Their Fireheart

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rhysand

I hadn't seen Aelin all day, and I was beginning to lose my mind. She had awoken early, according to the Summer Court attendants, and gone for a city tour with Tarquin. My teeth had ground at that little announcement, but I had attempted to ignore it, sharing breakfast with Cresseida, Amren, and Varian who was much too interested in the former for common sanity. Perhaps I had taken it a bit too far in my attention to Cresseida last night, but when I had seen her appear in that outfit that was perfectly suited to him, I knew I wouldn't be able to look at her all night without revealing everything.

She was so stunning she could have been a goddess of the sea, coming to curse or bless us all. It took every ounce of willpower not to drop to my knees and worship at her feet. Now, seeing as I hadn't laid eyes on her in over 16 hours, I'm thinking that may have been the more productive route of action.

Instead, I spent the entire worthless day overtly aware that both Aelin and Tarquin were missing. We ran through numbers of soldiers with Varian, and discussed plans of attack for the Armada with the head of their navy. Of course, nothing could be solidified without the word of their High Lord but every single time I inquired after his whereabouts, I was met with the same infuriating response.

He is preoccupied with the Queen.

Preoccupied was a purposefully vague statement and I had never hated the word games of the fae more than I did in this instance. Logically I knew that Aelin was freshly mated to Rowan, but that didn't stop my mind from coming up with all sorts of sordid ways that he could be preoccupied with my mate. The worst part was I didn't even know for sure if she was aware of who she was to me. She hadn't allowed us to even have a conversation about it.

Frankly, it was a testament to my centuries of self-control that I didn't rip out the throat of one of the smug-ass advisors.

Finally, I couldn't take it any longer, and snuck into her chambers before dinner. Knowing Aelin, I was certain she would have to return to ready herself for the evening.

I was lounging on her bed when she finally appeared, and although I wasn't attempting to surprise her, I was completely unfazed as she sauntered over to her dressing table and began removing her jewelry before casually snarking at me over her shoulder. "To what do I owe this pleasure, oh magnanimous High Lord?"

Fine. If that was how it was going to be.

"Tired from simpering and flirting with Tarquin all day?" I questioned.

She met my gaze through her mirror and raised an eyebrow, before tossing a wrapped package back at me, "What do you think?"

My heart soared, thinking she had already secured the book and we could finally leave this cursed court. I rapidly tore at the wrappings, revealing a black velvet box. That was odd. When I cracked the box, all of my hope plummeted and pure, possessive rage replaced it.

My voice was flat. "This isn't the book."

A half smirk flitted across her lips. "Not yet. But it is rather exquisite, isn't it?"

I tried to calm the roaring that filled my veins as I looked down at what was, unfortunately, an exquisite necklace of pure, glittering diamonds. The red tint made the jewels appear as if they were made of live fire. It was a stunning piece of artistry, and it suited Aelin to perfection.

But it was also a mating gift.

Tarquin had gone too far now. He was actively courting my mate.

My teeth ground as I responded, "So he pours honey in your ears and plies you with fancy trinkets, and you, what, forget the entire reason we are even in this blasted court?"

The female has the audacity to roll her eyes at me. "Really, Rhys, this is all a part of the necessary dance. You should know that better than anyone."

If I hadn't been so full of rage, I might have heard the hint of bitterness and accusation in the last bit of her statement, but my head was roaring with visions of ripping Tarquin's spine from his body.

Voice gravelly, "Perhaps I am. What I do not know, is just how far you would go in this dance, to secure the book."

She waved a hand at me dismissively, "Don't you worry about that. Did you get anything useful out of Cresseida last night?"

My world stopped spinning.

There was no way- She couldn't actually think- Could she?

Ever so slowly, I stalked over to her, caging her inside my arms as I leaned down around her. I breathed in deeply, inhaling the intoxicating scent of jasmine, lemon verbena and embers. I brought my mouth to the shell of her ear, holding back a feral grin at the shiver she just barely failed to suppress. I growled, "Do you think I fucked her for information, my goddess? Is that why you tortured me all day?"

She turned in my arms, pressing her chest against mine and refusing to back down from my challenge. By the Cauldron, she was the sexiest thing I could ever imagine. She raised a brow haughtily, "It makes no difference to me why you fucked her, I just want to know if you achieved anything we could use. As for me torturing you, I assure you that you would know if I had actually -"

I cut her off with a harsh press of my lips against hers. She stiffening momentarily before practically melting into my embrace. I let out a low growl of pure pleasure as our lips moved together. I surged forward, crushing her deceivingly delicate looking frame to my larger one.

The feeling of her pressed against me was pure euphoria, every pass of our lips and strokes of our tongues calming the burning rage within me that had bubbled imagining her with Tarquin. She was mine.

I was done.

Done with secrets.

Done with hiding how I felt about this miraculous creature.

Even if she never wanted me, I would always be there. Always protecting her, making sure she was free to make her own choices. Always hoping she would change her mind and accept me.

I felt myself become lost in the feeling of her against me, and every primal instinct within me raged with the temptation to take her. To finally become one with my mate in every sense of the word. Before these overwhelming urges could get the best of me, I pulled away ever so slightly, licking at sucking at her neck before I reached the nape of her neck.

I growled in her ear, "If you think I could fuck someone else with my mate in the suite next to mine, you don't know me at all."