Alex squeezes my shoulder, inserting himself in a moment I’m too content in to push him away. “Welcome to the family, Brother.”
Finally Alex slips out the door behind Justice, giving us the space to promise each other all the things I thought were implied. “It’s always been ye. Only ye. I meant everything I said before. I don’t know how I got it so wrong.”
She bites down on my lower lip, stirring things in me I don’t know how to turn off. “That’s why I was so upset when Justice told me you had a girlfriend. It all felt so real to me, everything you said about coming into the pub just to see me.” When I tip my head back, she kisses a line down my throat, driving me mad as her leg slips between my thighs. “You wrote down everything I ever said to you in the pub on napkins, and you keep them with you. I didn’t understand how you could have those napkins and belong to someone else.”
“Tha’s because I only belong to ye. I should’ve told ye where I was going. I thought ye knew.” I kiss her harder because I can’t not. “Ye wanted a proper proposal.” I cradle her head in the crook of my arm, so I can kiss her however I like.
“And then you disappeared without proposing!”
“Aye. To give ye a proper proposal!” I chuckle at the mishap, but the sound turns into a low rumble when her fingers unhook the buttons on my shirt. Her leg moves from between mine and curls up and around my waist. Her fingers trail down the row of buttons, undoing me completely. Her lips and hips fuse to mine, and I know there’s no turning back now.
She owns my body, which sinks back into the mattress so she can undress me however she likes. She straddles my hips, and I can safely say I’ve never seen a prettier sight. I can’t believe it’s my body tha pleases her, me who makes those torturous little noises come out as she grinds her warmth over mine. My eyes roll back as she takes what she needs from me, and gives me more pleasure than I ever thought possible.
I can’t stop staring in wonder at the woman who’s looking at me like I’m the thing she wants. Salem Butcher, who never drew out a soft word from a woman now gets a queen stroking his chest and hooking her thumbs in his undershorts. Salem Butcher, who only wanted one thing for himself, finally has her kissing a trail down his chest and toward his stomach.
When her tongue sweeps over the dip in my hips, I can’t help the strangled cry that fills the room. She’s torturing me, and I love it. “Marry me!” I beg her again.
She smirks, her lashes framing those doe eyes tha’ve always done me in. “Do you think I do this for just anyone?”
Despite the selfish parts of me tha throw a tantrum because I’m making her stop, my arms pull her up my body so her lips are an inch away from mine. I need to see her eyes up close, make sure nothing comes between us ever again—not even a misunderstanding. “Lilya Klein, will ye marry me?”
Her eyes glisten with longing I’ve needed to see up close. It’s there, the promise of permanence I never thought would belong to me. “Yes, Salem. Let’s get married.”
There’s no holding me back as I attack the lips tha say such perfect things. She’s melting into my body, my arm wrapping around her to keep her so close, it’s like we’re one body.
Of all the things I’ve always wanted, when Lily pledges herself to me, I know I’m about to get the life I never thought I’d be allowed to touch.
But she lets me touch her. And for the next two hours, she lets me do whatever I want.
24
A Drinking Problem
Destino
Dinner is a strange affair, what with Ronin and me sipping on our blood drinks and Queen Butcher in a long dressing gown and robe. She gave birth to Salem and Justice, so I don’t know why her height always surprises me. It’s been a fair few years since she’s been upright, so I chalk my staring up to the fact that I’m unaccustomed to seeing her around. “Are you sure you’re alright, my queen?” I ask her when she looks as if holding her fork is too arduous a task.
Her gray lashes lift as she smiles. “‘My queen’? I rather like the sound of a vampire claiming me as his queen.”
“Well, that’s what you are, right? That’s what we’re building toward? If King Fairbucks weren’t so very stubborn about it all, I would call him my king. As it is,” I lift my glass to Queen Kloe, who dips her head in my direction. “My queens.”
Ronin studies me before he speaks. “It’ll take some time to get used to that. But you’re right, Son. We will all belong to each other, which is as it should be. All that aside, perhaps we should talk about the elephant in the room.”
