Losing It: A Collection of VCards (2 page)

Discovery

by S. M. Boyce

An extended scene from
Heritage
(Grimoire Saga #3)

In this scene, Braeden Drakonin and Kara Magari are escaping a bickering assortment of magical royalty that won't let them have a moment's peace. With a pending war against Braeden's father, Braeden isn't sure how much time he has left to live. He wants to spend as much of it as possible with the woman he loves.

***

Dapples of sunlight glittered across the cave floor, its beams flickering as water crashed over the stone entrance. A breeze crept through a gap along the edge, funneling the first crisp bite of autumn air into the small cavern behind the falls. Braeden sat against the wall, one olive-toned arm around the girl of his dreams. Kara took a deep breath, her blond hair spilling over her shoulders. He’d brought her here to escape the constant knocks on his door—what with the coming war—and to ask the question burning at the back of his mind for the last several months.

His world—Ourea—had slipped the notice of human eyes for eons, but every now and then, someone in the human world would discover one of the portals tying the two realms together. He ran a hand through Kara’s hair, grateful she’d been among those select few. He’d taken on a similar form to hers—one she would be comfortable seeing—but she knew he didn’t naturally look anything close to human. And for whatever reason, she didn’t seem to care. Regardless, he didn’t want to push his luck. He’d hated himself for most of his life because of what he was: evil, dark, and murderous. But she saw something worth loving, something he’d long ago abandoned: kindness.

She closed her eyes and hummed with pleasure. The tiny vibration in her chest made its way through his, shaking him from his thoughts.

“What a beautiful day,” she murmured.

A trickle of air tickled his neck. The setting sun lit the waterfall ablaze with a wash of orange and red, the colors tumbling together like a fire in the cascading river. He couldn’t have picked a better moment to ask his question if he’d tried.

“Kara, you once said you would stay with me forever, right?”

She grinned, eyes still closed. “Yep.”

“’Did you mean it?”

“Of course. Why?”

“I... uh... this book…”

The words died in his mouth. His stomach twisted, and his lungs deflated. Panic flared in his gut. What if she said no?

He cleared his throat, but a few seconds of silence followed. He should have rehearsed this. Now he would just have to wing it, and he would probably screw up everything.

He plowed ahead, coughing to mask his sudden nerves. “I read a book about Ourean history. Apparently both our species share a common ancestor.”

He wasn’t human. He could never give her a normal life—maybe not even a happy one. Another pang of uncertainty swelled in his gut. Dread clawed up into his throat, and doubts scratched at him like daggers. Little voices in the back of his mind whispered that he would never be enough for her.

She smiled. “Cool. I’ll have to read that book. It sounds interesting.”

He took a deep breath in an attempt to silence the voices. “You should. But it got me thinking about how compatible our kinds can be.”

“Compatible? What do you mean?”

He grumbled. That wasn't the best way to phrase it. “I’m not doing a good job of this, am I?”

“Of what, exactly?”

She shifted her weight and opened her eyes, tilting her head until her beautiful face focused on him. He tensed. He’d completely destroyed the moment.

“You keep twitching. Are you nervous?” she asked.

He laughed. Twitching? How attractive. Forget it. He’d already ruined the proposal, but there was no way out now. He’d have to go for it. “Kara Magari, will you try bonding with me?”

She sat up straight, a half-smile on her lips. She understood. Bonding to Braeden’s kind was similar to marriage for humans. Not quite the same, as bonding involved spikes and a bit of blood loss. But similar.

Her eyes never left his face, and she didn’t speak. Several seconds passed. Uncertainty crept into his chest. Was this a no? Should he assume the smile meant yes? Or did all girls do this to mess with their men?

He forced a laugh. “I should’ve brought a ring or something. I didn’t think this through. That’s what humans use nowadays, and even though bonding isn’t quite the same thing… I can buy you something. Try this proposal thing again, maybe, do it right. Or—"

She reached for his face and pulled him into a kiss. He sighed and cradled her head. Their noses brushed, and her fingers ran through his hair. The fear in his chest melted into a puddle, washing through him like a cold drink of water. Technically, though, he shouldn't celebrate just yet. She still hadn’t said anything.

He held her an inch from his face, restraining her as she went in for another kiss. He held her lips a hair away from his, teasing her. “An answer would be nice, woman.”

She laughed. “You’re the only one I want, Braeden Drakonin.”

He grinned and leaned into her kiss. A shiver of relief raced through his stomach, and his shoulders finally relaxed. His attempt at a romantic moment must have been the worst proposal in history, but at least it worked. Barely, perhaps, but it worked.

