Chapter 9
Iwoke to the sound of footsteps rustling in the grass and cracked an eyelid open to see who had intruded upon my space.
I’d fallen asleep in the grass outside Resinah’s temple, disguised as a female mage, after thinking long and hard about what she’d advised.
Eventually, I’d come to the conclusion that she was right, and not just for the reasons she’d spoken of.
How could I master my powers, powers that required such incredible self-control, if I remained a slave to my body?
Iannis would never respect me, nor would the rest of the mage community, and I might never be given full access to my powers.
Even if nothing ever came of the attraction between the Chief Mage and me, I needed to get a handle on my urges for the sake of my own future.
As though my dreams had conjured him, Iannis was right there, staring down at me.
His violet eyes glowed in the darkness, reflecting the nearly full moon that shone above our heads.
Desire bloomed low in my belly as I inhaled his scent…
but it wasn’t as bad as I expected to be.
In fact, the sensation was almost normal, rather than hormonally enhanced, even when I released my illusion and assumed my real form.
Maybe there was something to this ‘getting in touch with your inner mage’ thing.
“You didn’t come back to the Palace,” he said softly as he lowered himself down on the ground next to me. “I was worried.”
Pleasure glowed in my chest at the concern in his voice, and I smiled. “I was talking with Resinah,” I said, gesturing toward the temple with my right hand.
Iannis arched a brow. “Talking with her? Or to her?”
“With her.” I raised my own brows as his eyes widened. “Why? You got a problem with that?”
“No,” he said carefully, turning to look back at the temple himself. “It’s just…rare…for her to hold a conversation for any length of time.”
“She mentioned that,” I mused, tilting my head to look up at the clouds. “But she gave a reason for her interest.”
“And what reason was that?”
“That’s between me and her.” I waggled my eyebrows, but despite my levity, I was serious. The conversation I’d had with Resinah had felt sacred, and I didn’t think it was meant for other ears.
Iannis gave me a questioning look, but he didn’t press further. “Why didn’t you come back to the Palace, then, when you were done?”
I shrugged, then stretched myself out on the grass again. “I was comfortable here. I came to the temple because I needed some help controlling my heat, and after I was done talking with Resinah, I didn’t feel ready to go back yet.”
“I see.” Iannis’s eyes darkened, and he reached out to touch my cheek. “Was Resinah able to help you?”
My breath stuttered as his thumb caressed my skin, which was still sensitive – the heat was still there, after all, regardless of whether I could control it.
“She was,” I said, and I was proud that my voice remained steady. “I’m reasonably sure that I’ll be able to prevent myself from pouncing on every desirable male who walks by.”
“Even me?” Iannis asked, grabbing my wrists. The next thing I knew, he’d rolled himself on top of me, pressing me into the soft dirt. I gasped as his hard, muscular body molded against my softer curves – even the naked kiss we’d shared in the river hadn’t felt quite this intimate.
“Especially you,” I whispered. “You’re the very last person I should be falling into bed with right now.”
“Well, I’m done with waiting. I want you,” Iannis said, his voice rough with need.
He bent his head so that his dark, cherry-wood hair formed a curtain around his face, blocking out the world.
Warm breath fanned across my cheeks as he spoke.
“I’ve almost lost you more times than I’d like to consider, and after I heard about the fire…
” He closed his eyes, a pained look crossing his handsome, oblong face.
And when he opened them again, they burned with iridescent flames.
“I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep taking you for granted, as if you’ll always be here, waiting until I’m ready, when you could be taken from me at any time. ”
“W-what are you saying?” I was trembling now with the effort of beating back the hope rising in my chest. I wanted so much to believe he was ready to accept me, but I couldn’t, not until the actual words came out of his mouth.
“I’m saying that I love you, Sunaya. And I want you to be mine, and only mine.”
He kissed me then, a tender, passionate claiming that completely shredded my control.
Hunger clawed at me, making me ravenous as I kissed him back, nipping at his lower lip and snarling at his restraint.
He only laughed, a low, teasing sound as he pinned me to the ground, his hands still wrapped around my wrists.
I could have bucked him off, could have broken his grip, but strangely, I didn’t want to.
I was okay with him having some control.
Maybe I’m not a total animal after all.
His tongue slid into my mouth, deepening the kiss, and he shifted his hips, nudging my legs apart so he could rest between them.
I clamped my legs around his lean waist, pulling him tighter to me, and moaned as his arousal pressed against me, right where I needed it.
He groaned low in his throat as he rocked himself into me, once, then twice, and then, suddenly, his hands were no longer wrapped around my wrists.
He was moving lower, trailing kisses along my jaw, down my neck, to my collarbone…
“Yes,” I moaned when he nipped the sensitive spot where my neck and shoulder met.
His tongue laved across the tiny wound, sending another flash of heat through me.
“Iannis…” I trailed off, forgetting what I was going to say as his hands slid beneath my shirt, pushing the fabric up as he trailed kisses along my abdomen.
An explosion shook the air, and we shot upright, twisting in the direction of the sound. My eyes widened in horror at a plume of smoke rising in the northern half of the city, far too close to the Palace.
“Bloody hell!” Iannis jumped to his feet, fury etched into the lines of his face. “Do they never stop?”
“Fuck,” I muttered, pulling my shirt down as I got to my feet as well. I was starting to see flames too, licking at the night air as smoke continued to billow. What was the Resistance up to now?
“I need to go.” Iannis turned back to me, and the regret in his eyes was clear as he reached for my hand. “They’ll pay dearly for interrupting us – I wish there were more time.”
“Go.” I squeezed his hand, then grabbed his face and pulled him to me for one more kiss.
It felt so good to be able to do that, to be able to reach for him without the fear of rejection shadowing me at every turn.
“There are more important things to deal with right now,” I added, my voice a little ragged. Inside, I felt like howling.
“Indeed.” His eyes glowed with desire and frustration as he pulled away. “We’re not finished here, Sunaya. I promise you that.”
And then, he was gone in a rush of wind, his feet taking him faster than even I could hope to follow, as he went to save a people who seemed determined to hate him.