Page 18

Thea hadn’t let herself feel it at the tower, but now, the terror she’d held at bay came bubbling over. They had hurt him. One ruined building was not nearly payment enough for that crime.

She traced the rippling planes of his abdomen, his sculpted chest and his broad, round shoulders, wanting to memorise every inch of him, careful of any wounds he might have suffered. But Wilder leant into her caress with a ferocity that told her he wanted to feel every inch of contact between them, no matter the pain. His fingers mapped her in the same way. As she writhed beneath him, her blood coursed with lightning and longing entwined, and the urgency to feel him inside her amplified almost unbearably.

‘I love you,’ she whispered against his lips. ‘Gods, I love you.’ Her hands moved to his hair, grabbing it by the roots, holding him in place against her, where he belonged. And then Wilder’s mouth was on hers again, heated and desperate, as though he meant to devour her over and over, a man starved. He squeezed her breasts roughly, her nipples hardening, and she arched into his touch, demanding more.

Even with leather and fabric between them, when he ground his cock against her, she felt how hard he was. He angled himself right where she wanted him and she cried out, drawing him close. She needed him, needed to feel him inside her. Together, they could overcome anything. Together, they were strongest —

But when she reached for his buttons, she saw his expression turn distant.

‘Wilder?’ she said, sitting up. ‘What is it?’

He broke away, panting. His silver eyes were molten with lust, his need just as potent as hers, evident in the massive bulge in his pants. But there was something…

‘You can tell me anything,’ she told him, bringing his hand to rest against the drumming of her heart.

He didn’t pull away, but gazed upon her as though he couldn’t quite believe she was there.

‘Wilder?’

His hand covered hers, and he stared at their scarred and dirt-lined fingers. ‘I told myself I didn’t care if this was real or not. That if I woke up in that rotten cell again, at least I’d have had this with you, for a moment…’

Thea felt the wind knocked out of her, her heart fracturing for him. ‘It’s real,’ she whispered. ‘I’m real. You’re here with me. You’re safe. This is real.’

Wilder’s powerful shoulders caved inward and he gave a sad smile. ‘It seemed real enough then, too.’

Tears burned, but Thea refused to let them fall, not now. Now, she had to be strong for him.

She got down from the table and led him to a chair, gently pushing him onto the cushioned seat and kneeling before him. There, she took his chin between her fingers and forced his silver gaze to hers, as he had done with her so many times before. ‘You and I? We’re forever. We have been since I spied on you atop the cliffs at Thezmarr, since you shot that arrow at me in the Bloodwoods, and every moment since. We will find a way through this,’ she vowed. ‘Together.’

A hint of that dimple she loved followed. ‘I have no doubt, Princess.’

Ignoring the ache in her chest, Thea pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth. ‘Still not a princess,’ she said.

He shifted, his discomfort suddenly obvious. ‘There’s a well out back,’ he told her, getting to his feet. ‘I’m going to clean up as best I can.’

‘Do you need help?’ She didn’t want to push him, but he’d been through a lot. She could see the bruises across his body as he moved, could see the uncertainty in his silver gaze.

‘I’ve got it covered,’ he replied gently.

Thea nodded. Her Warsword needed a moment to himself, to sort through the mess in his head. She let understanding soften her features. ‘I’ll be here,’ she said.

A short time later, Wilder returned to her, his skin damp, some parts red where he’d clearly scrubbed hard at himself. He all but collapsed back into the chair, but he seemed calmer, more grounded.

‘Now, let me look at you,’ Thea said, feeling protective.

Wilder raised a brow and leant back, giving her a full view of his battered but sculpted torso. ‘Who am I to deny you?’

Thea nodded to an open wound at his side. ‘You might feel differently once I start stitching you up.’

‘Good thing I taught you well.’

Thea forced a smile. ‘Good thing Talemir left the liquor.’

Conflict warred across Wilder’s face at the mention of his former mentor, but she didn’t press. Instead, she went to the counter and picked up the medical kit Talemir had placed on the bar beside the bottle of fire extract.

When she returned to Wilder, he was frowning at the offending wound in the candlelight. It was a long gash along his ribs on his left side, streams of blood trailing from its ragged edges. ‘Another scar to impress the ladies with,’ he said roughly.

Thea scoffed. ‘Ladies? Plural?’