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“It's beautiful,” I breathed, sweeping my hair over my shoulder so she could secure it and hide the mark once more.
A bubble of laughter burst around us, and I found myself brimming with joy as I stared at my friends, and then at myself in the full-length mirror. The dress was exquisite, hugging my curves in all the right places, the soft, billowy fabric making me look ethereal, and I knew the moment I added my wings to the ensemble, I’d bring all the realms to their knees. The thought heated my low belly in the most delicious way.
I couldn’t wait for Ruslan to see me in this.
Liliana wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed as we looked at ourselves in the mirror, and more than anything I was relieved to have her with me. She was the best friend anyone could ask for, and during the turmoil of Béke, she’d been a steadfast and grounding presence that I so desperately needed.
But my moment of joy was yanked away when a tug at my back had me snapping my head up and staring in the mirror, out the window, and into the street beyond.
30
Béke Day Seven
They were fucking wedding dress shopping. From my hidden spot across the street, I watched two of the females from Steel and another I did not know work on a white gown around Izidora, the queens, Domi, and Liliana excitedly chatting and sipping on wine while they participated in the farce. I ran a hand over my face, trying to calm my pounding heart as the black beast in my chest roared at me to break up their session and snatch Izidora and force her to be mine. That darkness was already simmering beneath the surface as I used it to cloak myself, remaining hidden from the ignorant females, and it took every ounce of restraint to keep it caged.
The last night I’d spent at Steel flashed in my mind, reminding me of how good Natasha had felt riding my cock while she sucked the tongue of another female whose name I could not recall. I ground my teeth as I realized their proximity to Izidora could lead to her discovering that I’d fucked almost all the females at that club in my time in the Iron Realm. But she had been fucking Ruslan, so she couldn’t complain about it.
One day, this would all be behind us, and her belly would swell with my seed, our indiscretions forgotten. She wasmine, and I was going to win her back.
I snapped out of my reverie when the Iron Fae female crossed the store toward shelves of glittering gems, selecting an intricate metal piece and ferrying it back to Izidora, who stood with her back to me. I could almost hear the oohs and aahs coming from the queens, Liliana, and Domi as it glittered in the light. Izidora turned slightly at their sounds, half-facing me and nodding profusely. She swept her hair off her back, and for a moment I thought I saw a flash of black marking her back.
What the fuck?
My blood boiled and I stalked forward, pulling on more of my magic to keep me hidden until I was nearly pressed against the glass storefront. But the bejeweled collar was already secured around her neck, and from it hung row after row of chains covered in diamonds, obscuring her bare back and wrapping around the bodice of the dress. I caught sight of the front in the mirror, the piece spilling over her stomach and breasts, causing her to look like she was quite literally dripping in gemstones.
I obsessively scrutinized her back for any hint of a mark, trying to see if she had accepted the mating bond with Ruslan. I needed to be closer or for them to remove the intricate jewelry from her body. Liliana wrapped her arms around Izidora’s waist, and she returned the embrace, the two staring at themselves in the mirror.
“Fucking Fates,” I cursed, and the black beast in my chest decided it had had enough of allowing me to lead. It began gnawing on my emotions and tunneling my vision, blackening the rim until all I saw washer.
Izidora’s eyes snapped up, hardening as she whipped her head away from the mirror and over her shoulder, directly through the window to where I stood, cloaked in invisibility.
But she knew I was there.
She opened her mouth to say something, and I bolted down a side street, stone shops and houses with curling smoke flashing by me as I raced back to Fek. My trusty stallion pawed the snow as I approached and dropped my magic away in an attempt to regain control of myself. The beast inside me screeched in protest, trying to rise up again, but I shoved it down, heart racing, and leaped onto Fek’s back. In moments, I’d yanked the reins and steered him in the opposite direction of the shops, cutting through side streets in a haphazard pattern as I tried to lose anyone who might attempt to follow me.
It wasn’t until I returned to Ryza and handed over my mount to one of the stablehands that I realized my footprints would be visible to anyone who wanted to follow them.
31
Béke Day Seven
The spiral staircase descending into the tunnels beneath Ryza Citadel wound my thoughts up with each subsequent step. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, and after the combination of Queen Immonen’s ominous vision and the feeling of eyes burning into my back at the dress shop, I was in a near-panic. I needed Zuriel to lead another session for me, because if I didn’t get some relief from this clawing, clamping vice around my chest, I would die.
I burst into the subterranean antechamber, blowing past the Demons and Mages who lounged there and raced straight down the tunnel to Zuriel’s door, banging with my fists until my cousin appeared in the doorway.
His white brows dipped in confusion before his gaze swept over me. “Izidora, what’s wrong?”
“I need,” I gasped out, feeling like I could burst from my skin from anxiety and fear, “I need another session.”
Without hesitation, Zuriel swept me into his room and quickly closed the door behind us. The small couch that linedone wall was my destination, and I settled onto it, curling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs as I gently rocked back and forth, trying not to scream in frustration. To his credit, Zuriel remained completely calm, easing the chair away from his desk and settling into it in front of me.
“Is this the rawness you spoke of?” I asked, hoping that I wasn’t losing my mind.
“Yes,” he said, sympathy lining his tone.
I nodded, closing my eyes for a moment and trying to suck in a breath.
Zuriel’s deep, melodic voice filled the air as he asked, “What triggered this?”
