by Winter Rose
The smell was so intoxicating; I moved closer without even thinking. Unsure of how I should sit, I sat back against the pillows. I moved my head toward the cut while keeping a safe distance; the position was extremely awkward. Ehre laughed and pulled me against him so that my body was half on top of his. I tensed for a quarter of a second.
Gods, that laugh is the most beautiful sound, I thought before I tasted his blood.
His blood was everything I remembered and more. It filled my body with a million lightning bolts, the sensation so wonderful I moaned in appreciation.
Ehre stiffened beneath me.
Fuck! I’m trying to keep control here, don’t make noises like that or I will… the image of me pressed against Ehre, naked and sweaty, filled my head, and the blood rushed to my core. Shit, I’m sorry, Luna! Breathe, it’s just food; you are just eating. My grip on Ehre’s shoulder loosened slightly, and I tried to focus on his calming mantra.
He filled his mind with images of a meadow. The moon painted the night-blooming blossom with an ethereal glow. I could even smell the perfume of the flowers as I lay against the soft grass.
Is this your home? I asked him, completely overwhelmed by its beauty. All he felt was sadness, but he never pulled the memory away, allowing me to see a part of his past that brought him peace.
Because of Ehre, for the first time, I was able to drink without any embarrassing moments. After some time, I pulled away, content in my fill.
Lay a moment… Please.
Ehre pulled me back down so that my head lay on his chest. His fingers chased lazy circles on the base of my spine. I sighed, completely content.
A knocking sound dragged me from a deep sleep, where I dreamt that I was flying.
“What?” Ehre shouted as pissed off as I was.
“All of the Recruits have arrived; you both have slept through the day. You need to get ready for the welcoming.” We both sat up instantly.
“Have the scouts returned?” Ehre asked Vulcan, who was entering the room.
“Yes, Magnar wants us to all speak before the ball to welcome our new Recruits.”
Ehre stood up, nodding.
“I will get changed in my room.” He grabbed several garments then turned around to look back at me. “Will you be okay?” he asked me.
Smiling, I stood.
“I’m perfectly capable of dressing myself.” Laughing, Ehre left the room, leaving a stunned Vulcan.
“It has been a long time since I have seen my brother smile … let alone laugh.” He wore a distant gaze, staring at the closed door.
“Maybe nearly dying can do that to an Elf,’ I grimaced at the memory.
“I’m glad to see you with some color in your cheeks,” he said as he walked toward me.
“How far away is the army?” I avoided looking into Vulcan’s dark eyes, scared of what I may see there.
“We will discuss this at the meeting, Luna. Here,” he dropped a robe and some clean linen on the bed. “The bathing room is through there.”
“Will I have time?” I asked. He took a giant step toward me, closing the distance. Bending down, he took a deep breath, smelling my neck.
Shocked, I just stood there, unsure if I should be stepping away like an independent woman. Or leaning into him like my hussy heart desired. He straightened out; his eyes flickered into reptilian slits.
“Your eyes …” I whispered, completely shocked, and entranced at the same time.
“My Dragon doesn’t like the smell of the Elf all over you. He isn’t trying to tear the castle down, but he is still extremely jealous to have missed the opportunity to be close to you.” My skin heated as he took another whiff of my skin.
“Maybe next time you need to feed, you will allow me the pleasure. It’s better if my brothers don’t end up roasted before you complete your bonds.” He stood up straight and turned me around, and my heart fluttered with the movement.
“Bathing area is through there. Your maids are already waiting.” He walked out of the room.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The four men walked into my bedchamber. I was staring at the stranger in my reflection. Magnar came behind me.
“What is that?” he said, pointing to the back of my neck.
“What?” I asked.
“May I?” he asked. I nodded as he pulled the back of my dress down slightly.
“It looks Elven,” Vulcan joined Magnar behind me. I could see their mirrored looks of wonderment.
“What is it?” Eros asked as he and Ehre joined the others.
“Do you know what it says?” Magnar asked the Elf.
