CHAPTER TWENTY
It took a while, but I eventually managed to get back to sleep. When I next woke, it was to find that I was lying on my side facing Talon. And he was wide awake, watching me.
I swallowed, memories of last night bouncing around my head.
Did I have any complaints about being so thoroughly taken?
Not one. Did I know what to think of him bringing me here and then having me stay the night?
Nope, not one. It was literally the last thing I’d expected from him, as was how he’d so publicly dragged me off like a caveman.
Or like a dragon hauling either treasure or prey to his lair, come to think of it.
Many had witnessed him snatch me off the bench and usher me out of the food hall.
They might have concluded that he’d merely intended to escort me to the stables …
but some officiates had seen him guide me to his barracks.
As such, rumors would be running riot—and Khalida would be smirking her ass off.
While being the subject of inconsequential rumors generally didn’t bother me, I wasn’t pleased that some people would no doubt insinuate I’d had sex with Talon in the hope of sleeping my way into the Order.
But I had bigger things to concern myself with.
More specifically, that this was the final day of Xalbia.
It made me feel both relieved and nervous. Relieved because I wanted it over with. Nervous because I knew that there would be nothing easy about whatever it involved. I would have asked Talon for more details about what lay ahead if I’d thought that he’d tell me, but he never gave anyone hints.
Right then, he was still watching me, unblinking.
I licked my lower lip. “Valor does this sometimes. I wake to find him staring right at me. Then he gives me a doggy smile. You gonna smile?”
His droll look was all the answer I needed.
“That’s disappointing.” I paused. “So … it’s the last day of Xalbia. I’m gonna hate what’s coming, aren’t I?”
His expression said Probably.
I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth. “I don’t suppose you’ll give me any hints about what to expect, will you?”
He shook his head.
“I’d complain about how that isn’t fair, since I give you access to my pink parts, but I’d much rather lie here while you do wicked things to those parts.”
Heat bloomed in his eyes. He rolled me onto my back, covered my body with his … and, after a minimal amount of fantastic foreplay, pounded into me until we both broke.
He also bit into my throat as he came. Bit hard.
At some point, while I was trembling with aftershocks, he lifted his head and stared down at the stinging bite with a gaze all warm and slumberous.
“That won’t fade for a few hours,” I commented. “People are going to see it, and they’re going to guess that you put it there.”
Talon shrugged, unbothered. He cupped me tight—staring right into my eyes wearing a very male Mine look.
Well, now. It would seem that he hadn’t finished taking me off-guard.
Even as that proprietary look made me all tingly, I eyed him suspiciously. “What does that mean exactly? You don’t want others touching me, but you feel you’re free to touch other women? Because I’m not down with that. Do you intend for the exclusivity to be a one-way street?”
He gave a short shake of his head.
I would have been pleased by that if he wasn’t wearing a moody expression. “I have to say, you don’t seem very happy about this.”
Yet, he was requesting exclusivity. No, demanding it.
Demanding something that he typically never insisted on, changing his pattern, so he was obviously feeling possessive.
And since he struck me as a person who would plain begrudge any emotion that tempted him to act in ways he wouldn’t otherwise do, I could only surmise that …
“You don’t like that you want this from me, do you?
You don’t like that you feel possessive. ”
A stiff incline of his head—an admittance that seemed to gall him.
I almost asked if it was partly because he felt that entering into something exclusive with me was a betrayal to Eva. But I didn’t ask, because I didn’t want to talk about another woman while his hand was still cupping me. I didn’t want her in our metaphorical bed at all.
Honestly, I was feeling somewhat territorial myself, and I found it quite annoying.
Mostly because he was, essentially, already committed to someone else.
In other circumstances, this would have made me back off.
But we weren’t intending to build anything.
Relationships didn’t exist among officiates. This would simply be about sex.
Really, really great sex. Which was nothing to sniff at.
Also, it wasn’t as if he’d drop me like a bad habit the moment Eva turned up a year or so from now.
Because by that point, our arrangement would be long over—I couldn’t envision him sticking to something exclusive for an extended period, and he’d no doubt ensure that he was free of all ties when it neared the time Eva would come to Deimos.
