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The troll handed Kate to him. Roan brushed the hair back from Kate’s face, then glanced around to ensure they were alone.

He was still weak from healing Lady Kyma and would need to use the healing magic of the crystal pools instead.

There was a pool just across the cavern.

Roan stood and carried Kate to the water.

This water was safe, untouched by dangerous creatures, and it glowed softly with bioluminescent swirls that came from the silk webs of glowworms, which dripped into the water.

The healing magic was, in part, due to these tiny glowing creatures.

He cradled Kate’s head and lowered her wound beneath the surface of the water.

Dried blood softened around the injury, and soon the blood swirled away as the water healed the spot.

It took Roan a long moment to calm himself, and be reassured that she would be all right.

That was twice now that he had almost lost her, and both times he’d been so desperate to rescue her.

“Why do you matter so much?” he whispered to the unconscious woman.

He received no answer. He knew only that the moment he had crashed into her world and into her arms, he’d been forever changed. And he was a creature who was never supposed to change.

“Wake up, little one.” He bent his head to press his lips to hers. He let some of his own magic escape in that kiss, unable to control himself.

Kate’s lashes fluttered open. She gazed around in confusion. Her brown eyes were still cloudy, but they grew brighter as she continued to heal in his arms. For a moment, he was lost in the soft, warm color.

“Roan?”

His body tightened at the way she spoke his name. Roan pulled her even closer in his arms, tucking her against his chest.

“I have you,” he promised. “I have you, Kate.”

* * *

Kate’s head was foggy as she gazed up at Roan’s concerned face.

His electric-blue eyes reflected the shimmer of the cave’s light, making him look more ethereal than ever.

Where was she? Her head throbbed, but the pain slowly began to fade.

Dizziness hit her momentarily before it too slowed down and she could focus without getting sick.

She took in the cave and the cold sensation of being wet.

She was cradled in Roan’s arms, his body wonderfully warm compared to the cold water.

This was a dream, wasn’t it? This wasn’t the Roan who had forced her into the labyrinth to save her brother.

This Roan was keeping her safe. She wanted to wrap herself around him and enjoy being held like this.

She wouldn’t drift away again, not so long as he held her in his arms. But then she came back to herself as he moved her body in a slow spin in the water with him.

This wasn’t a dream. This was real. And she was really wet. Again .

“Why are we in the water?” she asked. “There aren’t any morgens here, are there?”

Roan chuckled. “No. These are healing pools.”

“Thank God... You know, this labyrinth of yours keeps trying to kill me,” Kate grumbled.

“You, little human, were never supposed to get this deep into my labyrinth. Instead, you somehow were injured saving a troll, or so I am told.”

“Oh! Magda!” She tried to get out of the pool. Was Magda okay? The last thing she remembered was being in the cave and the troll calling her name in fear.

“No, no. Not yet, little one. You still need to heal.”

“But Magda was hurt.”

“ Your injuries were far greater. Don’t you ever worry about yourself?

” Roan asked. “It is no wonder that your family thinks little of you. You don’t demand it of them.

” He got out of the pool carrying her, and Kate fought her instinct to try to get free.

Roan holding her felt too nice. And she did feel woozy. ..

“I think about myself all the time,” she argued. “And my family does care...”

“There should be no lies between us, little mortal. And we both know that is a lie.”

“You can be such a jerk,” Kate muttered. Every time he mentioned her family, it felt like a slap, but deep down she feared he might be right. Only Caden cared about her, and that was because he was a little kid who didn’t know better. Sandra hadn’t corrupted him into forgetting Kate existed. Yet.

The Fae king’s lips twitched, but his expression was still stern.

“I am not the king of niceties, Kate. I am king of all that is dark and wonderful.”

She looked up into his face. “What does that mean? All that is dark and wonderful?” She still couldn’t understand the things he said sometimes even if his words sounded beautiful enough to make her heart ache for things so far out of her reach.

“What does that mean?” Roan smiled, the expression dangerous. “It means that every forbidden desire, every sinful dream, every willful thought you’ve ever had... I can grant.” He chuckled. “Tonight you will think of no one except yourself... and me.”