“She’s my mate,” Salem confesses, his chin lifted in defiance of convention. “Lily and I, we… I don’t know how it happened, but we’re mated.” He points to his blue eye so everyone can note the difference that’s subtle but significant.
“Is your eye blue?” Queen Butcher asks with a gasp.
Justice hangs his head. “Jays, rub it in tha I didn’t notice a change tha obvious.”
Salem rubs the nape of his neck. “Aye. They changed when Lily and I were… So tha’s what we’re dealing with.”
“How is this possible?” Queen Butcher was pale before, but now she looks positively gaunt. The food at the table as gone from interesting to ornamental as everyone forgets their appetite. “Some trick of the fae?”
Alex, Salem and I all stiffen at the affront, but Alex speaks up first, since Lily’s always been content letting people say whatever awful things they like about her. “No fae in the history of the world has ever been able to trick a shifter into mating. If anything, it only makes Lily’s life more complicated. The two of them have been taken with each other for years before this came about.”
“It’s nature.” I’m not sure why I’m speaking up, but it’s been marinating in my brain for some time now. “Destiny decided change wasn’t happening fast enough, so it’s helped us along. Once the fae and the shifters see the intensity of the bond between Salem and Lily, they’ll understand nature doesn’t need us to be separate. Fate is very much pushing us together.”
Ronin raises his glass to me, leaning back in his seat as he takes it all in. “Well said, Son.”
Justice massages his forehead. “How exactly are ye supposed to be mated to a woman ye share with two other lads? It’s not uncommon for a shifter to tear the throat out of someone who looks at his mate like he shouldn’t. This is all going to fall apart if ye attack Destino or Alexavier.”
Salem’s jaw is set, but he has the look of bearing guilt to him, which isn’t what I want for my best friend to feel when he announces to his family such a huge life event. “I’ve seen her with Des and Alex. It was hard, but we’re managing. They protect what I love, so I can handle it.”
Justice offers up a derisive scoff, but I suppose only time will tell if Salem’s right. Judging by the way he doesn’t push away Alex’s arm that’s draped over the back of Lily’s chair, I’d say we’re well on our way to making this work.
“Speaking of delightful little hiccups,” Ronin says, his eyes on the fine crystal they broke out for us. “That wasn’t the elephant in the room I was referring to. It seems we have a bit of a bigger problem on our hands than an unlikely coupling.”
Justice’s elbows are on the table, his head in his hands as he glares at Ronin. “Bigger than a shifter mated to a fae? Bigger than my brother mated to a lass who’s married to his two best mates? Grand. Let’s hear it.”
“There are many things our bigotry has sheltered us from, namely interspecies mating, which might happen more and more in the future, given all the changes we’re making. Once that border comes down, we’ll be in for all sorts of surprises. Best put our cards on the table, yes?”
Queen Butcher sighs. “Why do I get the feeling the roof’s about to cave in on our heads? Out with it, King Ronin.”
He waves off her proper address. “Do call me Ronin, Magdeena. You’ve seen me naked. I hardly think we need to bother with formalities, given all that’s transpiring.”
Salem and Justice let ou
t cries of horror, matching my own shock as my drink sloshes down my fingers. “What are you on about? Since when have you two seen each other naked?”
Ronin sniggers at Queen Butcher’s snarl. Though, judging by her reddening cheeks, Ronin’s not lying. “Is tha never talking about it again?”
“It’s true?” Justice looks like he’s about to be sick.
Queen Butcher rests her forehead in her hand, unable to look at her sons. Instead, she glowers at Ronin. “It was ages ago. Your father had passed, and Ronin came to give his condolences to our family and our people. I was grieving, and we were very, very drunk.”
I scoff. “Come now. It’s not as if it requires copious amounts of alcohol to find a vampire attractive. Well done to both of you.” I lift my glass to them, which draws a bleat of chagrin from Queen Butcher and a snigger from Grandfather, the cheeky bastard.
Justice looks as if he suddenly wishes for the childish option of shoving cotton into his ears.
