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The next morning, Cal walked hand in hand with Relian in the late morning sunshine. With a smile, she breathed in the crisp air. It woke her senses, and she basked in the sights only autumn could bring. The clearing would soon be appearing before them, and she relished these last few moments of peace. So did Relian, apparently, because he pulled her off the wooded path and led her to a large tree.
He pressed his body against hers, sandwiching her firmly between him and the tree before he parted her lips with his. Once inside, he began a lazy exploration that quickly turned heated. The strong muscles in his arms flexed under her fingers. She’d never get tired of the feeling of that—of him. He skimmed his hands over the sides of her waist until they settled on her hips. Inserting a leg between hers, he shifted her up higher so his sex pressed against hers. Heat gathered in her core. Forgetting where they were, she rocked against Relian and wrung a moan from him. When he pulled away, she groaned in dismay.
He sighed, pink tingeing the high planes of his cheeks. “There’s no time. How I wish it weren’t so, but we’re expected.” He stepped away from her and straightened her rumpled gown. His hands shook, and she couldn’t catch his gaze.
She reached out a comforting hand. Why was he suddenly acting so strangely? As soon as her skin made contact with his chest, she knew the answer. His strong desire rattled him, causing him to flounder. Though no means dictatorial, he was used to being in control, whether over people or his own emotions. He didn’t want to appear any less in her eyes, in his people’s eyes.
She cupped his face, nerves burning in her stomach, and prayed she would say the right thing. “Oh, Relian, you do the same thing to me. Feel my heart.” Her hands grasped his and placed them against the pounding organ. “There’s no shame in that. We just completed our bond, after all, but there’s time aplenty to come back to what we just cut short. We now share an immortal life together.” Her voice choked.
Immortal life. How could those few little words change the course of her life so much? She had a hard enough time saying them, so the actual contemplation of their meaning lay beyond her right now. To be immortal or nearly so, until she gave up her life. She couldn’t wrap her mind around that vastness, the next-to-eternity that stretched before her.
“It’ll take time, my love.”
The understanding in his voice almost broke her, for he wasn’t referring to what made him lose control but to what shredded hers. His hands framed her face, their roles turned around, making her want to sob. She would not; she couldn’t. Everyone expected them shortly. She wouldn’t arrive with red-rimmed eyes and tear-streaked cheeks.
As she sniffled a few times, the irony overwhelmed her—she should be comforting him, not the other way around. Laughing, she tried to explain what she found so humorous, but her gasping breaths made it a slow process. Between those words and their bond, he soon figured it out, though, and joined in the merriment.
His laughter trailed off as he looked down at her. “Yes, we have the rest of our long lives to learn, live, and love. Let that be enough for now.”
The bright eyes that stared into hers gave her the hope all would be right. “I couldn’t have phrased it better.”
He stepped away and held out his hand. “Come, or we’ll truly be late for our own receiving.”
“I want a honeymoon,” she muttered good-naturedly.
They walked back to the path. “That trip you mentioned where a bonded couple retreats to a private locale to indulge themselves?”
“I didn’t say that,” she said with a shake of her head and a smile. “They might go there to sight-see, and their retreat most certainly doesn’t have to be private.” When he looked at her dubiously, she paused. That hadn’t come out quite as she meant it. “Well, the bedroom should be private but not the locale necessarily.”
He bowed his head, his shoulders shaking with the force of his chuckles. “Of course, they wouldn’t want to perform for an audience—unless they’re like us and keep nearly doing so by accident.”
“Relian!”
***
Cal stared at the ring Relian had gifted her with at the receiving. In an effort to stay away from the crush of people in the clearing, she lurked near a tree. Touching the ring, she turned it on her finger and watched the light glint off the band. Its golden glow highlighted the engravings painstakingly etched in the precious metal. Less than half an inch wide, the band sported a nature scene not unlike the forest they wandered from this morning.
The most surreal part was the two figures holding hands in the midst of the scene, one tall and the other much shorter—about a foot, if she and Relian were anything to go by. The clarity of the etchings floored her, as did their surprising life-likeness. It was beyond her how something so small could contain such intricate depictions. She’d treasure it for the rest of her life, not only for its superb craftsmanship but also for what it represented.
When Maggie sashayed up to her, Cal groaned. Her friend looked way too perky for her liking.
“That was an awesome ceremony, don’t you think?”
Yikes, that pertness even came through in her voice. She eyed Maggie warily. “Yes.”
“It was out of this world, but then this place is out of our— What?” Maggie asked, frowning. “Why are you looking at me that way?”
“You either had too much to drink last night, or you’re hiding something.” She gazed at her friend with narrowed eyes.
Maggie glanced away. “What? Now, who’s spray painting the kettle black? I saw somebody quite tipsy after their own bonding ceremony, hanging all over their beloved.”
“I don’t deny that. But what did you do?”
Discomfort flashed over Maggie’s face. Cal’s unease skyrocketed.
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Cal slapped her hand against her forehead. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. I needed to get away from the rat king. He was torturing me. No, I really mean it.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he got out the whips and chains.”
