Love was a powerful force. It could not be bought. It could not be taken or stolen. Although sometimes it must be fought for, it must be given freely.
“And I love you. You were magnificent back there.” Thane’s voice was hoarse, but he still managed to smile.
Crying harder, Layala pressed her lips gently to his. “Tell me how to do the healing rune spell.”
He shook his head. “No. No, I would never let you do that for me.”
“Thane,” Layala chided. She knew the spell required her pain, but she could handle it. It was the least she could do after leaving him.
“These wounds will be closed in an hour at most,” Fennan said. “He will be fine.”
She’d seen him heal before, but it was still hard to believe, difficult to watch him suffer in the meantime. Looking over his body Layala found that many of the cuts were already healing. All the wounds had stopped bleeding and were scabbed. Some looked almost completely closed. She sighed and let tears flow in a steady stream down her face. “I’m sorry I left you. And you were right.”
“I hear a stream,” Piper said. “I’ll get some water for you, Thane.” She took off at a sprint.
Tif climbed down from Layala’s bag that had been slung over Fennan’s shoulder and stood at the crown of Thane’s head. “The sorceress said it was the mate bond that killed Novak, not Layala’s magic! Yay! Now you can get it on!”
Layala laughed. Of course Tif would break it to him right then in such a blunt way. “Tifapine,” she drawled.
Tif looked down and rubbed her face. “Sorry. I should have let you tell him, huh?”
Thane chuckled and searched Layala’s eyes. “Is that true?”
Grinning with so much happiness Layala nodded. “Yes. We can be together as mates should be. We won’t turn into pale ones. We don’t have to die.”
“I guess going to the sorceress wasn’t all bad.” He reached up, wiping tears off Layala’s cheek with his thumb.
“She owes the sorceress an undisclosed favor,” Fennan said, folding his arms. “Which was worth the information, but we don’t know what she’ll ask for.”
Thane slowly pushed himself upright, guided by Layala’s hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t come for you. I could have helped. I could have made that bargain for you. I shouldn’t have let you leave on your own, and then you had to come to my rescue.” He pushed his messy hair out of his face.
“Stop it.” Layala took his hands and kissed the tops of both. “I don’t want to hear any of that. I pushed you away. This was my mistake.”
Piper came with a canteen of water and both of her ripped-off sleeves soaked in water. Thane took them with a thank you and started by wiping his face. Tif offered a stale lemon cookie that she’d made over a week ago. He ate it in two bites.
Fennan still had his bow in hand. He stood doing a quick scan of the area. “We should get moving. The woodland elves might find us. Or the pale ones could be tracking us.”
Piper snorted. “Brunard’s soldiers will kill the pale ones, even if it’s a bloodbath, and after what Layala did to them, I don’t think they’ll send anyone any time soon.”
Still on her knees beside Thane, Layala glanced back. She thought she should feel some guilt for what she’d done. That it would hit her suddenly and she’d be a mess, but when she thought of the screams and her blade plunging and slashing and her magic tearing them apart, all she felt was… satisfaction. She knew she shouldn’t, but she did. Thane promised to destroy anyone who hurt her… she did the same for him.
“Thank you,” Thane said and shakily rose to his feet. “You are remarkable. You did what it would have taken an army to do.”
Layala slid her arm around his lower back and her hand rested against his chest to balance him. “Let’s get you onto Phantom until we find shelter.”
Fennan held out his clasped palms and helped lift Thane onto the horse. “There is an old-abandoned ruin halfway to the portal from here. It would at least provide some cover so you can rest. Fennan is right. We can’t stay here in the open no matter how much they may fear Layala.”
On the walk Thane told them how he came to be in Calladira and the story twisted Layala’s insides. He’d come here to ask his enemy to kill him. It made her sick to think if she hadn’t made it in time, he’d be dead as would she, over her false belief.
When they came upon the stone structure Thane had spoken of, Piper and Fennan went inside to scout it out. With a half-caved-in roof that maybe once had been made of straw and mud, and crumbling stone walls nestled against a small hillside, the only thing that might be in there were wild animals.
Thane slid down from Phantom and stretched his arms over his head. His wounds all healed and hadn’t left a single scar. Every inch of him was as perfect as it had ever been. She couldn’t help but touch the bare skin of his back that once had so many slashes. “How is this possible without magic? I know they say you can heal but why?”
He lifted a shoulder. “It runs on my mother’s side of the family. The natural ability to heal quickly is in my blood. It has long been said that her bloodline—Voness was descended from a god of the old world. The ones time forgot.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “But I thought they weren’t real? Just old stories.”
“You asked why I can heal quickly. I gave you the only answer I know.”
Piper emerged through the broken doorway first. “It’s clear.”
Fennan stepped out right after her. “There’s an old bed made of straw in there. A little dusty and certainly not for a king but you can get rest there. We’ll make for the portal in an hour.”
“We’re going to search for something to eat so you can regain your strength.”
Layala made her way to the entrance and stood in the doorway. The weeds had taken over most of the inside and the roof opened up into the sky and trees above. She glanced over her shoulder to see Piper scoop up Tif and put her on her shoulder then handed Thane her pack.
“We’re coming back, right?” Tif asked.
“Yes, but they need time to talk, alone.”
Thane gave Fennan a hug. Turning away, Layala stepped inside.
