Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
I’m lying on a scratchy blanket, the ground hard against my back, my heavy cloak draped over me. She has first watch—I pretend to sleep.
Scant minutes later, the sound of her soft footsteps echoes through the air.
Sweet girl, so eager for sleep.
Or for me?
I keep my eyes closed, breathing steady, as she peels back my cloak. Her tantalizing scent dominates my sense as she settles down beside me.
Keep breathing, idiot.
Then—
A soft hand trailing over my jaw, skimming down my neck. Gentle lines traced along my collarbone, and then lower, splaying over my frantic heart.
A low, husky laugh.
It misses a beat.
“Your heart is racing, Zev.” Her voice is breathy, low. Seductive. “I know you’re awake.”
My eyes snap open. Mayah holds my gaze as her hand ventures lower.
Lower, and then—
We gasp together as her fingers curl around me.
“Zev,” she whispers, squeezing gently. “Please. I want you.”
My neck doesn’t prickle.
How long I’ve waited to hear those words from her lips.
The cloak rustles as I move, and then she’s flat on her back beneath me.
Soft thighs spreading in invitation.
Nails raking across my scalp, tugging at my hair.
“Are you sure, baby?” I groan into her neck.
“Yes,” she breathes, clutching my shoulders. “Yes, Zev. Keep going.”
I seal my mouth to hers, hand fumbling between us—
My dream vanishes like a flash of lightning, and I’m left chasing its fleeting warmth. A low groan escapes me as I stretch. I’d slept on the hard ground, not daring to risk any proximity to the blanket where Mayah tossed and turned and moaned all night.
With a heavy sigh, I rise and wait. My trousers are uncomfortably tight, but I don’t want to chance her waking and finding me gone—especially while she’s still bound.
I don’t wait long. Soon, Mayah shifts on the blanket, struggling to sit up.
“What—” Her voice is hoarse, but steeped with anger. “Untie me right now!”
“Are you feeling like yourself?” I ask, trying not to smile.
I see the exact moment she remembers—when her gaze snags on my neck, where she undoubtedly left marks last night.
Crimson blooms across her face, a fierce blush that covers her cheeks and nose, down to her neck.
“I’ll take your reddening face as a yes.”
I stride over and untie her wrists and ankles, carefully massaging circulation back into her wrists.
“I removed the gag after you fell asleep,” I explain, casting her an apologetic smile that she doesn’t notice since she still refuses to meet my gaze.
Mayah rises and eats her breakfast without a word.
I can practically see the gears shifting in her mind. Her cheeks are still flushed with embarrassment, each movement stilted and awkward. She can’t bring herself to even glance in my direction.
Poor, embarrassed baby.
As much as I’m enjoying the pretty flush that paints her cheeks, my heart wants to set her at ease. To see her smile. To loosen the tension knotting her shoulders.
“Remember when I said I had shared my power before? It was one of my soldiers—a powerful earthwielder. We were running low on food, all our reserves near drained. Normally, he could grow an entire field—carrots, potatoes, berries—ready to harvest, in about an hour.
“But he’d been injured in the last battle and hadn’t fully recovered. So I channeled some of my power into him. And he grew enough food for two battalions in thirty minutes. But afterward…” I chuckle lightly. “It took eight men to restrain him. He kept trying to sneak into my tent.”
A startled laugh bursts from her lips, and it coaxes a wide grin to my face.
“What did you do?” she asks, giggling.
“He injured his guards with his wielding. After that, we used valerian root to sedate him. His wife still lords it over him.” Another sweet laugh bubbles from her, drifts through the air, and brands itself on my heart.
“You didn’t try half as hard as he did. I’m a little offended, if I’m being honest.”
She keeps laughing, tears streaming down her cheeks. I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. Eventually, her laughter subsides, smile slowly fading. “That couple I told you about, the one caught power sharing … they were just, they—”
Her face flushes prettily.
“I’ve known couples who power share for … recreational purposes.”
“Have you ever done it?”
I shake my head. “It takes a great deal of trust.” Her warm gaze pulls at my heart, like it’s tethered to her. “It’s not something I’ve found yet.”
We sit in comfortable silence, until Mayah says, “Thank you. For saving my life. I would’ve died if you hadn’t shared your power with me.
” She averts her gaze. “And … for not taking advantage of me last night. I know I didn’t make it easy on you.
” Her eyes track the love bites lining my neck, before rising to meet my gaze. “And for your kindness about it now.”
There’s something aching in my chest, a horrible, throbbing pain laced with yearning, with a hopeless want. Her expression is so endearing, so trusting, that my lips curve into a soft smile despite the pain in my heart.
We’re packing up camp when I say, “You called me Zev last night.”
She freezes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“I liked it.” I rub the back of my neck, heart hammering my ribs. “It reminded me that … maybe I’m still someone worth trusting.” I give her another faint smile. “So, yeah … you can call me Zev. If you want.”
I hope she does.