Chapter 20
B eing a Princess of a realm whose primary cause is to protect humans worked in my favor. With Myles’ assistance, we coordinated the transfer of supplies from the mainland to the areas that were hit hardest by the storm. Hundreds of pallets were moved with extreme proficiency by the guards: cases of water, diapers, formula, canned goods, blankets, clothing. Everything moved underwater at lightning speed with not a drop of water touching it. Thank the goddess for water magic. All I could do was watch in awe. When the supplies reached dry land, we began coordinating the deliveries to the people in shelters who needed it most.
Once everything had been delivered and the Guardians and volunteers had returned to Atlantis, I gave my aching body a moment to settle. Only then did I let the devastation sink in and finally headed home to see what was left of it.
Weathered fragments of wood dusted every inch of land. Kelly green palm fronds lay clamped between debris, and smoky-colored gravel had been pulled from the neat confines of their pathways. Shattered glass littered the ground under hunks of metal that used to be cars. That’s what greeted us as we reached the neighborhood I once called home.
I moved cautiously down the road, the pieces of debris crunching underneath my sandals with a cracking sound that carried across the silence surrounding us. The mellow, humid wind steadily pushed bits of salmon pink insulation in tiny circular vortexes across our path.
Mostly decimated.
Some houses had survived, but the strength of the hurricane-force winds was evident in the damage to the paneling on those that remained. Chipped paint in bright colors of lime green, tangerine orange, yellow as bright as a fresh banana peeled back from the homes they’d accented. Cars tossed from the storm surge rested in various positions blocks from their owner’s house. The people of the town-proclaimed Conch Republic understood the risk of living on these tiny islands entirely surrounded by water. They took that risk for the freedom of living in a beautiful, peaceful paradise. To fish endlessly, to surf, to relax, to watch the stars blink in the middle of a pitch-black night. The Keys were a way of life unlike any other. Perhaps it was wild to live so exposed to the elements. It was their choice to do so, but as I surveyed the damage before me, I wondered how many would return to risk it again. At what point did it become too much?
I paused in front of my home, and my mouth dropped open. Dad’s beloved electric Mini Cooper sat in the driveway with not a single scratch on the shiny black paint. The debris that surely traveled a great distance landed a foot away from hitting any part of it. As my gaze scanned the area around my home, I realized there was a foot of distance between any piece of debris and the entire house. A boat from the channel behind the home sat a foot away; the metal bent as if it slammed against the side of the house but couldn’t reach it. There wasn’t a single dent in the bright metal roof.
Draevyn came up behind me as I gaped. “It’s warded for protection.”
I glanced back at him, his dark brown hair flowing behind him on a gentle breeze. His faded, heather gray Hurley t-shirt stretched deliciously over his chest, reaching to the washed-out jeans that hung low on his hips. When I asked him where he got the clothes, he simply stated that a commander is always prepared. He’d even brought his own footwear. There shouldn’t be something so captivating about his feet in sandals, but here I was, admiring them. “Don’t you think the neighbors will get a little suspicious?”
A shrug. “Haven’t you noticed that your house has never been damaged during hurricane season?”
I stared off in the distance as I tried to recall my parents ever calling an insurance company to file a claim. Weird.
I blew out a breath and gestured around the front lawn. “Well, welcome to my home. I guess.”
Draevyn’s lips lifted in a smirk. “Oh, I’ve seen your home before.”
My brow rose. “You have?”
“Of course. We’ve all helped protect you and your family in one form or another. We’ve just never stayed above water for long periods of time.” Draevyn tilted his head in thought. “Well, I have. For other reasons.”
I slid my hands into the pockets of my white-washed denim jean shorts. “And what reasons are those?”
Another shrug. “Curiosity, I suppose.” He gave me one of those radiant smiles I’d never tire of seeing.
I cleared my throat and scanned the empty street behind me. There wasn’t another human in sight, just debris for miles in either direction. A couple of houses down, the second story of Mr. Parker’s home lay on the ground in front of his garage, and my heart squeezed. He’d just lost his wife a few years ago. How was he supposed to come back from this? My vision distorted when unshed tears welled in my eyes, a few escaping down my cheeks with a blink.
Draevyn’s essence wrapped around me before his strong arms came around my middle, his warmth seeping in against my back as he pulled me into his chest. He rested his chin on my head, and the protection of his embrace was a welcomed distraction from my chaotic emotions.
