When his worst fear comes true, Asgard's Dark Prince will stop at nothing to rescue his pregnant consort. Yet, not even the threat of Asgard's forces looming in the skies over Alfheim can force the Unseelie Winter Realm Elves to produce Shannon when...
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When I woke, the first thing I noticed was how relaxed, full of energy, and limber my body was. I hadn't felt this good since before my capture. For the first time in many weeks, no headache pounded at the back of my eyes like daggers gleefully slicing into my brain. My head didn't weigh my neck down with tension. My back wasn't cramping with knotted muscle, nor was that constant dragging sensation present. I smiled at the comforting warmth of Loki behind me, his arm wrapped around me, cradling our child. He'd tucked me into the curve of his body. I'd missed this. Gods, how I'd missed this. It had been so very long.
My eyes fluttered open, and I went to caress his arm, but froze with my hand in the air. The arm cradling me was black and silver, not pale white. The hard body tucked tight against me, morning wood snuggled up against my ass, was not Loki.
Even as the previous evening's actions flashed through my mind and my body grew wet with remembered pleasure, I was flinging myself away from him and out of the bed.
"No!" I said, my hand to my mouth as my heart squeezed in horror.
In denial, I closed my eyes to not see the gorgeous, naked man sprawled in the bed, looking at me sadly.
I caught a sob as it started to escape and ran to the bathroom. The speed and ease of my body's movement mocked me, taunting me with my guilt. In the punishing heat of the shower, I scrubbed as the hot tears flowed unchecked. Although I scrubbed and scrubbed until my skin was pink and raw, I couldn't make my shame go away. It was a knife to my heart, a wound that would not stop bleeding.
And I'd done it to myself. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't run away from my own choices.
Elatha wisely left me alone, not trying to comfort me when I eventually emerged from the bathroom. Already dressed in skinsuit and armour, I was ready to leave. The sooner I got away from Prince Elatha and this uncontrollable desire, the better.
Only speaking when I absolutely had to, I said I was ready to go. I stood as far away from him as was practical, well out of arm's reach.
But it wasn't him. It was me I didn't trust.
This was my fault, entirely.
Elatha must have understood me well enough now to not try to make conversation, but simply showed me how to exit the water gate on the cave entrance.
Leading the way, but checking on me to ensure I stayed by him, we sped through the water. This sea was different from the previous. There was a diversity of different coloured glowing plants and sea life, as well as large meadows of flowing sea grasses where turtles and rays gracefully glided. If I hadn't been so wrapped up in my mental anguish, I would have enjoyed the beauty of it.
There were also fewer wide open spaces in this sea. Instead, it was more like huge interconnected caverns with large tunnels between them in a web of space. There were more rock walls and fewer pillars. All of my attention was required to ensure I took the correct turns and didn't end up separated from Elatha or in the wrong tunnel.
