46

IVY

“SO , why do you really want to take me to your mother’s wing?” I asked carefully, tightening my grip on his hand. Despite the halls being busy when I’d returned from Oberon, they were now deserted, and the late afternoon sun barely illuminated the courtyards beyond the window.

Adrian sighed, slowing his pace as we turned towards the wing. “Mostly, what I said earlier was true,” he replied, glancing down at me, green eyes shining. “I want you to see it before everyone gets here. I want you to see it the way I see it.”

I had a feeling it was more than that. Our conversation before my last training session with Greer came to mind. “You want me to see it, so we don’t repeat it.”

He stiffened, but he nodded. “Pretty much.”

“What happened at lunch today?” I asked softly.

We walked for a long moment, before pausing at the long bridge between the palace and the Queen’s wing. The beauty of the space took my breath away; the open bridges looking over the palace grounds, the sparkling water from the lake below us. The little houses built into the mountainside glittered with their own light, illuminating the cliffs.

Adrian didn’t stop until we passed through the long row of guards, who bowed their heads to us. When we made it to the doors, my mate stopped and ran a hand through his hair.

“I realised how fucking thankful I am for you,” he replied finally, holding me tightly to his chest. “I know I don’t have to worry about my future with you, because there isn’t a chance what happened to me will happen to our children.”

My chest warmed, and I pressed up onto my toes to kiss the corner of his lips. “You never had to worry,” I said, pulling back. “And if you’re worried, we can revisit it in like a hundred years when we finally decide to start having those kids you keep worrying about.”

Adrian snorted, shaking his head as he tugged me towards the doors. “Pretty sure you’ll change your mind once Eloise, Ginny, and Maisie grow up.”

“Don’t make me think about that.” The idea that one day they’ll grow up and find their own mates and live their own lives made me feel both old and nostalgic. They were still babies in my mind; when I looked at them, I didn’t see a future where they were young adults doing their own thing. I saw them still as they were before everything changed.

When the doors opened, I sucked in a breath; the foyer was huge and open, with a grand double staircase and an elevator, with hallways branching off into more rooms. There was a shimmering chandelier hanging above our heads, and statues of Nyx standing sentry by the doors.

“I have a feeling you won’t like the empty nest,” he continued, pausing briefly so I could take everything in. “You’ll be that mother.”

I frowned, though I couldn’t help but smile. “Hey. I went four years without living with kids.”

“You’d never survive.” He shook his head, and guided me towards the elevator, chuckling quietly under his breath.

My cheeks warmed and I ducked my head. I would never admit he might be right.

“You don’t want to show me down here?” I asked instead, cocking my head. I was definitely curious about what was on the main floor.

Adrian pressed a button. “It’s boring. Just formal spaces.”

“I’m guessing you have plans for them,” I teased.

His eyes shone with mischief, and when the doors opened, he pulled me into the elevator. “You have no idea. We don’t need formal dining rooms and sitting rooms. I was thinking we could convert one into a library.”

I hummed under my breath, leaning into his side. “You know that’ll happen regardless. But I do like that you’ve already considered my needs.”

“Of course I have, Sweetheart. Anything for you.” His eyes darkened. The bond brightened with a different kind of tension.

“You know, looking at me like that is a bad idea,” he murmured, brushing a hand over my cheek. “This is still my mother’s wing.”

I smacked him lightly and pulled back. “Shut up. You’re the one saying sweet things.”

It was hard to ignore the flutter in my stomach, but he was right. The idea of being caught by his parents—hell, any one of them—ruined the mood.

The elevator pinged, and the doors opened to reveal a different floor. “This is the third level of the wing,” Adrian explained. “The one below us has some additional rooms for visitors, back when my mother’s mates had other family members stay. There are also some offices down there for Lazarus and my father for their work. A personal gym. That kind of thing.”

I nodded quietly as he motioned towards the different hallways. “In that direction, is my mother’s chamber. It’s like a little apartment on its own, and it sits between the Bond Hall, as we called it, and the Kid Hall.”

