A/N: Sorry that it's been a hot minute guys. I was originally planning on making this chapter much longer, but I haven't had a chance to write the ending to it yet and I wanted to at least get this out to you guys since you all have been so patient with me! There is a surprise in this chapter. One I'm sure a lot of you will have guessed at, but maybe not in the direct way I went about it.
Also, who's up for some angst? I'm thinking this story could use some more of it. Anywho, enjoy!
Chapter 17
Gwyn woke to the casual caress of fingers running up and down her back. She opened her eyes and found Azriel watching her with a loving smile on his face.
She smiled at him. "Good morning."
His smile widened. "That it is. Good morning to you. I hope I didn't wake you."
She shook her head. "No, you didn't."
"Good. How are you feeling this morning?"
Her smile widened and she rolled closer to him, placing a hand on his chest. "I feel wonderful, Az. Thank you for last night."
He shook his head, "No, thank you. I was perfectly fine with waiting however long you needed. I wasn't expecting you to be ready to go that far that soon."
She nodded, thinking through her words. "I wasn't either originally, but you make me feel safe. You made it a lot easier to be ready."
She saw the line of silver in his eyes right before he pulled her into his chest and wrapped her up in his arms. "You have no idea how thankful I am to have you as my mate. You're incredible."
She chuckled and was about to say something when he stilled. Her brows furrowed and she tried to pull back to look up into his face, but she didn't have enough room with his arms wrapped so securely around her. After a moment, his body settled and he pulled back just enough to look at her.
"That was Rhys. He said everyone is down at the River House if we want to join them for breakfast. It seems we're the only ones not there, minus Amren of course. Who knows when she'll be coming back from the Summer Court. We don't have to go down there though if you don't want to. We can stay up here and have breakfast in bed if you'd like."
She smiled. "Mm, breakfast in bed? That's a very tempting offer…but would you be mad if I say I'd like to go join our family?"
He chuckled, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips. "Of course not. I could never be mad at you for wanting to spend time with our family."
She started moving out of the bed to get dressed. "Good because I've been dying to know if Cass and Mor made up last night. And if Cass groveled to Nesta afterwards."
Azriel let out a full body laugh. "I can only imagine he was on his hands and knees groveling. That seems to be the only way to get back in Nesta's favor."
Gwyn rolled her eyes as she walked over to the bathing room and closed the door. She could hear him getting up and moving around through the door. She did her business, combed her mess of hair and made it look somewhat presentable and then went back out into their bedroom. He was already halfway dressed, searching for a shirt it seemed.
She walked by him, still naked, and trailed a hand across his ass as she passed him. He looked up at her from where he was bent over and smirked. "Keep that up and maybe we'll have to find an excuse to sneak up to my room at the River House. I wonder if the thrill of knowing everyone we love is right downstairs within earshot will make you come for me faster."
Her core instantly heated. "You're awful, you know that?"
His eyes flared, a grin slashing across his face. "That's not what you told me last night."
A bubble of laughter broke through her. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him to start getting dressed. She quickly found some undergarments she knew would drive him mad and slid them on before sliding on a comfy pair of tight leggings and a blouse that showed a little more cleavage than she usually showed.
Once they were both ready to go, they walked down to the balcony holding hands and laughing. It didn't take them very long to get to the River House, but they weren't in a very big hurry either. They were taking their time and enjoying each other's company. Once they arrived, Azriel took her hand in his again and led her inside.
They made it as far as the doorway to the living room before everyone stopped and stared at them. They stopped in their tracks and shared a quick glance at each other.
Azriel's brow furrowed. "What?"
Rhys had a wicked grin on his face as he looked between the two of them. "Well, I'd say congratulations are in order."
Az's eyes widened a fraction, but Gwyn was still confused. She looked back and forth between them. "I don't understand."
Az turned to her and lowered his voice so that only she could hear him, even though they were all staring at them. "What we did last night…it caused our scents to sort of merge in a way. So, the moment we walked in…they all knew."