“It’s okay,” he whispered against the shell of my ear. “I’ve got you.”
I wrapped my arms over his and squeezed. “These were my neighbors for so long. It’ll be so hard to come back from this. If they can come back at all.”
Draevyn turned me in his arms and cupped my face—his thumb brushing away a stray tear. “They’ll need your strength, Asherah. Remember what’s about to happen in the Above World. These homes shouldn’t be rebuilt. The ice age is fast approaching. Your friends? Neighbors? All these families. They’ll have new homes in Atlantis, where they’ll be safe.”
Reality sunk its claws into my mind. My friends and neighbors wouldn’t only join me in Atlantis; I’d rule over them. Possibly. Sessi may very well be their ruler, and that thought sent a shiver down my spine.
Draevyn ducked down in my line of vision. “Hey. Where did you go?”
I shook my head. “It’s just…the thought of them joining us in Atlantis. The thought of them believing any of it is real. The possibility that my friends and my neighbors may be assigned to Corenathia. To Sessi.”
“That won’t happen.”
“How do you know, though?”
“Because you can request that they stay with you. In Atlantis.”
“But that just means some other poor souls will be stuck in Corenathia. It’s a death sentence. Why even go at all?”
His rough hands brushed up and down my arms, the contact of our bare skin eliciting a different kind of feeling that was entirely inappropriate for the moment. “This is why checks and balances must be made. I have faith you and the other queens will come to a compromise. But let’s try and not worry about it now.” He gazed behind me. “I don’t suppose you know where everyone is taking shelter?”
I sighed. “I think I do.”
He took my hand, and I gazed down at where his hand encompassed mine. I didn’t know where the lines were with us anymore. When I was with him, it felt natural—like surfing a wave meant just for me, my board perfectly in sync with the surface of his curl. That feeling in my chest expanded the more time I spent with him.
“Lead the way,” he said, his baritone voice a seductive calling my heart could only hear.
I cleared my throat, briefly looking down at my feet. “Right. Um. This way.”
We left the ruins of my neighborhood and carefully meandered through the debris to where my friends would surely be—the friends who were likely going to rip me a new asshole for leaving without a word. I welcomed the balmy air into my lungs as we headed toward The Blue Fin.
Just as I’d predicted, most of the neighborhood was at The Blue Fin, which was likely the only place with electricity and backup generators for miles. Bobby had the wisdom to install solar panels four seasons ago. The regulars laughed at him for succumbing to “new energy hype,” but now, those same haters sat inside, eating hot, savory bar bites and welcoming the cool air the A/C provided them. A couple dozen people milled about—the upbeat music blaring from the jukebox clashed starkly with the somber mood of the patrons inhabiting the space. There wasn’t a face in the place that wasn’t as solemn as the next.
Plywood covered every window and one-half of the double doors we’d entered—the entire dive dark save for the overhead can lights bathing every person, table, and chair in a warm glow. It warmed my heart to find the place completely intact. “There appears to be a ward on this place as well,” Draevyn had told me before we’d entered the dive. I couldn’t help but feel touched by the gesture. My parents knew what this place meant to me and the town.
“Ash?” a voice called from the bar. Bobby grew ashen like he’d seen a ghost but quickly replaced his shock with a dashing smile. He dropped his rag on the bar top and rushed toward me. “What the hell are you doing here?” His big arms wrapped around me, squeezing to the point of suffocation.
“Hey, Bobby,” I greeted as I broke out in laughter.
He pulled back. “They said you ran off to Cali and forgot all about us.”
I gave a quick flick of the wrist. “Psst. How can I forget about you all?”
He folded his arms across his chest, his bright yellow Resting Beach Face tank bunching slightly. “Well, you never came to say goodbye.”
I winced. “Ugh. I know. I know. I’m sorry about that. They needed me to start as soon as possible. I couldn’t help it,” I said, the lie falling too easily off my tongue.
Bobby’s eyes drifted behind me, and a smirk crept up. “And who is this?”
I cleared my throat. “Bobby, I’d like you to meet Draevyn. My…um…man friend.”
Man friend?
