Page 25 of Urn My Love

Reaching up, she brushed her fingers through my belly feathers. A purr rattled in my chest before I could stop it.

“You’re adorable, feathered feline.” She grinned up at me, and warmth spread through me despite the ridiculousness of the pet name.

This woman had the cheat code to my emotions, and it was going to be the death of me.

We returned to the camp where I found that the stubborn female had not only removed the gear from the horses, but she’d spread out our blankets and built a fire. She should have been resting while Jazriel and I took care of things.

I headed back to the river. With my restless energy and stirred-up emotions, it didn’t take me long to catch enough fish to feed us. Shifting back to my human form, I took my time cleaning the fish. I tried to rid myself of the annoying feelings that continued to linger, but it was useless. Giving up, I strode back to camp.

Jazriel stood from the blankets where he sat with Iolani and took the fish from me. “You hunted, I’ll cook.”

Accepting help wasn’t something I enjoyed doing, but I handed him the fish without protest. I strode straight to Iolani’s side. Since meeting her, I’d been able to avoid giving in completely to the instinctual pull of the mate bond. It had been hard, but doable. But I was facing a new problem.

I was falling for her, and it had nothing to do with being mates. Sure, I still felt the link between us and my inner beast was pushing for me to claim her, but this was different.

Giving into my heart, I dropped to the blanket. I pulled her into my arms, closing my eyes and relishing the comforting warmth of her body that assured me she was alive. She was safe.

Iolani didn’t protest or question me. She simply let me hold her.

Slowly, my tumultuous emotion bled away, leaving me feeling almost normal. I should have released her after she’d calmed the mess she’d stirred inside, but I couldn’t.

“Dinner is served!” Jazriel appeared with a cheeky grin on his face and set a plate overflowing with fried fish on the blanket between us.

Breaking a bite-sized piece off a filet, he popped it into Iolani’s mouth.

“You two know I’m an adult, right? I’ve run a kin—” She paused, stumbling over her words. “I’ve been in charge of the well-being of thousands. I’m pretty sure I can feed myself.”

Jazriel brushed the back of his knuckles across her cheek. “I know. But we are allowed to enjoy taking care of you.”

I snorted. “Honestly, I’m not sure how you’ve stayed alive this long. You would’ve become dinner for a bear if we hadn’t shown up. I think Amaryllis’ legendary knack for dancing with death has rubbed off on you.”

Iolani twisted around on my lap to look up at me with fire blazing in her eyes. “I would’ve come out of that unscathed.”

Her utter confidence in what she claimed had me laughing until my sides hurt. Jazriel leaned back on his elbows, watching me with open amusement as though I were making a fool of myself. Iolani set her jaw, looking as though she wished she could burn me to a crisp. But as I wiped tears from my eyes, her anger faded and her features softened.

Reaching up, she trailed her fingers along my jaw. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Just what every man wants to hear.” I chuckled, catching her hand, and pressing a kiss to the palm before I could stop myself.

Iolani’s eyes widened with surprise, and I wanted to kick myself. For showing too much affection… and for not showing her enough.

If I was going to leave, I needed to do it soon. It wouldn’t be fair to allow the bond between us to grow stronger, only to cause her more pain when I disappeared. I was cruel, but not evil. Still, I wasn’t strong enough to walk away right then. I needed her in my arms.

“Eat,” I ordered, picking up a piece of fish and touching it to her lips.

Her eyes never left mine as she opened her beautiful lips and let me feed her. It was intimate, almost more so than that first night she’d slept between Jazriel and me. The night he’d given her what seemed to be the first orgasm of her life.

I had found her first. Even if we hadn’t completed the bond, I was her mate and it should have been me who’d shown her pleasure. But it had been the pegasus, her second mate, who’d had the honor.

He had accepted the bond without question, and my sweet Iolani had returned it with an open heart and arms.

Just like how she would accept you if you stopped being such a fool, my inner voice pointed out.

That night was burned forever in my memories. She’d quivered between us, her spicy, sweet scent heavy in the air, my hand cupping the petal-soft skin of her breast, and her rounded butt grinding against my cock. I’d come in my pants like a horny college student who’d never touched a girl in his life.

Jazriel had been focused on giving her pleasure. But when he’d realized I was awake, I’d seen his smirk and the glint in his eye. His movements had caused me to hump against her until I’d grown painfully hard. It humiliated me to realize I was so easily aroused by her, but I hadn’t possessed the willpower to walk away.

I hated him for it. But I hated him more for not initiating something similar the following night.

---