Epilogue

Warmth spread out from her center, sweet tingles slowly filtering into her sleepy mind. Dae’s lips parted with a soft moan. Wakefulness stole over her, shepherded along by a hand stroking her most sensitive parts, touch gentle yet sure. Teasing her open for the velvety tongue that followed. A soft mouth closing over her clit, eliciting a shiver to run down her spine.

Dae moaned again as the pressure increased, her core tightening as the sensations ramped up and up. The orgasm spilled over as her eyes blinked open. She clenched around the fingers curled within her, drawing out each wave of pleasure. The mouth at her center continued with its sweet teasing, gentle licks and sucking until she trembled again with a second, smaller climax. She went limp on the bed, a mewl the only form of speech she could manage.

Ezzyn kissed a path up her body until he could claim her lips. “Good morning.”

Dae stretched, letting out a long, relaxed sigh. “That was nice.”

Ezzyn rubbed his thumb over her clit, making her twitch with sensitivity. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”

“I could get used to it.” Dae paused, looking down at herself. The front ties on her night slip were undone, exposing her breasts. Of her panties there was no—

He held up one hand, the scrap of fabric twirling around a finger. “Looking for these?”

“Didn’t even wake me up,” she said, taking them.

“I’m very talented.”

“Or I should be concerned about how you’ve practiced.” Dae sat up, tossing her panties to the side of the bed.

“You don’t.” Ezzyn stretched out beside her. “But if you wanted to stake your claim over me, I’m not going to complain.”

Dae snorted. “I’m sure.”

“Not at all.”

Her fingers trailed over his chest, followed the sparse, blond trail leading down to his groin. “What was it you said about my grip? Something about a vice?”

A grunt sounded as she wrapped her fingers around his length and squeezed. “Remember how nicely I woke you,” he pleaded.

She gave him a few slow, shallow pumps with her hand. “True.” Her strokes grew longer, more firm. “It would be churlish of me not to reciprocate in kind.”

His response was cut off in a stifled curse as Dae leaned over and took him into her mouth, swallowing him down to the root. She slowly made her way back to his tip, swirling her tongue around his cockhead. Her fingers wrapped around his base, working in tandem as she bobbed up and down, humming with pleasure as his cock thickened.

“Oh, fuck, love. You spoil me,” he said, sounding breathless. Strained, as if already fighting to hold himself back.

Dae paused at the top, sucking on his tip as her other hand cupped his balls. Squeezed.

Ezzyn jerked, breath hissing through his teeth. When she took the entirety of him into her mouth again, his cock throbbed against her tongue. She settled into a rhythm, adjusting the tightness of her fingers, her lips, to the level he liked best. Added suction in a way she knew he couldn’t withstand for long.

His hips rose to meet her, his hands grabbing fistfuls of the sheets. “Anadae.”

He strained upward. Dae stayed low, her face skimming his belly as his cock pulsed, emptying into her mouth. The salty musk of him flowed over her tongue as she swallowed, the scent filling her nose as she breathed him in. Laved his cock with the broad side of her tongue as she worked back up. Pressed a kiss to the reddened flare of his head.

Ezzyn drew her down until she sprawled over his chest, arms wrapping around her. He kissed her temple, murmuring incoherent praise into her ear.

Dae giggled. “We’re going to be late.”

Ezzyn grumbled, squeezing her closer. “There’s going to be half the population of Renstown there. They’ll never notice.”

Dae tweaked his nipple, making him squawk in surprise. “It’s Auntie Yerina. They’ll notice.”

He heaved a sigh. “Fine. The things I do for you.”

She pressed her lips against his jaw. “You’re such a giver.”

“I’ll be collecting payment later.”

Dae nipped him on the shoulder before slipping out of bed.

The Mighty Leaf was packed. Sylvan might’ve been a small town, but between it and visitors from Renstown across the lake, Yerina’s normally cozy tearoom flirted on the verge of being cramped. Even with Eunny opening up the repair café for overflow, seating was a hot commodity.

“I know we’re here for the teashop, but it’s not going to look good if this place falls down during the release,” Ezzyn said, giving Song’s Scrap a critical look. Next to the festive decorations adorning the Mighty Leaf', Eunny’s repair café looked especially run down, the roof beginning to sag where it grew out from the teashop.

“Shush. This is Eunny’s baby,” Dae scolded. “She loves it.”

“Could do with showing it a bit more, eh?”

