Page 40 of Of Rime and Ruin (Sirens of Adria #2)

Chapter thirty-seven

Aethan

If fucking her is wrong, I never want to be right again.

As we fall into the furs, the wind howls outside our ice-shelter, carrying the echoes of her moans into the night. The sound of my name, on her lips. Over and over as she took my cock. Begged for it. I’ll never forget this night.

With a quick hum, I dispel the magic that binds her hands.

She sighs, and I reach for her, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

Her eyes shine in the darkness, glazed with ecstasy.

She curls on her side next to me, one hand splaying on her hip, the other propping her head.

Her breasts cradle in the soft furs, nipples tight and hard.

Sweat beads on her forehead and slicks her stomach, coating her in a glittering sheen. Alive and well. Healthy.

She’s fucking beautiful. Does she know that? Have I told her yet?

My fingers cup her ear, tracing the smooth ridge of scales. My heart punches wildly, bracing for the aftermath of my confession. I think I love you.

But the words stick in my throat, and I swallow around the knot.

I’ve been alone for what feels like forever. By choice. For years, I’ve refused to take a lover, knowing I could hurt them if I tried. It’s risky and dangerous for everyone involved. Unfair. What if I transformed in the heat of the moment? Could I handle their blood on my hands?

I’ve been careless tonight. I knew the risks. And still, I fucked her. Whether that’s stupidity or trust on my part, I can’t say.

Nahla is my first since I was a na?ve, horny youngling, fresh to my power and burdened with grief.

Is this love, or is it the relief of my cock in a warm cunt?

I clench my teeth. No. Not just any cunt.

Hers. I want only her.

I want my wild, unpredictable prisoner, my forbidden treasure. Who begs for romance novels and charms beasts with the flick of her tongue. Infiltrator of my kingdom, my mind, my heart. I’ll never let her go. She’s mine now. Forever.

I grip her hair, rubbing it between my thumb and forefinger. So delicate. Smooth.

I love you.

But I can’t say it. Not yet.

Not while he still prowls my mind, poised to ruin everything I’m working for.

I almost lost her today. My little Sunfish, half frozen to death in the snow.

If it wasn’t for the Beast, she wouldn’t have been exposed to the elements like that.

I wouldn’t be here, making amends with the hunters, putting on a show.

We’d be home, and I’d be fucking her in a real bed.

Shaking the castle with the sounds of her screams.

In the pit of my stomach, residual anger festers. The icy knot twists and grows. From the margins of my mind, the Beast rises and claws at his restraints.

Stay back , I warn him. She’s mine.

He spirals through my thoughts, leaking through the cracks. My vision darkens.

She’s mine. And I almost lost her.

Guilt. Pain. Anger.

What a royal moron I am. What a raging, fucking idiot. If I ever lose her, I will freeze the whole damn sea—from the Rime to the depths of the Drink. My rage will know no bounds.

She touches my cheek. Soft, tentative fingers. “Are you okay?” she whispers, and her voice pulls me back into myself.

“Perfect.” I give her my best smile. “You’re perfect.”

Her nose twitches. That cute, ball nose, covered in freckles. My fingers curl, clenching as a wave of aggression washes through me. She’s too cute—I can’t fucking handle it. She makes me want to punch something. Shatter the ice beneath our feet.

Instead, I kiss her nose. As gently as I can manage.

She giggles, and my heart swells. “You’re pretty perfect yourself,” she says.

“Did I hurt you?” I smooth her wrists where the ice wrapped around her. I draw them into my chest for a gentle massage, testing her muscles with careful fingers. No broken joints. When I reach her wrist bone, she flinches.

“A little bruise,” she whispers. “But that’s okay. I’m a big girl.”

My heart lurches. My ears burn with shame. I hurt her. Goddess, I’m a monster. “I’m sorry, Sunfish,” I whisper. “I’ll do better.”

She throws her head and laughs. “Better?” she gasps. “Fuck, Aethan. I don’t know if I can handle any better than that.”

Relief washes through me. I press a kiss to the back of her hand.

“You know that, for an asshole, you’re pretty sweet?”

“Get over here.” With a growl, I ensnare her waist, flip her over, and pull her into my chest. She molds against me, soft and warm as I cage her with my arms. Her hair cushions my chin, dark curls thick with her scent. Her ass nudges my softened erection, and I twitch, stiffening once again.

She nuzzles into me without complaint. I pull the covers over us, tucking the heavy furs around her delicate body. “Mmmm,” she hums. A yawn breaks over her lips. “I should get hypothermia more often.”

I chuckle. She’s dead wrong, but she’s cute.

“Sleep, Nahla,” I whisper, kissing her hair.

With my thumb, I draw lazy circles on her arm. Soon enough, her breath settles into the slow rhythm of sleep. Her ribs rise and fall beneath my arm. So easy. So trusting.

What have I done to deserve this?

I stare blankly into the surrounding darkness. The wind whistles against my ice-shelter, trying to find a crack to slip through. But my magic is solid; the cold can’t reach us here.

We can’t stay cocooned in the furs forever. Eventually, the sun will rise, and we’ll emerge from our haze. And what then? How long until she discovers my secrets? How quickly will she turn on me once she realizes the truth?

I’m not some princeling hero from her romance novels. I am the villain in her story, and someday I will ruin her beyond repair.