Her lashes fluttered. “I tried to see you, but I wasn’t…” She stopped and pushed upright, her nose an inch from mine. “You shouldn’t be here.” Looking over my shoulder to the door, she then gripped my shirt. “You need to go back to the dungeon right now. Oh, stars, you should just warp home.” Her eyes widened. “You didn’t kill anyone, did you?”

I bit back a chuckle but smirked. “I needed to look at you.” I licked my lips and gently pushed her down. “I’ll return to the dungeon.” I moved to the end of the chaise. “Right after I’ve helped you get back to sleep.”

I opened her robe and tugged her legs over my shoulders.

“Scythe, this isn’t the time to be—” she moaned when my mouth met her clit, and I kissed it.

“Can’t have you worried,” I said, licking her slowly from bottom to top. “And I most certainly can’t have you upset with me.”

“I’m not upset, but you can’t fix everything with sex.”

I dragged my tongue through her, and she flooded my mouth. “Your magical cunt says that is a lie.”

Her essence soaked my tongue—fueled me in a way nothing else could. I tortured and enjoyed her, wanting to never leave, but she released all too soon with a silent cry. Her thighs clenched my head, and her back arched off the chaise.

“Always so delicious, wildflower.” I lapped up every drop of pleasure I’d forced her body to produce and rubbed my nose through the swollen silk of her to savor for later. “Has he tried to have you?” I trusted Aster, but I sure as fuck did not trust the male who murdered my mother and looked at my mate as if she were his own.

“No, wolf.” I reluctantly acquiesced when she pushed to her elbows. “And this parlor has been my sleeping quarters for a long time.”

I licked her flavor from my lips. “How long?” I couldn’t help it—had to know.

Her beautiful eyes rolled, but her lips curved. “Since I met you.” My relief must have shown, for her expression softened, her fingertips glossing over my cheek. “You need to go back. Go home. If you’re the rightful heir…” She didn’t need to say it, and she swallowed as I carefully lowered her legs and righted her robe. “I’m afraid of what he might do, Scythe.”

“You know I’m not leaving without you.”

“But we can’t just leave. The trouble we’ll cause…”

“Not leaving yet.” I tightened the ribbon ties to better ensure no one walked in here and saw any part of her. “Not until we’re certain you never have to return.”

Her hand took mine. “Tell me what happened to your eye.”

I looked at her then and just smiled. “Sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“It is tomorrow.”