5. Evrin

"Let me get this straight, metal doesn"t occur naturally in the swamp. And since the orcs in the mountains refused to trade with you, you had to enter human territory?" Ivy repeats my explanation just to make sure that she understands. My lips turn upwards. Humans sure like to talk a lot. It"s not that I"m complaining; I could listen to her voice for the rest of my life.

My mind quickly turns to a dark place. "That is if she wants to mate with you." My heart aches at the thought. No, there's no time for that. All that matters now is setting up camp for the night.

"Yes. You got it," I respond as I scope out an area that will do well enough for the evening.

"I didn"t even know there were orcs in the mountains. To be fair, I"ve never even seen the mountainscape."

"You"ve never seen the mountains?" I ask, perplexed.

"Nope." She shakes her head. "I"ve heard about the mountain range from travelers passing by my village, but the northlands are volatile and inhospitable. My people are worried about the swamps."

"Ah yes, you never know what could happen. A big green orc could come and steal you out of your home," I tease, and she slaps me on my arm. Her nose scrunches up, and I have an overwhelming desire to kiss it. But I keep my hands and lips to myself.

"I guess it isn"t all that surprising. The mountains are only accessible through the swamps up north."

"So the mountains don"t border human lands…" she ponders out loud.

"Exactly. At least the mountain that is occupied by the Zalk."

"The Zalk?"

"An orc clan that lives up the mountains. They are…different from us."

"How so?" She looks up at me with her big brown eyes, and I never want her to stop asking me these questions. Her curiosity is endless. Earlier she asked every possible question about my family. My sister Celia and her mate Olgk. My mother, Jali. It"s been so long since I"ve seen them. Until talking to Ivy about them, I hadn"t realized how much I truly missed them. By the gods, they will love her. The last time I heard any news from the village, my sister had three kits, all presumably males.

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts away from all the precious moments I"ve missed. Ivy thinks our people"s traditions are cruel, and they wouldn"t disagree. Being an outcast isn"t about being kind; it"s about survival, something we"ve tried to explain to the Zalk many times.

"Well, for starters, they aren"t green."

"Not green? How is that possible?" Ivy is so enthralled in her quest for knowledge that she"s just been following me around in circles while I prep our camp for the evening.

"Not green," I chuckle. "They are white. All those years living on the mountain, they"ve adapted to blend in with the surroundings. I suppose it is the same explanation for why we are green."

"Fascinating," she whispers. "Is that all?"

"No…" I press my lips together hard enough that my tusks protrude into my cheeks. I don"t wish to speak ill about our brethren. But over the years, they"ve become fanatics.

"They don"t agree with sending males away from their clan."

"Well, I guess that"s understandable. It is fairly...harsh." I notice that she chooses her words carefully. I already know how she feels about my clan"s practice, but I appreciate her attempt to hold back in case it upsets me.

"It"s not exactly that. You see, they only had an issue with our practice when a male from my clan, Kal, mated and married a human female."

"There are other human females?" She grabs my arm and squeezes tightly.

"Yes, well, just the one. She gave birth to twin girls recently. It"s brought a lot of needed hope back to my people," I explain, but she doesn"t let go of her tight grip on my arm.

Ah, she is most interested in Kal"s mate, Riva. I don"t know much about her, other than he caught her in one of his animal traps.

"He stole her too?" She raises an eyebrow.

"We orcs are not very subtle when we want something?" I wince.

"That"s the understatement of the century." Ivy rolls her eyes but lets me out of her super grasp.

"Okay, so they don"t like interbreeding, got it." She wrings her hands nervously.

"The Zalks are the only ones who feel this way, though. My people love and accept Riva just like they will accept you." My reassurance seems to ease some of her tension.

"Why have we stopped?" She finally realizes we have been looping around in circles in the same open patch of moss.

"It took you long enough," I mutter. "I need to get a hammock set up and a fire going before nightfall and the temperature drops."

"So this is where we are sleeping?" She looks around with uncertainty. I like this about as much as she does, but we have little choice in the matter.

"Hey, look at me." My voice grabs her attention and he stops surveying our surroundings to look up at me. "I"ll make sure you are safe. Don"t worry. Nothing will get to you."

Ivy lets out a breath of relief. That solidifies it. I need this hammock strung up immediately so I can wrap her in my arms.

"Do you need help with anything?" she asks.

