Page 74 of Oaths & Vengeance
Taking hold of Aella’s hand, I guided us back the way we came. She was quiet for most of the walk through the woods. Whenever I sensed something threatening nearby, I pushed at it with my powers to scare itaway before she saw it. We didn’t have time to deal with the dangerous creatures of this island when it would be nearly dawn before she returned home.
Aella opened the portal to Veronna in seconds, though it helped that I’d permanently removed the wards against her on the ring near my great-aunt’s home to ease the power draw. Still, we’d only been on Jolloure for an hour and a half. She should have struggled harder, but instead, she continued to become faster. That was a good sign for my long-term plans.
After we stepped out of the ring on the other side, I guided Aella to the nearby copse of trees. “You’ve learned a few secrets tonight that I need you to keep.”
“Who would I tell without incriminating myself?” she asked, irritation in her gaze.
I backed her into a large tree, placing my hands on her hips. “True, but you could ruin everything if you told the wrong person.”
She stiffened, and anger flashed in her eyes. “I won’t tell anyone, but do we need to be this close?”
“Does it bother you after what we've already done?” I leaned closer to her. “It is only a kiss.”
Her breath caught. “What if I don’t want it?”
I brushed my lips along her jaw and then down her neck as she trembled. “Lie to yourself, but don’t lie to me. I’m not asking for your body right now, only your mouth, which you’ve freely given in more ways than one tonight.”
In fact, I would lie in bed tonight reliving the memory of her mouth on my cock. She’d been utterly entrancing. While I’d been with many women, none had brought me such a devastatingly complete release. I wondered what it would feel like to be inside her.
“Darrow, I don’t…”
I cut off her words with my lips. Her body relaxed in my hold, and she wrapped her arms around me. My only goal for now was to get her used to my touch. Each time we met, I’d work on her more, endearing her to me. It was the only way I could be certain of her cooperation and loyalty in the future.
Was it right to do such a thing to my wife when I couldn’t love her in return? Likely not, but our world's fate relied on Aella’s willing assistance and her discretion. I wouldn’t feel guilty for manipulating her when the alternative would be so much worse for us all, and it wasn’t as if I wouldn’t ensure her safety and well-being along the way. She mattered to me more than her abilities alone.
As I caressed her body, testing her resolve little by little, I was encouraged when she moaned at my touch. She could deny her attraction, but tonight proved I’d own her entirely before long.
Chapter 32
Aella
It was nearly three in the morning when I returned to Tradain, stepping through the portal onto the dark formation field. Darrow’s kisses had left my lips swollen, and his hands had made a mess of my hair. He seemed to have a newfound fascination with running his fingers through it. The ache between my legs throbbed, my body hating me for not giving in to him all the way.
What kind of game was my husband playing? Did he truly want more for our marriage, or was it something else? How was I supposed to resist him when the moment he touched me, I lost my senses and reasoning? The one thing I did know was I needed to find some control.
Darrow had so many secrets, and I was only beginning to realize how much. Meeting his mother tonight had been an enormous surprise. I’d desperately wanted to ask why she’d betrayed Darrow’s father all those years ago, but they’d revealed so much startling news during the short meeting that I didn’t have a chance. I needed time to make sense of everything they told me, so hopefully, I could prepare myself better the next time I saw Darrow.
“Where have you been, Aella?” My uncle's angry voice came from behind me.
I jumped and spun around, having been so lost in thought that I’d missed him and Ulmar standing behind the ring. They’d waited where they knew I wouldn’t see them right away. My mind skittered with possible excuses.
“I went to see a lover,” I replied, which was truthful enough not to come out as a lie.
He looked me up and down disdainfully. “Clearly, but I thought you had one here.”
“We ended things a couple of months ago,” I said, slowly maneuvering around the ring to face him and my cousin.
Every part of my body was strung taut. Something in the two men’s demeanor told me they were especially furious tonight, and I’d missed something important if they’d been looking for me. I’d been with Darrow, so I felt reasonably certain Veronna couldn’t have attacked.
Ulmar narrowed his gaze on me. “There are hundreds of available men here, yet you chose to find one that required a portal? At a time when you should be focusing on your betrothal?”
“Not to mention we needed her here tonight,” my uncle growled. He took a menacing step toward me. “We woke the entire village searching for you tonight while our troops waited for your assistance to transport them. Do you know how embarrassing it was when we failed to produce or locate you?”
My heart skipped a beat. Everyone in Tradain would know I’d snuck away, and the army would expect Lord Morgunn to punish me accordingly. They’d been unable to go forward with their campaign. The only reason they couldn’t was if he’d finally planned to retaliate against Veronna for destroying Petosty. Had Darrow’s spies figured that out? Was that why he’d chosen tonight to summon me? A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, none of them good.
The tension in the air was palpable. “I’m sorry, uncle. I didn’t know you needed me tonight.”
“You shouldn’t have left for any reason without consulting me first.” He moved closer like a dark cloud about to release its stormy wrath. “I am beginning to question your loyalty, Aella. The king denied your first betrothal, which I find suspicious. Our last raid on Veronna was a disaster, with them arriving too quickly and capturing you, forcing terrible concessions from me. Then, their forces led a masterful attack that destroyed one of the border villages. We had no word of it until hours after it was over. Now, tonight, you were nowhere to be found when we were ready to retaliate.”
