Moon Borne (Halcyon Romance Series Book 1) (34 page)

Later, she would attempt to summon her goddess—a risk she’d never dared before. Yet she had to learn why she remained in possession of her powers.

Her hand glowed amber, and she sighed in relief. She hadn’t dreamed any of it. Her body grew hot as flashes of the night before came back to her. Arsenius had claimed he wouldn’t be gentle with her.

He’d lied. Though his lovemaking was rough and demanding, he’d never once hurt her. The scrapes and bruises from the rough terrain formed on his body, not hers.

Though the beast in him insisted on claiming her, the bonded male wasn’t capable of harming her in any way. It was his goal in life to please her, to serve her, and to service her needs. She stretched out, satisfaction warming her to the core.

Pleasured her he had. Kyme’s body ached in the ways a woman well-loved did. His scent covered her, along with mud, sweat, and evidence of their lovemaking.

As she whispered to him that she had to attend to her needs, he released her with a reluctant grunt. She strolled to a small pond and waded in, washing off the dirt as the cool water eased her.

Her mind spun, unable to fathom her circumstances. Arsenius loved her and he was bonded to her. With every kiss, every caress, he’d shown her the degree of his affection.

Last night he’d not declared his devotion. Regret bubbled inside her. It was clear why he hadn’t. Even so, she wouldn’t abandon him. If she took flight again, it would destroy him. It would destroy her too.

She loved him. A scoff puffed from her lips. An Amazon, in love. Incredulous.

Though her heart blossomed with the knowledge of her affection for him, she was afraid to speak those words to him.

What if he doesn’t believe me?

It was impossible, after all.

***

She was taking too long. With a satisfied groan, Arsenius crawled off the sleeping furs. Rolling his stiff shoulders, he plodded in the direction Kyme had gone. He winced at how sore he was—from her beating, from the energy bolt, and from…
that
.

His grimace curved into a grin as he recalled everything they’d done together last night. Aye, any ache in his body was well worth the pleasure. He swore he’d never experienced such intimacy before. Not his insatiable lust, nor her matching burning passion. She was perfect for him.

He’d not told Kyme the entire truth about her electric shock. It wasn’t as pleasant as he’d claimed. He’d eaten the energy, but it had hurt. Yet somehow, the pain eased him. He thirsted after that release, just as he’d enjoyed being beaten by Thereus.

Aye, he and Kyme were made for each other. Meant to be together. The only question remaining was… For how long?

He wasn’t going to fool himself. Just because she’d submitted to him last night did not mean she intended to stay with him. Kyme had a life—one she’d been ready to return to.

Her obligations would always win. He wouldn’t take her family from her. They were part of why he loved her.

Their time together was limited. He could wallow in this miserable fact, or enjoy every second he had with her.

Arsenius chose the latter. His tortuous past had taught him to savor every moment of peace, of joy. Besides, he wouldn’t surrender her entirely. He’d beg for those two months with her every year. Even if he had to sink to his knees in front of her Queen. He grimaced. Hippolyta would love that.

He brushed aside a branch and the instant he spotted Kyme bathing in the pond, his cock hardened. He shook his head at the effect she had on him, on his body.

Water droplets shimmered like diamonds as they cascaded down her bare skin. The early morning sun’s rays illuminated her form. At the water’s edge, he savored every detail. The patter of the water trickling, like Elysium’s favored instrument. The mists swirling at the edges of the pond, hiding against the sun.

Kyme.
Her damp hair clung to and curled around her body. A body he’d loved so very well the night before.

She pivoted and he was caught, so he grinned at her and waded toward her. He didn’t miss her blush and wide eyes, or the way she gasped as he pressed his erection into her belly.

“You can’t want to
again
.”

“
Amazone
, with you I could live for nothing else.”

She laughed and splashed him. “You need the cold water even more than I.” She flashed him a smile and strolled to the shore.

“Nay, don’t leave me.” He grabbed her and gripped her body against his. “Mayhap there are boars or wolves nearby.” He chuckled to distract her from the sincerity of his words.

In truth, he asked for more than her to not quit the pond.
Guard your heart, fool. You cannot cause her to run again.

No, he couldn’t use his emotions to make her stay, but he could exploit hers. Arsenius tensed and engaged his assault. “Help me find my sister.”

From the way she no longer squirmed in his arms, he must have won. “I’m not… No longer chaste.”

“Verily? Aye, I hadn’t noticed.” He grinned and she slammed her elbow into his side.

“Your buyer,” she cleared her throat, “will not be satisfied with me any longer.”

“My buyer can remain ignorant. All I need is an audience.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You’re my passage in. Will you help me?”

She twisted about in his arms, facing him. “What if your buyer decides to purchase me?”

A growl rumbled in his chest. “That won’t happen. To make sure it doesn’t, I’m redeeming a favor.”

“A favor?” Her fingertips traced swirling patterns across his chest.

“
Hmm
?” he murmured, his lips preoccupied with her neck. “Aye, some reinforcements.”

She arched her back to expose more of her neck. “And afterward?”

He summoned his control to coat his voice in apathy. “Afterward, I’ll return you to your people, with my thanks. With your permission, I’ll visit you in the spring.” His words stung his throat, because they weren’t what he yearned to declare.

I’ll marry you, we’ll have a dozen children, and live in extreme happiness together for the next thousand years or so.

He swallowed his promises. Uttering them would be like presenting his heart on a silver platter.

And Kyme didn’t want it.

***

His words were so distant, Kyme doubted everything she’d sensed before.

A bonded male would never renounce his mate, not for a day. Certainly not for ten months of every year.

What if he doesn’t love me?
He’d spoken those words in the passion of their lovemaking. Perhaps he hadn’t truly meant them.