An amused expression bloomed on Draevyn’s face before he shook Bobby’s offered hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine.” He gestured to the bar. “Sit. I’ll get you your favorite bacon tater tots you like and an IPA. Thankfully, the storm didn’t wash that away. What can I get you, man?”
“IPA is good.”
“Perfect.”
We slid into the final two weathered stools on the corner of the bar while Bobby fetched us our crisp, cold beers. The euphoria of coming back to a familiar place wrapped around my soul. Some places lived rent-free in your brain: a family home, a favorite surf spot, or perhaps a middle school hallway where you had your first kiss. For me, The Blue Fin would forever be my place. Everyone who walked through the door was like family. Even now, they greeted me like a long-lost family member finally coming home. As Draevyn and I snacked on our bacon tater tots—the rich, savory flavors eliciting my taste buds—I took my time with introductions. While some greeted Draevyn with interest, others remained wary of the newcomer at the bar. But soon enough, Draevyn fell into an easy conversation with them. The patrons told stories of escape and near misses from the storm and plans to clean up the town. We mentally noted every plan so we could help.
“I’ve enlisted some friends to come by and help tomorrow,” Draevyn told them between sips from his pint.
“Excellent! We can always use more help,” said Paulie, a local fishing junky who preferred fish to people, which is why, most days, he came to The Blue Fin only for an hour or so to grab dinner and scurry home.
“And if they’re as big as you, that’s even better,” Magda—the owner of the Live and Let Dye hair salon—called from down the bar, her thin lips smirking and auburn brows wagging on her weathered face.
“Well, you’re in luck because they’re bigger than me,” Draevyn replied with a wink.
Magda began fanning herself with a cardboard coaster. “Oh, my lady loins. I can’t wait for tomorrow, then.”
The whole bar erupted in laughter.
Draevyn casually slung his arm over the back of my stool, his thumb brushing back and forth over my shoulder, causing my skin to pebble. I sagged as I leaned into him a bit. The tunes from the jukebox filled my soul like a potent energy. I hadn’t felt this carefree in so long.
Here, I was just Ash—a local Keys girl. I wasn’t an heir or a Queen.
In here, I could just be.
“Ash?” a voice called incredulously from behind. I swiveled on my stool, meeting John’s wide grey eyes as they bounced between me and Draevyn. “What are you doing here?”
I hopped off my stool, my hands flexing at my sides. “Hey, John.”
Behind him, Chrissy gracefully strode through the door, fiddling with her keys as she jammed them in her shorts pocket. She stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of me—a smile emerging so bright that one might need sunglasses to block out the shine. “Ash!” She ran at full speed and pummeled me in a hug, squeezing my ribs to the point of breaking. When she finally granted me mercy, she pulled back, her smile dropping into a flat line. “Where have you been? Why haven’t you called? Is everything okay?” Her gaze shifted behind me, and her mouth slowly dropped open. “Please tell me you’re climbing that.”
Heat immediately crept up my cheeks.
John cleared his throat, his dark brow lifting at Chrissy before awkwardly moving in for a hug of his own. As much as I dreaded the twenty million questions about to be flung my way, I missed them immensely. As I stepped out of his embrace, I felt Draevyn’s tall form looming behind me, his hand protectively landing on my hip.
“Um. John, Chrissy, I’d like you to meet Draevyn. Draevyn, this is Chrissy and John. My friends.”
John held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, man.”
Draevyn, ever the gentlemen, shook his hand with a nod. “Pleasure.”
“Hi, I’m Chrissy,” she beamed, reaching forward and shaking his hand enthusiastically. “But she just said that, so you know that.”
Draevyn’s lips lifted in an amused grin. “Yes, she mentioned that. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Ash’s best friend.”
“Yes, she mentioned that, too.”
“The name’s Chrissy. With a ‘y’. Not an ‘i-e.’”
“Pleasure to meet you, Chrissy, with a ‘y.’”
“Ash?” John interrupted. “Can I speak to you for a moment?” He gestured to the far corner with a stern look on his face.
I gave Draevyn a questioning look, which he returned with a nod before I followed John with my heart kicking in my chest. An irrational feeling of being caught filled me despite the absurdity of it. I’d done nothing wrong. When we reached the dark corner, John twisted around and placed his hands on his hips, causing me to feel like I had.
“Where. Have. You. Been,” he asked in a tone that held all the authority of the Captain I knew. The one that had left butterflies in my stomach but now didn’t. Not even a flutter.
