Frost Bound (Entangled with Trickery #1)

Neve

Chapter Forty-One

Neve

She’d spared his sister.

Neve had been fully prepared to let the punishment take its course.

It had made him sick, but he couldn’t play favorites.

The moment Lumi had been escorted out of the judgment chamber, he’d taken Lia and fled. As soon as they were away from prying eyes, he’d rounded on her.

Flyka and Olwen followed behind from a distance.

“Why did you do that?” he snapped.

She looked at him with shock written all over her face. “What?”

“Why? She deserved it.”

Dahlia shook her head. “Do you hear yourself? That is the last of your family. How could you say such a thing?”

He stabbed a finger toward her eye. “Because of the marks that still cover your body. She told me everything. If you hadn’t fought so fiercely, she would have murdered you.” He ran a hand through his braids.

“It didn’t come to that. We’re both fine.”

“Really?” he growled. “Because I’ve heard your nightmares, Lia.” She snapped her open mouth closed and looked away. “Your body is healing, but what about your mind? You’ve hardly explored this week. Since you’ve arrived at the palace, there hasn’t been a day you haven’t poked around.”

“Why are you angry at me ? I saved her for you !”

He pressed into her space, his hand tangling in the hair at the nape of her neck. “I didn’t ask you for that.”

“But you wanted it all the same.” She glared up into his face, defiant even when he glowered at her. “I would never part you with another family member.” She reached up and touched the mourning piercing he’d given her earlier. “I found another solution. One where your sister can heal and become a better person. Where you don’t have to say goodbye forever.”

Emotion surged inside him, and he broke.

He grasped her chin and pressed his lips against her own. Hard.

It was foreign and felt wrong, but he didn’t regret it. He stared wide-eyed at her. He didn’t know what to do from here. All he knew was that he’d been obsessed with her lips from the first moment he’d taken one look at them.

She didn’t move for a moment, and he pulled back, panting. “Show me,” he rasped desperately. “ Seittae .” Please.

Her eyes darted all over his face, before she grabbed a handful of his tunic and lifted onto her toes, pressing her soft lips against his, sliding them back and forth in a teasing caress.

Pure bliss crashed over him. This was what he’d been missing. What he’d been craving for weeks. Neve shuddered, wanting to drown in the sensation. He threaded his fingers through her curls as one of her hands wandered down his chest.

It was heaven. It was hell. It was everything .

Her lips parted and she bit his bottom lip. Heat surged in his chest, and he released her chin, cursing and slamming his shaking left hand against the wall. She was so bloody soft it made him lose himself. It would be so easy to be too rough. She bit at him again and he growled.

Everything about Dahlia was delicate, but her little bitty bite? It stung and he loved it.

Neve tilted his head and nipped gently at her bottom lip, minding his fangs. A spark shot through him, thrilling at the way her breath stuttered and how she pulled him closer.

But when she opened her mouth and licked at him? He lost all sense.

She tasted like perfection. Ginger, and something sweet.

He pulled on her locks, dipping her head back against the wall. His left hand curled around her thigh, and somehow he found himself with her legs around his waist.

He blazed a path of kisses down the delicate column of her throat and laved her pulse with his tongue. Madness swirled in his mind; he wanted to lick every inch of her. She grabbed a handful of his braids and pulled him back to her sweet mouth. The heat of her body melded into his own and he shuddered when she flicked her tongue along his fang. He tipped her head farther back, tangling his rough tongue with her smooth one.

His left hand clenched on her thigh, his claws pricking the delicate material.

It would be so easy to tear the fabric from her body and claim her right here.

The thought was like a bucket of icy water.

He flinched, and pulled back with all the self-control he possessed.

Dahlia opened her eyes, her pupils wide. He inhaled deeply, and groaned at the sweetness of his jaivelle . Her crown was askew, her lips puffy, her cheeks flushed. He’d done that and it made him feel like a qovving king.

Her chest rose in deep breaths as they shared the silence. He stared into her foreign eyes, noticing flecks of gold in those green depths. He’d never thought saloes ’ eyes were anything but bizarre. But’s Lia’s? They were beautiful.

Slowly, lucidity returned to her gaze, and with it the scent of regret.

“Let me down, my lord.”

His jaw flexed as she locked herself away, the placid mask sliding back into place. “Don’t do that,” he whispered gutturally. “Don’t you dare retreat.”

She released his braids, her gaze sliding to the side. “Please put me down.”

Lia was shutting him out. He studied her for a second before staring down at her legs wrapped around his hips. He wasn’t sure how all mouth matings worked, but she’d been an enthusiastic participant. Maybe she needed a moment to process what they’d done. He could give her that.

