When I wake, it’s still dark. The soft light of the fire casts flickering shadows across the ground before me. I’m cocooned by warmth. I shift slightly and something tightens around my waist.
I glance down beneath the blanket, and notice Caelen’s arm. With my back pressed against his front and his knees tucked up under mine, his powerful frame is coiled protectively around my own.
His breath is warm in my ear as he whispers, “You are awake.”
My heart hammers and my breath catches in my throat as my entire body hums in response to his. “Yes,” I barely manage. It occurs to me that I’m only in my underwear. My cheeks burn.
He shifts slightly, and a shiver runs through me; not one of cold, but one of pleasure. He disentangles his limbs and stands. I instinctively band an arm across my chest and pull the blanket over my shoulders.
He’s only partially dressed as well. The firelight accentuates his broad shoulders and the rippling muscles of his chest and abdomen as he retrieves my cloak from a nearby rock.
He holds it out to me, careful to avert his eyes from my nearly naked form. “It should be dry now.”
“Thank you.”
I cover myself with the cloak while he checks the rest of our clothes. “Everything else is still a bit wet, but it should be ready shortly,” he says.
I pull the cloak around my shoulders, both for warmth and to hide my nearly naked form.
Caelen returns to my side and sits down next to me. He’s not shivering, but the breeze is still rather cold. “Here.” I lift the end of my blanket and wrap it around his shoulder so it enfolds us both.
“I am fine. You need this more than I do.”
“I insist. It’s cold out here.”
A smirk twists his lips. “Perhaps for a fragile human, but for an Elf—”
“Before you continue, I think it’s best you not forget that this fragile human is your wife,” I tease.
His expression sobers. “How could I?” Something—an emotion—flashes behind his eyes as they search mine, but it’s gone too quickly for me to identify. He cups my chin and tips my face up to his.
His piercing gaze studies me a moment before he gently drops his forehead against mine. “You nearly drowned.”
“But, I didn’t.”
Clenching his jaw, he lowers his gaze.
I take his hand. “Caelen, what’s wrong?”
He shakes his head softly. “You are human… and I wish you were not.”
I jerk away, instantly offended. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Caelen, but I cannot change what I am.”
His eyes flick back up to mine. “You do not understand.”
“What don’t I understand?” I snap.
“Your human body… it is not nearly as strong as that of a High Elf, and—”
“Well, don’t worry, once our marriage is annulled, you can marry one of your own kind instead.”
“I do not want anyone else,” he fires back. “I could have lost you, Lyana. Your human body is fragile compared to my people and it terrifies me.”
“Why?”
“Because I cannot bear the thought of losing you.” The words leave his lips in a rush. “You could have died, Lyana.”
“But I didn’t.” I reach out and cup his cheek. “I’m still here, Caelen. You saved me.”
He closes his eyes, tilting his face into my hand as if relishing the touch of my skin upon his own. When he opens them again, his gaze holds mine, full of sadness and longing.
“Ashal’veh,” he whispers, and although I do not know what these words mean, I understand their meaning as his green eyes stare deep into mine, full of love and devotion. These are words that need no translation to be understood. They resonate deep in my soul.
He clasps the back of my head and seals his mouth over mine in a searing kiss, stealing the breath from my lungs. His fingers tangle in my hair, gripping the long strands and tipping my head back as his tongue strokes against my own, both demanding and giving all at once.
My heart beats wildly in my chest; I’m breathless and panting as he takes complete control of our kiss, devouring me with his lips and his tongue.
“Gods help me,” he breathes between kisses. “I love you.”
Happiness blooms in my chest as I smile against his lips. “You love me?”
“More than anything.” He pulls back just enough to cup my chin, brushing the soft pad of his thumb across my cheek as he studies me intently.
“Even though I’m human?” I ask, just to be sure.
His gaze travels over my face like a gentle caress as he takes my hand and entwines our fingers. “I want no one but you, my beautiful human wife.”
A beaming smile curves my mouth. “And I want no one but you, my handsome High Elf husband.”
My words unleash something inside him, and Caelen crushes his lips to mine in a branding kiss. He pulls me into his lap, my thighs straddling his hips. My cloak falls away. Only his soft knit pants and the soft silken scrap of material between my thighs separates us.
His hands move over my skin, possessive and claiming, as he pulls me close, molding my body to his.
I trace my fingers over the pointed tip of his left ear and he growls low in arousal. Without warning, he twists and lays me on the ground, pinning me beneath him.
A soft moan escapes me as he rolls his hips against mine and his hardened length presses insistently against my center.
Pleasure pools deep inside me as I run my hands down the defined muscles of his back, feeling the flex and give of his powerful form as he moves over me.
He rips his mouth from mine and kisses a heated trail along my jaw and down my neck to my breasts.
“Caelen,” I breathe as I arch up against him. I dig my nails into his muscular shoulders as his tongue traces over the gentle slope of one breast and closes his mouth over the sensitive peak.
He begins a gentle suction, sending ripples of pleasure straight down to my core.
Overwhelming sensations moves through me as he laves at my breast. I run my fingers through his hair as he turns his attention to the other one.
He lifts his head. His nostrils flare and his eyes meet mine, full of desire and hunger. “I can scent your need, my mate. I long to taste you on my tongue.”
Heat flares my cheeks at his bold words.
He dips his hand beneath the silken band of fabric at my hips and gently pulls it down and off my body. The tips of his fingers skim up my legs and slowly part my thighs, baring me to his gaze.
His green eyes stare deep into mine as he dips one finger between my already slick folds. A low moan escapes my lips when he reaches the small pearl of flesh at the top, and I arch into his hand.
He concentrates his attention on this sensitive bundle of nerves, studying my reactions to his touch.
My heart beats wildly in my chest. It’s too much and not enough all at once. My legs tremble as if my body cannot decide whether to pull him closer or push him away as pleasure builds deep within.
“Caelen, please,” I breathe, not even sure what I’m asking for.
He dips his head between my thighs, and I cry out as he replaces his finger with his tongue. A deep rumble emerges from his throat and the vibration moves straight through me. My entire body tenses, as pleasure coils tightly within. “Caelen,” I barely manage. “I’ve never felt anything like this.”
He lifts his head, his gaze full of fire and possession. He brushes his thumb over the softly hooded flesh, concentrating on the touches that make me arch into his hand.
Remembering how sensitive his ears are, I reach down and run my fingers over the pointed tips.
He growls and moves back up my body, capturing my mouth with his own as he continues to tease his fingers through my folds. “Elf ears are sensitive, Lyana. If you do not stop, I will be unable to resist claiming you,” he rasps.
“I’m already yours,” I whisper against his lips.
