Page 9 of Claimed By the Fae Lord

"There is no hope. I refuse to even entertain the thought. I'll do what I did before. Lick my wounds, get over myself, and throw my energies into my job." And fucking.

"You're more than just Nox's head guard, Liam. You're a warrior, a noble son of Ephandor, and, most importantly, someone I can call a friend. You should feel flattered at that last one. I've never had many friends."

We stared at one another for a long minute, long enough for me to settle. Apparently, Aeryn wasn’t going to let me go down in a fit of my own self-destruction.

My spine relaxed. "I can see why," I stated wryly.

"Shut up," she sulked and punched me in the shoulder. “I’m worried.”

"Obviously.”

Aeryn grimaced.

“I appreciate your concern,” I told her. “But this is nothing compared to how I was in the weeks following the broken contract. Just ask your mate. He and Lorne kicked my ass a dozen times trying to get my head out of it."

"That's a terrible place for your head to be."

I laughed, a real one. Squeezing her shoulder, I told her, "I'll find my way. I always do."

And as I met her steady gaze, a flicker of something warm ignited deep within me—a hope that maybe, just maybe, I was going to come out the other side of this intact.

The moonlight came through the windows in a silver sheen, casting long shadows across the floor of my chambers. Something was different, though, the room was mine but somehow not.

The air crackled with anticipation. The familiar scent of burning embers from the fireplace heightened the senses.

"Raina," I breathed, the name a reverent prayer upon my lips.

Her cascade of white-blonde hair spilled over my chest, a silken curtain that whispered promises of passion. Each strand felt cool against my skin, like the touch of the first frost of winter.

In the soft glow, her violet eyes locked onto mine, holding an intensity that mirrored the ferocity of her spirit. My intended was a petite frost nymph who was anything but fragile.

"Are you sure you want this?" I murmured. “You know I will wait for you, if that’s what you need, flower.”

The weight of the moment pressed upon us, the gravity of our connection palpable in the charged atmosphere. Our breaths mingled, warm against the cool caress of the night air.

"More than anything," she replied, her voice a whisper that carried the strength of tempered steel.

Her words resonated in the silence, and in that moment, it wasn't just her virginity she offered. It was her trust, her future, her heart.

I was going to take them all.

With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, I kissed Raina's lips softly, savoring the taste of anticipation that lingered there. Time slowed as I grew drunk with lust.

Our lips parted and a spark ignited between us, setting ablaze a fire that burned with a fervor I had never known before. I gently coaxed her down to the bed so I could rise up above her and look down at her perfect face. Her hands slid up my chest, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

I wanted to devour her, to explore every inch of her porcelain skin with an earnestness only matched by the intensity of my love.

Raina's body trembled as I trailed my fingertips down her neck, tracing the curve of her collarbone, bringing goosebumps to her flesh. Her breath hitched as I dipped lower, skimming along the gentle slope of her breasts.

Guided by a primal longing, I lowered myself between her legs. The scent of her arousal engulfed me, an intoxicating fragrance that spurred me on.

My lips brushed against the tender flesh of her inner thighs, teasing and taunting her with agonizing slowness. Her small hands tangled in my hair, urging me closer.

This was as far as we'd ever gone together, bringing one another to completion with our mouths and hands. I'd bedded others, well before she was old enough for me to think of her in a sexual way.

The second I saw her, fully grown, I had trouble keeping my hands off her. She'd felt the same and we shared stolen moments when her family allowed visits between us.

Impossibly hard and fearful she wasn't ready for me, I licked the seam of her sex and reveled in the feel of her delicate flesh against my tongue. Sweet like a flower, her essence called to me on a visceral level.

---