My female is too stubborn for me to say no, that much I know. She wants to feel useful, so let her be useful.

"We need to make a fire. I have some dry felt in my rucksack, but we need peat. There is some over—"

"I know what peat is," Ivy cuts me off and saunters over to the area I was pointing at. She moseys around, trying her best to pretend like she knows what she"s doing. I can"t help but chuckle as she bends down and starts scooping up mud.

"What"s so funny over there?" She scorns me.

"Nothing, nothing. It"s just that mud doesn"t burn very well."

"I know that. I was just…." She flails for an excuse. "Feeling it. It feels nice."

"Does it?"

"Mhm," she states stubbornly and rubs the mud between her fingers.

I shake my head and can"t help the smile that grows across my face. I"m the luckiest male alive. I focus on hanging the hammock between two trees while Ivy pretends like she likes playing in the mud.

"Ah—ha! I found it!" Ivy declares proudly, but as I turn around, I see something truly horrific.

"Ivy, get away from the water!" I scream, but it"s too late.

"What?" She stands there, too innocent for her own good as an alligator creeps up the bend.

Ivy screams as the monster lashes out to grab her leg. Luckily, it misses, but she is caught off balance. She is falling backwards and into the—no.

Before I can register everything that is happening, I"ve drawn my sword from my back, and I"m sprinting towards the beast. I hear a splash as Ivy makes contact with the water, and I lunge forward with pure fury. I must protect my mate.

My blade pierces the alligator"s top jaw, and with all my might, I drive my sword all the way through the creature"s head.

"Ivy!" I scream, leaving the dead beast nailed to the swamp floor. It doesn"t matter. There could be more. They could have already gotten her. Fuck, where is she?

She resurfaces, coughing, and I sprint into the bog, disregarding my own safety. We are sitting ducks waiting to be a different creature"s next meal. There are more than just alligators in these waters.

"Evrin!" Ivy screams my name like a prayer, and I can feel my heart shattering into a million pieces. I finally reach her, and she grabs onto me with desperation.

"I"ve got you. I"ve got you," I repeat the words over and over again for her sake and mine. I drag both of our now soaking bodies out of the water far enough on the land that nothing can sneak up on us.

Ivy continues to cough, desperate to get air back into her lungs.

"Are you okay?" I turn her over, examining every inch of her body.

"I"m sorry, I"m sorry," she repeatedly apologizes.

"Ivy, you have nothing to be sorry for. I failed you. Fuck…I should"ve never asked you to get that peat," I reprimand myself. I"m disgusted. How could I be so foolish?

"B-but I did find it, didn"t I?" Her taunt takes me by surprise. She almost got eaten by an alligator, and she is making jokes?

I let out a chuckle in disbelief. "You infuriating female," I growl, and she gives me a wide grin. I can"t help but kiss her. A moment of desperation and fear now quickly turns into passion. She doesn"t hesitate to reciprocate. Her mouth is soft and welcoming. She teases my tongue with her own, almost like she is inviting me in. I let out another growl, but this time, it"s a lot more threatening. Ivy doesn"t know what she is starting. I can"t trust myself around her. I"m afraid we are going to begin something that I demand we finish.

I let my mind wander back to a few moments ago, the alligator lunging forward and Ivy falling into the water. Those awful memories allow me to gain the strength to pull away from her embrace. But as I pull away, she lets out a little whimper. By the gods, give me the fucking strength to make it through the night.

"You will freeze if I don"t set up a fire."

"It"s not even that cold," she bemoans.

"That"s because the sun hasn"t completely set."

I rise to my feet and collect the peat that Ivy dropped before she was attacked. My eyes don"t leave her sight as she sits in her soaking white gown. Shame washes over me. She deserves better. A mate that wouldn"t drag her through this fucking swamp.

I carry the peat over and set it in a small pile next to her. Her teeth chatter loudly, and I"m frantic to start the fire.

"Hand me the felt out of my rucksack."

"P-please," she chatters.

"What?" I ask, confused. I look over to her, and despite her wet state, she is giving me a crooked smile. She is teasing me once more.

"You didn"t say please." She tightens her arms around herself, "Hand me the felt out of my rucksack, please," she emphasizes the last word.

Some tension releases in my shoulders at her joking.

"Ah, yes. Can you hand me the felt out of my rucksack, please?" I ask.

"Of course I can," she says with a smile.

