Page 74 of Demon's Beauty

When we’re as decent as we’re going to be—though still flushed from the teasing dance of dressing and a little rumpled from last night’s activity—we turn to face the day.

As soon as we step out of the tent, a dozen heads swivel in our direction.

Across camp, Vayla stands and starts clapping.

Soleil and I both freeze in our tracks as she’s joined by a guard, and then another, until we have our own chorus of applause.

“Oh, goddess,” Soleil gasps, and turns her face to bury it against the side of my armor. “They all know, don’t they?”

“So it would seem.”

I should be more embarrassed. I should be every bit as abashed as my witch, mortified to know the entire group probably heard what we were getting up to last night.

I’m not.

I want everyone in camp to know.

I want everyone in this realm to know. And her realm, too, for that matter.

“Good morning,” Vayla drawls as she walks toward us. “And congratulations. Truly, after what we heard, I can only imagine—”

“Stop,” Soleil groans, hiding behind her hand.

“I’m happy for you two,” Vayla says. “About time, really, after how you’ve been mooning over each other all week.”

I grunt at that, but truly have no way to deny it. I’m only mildly embarrassed everyone likely knows how besotted and pathetic for this witch I am.

But there’s nothing to be done about that.

“Come on,” Vayla says to Soleil. “I need an extra set of hands to make sure everything’s packed properly for transport.”

“Of course,” Soleil says, and with one quick kiss pressed to my cheek, she turns to go.

It’s not enough.

Not nearly enough.

And though it would seem I can’t have as much of her as I’d like today, there is one thing I need to do.

Tail whipping out and catching her around the waist, I tug her to me. I bury my hand in her hair, tip her head back, and give her a kiss deep and thorough enough to remind her who’ll be waiting for her whenever she’s done with her duties.

To remind the camp, as well, who’s claimed this beautiful, powerful witch as his mate.

Soleil is breathless and flushed when I release her, little fires banked in her emerald eyes and just as much longing and regret at being pulled apart as I feel when she follows Vayla.

Packing up is a swift and efficient affair. The additional guards who helped portal in supplies show up again to portal them out, and between us all we’re ready to go within a couple of hours.

All that’s left is getting ourselves back to court, and a knot of worry seats itself in my stomach as I make my way to Soleil.

“We’ll take it slower than last time,” I assure her, and she nods.

“Whenever you’re ready, then,” she says with a deep breath, offering me her hand.

Instead of taking it, I swing her up into my arms. She gasps and squirms a little as she gets settled, then looks at me with an arched brow.

“I’m not too heavy?”

I scoff. “You wound me, sunshine. You’re light as a feather in my arms.”