Today was the first day of the rest of their lives.
Man and wife.
King and Queen.
They paused in front of Broc’s quarters, giving him the chance to carry her across the threshold. He’d done it before, many times, but it felt different now. There was no more tradition forbidding them from following their hearts. They did not have to hold back anymore. For the very first time, they could follow their desires to the very end.
“It’s beautiful,” Kelly whispered, as Broc lay her down on top of his giant bed. In all the time she’d been here, the vegetation she’d taken for granted on the mainland had been sorely missing. But for tonight, Broc’s bed had been carefully decorated with flower petals in various colors.
“You like it?” he asked.
It wasn’t really a question, because Kelly was certain the way she stared into his eyes now was enough of an answer.
She inhaled deeply of the familiar scent of his room; the leather gear he was so fond of added a spicy tone to the sweet fragrance of the flowers.
The first blooms of early summer. A little part of the home she’d left behind.
Broc got off the bed, just for a moment, before settling on the end. He lifted the skirt of her wedding dress, exposing her shapely thighs and spreading them with both hands.
She had already become familiar with this strong, confident grip. Firm but not painful. A man on a mission she could not refuse.
He leaned down between her legs and tasted her flesh.
It wasn’t new to her, and yet each time he worshipped her like this felt unique.
Kelly settled into the pillows and closed her eyes. She focused solely on this most exquisite pleasure which he bestowed upon her most intimate parts.
The tip of his tongue caressed her where it mattered most, then before the sensation grew too intense, backed away again to give her some relief. Though the room was cool as usual, her skin was on fire. It was a burn only his touch could soothe.
She reached for his hair, gripping it firmly between her fingers.
This was otherworldly. This love they shared. This pleasure they could inspire in each other.
But it was only the beginning.
Kelly’s hips bucked, her body aching for a firmer touch. Broc’s lips responded.
Then suddenly, he backed away.
“No! Don’t stop!” Kelly pleaded.
He smiled and licked his bottom lip as he looked down at her. His eyes were a deep black, yet still managed to simmer. He would not be denied what was his tonight.
Not that Kelly could ever refuse him. Her own desire was much too strong.
Was this how all the girls felt on their wedding night? So special.
She was the luckiest bride in the world.
“I want you. All of you,” he whispered.
There was a rawness in his voice that spoke directly to Kelly’s most inner urges. Whenever she was with him, a sweet ache developed in her lower abdomen that she could not put into words. Tonight, it had grown more intense than ever.
“You have me,” she responded.
“You know what this means,” he said.
Kelly shook her head. It was beautiful, insane, unexpected and entirely surreal. But that was all she knew.
“If we become one tonight…” Broc started.
“Yes?”
“Then perhaps, our family will grow.”
Kelly bit her bottom lip. Family. It was hard not to think of Ferris and what had become of him upon hearing that word. And yet, it also filled her with hope, and excitement about what the future might hold.
“I’m ready.”
Broc cast off his clothes. There he was at his most honest.
Glorious. Powerful. Naked.
As he approached, Kelly could see in more detail. His skin, marked by the scars he’d earned in training and battle alike. She traced them all, one by one, with the tip of her finger.
Across his chest, his arms, even his back. How much pain he must have endured over the years.
At the same time he lavished her shoulders and cleavage with kisses. She ought to feel weak and helpless in front of him. Instead, she felt powerful.
She raised herself off the bed, allowing him access to the laces at the back of her dress. Free at last.
His manhood stood proudly, almost teasing her with its presence. This wasn’t something nice girls talked about, but Kelly knew what to do. The growing fire in her stomach burnt up any remaining trace of patience.
She ached for him.
She was ready and would no longer be denied this ultimate pleasure.
As her dress fell to the floor, she felt empowered to take this new step with him. She crawled back onto the bed, and reached for his chest, pushing him backward against the pillows. He did not protest.
Then she straddled his hard, muscular thighs and lowered herself down on top of him, supported by his strong grasp. A raw moan escaped her lips as she allowed him inside of her.
His body merged with hers for the very first time. It stung at first, but not in a bad way. Soon, the initial pain was forgotten.
This was the way to soothe the sweet ache within. She started to rock back and forth on top of him, guided by instinct as much as his hands. He reached for her neck, twirling his fingers around stray locks of her hair as she held on tightly to his wrist for balance.
Her other hand found its way down onto his abs.
Though she was on top, he was moving along with her. Where her movement ended, his began.
A perfect rhythm, like waves crashing onto the beach.
Many times she’d imagined what this would be like. Two becoming one.
She closed her eyes, swept up in the magic of the moment.
Rolling her hips backwards and forwards, she felt her thoughts reach a new plane. Reality mattered no more. The threat Broc had mentioned so many times, the coming war.
It was irrelevant. As long as they had each other, everything would work itself out.
Faster and faster, they moved. Like a dance, only much more intimate.
Their bodies seemed to sense exactly what the other desired. A slight pause to build the tension, or a more feverish pace to try and relieve it.
