Chapter 24

The awkward silence suffocated her. She couldn't turn to face Valda. Already she could feel her pulling away, blocking her thoughts and feelings as she left the makeshift altar.

In all honesty, Maris wasn't sure if she should stay. She knew there was much to be done and learned; to join in with her people, become one with them. To discover all the things that made her a Sealian. To hold the hands of those who fought for survival twenty years ago. To learn the deep-seated traditions, the history, to engulf herself with the foods, the songs, to rule with love and heal all the traumas they'd suffered. Even if they were born in the Sky Kingdom, all Sealians carried a collective invisible scar of what happened all those years ago.

Yet, Maris knew she couldn't do it all, and putting that much strain on her shoulders wouldn't do any good. But she needed to try, for them and for herself.

She should stay…

Returning meant falling back into the comfort of Valda's embrace, and being taken care of, to drift into the blissful love Valda's arms promised. To open her eyes and see her, to close her eyes and know she was there right next to her. That she would help with everything and anything. It was tempting, and she wanted it more than anything. If she stayed in Oberon, she could pull Dristan by his collar, sit him down, and tell him everything that needed to be fixed not only in the settlement, but also in the Sea Kingdom and have Valda help rebuild.

But then, how would it feel to finally return to the Sea Kingdom and see its beaches, the castle, and bridges all rebuilt? She couldn't do all of that alone, and as much as she wanted to stay, to reconnect, she still had other things to attend to back in the castle.

The settlement had been working fine under Eyphah. Now she would have the helping hand she had long wanted. Maris would never decide on anything before discussing it with Eyphah. She had already been a loved leader; Maris saw no reason for that to change.

If Maris left with Valda, they could coordinate all the help her people needed. If she stayed, she would have to get messengers to go to the castle. A reality that trailed her thoughts back to Eyphah. She always knew what all Sealians needed, not to mention she had the character to make her voice be heard. Maris could always let Eyphah continue in her role, but Eyphah was not the ruler.

Maris rolled her shoulders, the pressure of all the decisions yet to be made an uncomfortable weight she still wasn't used to. Decisions that would affect not only herself, but her people and her relationship with Valda.

Valda.

Even if she didn't want to admit it, Valda didn't like the idea of Maris staying. Of course, knowing Valda as much as she did, Maris knew she wouldn't object if she decided to stay. Yet, it was plain as day that she wasn't happy with that decision. How could she be? Valda had wanted nothing more than to see Maris, and now that she finally could, Maris was deciding whether to stay in New Agenor without considering Valda's feelings.

Still standing in silence, Maris stared at the trident while Valda shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She could feel Valda's discomfort deep within her chest, stirring up a storm that Maris wasn't sure she could deal with at the moment.

Rumbling deeply, Valda exited the house with Maris following close behind. Outside, surrounded by the other settlers, Eyphah talked about continuing the celebration tonight—a celebration of finding their heiress—their queen.

Maris couldn't bring herself to turn down the invitation. She promised to be there and dance with her people as she had the night before.

Valda nodded in agreement before a group of kids waved their hands at Valda and Maris. The queen looked down at them with some confusion until a shine of wonderment filled her eyes. Maris smiled as she watched Valda lower herself to greet Coljar, Lia, and Kimmi. The kids' amazement was evident, especially when they all noticed their canvas could see again. Maris thought it was adorable when they reintroduced themselves to Valda. And although Valda smiled and laughed with the kids, Maris was sure that Valda was not completely fine. The storm stirred again. They had just found each other. How could she ever leave?

"Maris?"

Maris snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look at a pair of honey-colored eyes. Valda touched her forearm when she called out to her, and Maris couldn't help but take a deep breath in as their skin touched. "I am sorry. What is it?"

"The kids and I are heading to the lakes. Do you want to come with us?" Valda asked, her free hand holding Lia's smaller one. "They told me last night they wanted to go today; I wouldn't want to keep them waiting."

Maris blinked and took a step back to look at the children's polite yet wistful smile. Before answering, Maris sighed and shrugged. "Why not?"

