Mina was delighted to dance with Jayden. While she knew many gypsy dances and practiced many times while living with her uncle, for the moments when she would dance for her husband, she had never had the opportunity to dance with a man before. While Rosalyn had weekly dance classes, Duke Tedric always told Mina he would let her learn only if she received ball invitations.
She sighed when she stepped on Jayden's foot for the twentieth time. She didn't think dancing with someone would be so... tricky. "We should stop before I embarrass you even more," she said in a low voice.
Mina stepped on Jayden's foot once more, and she winced—as if she could feel his pain—and looked away, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes. He grabbed her chin between two fingers and forced her to meet his gaze. "You could never embarrass me." She knew he was telling her the truth. "We are here to have fun, not to impress someone." Mina wanted to protest, but Jayden went on, "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Yes, but—" Mina tried to protest.
He chuckled. "Then I can endure you breaking my toes for one night." Mina glared at him. Amusement twinkled in his eyes. "We will practice a little each day. I am sure that in no time, you will dance better than I do." Mina thought for a moment before she nodded. "Meanwhile, keep your eyes on me, and let me guide you. And enjoy the feast!"
And Mina did so.
Soon other couples joined them, and Mina forgot all about the shyness or embarrassment and danced with other men; her laughter of happiness brought joy to the Stone Tribe. When she was too tired, Jayden sat on a chair with her across his lap, and they drank mead and talked while around them ocxoas continued the feast.
The moon was high in the sky when Jayden took Mina to a small clearing close to the village. Flowers covered the ground, and nightingales sang in the trees while fireflies danced in the air. Jayden stumbled upon the clearing on his first hunt with the Agus and other males from the tribe. That same night he showed it to Mina, and since then, it has become their favorite place in the forest.
A satchel with a blanket and a few magic crystals hung from a branch nearby. While Mina activated the two magic crystals, Jayden spread the blanket on the grass, and they lay on the ground and looked at the sky while holding hands.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" asked Jayden.
"I don't remember ever having so much fun before. My feet still hurt from dancing so much."
Jayden lay on his side and propped his head on his palm while his free hand rested under her left breast.
"Do you know how beautiful you looked when you forgot about everything and everyone? And your smile, Mina... I want to see you smile like that again."
He gazed at her with so much adoration, and she decided right then and there that she would do anything—anything—to make him fall in love with her. She could not, would not lose him. Not only because she would die of grief but because—
"What is your biggest desire?" she asked out of nowhere.
Jayden blinked. "To be a better male than my father is. And yours?"
"To gain your love," Mina replied honestly.
Jayden laid back on his back and stared at the moon. Mina knew Jayden was not ready to open his heart and love again, but she had time. She would be patient. Even if he only told her he loved her on his deathbed, it would be worth it.
Jayden took her hand in his and interlaced their fingers. "Just a few more hours and we will return to Athea." He drew circles under it with his thumb.
Mina missed Hugo, Ivy, and all her friends in Athea. She was wondering how Kara was doing or if Aksel and the others had caught the pickpockets—Jayden had left Aksel in charge of finding those who had been robbing in Athea and giving Lord Ferry daily headaches. "I am going to miss this place—being with your people made me very happy, but I am missing Hugo and the others."
"Your prince also?"
Mina abruptly lifted her torso. Jayden did the same. "Why do you always have to bring Prince Liam into our discussions?" she asked and sounded as angry as she felt.
"Because you are in love with him," Jayden scoffed.
She looked at him. "Coming here made me realize I had never loved Prince Liam. It was only the infatuation of a young girl who was in love with the idea of getting married to the person she thought was her best friend!"
"And now?"
"You already know the answer!"
"I want to hear you say it out loud!" Jayden demanded.
"I love being your wife! Meeting you is the best thing that has happened to me!" she snapped at him.
Jayden pulled her into his warm embrace. His fingers trailed her cheeks and neck. Emotions flashed in his eyes, but they were gone fast, and he put on a poker face. "I...love us together," he said after minutes of silence. Her anger dissipated into nothing. He wrapped his fingers around her neck. "But betray me the way your cousin did, and I will make you suffer eternally!" he vowed.
"I am only yours, Jayden. Now and forever!" Upon hearing her words, he relaxed. She clung to him, her heart beating wildly in her chest. "Don't ever leave me!" She knew she sounded desperate, but she did not care, for there was no Mina without Jayden.
"Never!" he promised before he smashed his mouth on top of hers and cupped her left breast.
She moaned against his lips. She could not get enough of him, of his touches and kisses, and when she tried to pull him closer, he lost his balance and fell on his back. He chuckled, but when Mina pushed her tongue into his mouth, he groaned and cupped her ass. His hips ground against hers, and she felt him harden under her.
He broke his kiss, his hips rocking faster as he rested his forehead against her. "We need to stop," he begged her. "I can't!" he said, but his voice betrayed how much he wanted her.
While they still had to wait a little longer, there were other ways Mina could make Jayden feel good without risking his title.
"It is my turn to do something for you," Mina said as she started unfastening his pants. He sucked in a breath while she pulled his pants as low as she could before gazing at his face—a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. His eyes were black with desire.
"Mina, I don't have the will to stop you," he groaned. "If we do this..."
"Trust me!" she said and settled between his legs. "Let me do this for you," she murmured as she wrapped her fingers around his hard cock and kissed the head of it.
"Gods, Mina! Yes!"
She gave it another kiss before licking it. His hips bucked while a loud hiss left his mouth. She licked him again, slowly—so very slowly—from the tip to the base and back.
