Bride of Alvar (Redemption Saga, Book 1)

Chapter 27

Alvar draws back from our heavenly kiss, brushing my disarrayed hair from my eyes with his tender gaze on my lips. He rests his hand on my cheek and I close my eyes without my own willing, moaning lightly.

Yes. This is the best. And yes, this is the first time a kiss has captured my senses with longing and happiness.

What is going on?

All I know is... I'm falling in love with Alvar. Should I be afraid of these feelings, developing so quickly for a man I'm unsure about everything on?

"Lucy, I don't know if you understand how much I--" Alvar growls in my ear, and kisses the skin under my ear. "--I want you. Right now if I could. The beast inside me roars at your touch." His hands move from my face, and drop to my waist. Strong fingers grip into me, and he pulls me closer until our clothed bodies are touching.

Oh, his words make me tingle with excitement down to the tips of my toes. I want him too!

"Teach me how to love you," my cheeks burn at the words, and my heart skips a beat. I gaze up into his eyes and see them transition from blue, to purple, to crimson.

His irises are darkening in arousal for me.

"You have no idea all the things I'd love to teach you," Alvar whispers in my ear, and his hands brush lower, his fingers curl into my skirt, grasping the fabric.

I can't believe my boldness, but I respond by swinging myself onto his lap to straddle him.

Alvar's clasps both sides of my hips with my skirts bunched up in two fistfuls, his thumbs brush the skin of my thighs.

I dip my head and find his lips. I'm still wearing my undergarments, but I can feel him hard beneath the fabric. My hands press against his chest, the beat of his heart pounds beneath my palms.

"By Arlite you tempt me, woman. But we shouldn't, not until we are back at the palace," Alvar growls darkly.

He pulls me in to kiss him once more. "We're too exposed out here. The huldra have people in this forest, the last thing we need is for them to see the king of Underlund with the red eyes of a Cursed, passionately making love to his queen in the woods."

I smile and tingle with excitement at how scandalous that statement sounds. Mike never talked like that. He'd never talked dirty to me, period. Sex was always a topic tiptoed around awkwardly or talked about in cliche terms. I guess some women probably like that, women who don't enjoy blushing, but I don't believe I am one of those women. In fact, I've grown quite fond of all my blushing.

"Come my queen," Alvar takes my hand and leads me back to the encampment. "I have matters of business to attend to." He tells me once he's taken me to the entrance of my tent. His tone so different than minutes ago, like a king.

"Of course," I say in a proper queenly way. "I'll let you get to them."

He kisses my hand and leaves. I travel back into my tent on a cloud of happiness and my heart still racing. I'm surprised at Emily's absence. Hmm... maybe she's getting some food. Speaking of food. I'm hungry. I leave my tent and follow the scents of roasting meat. A group of gobli and huldra look to be having a celebration of some kind. Sharing drinks and eating the wonderful smelling meat. Leeza is there too. She's dancing, her bright yellow wings are outstretched. What a strange and wonderful place, Axus is. People of the air (sylphs), people of the mountains (gobli), people of the forests (huldra), people of the water (nixies), and the people of the valleys and flatlands (humans). I wonder if there are any more I'll meet as a queen here.

Leeza notices me and immediately looks guilty. She hurries up to me. "I am so sorry, my queen! I completely forgot to attend to you." Her voice is a bit slurred.

"Leeza, have you been drinking?" I tease.

Her cheeks brighten to red. "Maybe a bit."

"It's okay," I assure her. "You should have some fun. This is the first time I've seen you having fun actually."

Leeza laughs. "I suppose I've gotten pretty caught up in my job to have fun."

"Do you know where Emily is?" I ask her.

"Wasn't she back in the tent with you?" Leeza asks, before a huldra male takes her hand and pulls her back into the dancing circle.

Hmm... so Emily isn't here. Where is she then? I take some food for myself and a cup of the alcoholic beverage and head back to my tent. Maybe Emily has returned, I reason. Or maybe she's with Grey, I know she was interested in him.

Grey is standing outside my tent when I arrive. "Grey, have you seen Emily?"

Did Grey just roll his eyes at the mention of Emily? I smile. Oh, Emily...

"She asked me if I wanted to go for a stroll with her in the woods and I agreed," Grey says.

"And?"

"And then she tried to kiss me, but I told her I have a betrothed back home," Grey announces, "And I wasn't interested in being unfaithful to her. That didn't stop her from encouraging me to kiss her anyway. Then I stated that my betrothed and I are not interested in a poly marriage either."

"Ah." I raise my eyebrows at his omission. I wonder if poly marriages are legal here if Grey felt the need to state something about it? Hmm... there is still so much I have to learn about this place.

"She huffed off after that, I thought she'd come back here, but when I looked in your tent it appears she didn't return," Grey finishes. "I'm sorry I lost track of her, my queen."

"It's okay, Grey," I assure him. "That does sound like Emily." I sigh. Okay, so where is she then? I wonder.

I leave the encampment, but do not travel far, as it is growing dark by now. "Emily!" I call into the now misting woods. "Emily!"

Nothing but the sounds of the night answer back.

"Emily!" I call again. Then I see a light, in the distance through some trees.

"I'm over here, Lucy!" Emily's voice shouts back at me.

I hurry toward the light, dodging under a tree branch and then looking behind me at the encampment to make sure I'm not heading too far out. When I turn my gaze back toward the light I'm face to face with a familiar face, but it's not Emily's nor is it's familiarity from my own personal memories.

The Sorceress, Ysta.

"Ysta?" I say.