Cassie’s body melted into his and she felt the strong muscles of his arms wrap around her in a firm hold. His chest flexed as he pulled her closer. Cassie let out a breathy moan as she felt his tongue brush against her lips and she opened her mouth without hesitation. She felt one of his hands slide up her back and then to her hair.

Trik grabbed her ponytail holder and slid it out of her hair. He felt the soft strands of her blonde hair flow like water over his hand. He raised both hands and ran them through her now loose hair as he deepened the kiss. In his long life nothing had ever felt so right as kissing the woman before him. If he had doubted before that she was his, he had no doubts now. She was definitely his Chosen and he knew, right then and there , as she ran her hands up his back under his long hair and gripped his shirt in her small hands that he would die for her, and, if necessary, he would kill for her.

He pushed her back until she was pressed against the wall and felt her body tremble against his. The desire that ignited in him was all -consuming and he knew that he would need to be careful and not push her too fast. He pulled back from the kiss and looked into her beautifully flushed face. Her lips glistened with moisture from their kiss and he didn’t try to hide the satisfaction in seeing the proof of her desire for him on her lips and in her eyes.

“Whoa,” she whispered softly.

Trik didn’t back away, but continued to press in closely. He smiled and stroked his fingers through her hair until one hand rested on the curve of her neck, his thumb brushing gently against her throat. He watched as she slowly began to bring her breathing under control and the intense need began to fade from her eyes.

“I think that would be an understatement, Arwenamin .” The endearment he used was an elfin term and he saw the question in her eyes.

“Is that your language?” She asked, slightly in awe. “It’s beautiful. What did you say?”

Trik shook his head. “That is for another time.” It took every ounce of his control to step away from her and allow her some space. What he wanted, what his very soul was telling him to do, was to wrap her in his arms and take her to his realm where he could protect her from everything and everyone that could hurt her or take her away from him.

Cassie walked over and sat on her bed, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She tilted her head as she watched the inhumanly handsome man walk around her room, inspecting his surroundings.

“So you’re an elf?” She asked unnecessarily.

“Yes.”

“What kind of elf?”

Trik turned slowly and his eyes met hers. “What do you mean?”

Cassie shivered under is unwavering gaze. “I mean aren’t their different kinds?”

“Who have you been talking to Arwenamin ? Who has been filling your beautiful head with information?” Trik walked closer to the bed as he watched his Chosen closely.

“I know some people who know some people,” she answered vaguely.

Trik let out a low chuckle. “You’re protecting them. I can respect that. However, you might want to pass on that they need to be very careful what they say and who they speak to.”

“Why? Are you going to kill them? Isn’t that what you do?” Though her words were honest, her tone wasn’t accusatory.

“My, my, you have been busy,” Trik circled the bed and came to sit on the opposite side so as not to crowd her and hoping to ease the tension he saw in her shoulders.

“Whatever I tell you Cassie, you need to understand that it changes nothing. You are still my Chosen and I will not give you up,” Trik told her with brutal honesty written on his face.

“Is that a threat?” She asked.

“No Arwenamin, it’s a promise. I have no doubt in my mind that I do not deserve you. I have no right to you based on my actions in my very long life, but those aren’t reasons enough for me to walk away from you.”

“Well, tell me how you really feel.”

“I am of the Dark Elven. I serve the Dark Elf King, Lorsan, as his head spy and assassin.” Trik paused and waited to see her reaction to his words. She didn’t turn away. He didn’t see the expected disgust appear on her sweet face.

“Our enemies are the light elves. We have been enemies with them for as long as I can remember. We live in the Elfin realm, though on separate sides.”

“How do you get here, to my realm?” She asked.

It wasn’t the question he had expected after having admitted his dark roots, but it was the one she asked and so he would answer.

“We can use any reflective surface to travel between realms. Mirrors, glass, large pools of water, and even some metals and plastics will work. We just think about where we want to go, gaze at our reflection, and step through the material.”

“You can go anywhere in the world through a reflective material?” Cassie asked in fascination.

Trik nodded, bewildered by her response. “You did hear the part where I said I’m a dark elf and an assassin right?”

Cassie nodded. “I’m still processing that.”

Trik scooted closer to her on the bed. He reached out and tugged one of her legs down and took her bare foot in his hands. He began to rub it slowly and squeezed tighter when she tried to wiggle free.

“That tickles,” she said trying not to laugh.

“Try not to think about it.”

“Do you always do the stuff you want, even if someone else doesn’t want you to?”