He did that a few times, and each time, I could feel my core growing ready for him. I turned my head, trying to steal a glance at him, but he growled.
“Face forward,” he demanded.
I did, and as I did, I felt him moving my legs, until I was spread fully for him. It was uncomfortable, and yet I could sense just how exposed I was. I felt his magic as it wafted over my flesh, kissing my cheek where his hand had punished the tissue, and I was unprepared for his entrance as he slid inside of me.
He pushed inside with one swift move, and I cried his name at the sheer volume of him buried deep inside of me. “Good girl,” he growled seductively as I continued to cry his name like a mantra. “Give me your hands,” he urged, and when I did, he pushed my own hands to my ass, and gave a command in a tone that brooked no argument. “Hold yourself apart, and don’t let go.”
I nodded, and then tensed as his thumb pressed against the second opening. “Let go for me, be my good girl, and stop tensing before I have to punish you.”
I gave myself a mental shake and cried out as he pushed inside, his thumb soaked and slick from the juices he’d pilfered from my soaked pussy. His thumb began to move the same moment his cock did, and I felt the heat growing, and unfurling in my belly as I began to shake with the oncoming orgasm.
He moved faster, his free hand pushed against my spine. My hands held me open and fully exposed for his pleasure. His body was sating my hunger, no longer the hunger to sustain life, but a hunger for this man who had mastered and seduced my soul.
“I can feel you growing wetter. I can feel your sweet pussy gripping my cock as it prepares for release. You want to come on my cock, don’t you, Pet?” he growled.
“Yes,” I cried out.
“Good, ‘cause I’m coming with you,” he whispered as he moved even faster, his body hitting mine with inhuman speed as he gave me an earth moving orgasm, and then growled as his own body tensed with his. I almost giggled with the way his brands were still lit up with the power surge that I had been pushing through him every time I had come tonight. Soon, he’d look like a Christmas tree.
“I love you, Fairy,” I said as he lay down beside me on the sweat covered satin sheets.
“I love you too, Witch,” he whispered as he pulled me tightly against his body and claimed my lips. “Sleep, we have a few hours left before the sun rises in Faery, and then we have to pick names for our sweet little ones.”
“Minions of darkness,” I offered.
“Yes, that could have potential,” he replied impishly. “But I’m not sure you should call them that.”
“No, I kinda like the minions of darkness; seriously, I’ve always wanted minions.”
“You can be my minion,” he offered with a self-assured smile on his mouth.
I slapped his arm and felt my heart melt more as his smile filled his mouth and love lit in his eyes. A real smile had replaced his normal cockier one.
“No woman could ever give me what you have,” he said softly. “I’ll spend eternity loving you, Synthia. And tormenting you in my bed, until you admit who your master is,” he finished.
“I have no master,” I whispered sleepily. “I’ll have a husband soon, and the love of my life. No master though,” I continued.
“I guess we’re not done here,” he replied roguishly.
Chapter Eighteen
I awoke to Ryder’s startled jump from the bed, his beast coming to the fore as he shifted form. “Get dressed,” he growled, and then looked at the dress I’d worn and its multiple layers. He didn’t hesitate, and instead he glamoured us both clothes.
His was a tight t-shirt, and loose fitting jeans. My outfit was a backless tank top, and a pair of kick ass jeans with a large, silver disc belt buckle. I smiled as he pulled me against his frame, but the happiness was short lived as the words slipped from my mind. “Is it the babies?”
“They’re fine, but something is wrong in Faery. I can feel it,” he explained and then sifted us back the Horde stronghold.
We paused at the nursery door, and then he opened it.
We both stood motionless at what met our eyes. Z was in the corner, rubbing his temples, while the other men sat or lay on the floor making silly noises at the infants that lay swaddled on the fluffy rug surrounded by the horde of men.
“Yes, and your mother—” Dristan stopped midsentence as he looked up at the open door.
“No, Dristan, by all means. Continue,” I said as my eyes narrowed on him.
“—Kissed me, and then put me to sleep.”
I smiled as heat stole up his cheeks and Ryder glared down at his baby brother.
“Keeping them entertained with stories are we?” Ryder growled as he looked down at the tiny babies. His gruff nature gave way to a smile of pride as he took them in.
“My King!” one of the servants shouted as she ran for Ryder.
I watched as she rushed to him, threw herself at his feet, and wrapped her arms around his legs. She paused in her wails and seemed to finally notice what she had done, and crab walked backwards away from him.
“What is it?” he asked without even asking her name.
“The Tree, it’s been iced!” she screamed, which caused one of the boys to start crying.
I watched silently as my heart sank, and Dristan instinctively picked up the baby and began to soothe him. I didn’t need to know which tree they spoke of, because there was only one in Faery that could cause a panic like this. Without the Tree, the land couldn’t accept the children even with Danu’s blessing. The Fae children who survived to Transition had both Danu’s blessing and the acceptance of Faery. Without both, the children stood a higher chance of becoming sick and dying, specifically iron sick as that was what the land had originally been poisoned with. It was a slow and awful death for the children that couldn’t combat it.