Her eyes widened. "Oh. I didn't know that happened."
He winced slightly. "Yeah, sorry. I forgot."
He looked back towards their family and they were all still grinning at them. Before he could say anything, all the females jumped up and surrounded Gwyn. Mor looked over her shoulder at Azriel. "We're stealing your mate for a bit, Az. We need girl time. Feel free to have guy time with your brothers and talk about whatever it is you males talk about afterward."
Color bloomed on Az's cheeks at the words, but he didn't comment as they left the room. A hand came down on his shoulder and he looked over to find Cassian looking after the females as well. "You know, they're going in there to talk about you, your performance, and your size."
Az just stared at him, his mouth hanging open slightly.
Rhys stepped up next to them, nodding. "He's right you know. That's what they do on girl's night. It'll be no different after Gwyn's first time. Actually, the grilling for details is probably going to be worse for her first time."
Az groaned and ran a hand down his face causing Cass to chuckle. "Don't worry, brother. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. I've seen you naked before, so I know you've got the size. And you're all quiet and brooding, which means you have to know how to use it right."
Az looked up at Cassian and glared at him, causing Rhys to laugh. "What does being quiet and brooding have to do with being good in bed?"
Rhys held up a hand before Cass could answer. "I think what our brother is trying to say here is that he's sure you did an excellent job last night and have nothing to fear when it comes to anything Gwyn may or may not say to the other females."
He let out a breath and looked back down the hall, feeling his anxiety creeping in on him. "I hope not."
Rhys stopped in front of him, blocking his view. "What did Gwyn say about it?"
He tilted his head slightly to the side, thinking back on the night before. "She said it was incredible and that I made her feel safe."
Rhys's smile softened. "Then you have nothing to worry about, Az. Come on, let's sit down and relax. I'm sure they'll be awhile."
It was only a moment after Azriel had sat down with a drink in his hand when Rhys turned to him. "So, when's the mating ceremony going to be?"
He nearly choked on his drink and stared at his brother who was watching him amusingly. Cassian cackled from his chair, staying out of it. "You know that we're taking things slow, Rhys."
He nodded. "I do, but you had sex last night. Surely, this must mean that Gwyn is becoming more ready to accept the bond."
Az narrowed his eyes. "We haven't had much time to discuss it. Shortly after we woke this morning, you invited us down here. That doesn't give much room for serious conversations. Besides, I'm not going to pressure her into accepting it before she's ready. Just because we had sex doesn't mean she's ready for a ceremony."
Cass grunted. "I'm with Az on this one, Rhys. Just let him sort it out in his own time. They have plenty of time to get there. She's still healing from everything. She's come a long way from where she was and I'm damn proud of her, but who knows if she's ready for that kind of intensity."
Azriel nodded his thanks to Cass before turning back to Rhys. Rhys only shrugged. "I was only asking a question. I enjoyed throwing Cass and Nesta's ceremony and I've been looking forward to when I get to throw yours. So, you'll excuse me for getting a little excited for my brother."
Azriel chuckled, shaking his head at Rhys. "I'll let you know when I know, how does that sound?"
Rhys nodded. "Sounds like a deal."They heard a loud burst of squeals coming from down the hall that made them turn in that direction. Cassian pointed down the hall with his drink, looking back at Az. "See, that's good news for you, brother."
Gwyn was pulled into Feyre's office and pulled over to the couch that sat along one wall. Once she was sitting, Nesta sat down next to her on one side with Emerie on the other. Mor had pulled up a chair to sit next to Emerie and Feyre had pulled one over as well.
Mor leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees. "Okay, now spill. We need all the details."
Nesta nodded. "You seemed happy when you walked in, so I'm assuming it was good?"
Gwyn smiled shyly at them. "It was more than good…it was incredible."
Emerie's eyes were nearly glowing with excitement. "Keep going, girl! Was he rough, was he gentle? Did he have any kinks? Please tell us he had kinks."