“There’s no reason to be kinky. What you and Relian do is your own business.”
Cal smacked Maggie in the arm and sent her an affronted glare that demanded seriousness.
Maggie threw her hands up in surrender. “Okay. Okay. I hooked up with Kenhel and Avrin, and they kept me out of the king’s sadistic paws and entertained me.”
“Maggie!” For the second time that day, shock infused Cal’s tone—only this time it was real, and her voice rang out louder than she’d intended. She gave an apologetic smile to the startled few that turned their way. The elves smiled back politely, but she could tell they thought that she and Maggie were gossiping about the wedding night. The knowing looks that lingered behind those smiles said it all.
She rounded back on Maggie. Her friend wore a flabbergasted look and shook her head wildly. “What! No! You think... No!” Maggie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “They’re good-looking, funny, attractive, but no. And especially not two at a time.” She sighed in exasperation. “Please, I wasn’t that lost to my senses.”
“Glad to hear it.” And she was. That could’ve been a sticky, awkward situation.
Maggie grimaced and slanted a glance at her. “When have I ever acted like that, anyhow? I don’t bed hop, tipsy or not. Heck, you were with me during most of my dates, right along with your own. And you saw what happened during those—a big, fat nothing.”
“Well, you have to admit your words were misleading. Hooking up with someone often means sleeping with them.” Cal flushed. She’d indeed been doing that activity herself last night, but it was sanctioned, legal, whatever she wanted to call it. Now, she just had to let it sink in that Relian was hers and would be for the rest of their lives.
“Are you blushing?” Maggie chortled. “I thought you’d be thoroughly cured of that last night. You know, no longer the blushing bride. Last evening, you two seemed like you were on some type of mission to hightail it out of here. You did do it last night, didn’t you?”
She glared at Maggie. “What do you think?”
“The way he was looking at you this morning, I would guess yes.”
How was it possible to feel mortified and pleased at the same time?
“Not that you were much better, mind you.”
Any pleasure fled, leaving mortification alone to gasp in the dust.
Cal buried her face in her hands. “We’re that bad? Really?”
“Yes, but not in a bad way. It’s not lewd but kind of sweet. You two never do anything outside the bounds of propriety”— Maggie gave a teasing grin—“at least not in public.”
Ha, Maggie didn’t know about their bench episode. “That’s a relief. Now everyone thinks we go at it like rabbits behind closed doors.”
“Oh, come off it, Cal. Everyone knows what married people do. They’ve been doing it since the dawn of time and will continue to do so after I’m long gone.”
Her heart clenched at Maggie’s reference to time, but she shoved it to the recesses of her mind as something to mull over later.
“When you were leaving last night, I overheard more than one couple say that you and Relian reminded them of themselves when they were young and newly married.”
Before Cal could reply, a hand slid around her waist, and she jolted. Recognizing the touch and the familiar scent of pine and sandalwood that made her senses swim, she immediately relaxed.
Relian prodded her into movement. “Come, my ladies, no hiding behind trees. Many people are eager to meet you but fear to intrude.”
She sent him a smile, and he returned it with adoration in his eyes. Maybe meeting the rest of his people—no, their people—wouldn’t be so bad.
***
Cal stood in Relian’s arms that evening, gazing out over the terrace of the private dining room. Their meal had been informal and shared with a select group of people. They’d all missed the near feast that had been taking place in the Great Hall every evening since they’d bonded. There were still guests who had yet to depart, so those more elaborate dinners would continue until they left.
The buzz of conversation inside the room floated out to her. Maggie was laughing gaily with Kenhel, Avrin...and Sardon? She listened closely and smiled. Yes, Sardon. Were human women growing on the austere lord? She certainly had made an impression on her elf. Her hand slid down Relian’s arm, the muscles tightening in response.
Through their bond, the mutual satisfaction of a day well carried out hummed between them. More than likely, that was a temporary feeling, for much remained to be solved. Her and Maggie’s discovery of the parchment was fortuitous, due to being in the right place, at the right time. So far, their presence hadn’t done anything miraculous, except shake up the status quo a bit.
As she bit her lip, a thought filtered in, startling in its simplicity. Their presence.... Maybe that was all the veil needed, and everything would ripple out from there, just like a pebble upsetting the calm of a pond. There might be no grand scheme for her, no great prophecy or role. In fact, her path in Eria wasn’t as clearly mapped out for her as it would’ve been in Wisconsin. But she had Relian and the possibility of visiting her old home. Right now, that was all she wanted. Well, that wasn’t quite true, but what she wanted would require a more private spot.
As if reading her mind, Relian leaned down to nuzzle her ear. “Let us escape to a more secluded venue while we can.”
She didn’t look back as she linked her arm through his. They walked down the steps and faded into the gathering shadows of the garden.
###
Thanks for joining Cal and Relian on their journey! If you liked this story—or even if you didn’t—please think about reviewing.
Bound to the Elvin King is next in the series. If you haven’t picked it up, here’s the link: