34. Honeymoon
34
HONEYMOON
*Raven*
My legs ache from dancing. At one point, I took my shoes off and let Kieran spin me in circles across the rough cobblestone in the square. Now, I’m barefoot and hobbling beside my mate–my husband–along a trail through the tunnels lit by the same lanterns the villagers had hung in the square before our surprise handfasting ceremony.
My brain is still unable to process how fast this happened, but it's done. Kieran and I are husband and wife.
I curse under my breath when I step on a root jutting from the trail and stub my toe.
Kieran sighs heavily before swooping me into his arms. “My first order of business as your husband is buying you a new pair of shoes, my dear .”
My dear . I giggle, wiggling in his arms as we continue our walk through the lantern lit darkness. “Is that your new name for me now that you can never get rid of me?”
He rolls his eyes. It’s nice seeing him relaxed and enjoying himself. I’m not sure I ever have, to be honest.
“Would you prefer sweetheart? Darling? My dearest, most beautiful, most powerful wife?”
“Okay,” I laugh. “You’re just trying to butter me up.”
“Maybe a little,” he growls low in his throat as he lowers his face to my neck and roughly nuzzles me, which causes another cascade of giggles to echo through the unending darkness around us.
“Where are you taking me?” I laugh.
He shrugs. “Hopefully not far. You’re rather wiggly.”
I swat his chest, but then his footsteps slow, and I follow his gaze.
There’s a small cottage just ahead of us. The windows glow from within, and the chimney puffs whispers of smoke.
“What is this place?” I ask him.
“A gift from your mother,” he says, but the care-free tone of his voice slips back into his familiar, somewhat icy drawl. “This is our house.”
“Our house?” I look from his face to the cottage and feel my chest squeeze.
“Apparently.” Kieran starts walking again, faster than before, and carries me up the stairs to the porch, which is decorated with potted plants and a patio table and chairs. It’s much nicer than the houses we saw in the village proper.
I’m sure in the daylight this place would be beautiful. It’s too bad it’s never daylight here. I can hear dripping water nearby, and the insects around us chatter back and forth, whispering congratulations and warm welcomes as my mate opens the door and carries me through the threshold.
I don’t say anything. I can’t say what I’m feeling because it will ruin this new warmth between us. We can’t live here. Not now. Not for very long, at least. Kieran has unfinished business to attend to, and me?
He sets me on my feet in the main room of the cottage and closes the door behind us, locking it.
I look around, taking it all in. Dirt walls, pounded dirt floors. Comfortable furnishings. A small kitchen area. Two bedrooms–only one of them furnished–and a bathroom.
Fresh flowers in vases decorate every surface. Bottles of mead sit on the dining table beside a tray of fruit, chocolate, and pastries.
“This was nice of them to do for us,” Kieran says softly as he turns to inspect the cottage just like I am.
I want to ask what needs to happen now. I want to know when, or if, he’s leaving.
And I need to know if I’m coming with him.
I don’t realize I’m staring absently into the fireplace until Kieran says from the bathroom, “Raven, come here.”
I walk into the bathroom, which is roomy and clean, and look down at the copper, claw foot tub. It’s steaming, the water spiced with lavender scented soap and rose petals. I wonder how they managed this underground.
Slowly, I look up at Kieran. “Do you think they’re trying to tell us we stink?”
The corner of his mouth kicks up and he shrugs, then starts taking off his shirt.
I bite my lip as I watch him undress.
“Are you not getting in?” he asks, stepping into the water and sinking down to his chest with a groan. “Ah, this is so nice.”
“You look very comfortable,” I tease.
“Take off your clothes, wife,” he growls, “and come here.”
The dominance in his voice sends prickles of heat racing down my spine. I obey, shoving that nagging feeling that something is coming and this might be the last time we’re together like this away.
I let my clothes drop to the ground, puddling around my feet. Naked and bared to him, I ease into the tub, very aware of how he’s watching every move I make.
When I’m within his reach, he pulls me toward him, water sloshing over the sides of the tub, and sits me in his lap, my back pressed to his chest.
He takes a long breath and exhales deeply into my hair.
“You drank a lot of mead, didn’t you?” I whisper as his hands come up to palm my breasts.
“Mhm,” he groans, brushing his lips over my shoulder.
I close my eyes and lose myself to his touch.
I’m reminded of the Haze, and our first night together before we knew the truth.
Right now, Kieran’s touch is gentle and exploratory.
But I don’t want gentle.
I turn and straddle him, wrapping my arms around his neck, then kiss him soundly. My tongue slides along his lower lip before darting into his mouth, and I rise up on my knees.
“Raven,” he rasps, clutching my ass.
His cock is hard between us, and I cant my hips over the head, which causes Kieran to tremble and blow out his breath through gritted teeth.
“I’ve been thinking about you all night,” he groans. “I’ve wanted nothing more than to bury my cock inside you and hear that little sound you make when you come.”
Oh, Goddess. Heat pools between my thighs, a dull ache throbbing to life as I continue to tease us both.
“But I’m not fucking you in a bathtub,” he says, and stands up with me in his arms.
I yelp in surprise as he carries me out of the tub, ignoring that we’re soaking wet and dripping water all over the place.
In a second, we’re in the bedroom, and he deposits me on the bed and spreads my legs apart.
I almost move to cover myself, but the heat in his eyes has me in a trance.
It feels like a lifetime ago that I was sneaking out of my room in the castle to be a part of the Haze. I remember being so desperate to find my mate, to find a way out of the life I’d been living.
Now, I have that life. I have my mate. I have a family.
“Kieran,” I whisper, my voice catching in my throat as he leans down, covering my body with his. He presses a kiss to my throat before rising up to look at me.
“I love you,” I say.
His smile makes that heat curl through my veins.
“I love you,” he agrees, and kisses me hard.
He lowers himself between my legs and thrusts his cock into me in one fluid motion. I moan as my muscles tighten around his length, squeezing in relief. He groans, whispering my name as he begins to ravage my body, kissing me everywhere he can reach.
Every thrust of his cock has me slipping closer and closer to a climax I know is about to rock my world and leave me senseless.
“Mate,” he growls across the top of my ear. “I want to feel you come. I want you screaming my name.”
I close my eyes, my breath coming in rasps. Kieran is close, and rasping praise against my skin as I grip his sides so tight I’m sure my nails are leaving marks.
“Kieran!” I shout, my back arching off the bed. Pleasure rips through my body like a tidal wave, leaving my skin tingly and muscles spasming.
Kieran clutches the sheets above my head and slams into me, spilling his seed deep inside of me. Warmth pools in my belly as I open my eyes and find him looking down at me with mingled shock and the deepest kind of love.
He lowers himself to rest on his elbows, hovering above me. His cock is still buried deep inside of me, and he makes no moves to pull out. His nose brushes mine.
“Raven,” he whispers. “Tonight was the best night of my life. I will keep my vows to you. That is my promise.”
My stomach twists. I already know what he’s going to say.
“One day, we’ll lay here in bed together and have nothing but our future to look forward to.” He reaches between, resting a hand on my belly. “I want children with you. As many as we can. I want a family that rivals mine in size so we can do it the right way, and raise them with love. We will have a future, you and I. I’ll make all of this, everything that ever happened to you, worth it.”
Tears sting my eyes.
“Because I love you,” he says. “I will return to you. I promise.”