Kate strained to see where her friends were. “Where did Patch and Magda go?”

“Their presence is inconvenient. You will not see or hear them, nor will they you. Not tonight. I wish to have no interruptions.” Roan stopped and set her down on her feet while keeping one arm wrapped around her waist.

“But, Roan, I?—”

“You are mine , Kate. Mine tonight, mine forever , and I will not share your attention right now. They know that you are safe, and that is enough.” There was an edge to his voice that scared her a little, not because she feared him, but because she didn’t.

Not the way she used to. But she sensed that something terrible had happened to him before he’d come here.

“Roan, what happened? Something happened to you... I can feel it.”

His eyes darkened. “I nearly lost a dear friend today... and she lost all of her dryad sisters,” he breathed, fury lighting his eyes.

“It has reminded me all too clearly that I have precious things to lose, and that includes you, little one.” His tone warned her not to ask any more questions, but Kate’s heart clenched at the thought of who he might have lost.

.. and what that meant in a world of beautiful beings and dangerous magic.

She pushed at his chest, but he captured her chin and lifted her face up to his. His eyes still glowed, and the hard lines of his beautiful face frightened her for a brief instant. Then, without warning, he kissed her so hard that it made her dizzy and she swayed in his hold.

The world seemed to tilt, and then she was on her back on the softest surface she’d ever felt. Roan’s mouth moved over hers roughly, hungrily, but his hands were more gentle as they explored her body.

“Roan... what are we doing,” she moaned as he nibbled her earlobe. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Don’t fight me, Kate. Love me, adore me, worship me. Be my treasured pet,” he growled against her skin. “Let me hang a necklace of stars around your throat, and give you the universe…all you must do is surrender to me…to your own desires.”

Kate’s desire was so strong right then that Roan’s words set a fire inside her rather than angered her.

She could picture herself... Sitting at his feet in a beautiful gown of midnight-blue silk, letting him feed her fruit that was sweet beyond words.

A necklace of pure silver hung around her neck, and on it glittering diamonds forged in the heart of newborn stars.

His hand would stroke her hair as she gazed up at him adoringly, worshipfully. ..

Then she saw herself naked in a bed beneath him, his body moving above hers, and the erotic fantasies spun on endlessly until an ache that hurt between her thighs made her beg Roan for more, for anything to ease the ache.

She wanted that fantasy, she wanted to be his, to know his pleasure, to know that he wanted only her... forever.

“Forget the world, Kate. Remember only me and how much I desire you.” Roan’s words spun a spell that erased everything beyond him. She tugged at the white tunic shirt he wore, and he sat up, pulling it off his body. She wanted to touch him, to explore him, to feel like he was hers .

God, he was beautiful, even with the faint scars on his skin.

She wanted to kiss those scars. But he didn’t give her a chance.

She stared around them in confusion as she saw they were still in the cave, but somehow he’d made a bed out of stone.

Stalagmites and stalactites had risen up to form bedposts, and glowworms above them looked like a blanket of stars.

The rock beneath her had turned into a soft feather mattress.

Kate stared at Roan, once more enraptured at the sight of his body as he stripped out of his clothing.

It continued to amaze her that he could be so singularly beautiful, yet undeniably masculine.

The breadth of his shoulders, his towering height, the roped muscles, slender hips, and powerful thighs.

Everything about him was seductive, right down to the large, rigid cock that was stiff with his arousal.

He’d said he was bigger everywhere, she just hadn’t fully believed he meant everywhere .

Oh boy... She raised her gaze to his face and didn’t miss the satisfied smirk on his lips before he turned serious again.

He came toward her in his full naked glory, stalking toward her like a jungle cat.

When he reached her, he pulled her to him and began to undress her.

She had a fleeting thought that she was forgetting something important, but as the cool air caressed her bare skin, she found herself unable to care.

She wanted Roan. Wanted to finally taste what it meant to belong to someone like this…

to share herself with him in the most intimate way possible.