Page 78 of Lifebound

So, like that, wrapped up in his body and his warmth, and with his head to the side of mine, we started riding the horse into the forest.

It wasn’t comfortable by any means. These saddles were definitely not made for someone my size. Too big and too slippery, my ass kept moving from one side to the other, and my arms were already numb from holding onto Rune’s at this angle.

So, I pushed myself as far back as I could, and I settled against his chest. His entire body went rigid instantly, but I didn’t stop. I just continued to try to make myself comfortable, snuck my head underneath his chin and turned a little to the side so I could grab only one of his arms and keep myself steady.

Rune didn’t tell me to move away. Even though our bodies were very close together, and my ass was practically against his dick, his muscles were already relaxing again, and he didn’t even hint at being uncomfortable—thank God.

He smelled of vanilla, rich and sweet but also different—moresmokey, if I was even guessing right. It was the scent of his skin, not his clothes, and that’s why I was turning my head more and more, forcing him to raise his head as I did, until my nose was basically pressed to the side of his neck.

Yes. Vanilla. Smoke.Secrets—that’s what he smelled like. Sweet, smoky secrets.

“Can you make some light for me?” I whispered after a little while because the forest was so dark.

Rune said nothing, just let go of the reins with his right hand and waved it in front of us. His palm glowed with white light—just like mine had glowed golden in the forest that night, probably just in my imagination.

But suddenly, the memory of it suffocated me. Suddenly, I thought maybe it would be best to tell Rune about what happened in my room when nobody was there to witness it.

Maybe I should have told Helid, too—but what always happened to me when I told people the truth? What had happened my whole life?

I’d been mocked, bullied, called names. Made to live in fuckinghell. Not just me, but my family, too.

And who even said it was true, anyway? I probably only imagined making things float on air because, if I couldreallydo it, I’d have been able to do it in front of others. In front of Betty, at least.

But I never could.

So, I clamped my mouth shut and suffocated the panic.

Besides, I’d already promised myself that I was never going to tell anybody about it, ever again. So, I just settled against Rune’s chest, and I looked at the balls of white light floating in the air ahead of us.

“Can you make them look like birds?” I asked, and again, he raised his hand without a word, without hesitation. Suddenly, the four circles of light became birds as big as my fists, their little wings beating and chasing away the darkness.

“I forget that you’re human and can’t see in the dark,” Rune said.

That surprised me. “You can?”

“Yes. Midnight and Unseelie fae can. Vampires as well, because our lands are near Reme.”

He talked and I sniffed in his scent casually, watched his Adam’s apple moving.

If only I was a bit more comfortable on this saddle.

“What does that mean? Reme is the star, right?”

“Yes—the future star of our creation,” Rune said—and he said it like that should make perfect sense to me, too. “Our sun rises and sets away from it, so a part of Verenthia is in permanent darkness. Half the Unseelie court. Most of the Midnight Court, and most of Blackwater as well.”

“Holy fuck,” I whispered in awe.Permanent darkness?I couldn’t even imagine living somewhere where the sun didn’t shine daily.

“You really do have a very dirty mouth for such a tiny human.”

Every inch of my body froze, and I prepared to roast him to the best of my abilities—until the asshole chuckled again. That same chuckle, except now I was basically lying against him so I felt the vibration of his body on mine. Heard the sound so clearly my ears were now devoted to it like it was their god.

I sighed. “And you really are incredibly moody—anybody ever tell you that?”

“No,” he said, and I could still hear the smile in his voice. I wanted to see it, but I also wanted to continue to sniff him, so… “People don’t really talk to me, Wildcat. Let alone the wayyoudo.”

“Why not?”

“Because they don’t.”

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