Bonded Ever After (The Royal Gold Keepers #3)

Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

Callum

We’ve been in the Mist Realm for days. How many, I’m not sure. It’s hard to tell here, since it always seems to be the same brightness through the mist. I’m doing everything I can to make traveling easier on Elora. Every inch of me is hyper-aware of the fact that the person I love most in this world is carrying the baby I love most in this world. I would do anything for them, but I know in Neverwood that’s not always enough. So, I’m on guard at all times. Ready for anything that might face us.

“You going to help? Or just watch?” Elora asks, and I startle, my focus having been on everything around us.

She’s sawing off one of the giant coconut-sized fruits that tastes like a cross between a pineapple and a strawberry. When we’d climbed to the higher branches in search of food, she’d been ecstatic to find them. Apparently, she’d been craving them all day.

The fruit gets sliced off the vine, and she cracks it open, drinking the liquid and eating the inside with an intense look of pleasure. I smile and get to work cutting off another one. If my lady wants these ridiculous fruits, she’ll get as many as she can handle.

“These are amazing,” she says as I crack open the one I sawed off and hand it to her. “Seriously, amazing.”

It’s hard not to feel good hearing that. There are so few tasty things I can give her. Watching her eat food that she gets sick from makes me feel like I’m not taking good enough care of her.

“Good,” I say. “You deserve it. Just keep growing that Little Bean. I want one with chubby cheeks.”

She laughs, then gets a thoughtful look on her face. “You know, I don’t know why, but I never saw you as the dad-type.”

I lift a brow as I start sawing off another fruit. “Yeah?”

She shrugs. “I honestly thought you’d be upset when you found out about the pregnancy.”

Guilt uncurls within me. “That’s because I was such an ass, treating you like shit just because I was jealous. Have I said sorry about that?”

“A lot of times,” she tells me gently.

But sorry isn’t enough. I need to spend my life making it up to her. I will never again give her a reason to believe that I’ll be anything but good to her. She needs to know that I’ll treat her like the princess she is, forever. No matter what.

I crack open another fruit for her, and she says, “Last one.”

So I get to work eating a couple myself. They’re good, but they’re not ‘roll back your eyes in the back of your head and moan’ kind of good, which seems to be the kind of effect they have on Elora. Not that I mind watching her eat and moan, even if it is putting me in the mood.

“Ready to go?” I ask, wondering if it’s too early to set up our tent on the path and have a little fun.

She nods, and I offer her my hand to help her stand, then get her backpack on her. As we head to the ladder going down from the branch, a massive creature comes leaping onto the branch. It shakes the whole thing so much that we both end up thrown to the ground.

The black beast, which looks like some cross between a wolf and a dog, growls low in its throat and starts toward us. I’m on my feet in an instant, yanking Elora to her feet beside me. This thing is the size of a goddamn house. The only thing we can hope to do is outrun it, but not on a tiny ladder going to the ground.

“You go for the ladder, I’m going to distract it,” I tell Elora.

“No, I–”

“Elora, just do it,” I order gruffly.

Then I move away from her as the creature lets out another growl.

I circle away from the ladder and Elora, and it follows me, crouching low to the ground as it advances on me. A paw shoots out, and I leap to the side, slamming hard into the sharp branches of a bush. But it doesn’t matter; the bush is a lot better than being hit by the creature.

Another paw tries to smash me, and I leap again to avoid it, noting that Elora is making her way down the ladder now. Suddenly, the creature lunges at me, and I jump back… only, there’s nothing but air behind me. I fucking reached the end of the branch!

I fall through the air, my heart hammering. Please let something stop me before I become a stain on the ground.

Arms encircle me as a body presses against me, and I cling onto… Xarex, the birdman.

It takes me a second to remember to breathe. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”

A big smile fills his face, and he hugs me tighter.

He changes direction, and then a second later, he snatches Elora off of the ladder. A little scream tears from her lips as she stares at us, wide-eyed. And then we’re on the branch below us with the Phoenix Trail, before we land lightly on the ground.

“Elora, Callum, it’s good to see you!” he greets. His long dark hair is tangled around his face, and his gray eyes are filled with excitement.

“It’s good to see you–”

A massive form leaps onto the branch beside us, and I grab Elora and yank her behind me, as if my body alone could keep her safe from the beast. Remembering my sword, I pull it out, feeling like someone trying to fight a mountain with a toothpick.

Xarex looks between us and the beast, seeming confused, then says, “No, Garmr, no.”

To my shock, the creature gives a pathetic whine, then sits.

“Be little now, Garmr. Little.”

Before our eyes, the big black beast shrinks until it’s the size of a regular dog. Then he lets out the saddest whine and lays down, his head on his paws. His big dark eyes stare up at us, somehow making me feel like the bad guy.

“Elora, Callum,” Xarex says with a smile. “Meet Garmr. My pet.”

“ Pet ?” I repeat in shock.

“You took my advice!” Elora seems excited, then looks at me. “Xarex was so lonely, I suggested a pet to keep him company.”

