Page 67 of Nansar
For a heartbeat, neither of us could move. The words seemed impossible.
"We're free?" Chloe's voice emerged small and fragile, as though she feared the very question might shatter this unexpected mercy. "Just like that?"
"Just like that," the elder confirmed, her smile unwavering.
"But... the test," I stammered, my mind racing to comprehend. "The judgment. You said—"
"And you have passed with flying colors." The elder's eyes sparkled with what could only be described as mischief. "Did you truly believe we would keep you prisoner? We are not the monsters others paint us to be."
Beneath the furs, Chloe's hand found mine, squeezing tight. We were both too stunned to speak, terrified that words might somehow break this spell.
The elder turned toward the door, then paused, glancing back with an expression that made something prickle along my spine. "Take your time. Eat. Dress. We will speak more when you emerge." Her gaze settled on me with peculiar curiousness. "There is much you need to understand."
Then she was gone, the door closing with a soft click that seemed to echo in the sudden silence.
For several thundering heartbeats, Chloe and I simply stared at each other, struggling to process what had just transpired.
"Did that actually happen?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"I... believe so." I could scarcely credit it myself. All through the endless night, I'd been steeling myself for the worst, imagining a hundred different ways they might try to tear her from my arms. And now...
"We're really free?" The word cracked on her lips, her eyes shimmering with tears of relief.
"It would appear so." I cupped her face between my palms, needing the anchor of her warmth, the reality of her skin beneath my touch. Her pulse fluttered wildly against my fingertips. "Though I confess I don't understand—"
"Don't question it," she said urgently, already pulling away to reach for her clothes. "Let's eat, get dressed, and get the hell out of here before she has a chance to reconsider."
She was right. Whatever test we'd unknowingly passed, whatever strange fortune had smiled upon us, we needed to seize this opportunity before it slipped away.
I rose from the bed, my muscles protesting slightly. We'd been thorough in our joining—gloriously, devastatingly thorough—and I was still recovering from the games. Chloe was already pulling on her undergarments, her movements quick and efficient despite the telltale soreness I could see in the way she moved, the slight wince when she bent to retrieve her shirt.
Guilt lanced through my chest, sharp and immediate. Had I been too rough with her? The thought made my stomach clench. I'd tried to be gentle, but the need between us had been wild, consuming all restraint. And she'd met me thrust for thrust, as ardent as I was, her nails raking down my back, her legs wrapped tight around my waist as she urged me deeper, harder, her breathless pleas still echoing in my ears.
Still, she was smaller than me, more delicate despite her strength. The memory of what she'd suffered at Hewes' handsflashed through my mind, and I'd been... intense. Demanding. Lost in the pleasure of claiming her.
"Chloe," I said quietly, my voice thick with concern. "Are you—did I—"
She glanced back at me, understanding dawning in those storm-gray eyes. A flush crept up her neck, painting her skin the most delicious shade of pink, but she smiled—a real smile, warm and slightly embarrassed and utterly captivating.
"I'm fine, Nansar. Just... well-pleasured." The blush deepened, spreading to her cheeks. "In the best possible way."
"You're certain? I wasn't too—"
"You were perfect." She crossed back to me, rising on her toes to press a quick kiss to my jaw, her lips soft and sweet against my skin. "I wanted everything you gave me. Everything we shared."
The knot in my chest loosened slightly, though concern still lingered. "If I'd known it would leave you sore—"
"Then what? You would've held back?" She shook her head, her hair cascading over her shoulders. "I didn't want that. Last night was... it was exactly what it needed to be."
I caught her hand, bringing it to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Still. Tonight, I'll be more careful with you."
"We'll see about that," she murmured, but there was affection in her voice, a promise of future passion that made my cock throb as she pulled away.
We ate standing up, too anxious to sit, shoving food into our mouths without really tasting it. The bread was good, the meat seasoned with unfamiliar spices, but I barely registered the flavors. My mind was racing, trying to understand what had changed, what the elder had seen or sensed that had satisfied her mysterious requirements.
Chloe finished first, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she reached for her shirt. I watched her finishdressing, memorizing every detail—the curve of her spine, the way her hair fell across her shoulders, still mussed from our lovemaking, the graceful movement of her fingers as they worked the fastenings. Whatever happened next, whatever the elder's explanation, I knew one thing with absolute, bone-deep certainty: I wasn't ready to let her go. Not now. Not ever. Despite the bone-deep knowledge that it was exactly what needed to happen.
"Ready?" she asked, turning to face me as she fastened the last of her clothing, her fingers fumbling slightly with the ties.