Queen Kloe giggles into her martini. “Magdeena, I had no idea.”
Queen Butcher’s teeth grind through her words. “Because it was supposed to be a secret.”
Ronin tsks her. “Now, now, Maggie. Don’t act as if you regret it. I know I don’t.” He toasts her, and Salem’s upper lip curls.
Queen Butcher huffs, her eyes on the ceiling. “Did ye have a point, Ronin? Or are ye running your gob only to upset me?”
“You know, you’d think that would be enough motivation for me, but I actually did have a grander point. Salem and Lilya mating is just one surprise we’ve missed out on that our people could have been experiencing for years. There’s a peculiar development not many of my people are aware of, because the dividing lines between our territories kept them from such discoveries. Now that the borders will be coming down, it bears mentioning.”
Justice shakes his head at Ronin. “Do ye always speak in riddles, old man? Spit it out already.”
Ronin chuckles at Justice’s frustration. “When Destino almost died after they escaped the Stone Graveyard, he was nearing starvation. From what I understand, things were pretty dire.”
I can’t believe he’s bringing this up in mixed company. I set down my glass and lean forward in my seat. “That’s private, Ronin. They won’t understand.”
“They won’t understand that your life means more than decorum? I highly doubt that.” Ronin gives them all a lighthearted scoff meant to communicate that of course they care about my life, even if he knows it’s a stretch. “Lilya’s Green Lightning had run out, so she let Destino feed directly from her to save his life.”
Yes, to save my life. But she let me feed off of her this morning just for fun. Heat floods my veins when I picture her wanton expression in my mind, her body twisting in the sheets in total surrender to whatever I want. I love when she’s completely open, arching beneath me because the rush of my teeth in her neck feels just that good to her.
Judging by the blush in her cheeks as she locks eyes with me across the table, I can tell she’s reliving the same erotic moment neither of us have the sense to be ashamed of. Maybe we should, but it feels too good for us to stop.
The horrified gasps from Justice and Queen Butcher aren’t unexpected. “Tha’s…” I can tell Justice wants to say we’re disgusting or vile, but he can’t bring himself to tell Lily she should’ve let me die rather than do something that felt dangerous. They don’t know I could never hurt her.
I love her.
Ronin’s unbothered by the tension he’s single-handedly creating. “Another chap had the same problem ages ago. He drank from a fae messenger. Understand, he was too out of his mind with thirst to stop. The fae didn’t have Green Lightning in his system, so when the vampire drank his fill, he didn’t understand why his head was splitting so badly, he couldn’t see straight.”
My mouth goes dry. “Headaches like mine?”
Ronin swirls the blood in his cup. “Indeed. The pain drove him mad. It wasn’t until moments before he drove a silver dagger through his temple that he confessed of drinking directly from a fae.” His eyes flick to Lily, who chews on her lower lip like she’s afraid to put food in her mouth. “Seeing Destino’s headaches when he’s parted from Lilya confirms it for me. Lilya and Destino are bound.”
All the heat in my body leaves me. “What are you on about? That’s not a thing. There’s no bodily punishment nature enacts if a vampire drinks from a person.” My goblet crashes too hard to the table.
Ronin’s voice drops. “In my mum’s journals, there was an account of this as well. She mentioned something over and over called ‘the madness.’ I suspected this might be it, but now I’m certain. You’ve bonded, and I’m not terribly certain of all that will come to mean. But I do know a few things from Mum’s notes and that poor vampire’s suicide.” His eyes lock on Lily’s even though he’s addressing me. “The pain of being separate from Lilya will drive you mad, Destino. If a tolerance can be built up, or the tether might be lengthened over time, I do not know. What I am certain of is that the two of you must stay in close proximity, or the Drexdenberg throne will be in jeopardy.” When Lily covers her mouth through a gasp, he turns to address her. “I will not see Destino drive a stake through his temple because the pain of being apart from you is too great.” His gaze is piercing Lily, who is shaken, but doesn’t shy away from the challenge. I love that about her.
