Page 75 of Warrior's Reign
“What,” she asked, “is‘ashara?”
Under the moonlight she almost thought his lips went pale. They thinned with pain, anger. His eyes glittered when angry, he speared you with his stare. But now his lashes lowered to veil his eyes—as if that could hide the wave of emotion emanating from him.
Before he cut it off.
It left Reign breathless for a moment. She had. . .felt him.
“‘Ashara?” She asked again, forcing her voice to remain steady.
“It indicates a soul tie. More like a jagged hook.”
Reign wondered if he knew how much he revealed with those simple words. She almost slapped herself. This was Vykhan. Of course he knew.
“. . .Loka Vohn used that word.”
“Yes.” She stood. “He called you‘ashara.This whole thing with Adevega—why do I feel like it’s about you? Like she’s being used as the horse to ride into your castle?”
Vykhan shook his head, silky hair shining under Elhana’s caress. “I am not so important.”
“You are to someone. Important enough to fight for. To suborn a member of the Imperial family for.” And just like that, Reign relaxed. She closed her eyes. “I guess I have a trigger.”
His thumb caressed her bottom lip. “Keeper of my soul, you have more than one trigger.”
She opened her eyes and scowled. He sounded so amused she couldn’t help but slugging him on the chest.
“I’m sorry for the scars I’ve caused,” he added, voice pitched even softer, for her ears alone.
Her expression softened. “I’m sure I’ll cause some too.”
“You are more than welcome.” His lips curved, and she cupped his face, studying that smile intently. It was so rare, but it was everything she’d always thought it would bet those years where she’d yearned for even a glimpse of it, hidden under the gray silk mask.
“Lay with me here,” he murmured, drawing her down onto the bower.
“Define lay with me. . .”
He laughed a little. “I would only hold you. My parents will come looking if we are gone too long. Decorum must be observed.”
“Yadeshi don’t care about virginity.”
“No, but when we were closer to our more primal selves, the males had to take care in how we handled a female. Disrespect or mistreatment was often a pretext for war.”
She settled on her back, the moon above, Vykhan balancing his weight above her, his hair tickling her nostrils.
Reign sneezed.
Her betrothed kissed the tip on her nose, then trailed his lips along the curve of her jawline, down her neck. He hovered over the pulse in her throat as she tilted her head to give him access.
His lower body settled carefully against hers. She felt his hardness press against her middle, inhaling when he nuzzled aside the neck of her robes, slipping a hand under cloth as he kissed and licked her exposed skin.
Cool night air caressed her torso, pebbling her breasts, suddenly bare to the night sky. He’d undone her robes to the waist and pushed them aside.
Reign moved underneath him, restless, arching her back when he drew a hardened nipple into his mouth.
He made a harsh noise as she moaned, his body hardening further. Her thighs tried to open under his weight; she wanted to cradle him, rapidly began to forget their parents were only feet away.
“Vykhan,” she said harshly. “This is torture.”
He lifted his head, eyes glowing. “Then we are equal in this. Long have I wished to taste you.”