“Oh, okay.” But that… that thing is his pet?

“How do you like having a pet?” Elora asks.

Xarex puffs out his chest. “It is not the same as another person, but it is very nice. It has helped with my loneliness. And Garmr loves when I read to him, which makes me very happy.”

“I’m so glad,” she says, and I can tell she means it.

He glances between us. “So, you are off on another adventure?”

She shrugs, looking uncertain. Probably because she hardly sees this as an ‘adventure.’ “Something like that.”

I eye the dog and try to explain. “We were actually in the middle of eating, because we’ve gotten so sick of our pack foods.”

Xarex’s eyes light up. “Stay right here.”

He takes off into the air, leaving behind his dangerous beast, who simply whimpers after him. We shrug and shift to make sure we’re on the path. You know, just in case “Fluffy” gets a taste for human flesh.

It takes a few minutes, but Xarex returns with a bag. He promptly sits down on our path and sets up a spread of different foods. Foods that actually look very good.

“You might like this,” he says excitedly. “For my people, food is always in surplus. There is far more to eat than there are people. Our crops are overgrown, overflowing with food. And with all the time I have, I can make many delicious things.”

I don’t argue. We just sit down.

The food is pretty damn good. Eggs, even though they’re cold, interesting fruits and veggies, two meat items that taste like foods back home. All in all, I’m pretty happy. But what’s more important, Elora is eating and keeping it all down.

Xarex is growing on me.

My thoughts go back to what we’re doing. Elora wants to go on this crazy quest, I’m pretty sure because she’s hoping to find her dad, but the Mist Realm isn’t awful. With Xarex’s help, we could make a home here, and I’m pretty sure he’d be eager to help us every step of the way.

I’ll have to bring it up again to Elora.

“So,” Elora begins, still eating. “How have things been going besides the pet?”

Xarex looks thoughtful. “Life is good. But I miss the days of my people. I even miss the days when your people came through regularly.”

“Victor and Archer?” she asks.

“Even before Victor and Archer.”

“Before?” I question. Like our other relatives?

He nods, but when he sees both of us staring at him in confusion, he continues more slowly. “Your families are not the only ones who have ever been to the Mist Realm. There were others. Others who didn’t even know about the Forest Realm. They didn’t have as much gold in their blood as you do, but they had enough to get here.”

We’re both confused. “We don’t understand,” I say.

He shrugs. “There were simply others. Occasionally. And I miss them. I miss the company. It seems that finding someone to love and care for is too much to ask the gods.”

Elora smiles and pats his knees. “You never know. Sometimes love just takes you by surprise.” Her gaze meets mine, and I smile.

“I hope you’re right,” he says.

Elora sighs. “Can I be honest with you, Xarex?”

“Always.”

“This trip of ours is different from the other ones. This time, we don’t intend to ever go back to our homes. We’re trying to get to the end of the Phoenix Trail in hopes of finding our fathers and creating a life here, as a family.”

Xarex looks sad. “Your fathers had similar plans.”

“Do you know if they ever found what they were looking for?”

His sadness only deepens. “They never came back.”

That’s not reassuring.

“Elora,” I start, trying to find the right words, “are you sure we shouldn’t stay here? This seems like as good a place as any to start a life.”

She gives me a gentle look. “We just have to have faith. Can you have faith for me?”

I take a deep breath, then slowly release it. “Okay.”

Anything for you.

His head snaps between us. “If you ever do decide to build a life here, I will gladly help with anything and everything you need.”

Elora turns back to him. “Thank you, Xarex, you’re an absolutely wonderful friend.”

He smiles.

Then she hesitates. “Do you mind if I ask you about the Ash Realm?”

Xarex relaxes a little. “I’ve never been, but many of my people have.”

“What do you know about it?” she asks.

He takes a minute to think. “It’s very dangerous. There isn’t much to eat. And just about everything will kill you.”

“So, like here?” I say.

He laughs, like that’s the most outrageous thing anyone could ever say. “It’s not dangerous here, silly. My people have no fear of our realm… but the Ash Realm, everyone fears it. We only go there if absolutely necessary.”

“Great,” I mumble. So the Ash Realm should just be a blast .

Elora gives me a look, so I try to keep my doubts about the Ash Realm to myself. She’d decided that that’s where we were going, so that’s where we were going. It’s just my job to make sure we make it through there safely. We’d have to read our fathers’ journal more carefully at the cabin before the Ash Realm. It’s basically our only clue about how to survive in the next world.

As we continue eating, my mind starts working. “Oh,” I say, then turn to Xarex. “Do you happen to have any books on childbirth or any knowledge about it?”

Xarex glances at Elora, his brows raised with an unspoken question.

She smiles. “Yes, I’m pregnant.”

The joy on his face warms my heart after all the terrible responses to her pregnancy in Paradise Falls. “A baby is the greatest of blessings. If I had my way, these trees would be full of the sounds of children’s laughter. Congratulations! This is very fine news!”

“We’re pretty excited,” I admit. “And a little nervous, since it looks like we’ll be doing this thing alone.”

