Page 93 of Storm of Summer (Wild Haven 3)

“You really couldn’t hear all that mushy stuff?” Ezra cocks his head in disbelief, as he looks at Ruby.

“Maybe your magical power is supersonic hearing. You’d know if you ever bothered to let us test it,” Ruby says back at him.

She and Ezra are eyeing each other and I’m not sure if they’re going to start beating each other up, or furiously making out. I just don’t know if the looks they’re giving each other are filled with irritation or lust. Both, if I had to guess.

I am curious why Ezra hasn’t let us test his magic. I still have a feeling I know what his power is. Through the process of elimination, we know that Ruby and Ezra should share magic that is similar to the Autumn Court. I wonder if he knows and just hasn’t told anyone yet, or if he hasn’t figured it out yet. Maybe I should tell him. Or he could be keeping it a secret on purpose. Years of ingrained training tells me to mind my own business, so that’s what I’m going to do.

There’s a band set up on the far end of the street and music pumps through the air. It looks like most of the island has come out to the party tonight and many more who are just here for the weekend. People’s outfits are all over the place. Some are more casual, and others incredibly formal. Not everyone is sticking to the 80s theme as far as I can tell. Ruby showed me endless pictures of the fashion that, according to her, I’m not appreciating nearly enough. Regardless of what they’re wearing, the crowd is laughing, dancing, and enjoying themselves.

A dance floor has been set up in the middle of the cobbled street while tables litter the sidewalks farther away from the band. The song ends and one with a much slower tempo comes on. Rhys holds out his hand and grins at me.

“Care to dance?”

My heart does that swooping thing it regularly does around Rhys. I cringe up at him, realizing the one thing I’ve forgotten about in all of the prom planning. Flashes of the balls at the Summer manor and the intricate footwork required so you didn’t trip up your partner has my stomach buzzing with nerves.

“I probably should have mentioned earlier that I don’t know how to dance.”

Rhys grins at me, grabbing my hand when I don’t offer it up on my own. “Here’s the thing, none of us actually know how to dance. Well, maybe Archer, but he doesn’t count.” Rhys leads us into the middle of the crowd of swaying couples. Something quickly becomes clear; no one is doing any fancy steps.

Rhys swings me around and pulls me into his body. There’s absolutely no space between us. We’re pressed together from chest to hip. Rhys is still holding one of my hands. The other rests extremely low on my back, pressing me farther into him, as if that is even possible.

“You see, no fancy steps required.” Rhys leans down, his lips brushing against my ear as he speaks. “I know you already know how to move with me.”

I shiver, barely swallowing back a moan. Rhys has been inside me, but something about the way he’s holding me, the way our bodies sway back and forth in perfect rhythm, is incredibly seductive. My blood is pounding through my body and my skin feels extra sensitive from his touch. The smell of him, the spicy heat of summer rains, surrounds me until I’m nearly dizzy just from his presence.

“This was the last of the experiences we had on our list. How did we do? Do you feel like you’re still missing out on anything?”

I slide my hand under Rhys’s velvet jacket, wishing I was touching his skin instead of the shirt he’s wearing. Peering up at him, I hope he can see the emotion words don’t seem capable of capturing.

“When I jumped through the veil, I never could have imagined this is how things would go. I wished for a better life than the one I was living, but I couldn’t have guessed how happy I would be. Even if I thought of the best-case scenario, this would have seemed an impossibility. It’s been so much more than I could have imagined. Not only have I found myself with a close group of friends, but I have a sister, and…” I swallow, licking my suddenly dry lips. “And you. You have changed my life. More than I could ever explain.”

Rhys drops my hand so he can cup my face in his large hands. We’re standing still in a crowd of swaying bodies, but no one else matters.

“Growing up, I was taught that I didn’t deserve anything good in my life. I was pretty good at burying the damage and pretending that the things my father said and did to us didn’t mean shit. I convinced myself I was stronger than all the bullshit my father put me through, but it’s always lingering there in the back of my thoughts. A disease waiting to infect me if I give it enough space to grow. The first second our eyes met, something changed inside me. The more I got to know you, the more I’ve understood that I am worth a damn. Because you are meant to be mine and I’m meant to be yours. There’s no way the universe would allow someone unworthy to be your bonded.”

“Rhys.” I choke on his name, emotion closing up my throat and tears blurring my eyes.

“I think I fell in love with you the first time you told me you weren’t breakable. Knowing all the bullshit you’ve been through, I could still see that truth. Whatever those assholes did to you in Fairy, it didn’t break your spirit. It made me realize that I needed to stop pretending my past hasn’t forged me into the person I am.”

“I love that person,” I blurt out before I realize what I’m saying, but Rhys just grins down at me. He leans down, his lips dropping a gentle kiss beneath my ear as my heart hammers in my chest. Did I just tell him that I love him? It’s not exactly what I said. Except he hasn’t said anything back. This is horrifying.

“I love you, Zara Laurens. I love when you laugh and forget where you are because you’re enjoying yourself and let down your guard. I love how strong you are. How you’ve weathered so many storms but have come out the other side stronger because of it. You’re determined and fierce and not afraid to face down your demons.”

I sway into Rhys, feeling a little lightheaded at his declaration. Is this real?

“Most of all, I love you because you make me feel worthy, and that is the best gift anyone has ever given me.

I pull back and turn my head until my lips find Rhys’s. I kiss him with all of the things I want to say on my tongue, hoping he can feel how much I love him too. How much he’s helped me find my place here. I’m not as eloquent as him, but I break our kiss on a gasp so I can look him in the eye as I say what’s in my heart. I have to get it out before it explodes. “I love you. I love you, Rhys.”

With a growl, Rhys captures my mouth in another kiss. This one a claiming so fierce, I think part of my soul might leave my body and float into his.

Hoots and whistles around us are the only thing that could break us apart. All I can focus on is the violet storm in Rhys’s eyes. The whole world has filtered down to one tiny pinpoint of existence and that is Rhys.

“Come with me,” he rumbles low in his chest. I shiver as the sound sinks down into my stomach and heats me from the inside out. I nod and he leads us back through the crowd. His broad shoulders carve a path so that no one comes close to touching me. I spot our friends out of the corner of my eye, but I don’t give them a second glance. All I want is Rhys.

He has us back in front of Paul’s Tavern in the next few minutes and unlocks the door without comment. He closed the place down for the night so that he didn’t have to worry about finding anyone to work. Everyone wanted to go to prom.

As soon as we’re inside, the cool of the air-conditioned space hits me. There’s a decent breeze tonight, but it’s still a warm September night. Rhys locks the door behind us but doesn’t bother turning on the lights. His velvet jacket is off in the next second. I watch as he rolls up the sleeves and unbuttons the top two buttons of his shirt.

---