Father let out a short laugh. “Yes, I know and that’s why I’m so anxious. Camille, Trillian’s correct. While I make no pretenses to liking the fact that you are a couple, the subject is moot and has been for a long time.”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m impatient because I must discuss certain matters with the King. There are still renegades supporting Lethesanar roaming the land, as well as other concerns that affect both Dahnsburg and Y’Elestrial, the demon menace among them. As a member of the Intelligence Agency, you should understand how fatal it can be to jump to conclusions.”

I let out a long breath. “Right. Okay then. So will we see Feddrah-Dahns today? I’d like to pay my respects to him. I miss him.” I’d grown fond of the Crown Prince during his brief stay over Earthside and thought about him every time I used the horn of the Black Unicorn.

“Oh yes, you’ll see him. But first, the King wishes to speak with your father.” Trillian motioned to two Dahns Unicorns standing nearby and they loped over. They wore sashes designating them as members of the royal guard. “His Excellence, Advisor Sephreh ob Tanu from Y’Elestrial is ready for his audience with His Highness. Please escort him into the throne room.”

One of them whinnied, tossing his mane, and turned to canter toward the central tent. Father followed, speaking in soft tones to the other guard who walked by his side.

I watched them go, wondering what was up, but it wasn’t my place to ask. By the time I spoke my first word, I’d learned that state secrets were just that. Many times Father had come home burdened with information that he couldn’t share with us. As the daughter of a Guardsman, I’d grown up accepting hierarchy and protocol as a matter of fact.

Turning back to the others, my gaze fastened on Trillian. The tension between us was palpable, a hunger that throbbed. Morio looked at the two of us, then motioned to Iris.

“Let’s explore the surrounding gardens,” he said.

She gave him a brief smile. “You mean, let’s give them some privacy? Good idea. Meanwhile, I’m looking for someone in the city and you might be able to help me find him. The Great Winter Wolf Spirit, to be precise.”

“Who’s that?” Morio asked. He glanced back at me and blew me a kiss, then followed Iris to the outer gardens.

I turned to Trillian, one thing on my mind. “Is there a place?” My voice was husky, and I tried to calm the trembling in my stomach. I’d tell him about Smoky and Morio in a while but right now all I could think about was how much I needed him. “Do we have time?”

Trillian gazed at me, his lips so full and luscious I wanted to bite them. “Come.” He held out his hand.

We hurried down a side street so small it might be an alley until we came to a door leading into a two-story building. Trillian pulled out a key and unlocked the door, and I followed him into a narrow foyer. The hallway led into a spacious apartment.

“Who lives here?” I asked, gazing at the finely crafted furniture and antiques that littered the room.

“I do,” Trillian said. “The King furnished me with this place during my stay.” He turned then, dropping all pretense. “Get your ass over here,” he said, opening his arms. “I need you, woman.”

With a gleeful cry, I threw my arms around his neck as his lips began to trail hot kisses down my chest. He walked me backward, still kissing me, into a bedroom, all the while working at the zipper of my bustier. By the time we neared the bed, my breasts were free and he pushed me down to land on the feather mattress covered with a linen bedspread.

I let out a long moan as his lips sought my nipple and his hand snaked under my skirt. He slid his fingers under the silk of my panties, fingering my clit, tweaking it with soft flicks as he buried his face in my breasts.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he growled. “I’ve missed your breasts and your body and your pussy and your lips . . . Camille, I’ve missed you, more than I ever thought I could.”

I reached for his trousers, tugging on the belt. He leaned back on the bed, letting me unbuckle him and slide the material down over his hips. His cock was rigid, dark, and pulsing. I remembered it all oh so well, the smooth skin, the salty taste of him. Slipping out of my skirt and panties, I started at his feet, crawling up him, rubbing against him as he laughed in delight, low and throaty. I pressed my breasts against his legs, trailed my nipples up over his hips.