“I take it you aren’t taking me into your mother’s chamber,” I murmured.

He tugged me in the direction of Kid Hall, offering me a sly smile. “Of course not. They probably know we’re here, but they won’t disturb us—unless Hugo decides it’s fair to mess with us.”

“Hugo?” I wracked my brain to put a face to the name, but I shook my head. “You keep promising to fill me in on your family, and yet, you never do.”

Adrian’s cheeks flushed and he ducked his head, pausing outside a door. “Hugo is my mother’s mate. He’s a bear shifter. You met my sister, Falena—she’s his daughter.”

I hadn’t thought she liked me, but then again, I knew little about the dynamics of the family. “She was interesting.”

A half-smile played at his lips. “She’s one of the twins.”

I nodded. “And based on what you’ve told me, they like to mess around.”

“Exactly.” He gripped the door handle in his free hand, but he hesitated. “This is—was—my room.”

I cocked my head and pressed into his side. “Why bring me to your childhood bedroom, Adrian?”

He closed his eyes, releasing a shuddering breath. Tension rolled off him in waves. I didn’t care about the different halls or the wing itself. There was something wrong with my mate, and he was blocking me from finding out what.

I slid in between him and the door, tugging my hand free so I could cup his cheeks. “Look at me, Adrian.”

His eyes flickered open, and he sighed. “I need to say goodbye. To all of this. The past. So that I can focus on our future. And…I need you here, with me.”

I swallowed thickly, swiping my thumb over his cheek. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”

We stood like that for a long moment; Adrian watching me with darkening eyes, me holding him, letting him lean on me. My heart thumped loudly in my ears, but all I knew was him.

After a long moment, he finally let the door open. He wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me to his chest, but his eyes lifted from mine to take in the room behind me.

“It’s definitely empty,” he said, allowing me to turn in his embrace.

Neither of us made a move to step inside. There was no urgency, just a moment to process.

The room had been emptied of everything but the bare necessities. There was a double bed in the middle of the room, framed by two nightstands, a chest of drawers on the wall beside us, as well as a desk. Two doors to the left led to what I assumed had to be a bathroom and walk-in closet, and across from that, the wall had a large, beautiful window revealing the darkened landscape beyond the palace.

“I expected a much grander space,” I said, half-jokingly. “All those shows I watched as a kid made me think princes would have massive rooms with lofts and all sorts of things.”

“You may find that yet,” he replied, arm tightening around my waist. “There is a playroom of sorts. That has a loft, actually.”

My brows rose. “I was joking, but that’s good to know.”

Adrian pressed a kiss to the crook of my neck. “I’m ready to say goodbye to this.” I shuddered as his lips traced a path up my throat. “I’m ready for our future.”

“I am, too.”

He hummed under his breath, kissing the shell of my ear. “You probably think I dragged you here to fuck you in my old bedroom.”

I snorted and pulled out of his embrace. “Not initially, but now I definitely am.” I strode towards the window to look out over the trees. Below was a garden, and what looked to be water. “Did you bring me here so we wouldn’t be interrupted?”

Adrian appeared in the reflection of the glass, but he didn’t touch me. “Funny. Not in the slightest. Though it wouldn’t be awful, taking advantage of the hour or so we have left before Elias comes searching for us.”

I chuckled, turning to find Adrian staring out the window. He didn’t speak, only stared, and when he finally met my eye, he smiled sadly. “I need a minute,” he said, his smile stiff. “I’ll be out in a second.”

Before I could respond, he stalked to the bathroom. I barely caught a glimpse of it before the door closed. My heart ached for him, for what he must be going through. I rubbed my sternum and turned back to the window.

He needed more than just my presence. He wanted more, but he just didn’t know how to ask.

So, I had to be the one to take that step for him.

I rolled my shoulders and stalked to the bathroom door. My hand hovered over the doorknob, a flash of hesitation running through me. Fuck. I chewed my bottom lip as I considered what I was doing.