Coljar let out a hushed "Yes" behind Valda while Kimmi high-fived him.

She didn't want to. But she knew she needed to give Maris her space to think, even if she wanted to make the decision for her. She'd just found her, she'd only just seen her, why did she want to take that away?

It wasn't fair! But, that was not what Maris needed right now. She needed support. She needed time to think, and Valda would just give her whatever she required.

Silently confirming her decision with an internal nod, Valda removed her blouse and her slacks. She neatly folded them at the edge of the lake before slipping in her chest wraps and undergarment. The queen cringed at how incredibly cold it was. Of course, the kids were used to it, and Lia did not waste a second before she splashed her. Valda gasped at the sudden shock of cold water on her chest. She stood motionlessly; her skin prickled with tiny bumps.

Growling playfully, Valda raised Lia over her head by one of her legs before slowly dunking her into the water. Next came Coljar, who tried his best to climb over Valda. She lifted him and tossed him to the side as he squealed in delight.

Valda heard Maris's laughter behind her. It warmed her heart to know she was in a good mood despite everything. Turning her back to the kids, she found her sitting next to her clothing. "Aren't you coming in?"

"Do you want me to come in?" Maris asked with a playful tone.

"I am asking for a reason…" Valda hissed as Coljar splashed her again, this time on her back. "Maybe you can help me teach these kids a lesson."

"I think you can manage without me," Maris said, and Valda's smile faltered. Maris stuttered as if she grasped what she had just said. "I mean, I think you can dunk their heads in the water for a couple of seconds, but I can splash them from here."

Maris gathered some water from the lake into a sphere with a wrist flick before tossing it at Kimmi's head. The young girl let out a yelp before turning to look at Valda and Maris.

"See?" Maris chuckled as she created a second sphere and brought it close enough to Valda's face.

It was the first time Valda had seen Maris's gift on full display. Although it was just a simple gathering of water into a ball, Valda was impressed. She brought her hand up and touched the sphere. Chuckling to herself, her eyes drifted to Maris's smiling face. She stared at the fine lines at the corner of her eyes whenever she laughed, the scrunching of her nose.

Could Valda manage without Maris? Of course. She worked just fine before meeting her. Did she want to manage without her now?

She sighed, placed her hands on the edge of the lake, and pushed herself up to brush her mouth against Maris's. There was no need to hide her feelings for the younger woman, no need to deny who they were. Thankfully, and to Valda's relief, Maris didn't pull away. Instead, the water sphere dissolved, and the same hand that had been manipulating it brushed her cheek as Maris deepened the kiss. Her touch was loving and affectionate, which made her shudder.

"Are you cold, darling?" Maris whispered.

Valda smiled against her lips. "If I say ‘yes,' will you warm me up?"

"Then you are not cold enough." Gathering another water sphere, Maris splashed Valda's face, making her stumble back into the lake, splashing all over the kids.

As Valda hacked and blew the water from her nose, all while clearing her eyes, Maris stood and gathered Valda's clothing and dashed in the opposite direction.

That little…!Hearing the rapid footsteps, Valda climbed out of the lake, excused herself to the kids, and went after Maris. The lake area was not so big that Maris could run off and hide. There were not enough places. Yet she ran into the denser, more foliaged part of the settlement, where the large trees created a soft canopy over the water. As Valda followed in Maris's footsteps, she stumbled upon a smaller lake.

Maris was right when she called them ponds. A leaf fell from the branches above, dancing in the air until it landed perfectly in the middle. Then, as if by magic, the pond let out a soft glowing hue of blue and green, taking Valda's breath away. Valda stopped walking, ignoring the cold wind seeping into the afternoon air and her soaked underwear. Kneeling, she touched the surface of the pond, gasping as it came alive with bright colors.

Then, the air left her lungs when someone pushed her into the water. As she resurfaced, Maris's mellisonant laughter filled the air. Valda moved her dark strands away from her eyes to see Maris standing right in front of her, arms crossed and a cocky little smile on her face.