“Of course not,” Lily agrees.
I sit straighter, scrambling for a plan. “How long will the bond last? If I stop drinking from my wife, surely it will fade.” The moment the words leave me, I realize they’re the wrong ones. I don’t want to stop. I’m not sure I’m capable.
Salem and Alex know we haven’t stopped. Salem insisted on watching the whole thing, making sure I didn’t truly hurt her. It was strange, make no mistake, but the taste of Lily is so divine that I’ll take what I can get. If Salem has to be part of our time together, so be it. She tastes like… she tastes like fresh air smells. She’s pure desire, and there are precious few pure things in this world anymore.
Ronin turns in his seat, giving me his full attention. “Surely you aren’t still drinking from her.”
I’m going to be king next year, so squirming under scrutiny isn’t something I’m supposed to do. “Well, I mean, not all the time. But on occasion. It’s…” I reach for the proper words, but I’m thinking the right thing is for the earth to open up and swallow me whole rather than confess to the room how stimulating the whole thing is.
Lily saves me, as she always manages to. “It’s incredible, and it’s my choice. I don’t care if it’s weird. It’s between Des and me, and Salem and Lexi. The list of people who should weigh in on our arrangement ends there.”
Ronin’s mouth drops open as her declaration stirs something primal in me. She’s not ashamed of me or our strange connection. I love the defiant look to her when she claims me without equivocation.
Ronin straightens. “Well, that is a development I wasn’t expecting. I’ll admit, it used to take much to shock me, but it seems you keep delivering surprise after surprise, my darling.”
I hate it when he talks to her like that.
“If we stop, how long with the bond last?”
Ronin drags his hand over his mouth and down his chin as he calculates all he knows and measures it against the inevitable. “The vampire who killed himself only drank the one time, and he endured the agony for two months before he took his life. In Mum’s journals, there was no end mentioned, though they were quite cryptic.”
Silence drapes the table like a damper on an already grim evening. I don’t want to say the thing we’re all thinking, but it’s there all the same. “Lily can’t live in Drexdenberg with me all the time. I’m going to rule next year, which means I’ll need to be with my people for the most part.”
Alex shakes his head, his eyes wide as they take in the mess before him. “I lived without her for too many years. Our bond isn’t like yours, but I’m not going to marry her and then
simply visit her once a month or however often I can get away. And if we start a family someday…”
Dread coils in my stomach of the problems that didn’t need to be, but now very much are.
“No,” Salem rules, his voice gruff. “I mated with her first. My tie to her isn’t something tha can be undone. And I’m not a future leader; I’m currently leading the military in Jacoba. I can’t move to Drexdenberg.”
It’s a strange sight to watch Salem in love. It’s like watching a rhinoceros tap dance. He jerks her seat toward his and slaps his thigh. It would look bossy, but for the insecure plea in his eyes.
Lily obliges his caveman nature and slides over to sit atop his thigh. He’s being childish, but she permits him to claim her publicly like this because she’s kind and he’s a right baby. “It’s alright, Salem. We’ll figure this out.”
She’s dainty and slender, swallowed by his bulk. If it was anyone but Salem, I’d be worried about him breaking her, but Salem’s so careful with her body; I don’t get too ruffled at the sight. Her arm loops around him so she can tease the small hairs at the nape of his neck. He shivers, and finally begins to calm down.
She’s so good for him.
Ronin’s gaze cuts from me to Alex, and then lands on Salem. “Yes, it looks like we definitely have a problem.”
25
White Dress
Lilya
My white dress isn’t as tolerant of the dirt as I am. I didn’t mean to get dust on it, but the lace collects the trappings of the road like nothing else. “Hold still. I’ll get this out.” Lexi always makes me snicker when he fusses over cute things like stains. As if that’s the thing to focus on today.
The white dress isn’t part of the shifter marriage ritual, but as I’m fae, Lexi insisted I look the part of the blushing fairy bride.
Malicious Prince: A Reverse Harem Romance (Territorial Mates Book 3) Page 15