Are you okay? I asked carefully, resting my forehead against the door.

Of course, Sweetheart. There was a slight hesitation on his end, but he didn’t give anything away.

I released a shaky breath and opened the door. Adrian stood with his head bowed, hands braced on either side of the sink.He looked like an avenging angel, a God from Olympus standing amongst mere mortals.

“Adrian?”

My mage looked up from the sink, his brows furrowed, and his eyes crinkled in confusion as I entered the bathroom. “Ivy…”

Nerves made my heart race, but I focused on him, on the gentle swirl of magic under my skin, propelling me towards him. “Remember the hotel room?” I asked, taking another step into the bathroom. My mind went back to the night before my life had changed.

Desire flooded me as I remembered the way his tongue had circled my clit and the curl of his fingers as he brought me to my climax. The pleasure had been overwhelming at the time, but maybe it was because I’d known, deep down, Adrian was supposed to be mine.

His cheeks flushed red, darkening with hunger. As if the memories were resurfacing in his mind, too. “Of course I do. Best damned meal I’ve ever had.”

I stopped in front of him, tilting my head up to meet his darkened gaze. “I never got to return the favour,” I whispered. “You see, there’s another scene in that book that I think is looked over.”

Adrian’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Oh?” His voice cracked, and he pressed his back into the edge of the sink, gripping the marble in both hands so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Yes. See, I think the scene where he finally relinquishes control is one of my favourites. The one where Lord Easterly begs her to take his power away so that he can finally feel again.” Adrian watched with hooded eyes as I pressed myself into his front. Through the material of my sweater, the hard length of his cock pressed into my stomach. “There’s something I want to do.”

“And what is that, Sweetheart?” he asked hoarsely, his eyes tracking me as I moved.

I pressed my hands into his chest, feeling the heat of his skin through his shirt. Slowly, I dragged my palms down the ridges of his stomach to the hem, and silently, I tugged it up. He didn’t hesitate to lift his arms, allowing me to pull the shirt from his body and toss it to the side.

He sucked in a sharp breath as I traced my fingers over his pecs and down to the waistline of his pants. “I want you to give me control. Even if it’s for now. Can you do that? Can you let me take care of you for once?”

Adrian exhaled slowly and nodded. “I give you my control, Ivy.”

Our eyes met, and I knew he meant it. We might have had our bond, but this would alter something between us. Give us something more.

As I lowered myself to my knees before him, I hooked my thumbs into the waistband of his pants and pulled them down with me. His hard cock sprung free and bobbed in front of me, the tip glistening with precum. He was glorious. His length begged for my attention, attention I would finally be able to give it.

I kept my eyes on his, swiping my tongue over the saltiness covering the head of his cock. There was something primal in that first touch, in the way his entire body clenched. Part of me enjoyed it. Loved taking his control.

The taste of him burst across my tongue, almost tinged in his usual minty scent. It made me moan as I sucked the head into my mouth before letting it pop free.

Adrian’s low groan filled the quiet bathroom, his breath quickening as I let my tongue trace one of the long veins lining the underside of his shaft. “Fuck, Ivy, you’re going to kill me with this.”

I reached the head and pressed a kiss to his slit. “I know,” I replied, circling the tip with my tongue as another groan left his lips. “I can’t believe I have this effect on you.” The words hung in the air between us; I hadn’t meant to say them aloud, and now I couldn’t take them back. My cheeks burned red as I sat back on my heels.

“ Ivy .” My name came out on a breath, and then his hand was cupping the back of my head, urging me to stand. Our mouths crashed together, his tongue diving between my lips and dancing with my own. I captured his cock in my hands and slowly stroked the length of the shaft, each throbbing twitch it gave pulsing through me.

Adrian pulled his lips away from mine with a gasp. “Fuck.”

I swiped my thumb over his slit and bit my bottom lip as he shuddered. “What do you need?”