"The almighty strong queen of the Sky Kingdom was distracted by the pretty colors in the lake and couldn't see the danger behind her."

"I swear, Maris, you are playing with fire."

"Oh, not at all, darling. I am playing with water. Do you need me to do the water trick again and splash that handsome face of yours?"

Valda couldn't stay mad at Maris, not when she looked so adorable standing there, pretending to have her wrapped around her finger. She did, though, but Valda would not say it out loud, not when she was in such a precarious situation. She was in Maris's environment, and anything she did could be used against her. Yet, with a slow movement of her hand, a gust of wind blew onto Maris's back, pushing her into the pond with Valda.

When Maris resurfaced, Valda's bright smile was unapologetic and went unappreciated by Maris, who couldn't see through all the hair in her face. Valda moved the strands away with a low chuckle, cupped her cheeks, and kissed her.

If Maris was mad at her, she never showed it. Instead, she sighed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Valda's waist.

"How's that for warming you up, darling?" Maris laughed, pushing away to the edge of the pond, and getting out.

"I had another thing in mind."

"Ah, the day is young." Maris shrugged, stood up, and with the delicate movement of her hands, the water that wet her clothing and head separated from the fabric and strands before shaking it off.

Valda was mystified. She had never seen Maris openly use her power. Seeing her so comfortable was stunning. "You are absolutely beautiful. You know that, right?"

Suddenly, music sounded from deep within the settlement, and Valda watched in wonder as Maris's expression changed from teasing to elation. The younger woman bit her lower lip, following the source of the rumbling drums and high-pitched violins. Valda forgot Eyphah's words about the continuation of the celebrations. For a second, she just admired how Maris's face looked when she was excited about something.

"You want to leave?" Valda asked.

Maris nodded, her eyes going back to Valda.

Valda couldn't say no to her. She crawled out of the pond, then gave her one quick peck. "We should let the kids know we are heading back."

Maris nodded, gathering the water on Valda's skin, undergarment, and hair before shaking it off. She then handed Valda her clothes which she had hidden behind a large bush, and headed to where the kids were swimming. When they announced their playtime was over, and they were returning to the square, Kimmi, Lia, and Coljar let out an annoyed groan in unison, but agreed to leave.

It didn't take them long to return to the center of the settlement. Music poured out from the musicians' instruments as the crowd moved about, dancing and pulling those sitting down.

Maris squeezed Valda's hand, her excitement evident before they joined the dancers, unhooking their hands and mixing themself in with the Sealians.

As Valda's dance partners changed, her eyes always lingered on Maris. She found her countless times, breathless, laughing deliriously with her people.

Maris was a work of art created and presented by Athena herself. The way her hips swayed with the rhythm, like waves against a sandy shore, how her hair bounced with each spin, like droplets of dew on calm waters. Her smile could light up an entire galaxy like the birth of a brand-new sun, and all Valda wanted was to be around that gorgeous star and feed off its light.

Maris twirled from person to person until she was back in Valda"s embrace, and gods, she smelled so good, felt so right, looked so gorgeous. And she was all hers… Maris was all hers. She belonged with Valda, whether it was here, in the Sea Kingdom, or back in Oberon Castle. And that knowledge tightened Valda's grip on Maris's waist enough to make the younger woman halt her dancing and look into Valda's adoring eyes.

As excited as the Sealians were to have their ruler among them, they felt the intimacy of the encounter was too much to break. So, in a silent common agreement, no one dared to separate them during what was left of the night.

The music dissolved into the night's air and starry sky. The bodies dancing around them misted away until all that remained was them—Maris and her soft hands, and that small crinkle of her nose, as she smiled, the fire in her eyes and the warmth of her body pressed to Valda's.

She couldn't pull away, not when she finally had Maris, not when everything was falling into place.

"Come."

The command came in a whisper that only Maris could hear. Valda snatched Maris's hand as they slipped away from the multitude and headed to House of Arago. The short distance was enough to ignite fiery anticipation within Valda, her hands trembling with a need to bury her fingers into Maris's hair and taste her lips.