His fingers gripped the blanket. "Mina," he begged.
She smiled before circling the tip of his cock with her tongue. For a few minutes, she alternates kissing and licking the tip of his cock while listening to him begging her to suck him.
"Gods! You are killing me!" he groaned in pain.
Mina took him in her mouth, and a cry of relief escaped his lips. She continued to torture him, sucking him so very slowly.
"Such a wicked little creature you are!" he panted. He gathered her hair in his hand, leaned on an elbow, and guided her head up and down his cock, fast. "I will fuck your sweet mouth and fill your belly with my seed!" He pushed more of his erection into her mouth, and she gagged. When it reached the back of her throat, and she felt like she could not breathe, he groaned loudly. "Gods! You look so fucking beautiful choking on my cock!"
She sucked him eagerly, swallowing his hard erection down her throat as much as she could. His eyes were fixed on her mouth, watching how her lips moved up and down his cock.
She loved doing this for him, to see his face contort with pleasure. When his gaze found her, she cupped his balls. She concentrated on her breathing and relaxed her throat, and took as much of him in her mouth as she could. He swore loudly, and she pulled back before swallowing him down her throat and repeating the action a few times.
"Shit! It feels amazing!"
She wrapped her fingers around his cock and pumped her hand up and down while licking and sucking him.
"Fuck!" he hissed. His cock throbbed, and she knew he was close. "Don't stop!" he growled, breathing ragged.
She bobbed her head fast, and he shouted as he came on her tongue. She drank every drop of his seed and kept sucking him until his cock softened. Only then she released him from her mouth and sat on her hunches. Jayden's arm was thrown over his face, his chest rising and falling fast. "I don't think I have ever come so hard in my life!" he said without removing his arm. Upon hearing the compliment, her cheeks warmed.
"I think my eyes are still rolling in the back of my head." Mina laughed happily as she ran her nails up and down his thighs. "Gods! Where did you learn to do that?"
It was the second time Mina used her mouth to pleasure Jayden, but differently from the first time when she needed Jayden’s guidance, she had learned a few things from the tribe’s women. But she wasn’t sure if she should tell Jayden about it.
When Mina didn't reply, he looked at her. She was sure he could tell her cheeks had turned pink. The tribe usually ate lunch together, and a group of women prepared the food in the Great Hall. Mina loved to help whenever she could. Jayden arched an eyebrow. "Rona and the other women often talk about mating and—" she cleared her throat twice before continuing. "They taught me—things. For when we are alone."
Curiosity flickered in Jayden's eyes. "What things?"
Mina shrugged and skimmed her fingers over his exposed skin. "I can show you," she suggested, and Jayden nodded fast.
It did not take long for the clearing to fill with Jayden's groans of pleasure. Mina teased and kissed and licked and sucked him for a long time. By the time she let him come a second time, her jaw ached, and sweat covered his skin.
Jayden pulled his pants up before Mina lay on top of him. She listened to his heartbeats while he played with her hair. After a while, he kissed her forehead. "You are an amazing female, Mina. And that mouth of yours! Fuck! I can still feel your lips around my cock."
Mina smiled. Dawn was approaching fast. "We should return to the village. Maybe try to sleep a few hours before we leave," said Mina and tried to stand, but Jayden stopped her.
"What about you? I can scent your arousal."
"You can make it up to me when we are in the Crystal Cave," Mina replied.
Mina picked a few flowers while Jayden gathered the blanket and the magic crystals. She looked at the clearing, trying to memorize it. Memories flashed before her eyes, and she wondered if, in Ora Dorei, she would ever be as happy as she had been living in the Stone Tribe. When Jayden took her hand in his, she knew that it wasn't the place that filled her heart with joy, but her husband. As long as they were together, she would be fine.
When they returned to the village, a very angry Rona waited for them. "Shin and Xander drank wine until they got drunk, closed all the animals in the Great Hall, and they are snoring in my bed! My. Bed! You need to clean up the mess the animals made!" she scolded Jayden.
"Why do I have to clean after the animals?" asked Jayden, confused.
"Because Shin and Xander are your responsibility, and instead of watching them, you decided to take Andarra away from the village and do Adanoss knows what to her! Poor thing! Look how tired she looks! What kind of a mate are you when you keep your female awake all night long?" Rona tsked and shook her head in disapproval. Mina bit the interior of her cheeks to stop herself from laughing. "Come on! You don't have all day, you know!" she urged him. Jayden sighed and went to the Great Hall. He knew it was better to do as Rona asked and be done with it. Rona guided Mina to her house. "Let me make you something to eat! Uzgaia has much to learn if he wants to be a good mate to you!"
Mina tried to defend Jayden, but Rona would not have it. In the end, she gave up and let the woman ramble while making breakfast for Mina and the boys. While Mina ate, Jayden cleaned the Great Hall. When the boys woke up, he chased them around the village, and when he caught them, he made them apologize to the entire tribe before making them clean the animals' sheds.
At noon a carriage came to take Mina, Jayden, Shin, and Xander to Athea. After many tears, kisses, hugs, and promises of visits, the carriage finally left. The journey from the Stone Tribe to Athea had passed without major incident. Well, maybe, except for Jayden scolding Shin and Xander almost the entire day and a half, the journey lasted.
It was morning when the carriage stopped in front of the house. Jayden helped Mina get out, and while Shin and Xander ran to the door, he whispered into her ear, "Tonight will be your turn to run! And when I catch you—" His eyes flashed golden. "We will be on Isyleon Island for at least five days… Or more!”