Chapter 41
Reynard
Seeing Sana cry was my undoing. The glistening, silent drops clung to her eyelashes before slipping down her cheeks.
She swallowed hard. Once, twice, her mouth opened and closed while my heart sank.
She didn’t tell me what happened in Tivala’s dungeons, but I knew.
After all this, how could she still love the man who’d so completely failed her?
Breathing became difficult, the weight of the pain in Sana’s eyes too much even for my iron control. The haunting expression on her face when she realised, I knew. That the marks on her skin told me all she couldn’t. She’d gone to retrieve this damned contract. How could I not blame myself for it?
‘Rey, please hold me,’ she whispered softly. I held my tongue by the thinnest of threads, simply offering all of myself as I enfolded her in my arms, nearly breaking when a quiet sigh escaped her lips. ‘I love you. How could I not, you silly oaf?’
‘Gods have mercy, woman, I can’t live without you,’ I muttered, my lungs finally expanding, allowing me to breathe again.
She reached for me, tears still falling, her mouth twitching when she pulled my beard to claim a kiss.
My lips found hers so clumsily that she gave a small, surprised chuckle, sending my heart soaring.
‘How can you doubt my feelings?’ she asked when we parted, and the soft accusation in her voice made me feel like a fool.
‘Because I was afraid that when you looked at me, you’d see your tormentors,’ I murmured, savouring the warmth that blossomed in my chest. ‘I’m not as strong as you, my love; I only hope to be strong enough for you.’
Sana blushed, then she buried her face in the crook of my neck. My heart melted at the innocent gesture. This strong, bold woman was showing me her vulnerability, trusting me completely. Even in the darkest of times, Roksana’s light shone brightly.
I ran my fingers through her short hair, letting the wet strands curl around my knuckles, then leaned forward to kiss a fading bruise on her shoulder. One day, Sana would tell me her story. And I swore an oath to wait until she was ready, to simply be there for her however she needed.
‘They’re just bruises, and they’re already fading,’ she said with a tentative smile. Emboldened, I kissed a half-healed cut on her arm, and the smile grew. As if my touching it erased its pain from her mind. ‘I like it when you do that,’ she murmured, unaware of the turmoil in my heart.
‘I’m sorry I couldn’t fight this battle beside you, that you faced this alone. It breaks me to see you hurt.’ I swallowed, the truth bitter on my tongue.
‘I have no regrets.’ Her subdued but determined words pierced the core of this darkness. ‘If we don’t defeat Tangra, many others will suffer as I did. If I could stop it, why would I not?’
Those weren’t the words of a dark sister or my lover. Those were the words of a queen. Cinared’s words came back to haunt me, but he was right; we didn’t deserve her.
‘I’m so sorry, my love,’ I whispered, unsure what to say.
‘No, I don’t want your pity. I refuse to let Tivala dictate how I feel.
I’m stronger than he’ll ever be, stronger than any pain he can inflict.
’ She cupped my chin, and for a long moment, I stared into her hazel eyes as the emerald fire of her power burned within them.
‘Look at me, Reynard Erenhart, the real me. Do I look like a victim to you?’
The power in her gaze was breathtaking, the strength in her voice humbling. Pride unfurled in my chest. ‘No, my queen. You could never be a victim.’
The title came effortlessly. Roksana didn’t deny it. Instead, she slid her hand over my chest, scratching the skin. ‘Then let me forget their foul touch. Make me feel good again. Chase away all memories but yours. Can you do this for me?’
‘Whatever you need is yours to take.’ I held her hand, kissing the inside of her palm.
‘Can I take you to bed? I want to kiss every inch of you… And as skilled as I am, I can’t breathe underwater.
’ Teasing her was risky. The last thing I wanted was to diminish her pain, but my heart whispered that Sana needed to smile again.
‘You’re telling me there is something the great War King, the Beast of Dagome can’t do?’ she asked, her soft chuckle my reward. I stood up, lifting her effortlessly from the bathtub.
‘There are many things I can’t do,’ I said, cradling her with one arm while the other reached for a towel. ‘I can’t resist you; I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop wanting to please you. If I had a tail, it would wiggle like certain enamoured.’
Sana’s eyes grew large, and her body shook with laughter. ‘You’re impossible,’ she said, laying her head on my shoulder. I blessed the fates for the foresight to listen to my heart, because with each gentle chuckle, her body relaxed a bit.
The bed bent, bouncing slightly when I sat down and patted her damp skin with the towel. Sana tensed again when I touched her breast, but I continued my gentle caress.
