Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

G rabon leaned back against the wall of the ravine, his wings folded comfortably around himself and the female in his arms. Vera's steady breathing tickled his chest. He glanced down at her sleeping form, her face peaceful in repose. The sight stirred something deep within him, a fierce protectiveness he'd never experienced before. His arms tightened around her instinctively.

When he'd finally recovered the ability to move, he'd cleansed her gently with water from the waterfall, checked to make sure that her ankle hadn't suffered during their mating, and then gathered her into his lap as he settled into his position against the wall. From here he could keep watch over the entrance to the ravine and provide a comfortable resting place for his mate.

My mate.

The realization struck him all over again. He'd finally found his mate. The one he'd searched for for so long, the one he had given up hope of finding, and yet here she was, this tiny, fierce human female who challenged him at every turn.

Did she understand what he meant when he called her his mate? The Dhalgroll mated for life, a bond that could never be broken. From what he understood, that was not true for humans. A knot formed in his stomach. What if she saw this as nothing more than a passionate encounter? The thought of her casually moving on, of treating their connection as temporary, made his chest ache.

His arms instinctively tightened around her. She mumbled something in her sleep, but she burrowed closer to him and his heart clenched. All the battles he'd fought, all the enemies he'd faced, and he'd never felt so vulnerable, so exposed. The urge to shield her from all harm warred with his fear of the pain her eventual rejection might bring.

The soft glow of the twin moons cast an otherworldly light across her face and he drank in the sight, committing every detail to memory. Whatever came next, he'd treasure this moment.

She stirred in his arms, and then her eyes fluttered open.

"How long was I asleep?" she murmured, her voice still thick with drowsiness.

"Not long. How's your ankle?"

She flexed her foot experimentally, wincing slightly.

"Better, I think. Thank you for taking care of me."

"I will always take care of you, Vera."

The words came out more fiercely than he'd intended but he refused to apologize for them. She blinked up at him and he could see the questions in her eyes. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed when she didn't voice them.

"Do you think we should return to the village?" she asked instead. "I can't wait to tell Maeve about what we found."

That fucking prophecy. His jaw clenched at the reminder. The skeptical warrior in him scoffed at the notion of predestined fates, at the idea that his small, fierce human could be the key to some greater destiny. The whole thing seemed absurd. And yet … He'd witnessed her passion, her intelligence, her unwavering determination to help the Elvar. Perhaps there was something to this mysterious prophecy.

He stirred uneasily as his conscience prodded him. His mission here had been clear: reconnoiter the islands, assess potential threats, and determine the allegiance of the Farlain outpost. The conflict churned within him. His loyalty to Cronan, the new king, ran deep. But so did this primal need to shield his mate from harm, to stand by her side as she pursued this mysterious destiny. Could he truly serve two masters?

He'd always prided himself on his focus, his ability to compartmentalize. Yet now, with Vera in his arms and whispers of prophecy echoing in his mind, those carefully constructed walls were beginning to crumble.

"What is it?" she asked quietly, clearly sensing his unease.

"I am concerned about the guards we encountered." It was the truth, if not the whole truth. "Sooner or later their superiors are going to realize that they're missing and start looking for them. They … they may blame the Elvar."

She gasped and sat up, squeezing his arm urgently.

"We can't let that happen. Maybe I should go and turn myself in - tell them it was self-defense. That -"

"Absolutely fucking not," he roared, horrified that she would even consider such a thing. His female was going to be the death of him. "If those three were any indication, not only would they not listen to you, imprisoning you would be the best fate you could hope for."

She still didn't look entirely convinced and he hurried on. "And it wouldn't help. They would know that you had to have had help to survive out here and they would still blame the Elvar."

He said a small silent prayer of thanks when she sighed, but nodded and settled back down in his arms.

"I suppose you're right. But does that mean we should prepare for battle?"

Not if I can help it .

He considered the available options. He could reveal himself as an emissary from the new king, and, with any luck, use his position to negotiate a peaceful resolution for the Elvar. It was the diplomatic approach, the one most aligned with his original mission. But would it be enough to quell the Farlain guards' thirst for vengeance?