“Erm, I’m really over feeling like I have no idea what is going on. So, can someone fill me in, please?” I asked.
“You have symbols down your neck, Luna; they look Elvish.”
“I have what now?” I asked, turning around. I pulled my neckline down my shoulders.
“Holy … is that a tattoo?” I asked. “Did the bond mark me?” I could only see the top of a symbol “Someone help me with these gods be damned laces.” Each of the men moved, but Eros was the closest. His fingers made easy work of the laces, so I was able to free the top part of my dress. The breath that filled my starved lungs was a welcome reprieve from its corseted restraint.
I removed my arms and shoulders from my dress and slip, to get a better view. They were right; I was marked. There, attached to my crescent moon birthmark, was an emerald green tattoo. The small symbols, Elvish apparently, were connected in a beautiful pattern. It stretched from the tip of the moon, up my spine, to the top of my neck. I looked up at four intense gazes. Gulping, each one of them instinctively took a step closer, I was surrounded.
My initial instinct was to hide, but their gazes ignited something within me. I could feel the heat from their bodies; I could hear their heartbeats. I swallowed as I dragged my gaze across each of the four men. Each one of them looked ready to pounce if I only said the word.
Why didn’t I? What would it be like to have four sets of hands grazing my highly sensitive flesh? For them to take …
Collectively, they let out a low rumble in their chests, and I took half a step backward confused. In the mirror, I could see Vulcan’s reptilian eyes flicker along with the tattoos on his skin.
“Luna, please stop projecting those thoughts,” he groaned.
“You can hear my thoughts?” I shot my eyes along to Ehre.
“I thought my brothers would like to hear them.” Ehre’s wicked smile was sinfully sexy.
How is that possible? I asked, testing the connection.
“We told you we could feel one another, but it goes deeper than that. We are actually able to send direct thoughts to one another; it’s a perk of the bond.” Magnar’s eyes smoldered. “And it looks like the bond between you and Ehre has allowed you to have the same gifts.”
“Well, I personally think it’s great; I’ve always prided myself on knowing what a woman truly desires. Now I can actually hear it. Brothers, it seems our girl is a very greedy Vessel,” Eros almost purred. I tried not to notice my stomach’s happy summersault when he said our girl.
Gods, take me now.
“Let’s get down to business; we have only ten minutes until the clan ball begins.” Ehre, obviously aware of my discomfort, changed the conversation’s direction. I pulled my sleeves back up.
“Right … erm yes. The army is a fortnight’s ride to the east.” Magnar switched back to business as I tried but failed to pull at the gaping laces.
“Allow me, Princess,” Eros was still behind me. I nodded, rolling my eyes at his new nickname for me, and he began to pull at the laces. This time when I gasped for air, it was for an entirely different reason. Each time his fingers touched my skin, little sparks erupted. I couldn’t remember this being nearly as erotic when May was doing it.
It was all over too quickly. He tied the laces at the bottom and tucked them into the skirt, giving me a smug grin in the mirror when he came dangerously close to my arse
. When he was done, he just stood there for a few beats behind me, his eyes unwavering.
Magnar cleared his throat and broke the tension.
“I sent eight of my Griffin scouts, only one so far has returned, and he was badly injured,” he said as I found a seat, shaking the cloud of lust that seemed to follow me around these days.
“Who was hurt?” Ehre asked, his eyes guarded as they looked from Eros to me.
“Jabare,” Eros supplied, I was none the wiser.
Griffin shifters were notoriously fast flyers; they could cover hundreds of miles in minutes, which naturally made them the best scouts. This Jabare seemed to be a friend of the four if their grave expressions told me anything.
“We need to assume that Farouk knows about Luna,” Vulcan said, standing up.
“The Koray are also a worry.” Magnar rubbed his tired eyes. “They kept her alive for a reason. They wanted her to stay at The Estate.” Come to think of it, none of them seemed to have slept, and Vulcan’s expression was darker than usual.
“Luna, did Kingsley ever see your mark?” Eros asked.