Giving Ezzyn a severe look, Dae grabbed the teashop’s front door as a server came out. What could only be described as cheerful bedlam reigned inside. Patrons filled the space, the extra servers Yerina had hired for the summer release squeezing—or making their own paths—through the crowded space. Dae and Ezzyn barely had enough time to greet Eunny before they were both pressed into service.

“Take this over to the café and keep the small ones from playing on the equipment.” Eunny shoved a heavily laden tea tray into Ezzyn’s hands.

“The small ones?” he said. “You expect me to wrangle children?”

“You have nieces and nephews.” Eunny pushed him toward the door.

“They don’t listen to me, either.” Ezzyn cast a plaintive look over his shoulder before he disappeared from view.

Dae set about filling a new tray with candied pieces of fruit and the special leaf-shaped pastries Yerina had decided on for the solstice party. “I knew the shop would be popular today, but this is unbelievable. Auntie Yerina’s tea is good, but…”

Eunny groaned. “People don’t love tea this much. They’re hoping to peep the Homegrown Hero.” She put a trio of cups onto the tray with enough force that they rattled.

“You mean…?” Dae’s eyes widened. “Ollas is here?”

Eunny’s nose wrinkled. “In the main room. Where the adoring public can feast their eyes.”

“I thought things were friendly between you two.”

Ollas Nevin had been the same year as them during their primary days. Gangly, bookish, quiet but friendly enough. Not the type one would’ve expected to become something of a hero after his small band of rangers stumbled across the camp holding Eunny’s trade delegation captive.

“It’s not the locals being a problem. There’s a big group of tourists up from Central and Ollas is too nice. I’ve already snapped at one of them. Which is why I’m back here.”

Concern replaced Dae’s humor. “Are you all right? If he’s making a big deal— If people are being nosy, I can accidentally freeze one of the shop’s pipes.”

“No, it’s fine. I appreciate it, though.” Eunny gave her a tight smile. “Outsiders just always bring it up if we’re in the same vicinity, and I’d rather not. This is Auntie Yerina’s day.”

“I’ll see if I can speed things along.”

Dae pushed into the main room with a resupply of baked goods for the front tables. She ferried trays back and forth, pausing long enough to hug Yerina and congratulate her on another excellent release. She never made it to the corner where Ollas was seated, and by her third trip, he had left the shop.

The shop remained busy despite his absence, though by late afternoon, it shop had quieted. Ezzyn hadn’t been back into the tearoom for over an hour by that point, so Dae stole into the repair café with a reserved pot of the new flowering white tea, the dried bloom unfurling in the glass teapot. She found Ezzyn sitting at a table with a few locals—and a few Sylveren folk. Vaadt was there, alongside the grovetender, Professor Rai, whom Zhenya idolized. Zhenya was there, too, the white-haired inkmaker spotting Dae and waving. The others looked up, their murmured greetings filling the air along with appeals for her to join them.

Dae started forward, eyes meeting with Ezzyn. They’d affirmed their mutual desire for a relationship, but it was, officially speaking, all of three days old. They hadn’t discussed how or when, if there was an order to such things, they were comfortable with making their romance public.

Ezzyn’s head took on a slight tilt, brows raised. An offer and a question, only for her.

She was done hiding, so sick of pretending about the wrong things.

Dae set the teapot in the center of the table. She smiled and slipped into place at Ezzyn’s side, close enough that she could lean into him. After greeting everyone, she raised her cheek to Ezzyn for a kiss. He complied without hesitation.

The table’s conversation rippled, glances exchanged. Zhenya’s eyes went wide as saucers, then she grinned.

“Did you hear? Some mundane fop on the Lower Council wants a commission to investigate tapping the ley lines here for improved power in Grae Port,” one of the locals grumped as he poured himself tea.

Eunny joined them. “Give them three days straight of rain and they’ll pack off quick enough.”

Chatter resumed, those belonging to the Valley good-naturedly disparaging the ignorance of Graelynd’s politicians.

Dae let it fill her ears, the sounds of her colleagues’ and friends’ easy conversation flowing around her. The warmth of Ezzyn’s body pressing against her, closer than anything platonic. She felt … calm—at ease, the prickle of nerves she’d had about the unknown now a distant memory, fading fast.

So, this was what acceptance felt like. The sense of belonging, that she was amongst her people. People who didn’t look at her and see her name instead of her face, didn’t value her acquaintance in terms of what she might give.

She leaned her head against Ezzyn’s shoulder and knew peace.

THE END

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