Chapter 29
VIVIENNE
After we bathe in the river, Auren carries me back to our tent and wraps me in his thick cloak to keep me warm.
Vaelen walks over to us. “Stand guard tonight, my friend,” Auren says, stroking his fur.
The wolf chuffs in response and exits the tent, settling on the ground just outside the entrance.
Auren turns to me and gently tucks a stray tendril of hair behind my ear. “Would you like me to help you ready for bed?”
“Yes,” I reply because, for once, I want him to take care of me.
The memory of the hag is burned into my mind. Even knowing she’s dead, I can’t stop thinking about what could have happened. She would have killed me if not for him.
Carefully, he removes my shoes and then gestures to my tunic. “May I?”
I nod.
His fingers are gentle as he loosens the ties, his knuckles brushing against my back as he eases the fabric down to reveal my shift. His touch is careful and measured, as if unwrapping something fragile.
Once I’m settled, he unfastens his tunic. His back is to me, muscles flexing as he pulls it over his head, the glow of the fire casting golden shadows over the thick planes of muscle along his back.
Turned away from me, I study his lean muscular form. Broad shoulders taper into a narrow waist. Moonlight illuminates his smooth, gray-blue skin and the sharp, black claws tipping each finger, reminding me he is far from human.
And yet… I want him. I’ve always found him handsome, even from the start. At first, I resented marrying him, and I was resolved to resist the pull I felt. When he gave me an out—thirty days to make a decision about our marriage—I tried to harden myself to him.
But with his kindness and patience, he’s managed to break down every wall I’ve put up. I tried to distance myself, not wanting to fall, but as I look at him, I recognize an inescapable truth: I have already fallen. He has completely captured my heart.
He is a Dark Elf warrior. And when he came to my rescue, his eyes were blazing with fury, blue fire curling down his blade, as the storm of his magic arced through the air like lightning.
I’ve never seen anything as powerful, terrifying, or beautiful as him. But even in that moment, as I witnessed his raw, untamed power in all its destructive force, I wasn’t afraid. I could never fear him.
Auren would never hurt me. He makes me feel safe and cherished in a way that I’ve never felt before.
He turns back, and kneels before me, cupping my chin. “Are you alright?”
I nod even though I’m not.
“I’ll make you some tea,” he murmurs. “It’ll help you sleep."
He starts to rise, but I catch his wrist. "Please don’t go.” The words sound small and fragile, but I don’t care. I don’t want to be alone. Not after what happened. “Stay here with me.”
We’ve slept side by side before, but this is the first time I’ve specifically asked him to share my bed.
Auren hesitates, then lowers himself onto the blankets.
I immediately roll toward him, and he wraps his strong arms around me. I nestle into his chest, reveling in the solid and reassuring warmth of his body against mine.
His masculine, comforting scent of cedarwood and spice surrounds me, and I breathe him in.
Closing my eyes, the image of the terrifying hag appears in my mind again, and I bury my face in his chest, blinking back tears.
“You’re safe, me’lira,” he says, smoothing his hand down my back. “I vow that nothing will harm you while I draw breath.”
Guilt and shame flood my veins, and I choke back a sob.
“Oh, Auren, I’ve been so horrible to you.
” His fingers still as I continue. “If you hadn’t saved me tonight, I’d be dead.
And after the way I’ve treated you…” My throat tightens.
“You’ve been so kind and caring. And I—I’ve done nothing to deserve it. ”
“You’re my wife.” His voice is deep and steady as he places two fingers up under my chin, tipping my face up to his. “Of course I would save you.” A faint smile tilts his lips. “And as for how you’ve been to me, do you know what I thought when I first met you?”
“No.”
He gently brushes the hair back from my face. “I was completely and utterly captivated.”
I gape at him. “But… I was so rude to you.”
He shrugs. “You didn’t know me then.”
“But I insulted you.”
I insulted every suitor I met, and they hadn’t done anything to me. My father was right to chastise me for the terrible way I treated everyone.
“It matters not,” Auren replies. “I am your husband. It is my duty to care for and protect you, Vivienne.”
Duty. Something about this word makes me pause. Is that what I am to him? Something he must look after because we are bound by sacred vows?
Perhaps he’s decided I’m more trouble than I’m worth. Maybe that’s why he offered the thirty days. Because it’s not just an out for me, but for him as well.
Gods, what if I’ve already ruined everything, and he’s simply being kind despite it?
“There’s something I need to tell you, Vivienne,” his voice rips me from my despairing thoughts. “Something I should have told you sooner."
His serious tone sends a prickle of unease through me. No one says something like that unless they’re about to reveal some sort of hard truth, and after how I’ve treated him, I’m not sure I’m ready to hear whatever it is just yet.
Instead of letting him continue, I interrupt. "I need to confess something first."
He gives me a hesitant look before nodding. “Go on.”
Auren saved me. He risked his life for me. I’ve spent so much time fighting my feelings. But as his gaze holds mine, I know the truth. I love him and I don’t want to waste another moment pretending I do not.
My heart pounds as I reach out and cup his cheek, staring deep into his luminous, otherworldly blue eyes. There’s so much I want to say to him, but emotions lodge in my throat, and the words will not come.
Before I can second-guess myself, I lean in and brush my lips to his in a tender kiss. It’s slow and hesitant at first, but when I trace my tongue lightly along the seam of his mouth, he parts his lips and his tongue finds mine, curling around it.
“Auren,” I breathe out his name as he threads his fingers through my hair. Gripping the silken strands, he tips my head back and deepens our kiss, his lips moving over mine with aching tenderness.
“Vivienne,” he groans as he rolls me onto my back, his weight shifting above me. I part my thighs and he settles between them, his mouth meshing repeatedly with mine as he devours me with his lips and his tongue.
I cling to him, desperate for more, but he pulls back, his breathing ragged as he drops his forehead gently to my own. "Vivienne," he murmurs, voice rough. "We should stop."
I start to protest, but he continues. “You were nearly killed tonight. You’re still in shock. And I don’t want to do anything you might… regret later. You’ve been through a lot. You need to rest.”
He settles beside me, leaving space between us beneath the blankets.
I tell myself it is kindness and that he’s being honorable. But as the silence stretches, an unwelcome thought slips in. Perhaps, I was right. Maybe he simply changed his mind.