Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
J ana’s knees nearly buckled with relief as Jessamin’s eyes finally fluttered open. Almost an hour had passed since the second dose of antidote but she’d been gradually improving ever since. She hurried forward with the fresh batch of antidote, her hands steady despite her relief.
“Here, drink this.” She held the cup to Jessamin’s lips. “Small sips.”
Jessamin’s hand trembled as she reached for the cup, and Ulric took it, holding it carefully to her lips. He’d been holding her the entire time. She checked Jessamin’s pulse - still a little weak but steadier than before. Her skin felt cooler as well, the feverish heat receding.
“What happened?” Jessamin whispered.
“You were poisoned,” she said gently. “Someone put something in your tea.”
The other woman’s eyes widened.
“Mira,” she whispered. “Mira brought me the tea this morning.”
Ulric’s jaw clenched, his massive frame going rigid with fury.
“She will pay for this treachery,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous, and Jessamin put a shaky hand on his arm.
“Wait,” she said weakly. “There may be more to this than we know.”
But Ulric shook his head, his expression grim.
“She tried to kill you. That is all I need to know.”
She watched the interplay between them, seeing how naturally they turned to each other. The mate bond between them was obvious now, though neither seemed ready to acknowledge it.
Jessamin up at Ulric, her face still pale.
“I heard your voice,” she whispered. “When I was lost in the darkness, I heard you calling me back.”
Ulric stiffened and the vulnerability she’d glimpsed earlier vanished behind his usual mask of control. Damn. She’d hoped that he’d finally acknowledge the truth. She shook her head and touched Lothar’s arm.
“We should give them privacy.” She turned to Jessamin, switching to her professional demeanor. “You’re still very weak. Drink lots of fluids and try to rest, and I’ll check on you later.”
“Thank you,” Jessamin said softly.
Ulric looked at her and for a fleeting second his earlier vulnerability returned.
“Thank you, Lady Jana. I am in your debt.”
“You’re both welcome.”
Lothar took her hand and guided her towards the door. She caught one last glimpse of Ulric’s face as they left - a mix of longing and fear that made her heart ache for both of them.
The door closed behind them with a soft click, leaving the king and his bride alone to face their feelings for each other.
“Do you think he’ll tell her?” she asked Lothar as they headed back to their room, and he sighed.
“I would like to say yes, but I don’t know. I always thought Wulf was too stern and repressed but he’s practically giddy compared to Ulric. I know he has many responsibilities, but I believe that sharing them would help.”
They reached their room and as she started to close the door, she realized that her hands were still trembling from the intensity of the past hours. The familiar scent of herbs clung to her skin and clothes, reminding her of home - yet somehow this room, with Lothar, felt more like home than anywhere else she could remember.
“What you did back there was incredible,” he said, his voice full of pride. “The way you knew exactly what to do, how to help her…”
“I’m not sure that was all me,” she began as she turned to face him, but the words died away at the warmth on his face. But then his expression shifted, uncertainty creeping in as he ran a hand through his dark hair.
“About what you said earlier…” He swallowed hard. “Did you mean it? That you love me?”
This powerful warrior, who’d fought so fiercely to protect her, looked as uncertain as she often felt. She stepped closer, placing her palm against his chest, feeling his heart race beneath her touch.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I meant every word. You make me feel safe. Not trapped, not controlled - just… safe. Protected. Free to be myself.” Her voice grew stronger with each word. “I love everything about you. The way you make me laugh, how gentle you are with me, but also how fierce you can be when protecting me.”
His eyes darkened with emotion as he lifted his face skyward.
“Thank you,” he whispered, and she knew he wasn’t speaking to her. “Thank you for bringing her to me.”
When he looked back down at her, the intensity in his gaze took her breath away. He cupped her face in his big hands, brushing her cheeks with infinite tenderness. Then he lowered his head, angling it perfectly to accommodate his tusks, and claimed her mouth with his.
The kiss was different from their previous ones - deeper, more certain. She melted into him, sliding her hands up his chest to wrap around his neck as he pulled her closer. His warmth enveloped her, and she felt truly, completely safe for the first time in her life.
She quivered as his mouth moved from her lips to her neck, his tusks grazing her skin, and heat spiraled through her body.
“Tell me if you want to stop,” he breathed against her ear.
“I don’t,” she whispered back, her fingers tangling in his hair. “I want you.”
He carried her to the bed, laying her down with exquisite care. She reached for him and he followed, covering her body with his. His weight should have made her feel trapped, but instead she felt cherished and protected.
“I love you,” he murmured again as his lips trailed down her neck.
She sighed, tilting her head back to give him better access.
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
He kissed his way down her neck, lingering in all the places that made her shiver. She’d never thought a male could be so tender and thorough. Even the way his tusks rubbed against her skin was arousing. When his mouth found her breasts, she moaned, arching into his caresses.
His hand slid up her thigh, his movements slow and steady.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.
As his fingers teased the slick folds between her thighs, he captured her mouth again. She lost herself in his kiss as pleasure rolled through her body.
She could feel the hard length of him pressing against her, his cock lodged firmly between her thighs, but there was no fear, only desire. He continued to stroke her, his mouth moving back to her breasts. Her hands clenched at his back, nails digging into his skin, and his groan vibrated against her nipple.
“Please,” she whispered, arching her hips against his hand.
“Patience, my valai,” he murmured, but she could hear the strain in his voice.
“I don’t want to be patient. I want you, now.”
“My mate, are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I want this.”
His body trembled against her as he carefully positioned himself at her entrance.
“If you need me to stop, tell me.”
She nodded, then gasped as the broad head slid into her, stretching her, but this time her body opened for him. He groaned and pushed deeper, filling her so completely that she could no longer tell where she ended and he began.
“Yes, my valai,” he whispered. “So sweet and hot and tight.”
“More,” she moaned, and he began to move, the friction sending waves of pleasure through her body. She clung to him, amazed at how good it felt, how perfectly their bodies fit together. Her heart swelled, the love and happiness within her spilling over in a cascade of tears.
“Am I hurting you?” he asked, stilling immediately.
“No, no,” she said quickly. “It feels so wonderful.”
“Then why are you crying?”
“Because I love you so much and I’m just… happy.”
“So am I, my valai.” He kissed her tears away, his hands cupping her face. “You have made me happier than I ever dreamed.”
He moved again, slowly at first, but her body arched instinctively, pulling him deeper. She could feel his muscles bunching, holding back.
“I won’t break,” she whispered.
“I might,” he said hoarsely.
She tightened her hold on him, her fingers digging into his skin.
“Make love to me,” she whispered.
A shudder rippled through his body, and the dam holding back his passion broke. His thrusts came faster, deeper, his fingers gripping her hips, his lips hot against her skin. His eyes burned with a dark green fire, and the sight made her breathless. The tension building inside her threatened to explode, and when his thumb brushed against her center, she came undone.
She cried out as ecstasy swept through her, her body arching against his. A heartbeat later, he buried himself inside her and roared as he found his own release. His knot expanded, shocking in its intensity as it locked them together, and she held him tight as aftershocks rippled through his body.
“I love you,” she said again, savoring the feel of him against her.
His head was pillowed on her chest, and he sighed, his breath warm against her skin.
“And I love you, my valai. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m so glad the gods brought us together,” he said softly.
Afterward, she lay curled in his arms, feeling complete in a way she’d never experienced before. She knew with absolute certainty that she belonged here, with him.