I can"t help the laugh that escapes past my tusks. Ivy similarly wears a smile on her face. Things just feel so easy between us. I"m desperate to make this feeling last forever.

"I apologize for my lack of manners. It"s been a while since I"ve had a conversation with well…anyone," I try to convey some kind of explanation. As much as I adore Ivy, conversations don"t come easily to me. Maybe it"s an orc thing.

Ivy rummages through the bag as she responds, "If it makes you feel better, the most company I have had the past four years was with my uncle. And well…you"ve met him."

My heart sinks at her confession and anger laces my veins. I was never a very social orc, but it"s clear Ivy is most definitely a social human.

I make a mental note to seek out Kal on her behalf. That is if she decides to take me as her bridegroom. His human mate might make an excellent companion for Ivy.

"What are these?" Ivy asks as she pulls out a napkin of swamp berries. "Sweet berries!" she squeals.

"Is that what humans call them? We call them swamp berries," I chuckle.

"Well…that"s what I call them. I don"t think many humans even know they exist. They are too close to the swamp," she muses. "I make the best ointment with these!" she declares proudly.

"Ointment?" I ask surprised, "you don"t…eat them?"

"Sometimes." She giggles, "but I used them mostly for my uncle's hangovers. Turns out these"—she studies the round blue fruit—"are pretty good at numbing pain."

I try my best to ignore the comment about her worthless uncle, "Really? Orcs just use it to make sweet treats. Not to gloat, but I make the best pies."

"Do you?" She is clearly surprised. "I did not peg you as a baker."

"And why not?" I feign offense.

"I"m just picturing you, a big hulking orc, using your hands for something so delicate," she giggles.

"What can I say? These fingers are very talented." I wiggle them in front of her.

"I bet they are." Ivy"s tone drops an octave as she bites her lip. I suddenly get a whiff of her arousal, and my cock immediately hardens. I"m close to letting out a groan when I take in her current state once more. Water droplets drip to the ground, and goosebumps cover her body.

"Fucking her would be the best way to warm her up," something in my brain whispers to me. But I shake away the thought. Not until she accepts me. And while she is clearly turned on, that doesn"t mean she wants to take it any further.

As if she read my mind, Ivy clears her throat and refocuses her attention to finding the felt. But instead she pulls out another napkin-wrapped item.

"What"s this?" Ivy muses as she begins unwrapping. Fuck. The dagger I made her. That was supposed to be a surprise after we were mated.

"Nothing—" I try to reach over, but she had already revealed it. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"By the gods, it"s beautiful!" She stares at the wedding gift in awe. "Did you make this?"

"Yes," I whisper. Her appreciation of my craftsmanship softens something in me, "It was supposed to be a surprise."

"For what?"

"For our wedding," I state plainly. "It"s for you."

Her eyes widen in shock as she looks between the dagger and me. Silence threatens to strangle me.

"I don"t understand," she finally responds.

"I made it last night. When you drew that sword on me in the cabin, I noticed it was too heavy for you. I wanted you to have something that fit your size and would enhance your skill set."

"The dragonfly…" she croaks, and I fear I"ve upset her.

"It doesn"t just represent good luck but also strength and freedom. I know we don"t know each other well, but they remind me of you."

Tears suddenly start flooding her eyes, fuck. That"s it, I fucked up. She hates it. I want to reach out to her as a gentle sob escapes her lips, but I fear I"ve done enough damage. I look down at the mossy ground in shame but suddenly feel an arm wrap around my shoulders.

It takes me a few moments to realize Ivy is embracing me, but I finally wrap her in my arms to console her.

"Thank you," she sobs into my neck. Clearly, something more is happening, but I don"t press her. I just hold her as she cries.

"Of course, my love," I whisper into her ear.

"S-sorry." She lets out a pitiful laugh as she tries to control her tears.

"Never apologize for your feelings, Ivy. Tell me, what upsets you?"

"It"s foolish," she tries to dismiss her feelings.

"Your feelings are anything but foolish," I state firmly. She searches my eyes, and I hope that she can tell that I am earnest.

"My father was the one who taught me how to handle a sword," she shares and looks down at her fingers. My confident, carefree human suddenly feels very nervous about sharing this part of her story. I tighten my grip around her waist and listen carefully to her words.