“I had to go.”
“Uh-huh. I get that. But Chrissy and I have been calling you non-stop. And every time I see your Dad, he tells me the same thing.”
“And that is?”
“That you’re doing great but you’re super busy.”
Weird. Dad never mentioned seeing John or Chrissy. “Well, he wasn’t wrong. I was…am…busy.” How I wished I could tell him the truth. Before I grew to have any feelings for John, he’d always been my friend, the boy who met me at the head of the street to walk me to the bus stop, the one who met me after every class that wasn’t across the campus in both middle school and high school. The boy who grew into the man before me. I had to crane my neck to look up at him—a fact he used to rub in my face during our senior year of high school. But there was hurt in his gaze now, and it wrestled with my heart.
“You could have called.”
I avoided his gaze, glancing down at the floorboards. “I’m so sorry.”
“Is it Chrissy?”
My head snapped up. “No. Not at all.”
His steel gray eyes drifted over my shoulder. I followed his line of sight. Chrissy’s hands gestured in the air around her—her face lit animatedly. Draevyn appeared at ease with the conversation, chuckling at whatever story she recanted. “Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t be bothered with our relationship, with meaty long locks over there.”
That got my attention, my brow furrowing as I looked back at him. “Meaty long locks?”
John shrugged. “I mean, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“Jonathan Tyler Adams, do I detect a hint of jealousy?”
“Psft. No. Don’t look at me like that. I’m serious. It’s cool if that’s what you’re into.” He let loose a sigh. “I just wish you would have called.”
I reached up and squeezed his broad shoulder. “I know. I’m sorry. Where I live…eh…doesn’t have the best reception.” I fluttered my hand in the air. “Marine life and all. You know.”
John snorted. “Okay, big shot. I forgive you. But make an effort next time. And I’m not the only one who missed you, you know. Chrissy’s been feeling awful. Thinks you couldn’t handle…you know…”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You all really have nothing to worry about. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to her. And I am truly happy for you both. It makes me happy knowing you have each other and looking after one another. It’s one less thing I have to worry about.”
He tilted his head, his dark brown hair shifting. “Worry about? What’s there to worry about?”
I gestured around me. “You, Chrissy, Bobby, the whole town.”
“Yeah. Yeah,” John said, waving it off. “It’s The Keys. This shit happens all the time.”
“It’s getting worse.”
He blew out a breath. “I know. It is. That I can’t deny.”
I desperately wanted to tell him everything right there and then. But I couldn’t. I flicked my head toward the bar. “Let’s get you a beer and catch up. It’ll give you a chance to get to know meaty long locks over there.”
John chuckled, slinging an arm over my shoulder as we lumbered back to the bar. “Good to have you back, Ash.”
“Same, John. Same.”
With the more challenging conversation of the two complete, I returned to the ease I’d felt before John and Chrissy arrived, my mood sinking into pure happiness when Draevyn pulled my stool closer to him and eased into conversation with my friends. And knowing what lay ahead, I soaked in the moment like the warm rays of the sun after an afternoon rain.
“Last call?” I asked Draevyn as I pulled the stainless-steel refrigerator door open. He slowly drifted around the living room, taking in each photo that hung on matching frames on the cream-colored walls.
“Sure.”
I grabbed two Fizzy Finny IPAs—The Blue Fins award-winning brew—from the fridge and shuffled to the gray sectional that took up most of the room. The darkness beyond the patio slider was an ominous reminder of the devastation around us. I sighed as I cracked open my beer and plopped down on the soft cushions.
“Where was this one taken?”
My gaze narrowed on the eight-by-ten photo, recognizing it immediately. “Surf competition in Newport Beach. I was in high school. It’s one of the only competitions Mom attended. I begged her to frame it. She thought that I liked the photo. She doesn’t…didn’t know that I wanted it framed because I wanted to remember a time when I came before her work.” The guilt gripped my heart. “Work. More like taking care of an entire queendom. All while I was a little brat wanting her to be at my surf competition.”
He twisted around with a sympathetic gaze. “You couldn’t have known, Asherah. It’s not your fault.”
“I know. And yet, I still feel guilty anyway.”
