Page 60 of Realms of Shadow and Sun

After a few minutes, her voice came quietly. “I'm finished.”

He turned around, and saw her white shoulders, bare against the blankets and a sudden burst of desire surged throughout his body. He swallowed hard, reminding himself that she was off-limits. Sion turned again and began removing his soaked clothing. Once he got to his trousers, he remembered that he wasn't given any undergarments at the Sun Realm. He considered sleeping in his bottoms, but the wind howled outside and shook the tent slightly, and he decided against it.

“Selenia, close your eyes,” he said, turning back to strip. The cool air hit his body, and he was glad to be getting out of his wet clothes.

He quickly shucked his pants and then crawled into his own furs. He glanced back over at her, and saw her eyes widen. Was she embarrassed at the thought that he was completely naked? Or the fact that they were sharing a tent? He wondered if he should say something, apologize for the conditions, but instead he just blew out the small candle he had lit and closed his eyes, the situation completely confusing him.

Sion was hovering near sleep when the sound of thrashing and crying caught his attention. He looked around in the dark, squinting to see what was happening. He could barely make out Selenia's silhouette, shaking and seizing. Without thinking he reached out to her, and pulled her close. She sat on his lap, stunned for a moment before she wrapped her good arm around his neck, sobbing into his shoulder.

“Shhhhh...I'm here,” he said, rubbing her bare back. She continued to cry, unable to form words. Her chest was flushed against his, and he sighed, enjoying the warmth their bodies made together. The storm dropped the temperature significantly, and Sion couldn't ever remember being this cold. The wind howled around them, masking the sound of her sobs. He continued to hold her, and her scent enveloped him. She smelled like clean cotton and roses, and he was surprised, unsure how she could smell so amazing considering they had been traveling. He shuddered as he suppressed a sudden desire to run his fingers through her soft hair.

Slowly, she stopped shaking but continued to cling to him, like a newborn to its mother.

“I'm here for you, darling.” The endearment rolled off his tongue so naturally that it surprised him. He expected her to pull away, but if anything, she grabbed him more tightly. Sion became very aware of the fact that she was completely bare from the waist up, and he could feel her soft breasts against his chest. Her nipples were hard and cold, and he took a shaky breath, trying not to give into the arousal he felt stirring in his groin. Her skin was supple and velvety, pale and inviting. He never thought he'd ever see another woman besides Cressida, and the longer he held her, the more enchanting she became to him.

He knew he should push her away, move her off his lap and back to her own furs. But he was drawn to her in a way he had never experienced before. Sion knew she was a pretty girl, but he'd never felt desire for her.

“Sion?” she questioned, as if finally realizing she was in his lap. She let go of him quickly and then covered her chest with her arms, suddenly embarrassed.

He couldn't fathom why she would be embarrassed. Her body was the most alluring he'd ever seen before.

“Selenia, I...” he trailed off, looking for an excuse for his attraction to her, but none came. Instead Sion just stared at her lips, remembering how sweet they tasted against his.

As if sensing his thoughts, she moved forward, hands still covering her chest. She dipped her eyelashes and looked up at him, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Beautiful,” he whispered, reaching up to stroke her cheek. “So beautiful...”

Selenia continued to watch him, unmoving. He wondered if she could feel the same pull of desire that he felt.

Throwing caution into the wind, he moaned and leaned forward to press his lips to hers.

Electricity jolted through him, and the second his lips met hers, he fell. There was no turning back, no way to climb out of this hole he dug for himself, as he quickly fell in love with his best friend's sister.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“No, Beauty.”

The dragon looked up at Renya, ears back and stomping slightly at the ground. Renya sighed, trying to coax the dragon into the stall in the stables. It was the third time she'd tied up the dragon, and she tied the knots even tighter, hoping they'd hold this time.

Renya knew that Samatra and Thesand were incredibly uncomfortable with Beauty in their lands, so she promised to restrain her until they were ready to leave tomorrow. But Beauty managed to break free twice, terrorizing the village trying to seek out Renya. Grayden already made reparations to several market stall owners after Beauty went on an eating spree and devoured an entire stall of fish, and another of deer meat. The second time she got out, she managed to tear into the wall of the guest house Renya and Grayden were staying at, and Renya woke up to her nudging her awake, growling slightly at Grayden for being too close to her. Rubble scattered across the room, and Grayden promised to send funds to replace the walls of the guest house, too.

All in all, Renya knew they needed to return home to the Snow Lands and find a permanent solution for Beauty. It was clear that she wouldn't be separated from Renya, and the larger she got, the more problematic it was going to become.

“Should we try chains?” Grayden came up behind Renya, putting his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

At the suggestion, a low growl started in Beauty's throat, as if she understood exactly what Grayden was proposing.

“No, I'll just tie them tighter and add more ropes. I'm not sure what to do with her.”

“It's clear that she's bonded to you,” Grayden said, eyeing the dragon. She was growing bigger every day. “Did Cressida bond to any of the other dragons?”

“The adult male one,” Renya said, scratching Beauty affectionately on the snout. “But it's not like it is with Beauty. She seems incredibly determined to be by my side at all times.”

Beauty circled the stall before finally collapsing in the hay. She closed one eye lazily, but kept the other partially open, watching Renya's every move.

“I can't believe you have a pet dragon, Little Fawn.”

“Not exactly what I was expecting either,” Renya said, as Beauty's watchful eye started to droop.

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