Page 19 of Fire & Ice

Beau

I could feel the worry rolling off Tempest in waves, and it was driving me mad. Stopping in the halls, I pulled her into my chest.

"Tempest, what's wrong?" I asked, looking deeply into her eyes.

"I'm just...worried, Beau," she admitted, biting her lip nervously. "What if the ritual doesn't work? What if our gifts aren't compatible?"

I let out a sigh, knowing that her fears weren't completely unfounded. "It will work, Tempest," I said firmly, cupping her face in my hands. "We were meant to be together, and that means our gifts will merge perfectly."

Her eyes widened at my words, and she looked up at me with a mixture of love and awe. "You really believe that, don't you?" she whispered.

"Yes," I replied confidently. "I believe in us, Tempest. I believe in our bond, and I believe in our gifts."

She smiled at me, her eyes softening. "Thank you, Beau," she said softly, leaning into me. "I needed to hear that."

Wrapping my arms around her, I leaned down to kiss her curls which had become more fire than sable as she worried and laughed to myself as the flames settled back to just dancing around the ends of her hair. "Plus, it's not as bad as you think," I said soothingly. "The merging ritual will link us together and allow us both to feel each other's gifts without the normal urge to be intimate. My parents will guide us through it."

Tempest let out a sigh of relief, the tension in her shoulders easing as she leaned into me. "That's good to know," she murmured, her fingers tracing circles on my chest. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I saw the worry leave her eyes. She leaned up and kissed me, her lips soft against mine. "I just want everything to be perfect, you know?"

"I know," I replied, my own fingers tangling in her hair, the flames warming my cool hands. "But you don't have to worry about it. Everything will be perfect, because we'll be together."

She smiled up at me, the fire in her eyes making my heart skip a beat. "I love you, Beau," she whispered.

"I love you too, Tempest," I said, leaning down to capture her lips in a soft kiss. The flames in her hair flickered to life once more, but this time I didn't mind as desire was the driving force. I ran my hands down her back and cupped her plump behind, kissing her deeper as our bodies melded together.

It was only the sound of someone clearing their throat that broke us apart. My guard, Marcus was standing there, a smirk on his face and a raised eyebrow. "Sorry to interrupt, your highnesses," he said, "but dinner is almost ready. You might want to get changed and ready to go."

I glared at him, not appreciating the interruption, but Tempest just laughed. I couldn't help but roll my eyes, but I reluctantly pulled away from Tempest, my hand still holding hers tightly.

"Thank you, Marcus," I said, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "We'll be there shortly."

As Marcus walked away, I turned back to Tempest, a smirk on my face. "Well, it looks like we'll have to continue this later," I said, waggling my eyebrows suggestively.

Tempest let out a laugh, the tension from earlier finally dissipating. "You're insatiable," she teased, swatting my arm playfully. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

I took her hand and began to lead her towards our chambers. "Come on," I said, "let's get ready for dinner. And don't worry about the ritual, Tempest. I'll be there every step of the way, and I won't let anything go wrong."

Chapter 21

Tempest

I stepped into the room ahead of Beau, my eyes widening at what I saw. The chamber was in its normal exquisite form—curtains draping everywhere and candles burning brightly—but there was something new. Flowers and vines had taken over the room twirling round the walls in a seductive dance. But what caught my attention were two things: a woman lying across my mate’s bed, and it was none other than Sara, the friend I had been worried about for days.

My heart stopped as I stared at Sara in shock. "Sara?"

“Mary! Stop this nonsense at once!” Beau growled, his voice vibrating through the air. His eyes grew colder than the frost that was forming over the flowers and vines in our bedroom, causing them to wither away beneath his gift of ice.

Confusion flooded my mind...Mary? Beau's voice jarred me back into reality and realization hit me and I snapped out, “Mary? That’s her middle name.”

Suddenly Sara leapt to her feet, startling us both, and pulled the blanket around her nude body. She stepped toward me, her gaze locking with mine before they moved to caress over my mate.

My heart raced in my chest, a million questions flooding my mind at once. Anger, hurt, betrayal, confusion, and jealousy mixed to cloud my judgment.

"Sara," I said cautiously, my voice barely containing the emotion that was bubbling beneath the surface. "What are you doing here?"

Her lips curved into a smile as she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

I stepped away, my heart thundering in my chest. I couldn't believe what was happening before me. Beau had been with me all day and he hadn't said a word about this.

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