to look around before he shut the door and pressed me against the wall. As I started to say something, his mouth came down on mine. I resisted at first since all I’dthought of after the rain on Penoria began was a hot bath. His fiery kiss made me forget everything except his heat pressed against me.
It wasn’t until he withdrew his mouth to rain kisses down my neck that I regained some of my senses. “Darrow, we need to talk about this first.”
I’d had time to think about our relationship and how to handle him. No matter how much I tried, I knew I didn’t have the strength to resist him, but I could set boundaries. If he respected me, he’d follow them.
He pulled back to look me in the eyes. “What do you wish to discuss?”
“I’m not going to pretend at this point that I don’t want you because we both know that would be a lie, but I need to set limits. We can have all the hot sex you want tonight and whenever the opportunity arises, if you promise to stop trying to make me feel things for you. I don’t want to fall in love when you can’t, and you should respect that,” I said, giving him a defiant look.
Darrow ran a hand through his loose, wet hair. “I admit something drives me to want every part of you, including your heart.”
“If you care about me at all and want to protect me, like you’ve insisted, you will keep your distance outside of bed. No more holding me or giving me sweet kisses.” Those would be my undoing if he kept them up. I had to make this clear, and to emphasize my point, I dropped my glamour so he had to look at the real me.
He studied my face. “What if I told you that finding the Naforya Fountain is the key to ending my family’s curse? Once it’s returned to its rightful place, we’re free from it.”
Shock filled me. It was no wonder they appeared to be pushing harder than anyone to find it, but I didn’t understand how the two matters were related. “How is that possible?”
“Because it was two men from my family who were on the guardian rotation when it was taken.” He shook his head, sighing. “Whoever stole it rendered them unconscious with no memory of what occurred. Apparently, there was a curse enacted long ago to punish anyone who failed in their duty to protect the fountain and didn’t die defending it. The Andalagar and druids told them about it after the fact, but somehow, those details were lost over the centuries, so the current generation of fae didn’tknow the consequences. I doubt it would have made a difference anyway since both men were honorable and would have stopped it if they could.”
“That certainly gives your family line the most incentive to retrieve it,” I said, swallowing. I’d wondered what could have been dire and powerful enough to curse them for such a long time.
“Yes,” Darrow agreed. “But it means we have a chance to rectify the problem, and then I will be able to feel more deeply for you.”
My chest tightened. “You mean it’s possible, Dare, but you can’t promise it will change anything.”
The look he gave me was so intense I could barely hold his gaze. “You’re my true mate, Aella. It’s why I’m driven by an obsessive need to protect you and keep you to myself. I only learned it after I took you to Darynia for those three days you slept.”
“What? How?” He couldn’t be serious. Except, some part of me knew it had to be true because it explained the strong connection between us that seemed nearly impossible to resist.
“My father has the ability to sense true mates when they’re together. While I held you in my arms to bring you into the castle, he discerned the truth,” Darrow said.
I drew in a deep breath. True mates? It was so rare that I’d believed I’d never find mine, let alone it be someone who I’d long considered an enemy until recently. It explained the instant connection I’d felt across the battlefield the first time I saw him and the powerful attraction I felt for my husband every time we were close that I couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard I tried.
When we were together, and anger wasn’t blinding me, it was like I was whole…complete. His kisses and touches always drove me to want more. If I hadn’t spent so much time trying not to develop feelings for him, I might have realized it for myself. True mates always had an overwhelming urge to bond and complete their union, so I’d been fighting an impulse that was never meant to be resisted.
Unfortunately, that made matters more difficult. I wished it could have been wonderful news because it had once been my dream, but now itterrified me. My heart was in more danger now than ever. Why did fate have to play with our lives this way by cursing him?
“Okay, fine.” My chest tightened. “We’re true mates, and there is a chance we can lift your curse, but until that happens, I still need to keep some emotional distance. There is no guarantee we will reach the fountain and bring it back.”
“Aella, I…” he began.
I pressed a finger to his lips. “No arguments. That’s the deal—take it or leave it.”
He looked away, working his jaw, before returning his gaze. “Very well. I’ll take what you’re willing to give.”
“That also means no sweet, tender sex or anything that resembles making love. If we’re true mates, that could be risky as well,” I said, blushing. I’d never demanded such a thing from a man before, but I needed to be as careful as possible with him, especially in bed. If he went slow, I’d fall hard, and I knew it.
Darrow’s lips quirked, and his gray eyes took on a roguish glint. “That is one point of this bargain where I won’t argue. If you want it rough, I’ll give you exactly what you’re looking for and more. I only hope you can handle it because that will draw out the darker side of me.”
“I can handle it.” My stomach tightened at the thought. “But first, a bath. We’re filthy, wet, and dripping all over your wood floor.”
The scent of mud and rain covered us.
“Curse the nameless ones.” He let out an ironic chuckle. “That should have been my first thought when we came up here, but seeing you naked in my bed has been on my mind all night.”
“Soon,” I promised.
He took my hand, pulling me toward the washroom. While he ran the water in the tub, I looked in the mirror, horror filling me at how ragged I appeared. My blonde hair was a mess from the rain, my cheeks were flushed, and my lips were plump from kissing.