And that was exactly what she did the second the door closed behind her. She fisted blue curls as she pulled the shorter woman into her towering form, tilting her head back and crashing her lips over Maris's slightly parted ones. The rasping groan that escaped Valda rolled through her chest to Maris. Releasing her hair, Valda's hands trekked over the tunic's fabric, untying the strings at the neck. The desire to undo Maris's clothing was just as sweltering as the one to taste her. Her mouth was dry, and she needed to quench her thirst.

Yet, as Valda moved away from the kiss, Maris jerked at her button blouse. With a flick of her wrist, Maris undid the blouse, buttons flying and clattering quietly on the wooden floor. Seconds later, restless hands spread over Valda's damp skin, pulling at her and egging her on with soft caresses.

Valda grasped Maris's jaw with a desperate snarl, pulling her face back to devour her trembling lips. Hungry moans rattled her as she plunged her tongue inside Maris's awaiting mouth. The young woman shuddered, and Valda could only watch as Maris's face furrowed with frustration.

"What is it? Tell me," Valda asked as she kissed her lover again, silencing the answer to her question in a burning caress.

Pulling away and putting some distance between them, Maris looked up at Valda. She wrapped her arms around Valda's shoulders, their foreheads touching. "You, I want you now," she said breathlessly, her eyes hooding as she locked their gazes.

Valda's eyes bore into Maris's. The intensity and need to capture every single detail of her lover was maddening. Valda tugged Maris to her chest, then squatted enough to pick her up, an arm across her back and another under her knees. Valda lifted her with ease, secured her, and walked up the stairs, two steps at a time. The door to the main room was open, and Valda thanked Ouranos for allowing her to keep visual contact with the woman in her arms because if she had to settle Maris down to open the door, she would crumble into a fine dust.

As Valda moved her gaze away from Maris's face to focus on the bed before her, Maris's hands brushed over her cheek, pulling her face back. Valda noticed as she wet her lips and opened her mouth to speak, but Maris's eyes lingered on Valda's own before looking down at her parted lips.

"I want you." Maris's voice washed over Valda's skin, pricking it in the process.

Valda sighed and gave Maris an intense kiss, her teeth scoring her lower lip, tightening her grasp before Valda settled her on the bed. Valda's rough hands moved to the edge of Maris's pants, pulling them enough to move Maris's body to the edge of the bed. Her blouse came next, and without a sliver of self-control, Valda yanked the yellow tunic over her head and threw it somewhere on the floor.

Not breaking eye contact, Valda slipped her own ruined blouse from her arms, standing on her feet instead of her knees. Maris trembled with need. Valda could see the prickled skin, the warm red color on her cheeks, chest, and neck. She saw the hooded eyes looking up at her, Maris"s slender violinist's hand move to trace over a taut nipple, over her soft stomach, blue mound, and finally spread her folds.

Valda fell on her knees as she stared at the glistening pink skin of Maris's pussy. Her mouth hung open in a permanent whimper, her mind unable to form any kind of thought. Maris's fingers lingered, spreading more for Valda's hungry gaze, her index finger moving to gather the wetness at the opening to rub against the sensitive nub.

Valda groaned, her hands forming fists at the edge of the bed, right next to Maris's spread thighs. "Perfection," she whispered, leaning close enough to brush her lips against the heated skin of her lover's inner thighs. "You are pure perfection, a queen, a goddess."

Valda sealed the words with an open mouth kiss to the junction of Maris's thighs, earning a surprised gasp. As she moved to worship Maris's skin, the younger woman slammed her legs shut, trapping her fingers.

Her lover was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling as if struggling to keep herself at bay. Valda tried to calm her, her callused hands trekking over her calves, then her knees, and finally her waist. She propped herself on one foot to look down at her.

A lovely shade of red painted Maris's face, her lips parted, sucking in air, panting. Valda tilted her head in silent question. Maris's free hand cupped Valda's face, her thumb rubbing her lower lip before she spoke.