“Very well, I shall help you.” She matched his even tone.

Shrugging out of his embrace, she waded to the shore, rubbing her arms against the cold bite of his words. What if she’d been mistaken about his bonding mark? What did an Amazon know of bonded males, anyway?

Three days ago, she would have been elated. He was offering her everything she’d wished for. Now, the notion of him not loving her left her with far more chills than cold indifference.

Kyme squeezed back tears and squatted beside their makeshift bed. She wrinkled her nose as she examined the tatters of her dress.

Arsenius joined her, his demeanor thawed. He chuckled at her and tossed her a sack. Inside, she glimpsed food, water, and clothing for both of them. He’d planned this all along, certain he’d catch her.

She wasn’t sure whether to be indignant or flattered. His warmth eased her concerns for the moment, and she smiled back at him. After removing a tunic, she drew the garment over her head.

An apple rolled out of the bag and she snatched it. Her stomach twisting, she took a bite, and another, finishing it off. Her stomach rumbled in delight. She’d barely eaten in the past few days and her enthusiasm didn’t slow as she rummaged through the bag, stuffing delicious morsels into her mouth. She paid no attention to Arsenius until her appetite was sated. Glancing up, she grasped he’d been watching her the entire time.

“Forgive me.” Her cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment.

The crinkling in the corners of his eyes wasn’t from disgust or anger. No, much closer to empathy. As a slave, how many times had he gone without nourishment? Her stomach suddenly was too full and she recoiled from the food.

“I shouldn’t have. Are you hungry?” She arched a brow and offered him a chunk of dried meat. His eyes filled with tenderness as he sank beside her. He cradled her face in his hands.

“Nay, do not apologize. I should never have forced this upon you. I should never have—” Though Kyme was desperate to hear the end of his sentence, he wasn’t going to share it, not with her. His shoulders tensed, closing her off.

He grabbed the sack, tugged out his clothes, and dressed. “Come, it’s time for us to return. The others will be waiting.”

She slipped her hand inside his. They gathered their belongings and mounted his horse. As he wrapped his arms around her, Kyme vowed, somehow, she’d gather the courage to speak those monumental words.

Chapter 32

“Will you tell me about the day Lena was abducted?” On the ride back to Halcyon, Kyme questioned Arsenius about his sister. “I might be able to discern some clue as to who took her.”

His body tensed behind her. “I awoke in the middle of the night to the ringing of the alarms in the courtyard. The guards on my estate were shouting and scrambling to extinguish several fires. I ran for my sister’s chamber, across the corridor from mine. When I entered, she was gone. The bedding was ruffled, so…” His voice drifted off and she remained silent, giving him a moment to collect himself. “I knew she had slept.

“A band of human males burst into the room. Though I’d grabbed my sword, I was no match for them, then. I had been born with the name Aden—I was a gentleman, not a warrior.”

Her brows drew together at his confession. She hadn’t known he’d altered his identity, though she understood why. It didn’t matter, for he would always be Arsenius to her.

“I was thirty years old and barely a man. I cursed my father every day for denying me my
morphos
.” He shrugged as though he didn’t care, but the admission likely stung even more than the truth.

“The humans captured you?” Twisting around, she placed a hand on his arm.

“Aye,” he replied, his voice rough. “They bound and sold me to a galley ship. Six months later, the owner died and his son had no interest in the family business. We were auctioned off.”

According to Thereus, Arsenius’s human masters had him petitioning to return to the galleys. She dared not ask more about the last three months of his enslavement. Neither of them wished to envision his depraved masters. “Do you suspect humans stole Lena as well?”

“I pray not.”

Kyme hugged his arms around herself in an effort to soothe his past. “Lena is fortunate to have you.”

The iron cage around her constricted, and she regretted her words. Arsenius blamed himself for what happened. Even though it hadn’t been his fault.

Her heart aching for her tormented warrior, she stroked his arms, smoothing away the shame of his past. In an effort to distract him, she decided to reveal more about her past. Before, she’d been forced not to disclose her secrets. Now, nothing lay hidden between them.

Nothing except her affection.

“My mother died when I was four.”

“I am sorry for your loss.” His words were murmured kisses on the top of her head.

She pressed her cheek against his chest, the dark scent of him easing her words to roll off her tongue. “Do not be. I never wanted for a mother’s affection. Queen Hippolyta and my birth mother were close, so when she passed, the Queen cared for me.”

His chest rumbled beneath her cheek, proof that words had passed between him and her godmother, but she didn’t dare ask what.

Arsenius did not elaborate.

“Of course, I never knew anything about my father.” She shrugged. “I was always an exemplary warrior, and so when I passed my initiation, Artemis attended the ceremony. It was the first and only time I’ve ever met the goddess. She was so lovely.” Kyme smiled at the memory.

“Afterward, the goddess drew me aside and questioned me. My answers must have satisfied her, for she made me swear another oath to her, in exchange for my gift…” A lump in her throat prevented any further speech. She’d believed she’d renounced her gift for Arsenius, but her powers remained. Never had Kyme been so impatient for the Moon to appear, for her questions to be answered.

Nightfall approached and they made camp. As she secured the perimeter, Kyme stole glances at Arsenius. She was grateful for this time alone with him. Closing her eyes, it was tempting to imagine what a life with him would be like. In his presence, she was at ease, and yet any time he sent her that piercing look, with hungry, heated eyes, their passion became an electricity in the air. Would her need for his touch destroy her?

They roasted a hare over the fire as the stars emerged. The Moon rose high in the sky and Kyme shifted restlessly next to Arsenius. This was the perfect moment to declare her affection. When it was just the two of them. Before they had to face the world once more.

She placed her hand in his, sparks and warmth surging through her veins. Her lips parted, three small words hovered on the edge of her tongue.