Page 144 of A Fate of Blood and Magic
He huffed. “I understand, Your Majesty, but they are unavailable.”
“Then take the trespassers to the same holding cell where the other prisoners are kept until either our commander or our patrol chief can see to them.” My tone was far harsher than it needed to be, but I was trying to delegate. I was trying to be a better leader by permitting those I trusted with roles I knew they’d excel at. I was trying to find time between all my responsibilities to spend time with my mate. I was trying, so desperately trying, to stop the reeling of my mind that played my every mistake on a loop.
I hated not having Teddy’s mind-speak magic or my ability to bend space. If we had either, we could get in contactwith Donnie and have him figure it out. Somehow, the scholars had to figure out how to get the technology from the human realm working here so that these barriers in our communication didn’t continue to exist.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but this is a matter you need to tend to,” Pietro said.
When I growled, Teddy twined her fingers through mine and kissed my shoulder.
“I’ll see if Bon or Alastor can watch the kids tonight so we can finish . . .” She gazed up at me, her blue eyes holding the most enchanting glimmer of mischief.
I grinned like the fool I was. “I’ll be out in a few beats,” I told Pietro.
“We’ll be out in a few beats,” Teddy said with a raised brow.
“You’re coming with us?” I asked.
Her gaze held mine. “Yes.”
I didn’t bother arguing, not after I’d already promised to share my burdens and responsibilities with her. It would be a quick trip where she could see the realm she missed, if only for a short while.
“We’ll be out in a few beats,” I amended, not moving my attention from Teddy.
“Your Highness?—”
“Unless you’re suggesting we go without socks or boots?” I asked.
The way Teddy snickered made my heart race with anticipation for tonight. When I closed the door in Pietro’s face, I palmed her ass again. I loved the way she yelped probably as much as she enjoyed eliciting that same reaction from me when she poked my sides.
While Teddy hurried to the girls’ room to speak to Bon, Ireplaced my clothes with my fighting leathers and grabbed two daggers that I kept hidden by our bed. From the door of our bedroom, I felt Teddy’s idle gaze travel over my body. She licked her lips, and I ushered her out of the room.
“Stop looking at me like that,” I warned.
“Stop looking like that.” She pointed at my tall frame.
I slipped one of my daggers into an ankle holster I placed around Teddy’s ankle before I did the same with mine. Without warning, I caged her in my arms, and when our lips met, I couldn’t help the way I rubbed my cock against her stomach.
“How exactly do I look?” I asked, dropping my head to her forehead while I rubbed myself against her again. I drank in the delicious moan that I drew from her parted lips, but then she palmed me, and I had a hard time thinking straight.
“Looking for compliments?” she asked through heavy pants. “You look powerful,” she murmured, stealing my lips for a chaste kiss as she rubbed my cock through my pants. “Like a sexy god who could either strip me of my soul or save it.”
“Your soul belongs to me,” I reminded her.
“I love you,” she said.
Those three words were more than a simple statement. They were a promise of our future.
“I love you too.”
We both stared past our bedroom door when Pietro knocked on our front door again.
“Replace him with a different messenger,” Teddy said, her mouth turned into a deep frown.
I kissed the side of her lips. “Shall I demote him for doing his job?”
I captured her hand, and after I adjusted my pants, wemade our way to the front door, where Pietro waited for us. Although I hated relying on someone else’s magic to bend space for us, I gripped his forearm while Teddy held his shoulder. When I nodded, he took us to Somnio, where I’d first created a tear in front of the tavern. It was already alive with activity despite it not even being close to midday.
I walked through the tear with Teddy, bracing myself for the cold that awaited us in the human realm. Teddy huddled behind the thin, long-sleeved shirt she wore that draped over one arm, exposing her left shoulder to the cold environment. I should’ve urged her to wear something thicker but hoped this wouldn’t take long. As my feet sank into the fluffy snow in the human realm, something, a net of sorts, landed over Teddy and me, entrapping us in its hold. I hissed at the way the net burned any part of my skin that wasn’t covered by my fighting uniform. I snarled at the scent of iron that engulfed me. The iron seemed to leach into every fiber of my exposed flesh. Although I no longer had magic, the iron net made my energy wane all the same.