He dragged his hand over my hair before cupping my cheek. “What I need is for you to never doubt the way I feel for you. Ever. You have no idea the power you wield over me. How badly I ache for you every second of every day, Ivy Wilson.”

I inhaled shakily, and stopped stroking him, but I didn’t let go. I couldn’t help but feel...powerful, as we stood there—Adrian at my mercy, his throbbing cock heavy in my hands, his declaration only for my ears.

Adrian lifted his hand and cupped my other cheek before leaning down and pressing another kiss to my forehead, then one to my lips. “Do you finally understand me?” he asked, voice low. Our eyes met, and the bond flared.

I swallowed and gave him a shallow nod.

“You’re in control, Sweetheart. Show me how you take it,” he murmured.

A shiver worked its way down my spine as I dropped to my knees again with a new sense of confidence. Adrian’s green eyes darkened as he watched me, bottom lip pulled between his teeth, cheeks pink.

He was beautiful, almost too perfect. My Prince Charming.

I took his cock in my mouth and sucked him down until I choked. My hands moved at a steady pace stroking the rest of the length I couldn’t take. Through the bond, his control slipped. The barriers around his thoughts dropped, and his control was almost mine.

Moaning around his shaft, my own need rose. Adrian hissed in pleasure as I bobbed my head, his hand moving to cup the back of my head, not pushing me, but rather guiding me. I relaxed my throat as Elias had instructed and took him as far as I could before swallowing. I needed him to feel the same kind of pleasure he had made me feel.

I needed him to know that I believed him.

His cock twitched as I let him pop out of my mouth. I circled my tongue around the head, licking up his precum eagerly. The sound of his breaths filled the bathroom, sharp and hard.

“That’s it, Sweetheart. Just like that,” he murmured, his voice laced with desire. I peered up at him through my lashes and smiled as he groaned again. Adrian threw his head back as I licked the length of him, my name becoming a prayer on his lips as I swallowed him again. “I knew you could take me. You’re doing so well.”

His praise went straight to my throbbing core, and I clenched around nothing as I continued to give him my attention. I worked up to a climax just from his words, from the way his body responded to me. It felt liberating and powerful. I released him with one hand, moving it down to the apex of my thighs.

I grinned at the warning swell of his impending orgasm, relaxing my throat and taking him deeper.

“Ivy, fuck, I’m going to come, Sweetheart,” he said through gritted teeth, releasing my head to grip the sink. “I’m going to come in your mouth, and you’re going to take it. I know you can take it.”

I made a humming sound of agreement. His cock hardened, and then he exploded; salty cum trickled down my chin as he finished in my mouth, and I swallowed. His cock throbbed heavily in my hand as I worked him through his climax, rubbing myself through my jeans and taking myself over the edge as he fell free from my lips.

Our harsh breaths filled the bathroom as I rested my forehead against his thigh. His fingers were gentle as he ran them through my hair, his praises a whisper that sent a warm tingle through me.

“You’re a mess now, Sweetheart,” he murmured, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. “We should clean up before we go back to the suite.”

I chuckled lightly as he helped me stand. My magic settled in my chest, and our bond had a brightness to it that gave me a new kind of hope, one we both needed.

“Are you feeling better, at least?” I asked, leaning into his chest.

Adrian’s eyes were bright as they met mine, and the half-smile he gave me was lazy and sweet. “My mate just gave me a fantastic blow job. I think that’s more than just ‘feeling better’,” he teased.

Despite the fact that I was a mess, he still pressed a kiss to my mouth, his lips lingering a moment. “I love you,” he murmured, brushing another kiss on my nose.

My heart squeezed. “I love you, too,” I whispered, eyes burning, the truth of it so clear in my chest. “I love you, more than you’ll ever know.”

Adrian’s eyes shone with tears as he dropped his forehead to mine. “I’m so ready for our fucking future here.”

Through the bond, I knew he meant it. And it made me even more ready to finally put our enemy to rest.