The ache was growing. Ever sweeter, ever more intense.
She would not last through the night. The anticipation for this moment had been too great.
Kelly opened her eyes again, and found Broc already staring up at her. His face betrayed a change in him too. He wasn’t his calm, collected self. He was no longer in control.
Their union had brought out his wild side.
He dug his fingers into her hips, spurring her on. She sped up, more and more, feverishly working towards their mutual release.
It was coming. She knew it.
And with it, she knew something else.
His prediction would come true. She could sense it.
As he reached the pinnacle of his pleasure, he let out a primal groan. A shudder originated in his body, seemingly transferring all his pleasure into her.
She could keep quiet no longer, crying out with tears in her eyes as she tensed up as well. Bearing down hard on top of his still trembling manhood, he exploded into her.
Kelly’s mind filled with light. Her eyes, wide open.
Through the blinding white surrounding her, Broc’s face appeared in front of her. His eyes, staring into hers.
“I love you, Kelly Chaslain of West Hythe.”
“I love you too,” Kelly whispered in response.
The words held less meaning than the feeling that passed unrestricted between the two.
Light.
Love.
Life.
Kelly snapped back into reality, and found that she was still where she had been only moments earlier. The blinding light had gone, replaced by the dimly lit room decorated with flowers. Underneath her on the bed, her man, with a satisfied smile on his face.
“What happened,” he asked.
&nb
sp; Kelly shook her head and returned his smile. “I don’t know. A vision. A dream.”
“And what did you learn in this vision?”
She reached down and placed his hand on her lower abdomen. It still took her breath away just how much bigger his hand was than hers.
“That you’re right. That our family will grow.”
He grinned widely. “Well, that’s a good vision indeed.”
He threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her down into his arms. She rested her head against his chest, but did not stir otherwise. Nothing else mattered anymore. Kelly was content to remain in this embrace, listening to the calming beat of his heart.
If she died right now, it would have been with a smile on her face.
That was how they remained. Time had lost all meaning. They were not in a rush to get up.
Until a distant sound disturbed the peace.
“What was that?” Kelly asked, lifting her head. The noise had sent a shiver down her naked skin.
Broc’s expression and tone had grown dark in an instant.
“The war horn. As we’ve feared. It has begun.”
- THE END -
The invasion begins in Shifters of Black Isle, book 2; The Soldier and the Siren. Read it today! Also, you can sign up to Lorelei's mailing list to find out about further books in the series, and get Scottish Werebear: An Unexpected Affair absolutely free!
Shifters of Black Isle continues with...
The Soldier and the Siren
Remember how Teaq acted particularly weird around that captured Mermaid? Find out why in The Soldier and the Siren.
Chapter One
Liliwen had already lost the argument before even starting, but she had to give it one final try. After all, her entire purpose, her reason for being, was at stake.
"Perhaps if I could learn how to fight. I might be of use. Send me to Siren's Rock to train, please, Father!" she pleaded.
King Weiland merely shook his head and averted his gaze, as Liliwen paced the large coral hall that was the seat of the Merfolk's power. He might be content sitting there on his throne, but Liliwen was unwilling to remain a passive bystander. She wanted to do something with her life.
What would it take for him to see sense? Why should she waste her talents by sitting around at home, watching, waiting, as the men of the Deep prepared for a battle they were unlikely to win?
Their bloody conflict with the Others who lived on the islands east of their borders had raged on for so long, nobody alive remembered when or how it had all begun. What were they even fighting for?
Actually, the entire situation was stupid. But convincing her father to end the war was even further outside of the realm of possibilities.
"The battlefield is no place for a woman. Why can you not be content with what you have? Leave the fighting to your brother," King Weiland finally replied.
Liliwen rolled her eyes. Why should Cadfael have all the fun, while she was stuck here in what might as well be a gilded cage?
"But, Father!" she argued.
King Weiland looked up at her, and forcefully banged his three-pointed staff into the ground. Its sound bounced around the hall, making the echoes sound a whole lot louder than the original noise.
"That's enough. I will hear no more of it!" King Weiland roared.
Liliwen had no choice but to retreat. The conversation was over.
She looked back once at the elaborate throne, covered in precious stones and shells of all shapes and sizes polished up to a pearly shimmer. Her father still refused to acknowledge her.
Did he think they could go on as they had and still stand a chance to win? If something did not change, they would surely lose.
And without his approval, there was only one thing she could do: take matters into her own hands.
Liliwen waited in her chambers, determined to follow through on her earlier decision. No matter what her father, the ruler of the Deep, had said, she had her own plans.
As soon as the change of the guard was complete, and the halls of the royal palace were mostly abandoned, she made her move.
"Lili," a voice whispered as she made her way down the hallway. "Hey, Lili. Where are you going?"
Liliwen froze in her tracks immediately. There were few soldiers around at this time of day, but clearly she still failed to move around unseen.
