top of Vaughn, kissing him hungrily while his hands explored me, unleashing a wealth of sensations I never imagined possible.
He was tender and wild all at the same time, caressing me with care, then nibbling on my neck as he growled, his hands holding me fiercely to never let me go.
We kissed with abandon, forgetting where we were and that the others were waiting for us. In my mind, the rest of the world disappeared, and Vaughn’s presence filled every need, every desire. At that moment, it was all I ever wanted, this delicate and delicious moment alone with him.
Chapter Eighteen
You’d have thought we brought back a gourmet meal. The reactions from our campmates when they saw our coconuts load was an uproarious cheer. Well, everyone cheered except Becca who was disappointed there hadn’t been an Oreo tree.
The good news was Ronnie knew a similar transformation spell to the one Gina and Henry used to ferment the coconut milk. Ronnie was more wholesome than those two and merely changed the flavor of each coconut so they all tasted new and distinct. We bored holes in each with a sharp stone and passed them around, tasting and savoring.
“Ew, I do not like the meat flavored one,” Ronnie said, passing it to Bael who took a hearty pull.
“Not bad,” the large fae said before passing it to Vaughn.
Ronnie took the last coconut from the pile and ran his hand over it, muttering. Then he passed it to Becca. “I made this one just for you.”
Wary, she took the coconut and put it to her lips. After a small sip, her eyes lit up. “Oreo!” She tilted it back, taking a huge drink before throwing her arms around Ronnie’s neck. He beamed, happily. He seemed very fond of Becca, and the Oreo coconut drink went a long way with her.
I smiled, leaning into Vaughn. The moment we’d shared on the beach had progressed our relationship, making it hard for me to be separated from him for more than a few minutes. I found my hands searching him out, longing to touch him in any way I could.
But as nice as these moments were, I understood their fleeting nature. We were being hunted. The people who crashed our ship and killed Daniella and Vinya would find us eventually, and then they would kill or mutate us. Yes, our numbers had swelled with Sinasre and Bael, two formidable Fae Warriors, but only four of us could really fight. Becca and Ronnie were far too young, and my aunt was used to a life of privilege in her advanced age. She might not want to help in hand-to-hand combat.
Our enemies had helicopters, magic, and fearsome shifters, not to mention technology and weapons that could blow us to pieces in seconds. We had... What? Heart? Will?
It wouldn't be enough—especially since even that seemed to be withering.
My hope that the dean would show up and rescue us as she had before dwindled with each passing moment. If she could have come to us, she would have done so already.
Afraid and anxious, we fell into a fitful sleep. I curled into Vaughn’s warmth, dreaming of that luxurious bed we would share. It felt like only a dream, one we would never realize.
Near dawn, I felt him stir and get up. I woke too, following him to the mouth of the cave. The sun had not yet risen, but the sky was turning pink at the edges. And the birds had begun their song.
“What do we do?” I whispered. “They’ll find us eventually.”
Vaughn’s face tightened, as his hand sought out mine. “I thought the dean would come by now.”
“Me, too.”
He shook his head. “There aren’t enough of us to take on the dome. It would be a suicide mission. You saw what happened when the rebels attacked. I nearly died and several of their crew perished. We’d be shredded to pieces in seconds.”
“Or captured,” I said with an internal shiver. “Mutated.”
Vaughn shook his head. “I’ve been thinking. Maybe we need to go out and see what they’re doing right now. Are they looking for us? Because, if they are, they aren’t looking very hard. I would have thought they’d send someone else after us by now, so the question is why aren’t they?”
“I thought someone would have come for Bael,” I said. “You think they’re up to something?”
“I do.” Vaughn’s green eyes stared out across the dark beachfront. “Ask yourself why the dean didn’t come back. She’s a powerful witch.