Chapter Fifty-One

THE WEEKS AFTER THE BATTLE were the most exhausting since arriving in Ambrolia. There were endless issues that needed solving, dozens of fires that had to be put out between individual Fae, and reworking the way both Kingdoms functioned. Land Fae were basically leaderless now, and even though it had never been my intention to lead more than my Kingdom, the Land Fae looked to Rune and me for guidance.

It made my chest swell with pride and love when I watched Rune take charge and lead, helping the Fae with this transition and new way of life. He provided a lot of counsel to those who struggled with moving on, relating to them due to his own previous struggles, and helped them overcome it.

Another big change was the disbanding and rebuilding of the Council of Doctrina. It was now made up of twelve members, equal parts Land and Water Fae. We put our heads together to discuss solutions and programs to help both groups of Fae with the new way of life.

There was very little time to rest, and I could hardly even think of anything else with all the necessary things going on, though there was no missing the heavy, almost tangible, cloud of grief that still blanketed everyone.

Grief for the old way of life.

Grief for those who refused to join us.

Grief for those who hadn't lived to see this new world we were building.

Telling those who had remained behind from battle—Marlow, the twins, all those unable to fight—about those who wouldn't be coming back was one of the hardest things I'd ever done. The look on the twins' faces when Alvaro sat them down to tell them how Myra wouldn't ever be joining them would stay with me forever.

And Rune …

He seemed to be using our never-ending to-do list to keep from letting the pain consume him. In moments of quiet, I could see his mind drift, the guilt settle on his shoulders, and the ache pierce deep. No matter how many times we told him it wasn't his fault, he still carried Akira's death on his shoulders. Though he seemed to try to cope with it little by little each day.

We all did.

I'd just come back up to our room after paying my nightly visit to Elias and the others who'd decided to remain against us—we'd made sections in the deep sea that functioned like dorm rooms for them—to find Rune changing out of his clothes. The balcony doors were open, and a soft breeze blew into the dimly lit room. A fire cracked in the fireplace, the glow making the silver band on Rune's finger sparkle.

"Anyone change their minds yet?" Rune asked. He finished unbuttoning his gray shirt, and the fabric hung open for me to see the entirety of his sculpted torso.

"Yes, actually," I answered, taking the crown off my head to set it on the table made for both of our crowns. "A Spider Fae asked if she could come home after I finished telling her about the habitat we'd rebuilt for Spider Fae. She couldn't believe that we'd actually taken time to restore homes and places that got destroyed in the earlier days of the war, and when I offered to show her and took her there, she asked to stay. She seemed genuine, but the representative in that community is going to keep an eye on things, just to make sure."

Rune smiled. "That's one Fae already changed. Thirty-six more to go."

"How was your day?" I ran my hands along his abdomen, up his chest, and under the fabric of the shirt on his shoulders. I pushed it down his arms, helping him shed the clothing the rest of the way.

"Productive. Worked with the Canine Fae and Water Fae on their positions in the guards and defensive unit. They're actually getting along pretty well, and Alvaro is doing a really good job with his new position as head of defense." He paused and asked, "How was Jesiah today?"

I sighed, my heart clenching at the mention of our advisor. "He's still hurting, but he managed to crack a smile at something Ardley said today. You know. He's taking it day by day like most of us."

Rune gave a solemn nod. "It's hard. Really fucking hard. But having each other, having our group, makes things easier. If I didn't have you—" He took a deep breath and ran the palm of his hand over my cheek and into my hair. His golden eyes held mine with an unmatched intensity. "I'd be so lost without you."

He leaned down to kiss me softly, and I opened myself up to the press of his lips, letting his tongue sweep inside. My body ignited with desire as his hands tugged me closer and his bare torso pressed against me. Heat unfurled low in my gut, and it spurred me to push Rune back toward the bed. He sat on the edge, gripping my waist to hold me between his legs.

"This dress is annoying," Rune growled against my lips.

His claws suddenly reached around to my front, and he grabbed the dress before shredding and ripping the fabric so that it hung off my body in tatters.

I gave an incredulous laugh and shimmied out of the garment so that I was just in my underwear. "It's getting hard to explain to Chanwoo and Disha where all my clothes keep going."

Rune smirked and nipped at my lip. "I can't help it. I love seeing my wife naked."

