Free The Fae Ring by C. A. Szarek Page B

did funny things to her already overheated insides. “Are you innocent?”
    Fire licked her face for a different reason than his mouth moving over hers. “Aye.”
    Xander nodded, the look in his violet eyes so tender, Janet wanted to melt all over again. “I’d assumed so.”
    “Did I no’ please you?” She looked down. If he said she was too forward, or worse, didn’t make him feel what he made her feel, Janet didn’t know what she would do.
    The idea… hurt.
    When he chuckled, her stomach somersaulted. “Aye, you please me. I was going to apologize for being so rough.”
    “Oh.” It took all she was made of not too look away again. “You werna’ rough.”
    He smiled and hugged her close.
    Janet closed her eyes against his shoulder, her whole body still thrumming. “I’m sorry abou’ your mother.”
    “Thank you,” Xander whispered. “Sorry to make you sad…”
    “You didna’. I mean, I was upset for you,” she whispered.
    “I know. I could feel it. Our bond is deepening.” He smiled, and it was full of that same tenderness. Heat. Promise.
    She trembled against his warmth. “Already?” Janet asked.
    “Aye, it seems so.”
    Her heart flipped.
    Is it wrong to hope for more?
    She’d been so determined that magic wouldn’t decide this for her.
    Had something changed?
    Janet ignored the questions she was too afraid to answer. She buried her face against Xander’s chest, letting him hold her, reveling in his body, his warmth.
    He’d keep her safe, get her home.
    She’d worry about the rest later.
     

Chapter Ten
     
    Leaving her was harder than he’d imagined. His body was tight, and Xander was shaking all over; even his wings trembled of their own accord.
    If he closed his eyes, all he could see were her sapphire ones.
    So much trust.
    He swallowed hard and squared his shoulders, wishing he could cover Janet and the cave area in a protection spell.
    “Damn it all,” Xander whispered, clutching his fists at his sides.
    He pushed off the ledge outside the cave, pumping his wings. They ached from disuse, but he ignored the discomfort and rose higher into the night, whispering a masking spell that would leave him undetectable to most Fae Warriors.
    Xander added his invisibility spell, praying to the gods he’d get the information he needed and return to his mate unscathed—and quickly, as he’d promised her.
    If King Fillan had Fae mages and wizards scrying for them, at least Janet would be safe in the cave. The mating bond shouldn’t contain discernable magic on its own, so even without a protection spell, she was likely hidden enough. Although her human blood would be sensed if they searched hard. That he could do nothing about, except pray the mating bond disguised her in some way. Alana had been right to doubt that when he’d mentioned it, but he could pray, could he not?
    Both his spells would be detectable by any mage worth his or her salt—as all mages and wizards in the king’s menagerie were.
    Nay. I can’t despair.
    Xander blocked worry and the danger enshrouding him. He’d been in risky, even dire, situations before. He would endure, and do what he needed to do to protect Janet.
    I have no choice.
    He’d made vows to his fated wife and his cousin.
    Promises he would keep.
    Xander had waited until she’d fallen asleep to leave their cavern. The day had fatigued them both, so he hadn’t had long to wait. When Janet’s belly was full of the meat and bread he’d brought, his lovely bride had fallen asleep in his arms. He’d lain her on the plush Fae bed and kissed her softly. His chest had ached as he’d forced one booted foot in front of the other on the way out of the cavern.
    Knowledge was the only thing that would get them home safely, but leaving her vulnerable when she had no magic was almost as bad as taking her with him.
    No .
    His gut told him he was doing the right thing. If he had to fight when he got to the Faery Stones, she’d be in more danger than at the