His fingers glided down her back and inched along her waist, his hands burning against her cool skin. She smiled under his mouth, her fingernails inching down his sides.

Water rushed overhead, splashing into the river below as he held her. They would spend the night in the cave, listening to the forest preen and croak around them—among other things. It would be their last moment of peace before he brought the war to his father’s gate, and he would savor every moment he was given. In just a few weeks, Ourea would forever change. He frowned, unsure the change would be for the better.

“Stop thinking,” she whispered in his ear.

He grinned and kissed her cheek. “Yes, ma’am.”

Deep down, he knew exactly what he wanted as a distraction from the war—her on her back. But to date, they'd never had an opportunity. As much as he wished he could rip off her pants and take her right then, he would never cross the line without a clear signal it was okay. Braeden might have been the son of an evil king, but he was still a gentleman.

Kara laughed. "A kiss on the cheek? You can do better than that."

He smirked. Challenge accepted.

He cradled her face in his hand and bent to kiss her neck. His fingers trailed her spine and teased the ends of her hair.

She hummed and closed her eyes. "What else do you have for me?"

He shrugged and rubbed her shoulders. “Are you hungry? I packed us some cheese and—”

Her smile faded. “Are you serious? You want cheese right now?”

He leaned backward, eyebrows shooting up almost to his hair. “But you like cheese.”

Her eyes lowered to his pants. She dipped her fingertips below the hem of his waistline. Heat sailed up his neck and burned his cheeks as she distracted him from their conversation with every flick of her fingers.

“We haven’t had much time alone, Braeden. I think you know what I figured we’d be doing out here.”

“Enjoying that cheese?” His mouth moved on its own, answering her question without first consulting him. His brain, however, was still painfully aware of her hands sinking lower into his pants.

She chuckled and smacked his shoulder. Cold air rushed against his skin where her fingers had teased him moments before. "Braeden Drakonin, you are so frustrating."

He frowned and took a step back, eyes on hers. She smiled and laughed, but he couldn't understand why. She must have been upset to say something like that.

"I'm frustrating?" he asked.

"Incredibly so. Since we've been together, you've probably missed two dozen hints that I want you to have your way with me. Do you simply not see them, or are you purposefully ignoring them? Do you want to wait until we're married? Wait, bonded. Sorry. Do you want to wait?"

His mouth dropped open. He crossed his arms and stared at her, unable to speak as he fought to process her words. What hints? When? What did a hint look like? How could he miss two dozen cases of her wanting to take him to bed?

"You mean we could've been having sex all this time?" he asked.

She burst out laughing. Her face blushed, but the creases around her eyes pinched with joy. "So many times, Braeden. I've wanted you for ages. You seriously missed all those hints?"

They must have sailed over his head. He hadn't noticed any.

"I'm sorry, Kara. I... I guess..."

She smiled. "Don't apologize. We can wait."

"No!" He cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his composure. "No, we don't have to."

"You sure? I mean, it's fine," she said, but her smile widened as she eyed him. She was toying with him now, and probably enjoying it a bit too much.

"I've just never done it before. I didn't know what to look for."

Her smile faded. "You've never—?"

He shook his head. "I've always hidden what I am. I've lived in this body, hiding my true form from the world. The people who adopted me would've killed me if they found out what I really am. For the longest time, I'd start to lose control any time I even thought about sex, much less acted on it. My form would begin to shift. I've never been able to let my guard down. It was never worth the risk."

Her eyes widened, and her eyebrows twisted with a hint of worry—or maybe sadness. He couldn't quite tell. She set her hands on his chest and leaned her head beneath his chin.

He ran a hand through her hair and set his cheek on her head. "It's in the past."

"Damn right. You and I can have all the sex you want."

His cheeks burned, and he set a hand on the back of her neck to keep her from sensing his embarrassment.

It didn't help. She giggled. "You're cute when you're uncomfortable."

"Twit."

"You love it."

"I do."

Kara peeked up at him and grinned. He shook his head, chuckling. But her eyes narrowed, and her grin became a devious little smirk. She traced her finger from his chin and down his neck, teasing him with the nail. Her leg slipped between his, pressing ever so gently on his groin. His breath caught in his throat, but he watched her, not quite believing what was happening. She brushed her nose against his jawline and kissed his throat, her lips hovering above his skin for a moment as she tormented him. He wrapped his arms around her, immobile as she had her way with him. She perched on her toes and reached her mouth to his ear, where she nibbled on his earlobe.

"Was that one of your famous hints?" he asked.

"That was a
bit
more," she whispered.

Inwardly, something shifted in Braeden. It was as if a switch had been turned off, or an invisible barrier removed. She wanted him to take her, right then and there.