"Valda," she whispered against her mouth, breathing her own air. "I want you to use it."

Valda's mind was so clouded with need that she didn't quite register what her lover was saying. It wasn't until Maris's eyes shot to their belongings on the other side of the room that Valda understood what she meant.

"I want you to fuck me with it."

Valda kept her eager nod to a simple dip of her chin. She grasped Maris's jaw, pulled her face back, and kissed her fiercely.

"Get yourself ready for me," Valda rasped, releasing Maris, dipping her own fingers down Maris's thighs and over her delicate fingers. "I want to see you touching yourself." The command came in the form of a whisper upon Maris's ear.

Goosebumps decorated soft skin as Maris's exposed nipples hardened. Valda had to peel away from her, almost painfully. She wanted nothing more than to feel the heated skin on hers, to kiss and worship the valley of her breast, kiss and lick the columns of that pretty and delicate neck, and watch as her breathing became labored.

With a heavy grunt, Valda pushed herself away from Maris, almost stumbling when she tried to keep her eyes locked with the younger woman on her way to the other side of the room. Turning her back away, Valda raided their packs until she found what she was looking for. Valda pivoted back to Maris, struggling with what remained of her clothing. It didn't take long until she was bare, slipping the toy through her drenched entrance, and going back to the bed.

As she moved to the foot of the bed, Valda took in all the details she hadn't been able to see in the past while stroking the thick cock.

Maris lay before her, legs slowly spreading, revealing herself. Her fingers rubbed soft circles over her sensitive bud before dipping back to the entrance to gather more wetness. Valda stared, her chest heaving as the scent of Maris's arousal scorched her lungs. She could almost taste her.

Suddenly, Maris moved her hand, giving Valda a glimpse of her, of how wet and glistening she was because of her. Her.

The younger woman's stomach moved with each deep breath, her chest swaying slightly as she inhaled. The blue hair rested on the white sheets as a halo adorning its goddess. Valda's mouth was dry, and her hands trembled with a final tug to the cock.

Maris whimpered and raised her head to look down at Valda, her brow furrowed with confusion. Valda relished that look. She knew what Maris wanted, but damn it, she wanted to enjoy this more than anything in her existence.

"Let's see if you are truly ready," Valda whispered, grasping thick thighs, and spreading them wider.

"I am, please. Valda."

Valda hushed her, her lips caressing the softness of Maris's stomach, right underneath the dip of her belly button. "Let me make sure, Seashell."

Gripping Maris's wrist, she withdrew the woman's hands from her folds, wetness glistening on the Sealian's fingertips. Languidly, Valda ran her tongue over the coated digits, her eyes rolling back as Maris's taste invaded her mouth. A dark, guttural groan exploded from deep within Valda's chest as she released Maris and grasped her large hands on her hips.

"I want more," she announced, pressing her broad tongue to Maris's opening.

Maris grasped her black locks, scratching Valda's scalp firmly. Valda's eyes were open, watching as the woman she adored writhed underneath her tongue's relentless strokes. Maris squirmed, her hips moving to find that sweet spot that made her come. Valda knew what she was doing, so she pulled back. The angry hiss emanating from Maris made Valda's heart miss a beat. How could she hold Valda's entire life with just a gaze from those blue eyes?

"Stop teasing," Maris groaned, her hand still tangled in Valda's hair.

"I am not. I am just looking at you," Valda whispered, pressing her slick lips to Maris's thigh. "Let me see how you look when you are desperate to get fucked."

"Valda," Maris breathed a warning, her fingers tightening.

Her eyes bore into Maris's, locking her in place, trapping her under the fire of her gaze. "Begging?"

"I am not begging. I am giving you an order." A playful curve appeared on Maris's brow and mouth, and Valda groaned at the intensity of her expression.

The Maris she had first met wouldn't even dare to say something like that. To order the queen to do as she will? Valda would not have that.

Valda blew out a growly breath before clamping her hands harshly on Maris's waist, pulling her closer to her.

