Page 37 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

I rushed forward, finding my wife sleeping tangled in her lover’s arms. Soft moonlight glinted on her creamy skin. I couldn’t help admiring her full breasts, the curves of her hips, or her beautiful, long legs. She was absolutely stunning and perfect for me—except that another man held her.

An unfamiliar feeling of jealous rage swept over me.

Though I knew very well I’d encouraged this, seeing it up close sent me into an angry spiral.

Camden had clearly enjoyed Aella all night long while I wore myself out reaching this place to see her.

She likely hadn’t thought of me once while she allowed a man who wasn’t her husband inside her again and again.

He’d had liberties with her I’d never had, even though we were married.

I forced myself to take a deep breath and calm myself.

This was neither the time nor the place to pick a fight with someone who had no idea his lover was married to another.

Still, it was all I could do to resist the urge to snap his neck.

I had enough power at the moment to do it easily and still teleport a healthy distance away.

“Aella,” I said from where I stood ten feet from her.

She moaned but didn’t respond, nuzzling her face into Camden’s bare chest .

I clenched my fists. “Aella!”

She jerked her head up to look in my direction, eyes widening when she saw me standing close and staring at her. I almost felt amusement as she jerked out of her lover’s arms and pulled her knees to her chest. Now, she wanted to be shy?

Likely, everyone nearby had seen her nude, and she had to realize I’d looked my fill before waking her. No one out here tonight expected any sense of privacy, so even if we weren’t married, I’d done nothing wrong by appreciating her body. She’d chosen to expose herself.

“What…what are you doing here?” she asked in a shaky voice.

I didn’t hide the cold possessiveness in my voice. “Looking for my wife.”

Aella scrambled toward her dress that lay just out of reach. I felt like a wolf that had sighted its prey. Her body was mine, even if she didn’t recognize it yet. As she crawled for the thin piece of cloth, Camden stirred and sat up.

His gaze found mine, and then he began frantically searching for his clothes, finding his pants within arm’s reach.

I let him draw those on while grabbing Aella with my power and dragging her squealing form across the ground toward a tree.

Holding the pressure, I secured her bare back and arms against the rough bark before she could pull the cloth over her head.

She wouldn’t be able to move much, but I gave her enough freedom to breathe and turn her head.

It was the best I could do with the irrational jealousy fueling my fury.

She would not hide that luscious body from me just yet. “You stay right there, wife .”

“Wife?” Camden asked, shocked gaze darting between us.

I gave him a hard look. “Yes, as of a month ago.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t specifically give me permission to keep sleeping with him,” Aella said with a glare. Her embarrassment had transformed into outrage on her lover’s behalf. Did she worry I’d kill him? Ironically, I was tempted despite knowing it wouldn’t be fair under the circumstances.

“I did,” I agreed, then returned my attention to Camden, not bothering to hide my homicidal thoughts. “But now, my consent has been revoked. Stay away from Aella, and don’t ever touch her again…or I will kill you in a way that will shock even the most sadistic of individuals.”

I meant every word. Tonight would be the only free pass I gave him.

Aella trembled. “He’s going to tell someone you’re here. My uncle…”

“No, he won’t. Will you, Cam?” I asked with a pointed look.

The other elf shook his head vehemently. “No, sir. Of course not.”

“Then get out of my sight,” I ordered.

Camden didn’t waste another moment before disappearing into the woods.

I sauntered over to Aella, running my gaze up and down her body.

Her light-golden skin appeared creamy in the soft moonlight and utterly touchable.

She truly was magnificent. When I stopped before her, I took my time memorizing every bare inch before lifting my gaze to meet hers.

There was a mixture of lust and fear in her green eyes.

“It’s about time I saw my wife naked, though I would have preferred it under different circumstances,” I said with a wicked smile that likely disturbed her.

Aella lifted her chin with mutiny in her gaze. How adorable.

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t change my clothes while I was asleep and helpless for days. That plum dress was a message, loud and clear. You probably looked at my body all you wanted while I couldn’t stop you.”

I almost regretted behaving myself during her stay, but I had tried to be honorable.

“Oh no, dear Aella.” I let out a dark chuckle and leaned an arm on the tree above her head.

