Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
There’s a reason the queen doesn’t like that word. Proper. I don’t either. My body is perfectly primed for more and he’s turning me down? I can see his erection, so I know it’s not that he doesn’t want me. This is a power play. “And if I’m not ready to be married?”
His fists tighten. “Then we wait.” He growls. “Shy, I’m not going to force you into marriage, but I’m also not going to allow the relationship between us to be less than it is. I love you. You are the best part of me, and I cannot honor you by throwing down. I need you to hear what I am going to say to you. You are not responsible for my loss of control. You are everything that is good about my life. You are the reason I meet each day with any kind of joy. You should feel no guilt about what happened today because I am responsible for my loss of control. Not you. I will talk to my parents and every single person in this town to let them know I will not accept anyone putting this on you.”
My body still pulses with the pleasure he gave me, but the feeling wars with the emotion I feel at his words. I feel his guilt and anxiety, and yet he will not take what I’m offering him because it’s more important to honor his love for me. How the hell am I supposed to be upset with him? I move to him, placing my hands on either side of his face and kissing him soundly. “I love you, too.” I have to be honest with him. “But I don’t know that I am the right goddess for you.”
He frowns, his eyes going a softer shade of green. “Why would you think that?”
“You are life,” I whisper. “Walking Spring. My only power is to see the dead of the world. I don’t know how you expect your magic to flow from me. I know you say I’m not responsible, but your goddess will be. Your mother soothes your papa. His power grew when he married her. I know Bris is there, but from the stories I’ve heard Bris came for your mother, not only because he wanted a host.”
His head drops forward, nestling against mine. “Then I’ll show you. I’ll prove it to you. If you don’t want to be married to me, then we’ll figure something out. Until you tell me you cannot love me, I won’t give up on us. But Shahidi, you need to understand I won’t go to bed with you because you’re afraid. I won’t sleep with you because you want to experiment. I won’t fuck you because you feel some sense of responsibility to me. I will sleep with you because you want me. Because you crave me the way I crave you. I’ll fuck you when you beg me for it because you can’t stand another second without knowing what it feels like to have my cock inside you. I will take you to Faery and when you want me, really want me, I’ll show you how perfect you are, Goddess.”
He kisses my forehead and steps back, longing plain on his face. I want him touching me, feel bereft without his hands on my skin.
“Rhys,” I begin because the truth is I really want him now.
“You should get your things ready. I’m sure my parents will want to leave soon.” Rhys takes a long breath. “Tell me if I should pack condoms. I want to be prepared, but if you want to avoid temptation, it would be a good way to do it. I’m afraid birth control isn’t a thing in Faery.”
My head shakes as I realize what he’s saying.
Sleeping with Rhys means taking a risk every woman takes. Except times a thousand. He’s a damn fertility god. He’s offering me a way out, and I believe him. I believe he would never touch me without protection unless I wanted a child with him.
“Pack the condoms, Rhys.” I take a deep breath and head for the door. “We will figure this out. I promise.”
It’s a promise I pray I can keep.
Chapter Eight
Zoey
I pull my cloak around me, grateful we’ve changed into Fae clothes for once. It’s almost the spring equinox, but it’s cold here in Wales. Eyri—or as it’s known to the rest of the world, Snowdonia—is the site of a national park and the tallest mountain in the UK south of the Scots border. We followed Matilda’s instructions, allowing the hounds to guide us.
And making sure to not be too close because everyone was right and bacon is apparently screwing with my hound’s belly.
As Dev dodges a small fireball, he frowns my way. It’s his “I told you” look.
I’m starting to worry my faery prince is having even more trouble than I am settling into this new life forced upon us. He’s treating the kids like they’re still young and haven’t been forced to grow up. Like they’re incapable of making decisions, and it’s alienating them. Evan barely talks to him. Rhys is reserved around him. Lee is…well, Lee is Lee. My vampire son seems like the perfect “roll with the punches, nothing bothers him” young man, but I know his emotions run deep.