‘Am I hurting you?’ I asked, my hands wrapping around their fullness. Her breasts fit snugly in my palm, and I had to close my eyes, counting barracks inventory in my head when my cock stirred.
‘It feels nice,’ she answered, surprise colouring her voice. ‘I like you teasing them.’
She was testing herself, but the gods were surely testing me, laughing at my misery. She felt so good that my cock was painfully hard, but I would rather chop it off than push too boldly.
Still, she wanted me playful; that I could manage. I squeezed her breast, observing her reaction. Sana’s eyelashes fluttered before she commanded, ‘More.’
I brushed my thumb over her nipple, and the rosebud perked, tightening under my questing touch. Sana’s head fell onto my shoulder. Her lips touched the column of my neck as a moan slipped out, and the need to tell her what she meant to me overcame any sense or reason.
‘You are my heart, Roksana. When they told me you were gone, my heart was ripped from my chest, leaving an empty shell behind,’ I murmured, my hands tracing the curve of her breast, playing with hard, perky nipples.
‘Rey, I… Please, I don’t want to ask, but…’ She wiggled on my lap, and it was my turn to moan.
‘I will give you everything you desire, no asking required, but promise me one thing,’ I said, equally eager and terrified by what she wanted.
‘Yes?’ Her eyes opened, half-lidded and touched by desire.
‘If it’s too much or you want to stop, you’ll tell me. No explanation needed, just tell me. Promise me, Viper,’ I said, moving us to the centre of the bed.
‘I promise,’ she said, reaching for me and pulling me on top of her. I groaned. It was such sweet torture, one that wiped away everything else. All I could focus on was this woman. Her hands in my hair, dragging through my wet strands, the little nibbles when her teeth grazed my skin.
My mouth closed on her nipple, tongue flicking out teasing, tempting, and Sana cried out, but instead of pushing me away, she grabbed my hair, pulling me in.
The world turned golden as my teeth nipped her skin, and I stilled, unsure I could keep the berserker on its leash.
I wanted her so much that my control was fading.
The sudden flash of an idea made me reach out to my dragon.
Cinared, I called out, feeling his hesitation at intruding through our bond. Can you hold back the Wild Magic? Can you silence it for tonight?
Why? he asked, and I showed him. A roaring inferno filled my mind, his fury at her pain even greater than mine.
For a heartbeat, I thought I’d made a mistake until the primal rage in my core eased.
You did well asking for my help. His voice rumbled in my head, and any trace of wildness vanished, leaving a surge of protectiveness and ironclad control.
Heal her and bring her to me in the morning.
He withdrew. His presence was still there, guarding my mind’s door, ready to intervene when needed.
I raised my head and met Sana’s gaze. Her face was so close to mine, wet hair plastered to the nape of her neck.
My fierce Viper looked so small next to my muscular body, but her strength was in her spirit, and even Tivala couldn’t break that.
‘I want to taste you, my love. Will you let me?’ I said, my hand sliding over her soft tummy.
Instead of answering, Sana took my hand, guiding it lower until my fingers slid past the soft curls.
‘I crave you so much, I had to ask Cinared to hold me back,’ I said, kissing my way down. ‘You are safe with me.’
‘Oh!’ She gasped, her eyes opening wide when I mentioned the dragon.
My tongue slipped out, sliding between her folds.
She writhed, her fists clenching as I caressed her, savouring the sweet taste.
‘Right there, gods! Now suck it,’ Sana breathed as she lifted her hips, riding my face with sweet abandon.
I loved her like this, lost in passion, demanding, making me feel invincible.
Despite everything, she craved my touch.
Unable to stop myself, I fisted my cock while sucking on her clit.
She moaned so sweetly, whispering my name like a prayer, and I was close to spilling on the sheet when she crested.
With a quiet sob, her body shuddered, fists tightening on my hair when she yanked my head up.
Her sex was pulsing, too sensitive to touch, so I moved to the side, gathering my shaking woman to my chest. ‘You came so beautifully for me.’ There was wonder in my voice as I stroked her back, ready to call it a night and cuddle her despite my desperate need to be inside her.
I reached for the covers when her hand slipped between us, closing on my hard shaft. My jaw clenched, and I nearly bit my tongue as my body stiffened when she moved her hand up and down, circling her thumb over the sensitive head.
‘Are you sure you want to stop, kingling?’ she asked, her voice husky with desire. I groaned, too immersed in savouring the sensation to answer.