Draevyn picked up his beer from the coffee table, opening it as he sat beside me. “You’re holding yourself accountable for something you couldn’t control. Queen Neleah wanted you to have a full life in the Above World— a good life. And based on the pictures that decorate the walls of your home, I’d say she accomplished that goal.”
He wasn’t wrong. The moments I’d had with Mom were some of the best. “It wasn’t that I didn’t feel loved or anything. I just wish I had more time with her. More memories.”
Draevyn placed his arm over the back of the couch, the hairs on the back of my neck brushing his arm and sending shivers throughout my body. “I hate to break it to you, but had you been raised in Atlantis, you likely would’ve seen her even less than you did in the Above World. Every minute of her day was always scheduled. Just look at your father. How many times have you seen him since arriving in Atlantis?”
Again, he wasn’t wrong. I nodded as I smeared a bead of condensation across my beer can—the cold aluminum biting into the tip of my finger. “And soon, that will be me.”
“And soon, it will be you,” he gently smiled. “However, you’ll be Queen, and you can set your boundaries. I think it’s important that you set those soon so they know not to cross those lines.”
“Boundaries for what?”
Locks of his brown hair fell forward as he tilted his head. “Well, there’ll be things you’ll want in your life—a mate, faelings of your own. One day.” My cheeks heated, and his eyes roamed over my face, his dimple revealing his pleasure. “You do want those things, yes?”
I cleared my throat. “Um…yeah—yes.” My eyes narrowed. “How does the whole bondmates thing work anyway?”
His brow arched. “Has no one ever told you?”
I huffed. “Barely. Well, Myles and Aurelio have, and Dad gave me some info. But not much.”
Draevyn’s thumb caressed my shoulder, slowly moving back and forth, causing my breath to hitch. “Every bonded pair I’ve spoken to states that it starts as an itch just over the left side of the chest,” his gaze dropped over me, “or breast in the case of the female.” I remained stock still, my pulse picking up speed. “Then, there’s an undeniable pull, a tethering that makes you want to be around the person, that makes you constantly aware of them.”
I swallowed. “Really?”
“Really.”
“How interesting.”
“Very.”
I’d felt that pull in my chest from the moment I’d set eyes on this beautiful male; I could swear I felt it tug a little harder as he looked at me with lust in his eyes. “What else?”
He placed his beer on the coffee table and turned to me fully, his thick, muscular thigh settling slightly over mine. “Well, when the couple begins feeling the bonding signs, they attend the bonding ceremony together and present their union before the Bohiti for the goddess’s blessing.”
“Bonding ceremony?”
“Yes, it happens every Ostara, what you call spring in the Above World. We pay homage to the goddess’s blessing of fertility.” Draevyn moved my hair over my shoulder and I stifled back a gasp. “It’s one of our most sacred rituals.” There was no denying the heat in his gaze as he continued, “It’s a very sensual time of the year and can get a little…erotic; the bonded pair taking their pleasure, going mad with lust until the morning hours as the bond solidifies through their union.” He leaned forward, his face a mere breath away from mine. I gasped as the tip of his finger traced tiny swirls above my left breast. “Once the couple has presented themselves to the Bohiti for the blessing, a bond mark appears,” he swirled dangerously close to my nipple, dipping beneath the top of my tank, “right here.”
“Oh,” I breathed. His tropical green eyes hypnotized me, relaying exactly how he felt without uttering a single word.
Draevyn leaned in further, and I closed my eyes…
…just as the front door slammed open.
Draevyn leapt from the couch, placing himself in front of me as footsteps sounded down the entryway. Dad entered the living room with Dax a second behind him, their eyes traveling between the two of us. My father’s face was set in a questioning look, while Dax’s was lit with amusement. My cheeks were absolutely burning.
“Well, doesn’t this look fun,” Dax teased.
Draevyn bowed to my father. “Regent.”
“Draevyn. How nice to see you here. Alone. With my daughter.”
“Dad,” I hissed. I pinched the bridge of my nose.
He fluttered a hand. “I get it, Sher. You’re a grown woman. Etcetera, etcetera.” He shifted his attention back to Draevyn. “I’m not about to tell you how to do your job, or that she’s still in a shitload of peril.”
“I understand, Your Highness.”
“Good. The other Guardians are on their way.”
My head jumped up. “Like, right now?”