“I’m not sure. I lived at The Estate since I was a child.”
“So, we have to assume that they know more than they are letting on. Kingsley’s loyalties have always been to himself, Farouk could easily bribe him,” Eros reasoned.
I wasn’t sure Eros was correct. If the way the Kingsleys treated me was any indication, they never believed that I would turn out to be an all-powerful Vessel.
“We have always expected Kingsley to be one of the Rebellions pawns. How else would he manage to hold Alpha over the pack? Gods, the sooner we get Balhar back, the better.” Ehre seemed to be the closest to the legendary Alpha. Every time he spoke of him, pain marred his beautiful face.
He saved my life … on many occasions. I could barely breathe through the hurt he was now projecting.
There was something more to their story, I just knew it, but now wasn’t the time to ask him.
“So, it seems that when Luna has bonded herself to Ehre, some of his gifts were transferred. Has any other of Ehre’s gifts manifested?” Magnar asked as he stood to pour himself a drink. The distinct smell of blood filled my nose.
I will never get used to the craving.
“Most of the Elven gifts come from years of spending time with the earth. Our powers gradually develop through hard work and dedication. It’s a good job she bonded with me first actually.” Magnar handed me a chalice without a word.
Like drinking blood was completely normal.
“How’s that?” Vulcan asked Ehre.
It is your normal, Luna. Ehre commented on my internal babble, which made me realize, I really needed to learn how to block him out.
“Most of us grow into our gifts. Luna, however, is an adult. A fully-grown adult who bonds with creatures such as yours could be dangerous. Elves are masters of control.” The three other men bristled. “All I’m saying is if she turned into a bloodthirsty Dragon who leaked glamour … it could be problematic.”
“I’m gonna be a freaking Dragon?” This new information I was totally okay with.
“Doubtful, we are always aware of our Dragons, even in human form. They are a separate entity to ourselves; it is not a gift like being a flame weaver.” To Demonstrate Vulcan created a ball of blue flames in his hand and ran it between each of his fingers. Gods, please let me get that totally awesome power.
I took a sip of the blood-spiked wine, and nearly retched as the sour taste filled my mouth.
“Blah, what in the Underworld is in that?” The contents of my stomach threatened to come back up.
“It’s donor blood,” Magnar wrinkled his brows. “Not to your taste?”
“It’s vile!” I rinsed my mouth out with a goblet of water, but I was still able to taste the foul liquid.
He looked at the chalice and sniffed its contents.
“Smells okay to me.” He took a sip and shrugged. Everyone eyed me.
Could I be any more of a freak?
“Luna will need to master control before we add another to her bond,” Ehre shifted the conversation back to the matter at hand. He was trying to be logical, but what he said didn’t feel right. Though it could have something to do with my stomach rolling after the blood-spiked wine.
I will feed you again later, if you wish? Ehre spoke in my mind. I smiled at him; my face warm.
“We do not have the time. We cannot leave Balhar any longer. The goddesses said that Luna has to complete her bonds with us all before we look for him. I made the clan heads aware that he was still alive at last night’s meeting. They are working on a plan that will allow us time to retrieve him, while not drawing too much attention to our absence. Balhar is our main focus. He is one of her Guardians, and she will never be at full strength without him,” Magnar said.
“I agree with Magnar.” I looked over to Vulcan, whose whole demeanor screamed control. His beast nowhere to be seen. Ehre breathed out and rubbed his face in a frustrated movement.
“Fine, but we can’t all just bond with her at once. What’s the plan?” Everyone looked from Magnar to me.
“Vulcan, do you believe that bonding with Luna now will stop your Dragon …”
“Going bat-shit crazy?” Eros provided innocently.
Vulcan looked at me with pain-filled eyes.
“One of you should do it.” He gave a pointed look to Magnar, who just sighed and nodded. Shock filled the bond. Ehre couldn’t believe that Vulcan stepped down so easily.
“We will decide after the ball,” groaning, Magnar stood up. “I hate this shit.”
