39. Elianna

Chapter thirty-nine

Elianna

A week had passed since we returned from The Elora Isles, and all hands were on deck. The courthouse in the heart of Anerys became our war chamber for devising battle strategies, where we spent most of our time if we weren’t out in the fields training with the men.

I stood before the table that lay in the center of our space, which had been expertly carved from stone that served as a map of the realm—a true map—one that included all landmarks on this side of the Ezranian Mountains. My eyes drifted over the crevices engraved into it, representing every mountain, city, and forest that lay between the mortal lands and that of the fae.

Streams of sunlight filtered through the chamber’s windows, illuminating the intricate patterns carved before me.

Jace had strategically placed colored markers throughout the replica of the realm, each representing a battalion under our command that was ready to move at a moment's notice. Every point and potential route was meticulously planned, turning the unique table into a chessboard of war where each move held consequences .

My hand reached over the stone, tracing the lines with my fingertips. A flurry of thoughts and strategies raced through my mind as I carefully assessed the cost of each decision we would be forced to make from here on out. My thoughts were a whirlwind of doubt and determination—a constant storm raging within me.

A vivid map materialized in my mind, not of the battlefields, but of the faces of those whose lives rested on the choices we made—the soldiers who placed their trust in both me and my mate to lead them to victory.

My chest rose and fell beneath the weight of guilt and responsibility. I was constantly haunted by the knowledge that, in the end, lives would be lost and families would be broken, no matter how fiercely we fought.

The door behind me creaked open, followed by slow footsteps. His scent enveloped me the moment the air wafted in my direction—a scent I had become addicted to—cedarwood and embers with clashing steel.

“There she is.” His voice drifted to me, wrapping around me like a warm embrace.

I turned to face my mate and placed my hands on the table’s edge as I leaned into it from behind. “You found me.”

“If you were looking to not be caught, somewhere we don’t spend hours every day would have been wiser, my Lia.”

I chuckled softly. “It’s not that.” I turned and looked at the stone map once more. “I just want to make sure we go through every possible outcome. I don’t want to be in a position we can’t get out of. She can’t win. Not again. We need to start preparing our troops to march south, even if we need to take it slow to avoid as much exhaustion as possible.” My hand balled into a fist as it rested atop the table.

Jace gave me a dip of his chin and approached me slowly. He lifted his hand and gently gripped my chin between two of his fingers, tilting my gaze to his. Hazel eyes locked me in a trance as they bore into my own.

“She won’t win.” My lips tilted in a soft smile at his words. “This war has only one way it will end, and that is with you sitting on that throne.”

He pressed his lips to mine, and it took my breath away. No matter how much time we spent together, it would never be enough. There was nothing my mind or body craved more than him .

The moment the warmth of his lips left my own, I was flooded with a sense of emptiness—feeling insatiable by his touch. His warm breath tickled my lips as his mouth hovered dangerously close to mine.

“You’re a tease,” I hissed, and he let out a breathy chuckle that threatened to make my knees go weak. “What good is a mate if you don’t have time to enjoy one another?”

“I will make that time. Always,” he stated before he claimed my mouth in a demanding kiss that sent a rush of heat between my thighs.

I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, and he responded by spinning us impossibly fast and guiding my back down onto the table beneath me—the carved crevices of the mountain peaks dug into my skin, forcing a gasp out of me .

I reached down to unbuckle the belt of his pants, but he caught my wrists, stopping me and leaving me snarling in aggravation.

Our mouths collided once more in a deep, needy kiss as he took my wrists in his hand and secured them above my head. In tandem, his other hand worked to unbutton the front of my shirt, exposing the peaks of my breasts as the fabric fell to the side.

“I stand by the tease statement,” I growled.

“Who’s teasing?”

His tongue trailed up my neck, and he took the tip of my ear gently between his teeth as he captured one of my nipples between two of his fingers, squeezing them in the most delicious taunt.

“Jace!” I gasped as my core liquified from the heat now pulsing through my body.

Hovering over me, he had one knee propped on the table while his other leg remained planted on the ground. He held his bottom lip between his teeth as he stared down at me beneath him.

