Page 31 of Crave Me

This experience was a bit more lavish than my previous ones. Primarily because we were on a jet powered by magic instead of fuel.

Fascinating.

I admired the sky as it shifted from lukewarm light to pitch-black darkness, my soul rejoicing at the renewed connection to the moon. It didn’t matter what realm I ventured to; the orbiting satellite always refueled my energy and called upon my spirit to create.

Stardust tickled my palm, my skin humming with revitalized energy and strength.

I inhaled deeply, reveling in the sensations, and smiled at the glittering gems on the horizon.

Flying certainly had its perks, and the view was one of them.

Vesperus and Kaspian didn’t seem to agree, though. They were seated near the front of the luxurious space, their heads close together as they conversed in low tones.

“Are you sure about this?” Kaspian asked, his question drifting easily to my ears as I shamelessly eavesdropped. Just like I’d done in the restaurant. “The bond could be clouding your judgment.”

“I’m aware.” Vesperus sounded tired. “Her powers also might make her impossible to read, but I haven’t sensed any lies on her, Kas. Not even an inkling of untruth.”

Because I’ve told you the truth,I thought at him.What do I gain by lying?

“So you’re going to keep her until you decide otherwise,” Kaspian translated.

“I’m granting her clemency until she gives me a reason to do otherwise,” Vesperus corrected, his statement appealing to me far more than Kaspian’s word choice ofkeep.

No one couldkeepme. I was a goddess. I would simply vanish if one tried to imprison me.

“She could prove to be a powerful ally for Gold and Garnet,” Vesperus continued. “She could make a powerful queen, too.”

I blinked.Queen?

“It would be her role as my fated mate,” he went on. “And together we would be two of the strongest monarchs in the world.”

“Odin and Lady Gabriella may have a few things to say about that,” Kaspian said dryly.

“Their loss is our gain,” Vesperus replied.

But I was still thinking about his term—fated mate. What did he mean I was hisfated mate? Goddesses didn’t have fated mates. We had consorts. Lovers. The occasional hookup with a fellow god for procreation purposes.

Not that I’d ever done the latter.

I hadn’t found the right partner yet. I also hadn’t decided what reality I wanted to settle in to raise a youngling, or if I even wanted a youngling.

“What happens if she doesn’t want to be our Queen of Gold and Garnet?” Kaspian asked, piquing my interest again.

“If she doesn’t want to be our queen, then we’ll reject the magic tying us together and move on,” Vesperus replied, making me frown.

Reject the magic?

What mag—

I blinked, my palm going to my chest.This magic? The pulsing in my heart? Is that what it is, a fated-mate bond?

“That requires you to keep your hands to yourself, then,” Kaspian mused. “Otherwise, fate won’t give you a choice.”

“That’s only if I fuck her.” Vesperus’s English accent seemed to caress that term—fuck—making my pulse heat in expectation.

Fuck. Yes, I would like that, please.

Except his words had implied hesitation, causing me to repeat each of their statements in sequence, my focus on the meaning rather than the potential action.