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/ 15 July

*****

ELIA

Gahrye looked at his King, the tension there, and inhaled deeply, nodding his head. She prayed he understood: She needed him to tell him when the outside forces might become too much. When her mate might break.

She had to save him from it. She would already be consumed saving him from the forces within himself. And her.

"I'll be back in the morning,

" he said, giving her a significant look,

"But until then… the cliff-face could crumble. Be there to catch it if it does. It will need a safe place to land.

"

She nodded slowly and thanked him, then waited for Reth to finally say goodnight to Behryn.

"We'll change the guard in three hours so everyone can get at least a little sleep tonight,

" Behryn said wearily.

"So don't be surprised if there's new people here in the morning.

"

Reth agreed it was a good idea and they walked Behryn out. A minute later she was tugging Reth back through the cave towards the bedchamber.

Only one lantern had been left lit. The room was dim and shadowy. As they walked in, Reth shuffled towards the bed, so she was the one to turn and close the door.

When she turned back, her throat caught.

Reth sat on the edge of the sleeping platform, hunched over, elbows on his knees, and his face in his hands.

"Reth?

" she said worriedly, rushing over to him.

"What's wrong?

"

He brought his head up, inhaling swiftly.

"I'm just tired, love,

" he said, but there was something in his voice, a faintness to it she'd never heard before.

She took his hands and pulled them apart so she could stand between his knees. With him sitting like that, they were face to face and she cupped his cheeks.

"You need rest.

"

He leaned forward to kiss her softly, swiftly, without pulling her in.

"I doubt I will sleep tonight,

" he rumbled.

"But you should. I could lay with you. That will be good for me.

"

She let one hand slide up to his temple and combed her fingers into his hair which had fallen mostly out of its tie over the course of the night.

He let his head drop forward and groaned when she clawed her fingers along his scalp.

"That feels delicious, love.

"

So she did it again, with both hands, then gripped his hair and pulled his head back. He growled when she kissed his Adam's apple, but he didn't fight her.

"You have done so much for everyone else tonight,

" she whispered against the stubble on his throat,

"why don't you let me do something for you?

"

His hands naturally rested at her hips and his fingers squeezed for a moment, but then loosened.

"I think… Love, I think I am too full of thought for any fun,

" he said wistfully.

"There are so many things—

"

"And you will do them all better if you can get your mind off of them for an hour.

"

"I'm definitely not up to an hour,

" he said gruffly.

"Perhaps forty minutes.

"

She snorted against his jaw and he lifted his hands to take her face in them and kiss her. But she could feel him hesitate. Sense the question in his mind—the distraction, and the fear.

When he began to pull away, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her, deepening the kiss. But he turned his face away, finally, his hands back at her waist.

"I'm so sorry, love. I'm just… spent.

"

"You need to rest,

" she whispered.

"Yes, I—

"

She took hold of the buttons on his shirt and began to unbutton them. His eyes latched on her face.

"If you're going on a trip, Reth,

" she said, faking a smile,

"then your mate wishes to send you off with a good memory.

"

One of his eyebrows came up.

"Oh?

"

"Yes. Here. Take this off.

" She slipped the last button out of its hold and pushed the fabric open over his chest, desire spiraling through her when his muscles clenched because she'd tickled his ribs.

As he pulled the shirt off of his arms, she started on his belt-buckle, then the buttons of his pants. She didn't miss that he wasn't yet aroused and bit her tongue between her teeth as she wrestled with the leather. Was she pushing him when she shouldn't? Was he going to try only to please her?

Then he made a tiny growl in his throat and pulled her chin up. When she looked up, his eyes were alight.

"Let me do that?

"

"The buttons?

"

"No, your tongue,

" he rumbled and took her mouth.

She smiled into his kiss, and kept working at the buttons as she tilted her head to enjoy the kiss fully.

He wrapped his hands around her lower back and pulled her in, until she arched against him, cupping her ass and kneading it, his breath beginning to sigh.

Elia was already panting, and self-conscious about it. But he was always so open with her about his own desire, she knew he'd never judge her for showing hers.

So, after he'd lifted her blouse over her head to bare her, she shucked off her own pants, then pushed him down to lay back on the bed as she took hold of the waistband of his now-open leathers and tugged them down.

She had to wrestle the legs one at a time to get them off his thick thighs and broad calves, but when she was done, she was panting for real—and his body was coming to life.

He sat back up, beckoning her to come to him, but after she kissed him she put her hands to his broad chest and whispered,

"Lay back.

"

His eyes snapped to hers and he regarded her for a minute.

"What are you doing?

"

"Giving you a chance to rest,

" she said, then smiled, pushing him back again. He went slowly, his abs crunching as he rolled back in a way that made her mouth water, but once he was laying down, he put one arm under his head and looked down at her. Waiting.

A little uncertain, but praying she couldn't get it to wrong, she placed her hands on him and stroked. His stomach clenched again and she smiled.

"I want to kiss you,

" she said.

"Then come up here,

" he rasped, reaching for her.

But she shook her head, and leaned over him, taking him gently in her mouth as his entire body tensed and he gasped.

*****

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