The nightmare has begun. No, nothing to do with the Morrigan or Angus.

I’m having to wear a dress. A monstrosity. Tight, frilly, far too large a neckline. My boobs are practically falling out of it, held back only by a small band of lace.

Why do Gods have such a terrible fashion sense? They’re all about showing as much skin as possible while also showing wealth and importance with the quality of the fabrics.

Tamara is giggling loudly while I inspect myself in the mirror.

“I’m going to flash Gods,” I mutter, trying to adjust the inbuilt – but almost non-existent – bra.

“It will help, they’ll like that,” Tamara snorts and I shoot her an evil look. I’m tempted to give her the finger as well, but I’ve learned they don’t have that gesture here in the Realm.

“I don’t like it though,” I protest.

“She’s not going to show our boobs to them.”

I whirl around and gape at Frost who’s entered the room without me noticing.

“Did you just say ‘our boobs’?” I’m kind of speechless.

“Of course. You’re ours, so they’re our boobs. And others don’t get to see them. Our Wyn, our boobs.”

Tamara snickers. “I’ll leave you two to it. Ball starts in half an hour, don’t take too long.”

With a knowing wink, she leaves and closes the door behind her.

“They’re my boobs,” I challenge Frost. “They’re attached to my body. You can’t have them.”

“Oh, I can’t?” He slowly stalks towards me, his eyes fixed on my chest. “Are you sure?”

Heat is flushing through my body as his words take full effect. His sultry voice isn’t helping, neither is the fire burning in his eyes.

I swallow and square my shoulders. This is going to be fun.

“I think you need to prove it,” I challenge him.

“With pleasure,” he whispers huskily and a moment later, he pushes me without warning and I land on my back on the bed. My arms stretch to both sides as I try to cushion the fall – not that it’s needed with a mattress this soft – and the fabric of the dress rips.

I lift my head to stare at the damage.

Fuck.

The lace is gone and my breasts are now fully exposed.

Frost is laughing heavily and I glare at him – and at the dress. Who came up with this provocative design? And who made it rippable?

I pull up some of the fabric from below, but it’s too tight around my chest and doesn’t budge at all.

“Don’t move, I want to enjoy the view,” Frost tells me, his voice filled with both laughter and desire.

Resigned to my fate – and very much looking forward to it – I lean back again, my arms outstretched, my boobs in full view.

Frost stalks towards the bed and climbs on the mattress, his knees on either side of me. He looks like he’s about to devour me whole. I shiver and pleasant tingles run all over my skin.

“Don’t move,” he whispers, but it’s not necessary. I have no intention to change my position. The way I’m exposed to him, unable to hide my naked skin, is exhilarating. He’s not even touching me, but I can feel the heat of his gaze as much as if his hands were running over my skin. The connection between us is vibrating somehow, as if the bond is telling us that it’s still there. Thanks, I didn’t need that reminder. I’m very aware of how close Frost is, of how he looks at me, of how he’s reaching out and…

I arch my back as his fingers touch my skin.

He chuckles in surprise. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that effect on a woman before.”

Trust me, I’ve not behaved like this before. Usually I need someone to touch me before I let go of my inhibitions like that. But right now, it’s different. I want him so much.

I sink back to the bed and promise myself I won’t react like –

He touches my skin again and I moan loudly. I can’t help it. It’s like his touch his enhanced a thousand-fold and my senses are telling me that he’s touching me in other places, between my legs, on my lips, but I know he’s not. He only has two fingers on my right breast, twirling my nipple between them.

“What’s going on?” I gasp as he begins to touch my other boob.

“I’m not sure, but I feel it too,” he whispers and nods towards his crotch. I lift my head and look down. He’s straining against his trousers, ready to be let out to play.

“Fuck me,” I moan. “Stop the foreplay. Just do it. I need it now.”

He nods sharply and leans back to take off his trousers. I moan again as soon as he stops touching me. I need more.

I don’t need to wait long though. He ruffles up the skirt of my dress and pulls it up. He doesn’t bother to pull down my panties, he simply rips them apart. Wow. Has he ever done that before? My thoughts are too heated to remember.

Then he’s within me, his cock hard and satisfying, pressing against my core, his hands on my breasts, his lips on my throat, his essence entwined with mine. We’re one, together.

I meet his lips, kissing him deeply, drowning in all the emotions he’s throwing at me. I can feel parts of him I’ve never felt before. Dreams… memories… thoughts…

He groans loudly and with a final thrust of his hips, he comes in me, and I around him, squeezing him tight with my thighs, my back arched against the mattress, riding the waves that press us together even more.