"He died when I was young. He was killed on a mercenary trip that he took with my uncle. We were desperate for money, and my dad was determined to take care of me. So, despite my uncle"s protests, they took a dangerous job," she continues. "My uncle and my father were the best of friends. They were inseparable." She lets out a painful laugh, and I fear the tears are about to return. "He took it the hardest when my dad was killed. Turned to the bottle. In a way, it"s like he is dead, too. Simply a shell of his former self."

My heart hurts for her. To lose a parent at such a young age is heartbreaking, I would know. I, too, lost my father.

"And your mother?" I ask hesitantly.

"She died in childbirth with me." She swallows. "So you see, I"ve killed everyone I"ve ever cared about." I feel her break in my arms, and her pain makes me sick to my stomach.

I pull her away from my shoulder and cup her face. "Ivy, listen to me; you did not kill your family!" I state firmly. The mere idea that she even believes that destroys me. I think back to our first meeting, and her words replay in my head.

"I"ve killed enough people in my family."

I curse under my breath. I didn"t understand what she meant then. That"s why she came to me so willingly.

"Ivy, look at me." She does her best to avoid eye contact, but my hands keep her firmly in place. "You did not kill anyone in your family. Do you understand?"

"But—" she tries to deny it, but I am quick to cut her off.

"There are no buts. Your mother"s death, while tragic, was a cruel accident. Your father knew the risks. While he may have been trying to provide for you, that in no way makes you responsible. And your uncle, well, I don"t have many nice words for that male," I growl. "While I can sympathize for the loss of his brother, to blame a child is utterly unacceptable."

Her lip quivers, and she lets out more uncontrollable sobs. Like she had been waiting for someone her whole life to tell her that she wasn"t the one responsible. Fuck, it makes me murderous. If we didn"t have to make it to the Chosen One, I would trek through this swamp and make that pathetic male who calls himself her uncle pay.

"Is that why he had you living outside of town? As some kind of punishment for your father"s death?" I ask, horrified that he would punish her in that way.

Ivy shakes her head, no, and I"m left perplexed.

"But why would—"

"That"s also because of me," she whispers, ashamed. A few moments of silence pass until she gathers her strength. "I told you before that I am not a virgin."

My heart sinks to my stomach. Surely, her kind wouldn"t punish her for this simple fact. But I was wrong.

"His name was Sorin. Turns out he was a scam artist. He travels to towns, making young, foolish women fall in love with him, and convinces them to run away, all in a ploy for them to bring him money."

I can"t fathom what I am hearing, so I stay silent as my blood begins to boil.

"I just so happened to be one of these foolish women. I was desperate for someone to love me. I was the perfect target. I gave him my virginity willingly, thinking that as soon as we ran away, we would be married. I was so unbelievably wrong." She laughs humorlessly to herself. "Long story short, he convinced me to steal my uncle"s savings and then promised to meet me at the swamp"s edge. Needless to say, he never showed up."

I grind my teeth together, and I feel my tusks dig into my cheeks. I will find this male and dismember him.

"Humans only value females by their purity. So, when I lost my virginity out of wedlock, my uncle and I were shunned by our community. That"s why we lived so far from the town." Her voice is barely above a whisper as she focuses on the ground.

"Ivy…" I growl.

"Are you mad at me?" she breathes, and I see tears falling to the mossy floor.

"Fuck no." I put my finger under her chin to lift her face to mine. "I"m mad, no, I"m fucking furious, but not at you. At that worthless male who took advantage of you. At the humans that outcasted you for simply seeking pleasure, and at your worthless uncle who should"ve honored his brother"s death by protecting you," I grind out my words, trying my best not to let my anger get the best of me.

"Thank you," she murmurs, and her nose wriggles with a little sniffle.

I sigh. "You don"t need to keep thanking me for the bare minimum. You don"t have to ever thank me for anything—" Ivy cuts off my sentence with a kiss.

One moment, I"m fueled with rage, but now I"m fueled by something much more sinister. I can"t stop the groan that escapes my chest as she takes her time exploring my mouth with her soft mouth. After a few moments of panting and moaning, she finally feels satisfied to pull away. Already, I miss her lips, but I am pleased at the sight of their puffiness.

She shifts from my embrace and places her small hand in mine. "The felt." She hands over the fire starter and giggles. How long has she been holding on to that? I cast the question away and refocus on tending to my mate.

With the felt finally on top of the pile of peat, I strike a few rocks together to start a spark. Before I know it, the flame illuminates Ivy"s beautiful round cheeks. She blushes under my gaze, which makes my cock twitch. She focuses on the flame, sticking out her hands in order to warm herself.