She giggled, shaking her head. "No kinks. At least not this time. I think he was more focused on making sure I was okay than anything else. At the beginning, he kept asking how I was doing, making me keep talking to him and tell him if I was okay. It made me feel so…safe. I felt like I could completely lose myself in him because it was him and I knew without a doubt he would never ever do anything to hurt me."
Feyre shared a look with Mor, smiling warmly. "That sounds like Az. Always so thoughtful and thinking of others."
Mor nodded, "Okay, so he was thoughtful and made sure you were doing okay for your first time. I love everything I'm hearing so far. I don't have to go kick his ass yet. What about the rest of it? Was it all slow? Or did it heat up?"
Gwyn bit her lip, her cheeks flushing. "Well…it started out slow…while he was letting me adjust, but then I kind of…kicked things up a notch and they got more heated from there."
Nesta's eyes widened. "Gwyneth Berdara! You sly little minx! All those romance novels seem to be paying off."
Gwyn smiled and shrugged. "Oh, and I have to thank you Nesta for that little tip you once gave me. It really worked in my favor last night."
Nesta tipped her head to the side, trying to recall what advice she might have given her. "What advice, Gwyn?"
She grinned wickedly, "You once told me how sensitive Illyrian wings are and that if you find the right spot…it can make them orgasm."
Nesta's eyes widened even further than before. "Holy shit, Gwyn! I can't believe you used my tip!"
She shrugged. "I was getting close and I needed him to get there too. Besides, it was very pleasurable to watch his reaction to it."
They all laughed and talked some more before Nesta finally asked the important question they had all been dying to know. "Be honest with us, Gwyn. Does it…equate?"
Gwyn looked between them all before she answered, a sly grin coming to her face. "Oh, it definitely equates."
The squeals they all emitted were so loud, she knew that the males down the hall had to have heard them. She knew Azriel would ask her later what all was said, but she also knew that his brothers were asking him questions too. Probably not in as much detail as the girls, but still. She allowed herself the time to be happy and spend time with her family.
Feyre smiled softly at her. "So, I do have one question. And don't feel pressured to answer it or anything. Now that you two have crossed that line and have had sex…have you given any thought to accepting the bond?"
They all grew quiet and turned to her, waiting for a response. She bit her lip and considered the question. "I have been thinking about it, actually. For a little while now. And…I actually already know what I'm going to do about it. But…it's a surprise."
Emerie furrowed her brow. "It's a surprise for us? We're not the ones you're mated to."
She chuckled and shook her head. "No, but he's a spy. In fact, he's the Spymaster. Of the Night Court. The fewer people who know, the less chances of him finding out before I'm ready for him to know. He's too good. It's hard to keep anything from him."
Mor snorted, nodding her head and sat back in her chair. "That's very true. He knows everything. It can be very infuriating. More power to you."
Feyre chuckled and turned back to Gwyn, "Well, whenever you are ready, we are all here for you. But, I do believe that breakfast is finally done and I'm starving, so how about we go get the boys and go eat?"
They all stood and started for the door. Gwyn hung back, touching Feyre's arm to silently ask her to hang back as well. When the rest of them were out of the room and walked down the hallway, Gwyn turned to her and blew out a breath she'd been holding. "There's actually something I'd like to discuss with you. With you and Rhys. It can wait until after breakfast, but…I didn't want to say anything in front of everyone."
Feyre smiled. "How about we talk now? That way you're not sitting through breakfast thinking about it. I'll have Rhys come in here."
She nodded, smiling at her friend. It only took a moment before Rhys came strolling through the open doorway, hands in his pockets as casual as ever. He smiled at his mate before turning his smile on Gwyn.
"So, Feyre darling tells me there's something you wanted to discuss with us?"
Gwyn nodded, crossing to the open door and shutting it quickly before turning back to them. "It's about Azriel. I didn't want to say anything in front of the others in case word got back to him."
