Page 64 of Cherished By the Gargoyle
Gods, I shouldn’t have taken it. Inside, I know it’s wrong, yet I cannot deny the deep, primal instinct that drove me to claim something of hers. Something to keep her close even when we must remain apart.
Beside the pillow lies her nightshift, a delicate silk garment. Lying down on my nest, I lift it to my face, drawing her delicious scent deep into my lungs. Desire burns hot and urgent within, mingled with the sharp pain of loss and restraint.
I clench my jaw. I know I should return these items; taking them in secret is not worthy of her.
Aurora should be here in my arms. Everything inside me insists that she is mine. My fangs extend. I long to mark her and claim her as my mate so that every male, including the Fae prince, knows that she belongs to me. Just as I belong to her.
My stav throbs painfully, demanding attention. A low growl escapes my throat as I yield to the primal need coursing throughmy veins and reach down to grip my hard, aching length, Aurora’s scent filling my senses as I stroke myself firmly.
Closing my eyes, I recall that night in the forest when we were alone in our tent. The feel of her lush curves beneath my hands, her lips parted in surrender. Fierce possessiveness surges within as I stroke faster, imagining the heat of her beneath me, around me.
My knot swells thickly at the base of my shaft, pulsing with need and desperate for release.
Her name escapes my lips as pleasure surges, cresting sharply. My climax boils out of me, my hot release erupting in thick ropes onto my abdomen and chest.
Panting heavily, I stare up at the rock ceiling. Guilt twists in my gut. I shouldn’t have allowed myself this indulgence, this fantasy. It’s wrong. It’s a betrayal of the boundaries I’ve sworn to uphold to protect her.
Clenching my jaw, I quickly clean myself up.
I’ve just finished when a faint rustling sound outside the cave draws my attention.
I move swiftly to the cave entrance, and my heart stops as my gaze snaps upward and I see Aurora dangling recklessly from her balcony by a rope. Her silk gown ripples in the wind as she rappels precariously down from the balcony.
Gods above.
I launch myself upward into the night air, desperate to reach her before she falls. Wrapping my arms solidly around her form, I pull her close to my chest.
She’s going to be the death of me someday.
CHAPTER 42
AURORA
Thalric’s powerful arms close around me, pulling me roughly against his chest. His golden eyes are ablaze, his heartbeat pounding like thunder beneath my fingertips as he carries me into his cave.
I’ve missed being in his arms. Warmth floods my veins even as he scowls at me, a low, furious sound rumbling through his chest.
“Aurora, what in the seven hells were you thinking?” he demands, his voice rough with worry. He sets me down on my feet but his hands are around my waist, as though he fears I might vanish if he lets go.
“I wanted to see you.” I lift my chin primly. “You’ve seen my room, but I hadn’t seen yours yet.”
He narrows his eyes, growling under his breath. “You could have fallen. You could have—” He clenches his jaw. “You never think, Aurora. You’re reckless, stubborn, impulsive…” His voice trails off, frustration clear in the rigid set of his shoulders.
I bite back a smile, strangely warmed by his list of familiar complaints. Even angry, he cares deeply. Even furious, he is always protecting me. “Yet you’re glad I’m here.”
His scowl deepens a moment before he loses the battle to remain stern, and his expression softens. He releases a sigh of frustration. “You shouldn’t be.”
A smile tugs at my lips as I walk further into the cavern, taking in his new home. It’s cozy, filled with soft furs and thick blankets carefully arranged into a nest in the back corner.
A familiar flash of white catches my eye, and my lips part in shock when I realize it’s one of the pillows from my bed. Beside it is one of my silk nightshifts.
Heat floods my cheeks, and my heart pounds fiercely as I slowly turn toward him. His eyes are wide, and he’s frozen in place. “Thalric?”
“You—you shouldn’t be here,” he says gruffly, clearly deflecting. “If Ryllen found out—”
“Ryllen knows my heart belongs to another,” I interrupt. “He knows I’m in love with someone else.”
“But he doesn’t know it’s me.” Thalric steps closer, desperation flickering in his eyes. “If he discovers this, Aurora, he might keep us apart… even if nothing has truly happened.”