He let out a low grunt as I pulled him to his feet. I sat on the edge of the bed, my legs spread as he pressed his shaft against me. It nestled between my breasts and I squeezed them together, holding him tightly as he began to thrust. My breath came heavily as I gazed at the tip of his cock rubbing between my breasts. Drops of pre-cum clung to the tip, tantalizing and smelling of salt and musk and fresh sea breezes.

“Damn it, Camille, you make me hornier than any other woman ever has,” he said, his voice ragged. “How did I get so lucky?”

“Thank the Fates,” I murmured, unable to stand it another minute. I bent down to tickle the head of his penis. He let out a shout as I began to work him, my tongue sliding up and down his length, swirling around the smooth skin, then fluttering lightly against the head.

He thrust up to meet my waiting lips and I pursed them tightly, so he had to slowly force himself inside my mouth, offering the resistance that I knew drove both of us wild. He inched his way in, my teeth lightly grazing the skin as he filled me full with the taste of him. He braced his hands on my shoulders and I began to suck, softly at first, then hard, sliding my mouth up and down his shaft as I encircled the base with one hand and cupped his balls in my other, squeezing just enough to make him gasp.

“Stop,” he thundered, pulsing so hard I thought he was going to come right there, but he managed to keep control as I broke away.

Feeling heady with power, I leaned back on the bed as he slipped his head between my legs, bracing my knees over his shoulders as his mouth sought my center. Now it was my turn to cry out as he laved tongue against clit, sending me along an ocean of pleasure, each wave higher than the last.

I let out a series of sharp cries as the orgasms began, a string of minor explosions rocketing through me, but before they ended, he rolled over and pulled me on top of him. His touch sent me into another tailspin of hunger as I straddled his body, aching to feel him inside me.

With a triumphant shout, I plunged down as he held his cock rigid and upright for me. I slid down the length, reveling in the feel of his penis. As I sank onto his balls, he reached down and began to finger me and I ran my fingers over my nipples, then pressed my breasts hard, rubbing them with abandon.

One hand on my waist to steady me, with the other he played at my clit, stroking me as we synchronized movements. As he began to thrust, I rode him hard as my breath came in ragged pants. He clasped my waist with both hands and rolled me over again, this time onto my back while he was still inside, then hammered against me, his balls bouncing as he thrust himself into my core, hard and fast.

Then, with one last thrust, he drove down, impaling me. I let out a sharp cry as the orgasm rocketed through me. Trillian arched his back, his arms pressed on the bed to either side of me, and I felt his warm explosion as he came with a loud groan, so deep within me it felt as though he were trying to reach my center core with his cock.

Limp, exhausted, he slowly rolled off of me and I curled up in his arms, his semen trickling down my leg. There were no words for sex like that. Nothing save the warm afterglow of being thoroughly, totally, wrung out.

After a moment, he stroked my face and kissed my nose. “You like fucking me, baby?”

“Oh hell, yes.” I let out a contented sigh.

“You love riding my cock?” he asked gently.

“I love you, and your cock.”

“So when were you going to tell me?” he whispered.

“Tell you what?”

His eyes narrowed as he leaned up against the headboard. “That you married Fox Boy and the lizard?”

Oh crap, he already knew! And one look at his face told me that he wasn’t a happy camper. I scrambled to sit up. “Trillian, I—”

He slowly stood. Even when he was naked, he wore his power and charm like a pro. He could stand in front of a crowd without his clothes and nobody would ever think to point it out to him.

“You what? I knew you wanted the lizard, and I accepted it. You’re a woman with lusty needs, but to go behind my back and bind yourself to him? Fox Boy I can somewhat understand. I accept that you have a connection with him. But the lizard only had claim to you for one week. You want to tell me what the fuck happened, my little heartbreaker?”

I slowly slid off the bed. Trillian was angrier than I ever remembered seeing him. “You vanished and I thought you’d been captured by the goblins. The only hope we had of finding you was to home in on your energy and there was one way of doing that. I had to increase my ability to sense where you were. And the best option I had was to bond with Morio and Smoky to give me that extra boost in power.”

“Give me a break. You couldn’t wait to pull Smoky into the mix. Fox Boy I can live with, but the lizard?” His eyes were blazing now, and he threw my clothes at me. “Get dressed. The King’s going to want to see you soon.”