The alternative was to prepare for battle. His warrior instincts screamed at him to fortify defenses, to ready the Elvar for the coming storm. But the thought of her caught in the crossfire of a battle made his blood run cold. Would revealing his presence truly keep her safe? Or would it only paint a larger target on both their backs?

Perhaps the best scenario would be to try and hold out until the ship arrived with reinforcements and hope that the Farlain didn't realize anything was amiss until then.

The ship. Fuck, another complication he'd kept hidden from Vera and the Elvar. His jaw clenched, the weight of this secret pressing down on him like a physical burden. He'd withheld this information, fearing the panic it might incite amongst the justifiably wary Elvar. He was sure they would see it as just another threat, another wave of oppressors coming to tighten their grip on the island.

He glanced down at Vera, still watching his face. She trusted him, and here he was, keeping information from her. The guilt gnawed at him, but he couldn't shake the belief that he was protecting her, protecting all of them, by maintaining this silence.

If he revealed the ship's impending arrival, it could shatter the fragile trust he'd built with the Elvar. Yet, keeping this secret felt like a betrayal, especially to Vera. She would never forgive him if she discovered the truth after the ship arrived, especially when she realized he'd chosen to keep this information from her.

"We need to be prepared," he said slowly, "but I don't think there is any immediate urgency. They certainly wouldn't be the first warriors to fail to return from leave in a timely fashion. Even then, the first step would be to investigate the port - and they were a long way away from the standard route."

She hummed thoughtfully.

"What if you dropped them in the sea instead of leaving them in the jungle? No one could discover their bodies then and if they did wash up on shore, they wouldn't know how they'd died. Unless you have forensic pathologists," she added, frowning, and he started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You are, my fierce little mate. Casually discussing disposing of bodies as if they were no more than unwanted luggage."

She scowled at him, but her lips twitched.

"It was just an idea," she muttered, looking adorably indignant.

"An excellent one. I'm just amused at the pragmatism behind that sweet smile."

"I'm going to assume that's a compliment."

"It is." He raised a hand, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, his heart twisting as she leaned into the touch, and sighed. "I suppose we should prepare our defenses nonetheless."

"Even though you think the prophecy is ridiculous, you're still willing to help the Elvar?"

He shifted uncomfortably.

"The prophecy might be false, but the Elvar's plight isn't. I intend to do everything I can to end it."

She grinned up at him and his chest ached with the sweetness of her smile.

"You're so sweet," she announced, her brown eyes warm and affectionate.

He snorted at the description but he couldn't help but lean forward and brush his lips over her upturned ones. She melted into the kiss, her small hands roaming his body as she pressed herself against him.

She moaned into his mouth and his cock hardened. He pulled away reluctantly, taking a deep, steadying breath.

"You know," she whispered. "I don't really think we need to return to the village tonight."

"No?"

"No." He'd dressed again after cleansing her but her hand traced the rapidly growing outline of his cock beneath his leathers. "I want to see if my ma - if you are as sweet as I think you are."

He caught the slip of her tongue and his chest ached at her reluctance to voice the words, but then her clever little fingers slipped beneath his waistband and a wave of lust washed over him.

"What do you mean?" he gasped as she freed his erection.

"This."

She climbed off his lap before he could prevent her, kneeling next to him and giving him an impish smile before she leaned down and engulfed the tip of his cock in hot, wet ecstasy.

Fuck. Her mouth was almost as enticing as her sweet little cunt.

He growled, hips jerking as she sucked and licked at him with the same enthusiastic focus as she applied to everything else in her life. He was helpless in her hands as she stroked and teased and delighted in his pleasure. He found himself wrapped her long braid around his hand just as he'd once envisioned, urging her on, and she wiggled happily.

"Do you like this?" she purred against his cock, the vibrations adding to his pleasure.

"Fuck, yes," he groaned, unable to form a more coherent sentence as her hand curled around his cock, stroking the sensitive areas between the rings.

"And this?"

Her pretty little mouth closed over his cock, pulling him deeper as her small tongue swirled around the tip, and his mind went blank. He erupted with a roar and she swallowed eagerly as he filled her mouth, his body shaking with the intensity of his release.

When he finally stopped shuddering, she released him with a wet pop, licking her lips, her eyes shining with pleasure.

"Yep. Very, very sweet."

"My turn," he growled and reached for her.