"You know, it"s funny," she prompts.

"What is?" I ask.

"This place is meant to be a death sentence for humans, and yet I feel so free."

My smile crooks upwards; perhaps there is hope that she will mate with me. But instead of pushing her any further, I simply say, "Warm-up, my little dragonfly."

…

"I d-don"t knowhow I feel about this." With her teeth still chattering, Ivy takes another bite into the dried piece of meat I handed to her for dinner. Despite sitting next to the fire, her clothes are taking an awfully like time to dry. I curse the swamp's humidity. Even at night getting things to dry is terribly difficult.

"I know, little dragonfly, but it"s all the food I have at the moment. You need to eat in order to be strong," I coax her into taking another bite. Forget being strong. I want to scoop her up, strip her naked, and warm her up.

"Do you have any more of the sweet berries?" She gives me her best fake smile. Doesn"t she know by now that those big brown eyes will get her anything she wants so long as nature permits it? Unfortunately for her, right now, nature is a bitch.

"Those were the first things we ate," I tease her.

"Ug, I know, but they are so good!" she whines, and I can"t help but laugh. She insisted that I eat the berries as well so she didn"t feel guilty hogging all of the "good" food.

Ivy scoots forward to get herself closer to the fire.

"Ow!" she screeches and jumps back.

"What? What is it?!" I ask, alarmed.

"Nothing, nothing." She waves me off. "I just hit a hot coal." She grabs her foot and studies her big toe. Still shivering, she attends to the burn without complaining. That"s it, I can"t take it anymore. She needs to warm up.

"This is ridiculous," I growl.

"W-what is?" she asks, confused.

"You"re freezing with your wet clothes still on. They are most likely going to take all night to dry," I state plainly.

"I"m o-okay. I promise." She tries to brush off her discomfort but I"ve witnessed first hand just how uncomfortable she is.

"No, you"re not, Ivy. You just stuck your foot in the fire to get some warmth. I"ve watched you shivering all evening," I scold her for being dishonest. There is no reason to suffer, except I know why she is hesitant to complain. She doesn"t want to get naked. And while I would respect her wishes, letting her die of hypothermia or getting sick is not an option. I have no other choice but to be the bad orc she has always thought me to be.

"Take off your clothes." I stand.

"W-what?" she gasps.

"Ivy." I brush a hand over my face. "You can"t stay in those wet clothes. You are going to get sick. I promised not to let anything bad happen to you, and believe it or not, the best way to keep that promise is if you take off your clothes."

"How convenient for you," she grumbles.

"I"ll turn away, and you can climb into the hammock."

Ivy looks at me and then to the hammock. "But there is only one hammock..."

"I"ll stay awake and tend to the fire. Don"t worry." I had hoped we would cuddle, but that was before she fell into the water.

"But it"s your hammock. You should sleep in it. I can stay by the fire." She tries to compromise, but I"m not having it.

"That"s out of the question. It"s not safe to sleep on the swamp floor. There are too many dangers, and it"s too damp. I don"t think you understand me; you are going to undress, and you are going to sleep in that hammock. That"s final," I growl.

It"s Ivy"s turn to stand; she puts her hands on her hips and squares up to me. Stubborn female. She is maybe half my size but doesn"t shrink under my presence. Fuck, her defiance is making me so hard.

"You are not the boss of me." And before I can respond, she is stripping off her clothes. First, her white frilly shorts and then her white billowy top. Ivy"s creamy skin is exposed, so suddenly, I don"t know where to look. Her pink nipples pucker as they make contact with the air. I can"t stop my eyes from wandering further down until they reach her ginger sex. A groan escapes me, and that seems to please her. Ivy has won this little victory, and she knows it.

I try my best to compose myself by looking up to the sky and praying to the gods for strength. But as I hear Ivy begin to walk away, I take a glimpse at her generously large backside. She is shaped like the pears that grow in my clan"s village. So round and juicy. My mouth begins to water at the sight.

Ivy saunters slowly to the hammock, but it"s too far away from the fire to see anything too explicit. I curse under my breath and cup my dick. I need relief, and I need it quickly. It"s decided once she has fallen asleep, I"ll be able to diligently tend to my aching cock.

I pick up her wet clothes from the ground and start setting up some rope to hang over the fire.

"What are you doing?" I hear Ivy"s voice call out from the hammock.

