The Arrow of Midnight

Chapter 9

The heat emanated from Tanner's body as he was still wrapped around me. His arm draped over my torso, and my back was flush against his chest. His breathing was slow and deep as he slept. I shifted around slowly, careful not to wake him. He looked so peaceful and at ease as he slept, his brown hair drifting in the breeze, with what looked like a black eye forming on his face. I grimaced a bit before carefully removing his arm and placing it down on the grass in front of him. I stood up, my skin still bare, feeling a wave of cool air caressing the goosebumps from my skin. The sun was starting to peek over the mountain in the distance, scattering purples and oranges across the sky. I hugged my arms to my chest to fend off the cold and started to wander through the clearing, looking for my dress. I found it snagged on one of the branches in a nearby tree where it had blown throughout the night. A massive tear down the back left it nothing but a piece of useless fabric.

I sighed and made a mental note to take it back to the tailor when I got home. Instead, I found his shirt still where he left it under his pants and threw it on. It reached almost to my knees, and I had to roll the sleeves up to my shoulders just to prevent them from sliding down and covering my hands. I collected the rest of his clothes and placed them beside him while he was still sound asleep. Then, I sat down, smiling at the rising sun. For the first time in months, I felt somewhat at peace. I faced my demons last night and started to make peace with them. I could no longer feel the weight of my father's hatred or the need to pretend to be someone I'm not. I was my own person, not some lady in a random court, not someone's prize, and not my father's punching bag. I wanted to be the warrior that my friends saw in me. I wanted to make them proud and stand on my own two feet. If war were to break out, I would gladly lay my life down to protect my new family. Not for Lucien, not for the kingdom, not for anyone, but for them. I've never been to war like they have, and I know it won't be easy. It would possibly leave its own scar on my soul, but if it meant protecting my friends, I would do it.

"Not the cuddling type?" Tanner's voice was still rough with sleep as he rolled onto his back, his hands resting behind his head as a makeshift pillow. "You look good in my shirt; you should wear it more often." I snorted and gazed at him as he sat up, draping an arm around my shoulder. The blanket still covered the lower half of his body.

"About last night," I bit my lip, leaning into him. "I don't want you to think..."

"Don't worry, I get it. You did it as much for me as you did for yourself. I've never told anyone about my father; only Lucien and Damian know since they were around to witness it." He placed a kiss on my temple before smiling against my skin. "I would gladly be your distraction if you ever need it again."

"Careful, I might just take you up on that offer," I said as I lightly squeezed his knee, then tilted my head back to nip at the tender skin in the crook of his neck. He let out a soft groan before pulling me onto his lap, shifting the blanket out from underneath me. I could feel him brush against me, solid once again. He grabbed my hand before I could remove the shirt.

"Keep it on," he said with a devilish smirk as he pulled me towards him by the shirt and kissed me deeply.

We took our time, enjoying the taste of each other and savoring the feel of our bodies entwining once again. By the time we finished, the sun broke out from behind the mountain. It was an unusually hot day for autumn. Now that the sun was bathing the world below in its warmth, I was grateful for the heat as we flew back. My dress in my hand, clad in nothing but his shirt. I was hoping everyone was still asleep so I could sneak my way to my room to change, but I spotted two males chatting by the front door, each with a cup of steaming liquid in their hands. I tried to sneak past them in the air, aiming for the balcony, but Julian's voice drifted up towards me as Tanner landed at the bottom of the stairs.