Sitting on the makeshift bed that at least had an old cotton blanket, Layala laid back and stared up at the sky. Thane’s footsteps made her heart beat faster. She sat up with a smile. His very presence made her happy. It took leaving him for her to realize how much she loved him.
He paused just inside the doorway. The light cascaded around him, making the edges of his form glow. “They said they’ll be back soon. I’m going to wash off in the stream.”
Layala nodded. Heart suddenly racing, she stood and with each step closer to him her breath shook. “I’ll come with you.” Blood still covered her hands from her warpath.
The stream ran merely a few yards from the ruins. It was only knee-deep and a leg’s length wide, but it was fresh water. Layala removed her boots and then dipped her hands in and scrubbed at her hands and arms. The water ran a light pink color until it washed clear downstream.
Thane waded into the water and sunk down until his body was submerged. Through the bond, his inner turmoil seeped into her. Anguish and fury from what he endured. He floated on his back, scratching his scalp. When he rose up water rolled over the hard muscles of his body. He was so beautiful and good and a pulse low in her gut throbbed. She stared without pause, without embarrassment.
She wanted to ask him to make love to her right then. To give them what they both craved but how could she ask that when they’d just saved him from being tortured? He wrung out his dark hair and came out of the stream with his pants clinging to his powerful thighs.
Silently, she stood and placed her hand on his chest. She couldn’t find the words for what she wanted, couldn’t make them form but they only had tonight. “I know I said I was sorry but, I need you to know I truly am,” she began. “You were tortured because I left you.” Tears blurred her eyes. “And I feel horrible.”
“Please don’t blame yourself. I chose to come here. Brunard will get what is coming to him.”
“What can I do to make you feel better? I can sense your unease.”
His mouth twisted into a smile. He dropped to his knees and kissed the tops of her knuckles on both hands. “Marry me, Laya. Marry me and be my true mate. I will worship you in every imaginable way.”
She swallowed hard. Maker above, he actually got down on his knees after teasing her about it. She knelt before him, taking his face into her hands and softly kissed his lips. “I would love to marry you.”
“I have something.” He got up and dug in Piper’s bag and pulled out a small wooden box. After he removed the lid, he reached in and pulled out a ring. “I gave it to Piper to keep safe. I figured since she was a female, she would be the only one who wouldn’t lose it.”
With her hand against her mouth Layala laughed. It was so true. He took her left hand and slid it onto her finger. Layala inspected it for a moment. It shined and sparkled in the sunlight. It had a silver band in swirls and leaves leading up to a light purple stone surrounded by tiny diamonds in the shape of a lily. He must have had it made specifically for her. It would have to have been after he saw her magic to get this kind of detail. “It’s beautiful. I love it.”
Her gaze lifted to his face. He stared down at her face, unreadable. Overwhelming need and want consumed them. Layala pushed her trembling hands up his chest and slid them around his neck. His heart beat louder than ever before. With aggravating slowness, he leaned down and finally pressed his lips against hers, gentle at first, growing in urgency. He lifted her, and she wrapped her thighs around his waist. The desire burning for him soared when his fingers pressed into her back. They kissed and tugged at each other making their way to the shelter ruin. Thane stumbled through the doorway, almost dropping them both to the ground. He caught himself with one hand on the wall and held her with the other. They both laughed against each other’s mouths when the fragile wall caved, and a new hole opened up.
He set her on the straw bed, and she dragged him down on top of her, kissing him with fervor and a need that pulsed low within her. She caressed the hard muscles of soft skin, worshiped the taut planes of his shoulders and chest with her lips. Her tongue slid along the line between his abdominal muscles, and he shivered.
“Laya,” he groaned with need, grabbing the bottom of her tunic. Thane tugged it over her head. He pressed his lips between her breasts like she’d once dreamed he would. She gasped at the sensual touch; his feline smile grew wider. They kissed and caressed and explored. It seemed to surprise and delight him with every sound she made when his lips touched a different part of her: the back of her neck, below her navel. When his lips touched the inside of her thigh, she gripped the shabby blanket to keep herself from trembling.
“You know I’ve never done this,” he murmured. “But Fennan gave me a book with some—details. It was interesting.”
Layala giggled. “You’re doing very well.” Then she sat up and shoved him down. “It’s my turn.” Her lips trailed down his chest. He moaned and flinched and trembled the further down she drew. She tugged on his pants, laughing as they stuck, until she finally jerked them off and he lay there bare. She bit her lower lip at the sight of male parts she’d threatened to cut off more than once. There was no doubt he desired her.
Thane took hold of her wrist and kissed her mate rune. “You are my queen.”
Layala stood on the bed and slowly pushed her underwear off. Then she slid out of her bralette, standing fully nude in front of him. “And you are my king, whom I will protect and love until the end of time.”
Thane visibly swallowed hard, taking her in. He never looked more enticing than he did in this vulnerable state. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It is an honor to be your mate.”
She dropped to her knees and climbed on top of him, and they became one. He moaned deeply as they rocked together. Thane was both gentle and vigorous, and their bodies melded and moved until she pulsed with euphoria.
When they finished, sweaty and with heavy breath, they laid in each other’s arms, faces inches apart, waiting in heart-pounding silence. Thane’s mouth curled into a grin, and they started all over again.