Our mouths collided again, and I pressed Rune down onto the mattress, climbing up to straddle his large frame. His hands coasted along my arms and down my bare back until they rested on the cheeks of my ass.

"Your panties are about to end up like your dress if you don't do something about them."

Knowing to take his warning seriously, I quickly slid off him and pulled the underwear off. Rune shifted further back onto the bed, resting on his elbows so he could watch me stand naked at his feet. His warm eyes traced every part of my bare flesh, making my nipples harden and core throb.

When his eyes finally found mine, he gave me a seductive grin. "Come sit that pretty pussy on my face."

I crawled up the bed and his body until my legs straddled either side of his head. I looked down past my breasts to where the top half of his face peeked out from between my thighs.

"Better hold onto the headboard," he advised. His hands gripped my hips firmly and pulled me down lower.

I grabbed the headboard just as his tongue traced my seam and glistened across my throbbing clit. A breathy exhale left me as his tongue circled and flicked along my most sensitive parts, sending an electrifying spark soaring up my spine.

"Fuck, you taste so good," he groaned. He punctuated his words by slapping my ass hard and sucking on the bundle of nerves.

I bit my lip and tried to keep myself from falling on him, but damn, his tongue felt so good slipping, sliding, and flicking against my sex. It curled and dragged along the tight bead at my center before plunging inside of me, licking up my dripping seam. My hips began to buck as the pleasure built inside of me, and I squeezed the headboard tightly in an effort to hold on just a little longer, to soak up that rising heat just a bit more.

"Rune," I gasped.

The lap of his tongue worked my clit again, and my legs began to quake on either side of his face.

"Rune!" I breathed out, flinging my head back as I detonated on his mouth, riding out the high of a blinding orgasm.

My hands ached from where I'd held the headboard so tightly, but I barely registered it as I shifted off Rune's face, wiggling myself further down his body. He must've taken his pants off while eating me out, because his hard member was free, and I was glad for that. As soon as I reached it, I gripped the cock and sank onto it.

I moaned at the burning fullness, pressing myself deeper onto him. Rune's eyes squeezed shut, and his head tilted back as I lifted and sank down again. I didn't let up, too hungry for him and all the sensations he made me feel. I rode him hard and fast, getting drunk on the sight of him coming undone beneath me.

Every time I saw the flare of desire or felt the way he wanted me in his touch, I found myself even more drawn to him. I loved the deep groan he let out when I moved my hips a certain way, the filthy words he whispered when he wanted me, and the way his face pinched in absolute pleasure every time he spilled himself into me. He was perfect, and he was all mine.

I felt the familiar electricity dart across my skin and straight to where I bounced up and down on Rune's cock. He gripped my hips tightly, arching his back as he came, filling me with his release. I shivered as I climaxed again, and I collapsed, resting my face under his chin.

The two of us lay there, working to catch our breath and coming down from the post-sex haze.

I placed a kiss on his chest and whispered, "I love you."

His chest rose and fell as his breathing began to even out, and his arms snaked around me to pull me closer, despite there being no room left between us. He looked down at me, and I propped my chin on his pec to meet his adoring stare. He brushed a lone finger softly over my cheek. "And I love you, Bria. More than I could ever possibly say."

The smile that took over was instant. The words were small, but their meaning was vast. Three words that encompassed hundreds of others—happiness, trust, friendship, adoration, respect, hope. They were words I'd never tire of hearing leave his lips, and I'd never get tired of returning them.

He pulled my face up to his to place another kiss on my lips. "Thank you for agreeing to be my fake girlfriend, Bria."

A nostalgic, emotional laugh brushed past my lips, and it had me glancing at the wall near our bed where we'd finally hung the painting I'd done on our first fake date—my fox and me sitting side-by-side at my creek. It was a memory from long ago, one that felt like a dream in the wake of all we'd been through since that blissful night.

That really was what started it all. What brought the two of us here. A girl, desperate to reach her dream, and a boy, eager to live a carefree life with nothing to tie him down. A human and a fox. A pair separated by much but destined for even more.

Smiling down at Rune—my fox, my best friend, my husband—I mused, "We've come a long way, huh?"

"And we still have a long way to go. More work to do. More memories to make. More to share with each other."

I wove our fingers together, our silver bands shining from the fire and the moonlight dancing around the room. "Yes, we do."

He kissed our joined hands and whispered, "Forever with you, Bria."

I beamed. "Forever with you, Rune."