“It will be over soon. Give them an epic speech about maiming and killing, dance, and drink a little, so you don’t draw attention to the fact we are up to something. We still have spies in our nest. Then as soon as we are able, we will escape and meet back in Luna’s chambers to discuss it.” Eros lay his hand on Magnar’s tense shoulder.
“Not Luna’s, people talk. The castle is much fuller now than it was two days ago. We will meet in Magnar’s chambers,” Vulcan controlled demeanor slipped.
“Let’s get this over with.” Magnar puffed out, before heading toward the door. I took in a deep breath; my eyes found the mirror.
The black dress was a stark contrast to my pale skin. May forced me to wear a gown. She was more aggressive than I initially gave her credit for. It felt too much, I looked … I looked like royalty. I sighed. I suppose that is the look I’m going for. The nervous behavior of the maids now made more sense.
The dress was plain. I refused to sparkle. The arms were long, adorned with two satin buttons. Unfortunately, the neckline was not as modest. The corset I was wearing was hitched so tight that my breasts could act as a chin rest. Compared to the full skirt, my waist looked tiny. I looked… well nothing like myself.
My hair fell in loose curls at the side. I pulled out a pin that Edith had placed and ran my fingers through the tendrils so that my hair would now cover my new mark. I looked up to see Vulcan’s dark gaze filled with hunger.
“Coming Luna?” He asked, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His large frame was covered in black military wear. I felt a pang of regret with the way things went at breakfast yesterday. “Everything okay?” Vulcan walked toward me.
“Yeah, sorry, I’m coming.” We met in the middle of the room; his dark eyes were framed with a scowl. “Ready?” I asked, heading toward the door.
He caught my hand.
“Wait.” My breath hitched. I could not talk about the mate thing yet. It was too much, too soon. Instead of saying anything, he pulled my wrist to his nose and took in a deep sniff of the skin there, causing a thousand nerve endings to awaken.
“Much better.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The great hall was filled with so many different supernaturals. I was able to detect familiar species with their energy signals and some with their defining features. Most were hard to distinguish.
“Three y
ears. That’s how long it will take for you to become an Elite Warrior … or die trying.” Magnar stood on a raised platform addressing the Elites’ new Recruits. His long black hair was tied behind him in intricate braids making me wonder who did them for him?
Probably fire hair... Why did that thought piss me off?
“Each of you has come from entirely different backgrounds. With us here tonight we have Princes and Princesses.” His eyes shifted to me; a mischievous glint swam in their depths. “We have children of slaves and bastards of criminals, not one of you is the same. I want you to think about who you are; I want you to imagine your desires, the reason you wanted to join the Elites. Now I want you to forget it all.” Mummers ran across the crowd.
“Here, every one of you is the same. Everyone is equal. From this day, you are Elite candidates. Your personal desires for glory or self-gratification are dead. You will train like it is the only thing keeping your heart beating. You will work with one another, no matter your status, no matter your birthright. In the Elites, everyone is equal.”
Not a single sound could be heard. Everyone in the room was focused on the king. His words were full of command; his energy signal demanded obedience. Nobody dared to make a sound. I looked around the room, a mixture of hope and disgust filled the faces in the crowd. Obviously, some of the highborn candidates were not impressed with the, “everyone is equal” speech.
“We do not accept failure. While you are here, you will work with the finest weapons masters and instructors in all of the realms. Your job is to take full advantage and insubordination will not be tolerated. You are not children; you will be working alongside the opposite sex. Sexual harassment of any kind will be rewarded with the sharp end of a blade. No means no.” This particular command was punctuated with a large surge of energy. I could hear several people nearby wince.
“Starting tomorrow, you will be training. By now, your unit has been assigned. By the end of this week, your role in the Elites will be determined. You have until then to back out.” I could feel unease hum around the room. “In two weeks, most of you will be at the front line against the Rebel army. Once you earn the right to call yourselves an Elite, the only way out is death—your death. This unit is not for the faint-hearted. You are in it for life.”