Songs of Fallen Stars

14

Rion.

“Are you ready?” I ask as I fasten her furs to her. She looks a bit under the weather this morning. I wonder if she was thinking about last night, the way I was. All night, all I wanted to do was finish what I had started, to kiss her. It is taking a great deal of patience and control to not force her into the mating bond. I want her to want it as much as I do.

“Ready as I’ll ever be” She nods with determination.

I’m about to turn and go talk to the men when she grabs my arm, ”Just promise you won’t do anymore barrel rolls okay?” She looks sick at the thought of it.

I laugh and promise not to. Something tells me she doesn't quite believe me though.

Twenty minutes later she is on my back and we are off in the skies. This part of the journey will be easy, smooth sailing. It’s only about five hours of flight before we reach the decoy castle. Sirens keep all their valuables under the surface, so they have a decoy sitting on the ocean’s edge. To fool anyone stupid enough to try and invade them, they like to trap them inside and flood the castle, drowning everyone.

The wind is cool, not as bad as yesterday, but the closer to the ocean we get the more the humidity picks up, the air is heavy to breathe. I crane my neck every now and then to make sure Elara is alright, each time she is gripping the saddle tightly, but she is now looking around at her surroundings. She is not terrified to open her eyes, which is good.

I can see the castle in the distance, we are nearly there. I found a safe spot to land, a few miles away. Elara jumps off and immediately runs into the bushes. I shift back and follow her, ignoring the looks from my men.

“Elara?” I call out.

“Don’t come over here!” She shouts from behind a tree.

“What are you doing?” I lean against the tree. I hear the sound of water, a steady stream. I hadn’t stopped for hours, it makes sense she needs to relieve herself. I wait for her to finish and come out,

“I’m sorry”

“For what?” She asks as she adjusts her dress skirts.

“I hadn’t thought about your bathroom needs during our journey”

“It’s fine. Let’s go back” She smiles sincerely at me as she heads back to the new camp.

I follow after her, she chats with a few of the men as we eat dinner. She is getting more comfortable with my people, I enjoy hearing her laugh. She drinks with them and listens to their jokes, telling a few of her own which no one understands but they laugh awkwardly anyway.

It is getting late, the moon is high in the sky, “It’s time for bed” I crouch beside her and whisper in her ear. I feel her hair tickle my cheek as she moves her head to look at me. Her eyes are hooded, she must be exhausted, they seem dull and lazy.

“Rion! Have a drink with me” She thrusts her goblet towards me, I take it and have the last of the spirit.

“You’ve had enough. Come on, I’ll escort you to your tent” I say as I rise, pulling her up with me. She is drunk, she can’t even stand on her feet. She sways backwards, I scoop her into my arms and carry her to the tent.

I go to put her in bed when she grips onto my neck tighter, “I want a bath” She murmurs into my chest. I sigh and place her down, going to leave, to give her some privacy when she grabs my arm.

“Stay.. please” She pulls at her furs, letting them drop to the floor, then at her robes. I watch as she slides them over her shoulders, the fabric revealing the soft skin beneath. The skin I’ve been dreaming of touching, marking as my own. The robes fall to the ground and she stands naked before me.

It’s the first time I’ve seen all of her, not just a glimpse but everything. The small freckles that cover her shoulders, the soft smooth plain of her stomach, the tuft of hair between her legs. Everything about her makes me ache, her legs are long and toned, her thighs look inviting. She doesn’t make any attempt to cover herself from me. She seems very comfortable in her own skin.

She reaches up and lets her hair down, it falls to her breasts, covering them slightly. I can see her n*****s under it, hard and pink. She takes a step towards me,

“You said you wanted a bath” I remind her.

“I didn’t say I wanted to bathe alone” She slurs, blinking up at me. Her hands on my chest, I feel them burning a hole into me. She is much too drunk to know what she is asking me.

I step forward and scoop her up in one motion, walking her to the bath and gently putting her down in the water.

She doesn’t say anything, she just stares at the water. Her head rests on the edge of the bathtub and she starts to hum something. A lullaby that I’ve never heard before. I go to her wooden chest and pull some fresh clothing for her. I need to keep myself busy or I may succumb to my desires and join her. But it’s too soon, she would not be happy in the morning if she knew I took advantage of her in this state. I need to tread carefully, now more than ever.

At least I know she wants me, even if the only time she will show it is when she’s drunk. She still wants me. Sooner or later her sober mind will realize it too. Soon she will know exactly who she is to me and she will accept the bond.

She falls asleep in the bath, I pull her out and dress her before placing her in bed. I lean down and kiss her forehead before tucking her in.

I need some air, so I head outside the tent and take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

“ Rion… please…” I hear from inside. She is talking in her sleep again. Go back to make sure she’s alright.

“I’m right here” I whisper, pushing her hair out of her face.

“Don’t go.. I don’t want to be alone” She whispers. I can’t tell if she’s awake or not now.

“I’m not going anywhere” I tell her. She grabs my hand and brings it to her chest.

She slumbers once more, I get comfortable on the floor beside the bed, she still holds my hand hostage so I allow her to have the comfort she craves.

I wake with a kink in my neck, but I don’t care. I gently pull my hand out from her grasp. Her robes have come open and the furs are around her hips. I gently pull them up to cover her, hoping she doesn't wake as I do so. I don’t want her to think I was trying anything. I exit the tent and the men give me smug looks.

“Can I help you?” I demand

“We were just wondering if you had a good night?” Ayden asks with a wink.

“I know if I were in there last night, she would be walking funny for days” Zander laughs. I snap, tackling him to the ground and I start to hammer my fists down on him.

“Don’t you ever talk about her like that!!” I snarl at him.

“I’m sorry!! I didn’t mean it!” He cries out, trying to use his arms to protect himself from my blows.

I get off him and he cowers into the dirt.

“That goes for all of you. Anyone so much as looks at her funny and you’re dead. Do you understand?”

“Is she…” Evan trails off mid thought.

“Yes she is. Keep it to yourself for the time being. Do not mention it to her, under any circumstances” I warn them. They all nod and bow. Their attitude changes towards her from that moment on. When she comes out of her tent fully dressed and ready for breakfast, they bow in respect to her. As they should have from the start.