“Inside me. I want you inside me.” She twists her body when I curl my fingers inside her and place my thumb on her clit.

“Not yet darling.” She cries out in frustration when I remove my hand.

Then her body bucks again when I replace my hand with my mouth. Her arousal is musk and honey to me, and I lick and tease her clit.

I slip a finger back inside her when she cries out with her first climax and I am just glad that our room is sound-proofed with my magic.

“Please.” I am so hard that I cannot quite think straight, but I only stop when her climax has subsided.

Precum is leaking from my cock, and I stroke it as I press gently against her entrance.

Harper lifts her legs to her chest instinctively and I practically growl when I see her, open and wet, waiting for me.

I thrust in slowly and she cries out again, but then goes still with one last gasp.

She arches her back as I thrust in and out of her, her inner walls convulsing around me.

I hold onto her legs gently and plow into her faster and faster, before reaching down with one hand.

I place a thumb on her clit, and angle my hips upwards, to meet her most sensitive spot.

When she reaches her next climax, her body twists away from mine, her back arching as her legs tremble.

I cannot wait any longer as she convulses around me, and the muscles in my lower body flex as I fight to keep control.

I only let go when her climax subsides, and I spill inside her.

We both finish, breathing heavily, erratically.

I lay down on the bed next to her, pulling her into my sweaty arms.

She only speaks when both our breathing has slowed down.

“I cannot believe that this is my forever.” She whispers the words. She looks at me fearfully.

“Don’t be afraid of it. The love will never end.”

31

HARPER

It feels weird to go places without Addie. I’m not used to it after years of raising her alone. In fact, when Demethys offered to watch her while I ran out to the shops, I almost said no.

But then he told her he’d take her on a picnic and they could pick flowers and play games and I couldn’t take that away from them. So, I decided to come to the city center to grab parchment and a few things from the market that we need. I also don’t like the idea of someone else doing my shopping.

I decide to start with the parchment. I’ve been teaching Adelaide to write, and Demethys has been so encouraging. He told me to buy a whole bundle of rolls so she can draw him new artwork for his office.

He’s really been such a great dad.

I push open the door to the shop, and it’s like going back in time. I remember when I came here, running from Demethys’ zagfer in fear of being sold, and Charmaine had been the one behind that counter.

That’s not the case now. There’s a new girl there I don’t know who gives me a bright smile as I go to the shelves where the rollsof parchment are. I’m not sure where Charmaine is, but I haven’t seen her in any shops in the past few weeks.

Not that I’ve been looking especially hard, but it would be nice to see her again. She was once the only friendly face I knew, and even though I have Layla and Kerym now, I’d love her to know that she truly did save me.

As I pull a few rolls from the shelf, I hear the shuffle of feet behind me. I tense automatically, fearing for what I’ll see when I turn, but then I hear a voice I hadn’t expected.

“Harper?”