"You are not ordering me," she rasped over Maris's ear. "I am ordering you."

She hissed as she kissed Maris's opening with the toy's head. With a swift jerk of the hips, the first inches slipped inside. Valda could feel her lover's strength slipping out of her body.

They both froze, Valda adjusting to the sensation, while Maris gripped the bed sheets tightly.

Valda had already engraved the feeling of Maris's body into her mind and senses. Yet, seeing the way she rippled underneath her almost sent her into a frenzy. "Now, I want you to use that little mouth of yours. Let the settlement know who you belong to."

The harrowingly slow thrust got Valda the intended reaction from her lover. Maris's mouth hung open as a breathy groan released from her throat. Valda couldn't help but kiss the corner of her mouth, her hand firmly clutching her neck as she pushed in further. Maris's walls were warm, silky, wet, and deliciously tight.

As much as Valda wanted to close her eyes, to fill herself with the sensation of her skin on hers, she kept them open. Leaning over Maris, she took in the way plump and ravaged lips parted, the soft droplets of sweat formed over Maris's brows and how they slowly sluiced down her neck and chest. Squeezing her tighter, Valda grasped Maris's waist. The hand on her neck moved closer to her lips. She watched that tiny tongue flick the tip of her index fingers, and her thrust faltered. How could this woman have such control over her? How was this possible?

"Fuck!" Maris cried out, one hand moving to scratch Valda's forearm. "Harder, Valda, please."

There it was! The begging! Valda sighed, her face pressing to Maris's shoulder as she went harder and faster. She wanted to hear her, she wanted to feel her shuddering as Maris lost control of her senses, but above all, she wanted to see her squeeze the cock and watch how she came all over it.

"That's it. Let it go, let them know." She sharpened her thrusts, their skin slapping against each other as the sound echoed inside the bedroom chamber, seeping into the cracks of the old wood and out the windows. "Let them know their queen is being fucked by me."

Maris's grip tightened on Valda's hair. Her body bounced against each hard slap of Valda. She burned the image of Maris in her mind, her large hands cupped and groped Maris's chest. Her fingers pinched taut nipples, earning another cry from the Sealian.

Maris was a gift, and if Valda had to lose her vision again, if she had to go another second without seeing this woman, without touching her, feeling her, kissing her, filling her mouth with her taste, Valda would rather be put to death.

With a huff, Valda wrapped her strong arms around Maris, her soaring lips kissing her underneath her earlobe as she unapologetically thrust into her over and over again.

"Valda!" Maris cried out.

The queen's name was the most beautiful song coming from her mouth. Valda couldn't get enough. She would never have enough. If the gods allowed it, she would fuck and taste Maris every single night, every single morning.

Oh, to wake her up with her tongue, to have her writhe underneath her in the evening. How many times had she imagined this sight when she was blind?! Her expectations drastically paled at such a delightful view. The Elysian Fields were no comparison to the paradise of Maris's body.

And it was all hers to take, every day, every hour, every second.

Valda sighed. Her gaze roamed in complete awe and reverence. The thin sheen of sweat coating Maris's body made her glow like the goddess she was. Valda's took her in, her hair the color of the sea, her hooded eyes that locked with hers for just an instant, her plump parted lips, the sweat sluicing off her body, her tits…

Releasing her tight grip on Maris's waist, Valda slipped her hands to grope them yet again, to hold them as she moved, but she wanted to see more, to take in more. She looked at the rolls of her stomach, so soft and delicious, and finally how her cunt spread out to take in Valda's cock. It was so slick, and Maris was so gorgeously pink and wet.

Valda made a quick mental note to send a thank you correspondence to Kayden when they returned to the castle.

"You are taking it so well, Seashell."

Of course, she was. Maris was pure perfection. There was nothing she could do wrong.

"Valda." Maris reached with one hand, cupping Valda's face, and reeled her in for a kiss.

