I chuckled before I answered, Yes, a little. Marduk is dead, my star is whole again, and I have my territory back. All is well in the Realms.
Yes, I heard you gave your territory away, she huffed.
Only for a little while.
And that the Jinn helped you.
Again; only for a little while. I smirked against Arach's neck.
Well, I just wanted to say; good job, Vervain.
“What?” I was so surprised that I spoke out loud and sat up straight.
“What's wrong?” Arach asked as the boys went still.
“Sorry, it's Faerie. She just startled me,” I explained.
“Startled you how?” Arach narrowed his eyes at me.
I praised her, Faerie said to all of us and then laughed gleefully.
Arach grinned and relaxed back against the stone rim while our boys giggled.
I've praised you before, Vervain, Faerie added defensively.
“Rarely,” I continued to speak out loud now that everyone was involved in the conversation.
I give praise when it's deserved, Faerie huffed.
“It's definitely deserved this time,” Arach said proudly and kissed my cheek. “You went through some terrible things, but you persevered, A Thaisce. You kept fighting even when all seemed lost.”
“There were moments when I didn't want to,” I admitted. “Moments when I thought there wasn't any—” I glanced over and saw my boys staring at me somberly. “Moments when I wanted to give up,” I amended my statement. “But you should never give up; not when it's really important. You keep fighting.”
The twins nodded solemnly.
“Well, that put a damper on things,” I teased them. “I didn't bring you out here to see your sour faces. I want playing! Lots of splashing and laughing and fun. Immediately!”
The boys giggled and went back to their aquatic antics. I leaned back against my husband and started to relax again.
You do deserve it, Faerie said softly in my mind. My praise and your family and all of the good things life will bring you, Vervain. You deserve it.
Thank you.
And for the first time ever, I believed that I did.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Later that night, I tucked Brevyn into bed. He snuggled sleepily beneath the covers, and I bent to kiss his forehead.
“I love you, my little prince,” I whispered.
“I love you too, Mommy,” Brevyn murmured.
I smiled. Brevyn called me “Mother” unless he was upset, in which case he called me “Mommy.” The only exception was when he was tired and forgot to be formal. I was about to trade places with Arach and kiss Rian goodnight when Brevyn mumbled something else.
“Where did your moon go?”
“What was that, honey?” I froze and stared at him.
Brevyn sighed and turned on his side, already asleep. I blinked but let it go; I'd ask him about it in the morning. Arach came over, and I went to kiss Rian, who was asleep as well. They'd had a long day. Arach and I turned off the lights and tip-toed out of the room. We shut the door and smiled at each other, pleased with the little people we'd made. Then we headed to our own bed and not because we were tired.
“It's good to have you to myself again,” Arach murmured as he helped me undress.
“I missed this too,” I admitted.
“Really?” He asked as he shrugged out of his tunic. “You wouldn't rather have all of us at once?”
“It can be exciting but it's also exhausting and a bit confusing. I prefer one-on-one.”
“I do as well.” Arach grinned as he shoved his pants down and stepped out of them, already raring to go.
The crimson scales at Arach's temples spread down his cheeks to outline his throat and then his chest, angling inward at his hips and drawing my gaze to the sleek shaft rising between his thighs.
Arach swept me up and carried me to bed while I was still undoing my bra. I got it unfastened just in time, tossing it aside as he laid me on the velvet comforter. Then his mouth was on mine, and we were licking and biting our way through a wild kiss. As we consumed each other, Arach tore away my panties then put away his claws so he could stroke my tender flesh. I writhed up against him, and his growl vibrated up his throat to shiver across my lips.
Arach shoved me back onto the pillows before diving between my legs. He spread my thighs further apart and set his mouth to my sex with a sexy glance up at me. Wet, rapid flicks over that sweet spot sent my mind reeling. I grabbed at Arach's shoulders for support but the ecstasy kept coming, making me shiver too violently to hold on. Then my naughty dragon extended his tongue, as only he can do, and slipped it inside me. I cried out and clutched him closer, riding his face with mindless need. Arach mercilessly continued his intimate kiss until the aftershocks faded, and I flopped back onto the pillows limply. As soon as I relaxed, he surged up onto his knees and drove into me with one forceful movement.
I cried out again, my eyes popping open, and clutched at Arach's shoulders, pulling him closer as I spread my thighs as wide as I could stretch them. Arach bit his lip as he lowered his face to mine, and I followed his lead, nicking my lip with a fang as well. Blood welled as we came together, and we eagerly licked up the sweet liquid as well as the memories that came with it.
It's a Dragon-Sidhe thing; we can taste the life within blood, read its emotions like a book. I experienced Arach's most recent memories, feeling his arousal as he had pleasured me and the overwhelming love that made it all the better. Like the river of magma flowing beneath our kingdom, Arach's love is intense, fiery, and unstoppable. But it had been stopped, hadn't it? As the blood took me past Arach's lust, I fell into his yawning grief over what he saw as weakness. Failure. Betrayal. Dragons mate for