“Iced, how?” Ryder growled as I watched his hands ball into fist.
“The guard just said iced, my King. He’s waiting for you in the throne room.”
I watched the determination play upon Ryder’s features as his eyes took in the sight of his Elite Guard playing with the tiny infants. Full grown men had been making cooing sounds, and sitting in a full circle around the babies as if they were nannies.
“Zahruk, Dristan, and Aodhan with me,” he said firmly. “The rest, continue to…”
“Entertain our children,” I finished for him with a small smile.
They all looked up from the babies and smiled. I followed Ryder, feeling a twinge of regret as I left my babies in the very capable hands of the Elite Guard, who’d been rendered Elite Nannies. When we entered the throne room, it was to find a guard covered in frost, his body trembling with the remnants of ice that seemed to be growing as we watched.
“That’s not just ice, it looks like an enchantment spell of some kind,” Ryder growled. “Call for a fire Fairy, now!” he shouted at those who seemed helpless to do more than watch the poor guy as frost and ice seemed to be overtaking his entire body.
“Is this something the Mages could have done?” I asked carefully, trying not to cause panic.
“Yes,” Ryder answered as he reached over and grabbed my hand, then pulled me behind him, away from the ice that had formed on the floor. “Get me the Winter Elves; maybe they can figure something to prevent his death,” he said to Zahruk who stood silently beside us.
“There’s no need for that,” a woman in a silky white cape said as she dropped the hood of her cloak, exposing her face.
Her features were sharp, but ethereally beautiful. She had hair the color of a fresh blanket of snow. It was piled high in a bun on the top of her head. A silver ribbon was threaded through it beautifully. Her eyes were blue, the color of ice as it frosted over the lakes midst a deep freeze. On her forehead were gems, white in color
that matched her lips, and went well with the blue coloring around her eyes. Silver glitter covered her neck, shoulders, and the tips of her delicately pointed ears.
“Ice Queen,” Ryder said as he bowed his dark head slightly.
“This ice is no work of mine, or of my people. We’ve come as a show of faith; we’ve heard of your fight Horde King, but it is not our fight,” she said softly.
“Not your fight?” I growled. “It’s everyone’s fight! If we don’t all pull our heads out of our asses, there will be no world.”
“We have been told for centuries that we are a lesser Caste, and see no reason to interfere. For a very long time we have been unwanted and no one was willing to help us in our time of need,” she said, turning her eyes to me. “You are not Fae,” she whispered breathlessly. “You are more, so much more.”
“It doesn’t matter what I am. I’m willing to fight and kick Mage ass to save this world and my babies! If you choose to stick your head in the snow,” I was so using that pun, “so be it, but hear this now, anyone who helps us will—”
“Synthia,” Ryder warned.
“Stuff it Fairy,” I growled. “I won’t allow this world to merge into mine…The Human world; and I will not allow this world to reject my children. They need to know you’re not your father, and they need to pull their heads out of their asses. This isn’t a fight they can ignore; this is one that decides their fates too.”
“They are lesser beings,” Ryder said smoothly, as if it explained it all.
“That’s bullshit,” I argued. “Every single Caste of Fae. Every Caste of so-called lesser beings, they all count! This is their fight as well,” I explained as I turned to the Winter Queen and those of her court who had joined her here. “Even if they don’t want this fight, it will come down to every single being to help us win. We didn’t ask for it either, but the Mages will soon attack the lesser beings, because that’s how they work.”
“What can we possibly do to help?” she asked, and squared her shoulders.
“More than you think,” I said. She was beautiful, but I was also willing to bet she was strong in mind and soul. I could see her aura, and it was as bright as those who stood beside her.
“I have a council, which I will need to confer with. I’m willing to try to help, but not at the expense of my people. They depend on me to keep them alive.”
“Then do so,” I said to the Queen. “Just remember that Ryder isn’t like his father, who I understand was a bigot as well as a psychotic piece of shit. Ryder’s a good King who will fight for you. He’s the kind of King who will protect you and his own people. Remind your council that the sins of the fathers aren’t that of the sons. You will be pulled into this fight either way. In the end, all that matters is that we win, and that Faery itself survives this war so we can repair the damage that has been wrought by those who seek to harm her.”
“I will remind them, and I will tell them of his brave mistress who fights at his side. Your reputation precedes you, Blood Princess; thank you. Thank you for considering even us lesser beings as worthy of standing at your side in such a precarious situation,” she said before she kneeled before Ryder and me, her people following her lead.
I moved forward and offered her my hand, which she hesitated before finally accepting it. “Yes?” she asked with a tremble in her tone, as if she suspected treachery.
“There is no reason for you to bow at our feet. You are a Queen, and we don’t expect you to bow; your people, either. In this time of need, we are all equals, we all stand together, and that, to me, means more than I can possibly say. Please, stand with us, and not beneath us.”
She smiled and I bowed my head to her which caused those around her to gasp in surprise. “I make no promises, but I hope that after this war is over that we can unite the entire world of Faery so that something like this can never be brought here again. It is my hope that if we stand tall together, we can withstand the next evil before it even reaches Faery,” I explained, which turned her smile into a frown of worry.
