16. Chapter Two #2
“I’ve been training to slay dragons my entire life.
You think I fear your pet?” He furrowed his brow with a grin, and I rolled my eyes at his cocky smile before I whistled my signal to her.
A moment passed before Emeris flew straight up over the edge of the cliff.
Her wingspan blocked the sun’s rays, casting shadows down upon us.
I watched a slow smile of amazement creep onto Baron’s face, and it made me smile up at Emeris with him.
She circled in front of us before she came back down and landed on the cliff.
She paused, stiffening her posture, making herself appear more threatening.
As she looked at Baron, she showed her razor-sharp teeth.
“Easy, Ris, it’s okay. He will not hurt you,” I said while walking toward her, and Baron grabbed my hand, holding me back out of concern. He didn’t understand our friendship. I placed my other hand over his. “It’s okay; she’s gentle.”
“She doesn’t look very gentle,” he spat, his eyes narrowed at her.
“I’ll show you.” I stepped up to Emeris’s colossal figure, running my hand down her neck.
She guided her head down over my shoulder, tucking me into her chest as if she were hugging me, and it brought another smile to my face.
She kneeled low to the ground so I could get on her back, and Baron looked at me, confused.
“What are you doing?” he said.
“Come on, don’t tell me that Baron, the slayer of beasts, is scared,” I teased.
“No, not scared, just…concerned,” he fumbled, thinking of the right word.
I snickered at him and held out my arm. “Come on, I want to show you.” My offer floated between us as he looked at me for a moment, his eyes full of uncertainty.
Finally, he took my hand and climbed on Emeris with me.
His legs tucked under mine, and he had me sitting in his lap as he wrapped his arms around my hips.
My center heated from the feel of him under me, sending a shiver through my limbs.
With our duties to our people helping them run their shops, hunt for food, and train our warriors, Baron and I took advantage of the little time we got to spend together.
As young fae mates shortly after our marriage, our people marked us as the Chief and Chieftess of the Espien Islands, but the title came with the work.
During the mornings, I helped the townspeople with their things before hunting in the evenings while riding Emeris.
Baron used the few wooden boats we had and checked in on our smaller islands.
Few resided there, but he gathered herbs for medicines if needed and took the warriors to train.
By the end of the day, most of the time, we were exhausted from the day’s labor.
Even that hadn’t stopped our desire for each other.
I was so entranced by all the places our bodies were touching, I hadn’t realized that Emeris was leaping from the cliff’s edge.
Baron gripped my hips as we glided above the sea, and I had to suppress the heavy sigh of desire that hitched in my throat.
His length hardened under my rear as he reached his hand up.
He wrapped his calloused fingers around my neck and pulled me back against his muscled chest, whispering in my ear.
“I can smell your need, love.” He dipped his other hand into the waist of my pants, sliding two fingers through the wet heat that was waiting for him.
I let out a soft moan from his touch. He toyed with my small bulb of nerves between his fingers as he palmed my center before he sunk his fingers into me.
I gripped his forearm as I tried to ride his hand.
He had already found the spot inside me that made my body go hazy.
That needy sensation ignited within me, making a whimper escape me.
His groan reverberated in my ear, making me shutter.
“We need to calm down or I’m going to take you right here in the sky. ”
“I…I don’t think Ris would appreciate that.
” I stumbled over my words, trying to catch my breath, reel in my thoughts.
He didn’t release my neck. Instead, he held my head there, his grip tight enough for the excitement to slice through me.
As Emeris glided us along, Baron planted small kisses down my jawline before he pulled my head back at an angle to have access to my mouth.
Kissing me, his tongue begged for my permission as I opened my mouth to deepen our kiss.
A low, gruff growl rumbled from his chest, and the sound alone almost pushed me over the edge.
My center clenched for more, but he pulled away, placing his hands back around my waist. He brought his mouth back to the edge of my pointed ear to whisper,
“Later.”
“I’m beginning to hate that word,” I sneered, disappointment lacing my tone.
And he chuckled, a deep, soft laugh that pulled me back to the reality we would be facing.
What if this was the end? What if this was the last time I would hear his soothing laugh?
If Ember had started the war, the Emperor wouldn’t stop at the Espien Islands; he’d want all of Osparia to be under his control.
We’d heard the rumors. Ever since he attacked the mountains of the Sky Elves, extinguishing them from this world, he had a taste of death, and he wanted more.
Baron’s hands rubbed small circles on my thighs, trying to smooth me.
Even though he couldn’t see my face, my stiffened posture must have given away where my thoughts had gone.
Being mates didn’t help when trying to hide our feelings.
If I let down my internal walls, he could feel the depths of my soul, every raw emotion, my thoughts, the sharpest of my edges, and I could feel the same from him.
When we discovered we were mates, it was all-consuming.
It still was, but now we had better control over it.
Mostly. As my mind wondered through my sultry cravings, a small smile tugged at my full lips.
“Look,” he said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
He used one of his hands to point forward, and I tapped Emeris to bring her to a stop.
The line of figures in the distance was all we could see, but that was as close as I was going to get after what happened last time.
I could tell it was the same fleet of warships from earlier today.
I glanced up over my shoulder at Baron as he shook his head with a knowing expression on his face.
The war was here, and we were Embers’ next mark.