CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Shock holds me in place for a moment as Taylor wraps me in a hug. I've carried her for various reasons, and we've been thrown together time and again, yet this is the first time she's come to me instead of her power tossing us together.

This feels different, even more real.

Her arms wrap around the middle of my torso, her human arms too short for her hands to meet in the middle of my back. It doesn't matter. This is the best hug of my life, full of exuberance and joy.

My arms close across her back, my greedy fingertips digging in, wanting ever more of her and her happiness.

The Moon Goddess bound us together, and she's never wrong.

I already love my bride.

Taylor beams up at me. "I did it!"

"You did." I brush a wild strand of hair from her cheek, the skin so amazingly soft against the pad of my thumb I long to touch her everywhere. What will the skin of her breasts feel like? The dewy softness of her inner thighs? Her plump lower lip?

I pull away before the evidence of my burgeoning erection can give away my thoughts.

The sprites reach us, surrounding us in a swarm of brightly colored wings and high, excited voices. "Like an elf!" "Elf magic!" "I saw her first!"

Taylor's lips twitch as she looks up at me. "Why are they so fixated on elves?"

I open my mouth, but before I can answer, the lead sprite flies between us to hover in front of my moon bound. "Elves have the higher magics! They can conjure."

"And do glamours!" another calls out.

The sprite nods. "It's magic like we don't see in Alarria."

"It's true," I say, much as I hate to admit it. "The Moon Goddess brought a handful of elves to Alarria a few centuries ago, but there've been none sense."

"Why not?"

"No one knows. Even with the power of the speaking stone, no one can understand her celestial voice." I shrug. "It matters little. For now she brings us human witches with great power."

Moon bound brides the goddess matches and marries to orcs to strengthen the magic of my people.

To strengthen me.

Recalled to my purpose, I say, "You must practice more."

Storm eats still, grazing almost sleepily. He'll probably need more time to recover. Mist humphs and stalks off, muttering about hunting, and the sprites settle onto the meadowsweet, their little faces turning to follow Taylor as if they're light-loving flowers tracking the path of the sun. I know exactly how they feel, every iota of my being attuned to her.

I walk over to where I left the supplies and set up another stake, ramming a fat toadstool on top. Taking up position behind her, I set a hand on her shoulder and call upon my magic.

She raises her hands, and the power thrumming through her makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

She really is a wonder, my bride.

We eat lunch while Storm dozes off, standing, one rear leg locked. When he comes to with a snort and a head shake, Mist says in a mocking voice, "Didn't you sleep enough already?"

He stomps the ground, the soft grass of the meadow muffling what's probably supposed to be a more percussive thump. "It's far from restful to have your entire body straining to fight off deathsleep."

"True." The feline fae dips her head, her tone serious for a change. "I meant no offense."

He offers her a grumpy humph and continues to graze.

I stand and walk over to him, patting his side before crouching to unbuckle the saddle, settling it and the saddlebags to the ground.

"I can travel," he protests.

I share a glance with Taylor, tipping my head toward Storm, looking for a way to soothe the unicorn's prickly pride.

She's clever, immediately knowing what I want. "Oh, but this meadow's so perfect for my practice. I'm finally getting somewhere with all this space to work. Can't we camp here tonight so I can keep practicing for the rest of the day?"

"That's what we'll do," I say before the unicorn can offer any protest, then shove to my feet. "I'll go get more toadstools."

Storm grumbles, "Well, if it will help you with your magic…"

"It will!" Taylor hops up and goes over to pat his neck, her fingers brushing through his mane. He settles under her touch. No one can deny my bride.

Mist looks on, her eyes sparkling with amusement, but she remains quiet about our collusion, probably happy to be in on the subterfuge. She stands and stretches her front legs out, her shoulders lowered. "It appears I'm on hunting duty again."

She pads into the forest, disappearing from view, and I follow, returning a while later with toadstools and tall stakes.

True to our words, my moon bound practices through the evening, until orange tints the sky and the slanting light of day slips from the meadow in a steady line of shadow created by the sun dipping below the western trees.

The sprites stir sleepily, their butterfly wings flapping slowly. Their diurnal nature urges them to sleep with the oncoming dark, yet they still rouse enough to cheer Taylor's every success.

And she has more and more of them as the day goes on.

Yet she still can only use her powers if I'm touching her with my own magic active.

The last toadstool explodes in a burst of red-gray, its true color faded from brightness by twilight.

Taylor lowers her hands and turns, offering me a smile. "Well, it's something, I guess."

"You got it to work three times in a row," I say.

"But only if you're touching me." A small moue of disappointment twists her lips.

Mist asks, "Why is that?"

"I'm not sure." Taylor touches her chest. "I can feel my power all the time, but it's like it's trapped in a locked box I can't open. When I feel Krivoth and how his power flows freely through him, it… it kinda releases mine or something?" She scrunches up her nose. "Or shows it how to be free?" My moon bound shakes her head. "I don't know how to explain. And I sure as hell don't know how to do it on my own yet."

"You will." I grab her shoulder and squeeze. "I know you will."

"Yeah, you're right." She grins up at me. "Never met a game I couldn't win. Not gonna start now."

I wake to the sweetest of aches in my cock. For I hold my moon bound bride.

She moved in the night, or I moved, or both. It matters little. All that matters is Taylor in my arms and pressed to my side.

Dawn light filters through the thin leather of the tent, low and dim. But it's enough for my keen sight to make out her sweet face, lips parted on soft breaths.

She stirs, her cheek rubbing back and forth against my upper arm in an unconscious movement that speaks of closeness and intimacy such as I've never known. No bed partner has ever wanted to stay—not that I cared enough for any of them to wish for it.

Not until Taylor.

Her beautiful brown eyes open, finding mine, and she licks her lips, drawing my gaze to their red promise.

I lean over slowly, giving her time to pull away. Instead, her breath hitches, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt.

Whisper light, I brush my lips over hers, groaning at their softness. They part, inviting me in, and I can wait no longer. I kiss her as slowly as I can, using all of my discipline to hold back, wanting to savor every touch, every moment. The minty flavor of tooth-cleaning berries dissolves into something uniquely her, and I'm lost in her taste.

Her small tongue teases out, ghosting over mine, and groan again as I nip her lips with my tusks, asking her to open fully. When she does, my erection surges against the confines of my leather pants, straining toward her. I pull her to me until her thigh presses against my cock.

She breaks away with a gasp. "Oh, god. This is all happening kinda soon."

"It isn't too soon," I say. With Storm awake, I'll be able to complete my quest and become a king's guard. Also, Taylor wants me. Clearly I've wooed her. It's time to tell her everything. "You're my moon bound bride."