Xarex’s expression grows more serious. “I will get you a book that will help you with everything, and I will share all my knowledge with you before you go. Your nerves will fade away, replaced by all joy.”

It’s weird. I think I’m going to miss him when we go. He truly is a good guy. “Thank you.”

He returns to his tree and brings me a book that seems to have been written by a healer specializing in childbirth. Just as he promised, he walks me through several different scenarios for childbirth. Elora looks a little disturbed by all of it, but I take thorough notes. Because when Elora goes into labor, her life, and the life of my baby, will rest on my shoulders alone.

We talk for several hours, until Xarex seems to run out of things to say, then we thank him, tell him goodbye, and keep walking, knowing we’re close to the cabin. Knowing it’s time for bed.

Elora holds my hand tightly, and even though she doesn’t say it, I can tell Elora is a bit rattled by all the unknown elements in our future. But I try my best to reassure her, because of all the things I don’t know about our future, I know that Elora is my everything.

When we arrive at the cabin, we shower, change, and lay in bed together, feeling content, like everything in our world is perfect, even though it’s not. A fire crackles near us and the warm blanket covers us like a cloud.

I lace my fingers with hers as she lays against my chest. “I can’t believe I’m actually here with you. There was a time that I thought I’d never get to touch you again.”

She shifts, so she can look at me. “Callum, you know things would have been different between us before this if we weren’t the two families…”

My heart aches a little, and my insecurity surfaces. “Can you honestly say you would have chosen to be with me if it wasn’t forbidden?”

She gives me the strangest look. “Why not? It’s not like I chose to complicate my life because this was forbidden. I chose to complicate my life because I wanted to be with you.”

I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “You deserve someone better than me.”

“No, I deserve you. A man who is excited for our baby. A man who has protected me at every turn. Callum, I’m lucky to have you.”

It’s hard to believe that. “I’m lucky to have you.”

She flashes a smile. “So, we’re lucky to have each other .”

Releasing my hand, she leans in and kisses me. Her lips are soft, melding to my own, and within seconds I feel myself heating up. This woman is like a goddamn magnet and my dick is full of metal. And as her hand curls around my erection, I know she knows it.

It only takes her a second to slip her hand into the slit of my boxers, and then we’re skin-to-skin, and every nerve in my body is alive. Our kisses become more and more desperate, and I reach into her shirt and start to play with her breasts, flicking the hard peaks and making them harder, which only makes my blood run hotter.

She releases my cock and starts to undress, and I don’t need her to tell me that I should do the same to yank off my boxers. Then, we’re naked together, and she’s grinning as she runs her hand up and down my chest, trailing her fingers along each muscle and making goosebumps run along my skin.

“It’s been awhile…” she says.

I swallow hard. “It has been.” Weeks .

“Are you sure you’re going to be able to handle this?” she teases.

“Let me show you what I can handle,” I say cockily, pulling her on top of me.

She’s laughing, but her laughing stops as I lean up and take one of her nipples into my mouth. I suck slowly, taking my time, enjoying her sharp intake of breath. I enjoy knowing that I’m making her wetter for me.

Switching to the other breast, I can’t help feeling satisfied when she wiggles on top of me, then slips down further so she’s straddling just above my cock. She lowers herself and begins to rub my length along her wet folds, making me choke on my air.

My lips leave her breasts, and we’re back to kissing while my hands find her hips. I adjust her so that my tip is level with her opening and then slowly push myself inside.

I have to stop for a minute when the pleasure becomes too strong. Fuck it. If I lose control this soon, I’ll never hear the end of it. I try to think of my history class, recalling the dates of events that had taken place until I start to calm down. She wiggles on top of me, frustrated, and I internally curse. It’s like the woman doesn’t have a clue how close I am to ruining this whole thing.

But then I take several deep breaths and begin to lower her on top of me once more. She breathes hard against my lips, and I suck my way down her throat until I finally come to my hilt. We stay that way for a long minute, just feeling each other.

Damn have I missed being inside of her.

She starts to wiggle again, and I know what she needs. I draw back out of her, then slam back in.

“Oh my gods, Callum!”

I love the sound of my name on her lips. I pull back out, then slam back in. She starts to work herself against me, taking my cock in and out with more force, quicker, building a rhythm that my body matches. We go faster and faster until I can hear her catch her breath, and then her inner muscles clench me so hard that I nearly come. Instead, her orgasm hits, and I get to feel her body working around my cock. I get to see her exquisite face as she crashes over the edge, and then, I finally come.

It feels like breathing for the first time. Like being a creature of only light and nerves and feelings. This is everything. I wish I could always feel like this. I wish I could stay inside Elora forever.

She collapses on top of me, and I kiss her head, hugging her close to me, thanking the gods for bringing this extraordinary woman into my life.

How did I get this lucky?

“Elora?”

“Yes?” she says, sounding tired and happy.

“I’m happy to have you in my life.”

She laughs. “I feel the same way.”

I close my eyes, feeling like the luckiest guy on earth. Even though tomorrow I have no idea what we’re going to face.