Something makes me close my eyes and suddenly I can see myself. What? It’s me, lying on the bed, my hair dishevelled, the dress bunched up around my belly. I look down and see my cock-

I open my eyes and sit up with a flash, shaking my head widely to get that image out of my mind.

“What the fuck…” Frost mutters, looking at me strangely. “Is that what I look like?”

“What? My cock…” I stammer, not sure how to form coherent sentences. “You…”

“Heh?”

“I was in your head.”

“And I in yours.” He looks just as confused as I feel. “I need to shave.”

I start laughing hysterically. “That’s the first thing you think of? You’re so vain.”

He steps back, a frown ruining his perfect face. “What just happened? How did that happen? Why…?”

I shake my head, sitting up and readjusting my dress until I’m slightly less exposed. Down below, at least, nothing I can do about my boobs hanging out.

“I have no idea. That was strange. The whole thing. How long did it take? Like, a minute for both of us to come? I mean, I love you and want you, but that was fast, out of nowhere…”

I stop speaking. There’s nothing more to be said. He knows exactly what happened. He felt it too. Hell, he saw through my eyes just like I saw through his.

“Has this ever happened with any of the others?” he asks.

I smile grimly. “Don’t you think I would have told you?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Is it the bond? You’ve said it’s become more intense, and Crispin heard your thoughts earlier… but it’s changing fast.”

“Maybe. It’s been getting stronger slowly, very slowly, but suddenly this is all happening so quick. Maybe it’s because you’re leaving? Maybe it knows that?”

“Are we talking about the bond as if it’s sentient?” he asks, but I just shrug. Maybe we are. It’s a weird thing, that bond. Especially because it isn’t just one. The first bond was formed when they took some of my magic into themselves, back during my first flare. Then the second we formed on purpose with a ritual. Maybe they’re combining into something stronger?

I get up from the bed and take off the ruined dress. With my back to him, I ask, “Do you think it will happen again?”

“Having sex with you? I sure hope so.”

I laugh. “You know what I mean.”

“It would be strange for it to be a one-off,” he says, more serious this time. “But I hope it won’t all be this rushed next time.”

“Yeah, me too,” I mutter as I step into a new dress, this one a lot less extravagant this time. No more frilly stuff. It’s sleek, simple, and Tamara is going to tell me off for wearing it. “Can you zip me up?”

Frost steps behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, not at all doing what I asked him to. He nuzzles my neck with his lips, his hot breath doing things to my stomach that I want to feel a lot more of. How insatiable am I today? I need to meet some Gods in a few minutes and here I am, turning into a needy, hormonal woman at the simple touch of a Guardian.

My Guardian.

“Stop it,” I whisper half-heartedly, the responsible Princess in my fighting for dominance. I ignore her. She can come out when I’m talking to the Gods, not now.

Rather than zipping up the dress, Frost pushes it down my shoulders until I’m half-naked again. I don’t protest. Nope. I can always blame him if I’m late for the party.

His lips draw a line on my neck, slowly moving towards my right shoulder. He’s mixing his kisses with tiny bites, each of them sending lightning bolts straight into my core. He shouldn’t be allowed to do stuff like that. It makes me all weak and moany.

I can feel him hard against my back; he doesn’t seem to have put his trousers back on. I’m sure we still have time for another quick-

I’m back in his head, looking at the smooth skin in front of me. I run a finger over her collarbone, admiring how perfectly it curves. She’s so beautiful, so stunning. I want to keep her here with me, never let her go. My brothers can join us, but nobody else. Just the five of us, locked into this room. Let the world go to-

I gasp, back in my own body. The dress slips down my body as Frost steps back. I immediately miss his touch. My cheeks heat at the thought of what I just saw. Of what he was thinking. I never knew he was this possessive.

“Were you…?” I ask and turn around, pretty sure the same just happened to him.

“I like your mind,” he says simply. “It’s so pure.”

I laugh. “You must have been in someone else’s head. My mind is the opposite of pure. And I have to say, I like what you were thinking.”

That’s when I notice I’m half-naked, he’s half-naked, and of course someone takes that exact moment to knock on the door.

“Princess, it’s time!” Tamara calls from the other side of the door. “Do you need help with your hair?”

I look into the mirror and take in my dishevelled look and flushed skin. I think there’s not much that can be done to make me presentable. At least I’ll be able to put on a different wig and have the perfect hairstyle within seconds.

“Five minutes!” I shout back and pull up my dress, turning around so Frost can zip me up. Maybe we’ll manage it this time without kisses and our hormones going wild.

As if.