Heart of the Forest (Arwn's Gift Book 1) by Christina Quinn

Aneurin, who was practically glaring at Ynyr.
    “I promise. I won’t trust them.”
    “All right.” He gave me a sad little smile and looked back at Rhosyn for a few moments. “I’ve never been good at saying good-bye.”
    “I don’t think anyone is.”
    “Be safe.” He kissed my forehead quickly and walked back to the others waiting around the wagon.
    Aneurin and I stared at each other for a few moments. The sun had long set, and snow started to fall from the dark sky in fat, fluffy flakes. In an instant he was in front of me, slamming me against the door so hard that it rattled. He claimed me with that kiss. Stealing my breath as he pressed his body against mine. I was practically aching with need by the time he broke from my lips. My breathing came in soft, gaspy breaths. My whole body practically throbbed with wanting to be touched by him. But there would be no touching. He stepped away from me and toward the gathered group of elves. With a single word they all started their sad procession to the forest’s edge.
    The tree line loomed like a dark specter, not at all far from the door of the cottage. The forest was actually closer than the gates of Laeth, and it took less than ten minutes for Aneurin to be swallowed up by the long shadows cast by that snow-dusted canopy. I stared into the darkness as the noise within the city walls died to nothing, and the black smoke of burning thatch homes turned to white.

Chapter Four
    Summer 1356
    A storm was brewing. I stood in my tiny cottage staring out the window at the trees in the distance. They twisted, swaying almost violently in the wind. Ever since Aneurin left with the elves of Laeth over a year ago, I spent far too much time staring at that tree line. He made good on his word to write. I had a chest full of letters now, though their frequency had slowed. What used to be a daily occurrence had trickled down to weekly and now, in the last two months, I had received two letters. They’d stop soon. Every time I thought about it, the corners of my mouth turned.
    Thunder rolled overhead, loud and rumbling. Shaking my head, I turned from the warped glass and opened the door. The sky was pretty; the clouds, dark and ominous, made the world feel heavy. As I stepped out into the wind, my skirt flared and wrapped around my legs, the coarse linen thumping in the wind like a sail. The storm was welcome. Summer had been extraordinarily hot and dry, and the villagers blamed it all on me. They’d blame this on me too. A little gasp broke my lips as the first raindrop hit my forehead. Within heartbeats, the sky opened, and rain poured from the sky, soaking my dress and hair. Closing my eyes, I smiled up at the clouds and let those welcome droplets rinse away the dewy sweat of the day.
    I almost wanted to strip off my clothes and dance in the rain. It felt good to finally cool off. I didn’t even mind that the high wind put me on the brink of shivering, or that my nipples were so hard they ached. Listening to the cascading hiss of the rain falling around me, I let my mind wander back to Aneurin. Wondering if he was out in the rain too, how his skin would feel slickened with it and pressed to my own. The corners of my mouth tugged into a smirk, and I heaved a heavy sigh.
    When I finally opened my eyes, there were figures moving from the tree line. My emotions vacillated wildly. First, there was hope and happiness with the thought that Aneurin could be among them. Fear devoured all of that joyous hope. I lived outside the protection of the city walls; this meant anyone could pretty much come up and do whatever they wanted. The only thing saving me from drunken rioters was the townsfolk’s fear. Most were now convinced that I was a witch. These elves wouldn’t be afraid of me.
    Laughter and that soft language of theirs echoed across the field as the group neared. There was no hiding. They knew I saw them. And if I went inside, they could take offense. As the five of them