The King's Cursed Bride

Jealous: Part 2

Elon began to yank at the threads closing the flaps of the tent, trying not to rip them from the canvas. Something wrapped around his leg, and he startled, glancing down.

Carissa sat by his feet, her arms twined around his leg. She glanced up at him, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Elon, don't go. Please don't."

As lovely as she was, the sight infuriated him. It seemed she cared about Algernon enough to try and shield him from Elon's wrath. Allowing that man to accompany them had been a mistake. Elon should have tied him to a chair within his cabin and allow him to remain behind and rot.

He gently tugged his leg out of her grasp, and she released it, covering her face with her palms. He began to unknot the rest of the strings, but when Carissa's cries turned to sobs, his movements slowed at the sound. Nothing, not even healing Carissa's wounds, had ever caused him as much pain as hearing her cry so bitterly. Was she truly so grief-stricken at the thought of harm coming to Algernon?

He glanced down at her, sifting through her last words. She hadn't asked him to spare Algernon; she'd asked him not to go. She thought that he was walking away from her, casting her off for her infidelity. His chest cramped so tightly that he could barely breathe. Yes, he was angry—and more than a little jealous—but no emotion could ever be strong enough to overcome his love for her. In fact, the only reason he felt so strongly was because he loved her.

Elon knelt by her side and swept her into his arms. "It's alright, Carissa. I'm not leaving you." He pressed a kiss to her wet cheek. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

She clutched the front of his shirt tightly, as if she were afraid of what would happen should she let go. "Elon," she whispered brokenly, "I'm so sorry."

He pressed a kiss to her hair. "It's alright; I'm here. And I forgive you, Carissa." He stroked her cheek, dashing aside a few stray tears. "See? There's nothing to cry over."

She sniffled and shook her head. "This is all my fault. I should have recognized his advances and rejected him sooner. If I hadn't tempted him—"

"You tempted him?"

"I didn't mean to, but now I realize that my hesitation—"

"Carissa. Did you grant him permission to kiss you?"

She hesitated. Then shook her head.

"And did you kiss him back?"

Another shake of her head.

From what she'd told him, he'd already known that most of the interaction had been Algernon forcing himself on her. But that didn't stop a burning wave of anger from washing over him. Algernon would pay dearly for this trespass.

She stiffened in his arms, and Elon glanced down at her. Fear was written across her expression, in the tremble of her lips, the wideness of her eyes. Carissa would never have cause to fear his anger, but Algernon...

Elon shoved the thought aside and tamped down on his anger—for her sake. His wife was his first priority, not Algernon. And right now, she needed to be reassured that he loved her as much as he ever had. Nothing she could do would change that.

She swiped at her wet cheeks. "It was my fault. I should've—"

Elon pressed a kiss to her lips, only long enough for him to catch a taste of her sweetness. Before he'd scarcely lifted his head, she wound her arms around his neck, bringing his lips back down to hers.

He kissed her harder than he'd dared to before, pressing her body to his until nothing but their clothes separated them. He was gentle—as he would ever be when handling her—but he was no longer cautious. When he was finished, she would be well-acquainted with his love and desire for her. He wanted any of her thoughts concerning Algernon to be burnt to ash beneath the fires of their passion.

He didn't draw back again until she was breathless, her gasps sweet to his ears. He stood and tugged off her clothes and she did the same to his. The shedding of her shirt revealed the bruises on her upper arms. From Algernon, no doubt.

As the fire within him burned hotter, fueled by a combination of anger, jealousy, and desire, Elon placed his hand against the smooth curve of her hip, preparing to slip her undergarments off. But something stopped him.

Everything in him yearned to bond to her, both in heart and body. But what did Carissa want? More, what did she need? He tried to use his foresight, but his desire so clouded his senses that concentrating was difficult.

"Elon? What's the matter?"

He pulled her into an embrace, while also trying to ignore the sensation of her bare skin on his. "Nothing, love. I just need to think."

"What is there to think about?" She reached for his undergarment.

Elon caught her wrist with a chuckle before pressing a kiss to her palm. "I'm thinking about how I can best love you." He released a slow breath and summoned his foresight. She would yield to him easily, and they could bond.

Or he could wait. Wait until Algernon wasn't in either of their minds, wait until he'd banished all uncertainty of his love for her, wait until she wasn't gripped by guilt and exhaustion. Something inside of him resisted the idea. After all, he wasn't in a mood to wait, not with his wife standing before him in nothing but her undergarments.

But then he saw her eyes. The bruised color beneath suggested she'd slept little—if at all—the night prior. The sky blue of her gaze was dull, like glass that someone had forgotten to polish. Fear stirred in their depths, and shame darkened their vivid color.

"Elon?"

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. He feared if his kissed her lips, he wouldn't possess the will to stop. "I love you, Carissa." Mere words seemed inadequate for the strength of his affection for her. But that was what actions were for.

"You're not going to bond with me, are you?"

The disappointment in her tone made him smile. "Not yet." He wove his fingers through her hair. "You're tired. Perhaps you should rest."

Even as she shook her head, he guided her towards the cot. When he pressed on her shoulders, urging her to lie down, she resisted.

He smiled, nudging his forehead against hers. "You may deny it, but you need more sleep. I daresay you didn't get enough last night."

Her expression tightened at the reminder. "Very well. But only if you'll join me."

"I will—once I bathe at the creek. I've been traveling all day, you know."

Carissa brows furrowed, and she looked as if she were about to protest.

Elon pressed a kiss beneath her ear. "Settle yourself beneath the covers, love, and I promise to join you in a moment."

He pushed down on her shoulders again, and this time, she allowed him to guide her onto the cot and tuck the covers around her. He allowed himself one chaste kiss on her lips before he pulled on his clothes and went to the creek to bathe.

By the time he returned, Carissa's eyes were closed. As he settled in beside her, her eyelids fluttered and she peered up at him through her lashes. She pressed herself against him and curled her legs, settling them atop his.

Elon stroked her arm until her body went limp once more as she fell back asleep. When he did bond with her, he would ensure it would be a bonding worth waiting for. She would feel what she stirred in him—every night when he laid next to her, longing for the silken caress of her skin, her lips parting beneath his. A desire so consuming he could scarcely think about anything else, a longing so physical it ached. He would make her desire him as he desired her.

Perhaps not now, but soon.

***

Author's Note: The sneak peek is up :)