His eyes desperately roamed over me as our deep panting filled the air. “You are exquisite. And you are mine .”

“Always,” I whispered.

His eyes flared as our word left me—the word I had continuously used with him. Because it was all that would ever matter. He and I together— always .

That was all it took to unleash him.

His mouth was all over me—everywhere at once, holding me in place beneath him as he roamed and explored every inch of me with his tongue. Tracing it down my lips, throat, and breasts until it reached my core.

“If I release your hands, you must promise that you will behave,” he growled, sending a shiver up my spine.

“You, of all people, should know that I never make such promises.”

“That’s my girl,” he cooed.

Jace released my wrists, and his hand flew to my pants, unbuttoning them in an undeniable, hurried need. He ripped my pants down my legs, dragging my body slightly down the table with it, and I ignored the scraping that dug into my back from the stone beneath me—the pain of it only added to the pleasure.

Before I could grasp what he was up to, his arms spread my legs wide, putting me on display for him as his mouth secured my center in the same breath.

A sound that was half moaning, half gasping left me, as he started to devour me. Sliding a finger into me, his tongue lapped at my pussy, working me like I was the best thing he ever tasted, or as if he were savoring his last meal.

It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

My hands gripped the waves in his thick hair and then moved down to explore his skin. Another flick of his tongue sent my nails digging into his shoulder blades.

More desperate moans escaped me, bouncing off the walls of our war chamber as his touch became more frenzied.

My entire body felt as if it would burst into flames and my arms, on instinct, sprawled out at my sides, wiping away all the markers we had placed for our army .

His movements faltered at the sound of the pieces crashing to the floor.

“Don’t you dare stop,” I panted.

Jace took that as his cue to ravage me, expertly flicking his tongue as he added another finger, drawing out every last bit of pleasure from my body. He curled them perfectly inside of me and my thighs locked around his shoulders, holding him in place.

My breathing turned heavier as my nipples and core tightened. Feeling as if I had no control over my body, I gripped his arms, digging my nails into his skin as release was ravaging every single one of my senses.

One last flick of his tongue sent me in a spiral, and it felt as if my body had ignited in a liquid inferno.

“Oh, gods!” I gasped out as my back arched off the table, riding my orgasm out on his fingers as his movements slowed perfectly. As he touched me, he read my body’s reactions as if they were a novel he had memorized every word to—every page turn and scene.

As the feeling of ecstasy slowly subsided, I came to—the only sound that filled the room was my panting as I worked to catch my breath.

Jace pulled himself to his feet and then crawled up the table I remained sprawled out on, lying next to me, and ignoring the fact that we just destroyed our, very strategically placed, battle layout.

My neck pivoted to face him as he watched me intently. His eyes exuded nothing but love, but his grin was wicked .

A smile tilted my lips as I began to giggle. “You denied me what is mine ,” I joked as my eyes flicked down to the bulge in his pants.

“Forgive me, my queen.” He kissed the tip of my nose, and it made my heart flutter. “I just wanted to provide you a gift.”

He sat up and jumped down from the table, offering his hand to me and heaving me up with him. My spine ached as the feeling of the carved table left my skin. As I moved to button my shirt, he pushed my hands away and carefully did it for me.

I watched him as a smirk crept up my face. “What are you up to?”

Suddenly, the door swung open, and I nearly leapt out of my skin as I quickly worked to pull my pants back on.

By the time I looked up, Veli stood in the doorway, crossing her arms.

“Ever heard of knocking?!” I gasped, but it ended with a laugh. “On second thought, nobody here has, apparently,” I huffed as my memory flashed to Gage doing the same to us after my first night in Ellecaster.

Her fuchsia eyes roamed over me, and then Jace. “Last I checked, the war strategy room in the city’s courthouse did not require a knock when I am one of the few with a key.” She held it up and then pocketed it in her cloak.

My eyes flew to my mate to see that his cheeks had flushed, yet his wicked grin remained.

“Very well,” I offered. “Is something wrong? ”

“I believe it’s time we had a serious discussion regarding your siblings and their roles in the final stages of this war,” she answered.