Rhys's brow furrowed as he leaned up against Feyre's desk and placed his hands on either side of him for support. "Is there something wrong? Az said everything's been going great between the two of you."
Gwyn waved her hands in front of her, shaking her head. "No, no. It's nothing like that. Nothing is wrong. I've just…I've been doing a lot of thinking for a while now about how to go about this and I've finally come up with a way that I think will work. I just…need some help implementing it."
Feyre blinked and glanced at Rhys before looking back at Gwyn. "Gwyn, you're going to have to explain what you're talking about here. I think I might be following you, but I want to be sure."
Rhys raised his brows, looking between them. "At least one of us is. I, for one, am not following for once."
Gwyn smiled softly before continuing, looking between them. "I want to ask your help in throwing Azriel a surprise mating ceremony."
There was a beat of silence as the words sank in. Then Rhys was in front of her, wrapping his arms around her and twirling her around. When he set her back down on the ground, she was blushing. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "My brother is unbelievably lucky to have found you and be mated to you. Whatever you want, anything…it's yours. If you want it to be super fancy, done. If you want it to be casual, done. Anything, and I do mean anything, just say the word and it's done. My lips are sealed on this. He will not be finding out from me or Feyre about this, you can rest assured on that. He's one sneaky bastard when it comes to finding out secrets, but I will do everything in my power to keep this one from him. You have no idea…Gwyn, you have no idea how happy you have made him. Thank you. For everything you've done for him…thank you."
She had tears running down her face. "He's done just as much for me, if not more. He's everything I could have ever dreamed to find in a mate and more. This is the very least I could do. I know he's been waiting centuries to find his mate, yearned for it. I want him to have the best experience he could have. I want him to have the ceremony and be able to celebrate it all with his family. He means everything to me, so I want him to have everything."
Rhys smiled so warmly and open. "He already does, Gwyn. Believe me, he already does."
They decided to meet up again that week to discuss more details. They already met up during the week usually to discuss assignments and how her training with Azriel was going to become a spy, so it wouldn't tip him off as unusual. It was the perfect cover story.
It also helped when Rhys had to send Az away for a few days on a mission. They agreed that Gwyn would stay at the River House to continue her assignments with Rhys and so that Az would be less on edge being gone since she would be more secure staying with the High Lord and Lady. What Gwyn didn't tell him was that she would be secretly planning their mating ceremony with them while he was away.
By the time he returned, they had it all planned out to the very last detail. Feyre and Gwyn had stayed up late the night before going over things to be sure they got everything. It would happen in three days.
In Azriel's absence, everyone had been told of the secret ceremony minus Cassian. They didn't trust that he could keep it to himself for 3 days, so they planned on tell him right before. That had been Nesta's idea. She knew firsthand that he couldn't be trusted with secrets that big.
The day Azriel returned, he found the River House to be empty. Gwyn, Nesta, and Emerie were out shopping for her dress and Feyre, Rhys, and Mor were working on the ceremony details throughout the city, gathering everything they would need. Rhys had also sent off a letter to Ameren letting her know of the ceremony and that she better be there.
Az walked through the River House, puzzled at how quiet it was. Eventually, he found Nuala in the nursery with Nyx. She smiled kindly at him when he entered.
He returned the smile. "Evening, Nuala. Have you seen everyone? The house seems to be empty."
She nodded, setting a sleeping Nyx down in the crib. "They're all out in the city. I believe Gwyn, Nesta, and Emerie are shopping and Feyre, Rhys, and Mor said they were taking care of some business. Cassian, however, hasn't been here in a few days. Rhys sent him up to Windhaven shortly after you left on your mission. He wanted him to check on things in the camps, I believe."
Azriel nodded, tucking away all the information. "Thank you, Nuala. When they return, would you please let them know I'm back from my mission and that I'll be up at the House?"
She nodded. "Of course, Spymaster."
He walked out of the River House and started flying towards the House, a sense that something was off settling over him.
A/N: So...thoughts? :) Until next time!
