Page 42

Elsie

D awn breaks over the horizon, illuminating our room with the first light falling through the window. A soft pink sash runs over the purple glow of the remnants of night. A few stars are still sprinkled across the sky.

Turning on my side in our bed, I stretch out and yawn. Aruan is awake in an instant, staring at me with that beautiful silver gaze I love so much.

He brushes a hand up my naked hip. “You’re awake early.”

I burrow closer with a smile. “Zinnia will come bouncing in here before the sun is up.”

His lips curve seductively. “That gives us a few minutes.”

“Is that so?” I raise an eyebrow. “And what do you intend to do with that time?”

“This,” he says in a deep, low voice as he rolls me onto my back.

“You’re insatiable,” I murmur, but my belly heats and my skin breaks out in goosebumps from anticipation alone.

He moves down my body with soft kisses, and then he works his way up with gentle nips on my inner thighs.

I gasp when he spreads my legs wider and buries his head between them.

His mouth feels so good and his tongue even better.

I thread my fingers through the thick strands of his hair, holding on as he brings me to the edge without mercy.

Like an explosion. Fast and devastating.

I go over as he shifts up and enters me. He interweaves our fingers and lifts my arms above my head to press the backs of my hands to the bed. Our gazes remain locked as he rocks inside me with a lazy pace.

The pleasure builds again but not just in my core.

My heart swells with emotions I can’t contain.

My soul threatens to burst with happiness.

Our connection is perfect, our love complete.

It goes so much further than lust, although the desire never diminishes.

Sometimes, when I look into his eyes like this, I’m scared that it’s too perfect, that someone or something will rip it away and that I may lose it all.

But then I wrap my arms around his neck, like now, showing both of us I’m never letting go.

He kisses me with so much tenderness it makes me want to cry. As always, he knows what I’m thinking.

His promise feathers over my lips. “No one can take this from you, Elsie.”

Yes. Because it will always be a part of me, no matter what happens.

He seals his oath with another kiss. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“I know,” I whisper, moving my hips to his rhythm, allowing myself to fall into the warmth and protection of his strong arms just as I’m falling apart for him.

Again.

His lips curve against mine, the smile audible in his husky words. “I love you, Elsie.”

I give him the truth as I cling to him while aftershocks are the non-verbal proof of what he does to me. “I love you, Aruan.”

He comes with me, a physical reflection of our complete harmony. Of his love and devotion. Foreheads pressed together, we catch our breaths.

And not a minute too soon.

A little girl’s bubbly laughter sounds on the other side of the wall.

Aruan grins before kissing me one last time, a languid kiss that makes my toes curl.

He pulls away, always satisfying me while simultaneously leaving me craving just a little more.

The bed sheet dissolves and turns into a nightdress on my body and pants riding low on his hips.

God, I love it when he does that. It still turns me on.

He lifts the seal he put on our quarters and dissolves the wall.

Zinnia skips into the room, her strawberry-blond curls bouncing around her face.

I’m glad she got Aruan’s eyes. This way, she’s a bit of both of us.

And plenty of herself. Zinnia has a huge personality.

She even gives the older royals a run for their money.

She carries a toy dragon carved from wood in one hand, making it fly through the air. Our little girl has never taken to dolls. She prefers animals and dinosaurs.

She jumps onto the bed, flying the dragon low over Aruan’s head. A delighted shriek leaves her lips as he catches and tickles her.

“Got you,” he says, planting a kiss on her curls.

“My dragon got you first,” she says with a jut of her chin that dares him to defy her.

Of course he doesn’t. Aruan gives her everything she wants.

“As I should,” he says, in tune with my train of thought. “My daughter will always get everything she wants. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Careful. You’ll spoil her.”

“She’s a good kid.”

True. Which is the only reason I don’t interfere when Aruan gives her everything her little heart desires. Zinnia knows the difference between right and wrong. On values, Aruan and I agree. We’re strict when it comes to teaching her what matters.

“Can we go to the Sky Bridge, Daddy?” She sits up and bounces on her knees. “Please? I want to see the sun wake up.”

“Then you have to change out of your nightdress, princess.” He ruffles her curls. “How about breakfast at the lake?”

“A picnic?” she squeals. “Oh, yes! Can Betty come, Mommy? Please?”

I hug her and kiss her cheek. “Betty can come.”

“Yes!” She plants a sloppy kiss on my shoulder. “Thank you, Mommy.”

Her nanny and tutor, Prislia, sticks her head around the archway with a broad smile. “Sorry, Your Highnesses. I tried to catch her before she could wake you up.”

“I was awake anyway,” I say, managing not to sound too guilty.

Aruan arches an eyebrow. I can wake up like that every day .

I narrow my eyes playfully. You do .

He gives me a scorching look. Maybe I’ll wake you up tomorrow with my head between your thighs .

I scoff internally. You do that too .

I can do better . He grins. I can wake you up with my cock already buried inside you .

Heat pushes up my neck and down into my belly. I barely pull off a chastising frown. Not in front of Zinnia .

His answering wink melts my insides.

Oblivious to the nuances of the mood, Zinnia jumps off the bed and sprints through the archway, flying her dragon down the hallway.

“I’ll go help her get ready,” Prislia says.

“Are you sure?” I ask. “She’ll tire you before you’ve even had breakfast.”

“It’s no problem at all.” Prislia smiles. “We can play the alphabet game while she dresses. It’s a good opportunity to learn through play.”