"Hanging up your wet clothes," I respond. And thinking about your ample breasts. But I decide to keep that last part to myself. "What are you doing?" I ask.

"Thinking…" she muses.

Okay, now I"m intrigued.

"Thinking about what?"

"Thinking about how I"m still cold," she whines. "Maybe you could help warm me up?"

I stand there in stunned silence. This is bad. No, this is amazing. But also very bad. I have no self-control around this human. I finish hanging her flimsy clothes on the rope and think of a response.

"And how would I do that?" I ask carefully.

"You were so warm when you were holding me earlier. And you don"t have a place to sleep—" Before she can finish her sentence, I"ve shed both my swords and clothes and started climbing into the hammock. Like I said, no self-control.

Ivy lets out a squeal. "Are you naked?!"

"I thought it was only fair," I tease her as I scoop her up so I can find a good spot in the hammock.

"Gods, you"re so warm," she moans, and I know she is being sincere. She is colder than I thought. Her skin is fucking frigid.

"Ivy, you should have told me if you were this cold," I scold her, pulling her back to lay on top of me. I move over my bulging hard-on to make room for her body.

"Don"t be mad at me. You get to warm me up now." She pokes my chest. If she feels my cock, she hasn"t said anything.

"Well, if I knew that this was an option, I would have demanded you get naked much sooner," I flirt, and she slaps me.

"You are so bad!" she giggles, and that sound is the most perfect noise I"ve ever heard. I never want this moment to end. Her in my arms, us laughing—it just feels so perfect.

"So…if you return to your clan, would you still be a blacksmith?" Ivy asks. My mind ruminates on the words "if" and "your." There are still doubts about a potential life together. I do my best to stop it from ruining this moment. For if she only wants me to hold her for this one night, I"ll be the luckiest orc who has ever lived.

"Yes. The clan still needs weapons. They are broken quite frequently—ahhhhh." My words are replaced with a groan as Ivy wraps her small hands around my throbbing member.

"Fuck," I grind out, and she slides her hand up my shaft ever so slightly. "Ivy," I whisper almost as a warning.

"Does that feel good?" she asks, and her voice is so soft I can"t barely hear it.

"So fucking good," I moan.

"You are so big," she sighs.

"Mhm, do you like the size of my orc cock?"

"Yes," she says breathlessly.

"Fuck it. Come here," I growl and pull her on top of me. "Sit on my face. I"ve smelled your arousal for long enough. I need to know what you taste like."

Ivy remains quiet, but shimmies her way up my body until her pretty pussy dangles over me.

"Hang on, my little dragonfly," I warn, and as soon as I know she holds on to a tree branch, I bury my face into the most delectable meal of my life.

"Fuck!" Ivy screams as I lap at the little bud at the top of her sex. It seems to be extremely sensitive, so I take my time to coax a response from her. Our moans mingle, and I can feel my cock leaking pre-cum.

Ivy grinds her cunt against my left tusk, and by the sound and rhythm of her screams, I know she is getting close.

She leans back, reaching for my cock, but I stop her.

"What"s wrong?" she asks, gasping for air.

"Absolutely"—I give her another lick—"nothing." But I can hear the apprehension in the silence so I offer a better explanation. "I don"t want to come just yet."

"Why?!" she whines.

"Because when I come, it"s going to be deep in your womb," I growl and return to eating her soaking wet pussy.

"Fuuuckkkkk, Evrinnn," Ivy lets out a growl of her own. It would seem like my words only heightened her pleasure. Does my little human want me to breed all three of her pretty holes?

Ivy slumps over to catch her breath. Finally, the events of the past few days have caught up with her. She is exhausted. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her back down to lie across my chest. I can feel her heart beating rapidly and her chest rising and falling. Still, she remains silent, and that fucking terrifies me.

"You are sweeter than swamp berries, little dragonfly." That earns me a giggle, and relief washes over me.

"Let me make you feel good," Ivy grumbles sheepishly.

"You already have." I lean down and place a kiss on the top of her head. "Tonight is about you."

She doesn"t respond. I wait a few more minutes until I feel her breathing rhythmically deepen. She is asleep.

I pull her into my body ever so slightly out of a protective instinct. I won"t get a wink of sleep tonight. I want to cherish every second of this. Because tomorrow we will arrive at the Chosen One. Tomorrow, she could very well reject me as her mate. Tomorrow, my world could come crumbling down.