But there was something he hadn’t considered, and so … “Though I don’t have any personal objections to your request, I’m not sure it’s a good idea. For you, I mean. You laying a minor claim to me will only bolster that sense of territorialism you resent feeling.”
He did a slow blink, and one unconvinced brow inched up slightly.
“Genuinely, possessiveness is a beast. You don’t want to feed it.”
He stared at me like I was being dramatic. Like there was no possible way he wouldn’t manage to get his emotional situation under control. Says the man who still hasn’t moved his hand from my pink parts.
“You really think you can easily wrangle it into submission while at the same time encouraging it?” I tilted my head, my smile one of sympathy. “You really are the cutest thing.”
His eyes narrowed, and then he pinched my nipple.
I hissed, placing a protective hand over the smarting bud. “Hey, asshole, that hurt.”
He planted a fist either side of my head, his sober gaze boring into mine, telling me that he meant business here.
In truth, exclusivity would suit me a little too much. I’d prefer to not share him, so I had no actual interest in pushing him on this. If he wanted to ignore my advice, that was his choice. “Fine, but you can’t claim that you weren’t warned.”
He emitted a Noted grunt, bit my chin, and slipped off the bed.
We both used his bathroom and then, since I didn’t have any fresh clothes, I pulled on what I’d worn the previous day while Talon dressed. Both done, we left the private barracks and began a walk toward the stables.
Several officiates were around—mostly those who were getting started on whatever jobs they had around the garrison. None missed Talon and I walking together, so they would know I’d spent the entire night in his bedchamber. News of that would no doubt spread fast.
Wonderful.
I slid him a sideways glance. He didn’t seem bothered. If anyone stared at us a little too long or hard, he shot them a look that made them avert their gaze fast.
At the stables, he made a beeline for Xanthos’s stall while I—after having given the horse a quick pat—headed to the tack room to dig out my hygiene pack and fresh clothes.
As I readied myself by washing and changing, I worked to calm my nerves and immerse myself in a mental ‘braced for anything’ zone.
A lot rode on today. I couldn’t afford to fail Xalbia. I honestly didn’t know what would become of me if I did, I only knew that I’d likely hate it.
When I exited the tack room after putting my things away, I couldn’t help but frown. Talon stood in the aisle with Xanthos, who was saddled up and ready to go. This was a first.
Halting, I narrowed my eyes. “Are we leaving Deimos?”
Talon shook his head and guided Xanthos out of the stables.
Trailing behind them, I walked outside to find the other thirty-seven candidates—three had died during yesterday’s battle—stood around with Keyes and Ajax. Both Marshalls were mounting a horse of their own.
Apparently, we were skipping breakfast today. How lovely.
Talon let out a sharp Line up whistle.
As we obeyed, I exchanged trembly smiles of greeting with a few candidates. All seemed as nervous as they did eager to get started. Well, the sooner we began, the sooner our forty days of misery were up.
Riding Xanthos, Talon took the lead as we strode out of the garrison with Ajax and Keyes taking up the rear.
Near the front of the line, I felt my brow furrow as Talon took a left rather than head for the city’s exit.
Wait, were we being taken to the audience chamber? My stomach clenched at the idea.
To my relief, Talon passed the pretty gardens that led to the tower. As we stepped onto the pastureland beyond where the Arions usually grazed, I felt my frown deepen. We’d never been brought this way before and … I didn’t really know how to feel about it.
On the one hand, it was a very nice change to not be heading into Reaper’s Pines.
I would much prefer to trek around the land that existed within the city walls—there was no fog, no beasts, no creepy critters, so this would be a much more pleasant hike.
However, I didn’t trust the situation, because this was Xalbia. Nothing about it was pleasant. Ever.
We walked and walked, passing thistles and ant mounds and piles of horse manure. The land went on for miles, all grass and wildflowers and brambles. There were also berry bushes here and there, along with a small creek.
It was relatively quiet. The shushing of breeze-ruffled grass mingled with neighs, snorts, tail swishes, and the muted clop of hooves.
We stopped for a break after an hour or so. Talon stuck close to me while Keyes stayed near Atticus. Apparently, the officiates intended to ensure that there was no repeat of the swamp incident.
During our break, candidates were permitted to sip water but were given no food. Few words were exchanged between us, the atmosphere thick with nervousness and anticipation.