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They didn’t make it to the cot on the far side of the tent. Wilder pulled her to the floor right there, kicking his pants off his ankles and bracing himself over her, covering her body with his. He felt more animal than man, the possessive urge to mark her, to claim her as his own rising to the surface as the uncertainty of tomorrow threatened to break the spell they’d cast over one another.

Thea’s impatient hand came between them to his base, guiding him to her entrance with a sharp intake of breath. ‘Wilder,’ she demanded.

With a single shift of his hips, he sheathed himself inside her, her head tipping back as he slid in deep. Her muscles clenched around him and his vision blurred. He gritted his teeth, trying to claw back some semblance of control, the intensity almost too much.

‘Yes…’ Thea’s fingernails dug into his back, her legs wrapping around him to pull him closer, deeper.

‘You’re my everything,’ he told her, relishing the glorious, torturous slide of their bodies together. She was made for him. Having her in his arms was beyond perfect. It felt right in every sense.

Wilder fucked her slowly, intimately, rocking into her and drawing out their pleasure until he had to clap his hand over her mouth to muffle her cries of ecstasy. With each rolling thrust of his hips, his cock found that sensitive spot deep inside her and he worked it hard, so that she was a panting mess.

‘That’s it, Thea…’

When she tightened around him, he slid his hand between their sweaty bodies and strummed her clit in rhythmic strokes. Thea bucked beneath him.

‘Wilder, fuck – I’m there, come with me,’ she gasped as her orgasm crested.

He followed her into oblivion, spilling his release inside her with a stifled moan.

And then he held her, all through the night.

Wilder left Thea sleeping in their tent to run dawn drills with his unit. There was plenty of grumbling, but they did as they were told, staring at his bruised and bloodied knuckles.

Let them see, he thought with satisfaction. Let them see what I’d unleash on them all for her.

Midmorning, Thea came to find him. ‘Esyllt’s here,’ she told him, already starting towards the command tent.

Thezmarr’s weapons master was indeed within, though that was where the good news ended.

‘Myself and my unit of shieldbearers discovered a unit of Artos’ men far closer than we anticipated,’ Esyllt said. ‘They’ll be here by tomorrow morning.’

‘You think they’re here to batter our frontline before the main attack?’ Kipp asked. ‘That those soldiers are disposable to Artos?’

Esyllt nodded. ‘I’d say so, yes.’

‘Then I have another suggestion. We keep the storm wielders off the field —’

‘What?’ both Thea and Anya snapped, taking similar stances as they braced themselves against the table.

Wilder almost pitied Kipp. But he threw up his hands in surrender. ‘Not off the battlefield, as such. Slice as many fucking wraiths in half as you like. But we keep your magic off the field, for now. We can be certain that Artos won’t play all his cards at once, and we should keep something up our sleeve, too…’

‘We can still fight?’ Thea asked, eyes narrowed.

‘Furies save me, yes. Just no lightning and thunder, except for Wren.’

The youngest Embervale stepped forward, brows knitted together. ‘Why me?’

‘I’ll need you to flood that spit of land I mentioned last night,’ Kipp told her. ‘Out of the three of you, from what I’ve seen, you’ve got the most control.’

‘Hey!’ Thea protested.

Kipp scoffed. ‘Please. Half the time your magic is as much a temper tantrum as it is a power.’

Wilder bit a knuckle to keep from laughing at that.

‘Should we talk numbers?’ Esyllt said, drawing them back to the maps and charts. ‘I’m afraid there’s no good news there either. I brought as many willing shieldbearers from Thezmarr as I could, but…’

Wilder’s heart sank. ‘We’re still outnumbered.’