Page 56 of To Wake a Kingdom

Grabbing my wrists, he held my hands over my head as he sucked a hot wet trail of fire down the slope of my throat. My legs hitched around his waist as he thrust his hips against me, his savage groan vibrating right to the tight, aching apex of my thighs.

“Your injury. You’re going to tear your stitches,” I gasped, fingernails digging into his back as he took my mouth like I was an ocean to swim or a mountain to claim.

Not that I ever wanted him to stop, but I really should be more responsible.

“I’m fine,” he bit out, his voice as rough as sun-bleached wood.

I moaned as we deepened the kiss, our tongues diving for each other. Tendrils of searing lust snaked through my blood, leaving a scorched trail in its path. Hands roamed along my sides, my back, my hips, and my thighs, as if he couldn’t touch enough of me at once. When his thumb swept the bottom curve of my breast, I gasped into an arc, taut and intense with need.

“Ahem.” A polite voice floated from the doorway. Ronan cursed as he pulled away, and I smiled against his chest as he looked over his shoulder.

“Gideon,” he said, voice thick. “Your timing could be better, my friend.”

“I’m sorry, Commander, but it’s time to check your bandages. Kianna wanted to make sure you were healing properly.” Gideon cleared his throat. “But I’m happy to see you’re awake.”

Ronan rolled off me, his face pale. This probably hadn’t been the best idea, but I was finding it difficult to feel contrite about it.

Gideon and Kianna both entered, sharing a knowing look with one another.

After settling Ronan on his back, Kianna peeled away the bandage, her eyes going wide. “You’re healing very quickly, Commander.” She prepared a fresh layer of bandages. “One might think you have a drop of Faerie in you.”

He snorted and then groaned. “This is all your doing, Kianna. You saved me. I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you enough.”

Kianna’s cheeks deepened to a crimson blush, and her eyes shone as she preened under the compliment. She pursed her lips and gave us both a pointed look. “Though it would be better if you refrained from certain…activitiesfor a few more days, at least.”

“We’ll try to remember that,” Ronan said, offering the Fae an innocent smile, and then winked at me. That won him an eye roll from Kianna, though her expression sparkled and she had trouble controlling her smile. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn she was up to something.

“Do you want some water?” I asked after Gideon and Kianna had left, and Ronan nodded.

Noah and Em knocked on the door, and I waved them in.

“He’s awake.”

“So we heard,” Em said with a smirk.

“Those two are the worst gossips,” I said.

Sitting on the armchairs where they’d spent much of the last two days, they leaned forward, elbows braced on their knees.

“Should we go after her?” Noah asked, getting right to the point. His eyes went to me and then to Ronan.

“Do you have any idea how to find her?” Ronan asked me.

I shook my head. “I assume she must live in the Faerie realms, but you two aren’t going after her. She’ll either kill you or lock you up, too.” They all watched me with barely restrained fury.“I need to break this curse, ensure my family is safe, and then figure out what comes next. Please, if you do anything, she might hurt them.”

Noah’s hand balled into a fist, punching his other hand in frustration. “I’m going to rip her throat out.”

“I think Ronan already has some more colorful ideas in mind,” I said, and they all shared a grimace.

Ronan was pale again, his brow clammy.

“You should go back to sleep,” I said, and it must have been a measure of how terrible he felt that, for once, he didn’t argue.

Chapter Twenty-Three

11 days left

Timemovedinaspace of its own, the clock ticking in my head growing louder and louder until it echoed off every surface. There were moments I’d stop what I was doing, the sound so paralyzing it froze me to the spot. So deafening, all I could hear was the roar of my failure screaming at me in an endless loop.

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