Dad jerked back. “You didn’t think we’d have our future Queen up here with just one Guardian, did you?” he asked, quirking his brow.
“The Blue Fin is an amazing establishment,” Dax called from the kitchen with his head half in the refrigerator. “Fine food. Fantastic music coming out of those speakie thingies. Ah.” He pulled a Fizzy Finny from the top shelf and cracked it open, taking a long gulp. “And delightful refreshments.” He turned to Dad, looking affronted. “How come you never brought us any of these? They’re fantastic.”
“Because a beer run for the Guardians wasn’t exactly a top priority.”
I sighed. “I’d better get to bed,” I announced as I rose from the couch. “I’m going surfing in the morning.”
“Then, I best be off to bed as well,” Draevyn said.
Awkwardness and tension filled the spacious living room. I had to wonder which bed Draevyn would have ended up in if Dad and Dax hadn’t shown up. “I’ll show you to the guest room.”
“Or the man cave with the other Guardians,” Dad quipped.
My brow lowered. “That’s downstairs.”
“Yup. And Dax is sleeping on the couch, so you’ll be well protected.”
“No. Draevyn stays near me.” I looked to Dax. “Not that I don’t trust you or anything. No offense.”
Dax raised his beer. “None taken.”
“I feel more comfortable with Draevyn,” I pleaded. “It’s not like he’s sleeping in my room. He’ll be in the room next door.”
Dad let loose a sigh. “Fine. Okay.” He glanced over his shoulder at Dax. “You still good on the couch?”
“Of course,” he replied with a Cheshire cat smile.
I guess we’d have a babysitter then. “Good night, Dad. Dax.” I gestured for Draevyn to follow down the hallway that led to the bedrooms—Dax and Dad flicking on the big screen TV as the sounds of football filtered down the way. I entered the guest room, flicked on the light, and wheeled around to Draevyn. “Sorry about that,” I whispered.
My breath hitched as he stepped into me; his hands reached up to cup my face. “Nothing to be sorry about.” I couldn’t help but lean into the warmth of his palm as his next words took my breath away. “Would you honor me with a kiss from those beautiful lips before I go to bed, my Queen?”
The entire world faded. “Yes,” I whispered.
The left side of my chest tingled, and I didn’t move as Draevyn leaned in, his full lips capturing mine in the most electrifying kiss. His soft tongue pushed past the seam of my lips and slowly danced with mine to a rhythm only our hearts could hear. His strong arms wrapped around my lower back, clasping me to him as my fingers threaded through the thick strands of his hair. Draevyn Eliron’s kiss set my soul on fire. It captured every beat of my heart, and I knew right then that I was incapable of letting him go.
He slowly pulled back, his hooded eyes caressing me. My heart nearly melted when he began to smile. “Thank you for honoring me. I shall never forget that kiss.”
A familiar scarlet heat warmed my cheeks. “I don’t think I’ll forget either.”
He huffed a small laugh. “You’d better get to bed if we’re getting up early.”
I drew out of his embrace and let out a reluctant breath. “Okay.” I slowly moved toward the door, my hands lingering on his arms a moment longer.
Just before I shut his door, I couldn’t help but notice how he rubbed over the left side of his chest.
My soul filled to the brim as my aching muscles worked to keep myself on my surfboard. It had been far too long since I’d felt the beautiful pain, and I relished it. I breathed in the warm, humid air as I bobbed on my board, watching Draevyn as he skillfully rode a wave to shore. His form was perfection, and from the way he cut and commanded each wave, it was clear he had some experience. My smile held the entire time I watched him.
When Draevyn joined me far out in the water, the tingling sensation grew anew like a frenzied nest of bees stuck in my chest. I bit my lip as my gaze roamed over every chiseled ridge of his torso on display. The water dripped from his long, dark hair, and his aqua-marine eyes held mine, full of an easy joyfulness that was very unlike the demeanor of the Commander I knew. I’d never seen him so relaxed before. It was nice to see him enjoying himself.
“I’m impressed.”
His gaze swept over me as he rose to sit on his longboard. And for good reason. I’d worn my favorite pink hibiscus bikini that left little to the imagination. His bright blue swim trunks bunched on his muscular thighs as his long legs straddled his longboard—his biceps bulging as he leaned forward on his arms to steady himself. I’d never wanted to be a surfboard as much in my life as I did at that moment. His shoulders reached for his ears. “I might have had some practice over the years.”