For a second, Valda closed her eyes as the softness and warmth of Maris's hands seeped into her skin while her tongue found its way into the younger woman's mouth. Valda mimicked her thrusts with her tongue, her arms hooking under Maris as she held her still, her movements never slowing, not until Maris was a mess underneath her.

And then, Maris pulled away, clutched Valda's face, and opened her mouth to talk. The young woman fought her own body as she tried to voice what she was aching to say. "I am not leaving you," Maris whispered.

Valda's breath exploded in her chest. "You are not."

"I am not," Maris repeated, her voice broken and heated. "I am not, I'm not, I love you so much."

"You are not leaving me," Valda rasped, a knot burning in her throat as a shadow of distress painted on Maris's face.

"I can't, I won't." Maris exhaled a sharp breath, throwing her head back in pleasure, the soft yet sharp lines of her neck standing out for Valda's burning eyes.

Valda took it as an invitation and planted soft, wet, open-mouth kisses to the delicate flesh, her rhythm never faltering, steady as she helped Maris reach that peak she was looking for. With a strangled cry, Maris arched, her large breast pushing into Valda's smaller ones. She tensed underneath Valda, her mouth open in a silenced scream until an earth-shattering moan escaped her.

Valda watched in bewilderment, her own orgasm hit her, roughly, desperately. She held Maris steady, rubbing and easing the cock in and out softly, coaxing more tremors from her mate until her small hands gripped her wrist.

Valda was almost in a trance as she took in all she could of the woman beneath her, and yet it wasn't enough. She needed more.

She needed to make her come again.

Maris could only see white stars. She could barely move from the strain in her body but the heavy body on top of her. She closed her eyes the second she felt Valda kiss her neck, her collarbone, between her breasts. She heard her shuffle around, and then something hit the ground with an audible thwap. Valda's caresses sent a jolt of electricity through her. Her skin came alive with goosebumps as Valda's tongue swirled around her left nipple before groaning in satisfaction as she took all of it into her hot mouth.

"Darling…" Maris called out to her, her hand finding the base of her head. "Wait."

"I want more," Valda whispered as she made a hot trail of open-mouth kisses down Maris's stomach. "I need more."

Absent-mindedly and on instinct, Maris spread her legs for her lover, who settled on her knees on the ground and pressed her mouth hungrily against her pussy.

"Valda, wait, please."

Valda stopped, and Maris's breath was snatched by the way Valda's honey-colored gaze snapped to hers. Valda had no business being this attractive, with her tousled hair and lips wet with Maris's slick. Maris was enthralled by the way the other woman looked at her. She never thought she would grow addicted to the way those eyes worshiped her entire being, as if there was nothing else but her.

Maris's throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. She reached with her hand, silently begging Valda to lay next to her. She did, no questions asked, and Maris couldn't help but kiss those taut and wide shoulders as she settled by her side.

"I mean it," Maris whispered, her lips tasting the sweat on Valda's skin. "I am not leaving you."

Valda sighed and got comfortable enough to pull Maris over her. She snatched the bed sheets and covered their nakedness before looking down at Maris. "If you have to—"

"No. I am going back with you to Oberon castle. We will sit down and make a plan. My people will get the help they need, but only if we work together. They are safe here. Eyphah has made her life's goal to keep them safe, and I am sure she will continue doing so as we get to work."

Valda nodded. Still dark with lust, her face softened. "We can get started right away. I will give the announcement to lower the taxes, give them the things they need… As soon as we get back, we will meet with Dristan."

"When can we leave?"

Valda let out a breathy laugh. "We can leave first thing in the morning tomorrow, if that's what you wish."

Maris sighed, pressed her forehead to Valda's collarbone, and nodded. She didn't want to waste a second. She wanted to fix everything. If she could fix everything with a snap of her fingers, she would. As the exhilaration of her orgasms settled, rough hands played with her hair, tilting her head back enough to find honey-colored eyes burning with a yet-to-be-extinguished fire. Heat settled in Maris's lower belly again, as Valda's grin spread wider.

"Give me one more, and I will let you rest…"