Neve wrapped his fingers around her nipped-in waist and stepped away from the wall. Her legs unwrapped from his hips, and he set her on the ground. His hand lingered until she found her footing and stepped away from him.

She adjusted her crown, straightened her dress, and then dabbed at her lips with the back of her hand.

Erasing all evidence of your touch.

A cleared throat had him glancing over his shoulder. Olwen and Flyka had stepped back into the corridor. His best friend arched his brows, and Neve huffed. He’d forgotten all about their audience.

Turning back to his niliave , he scowled and then cursed. She’d taken off and was already turning the corner ahead. Every part of him wanted to hunt her down and take her mouth again, but he curbed the impulse. Neither one of them had expected to have attraction to the other, much less some degree of affection. All he needed to do now was be patient.

A grim smile curled his lips. Patience was one thing he excelled at.

His little wife did everything in her power to avoid him the next three days.

The first night he came to bed, he’d found her sleeping on the couch. It had felt like she’d slashed open his chest. A clear rejection.

He hadn’t let it slide.

Neve had gathered her up and tucked her into her side of the bed, making sure to build the pillow wall.

The next morning, he’d woken up and she’d vanished.

No one knew where the queen had gone.

When she’d finally shown up back in their chambers late that night, he’d been furious. She’d given him an explanation about charity work and time with Serenity, her astrylle , and then locked him out of the shower room. The icing on the cake had been that she’d worn his shirt to bed, walked right past the mattress and to the couch. He’d fumed in the stifling silence. It had taken her hours to fall asleep, but as soon as she begun to snore, he’d moved her back into the bed.

The second morning had gone much the same.

He had woken up alone.

Neve hated it, but he didn’t have time to search for her when a message had come in about raiders to the southeast. He’d had to leave without a word from his elusive queen. When they’d arrived at the village, they were met with more than a raid. It was almost a whole bloody battalion of mercenaries.

It had been bloody, harrowing, and disheartening.

By the time he’d returned home two days later, he’d buried too many bodies and sported a few more scars. Beram was the first to welcome him home, his lips set in thin line beneath his gray beard. They’d discovered who’d sanctioned the act.

It seemed as if the attack had been sanctioned by the Asterans, but they’d used Loriian mercenaries.

“Where’s the reilleve ?”

“On her way to the midwinter festival, I believe, as is all of your court.”

Qov. He’d forgotten all about the bloody festival.

He stalked through the palace, servants and courtiers alike scurrying out of his way. He cleaned up, donning simple black leathers and boots, and a sleeveless black brocade robe, leaving his chest bared. Olwen awaited him as he left his chambers. His friend took one look at the scowl on his face and fell in step beside him.

“How bad is it?” Olwen asked.

“I buried children ,” he growled, his stomach swirling with sickness.

This was what saloes did.

“Why would they risk an attack?” His friend asked. “You’ve a treaty. You’re married to their daughter.”

“That is the question of the hour, isn’t it? I think we should ask my dear wife.”

They reached the ballroom that faced the lake, clear windows so high and wide that the stars seemed to reflect off the floor, making it seem as if the people were dancing in the jewel-studded sky.

He paused in the doorway, observing the celebration. Luxurious tables laden with decorations and food lined the edges of the ballroom, framing the dance floor. He scanned the room for a familiar head of rose-gold hair as he moved to the refreshment table. A servant handed him a goblet of spiced wine, which he tossed back.

Just where was his little wife?

He caught sight of her on the dance floor in the arms of Bacti, one hand near his caern’ye .

Wearing the color of Frost .

Pale blues seemed to swirl on the flowy skirts as she floated across the dance floor. The edges of her bodice swooped up at the shoulders, creating jeweled caern’ye . Tonight, she looked like a Frost Queen.

And yet another vallos held her.

Neve took another goblet from a tray and watched as the valles tipped her head back and laughed at something the pretty giant said. Neve growled and sipped his wine, ignoring how Olwen was watching him from the corner of his eye.

The dance ended and Dahlia still hadn’t seen him. She was too wrapped up in Bacti. A growl rumbled in his throat when the giant placed his hand on her lower back, pulling her a little closer to his body. The hair along his arms rose as Bacti kissed the back of her hand and gave Lia a sultry look. Pink filled her cheeks, and she glanced away coyly.

“Today has been a rough day,” Olwen said softly. “It was just a dance.”

“She’s smiling at him,” he gritted out. And the bastard was staring at her lips. Did he want to lick and bite them too? His fingers tightened on the silver cup. He wouldn’t take any more of this. Neve tossed back the wine and handed the goblet to his friend. “It’s time to retrieve my niliave .”