Outsiders."
"Good, for the day your life ends, so will mine in all the ways that matter."
Efrica felt the edge of something hit the back of her legs, but was so stunned by his words, she did not even attempt to stop herself from falling. Relieved to find a soft bed beneath her to break her fall, she propped herself up on her forearms, only to find Jankyn leaning over her, one hand on the bed on either side of her hips. She felt the heat only he could stir within her begin to flow through her veins and rushed into speech.
"And, I do want bairns, but if God decides we will have none, I can accept that. I have nieces and nephews to love and help care for." They were words he needed to hear, and she was determined to lay that ghost to rest before she told him the truth.
"Are ye asking me to marry ye, love?" He held her gaze with his. "Are ye truly ready to be my mate?"
"Aye, Jankyn. I love ye. I love ye more than the sun, more than anything," she replied softly.
A soft gasp of surprise escaped her as he pulled her up into his arms and kissed her as if he was starved for the taste of her. Soon she was working as feverishly to rid him of his clothes as he was to rid her of hers. He settled her on the bed with a tenderness that only enflamed her more, and she purred with welcome and pleasure when he entered her embrace. The feel of his flesh against hers, the warmth of his lips upon her skin, and the touch of his hands soon had her trembling with need. He kept her balanced on the precipice of delight until she was nearly begging him for relief. Then, suddenly, he was there, deep inside her. Efrica felt herself shatter. As she began the tumble into the sweet abyss of desire, she felt a sharp pain on her neck, and then her release intensified tenfold.
"Efrica," Jankyn whispered when he finally regained the strength to speak. He kissed the tip of her nose and grinned over how dazed she looked. "Efrica, my heart, my mate." He kissed the hollow at the base of her throat.
"Am I your heart?" she asked, shaking free of her sated lethargy just enough to wrap her arms around him.
Jankyn smiled at her and brushed his lips over hers. "Aye, ye are. Did ye doubt it, lass?"
"A wee bit," she murmured. "Ye left me."
"Aye, to keep ye safe, to let ye find a mon who could walk in the sun with ye and fill your home with bairns. I left heart and soul behind in your wee hands, love, but I thought it was for the best."
"Weel, ye were wrong."
Before he could respond, there was a pounding on his door, and Cathal's voice cut through the thick wood. "I have the priest here. I am nay sure if our Father James will be performing a wedding or muttering last rites o'er Jankyn, but ye have five minutes ere I come in to see for myself which will be required."
Efrica echoed Jankyn's curse as they scrambled out of the bed and hurried to get dressed. Even if they stepped out of the chamber fully dressed, Efrica was certain everyone would easily guess what she and Jankyn had just been doing. Five minutes was not enough time to hide kiss-swollen lips, tidy her badly tousled hair, or find something to hide the telltale mark upon her neck.
When Jankyn opened the door, took her by the hand, and stepped out into the cavern, Efrica felt a blush heat her cheeks. Cathal, Bridget, Father James, and every Pureblood in the place stared at her and Jankyn, then stared at her neck. There was a brief moment of utter silence, then cheers and congratulations. Efrica was still reeling in surprise when Agnes and Bridget dragged her off to Agnes's chambers to try to make her look less debauched and more like a bride.
It was not until she was being escorted back to Jankyn, her hair brushed and decorated with ribbons, that Efrica realized she had been given no warnings, no words of advice, and asked no questions. "Are ye nay going to say anything, Bridget?" she asked her sister.
"Nay, ye have made your decision verra clear." She met Efrica's frown with a little smile. "The
"Good, for the day your life ends, so will mine in all the ways that matter."
Efrica felt the edge of something hit the back of her legs, but was so stunned by his words, she did not even attempt to stop herself from falling. Relieved to find a soft bed beneath her to break her fall, she propped herself up on her forearms, only to find Jankyn leaning over her, one hand on the bed on either side of her hips. She felt the heat only he could stir within her begin to flow through her veins and rushed into speech.
"And, I do want bairns, but if God decides we will have none, I can accept that. I have nieces and nephews to love and help care for." They were words he needed to hear, and she was determined to lay that ghost to rest before she told him the truth.
"Are ye asking me to marry ye, love?" He held her gaze with his. "Are ye truly ready to be my mate?"
"Aye, Jankyn. I love ye. I love ye more than the sun, more than anything," she replied softly.
A soft gasp of surprise escaped her as he pulled her up into his arms and kissed her as if he was starved for the taste of her. Soon she was working as feverishly to rid him of his clothes as he was to rid her of hers. He settled her on the bed with a tenderness that only enflamed her more, and she purred with welcome and pleasure when he entered her embrace. The feel of his flesh against hers, the warmth of his lips upon her skin, and the touch of his hands soon had her trembling with need. He kept her balanced on the precipice of delight until she was nearly begging him for relief. Then, suddenly, he was there, deep inside her. Efrica felt herself shatter. As she began the tumble into the sweet abyss of desire, she felt a sharp pain on her neck, and then her release intensified tenfold.
"Efrica," Jankyn whispered when he finally regained the strength to speak. He kissed the tip of her nose and grinned over how dazed she looked. "Efrica, my heart, my mate." He kissed the hollow at the base of her throat.
"Am I your heart?" she asked, shaking free of her sated lethargy just enough to wrap her arms around him.
Jankyn smiled at her and brushed his lips over hers. "Aye, ye are. Did ye doubt it, lass?"
"A wee bit," she murmured. "Ye left me."
"Aye, to keep ye safe, to let ye find a mon who could walk in the sun with ye and fill your home with bairns. I left heart and soul behind in your wee hands, love, but I thought it was for the best."
"Weel, ye were wrong."
Before he could respond, there was a pounding on his door, and Cathal's voice cut through the thick wood. "I have the priest here. I am nay sure if our Father James will be performing a wedding or muttering last rites o'er Jankyn, but ye have five minutes ere I come in to see for myself which will be required."
Efrica echoed Jankyn's curse as they scrambled out of the bed and hurried to get dressed. Even if they stepped out of the chamber fully dressed, Efrica was certain everyone would easily guess what she and Jankyn had just been doing. Five minutes was not enough time to hide kiss-swollen lips, tidy her badly tousled hair, or find something to hide the telltale mark upon her neck.
When Jankyn opened the door, took her by the hand, and stepped out into the cavern, Efrica felt a blush heat her cheeks. Cathal, Bridget, Father James, and every Pureblood in the place stared at her and Jankyn, then stared at her neck. There was a brief moment of utter silence, then cheers and congratulations. Efrica was still reeling in surprise when Agnes and Bridget dragged her off to Agnes's chambers to try to make her look less debauched and more like a bride.
It was not until she was being escorted back to Jankyn, her hair brushed and decorated with ribbons, that Efrica realized she had been given no warnings, no words of advice, and asked no questions. "Are ye nay going to say anything, Bridget?" she asked her sister.
"Nay, ye have made your decision verra clear." She met Efrica's frown with a little smile. "The
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