“Thanks.” I tame my short hair by combing it through with my fingers. “She’s doing so well with her letters too.”

When Prislia is gone, I utter a happy laugh. “Zinnia really is a handful.”

Affection glows in Aruan’s eyes. “She takes after you.”

“Oh, I was never that busy.”

“Only because circumstances didn’t allow you to be.” As always, when he talks about my history on Earth, an unsettling darkness seeps into our bond. “I’m sure you would’ve tired your parents.”

I hardly think about those sickly days. I have so much to be grateful for right here, and I prefer to live in the present.

“It’s sweet of you to spend so much time with her.” My chest expands with a warm, fuzzy feeling. “I know you’re too busy for a picnic.”

The council is voting on new laws in a week, and Aruan has done a lot to advocate for those laws in political circles, not to mention all the diplomatic visits he’s made to the other kingdoms.

“You and Zinnia come first.” He pushes up onto one elbow. “The rest will happen when it happens.”

He’s so good with our baby girl, who, at six, is not such a baby anymore. We waited two years for Zinnia, which are twenty-four moon cycles in Zerran time. The only sadness that comes with that thought is that she’s never met my parents.

Since I was appointed as ambassador for all human and Earth-related matters, I’ve fought hard for contact between our worlds.

Yet the king and queen still believe bringing Earth technology to Zerra and vice versa isn’t what nature intended for the natural development of our planets, and they prefer to leave things as they are.

For that reason, I can’t bring my parents here, not even for a brief visit, and I won’t risk taking Zinnia through an interworld portal until she’s an adult. If a visit will ever be granted.

Maybe one day, when Aruan is king, things may change. The queen did, however, approve my application for books to be created and for children to learn to read and write. You never know. If, one day, our civilization goes the way of the ancients, at least we’ll leave records of our history behind.

Aruan and I go through our morning routine but skip the breakfast we habitually have with Zinnia in our quarters. Instead, Aruan requests a picnic basket. When we walk into Zinnia’s room next to ours, she’s dressed in her favorite pink dress and matching shoes.

She giggles when Aruan lifts her into the air. Her skirt billows out as he puts her on her feet.

“Ready, princess?”

She slips her small hand in his, staring up at him with an adoring smile. The picture of the two of them together makes me all teary-eyed and mushy inside.

A squadron of guards go ahead inconspicuously.

I understand why Aruan never takes any risks.

Zerra has only known peace since the nasty business with Tarix.

He’s long gone now. He escaped trial by changing himself into the king and overpowering the bewildered guard who delivered his meal in his cell.

He profited from the open archway to escape with the Phaelix we intercepted in the portal on our way back from Earth.

Karma must be a bitch, though, because Tarix only got as far as the lake before a dinosaur got to him.

He accidentally ran between a quetzalcoatlus and her nest, unknowingly cutting her off from her eggs.

The mangled bodies of Tarix and the Phaelix were found on the shore.

There’ve been no threats or unrest since.

Still, my mate is always careful. Zinnia has the same necklace as me to eliminate any possibility of poisoning.

Aruan sports a ring with the stone, one I gave him as a mating gift.

Pip pushes off a windowsill in the Great Hall and follows us onto the Sky Bridge.

We stop on the circular platform in the center to take in the sunrise, which is Zinnia’s favorite moment of the day.

Pip lands on the rail next to me, eyeing the basket in Aruan’s hands longingly.

Betty arrives with a swoop of her giant wings to welcome us.

I breathe in the fresh air, enjoying how it immediately invigorates me. I never grow tired of not being tired.

Zinnia grabs the rope and swings herself over the platform like a little monkey.

Aruan drops the basket, grabs her around the waist, and hoists her back to safety. “What did I say about swinging on the ropes?”

I stifle a laugh. “She definitely takes after you.”

He straightens the ribbon on her dress before letting her go. “I never told you about that.”

My smile is smug. “You didn’t have to.” I can feel the excitement of swinging over the sheer drop in his childhood memories.

Betty dives down and turns toward the lake.

“Can I fly, Daddy?”

Aruan’s voice is stern. “Not until you’re older.”

Zinnia’s power made itself known early. She used to levitate as a baby, which is why we had to keep the windows in her room closed. Sometimes, when she gets excited, she floats a few steps above the ground instead of walking.

Kian reckons she’ll be able to reach impressive heights when she’s an adult, maybe as high as dragons, which is the only reason I’m not freaking out when she swings herself over the platform.

I know she can hold herself in the air if necessary, and she’s doing it for longer periods with every passing day.

Aruan pulls me under his arm and takes Zinnia’s hand on the other side. Together, we watch the sky grow from pink to orange. The sun peeks over the sea, turning the black water into liquid gold.

Zinnia sucks in a breath. “That’s so pretty.”

“Yes,” I say. “It is.”

A few pterosaurs cut over the water in the distance, their silhouettes black against the clear blue sky. It does make a pretty picture, but nowhere near as beautiful as the powerful man holding the little girl’s small hand in his broad one as if she’s made of paper-thin glass.

I’ve come a long way since I first landed in the middle of a strange jungle with giant insects and scary humanoid lizards. I never thought the happiness surging through me was possible or that such utter content existed.

In the dusky hue of the growing morning, in that special place where day and night meet, a comet with a blazing pink tail tears through the sky.

Somewhere on Earth, another couple is standing together, watching as a new day begins.

Elsie and Aruan’s journey ends here. Thank you for following their epic love story!