Page 65 of Demon's Beauty

“Okay.” She extends her hand to me, and I take it gratefully within my own. “Lead the way.”

Heart singing in my chest at the show of trust from my mate, I lead her away from camp and up the sloping path into the mountains.

Understandably, her eyes scan our surroundings warily.

She’s been careful each night she’s been out collecting flowers, and whether she knows it or not, most of my attention has been on her.

I’ve still been doing my duty to protect the group, but all of my senses orient themselves toward her, ready to spring into action at the first sign of a threat.

And tonight is no different.

“We’re safe,” I say softly, pulling her closer to my side. “I’m quick with a portal, if you haven’t noticed.”

That earns me a smile. “Oh, believe me, I noticed.”

She relaxes as we continue on, and when we reach our destination, she lets out a gasp of pleasure and surprise.

Goddess, I nearly preen with pride. Such a small gesture, but the way it delights her makes me feel like I could move mountains as I take her hand and lead her to her surprise.

A picnic.

Perhaps a bit fanciful, but I took my free time this afternoon to arrange everything.

Dinner. Wine. A soft blanket to sit on and even a small pit dug nearby with a fire ready to be started.

We’ll be warm here, safe here, alone here to spend our last night on the mountain together.

I sink onto the blanket, and she takes a spot on the opposite side, tucking her legs beneath her. I’m sorely tempted to reach over and tug her closer.

Patience.

I need to have patience.

I’m here to woo my witch, not muck things up by getting overeager and ahead of myself.

So instead of getting her right up next to me like all my instincts are hollering at me to do, I start in on the spread. I give Soleil a bit of everything—roasted meats, bread, even a bit of fresh fish someone caught earlier in the river, and a salad of greens foraged from the woods.

We both dig in with gusto. She tells me about the work they concluded today, and for a delightful hour I delude myself into thinking everything could be just as simple as this.

A night beneath the stars with my mate, a lovely meal shared between us. Nothing more we need to worry about than what diversions we’ll occupy ourselves with when we return to court.

But reality intrudes, like it always does, and as we finish our meal and start in on a couple of pastries and fresh berries for dessert, Soleil lounges back on the blanket, tips her head toward the night sky above and sighs.

“A berry for your thoughts?” I ask, holding out the ripest, juiciest hearthberry from my bowl.

She gives me a half-smile as she reaches out to take it, though I’d much sooner feed it to her myself.

“I was just thinking I never have nights like this in the human realm.”

“No?” I tease. “No nights on the mountain with the threat of drakon fire hanging over your head?”

She rolls her eyes. “I meant, no nights with a handsome demon and the best picnic I’ve ever had. Though the drakons make it all that much more exciting.”

“There could be more of these nights,” I say, because I can’t help myself. “Maybe not always a picnic, but I can promise the handsome demon wouldn’t mind it if you stuck around.”

She laughs softly. “Always a flirt, aren’t you?”

“Just the way the Goddess made me.”