into me with long, steady strokes. The world seemed to hang in stasis. Time stopped as he fucked me.
I drifted, rising higher with each thrust, and then, suddenly, we were flying, together. All I could feel was his skin, his hunger, the pulse of his breath matching the beating of my heart as I gave him everything, losing myself as I fell into the dark stars of his eyes.
Grieve stiffened, moaning softly, and then, slowly, came to rest with his head on my breast. “I am your King,” he whispered. “And you…you are my Queen.”
I couldn’t say a word, I was so exhausted and so satiated, but he snuggled me under the covers as I slipped into his embrace, resting on his outstretched arm.
“Sleep, my love. Tomorrow, we have so much to do.”
And—too tired and relaxed for words—I kissed his lips, and fell into a deep, undreaming slumber.
I managed to wake up before my lady’s maid showed up. Having a stranger insist on helping me dress made me uncomfortable, but it was just another aspect to being a queen that I was going to have to compromise on. I slipped out from beneath the quilt, taking care not to wake Grieve as I did so. I needed a little time by myself, and as long as I stayed within the realm of Summer, I should be safe.
I missed being high up—missed opening the windowand being on the second story. Hell, I missed even having windows
to
open. Shrugging into a cloak, and not much else, I quickly padded through the Barrow. Most of the people who were up were servants and tradesmen and whoever it was that kept the palace running smoothly. I had pulled my hood over my head so no one would pay much attention to me, and before long, I stood at the edge of the Barrow, staring out into the early hours of Summer.
Inhaling a long, slow, deep breath, I shook off the feeling of claustrophobia. I honestly didn’t like living underground and hoped to hell that the realm of Winter wouldn’t have the same makeup. I needed windows. I needed the ability to look out and see trees. I needed the open sky.
As I raced toward the tree line, I heard someone behind me and whirled around. There, a sheepish grin on his face, was Check.
Ducking my head, I gave him a rueful smile. “I promise, I wasn’t trying to leave the realm. I just need to…to…fly.”
He cocked his head, then somberly nodded. “I understand. At times my nature calls me to go running through the woods.”
“What are you? What do you shift into?” I hadn’t yet figured that out, but, being Cambyra, he would be a shifter, too.
He shrugged, breaking into a smile. “A fox, my lady. I am a fox-shifter. Which is why I camouflage so easily in the woods. It is my nature.” He glanced around. There was no one else near us. “You take your flight and I will stand guard by the tree. This is the tree that His Highness—your father—often comes to. I find it interesting that you should single it out.”
I gazed up at the oak. It was gnarled and ancient and had been struck by lightning several times but rose dizzyingly into the sky. I glanced back at Check, then slipped out of my robe, naked except for my pendant. As I swung up to the lowest branch of the oak, I tried to avoid bark burn. I crouched, getting my bearings as I gazed up at the network of branches and limbs above me.
Standing, I balanced with my hand against the trunk, and then, in what was becoming familiar and easier moves, stretched up on my toes, grasping the branch above me. I used my feet to walk myself up to where I could swing onto it and then repeated the move, working my way up the thick trunk until I stood some thirty feet from the ground. I inched out along the limb, wincing as stray splinters caught hold of my pubic hair, but nothing seriously injured me, and then—I was overlooking the ground, with space enough to shift as I went into free fall.
I leaned my head back, staring at the sky, knowing that outside these protected walls, the long winter waited for me. And then,
I drifted, rising higher with each thrust, and then, suddenly, we were flying, together. All I could feel was his skin, his hunger, the pulse of his breath matching the beating of my heart as I gave him everything, losing myself as I fell into the dark stars of his eyes.
Grieve stiffened, moaning softly, and then, slowly, came to rest with his head on my breast. “I am your King,” he whispered. “And you…you are my Queen.”
I couldn’t say a word, I was so exhausted and so satiated, but he snuggled me under the covers as I slipped into his embrace, resting on his outstretched arm.
“Sleep, my love. Tomorrow, we have so much to do.”
And—too tired and relaxed for words—I kissed his lips, and fell into a deep, undreaming slumber.
I managed to wake up before my lady’s maid showed up. Having a stranger insist on helping me dress made me uncomfortable, but it was just another aspect to being a queen that I was going to have to compromise on. I slipped out from beneath the quilt, taking care not to wake Grieve as I did so. I needed a little time by myself, and as long as I stayed within the realm of Summer, I should be safe.
I missed being high up—missed opening the windowand being on the second story. Hell, I missed even having windows
to
open. Shrugging into a cloak, and not much else, I quickly padded through the Barrow. Most of the people who were up were servants and tradesmen and whoever it was that kept the palace running smoothly. I had pulled my hood over my head so no one would pay much attention to me, and before long, I stood at the edge of the Barrow, staring out into the early hours of Summer.
Inhaling a long, slow, deep breath, I shook off the feeling of claustrophobia. I honestly didn’t like living underground and hoped to hell that the realm of Winter wouldn’t have the same makeup. I needed windows. I needed the ability to look out and see trees. I needed the open sky.
As I raced toward the tree line, I heard someone behind me and whirled around. There, a sheepish grin on his face, was Check.
Ducking my head, I gave him a rueful smile. “I promise, I wasn’t trying to leave the realm. I just need to…to…fly.”
He cocked his head, then somberly nodded. “I understand. At times my nature calls me to go running through the woods.”
“What are you? What do you shift into?” I hadn’t yet figured that out, but, being Cambyra, he would be a shifter, too.
He shrugged, breaking into a smile. “A fox, my lady. I am a fox-shifter. Which is why I camouflage so easily in the woods. It is my nature.” He glanced around. There was no one else near us. “You take your flight and I will stand guard by the tree. This is the tree that His Highness—your father—often comes to. I find it interesting that you should single it out.”
I gazed up at the oak. It was gnarled and ancient and had been struck by lightning several times but rose dizzyingly into the sky. I glanced back at Check, then slipped out of my robe, naked except for my pendant. As I swung up to the lowest branch of the oak, I tried to avoid bark burn. I crouched, getting my bearings as I gazed up at the network of branches and limbs above me.
Standing, I balanced with my hand against the trunk, and then, in what was becoming familiar and easier moves, stretched up on my toes, grasping the branch above me. I used my feet to walk myself up to where I could swing onto it and then repeated the move, working my way up the thick trunk until I stood some thirty feet from the ground. I inched out along the limb, wincing as stray splinters caught hold of my pubic hair, but nothing seriously injured me, and then—I was overlooking the ground, with space enough to shift as I went into free fall.
I leaned my head back, staring at the sky, knowing that outside these protected walls, the long winter waited for me. And then,
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