Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
My ankles locked around his waist, and I moaned as I felt every inch of my husband.
“Baby.” He started to rock, taking it slow, his eyes on mine the entire time. “I love you.”
I moaned when I heard him say it again, listened to the depth of his feelings in just those three little words. “I love you too.” My arms scooped underneath his arms and held on to his back as he made love to me. “I love you so much…”
37
HUNTLEY
The morning light struck the cobblestone pavers, giving a brilliance that reflected back onto the buildings. HeartHolme was as glorious as it’d always been, the vile Necrosis getting nowhere near it. No innocent citizen had been lost in the battle. We’d done our job and kept our people safe.
Ian walked beside me. “Woman you love, huh?” There was a smile in his voice, a teasing taunt.
I ignored him.
“I’d started to wonder.”
“Now you don’t have to wonder anymore.”
“I like her, for what it’s worth.”
I turned to look at him.
“Not that my approval matters to you.”
“It does.”
“Elora has been concerned about Ivory’s loyalty. Said she would take the dragons to Delacroix and stab you in the back. I told her she was being paranoid, but you know how she is.”
“Yes.”
“But I suspect she feels differently now.”
“Let’s not forget how stubborn she is.” We reached the door to her forge, and once I tried the knob, it opened. Weapons were sprawled across the counter, and barrels of arrows were scattered everywhere. It was a mess, not neat and tidy like it normally was. The forge was cold and quiet, like it’d been off all night. “Elora?” We stepped farther into the room, and that was when I spotted her on the couch clear on the other side. A blanket was pulled over her shoulder, and a stain of drool was just underneath her resting head.
Ian shook his head. “Disgusting.”
I raised my voice. “Elora.”
She gave a jump this time, jolting upright and pulling her dagger out of her belt. She blinked a few times before she realized it was us. The dagger was returned to the scabbard before she dragged her fingers across her face. “Shit…it was a long night.” She pushed herself off the couch and went right toward me, her chest hitting mine as she wrapped her arms around me.
I caught her and squeezed her back.
She stepped back after a moment. “I went to your house yesterday, but there was no answer.”
Ian gave a grin.
I sidestepped the statement altogether. “I’m glad you’re alright.”
“I’m alright?” Her hand planted on her chest. “You’re the one I was worried about. I’m so glad you’re back. I’m so glad this fucking nightmare is over.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “When we realized the size of their army…I didn’t think we were going to hold HeartHolme. Queen Rolfe always has a trick up her sleeve, but unless she had ten thousand soldiers tucked in that sleeve, I knew we had no chance. But of course…Huntley saves the day.”
“My wife,” I said. “My wife saved the day.” I turned to Ian and placed my hand on his shoulder. “And my brother. My mother. And my sister. We all worked together to protect our people.”
For the first time, Elora didn’t fire off any shots at Ivory.
“Where is she anyway?” Ian asked.
“Still asleep.” I’d made a fire and prepared a small breakfast before I left. It would make her a little less pissed when she realized I’d gone without saying goodbye.
Elora crossed her arms over her chest. “How do you know when you get to Delacroix, she won’t—”
“Enough.” I sliced through her suspicion with my sharp words. “I won’t listen to this bullshit anymore.”
“I’m trying to protect you—”
“I don’t need your protection. I’m a grown-ass man who can make my own decisions. And I know that I can trust her as much as either of you. A knife could have been in my back many times, but she’s the one who stopped the blade.”
“Does my opinion mean nothing to you?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Get over it, Elora.”
“You don’t have the approval of your family. You should be ashamed of that.”
“Do I look like the kind of man that needs approval from anyone?” My eyes shifted back and forth between hers. “If I were, I wouldn’t have a woman like her, a woman who doesn’t give a fuck what anyone thinks of her either.” I stepped closer to her. “Let me make this perfectly clear. She’s my wife, and she’s staying my wife. We’ll take Delacroix and the Kingdoms together. You can be stubborn like Mother and exclude yourself from our relationship, or you can pull your head out of your ass and see her for what she really is. She brought those dragons here and saved us all, and if you still don’t approve of her, you never will. So no, I don’t care about the opinion of someone who’s incapable of making a decision rationally rather than judgmentally.” I stepped away, not feeling the least bit remorseful for the callous way I’d just spoken to my little sister, the woman who was still a girl in my eyes. I’d taken her under my wing and protected her from the world ever since she was born, but I wouldn’t put up with this anymore.