Page 163 of Primal Bonds

He set his jaw. “Because I’m the only one here. Now come.” He beckoned with his fingers.

She dragged a hand over her shaved head. “I suppose it’s the only way we’ll get any sleep.”

“That’s right. Now come here. You can have the outside.” He got under the comforter and scooted toward the wall.

She crept under the comforter and lay facing him, her expression neutral. But he’d seen that relief on her face. She wanted this.

Turning onto his back, he slid an arm under her shoulders. When she didn’t resist, he pulled her into the curve of his shoulder. She held herself stiff for a few moments and then her breasts heaved.

“You think I’m weak,” she muttered against his T-shirt.

He huffed a laugh. “Like hell. You’re probably the strongest woman I know.”

“Then you don’t know many fada.”

“Not true. In my work for the king, I’ve met my share.”

“Yeah? What do you do, anyway?”

“I’m one of his envoys. I’m part messenger, part negotiator. I’ve been to all the major fae courts—ice fae, sun fae, and night fae—and I’ve also visited a number of fae and fada clans.”

“Sounds interesting.” She settled more comfortably into the crook of his shoulder, probably not even realizing she’d relaxed. She had a sweet, earthy scent that reminded him of a baby animal’s.

He turned so that his cheek was against Marjani’s shaved head. Something about the short bristles against his skin was unbearably erotic. He pulled his head back, putting some space between them, and firmly tamped down his desire.

He was offering comfort, nothing more, even if his cock hadn’t gotten the message.

“It can be. But…” He trailed off, because what was the use of complaining? He was in for the duration.

But he was sick and tired of being at Sindre’s beck and call. He wanted his own life back. He’d spent six decades trotting about on king’s errands. Working his way up in the ice fae court—and for what? He was still on the outer fringes, tolerated, but not respected.

Hell, he’d had to hide at his own daughter’s mate ritual because no one at court knew he had a daughter—and that was how he wanted to keep it. Instead, he’d observed the ceremony from the back of the crowd, an odd pressure in his chest.

Evie was his only child, and he’d missed too much of her growing up. It was his biggest regret.

Still, he couldn’t help feeling happy that his Evie had found a mate. And damn, she’d sparkled in a pretty dress with a star adorning her short blond hair, her face wreathed in smiles as she’d walked toward Jace. He’d stayed for the first toast and then left. Evie was in good hands with her earth fada mate, and Fane was supposed to be in Canada on a job for Sindre. The king wouldn’t be happy to know he’d made an unscheduled visit to Baltimore, and he’d be furious to learn Fane had a daughter he didn’t know about.

But it was safer for Evie if the ice fae didn’t know she existed.

Besides, time passed differently in the fae world. A month could go by and he’d return to the States to find Evie another year older. And frankly, he wasn’t good at the commitment thing, even when it was his own daughter.

He inhaled Marjani’s fresh, wild scent. “Your dream. Was it about the cages?”

“No. Just something bad that happened to me once.”

He squeezed her shoulders. “I’m sorry.”

She shrugged and turned the subject. “I’ll tell you one thing—I’d pay good money to know who sent that message to my brother. It was in my cousin’s handwriting.”

“I told you, he’s in no condition to send a message. Someone here helped him.”

“That’s what I figured. So that fae lady you told me about must’ve been trying to lure Adric to Iceland. Or maybe it was the king?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No,” she agreed, “you didn’t. I’m just glad I came, not Ric.”

“Because you can win against a fae where he can’t?”

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