Page 132 of Daughter of the Serpent

Sylvie’s chest tightened as she looked up to meet his gaze, the question clear but unspoken in his eyes:What are you so afraid of?

In answer, she finally moved.

She let go. Gave herself to the music. To the moment.

To him.

She moved - hesitant at first, unsure, but as the drums pounded, deep and primal, something within her gave way.

The rhythm wrapped around her, seeped into her skin, into her bones. The glen pulsed with life, the very air thrumming with an energy that curled around her like unseen hands, beckoning.

She closed her eyes, surrendering to the pull. Her breath deepened, her awareness sinking into her body - the heat in her blood, the ache, the ravenous hunger to be free. Her hips swayed, slow at first, then bolder, matching the steady, insistent beat. Her hands found her own skin, gliding, tracing, learning. Fingers skimmed over the dip of her waist, the swell of her hips, mapping herself in ways she never had before.

When her eyes finally found their way back to his face, he changed. His gaze darkened - drinking her in like a man starved. All formerplayfulness had vanished, replaced by something primal, heated. As if he were devouring every bend, every curve of her body with his eyes.

Heat shot through her at such an awareness, and it surged alive and wild between them.

Was it possible he wanted her, the way she wanted him?

Thoughts swirled in her mind, whispering that she should stop, that she shouldn’t be so brazen. But the music, her heartbeat, the intensity of his gaze drowned them out until they no longer exist.

There was only the drums. His eyes. The unfurling passion.

Maybe it was the magic of the glen. Maybe the influence of the wine. Or maybe it was just his presence. But under his gaze, she felt fire sputter and ignite.

It took only moments before his hands found her again - the familiar pull, like an unseen force bringing them back together, drawing her closer, drawing her back to his embrace. His fingers twined in her hair, threading through its strands, sending golden berries and shimmering stones tumbling to the forest floor, scattering like fallen stars. They moved to the beat as one, their bodies entwining closer as they danced, the music thriving, swaying, pulsing. A sigh dripped from her lips as he caressed her, smoothing along her curves, his rough hands gripping into her softness.

How long she had wondered what it felt like to be touched, held,desired.

She wanted more.

Muchmore.

She stilled as the backs of his fingers grazed her cheek, and longing thundered through her traitorous heart - to feel his lips, to taste his kiss. His mouth hovered dangerously close - one breath, one flicker of courage, and she could close the distance, claim his lips as her own.

A low, haunting howl pierced the stillness. Movement flickered at the edge of her vision. Axel turned sharply, his playful expression vanishing in an instant. His hand dropped instinctively to the hilt ofhis axe, muscles coiling with tension. Behind him, silver moonlight merged into shimmering tendrils of energy, swirling. The light bent and twisted, casting wild, amalgamated shadows across the glade. Sylvie’s breath caught as her fingers flew to the dagger strapped to her thigh, her pulse hammering in her ears. But as soon as her fingers gripped the weapon, Axel’s tension melted, and he turned back to her with a crooked grin that stole her breath. The golden light in his eyes shimmered, soft, and rich with mirth.

"The gods bless us tonight," he murmured.

Sylvie’s gaze drifted back to the swirling light, her pulse still pounding in her ears. The shadows morphed and expanded, blooming into ghostly shapes that grew bolder with every passing second. Another howl shattered the night, wilder this time, and from the glowing depths birthed forms - animals of pure light.

A wolf, its silver fur rippling like water, prowled through the trees, its yellow eyes glowing fierce. A lynx, grey and dappled, moving along the water's edge like a soundless whisper, melding in and out of shadow. A bear, reared on its hind legs - pure white and shimmering fixed its gaze in their direction.

The air hummed with latent energy, causing her heart to race. Around them, the spirits danced, their forms shifting and merging with the night.

Axel’s arm snaked around her waist again, pulling her closer. “The nature spirits join us.” he whispered against her ear, his breath brushing her skin.

As the spirits circled them, their glowing forms were a blur of movement and light, and she couldn’t contain her awe.

“They’ve never revealed themselves so openly.” She said, astonished.

His chest rose and fell beneath her hands, as a light chuckle curled unbidden from his lips.

His eyes searched hers, filled with a certain knowing.

“One can always see them when one knows how to look.” His finger traced the small space betweenher eyes. “See.”

His gaze poured into hers, and for a moment she stood taking him in, absorbing his words, their meaning.