“As much as I was tempted, I asked my sister to handle that. She was the only one to see your body, though your undergarments remained on the entire time, and her tastes don’t run that way.

I wanted you to be fully aware when I saw you naked for the first time. ”

Relief flashed in her eyes, quickly followed by anger. “Let me go, Darrow.”

“Dare,” I said, wanting to hear it from her lips. It implied more intimacy between us, which was likely why she didn’t like using it. I enjoyed making her uncomfortable and challenging her.

“Fine, Dare .” She glared at me. “Let me go! ”

I released my power over her, having made my point.

Now, it was time to test what she did with her newfound freedom of movement.

I leaned a little closer to see if she tried to scoot away or stand her ground.

It was her choice. Interestingly, she stayed firmly in place and licked her lips as she gazed up at me nervously.

“By the looks of it, you’ve enjoyed the evening’s festivities. Your lovely hair is a wild mess with twigs in it.” I paused to pluck one out. “And your skin is quite flushed.”

Aella had pinkened even more since I began hovering close, which made me wonder if her body responded to my proximity. Now that I knew she was my mate, I was aware we'd both have a hard time resisting each other. The pull between us grew more undeniable with each meeting.

“There are people everywhere who could overhear us and see you,” she said, green eyes darting left and right.

“Faina is nearby, keeping them asleep.” I ran my fingers down her cheek and along her jaw, pleased at the way she drew in a breath at my touch. Still, no sign of resistance. “As for Cam, he is one of my spies, so you can rest assured he won’t tell anyone…if you’re still worried about that.”

Her jaw dropped, incredulity written all over her face. “You’re joking. He can’t be, or I’d have known.”

It was so much fun revealing that bit of news to see her reaction.

Though we didn’t plan it, I’d known about their relationship since it began four years ago.

Camden never kept that from me. It wasn’t his mission to spy on her specifically, but he did relay any information she gave him if it pertained to her uncle or other family members.

Now and then, it proved useful. He was a gentleman, though, and didn’t go into detail about his intimate activities with Aella. I’d never cared until recently. Now, I hated that he’d had all that time with her—knew my wife in ways I didn’t.

“Would I joke about it or let him live otherwise?” I asked, lifting a brow.

It was true that if he’d been anyone else, my restraint might not have been so resilient tonight.

All I could think about now that I had Aella this close was touching her.

The magic was getting under my skin more and more as the herbal remedy wore away to almost nothing.

It didn’t help that her floral scent with that vague hint of spice teased me, while the musky aroma from her lover made me want to cover it with my own.

“Well, I…”

I pressed my lips to hers before she could finish, pleased when she let out a moan.

She didn’t fight it when I dipped my tongue inside her mouth, and instead, kissed me back with impressive passion.

My wife was most certainly receptive to my touch despite what else she’d been doing tonight.

I placed a hand on her hip. Feeling her bare skin there sent a jolt through my cock, making me long to do so much more.

She couldn’t possibly understand the filthy thoughts running through my mind or the overriding need to claim her until she thought of no one except me.

Pulling back a few inches, I looked deeply into her green eyes.

“For three days, I kept your sleeping body in the room next to mine. I’d check on you often to be sure you were safe and press a kiss on your forehead, hoping you would wake like in the fables, but of course, you never did.

Tonight, I realized I don’t want to share you with anyone else because I want you all to myself. ”

A mixture of lust and uncertainty filled her gaze. “I bet you’re still sleeping with other women, though.”

Aella had no idea the effect she had on me—curse or no curse.

I hadn’t been faithful to her after we married, but the pleasure was fleeting and hardly fulfilling.

Since I’d had her in Darynia for those three days, I hadn’t wanted to touch another woman again, but she didn’t need those details.

Nameless ones knew what she’d do if she realized the power she held over my desire for her.

Given a bit of time, this woman could bring me to my knees.

I didn’t need to love her to want her above all else.

“Only until you submit yourself to me, and then, I’m yours alone,” I swore, though it was already true.

Somehow, I’d have to find a way to control myself because this was getting dangerous.

She shook her head. “You’re insane. We are not sleeping together, so forget it.”