"Cara." Liliwen sighed as she spotted her closest friend waiting in a doorway several feet away from her own. "I'm just going out for a swim. Clear my head."
"Lovely. I'll join you," Cara said. She blinked a few times and smiled one of her most radiant smiles. They'd grown up together and had been inseparable for most of their lives.
Liliwen's heart sank. She couldn't involve Cara in her plans. At least not directly.
She shook her head. "No, I wanted to go by myself."
Cara frowned and brushed a long lock of her golden hair out of her face. "Did something happen?"
Liliwen scanned the hall. There was nobody else in sight, but one could never be too sure. She gestured at Cara to follow her back to her chambers.
Once inside, with the door securely locked behind them, she finally spoke up again.
"Have you ever felt like you were… I don't know. More?"
"I'm not sure I understand. More than what?" Cara asked.
"More capable. More useful. More than what we're being given credit for."
"We're of noble blood. We don't have to work like the commoners. We wear the best fashions and jewelry. And when the time comes, we'll have our pick of eligible bachelors. How much more do you need?" Cara folded her arms and cocked her head to the side.
Liliwen looked down at herself. The elaborate necklace that hung halfway down her chest. The numerous pearl bracelets and gold rings that adorned her hands.
These feelings she'd been battling, they proved harder to explain than she'd anticipated. And dressed up as she was, as was expected of a princess under the sea, her thoughts seemed out of place, even silly.
"But the war… Don't you ever wonder what will happen if we lose?" Liliwen said.
Cara shrugged. "We're safe here. The war happens out there." She gestured vaguely at the door. "It's nothing to do with us. Even if we do lose, do you think those savages are going to come down here and kill us? They can't even breathe under water like we do."
There was no arguing with that last point. Perhaps the enemy wouldn't come down here even if they won. Perhaps nothing would ever change.
Liliwen wasn't sure whether that was a happy or sad prospect.
"Well, I for one wish to find out what's out there. I want to see what's beyond the Deep."
Cara shook her head. "I don't know why you would. There's nothing there for us. We have all we need right here."
"I'm just curious, alright? These walls are starting to feel like a prison rather than a home. I need space." Liliwen turned her back and faced one of the few windows in her chambers. The view was uninspiring. The same old courtyard of the same old palace she'd lived in all her life. A couple of guards, a few statues of their ancestors, and seaweed.
A whole lot of seaweed in various shades of green, blue and purple.
She'd been stuck here, while Cadfael, her elder brother, was climbing the ranks and making a real difference out there.
What would it be like to go on dry land? Merfolk could do it; that was how they were able to fight effectively even on the enemy's territory. But of course she'd never been outside the Deep. Even Siren's Rock, the Merfolk's land-based training colony, was well out of bounds to her, and that wasn't even far away.
She had tried to run away once when she was younger, but was quickly recovered by her father's guards. Ever since then, she'd never tried again.
She turned around again.
"You can't tell anyone. Promise me," Liliwen urged.
Cara rolled her eyes. "Just don't do anything stupid."
"I won't." Liliwen hid her lie with a smile. Once she got out there, there was no te
lling what she would do or how stupid it would turn out to be. But she couldn't sit around in the palace any longer. The outside world was calling, and Liliwen was determined to answer.
It was a morning in late spring, stormy, like any other morning in late spring. The clouds hung low, hiding the sun from view. It was only a matter of time before the rains would start.
Overall a gloomy day. Perfect for hunting.
The Reaping was upon them. It had been eight years since the last human had moved onto the Black Isles. And what a long eight years it had been.
Teaq found it hard to think about all the changes his people seen during this time, without feeling bitter about it all. He should have been king. He was the firstborn.
Instead, his younger brother Broc had been crowned seven years ago. And now he intended to take the human as his own, to guarantee himself an heir.
Again, Teaq would be passed over in favor of his younger sibling.
Not that he was overly interested in taking a bride at this moment, but that was hardly the point. It would have been nice to be considered, at least.
"Sir, the ship is ready. As are the men," someone said, interrupting these dark thoughts of his.
"We'll leave shortly." Teaq gestured to dismiss the soldier, while keeping his gaze fixed on the dark clouds gathering in the distance. One solitary bolt of lightning lit up the sky.
He could have ordered someone else to go on this excursion to the mainland. As General, it was his responsibility to keep the Isles safe from invasion, to command the army in battle and to strategize and strengthen their defenses during times of relative peace. Hunting was not in his job description.
But the truth was, he relished the thought of letting his inner beast loose on the vast plains of the mainland. Hunting had always served as a much needed outlet for Teaq. Nothing cleared the mind like an intense chase. Nothing was as satisfying as returning home with a boatload of wild boar, caught with his own bare hands.
It was a pleasure Teaq and Broc had shared when they were younger, and one of the things the king was forced to sacrificed upon claiming the throne. In a way, Teaq's participation in today's hunt would be all the more enjoyable because of that.
Claimed by the King: A BBW Bear Shifter Fantasy Romance (Shifters of Black Isle Book 1) Page 11