there was no reason not to tell him, so I explained, “Once we bond tonight, Elvena thinks that it’ll be enough of a change for us to forge the weapon to defeat the dark sorcerer. So instead of us having to consummate the relationship we can do the guardian bond and everything will be right in the world. There’s no rush or even a reason for us to have to complete the marriage bond now. This should be enough to save our land without having to wait on us.”
Brayden moved closer, the dagger in hand. “Is that what you want? What if the guardian bond isn’t enough? What if we need to consummate the relationship and be bonded fully?”
I held out my hand, palm up, ready for him to slice open my skin and get the bond started. “I just hope it doesn’t come to that. This has to be enough,” I whispered.
He winced at my words but stayed silent; even I caught myself wincing at my words as they came out of my mouth. They were harsh and cruel, and he didn’t deserve it after all he’d done. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt him when he was being nothing but sincere to me, but I didn’t know what else to do or how to feel.
Taking my hand, he held it gently in his, rubbing his thumb along my palm. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” he said sadly. My gaze immediately shot to his just as he sliced the dagger across my skin. I hissed at the pain and took a deep breath while I watched the blood absorb into my dagger.
Why was he being this way? It would be a lot easier if he didn’t say things like that. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like that, it’s just—”
“There’s no need to explain,” he murmured, handing me the glowing blade that just absorbed my Summer blood. He held out his palm and finished, “It’s probably easier this way.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, grasping his cold hand. “It is.” But I don’t think either one of us believes that.
The dagger felt warm in my hands, but when I grazed Brayden’s palm with the blade the vines on the handle started to change; they turned cold and began to ice over … literally. “Wow,” I breathed. “That’s amazing.”
Staring at each other, with bloodied palms, we both took a step forward. Breathing hard, Brayden wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, never taking his gaze from mine. “What are you doing?” I asked nervously. “I don’t think we need to be this close for it to work.”
Clasping his fingers with mine, there was only a breath of space keeping his palm from connecting and completing the bond. “No, we don’t,” he replied, “but I think it’ll make it more enjoyable.” The look in his eyes was heated, full of hundreds of emotions that I thought he would never open up and let me see. I was so enamored by his gaze that I didn’t even stop him when he lowered his lips to mine.
Groaning, he pulled me closer, and even though he was a Winter Fae, he had me melting in his arms. He deepened the kiss at the same time he closed our palms together, sealing our minds as one. My mind flooded with images and feelings, all of which were from Brayden. However, what overtook them all was the growing need I felt coming from him, from within his heart.
He grasped me tighter. I could feel my feet moving closer to the bed; being that I secretly craved his touch, I didn’t protest. Slowly, I sat down on the edge of the bed and Brayden followed by lightly covering my body with his, leaning us back across the mattress. His hunger fueled my own and it was hard to tell who was feeling what with my own warring emotions mingling with his. I could feel him growing harder between his legs, and if things weren’t so difficult I’d demand he take me. Unfortunately, it was too soon to let it go that far.
“Look inside,” Brayden insisted in my mind, as he grazed my lips with his teeth. “You are the only one who will ever know me like this.”
Closing my eyes, I pressed my forehead to his and concentrated on the images he
Brayden moved closer, the dagger in hand. “Is that what you want? What if the guardian bond isn’t enough? What if we need to consummate the relationship and be bonded fully?”
I held out my hand, palm up, ready for him to slice open my skin and get the bond started. “I just hope it doesn’t come to that. This has to be enough,” I whispered.
He winced at my words but stayed silent; even I caught myself wincing at my words as they came out of my mouth. They were harsh and cruel, and he didn’t deserve it after all he’d done. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt him when he was being nothing but sincere to me, but I didn’t know what else to do or how to feel.
Taking my hand, he held it gently in his, rubbing his thumb along my palm. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” he said sadly. My gaze immediately shot to his just as he sliced the dagger across my skin. I hissed at the pain and took a deep breath while I watched the blood absorb into my dagger.
Why was he being this way? It would be a lot easier if he didn’t say things like that. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like that, it’s just—”
“There’s no need to explain,” he murmured, handing me the glowing blade that just absorbed my Summer blood. He held out his palm and finished, “It’s probably easier this way.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, grasping his cold hand. “It is.” But I don’t think either one of us believes that.
The dagger felt warm in my hands, but when I grazed Brayden’s palm with the blade the vines on the handle started to change; they turned cold and began to ice over … literally. “Wow,” I breathed. “That’s amazing.”
Staring at each other, with bloodied palms, we both took a step forward. Breathing hard, Brayden wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, never taking his gaze from mine. “What are you doing?” I asked nervously. “I don’t think we need to be this close for it to work.”
Clasping his fingers with mine, there was only a breath of space keeping his palm from connecting and completing the bond. “No, we don’t,” he replied, “but I think it’ll make it more enjoyable.” The look in his eyes was heated, full of hundreds of emotions that I thought he would never open up and let me see. I was so enamored by his gaze that I didn’t even stop him when he lowered his lips to mine.
Groaning, he pulled me closer, and even though he was a Winter Fae, he had me melting in his arms. He deepened the kiss at the same time he closed our palms together, sealing our minds as one. My mind flooded with images and feelings, all of which were from Brayden. However, what overtook them all was the growing need I felt coming from him, from within his heart.
He grasped me tighter. I could feel my feet moving closer to the bed; being that I secretly craved his touch, I didn’t protest. Slowly, I sat down on the edge of the bed and Brayden followed by lightly covering my body with his, leaning us back across the mattress. His hunger fueled my own and it was hard to tell who was feeling what with my own warring emotions mingling with his. I could feel him growing harder between his legs, and if things weren’t so difficult I’d demand he take me. Unfortunately, it was too soon to let it go that far.
“Look inside,” Brayden insisted in my mind, as he grazed my lips with his teeth. “You are the only one who will ever know me like this.”
Closing my eyes, I pressed my forehead to his and concentrated on the images he
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