“Yes, I suspect having decades to practice has helped.”
He winked. “It does.”
My lips tightened, and my eyes playfully narrowed on him. “Just how often have you come to Above World to surf?”
“A few times,” he said with a mischievous smile.
I folded my arms over my middle, my abs tightening with the effort to steady myself. “Why do I get the feeling you’re keeping something from me, Draevyn Eliron?”
His laugh was infectious. “I’m not keeping any secrets from you, my Queen.”
“Uh-huh. Right.”
His laughter died, the smile dropping from his face. “In seriousness, though, I think it would be best if we didn’t keep secrets from each other.”
The thought of my last training with Dax zoomed into my mind, and I bit the inside of my cheek. I’d promised Dax I wouldn’t tell anyone, but Draevyn had become something…more. And it didn’t feel right not telling him something important like that, especially something that was still puzzling me. I pinched a clump of wax from my board between my pointer finger and thumb as I confessed, “There’s something I have to tell you then.”
His head gave a slight tilt. “You can tell me anything.”
“But you can’t tell anyone.”
He rowed a bit closer, bringing his board parallel to mine. “You have to know, anything you say stays between us. Always. And I hope you’d do the same for me.”
My brow furrowed. “Of course.”
“Then, tell me.”
I pressed the clump of wax on the board as the sun’s blistering rays heated my skin. “The other day, during my training with Dax, I…I stopped the flow of water.”
The water lapping against our boards was the only sound for a long moment as I beheld the shocked expression on his face. “You stopped the flow?”
“Yes. The waterfall just seemed to…pause.” I provided every detail: how the current beneath the water also seemed to stop, the bright blue light that flared from the water, how Dax said not to tell anyone except Dad. I left nothing out, desperate for any advice or similar stories he may know of.
Draevyn ran his fingers through his now damp hair. “I’ve never heard of such a thing happening.”
My shoulders sagged. “Great. Guess I’m back to weird things happening with zero explanation then.”
He reached out, taking my hand in his. “Asherah, this is extraordinary. You are extraordinary. Don’t look at a gift like that as something to be upset about. Every magic, every ability, is a gift from the goddess. Do not dishonor her gift by clouding it with frustration. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together.”
Right then, I knew with certainty that I was right to tell him about what happened that day in the training facility. My instincts implored me, and even though he couldn’t explain what could’ve happened, my entire body and soul felt lighter with my confession. My lips lifted in a solemn grin. “Thank you. For listening.”
“You do not have to thank me. I hope to share a million secrets with you throughout our very long lifetimes.”
I tilted my head. “Oh yeah? Will you tell me one of your secrets then?”
Draevyn glanced down at his board, chasing a rouge water droplet with the fingertip of his free hand. “Every time I’m around you, I have this strange sensation in my chest,” he confessed. I gasped, and his gaze drifted up to mine. “I know you’ve felt it, too,” he said, as he carefully placed his hand between my breasts, “right here, right where the call of a bondmate should be. It scares me to no end because I’ve only heard of the power between mates. And now that you’re here, ever since you entered the gates of Atlantis, I’ve known you are infinitely special, like a remarkable tether to my soul that left me desperate to get to know you. I’ve watched you see your new world with a fascination that is entirely refreshing. I love seeing Atlantis through your eyes.” He shook his head. “You are a beloved gift I feel so unworthy of. But somehow…somehow, the goddess has found me worthy. And I hope you will, too. I’ll do anything in my power to build the foundation of a long and happy life with you. This is how I wish to honor the one whom the goddess has blessed me with; the one who has captivated me with her beautiful mind, an incredible heart, and…” he paused, his eyes roaming every inch of my exposed skin, my legs straddling my board baring nearly everything to him, “a body that has left me intoxicated with an all-consuming lust I’m no longer capable of containing.” My heart picked up speed, his words eliciting a slow ache that spread to my core.
I moved as if by some magnetism, pulling myself on his board and straddling it before him—his hooded gaze following my every movement. Draevyn flicked his hand, calling on his water magic to steady his board. When the air around us rippled, I quirked a brow at him.
“Glamour,” his white teeth peeking as he grinned.