“You don’t think this is the last time we will need to stand together in a fight?”
“I have no doubt that, once we cut off the head of one monster, another will rise to take its place,” I said knowing in my heart that, with the number of enemies that Ryder’s father had made, and with the nature of the Fae, we would always have something or someone trying to fight against us.
“I will go now, and I will speak of your kindness, and that your heart is pure. I know you’ve read my aura, but know that I too can see yours and know the truth of your words. I’d also like to bring gifts for your young ones, if I may?” she asked and glanced curiously to where the guard was in the care of the fire fairies, who seemed to be making head way on thawing him out—sorta.
“We would love that,” I said, and felt Ryder as he slipped his fingers through mine and entwined his fingers with mine.
“My Princess speaks the truth, and she’s wise beyond her years. We would indeed be in your debt for your help, and would welcome a gift from you and your people for our triplets.”
Chapter Nineteen
We sat in the nursery with the babies; Ryder was holding our daughter as I held one of the boys. It was overwhelming to know we’d created life, and a little scary to consider we’d created three lives in the midst of an all-out immortal war.
Almost a week had passed since the Tree had been iced, and we didn’t have a clue yet how to reverse the damage. The guard who brought the news had eventually thawed out, but fire fairies didn’t seem to be having as much luck with the Tree. The Ice Queen had not yet returned with the decision from her council, either.
“You should name your sons,” I whispered as I kissed my little purple eyed boy. He was beautiful and surprisingly strong for something so tiny.
“I’ve never named anything before,” Ryder admitted.
“Me either, Fairy, but we cannot continue to call them babies, or minions of darkness,” I said as I placed a soft kiss on our son’s dark head. “It’s hard to believe we created something so perfect,” I whispered as I held the baby to my chest.
I hadn’t stopped to think of the things I’d lost out on by dying. I hadn’t been able to feed my own children, but then…I’d had three, and it wouldn’t have been an easy task, not that I’d have known how to do it. I’d also missed the first few hours of their lives, which Ryder had told me about in length, omitting only the parts which had included their hasty delivery.
“What do you think about Nyxaria? And we call her Nyx for short?” I asked as I watched our daughter as she held Ryder’s finger.
“It’s beautiful, but it doesn’t suit her,” he said as he smiled lovingly down at the little minion who was quickly stealing her father’s heart as she wrapped him around her tiny little finger.
“Kahleena Larissa,” I offered, and he raised his eyes to meet mine.
“She smiled,” he said, and looked back down into her golden eyes with his own. “Kahleena it is, little daughter.”
“You do know she is slowly wrapping you around her finger, right?” I asked.
“I know it, but aside from her mother, I’ve never looked upon anything so beautiful.”
A few moments of silence passed before he looked up. “Cade, for our little violet eyed warrior,” he said as he watched me for a response.
“I was thinking Puck,” I said with an impish smile. I’d read several childhood books with the famous character who was keen to host pranks. Besides, it wasn’t like I planned to name him that, but it would put a fire under his father’s backside to choose names.
“Puck?” Ryder cringed.
Mission accomplished.
“Cade fits him, and for the other?” I asked as I continued to hold the dark haired one.
“Zander, for my father,” he paused and l
ifted his eyes to mine. “I know people hated him, but he was cursed and it tainted everything he did. I want my son to know where he came from, and I want the people to know that he, unlike my father, will be an honorable ruler when the time comes. I know Danu has yet to show us which one will lead, but he seems to be the watcher, and the most solemn of the three. If we only give him a part of the name, we won’t curse him.”
“I love it,” I admitted. “Much better than Puck,” I agreed impishly. I had to mentally stop myself from rolling my eyes at his curse comment.
“Zander, Cade, and Kahleena it is. I’ll tell the men to fly the banners to announce them to our people.”
“Can’t it wait?” I asked as I placed Zander down to pick up Cade, who was pretty much anything but dark. “Just a few more minutes, please? I want to just be here with you and them, as a family.”
“A family,” he tested the word out on his tongue.
“We seriously cannot mess them up,” I said as I ran my finger over Cades cheek, and watched as he opened his violet eyes to look up at me. “My little man,” I whispered in awe. “How we made three little perfect things is so beyond me.”
“What did you think we would make?” Ryder asked with a gentle smile.
“I don’t know, but I never imagined loving anything as much as I love them. I hardly even know them and yet I’d give my life for them.”
“You’re going to make a fierce mother,” he said wickedly. “The men seem to think I would be the overprotective parent, but I think it will be their warrior mother. Gods help anyone who tries to fuck with your babies,” he said with a proud look in his eyes.
I smiled at him, but when Zahruk sifted in, I stopped and looked up at him.
“You two need to come see this,” he said carefully. “Dress for your station, and call the Elite Guards in, now.”
I started to interrupt him, but thought better of it. “It can wait,” I finally said as I leveled a look that told Ryder that I didn’t want to leave this room at this moment. “Whatever it is, it’s not more important than this,” I said as I moved with Cade in my arms, and smiled as Ryder glamoured a chair for me at his side.
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