“How can you be such an ass? You know I’m telling you the truth. You know that I was worried sick about you.” Now furious myself, I glanced around the room for a washbasin. “Do you at least have a bath so I can wash up a little?”

“Why, traitor? Don’t like the memory of me in your pussy? Worried that your reptilian lover will smell me on you? Worried that he might be offended I fucked you? Why didn’t he come with you today? Does he have better things to do than guard the woman he’s married to when she journeys to a dangerous land? At least Morio had the guts to come with you. I’ll have to hand it to him, he’s got a sense of honor.” His face was clouded with jealousy. I couldn’t believe he’d gone from being so caring to such a butthead in under a minute.

“Record time, dude,” I said, yanking on my clothes. “Go ahead and fly off the handle before you know what the hell’s going on, you idiot! You’re the one who told me to turn to Smoky if something happened to you. Well, as far as I knew, something did happen to you and I was beating my head against the wall trying to figure out how to rescue you!”

“I told you not to try! I told you not to come after me if something happened. I had to stop you from trying to find me because I knew this was going to be a long, dangerous undercover mission and I couldn’t let you blow it for me. I couldn’t let you put yourself in danger!”

We were both shouting now, once again back to the hate part of our love-hate relationship. In a weird way, it felt all too familiar and comfortable.

“Oh for the sake of the gods. Cover yourself up. You’re bouncing like a pair of jingle balls.” I threw his pants and belt at him. “Why the hell did you tell me to turn to Smoky if you knew what was going to happen? Good gods, man, are you really that stupid? I was crazy to ever get involved with you, but fat lot of good hindsight does me now.”

Trillian let his clothes fall without trying to catch them. He leapt forward, trembling as he stood there, his fists clenched. “Camille, I told you to turn to Smoky if something happened to me because . . . because . . .”

“Because you knew he could protect me. That’s what you said back then.” I wanted to cry but I was too angry. “And now that I did what you told me to, you’re jumping down my throat, calling me a traitor. Don’t you realize how terrified we all were? How terrified I was?”

He said nothing, just stared at me. I couldn’t read the look on his face now. He just waited for me to continue.

“I thought the goblins had you. I thought you were being tortured. I thought you were going to die. So I married Smoky, yes. And Morio. And we worked on tracing you—unsuccessfully, I might add. You’re damned good at hiding your signature. There were times that—in my heart—I was ready to give up. To accept that you were never coming back.”

“Why didn’t you?” His voice had gone scary quiet.

“Because I love you, damn it. I couldn’t give up hope. And then I ran into Darynal on a trip to Darkynwyrd and he told us he’d seen you. You don’t know how incredibly happy I was, even though I was furious. But at least I knew you were alive and on a secret mission, even though I didn’t know if you were ever coming back to me. Morio and Smoky kept me going during the past six months, you moron. Because without them, I would have been lost, thinking you might never return.”

And then I ran out of steam as the worry and stress of the past few months caught up with me. I dropped to the bed, staring numbly at my feet.

“Camille?” Trillian’s voice was low, the accusation as suddenly gone as it had come. “Camille, are you okay?”

I shrugged. “How the hell should I know? I’m just a pawn in this goddamn game the Fates have going on. I’m just here for them to use and abuse, to steal the phrase a certain creep recently used on me.” I cocked my head to one side and stared up at him. “You want to hate me? Fine. Go ahead, get in line. I love you, but I can’t do this. I can’t play these testosterone games. We’re in this together, Trillian. Delilah and Menolly, Morio and Smoky and Iris and Vanzir—”

“Vanzir? Who’s that?” He frowned.

“Why? Worried I’m fucking somebody else? Don’t be, he’s not really my type, but he’s on our side and that’s what counts.” A bitter taste settled on my tongue. What the fuck had I expected? I knew Trillian wouldn’t be happy with the situation. I should have anticipated him setting me up like this, though I never thought he’d do it right after we had sex. And speaking of sex . . .