Wildfire

Thirty Four

"You're sure we aren't needed elsewhere?" The whisper is faint and surrounded by the most adorable chorus of sleepy chirps and content grunts as Rayne settles himself against me more thoroughly, his beautiful face being nuzzled into my chest as he fights the drowsiness of the sedative that Kanaye insist that he take so that we might hasten the rest of my sweet bride's healing with more rest. 

"Our only requirement from now until the wedding is getting you some much-needed rest so that you can continue to heal, My Love..." I shall never tire of his hand seeking out my heartbeat... The small sweet comfort it offers him to ensure that I am here through feeling it throb away in my chest for him is so endearing... And it truly brings my beast joy to feel and see just how well Rayne is connecting with us...To see that the draw of the bond I had felt upon seeing him for the first time was not false, and is in fact felt by both of us as he seeks shelter in my warmed embrace... 

" Emmy... I... I can't sleep for  thirteen da..." His mouth says one thing, but his eyes tell quite a different story as they become too heavy for him to even pretend like he's trying to stay awake, his sentence trailing off as he finally succumbs to the medicinal draft that we had decided was best kept hidden under our bed so that no one would so easily stumble upon it again... The shortened sleepily mumbled version of my name that had spilled from his lips one that stills my very heart until I draw him closer.  

In order for him to take this dose, Akeno himself had volunteered to be his son's taster, honorable mumblings over having been able to enjoy his long life with his mate arising when Kanaye tried to object in order to volunteer himself, a smile shared over something I hadn't ever thought I would hear being revealed to me... Our kind physician had not been in attendance at the ball the other night to show his support of me... He was there because he had been hoping to ask me what time would be best for him to slip away from the castle to fetch his own future wife whom he had spotted in town when he last left to fetch his own supply of herbs... 

It had been a tender moment between the four of us, Rayne altogether too excited for the kind man who has been doing his best to help us both in this trying beginning of our life together... So much so that he had willingly pulled himself away from my chest to hug the man, quickly pulling away with a polite reminder not to let the blanket slip from his lap lest a flare of jealousy works its way into my heart over the exuberant embrace that I know means nothing between them. It's one thing to surrender him to his father or a family member for such things, but looking through my eyes my beast will never appreciate the site of our precious Moon Beam in another man's arms. 

No...He needs to always be right where he is now... Curled up in my arms and safe from all who wish to harm him and his delicate radiance even though he's done nothing wrong. 

It evades me how anyone could look at this gentle beauty and ever even think about raising a hand to him with his sweet visage and graceful manner about himself the first thing I had felt when I saw him was the overwhelming need to hold him and pester him with affection, even before I had realized exactly why I could not pull my eyes away from him. 

...

Rayne

...

I'm not sure I ever truly sleep... But I do drift and it is to the most wonderful feeling of Emrys holding me, his hands gentle as he rubs my back with heated palms, gentle words being delivered into my hair as I fade in and out, tiny bits of conversation happening between us as the day goes on... Not all of it makes complete sense to me... I'm sure not all of it makes sense to Emrys either... But he never strays from my side, no matter how many times we shift and change position on our bed that still feels softer than down to my sore body.

I had thought my favorite place had been with my face buried in his strong chest or in the crook of his neck... But I find that as the sun grows brighter in the room upon one of my awakenings that I am on the side that pains me the least, Emrys's arm slung around my waist to anchor me to him as my back pressed into his chest and I feel so absolutely sheltered that it brings tears to my eyes, my napping Prince quick to wake up to the sound of my sniffles in order to kiss even more tender love and emotion for him into my heart with the way he's so eager to offer me comfort though he knows not why I am crying in the first place. 

"My little shard of starlight... What, my Dear, has upset you? Was it a night terror?" Kanaye had warned us both that that might happen, a common consequence of being attacked... And also that going into the rose gardens might upset me or induce the night time fears that may always be a possibility thanks to the Hirai family and their cruelty towards me. 

"I'm not upset, Emmy... I-I was moved by my love for you." With my sniffled words I find myself rolling onto my other side despite my ribs protesting to the pressure in order to embrace my sweet Emrys back to try and express just how very dear he has already become to me, the phrasing of my answer not unbeknownst to myself... 

And I know that with the way Emrys stills for a moment that they have properly reached him before he pulls me closer before easing onto his back and tugging me with him so that he might bear more of my weight than my aching side with a soft, "I love you too, Rayne..." reaching my ears before I feel his lips pressing against my forehead, this moment too emotionally charged for either of us to trust eachother with a true kiss just yet.