I inched forward on my arms until my legs draped over his thick thighs—my surfboard bumping into his board as the leash tied at my ankle pulled it with me. Draevyn licked his lips as his eyes roamed my inner thighs, spread wide before him, and slowly carried up my body like a gentle caress. My head felt light, but the exhilaration of being this close to him gave me the courage to ask, “Do you think I’m the one whom the goddess has blessed you with?”
His breath coasted across my lips as he replied in a seductive tone that had my toes curling, “Has the energy between us not been evidence enough? I do not think, Asherah. I know.” He claimed my mouth, and I lost myself in the way his lips melded perfectly against mine. The feel of him was overwhelming.
Consuming.
Draevyn’s fingers dug into my thighs as he pulled me onto his lap, his rock-hard length growing harder by the second against my slit. His strong hands trailed over the back of my neck as our tongues tangled in a seductive dance. This energy between us was so right. I had to have more.
I needed more.
My hips rocked frantically against his straining cock, the fabric of my bathing suit rubbing against my clit and fueling my desire. Draevyn made a low noise in his throat, which only added to the liquid heat between my thighs. The fabric of my bikini top created a delicious friction against his bare chest. He sucked my lower lip between his teeth, and a moan escaped me. My low ache continued to build until it became nearly unbearable. His warm lips trailed down my neck, nibbling and sucking, causing my breathing to accelerate. I leaned my neck to the side, giving more of myself to him.
“You are a dream I never want to wake up from,” he whispered against my skin. He slid his arms around my waist, pressing me firmly against him. “And as much as I never want to wake up from it, we have to stop.” I couldn’t hold back the whimper that escaped me, which he deftly captured with his mouth. “The things I plan to do to you, the way I plan to take you, require more than the surface of a surfboard. Although the sounds you make, the little moans, have me desperate to sink my cock into your silken heat. I want to bottle it for my own personal pleasure forever.” I breathed out a moan as his words went directly to my core. “When I take you for the first time, I want to worship every incredible inch of your body, like taking you on my own personal alter upon which you lay everything bare to me.” He brushed his lips gently against mine. Slowly. Sensually. “But I’d never withhold my female’s pleasure if that is what you need.” His fingertips traveled over my bikini top, teasing the tight bud of my nipple between his fingers before venturing lower to trace the fabric of my bikini bottoms, my center aching for his touch. The desire in his gaze was a palpable thing as he asked, “What do you want, my Queen? Do you want me to give you relief?”
My hands gripped his neck as I moved against him. “Yes. Please. Yes.”
The words were barely out of my mouth before he pulled the fabric of my bottoms aside and dipped his fingers through my slick folds. I sucked in a breath as they slowly ran from my entrance to my sensitive bud, coating them with my arousal. “Fuck, Asherah. You’re so wet for me,” he breathed against my ear as he nibbled the lobe in his warm mouth. I felt as if he were everywhere, yet still, it was not enough. When Draevyn skillfully circled his fingers in slow, painful circles over my throbbing clit, each mind-blowing flick caused my hips to buck. I cried out as his finger entered my heat, his thumb rubbing rapidly against the swollen nub. My thoughts were a cloud of desire, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Despite his glamour, the rest of the world didn’t exist. I was his captive, and I never wanted him to let me go.
When his second finger joined the first, I arced into him—his tongue drawing a line from my neck to my collarbone. “Such a perfect Princess,” he murmured against my hot skin, “ride my hand like you’ll ride my cock. Show me how you like it, Asherah.” His words undid me. My hips rocked harder and faster against him as I shamelessly rode his hand—the sensation was so overwhelming that I thought I might faint from the feel of him.
“Come for me,” Draevyn commanded.
And I refused to deny the commander his due.
Wave after wave of pleasure tore through my body, and my hands dug into his hair, gripping tightly. He continued his quest to expel every bit of desire until my body was utterly spent, and when he deemed me worthy, he slowly removed his fingers from my heat.
As I came down from the high that was Draevyn Eliron, I lay my head upon his shoulder—his arms coming around me and holding me tightly to him. We bobbed in the water, holding each other for what felt like an eternity before he pulled back, bringing his forehead to mine—an expression of pure bliss as if he’d won a divine lottery flashing across his features. “It’s an honor to begin this adventure with you, Asherah Delmar.”
But I couldn’t help but feel that the honor was all mine.