“Of course. We won’t take long.” He watched as Mara disappeared into the jungle foliage, letting out a small sigh.
“Quit worrying, Uncle. Your face will freeze that way.” Sebastian looked at him, a sly smirk settling on his face as he quickly began to undress. “You should realize by the last few days that Mara is more than capable.”
“I know. Still. I can’t help but worry about our fates. The fate of our group here. The fate of this mate bond she doesn’t feel. The fate of Faerie. Both of us are here. You are the only successor. If the realm is attacked while we’re gone, or—”
“Stop, please. Must you always torture yourself with thoughts like that? It’s hard enough just trying to stay alive out here. One thing at a time, and preferably the one thing we can control right now.”
The wisdom from Sebastian wasn’t expected. Vareck turned to pull his shirt out from his trousers. His nephew was right. “Torture seems to be a thing I enjoy. Hard to break eight hundred-year-old habits.”
Sebastian laughed before he dove into the water. Vareck tossed his pants and undergarments onto a rock near the side, shaking his head as he followed in after. Sebastian broke from the depths, flipping back his dark hair and he let out a deep sigh.
“The water is freezing, but so refreshing. It almost makes me miss the chill of home.” The prince ran his fingers through his hair before scrubbing at the dirt that covered his body.
“Almost,” Vareck said and laughed.
“You know, when you are not such an insufferable prick, you’re almost enjoyable to be around.”
Vareck sighed, wading deeper into the cool waters. “When you aren’t whining and acting like a coward, you actually have good insight and don’t annoy me.”
“Ah, there’s the old condescending bastard.”
“Watch your tongue.” For what it was worth, he noticed a subtle change in Sebastian. He was hard to see through the complaining, but something had indeed changed. He was an annoyance, for sure, and this adventure of theirs proved that his nephew could use some time away from the castle and the distractions it provided him. He had offered Sadie assistance on a few occasions, and that was far from his character. He had argued with their group still, but now it was less so.
“Alright, alright. I’ll leave you be.” The prince pulled himself from the water, shaking out his hair. “I don’t need to catch a chill. Are you almost done?”
“Go ahead. I might be a while.”
“Suit yourself.” Vareck turned as Sebastian exited the water, not needing to see any more of his nephew than he already had. The king allowed his eyes to close as he sunk down below the surface. The brisk touch of the springs enveloped him. So many thoughts had been swirling around Vareck’s mind, even in his exhaustion. The sacrifice of his mother, the words of his dead sister, the murder of his father.
And through it all, Mara had barely batted an eye. Centuries he had spent telling himself he was unlovable for his actions, that the prophecy set in motion by his mother would never be accepted. Maybe it was just all for the fear that lingered. The fear that he couldn’t undo the damage caused by his father. Still, Mara said she would try.
Vareck gasped for air as he pulled himself to the surface, the chill of the water tingling down his spine. Every word on Mara’s soft lips made his chest flutter. Her acceptance and willingness to try moved Vareck past wanting to make her his. It sparked every nerve in his body. By every god new and old, he just wanted to let her know how much she was already his world.
His shoulders dipped as his vision played tricks. He could have sworn that he saw a female figure move through the thick cluster of trees on the side of the spring near his clothes. But the shadow of his mind didn’t vanish. Instead it materialized further as Mara stepped into the rays of light peeking through the canopy. His body had tensed, but he released it and let out a sharp breath of relief.
“It’s not polite to sneak up on me.”
“Apologies, my lord.” Her tone held a teasing edge. She placed a fist on her chest and bowed in a way that Kaia would.
“Are you part of my personal guard now?” Vareck asked, lips quirking to the side.
“Someone needs to keep you out of trouble.” Mara’s fingertips curled up at her sides, grabbing at the bottom hem of her torn shirt. Vareck couldn’t help but hold his breath, her body a marvel every time his eyes gazed upon it.
“What are you doing?” he managed to ask.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m taking a bath.” Her bra unhooked from the back, dropping off her thumb to the side as she reached for the button of her jeans. Mara shimmied out of the fabric, slipping off her panties in the process. Footsteps echoed and soft splashes sounded against the surface as Mara walked toward him. It all felt as much of a fantasy as the day he saw her at the ball.
Her soft, ivory skin reflected against the surface, Vareck frowning at the patches of yellow, blue, and black bruising. His lips ached to kiss every inch of her body and take away any of the pain that she still carried. He didn’t move as Mara approached. He couldn’t. His body leaned into hers as she wrapped her arms around his waist, his nose tingling at the heady scent of her arousal.
“We’ve been here for days.” Mara’s voice stayed low, Vareck’s own arousal stirring as he tried to keep it in control. “Going in circles.” Her fingertips graced the bottom of his chin, rubbing against the scruff of his untrimmed beard. “I don’t know if we’re any closer or further from those damn rock monsters. We’re sort of living on borrowed time. I might die without ever eating bacon or Twizzlers again, and without having one last good fuck. I can’t control two of those things . . . so I figured we should seize the moment.”
Vareck almost wanted to laugh, licking his lips as he processed a response. His own arms wrapped around her waist, his brow quirking. “Is that so?”
“Did I stutter?” Mara’s fingertips trailed down his chest as he steeled himself not to shake off the electrifying chill between them. Every touch from his mate sparked desire deep into his core. She was here. She was next to him. She was real.
Vareck leaned in, cupping Mara’s cheek as he greedily kissed her. Mara tilted her head, swiping her tongue against his lower lip. The king took that as an invitation to playfully bite down, pulling a promiscuous moan from the woman in his arms. Her hands lingered down his sculpted abdomen, playfully following the lines of each muscle.
A small chuckle rumbled from Vareck, breath catching as Mara grinned. He pressed forward into the kiss, tongue dancing across her own as he tried not to drown in the overwhelming sensations. Everything about Mara was and always would be intoxicating. Her hand moved down, fingers wrapping around his hardened length and he growled as she slowly started to stroke. He felt his fangs extend and his desire to claim her was taking over his senses.
Then a jolt swept through Vareck’s body, as if someone had splashed him with the cold water he was already swimming in. He pulled himself away, letting go of Mara as he took a step back. She stilled in front of him, confusion and hurt flickering in her eyes. “I’m . . . did I do something?” She stepped back herself, Vareck immediately regretting the way he was handling things.