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Finally he withdrew from me, running his hands over my lower back. “Fuck,” he breathed. “Are you alright?”

I slowly stretched out my legs, and rolled on to my side. Rook lay down beside me, reaching out a hand to place it on my chest, over my thundering heartbeat. His eyes were full of concern.

“Of course I’m alright,” I replied.

“I didn’t hurt you?”

I laughed breathlessly. “No. Not at all.” I moved into his arms, nuzzling into his broad chest.

“I didn’t want to be too rough with you, despite you insisting I not be gentle.” He ran his fingertips up and down my spine, chuckling. “Such a greedy little Fae.”

“You weren’t rough, not at all.” I tipped my head up to look into his eyes. “It was perfect.Youwere perfect.”

He smiled widely. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” He kissed the tip of my nose, then sighed. “What have you done to me, Elara?”

“So, it was good for you too then?”

“If my response left any doubt in your mind then maybe I’ll need to do it again.” He laughed when my eyes widened a little. “Maybe not right away.” He kissed me deeply, his fingers laced in my hair. “I’ve been aching for you, for weeks now. Those dreams were torturous for me too.”

“I thought they made you want to kill me?”

He grinned. “AndIdistinctly remember you saying that you pitied the maid who knew my cock. Still feel the same way?”

I swatted him in the chest, and that pleasing, rumbling laugh rolled through his body.

“Those dreams drove me mad, little Fae. Mad with longing, for you.” He rolled onto his back, taking me with him so I lay on his chest. He pushed the hair out of my face, his hands cradling my head. “I think I love you, princess.”

I inhaled sharply. “Oh gods.”

“Sorry.” He kissed me quickly. “Probably not the time to say something with quite so much gravity.”

“It’s alright. This is all just…” I sighed. “It’s confusing.” I laid my head against his forehead.

“Not confusing at all, my love. You’re my -” He paused, frowning. “What do I call you? If you cannot abide the word Mate.”

“Bonded. I am your Bonded, and you are mine.”

“Your Bonded.” He said the words slowly. “I like that. Much better than Mate. We Night Demons don’t believe in all this, you know?”

“No?”

He shook his head. “We call it a violation of free will. Ironic, considering we still have arranged marriages.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You do?”

“Mmm. Even mine was-” He broke off quickly, and exhaled heavily as he tipped his head back on the pillow. “Never mind.”

I put my hands on his chest. “Your marriage? You were married?”

His eyes met mine. “I don’t want to talk about it now.”

“Where is your wife?”

He pulled me down to him, kissing me tenderly. “Not now, my love. That’s a story for another day.”

I wondered when would be a good day to discuss Rook’s wife. A feeling of dread crept up on me as I wondered where she could be, what had happened to her. Isambard had been destroyed, and I had no idea what had happened to Rook’s family. I didn’t want to ask him now. It was the wrong time.

“You’ll have to leave soon, won’t you?”