Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Tuoni exhales and gives a curt nod. Immediately, the soldiers set to work, murmuring quietly as they clear a space for tents and bedrolls, extending beyond the clearing and into the rest of the forest, making room for everyone. I can feel the collective relief—no traps, no monsters, no sudden screams, just a night’s rest in the heart of a forest. I never really did trust this place, considering what I’ve been through before (hello, giant spider that almost ate me) but tonight, I feel a sense of calm—though perhaps it’s the calm before the storm.
As we settle, my father kneels to anchor the wards by sprinkling ash and salt on the ground around me and Tuoni while Tapio hums softly, coaxing the trees to watch over us. The other garrison has joined us now, and the Magician stands at the edge of the clearing, galaxies swirling beneath his hood, a silent sentinel. Lovia checks on the troops, shoulders squared against lingering doubt, while Rasmus offers to help gather firewood.
I can’t help but watch Rasmus as he goes. He catches my eye for a moment, and in his gaze, I see both shame and fear. Good. Let that asshole fear me; it’s the least I deserve. Seeing him alongside my father—our father—as well as Death and Lovia, was a hard thing to understand. Frankly, I still don’t get it. He was a traitor in so many ways, and I don’t care what they all say. He is never to be trusted.
Part of me wants to follow Rasmus into the woods to make sure he’s not going to alert Louhi’s gang or something, but then I see the Magician trailing behind him, and I know he’s on the case. I suppose he’s the only one who truly knows what Rasmus is going to do.
I take a seat on a fallen log beside Tuoni. He doesn’t say much, just reaches for my hand. I squeeze it back, and we watch the moss-glow shimmer in the darkness.
“This is the first time we’ve been camping,” I whisper to him. “You don’t strike me as someone who likes roughing it.”
“I only like roughing it in bed,” he says with a smirk before he kisses my cheek. Then, he takes a look around; satisfied no one is looking, he places my palm on his crotch, his cock hard against his fly.
I roll my eyes. I shouldn’t be surprised.
“Care to take a walk with me?” he whispers.
I should say no. I’m tired, we’re surrounded by soldiers, and our enemy could strike at any minute. But I also know this is one way to keep my humanity humming.
Besides, all the adrenaline is making me hard up for it.
I nod slyly and get to my feet. He pulls me into the forest, though we have to walk quite aways before we’re away from prying eyes.
The trees swallow us in their embrace, the shadows thickening as we venture further from the camp. Tuoni’s hand is warm in mine, his touch grounding me amidst the uncertainties lurking beyond the trees. A sense of freedom washes over me as we walk, a brief respite from the weight of our mission and the dilemma clawing at my insides.
We find a small clearing illuminated by a cluster of fireflies dancing in the night air. The ethereal glow flickers around us, casting a soft light on Tuoni’s face, highlighting the lines of worry etched there. I reach up to trace his jawline, feeling the stubble beneath my fingertips.
“This is terribly romantic,” I tell him. “Did you plan this?”
“Just divine luck,” he says before he grabs my face and kisses me deeply.
I melt into his embrace, the tension of the war melting away as our lips move in synchronicity. Tuoni’s touch ignites a fire within me, a primal need that eclipses any danger that might lurk just beyond the trees.
The urgency of our kiss propels us backward until my back meets the rough bark of a towering pine. His hands roam over my body, and even with his gloves on, his touch sets my skin ablaze with desire, the scent of pine and soil filling my senses.
With a swift movement, Tuoni lifts me effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist as he presses me against the sturdy trunk. The rough texture of the bark scratches against my skin, a delicious contrast to the silkiness of his touch.
Want and need course through me like wildfire, primal and insatiable. Our breath mingles in the cool night air, fogging between us as my husband explores every inch of my exposed skin, igniting trails of heat in his wake. His lips trail down my neck, leaving a searing path of kisses that send shivers down my spine.
Then, he pushes the layers of my dress out of the way, and the thick head of his cock teases me, rubbing against me in slow circles that send waves of raw lust coursing through my veins.