Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
“Yes, baby,” I said, on the edge.
His head angled back a bit more, his hand stroked quickly, nearly there.
“Come with me,” he said, and I did, the orgasm crashing over me and drawing out a long moan, matching his.
He jerked, me still watching, and then shuddered, his arm finally stopping. His sigh was long and relaxed and he finally opened his eyes, his head dropping over to look at me. His smile was sleepy and serene.
“That was nice,” he said, and I laughed.
“Ouch, no, don’t make me laugh.”
“What do you say we soak for a bit until the water gets chilly. I’ll soap up and rinse, and we’ll go eat some dinner and go to bed.”
“Sounds good. I’m exhausted. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“I know. Every time my wolf roused, you were watching the emberflies.”
“They’re relaxing.”
“They’re . . . curious.”
“You have showers in the castle?”
“Yes. There are showers here, as well, but you wanted a bath. They are newer in the castle, though. The castle inhabitants were trapped without any of the modern amenities for a long time. They’ve since updated everything. It’s pretty plush. I miss baths, though. I stopped taking them in the interest of time. This is fantastic.”
“Do they really have six people take baths at one time?”
“Shifters don’t tend to be bashful about that sort of thing.” He looked over at me again. “You’ll see.”
Chapter 35
Aurelia
“Hey, baby. Time to wake up.”
I blinked my eyes open and stared at the low ceiling in my field of vision. My eyes were crusted with sleep and my body ached in an all-too-familiar way. Fucking Alexander. He really did know how to make punishments last.
“Time to get going,” Weston said softly, one knee on the soft mattress and hands on either side of me. He peered down into my face. “The salve helped some. The swelling in your eye has gone down.” He paused. “A little.”
“Hmm.” I thought about stretching. Thought better of it, that was.
He’d already dressed and I smelled food not far away. No light filtered through the half-curtained window, part of it ripped and tattered. The bath area and entrance were quite fine, but the rooms left something to be desired.
“Okay.” I stared at the ceiling a little longer. Usually my punishments back home would afford me the day after to lay in bed and do absolutely nothing. It always hurt too much to get moving. I’d be given no such quarter here. I said as much.
“Once the ship departs, you’ll have the better part of five days to lay in bed and stare at the ceiling, I promise.” He lightly traced his fingertips along my jaw. “Is there anything I can do to make it better?”
“Stop allowing me to be a baby about it?” I rolled onto my side, wanting to cry out as I did so, and then pushed up to a sitting position. I’d laid on my back last night; it hurt to be any other way. He’d been on his side, facing me, his hand touching my shoulder or my belly or my thigh, but always touching. It was comforting. Too bad it didn’t chase the ache away.
“I brought us up something to eat.” He put his hand on the back of a single chair facing a tiny table against the wall. “I already ate mine. While you eat and get ready, I’m going to go back down and make sure we’re ready to depart. Can you ride today, or will—“
He cut off at my shaking head.
“Okay, I’ll have you walk back with Hadriel. I’m going to have to ride out of here.”
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and then gingerly got up. “What am I wearing? Same thing as yesterday?”
“Yes. We had to bribe our way through the port so we didn’t get an inspection. I didn’t want them finding your product. Once the merchandise is on, it’s a lot of hassle to remove things again.”
He helped me dress and then sit down before he kissed my head and left the room. I could tell he was excited to leave, to get underway and get home.
Nervousness rippled through me, but I tried to ignore it, scooping up eggs and staring at the wall as I ate. Normal people would be wondering if this next destination would be their forever home. They’d wonder how they’d like it and if they’d settle in okay. Maybe even how they’d afford a place to live and how to go about getting a job.
I wondered if I was about to sail to my place of death. I would face judgment, and even though the people of this pack didn’t blame me, I couldn’t imagine a king and queen being so lenient. I wasn’t so lenient.
And if I wasn’t going to die? Then I’d worry about all those other things.