“We haven’t spoken since the battle with the golem,” he said roughly. His head was bent slightly, and he looked at me through lowered lashes, a storm brewing in his golden eyes.
“I was hoping you’d forgotten about that,” I said lamely. “You haven’t brought it up, and it’s been two days since it happened.”
“You were reckless,” he growled, his grip tightening on mine. But then he sighed, and the anger seemed to flood away from him, revealing the disappointment beneath. “But I understand why you did it, even if it hurts to know you didn’t trust me enough to tell me where you were going before you left.”
"I left you a—”note, I was going to say, then thought better of it. We both knew it was a flimsy defense. “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” I said instead, squeezing his hand back. “It’s that I know that despite your best efforts to give me space and adhere to my wishes, you would never have been able to stay behind. The mating bond would have forced you to come with us.”
“Perhaps,” Einar agreed. “But I could have followed at a distance.” He ran a hand through his hair, glancing around at the training hall. The palace guards came here to do their daily combat training and exercises, making good use of the racks of practice swords and the grappling mats and the weighted balls and discs. “I’m surprised you’re not beating on one of those.”
He pointed to one of the training dummies lined up on the far wall, meant for striking. “I was tempted,” I admitted, “but I can’t do any kind of training or exercise that winds me. I tried to go for a quick jog the other day before you woke up, and nearly passed out.”
“I was wondering why you looked paler than usual yesterday,” Einar said, shaking his head. He dropped my hand so he could stroke a hand over my forehead. “You need to conserve your strength as much as possible. The water baths are only doing so much. And doing pushups won't stop you from losing more weight. In fact, I’m pretty sure you’re only going to accelerate it.”
“And I think you’re just saying that because you don’t want me getting better than you, old man.” I stuck my tongue out at him as I stepped out of his reach, using the same insult Leap loved to toss at Einar. I could tell it hit the mark as his eyes flared, and a little thrill shot through me as he took a step in my direction.
“Better than me?” he echoed as he backed me toward one of the walls, a slow grin spreading over his face. “You think a few pushups are going to close the gap between us when I have decades of warrior training under my belt?”
My heart slammed against my ribs as I stepped sideways, preventing him from caging me in against the wall. We circled each other, my veins buzzing with adrenaline, bodies braced as we both searched for an opening. The phantom bite at my neck throbbed, and I could feel the bond between us pulsing like a living, breathing thing. The energy flowed straight into me, banishing the exhaustion, making my previously heavy limbs feel as light as a feather.
“What are you waiting for?” he purred, the words a challenge and a seduction all at once. “Come and get me, princess.”
I pounced, coming in hot with a jab, but Einar was too quick. He ducked to the side, arms banding around my middle, and I squealed as he lifted me into the air and tossed me at the mats, which were thick and padded with straw and down. I skidded across the surface, then tried to backward roll into a crouch, but Einar was already on top of me, hips straddling mine, chest crushing me into the padded surface.
He leaned down, eyes glowing, the tips of his hair brushing against my flushed skin. “Do you surrender?” he growled, the double meaning in his words unmistakable.
I arched my body against his in answer, sliding my hands over his shoulders and allowing my nails to scrape against his skin through the thin fabric of his tunic. His eyes slid to half-mast as a shudder rippled through him, and he leaned in further, his lips a hairsbreadth from mine.
I shifted back, then wedged my feet beneath his armpits and shoved his shoulders. He let out a yelp of surprise as he fell backward, and I shouted in triumph as I came up on top, reversing our positions flawlessly.
“You really thought I was going to let you have your way with me?” I crowed as I clamped my knees on either side of his hips to pin him in place.
Einar raised an eyebrow, a lazy grin spreading over his face. “Do you think that being on top means you’re in control?”
He punctuated that last word by gripping either side of my hips with his big hands, then driving his pelvis into mine. I gasped as the friction sent a ripple of hot, wicked pleasure through me, the hard length of him pressing exactly against the right spot.
“Of course I’m in control,” I panted, clamping my thighs around his hips to stop him from moving. My core throbbed, and I clenched my teeth against the searing wave of desire that urged me to move. I needed to get off him. Anyone could walk in on us—Prentis, Axlya, Cascada.
But the sensation of his body heat seeping into me was sodelicious. And I found myself lowering my torso until I was flush against him, noses touching, breaths mingling.
“Mhmm,” Einar said, and I nearly whimpered as the rumble of his voice sent vibrations down the length of his body and straight into my own. “Let’s test that control of yours then, shall we, princess?”
His hands slid down my back to grip my ass, and I swallowed a moan as he dragged my core up his length, then back down. A bolt of pleasure shot through me at the increased friction, and my body went rigid against him.
“Still in control?” he purred, his lips brushing against mine as he spoke.
“Yesss,” I hissed as he rocked my body into his. The word was a denial, an encouragement, and a plea all at once, and I felt my thighs loosening their grip, spreading wider so I could grind into him harder. His rumble of approval vibrated through me, making each bolt of pleasure that much more intense as he slid me up and down, up and down.
“That’s it, princess,” he growled as I began to move faster against him. His eyes blazed as he fisted a hand in the back of my hair, pulling my head back so he could expose my neck. “Let go for me.”
He clamped his teeth around the phantom bite mark, and an explosion of pleasure rocketed through me, lighting my entire body up from the inside out. Einar clapped a hand over my mouth to muffle my screams as I came, rocking frantically against him to milk every ounce of pleasure from him. The orgasm ripped through me, so fast and intense, it left me breathless and shaking atop him.
“Good girl,” he murmured, rubbing his hands up and down my back. I let out a shuddering sigh as I relaxed against him. A blanket of pure bliss settled over my mind, and I wanted nothing more than to lie here forever, listening to the steady tattoo of Einar’s heartbeat while he ran his warm hands along my spine.
No male had ever made me feel like this before. And I wasn’t sure if anyone else ever would.
“Lady Adara?” an unfamiliar voice called, and I bolted upright as one of the palace guards walked in. His blue eyebrows climbed to his hairline as he took in the scene before him, and I sat back, trying to act casual. After all, Einar and I were fully clothed, and we were on the training mats. “Lady Axlya sent me to find you. She needs you dressed and in the council chamber within the hour.”
“Why?” I asked, brow furrowing. I sincerely hoped it wasn’t for another meeting with the tailor, though I doubted she would bring him to the council chambers.