Page 117 of The Shadow Fae Rhapsody
My heart makes a home in my throat but I swallow it.
He found out?
I force my eyes open slowly.
I find Svenn staring at me, his eyes ablaze with some dark emotion. It scares me enough to peel myself from him.
I inhale a deep, calming breath as I look at him. His face holds an impassive expression I can’t quite read. After a suspended moment, I realize I’ve been silent for far too long. “When did you find out?”
“The night you were attacked by the sewer rats,” he answers easily.
From the very beginning then. I curse my brain for being stupid.
I slide off the bed from embarrassment and carry myself to the table. My trembling hand fumbles for the wine bottle beside my battle pieces.
Svenn’s hand snatches my wrist in a firm grip before I can pour myself a cup. “I can get you something better. Wait for me.”
I smile at the offer. I love it when he dotes on me.
“Wait, don’t go.” I push him against the table. He perches on it and I almost reach his height. I narrow my eyes at him. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Why didn’t you?” he counters. “I did plenty of things that would deserve a slap or two.”
More like ten or twenty slaps. I remain silent for a beat too long. Svenn keeps staring at me, his eyes demanding the truth.
“I like being hugged by you.”
I mentally punch myself the moment I say it. Svenn is an immortal vampire. I’ve had glimpses of the things he did in the bedroom, outside of it with other women in his past existence. Most of the scenes are wild and unhinged.
And here I am asking for a cuddle.
“Your bond is telling you things again?” he says with understanding eyes.
“No. The bond is content.” I shake my head. “I just want you.”
I bury my head in my hands. My stupid heart always picks the wrong timing. But I suddenly find myself enveloped in his arms.
“In case it still isn’t obvious to you, I want you too,” he whispers to my ear and to my soul. The words have me feeling weak in the knees.
I lift my head to look at him. “Say it again.”
He cups my face with one hand, his eyes intense on my face. “Remember this well, wife. I want you.”
I think I might cry.
“I like that,” I say, nuzzling my head to his chest. “I like it when you call me wife.”
He laughs at that, the deep sound reverberating through his chest. “I want you, Nel. It’s not because of some bond. If it were up to that thing, I would have fucked you on this table right now. It’s all it ever wants to do.”
I bite my lip to stifle down my giggle. I lean my head into him, breathing in his familiar scent.
“Make no mistake, though, I do want to fuck you,” he whispers against my ear.
My laughter breaks free.
Blaire said the worshippers of Astraea and Arawynn have to learn sixty-six chapters on the art of seduction. I don’t want him to think less of me because I’m inexperienced, but I don’t want to deceive him either.
Since lying to ‘Dream Svenn’ didn’t work out so great for me, I’ve decided on complete honesty this time. “You should know I’m not very skilled in bed like the Maidens of Arawynn.”
