by JD Nelson
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “One more thing, my love.”
“What?”
“Tomorrow, I will tell your brother of our impending mating.
“Are you sure it’s wise? Emelie said it was a bad idea. Soren is going to be super pissed. What if he tries to stop us?”
His expression hardened, and his grip around my waist tightened. “Let Soren try to keep us apart. I welcome the challenge.”
I leaned back. His words were spoken with vehement intensity. Who was this male? “I don’t think Soren will object too much. I mean, come on, he’s your best friend. Who could he trust more? Just ask for my hand or something.”
He brushed my hair back and caressed my cheek. “I wish it were that simple.”
“Why isn’t it?”
“Erin, I—” He paused, struggling to find the words.
Fear tightened my stomach. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“Please, hear me out, Erin.” His face held a familiar expression. I knew this look. It was a guilty, beseeching, lying, cheating kind of expression, not the mien of a noble male. How many times had I seen it? Too many.
“Will you divorce her, or un-mate her, or whatever the equivalent is here?” I thought it best to get everything out into the open. For once in my life, I didn’t care if the male I was dating was mated. I might as well know what I’m up against.
“You already know?”
I shook my head. “No, but this isn’t the first affair that I’ve found out I’ve been a part of. It is, however, the only one I’ve ever intended on staying in.”
He enveloped me in his arms, his relief emanating in waves. “Please, allow me to explain my abhorrent behavior. I want no more secrets between us.”
Pushing him away, I stood. “No specifics, Jakob. If I know who she is, then it will make me a mistress. I can’t have that burden on me. I just need to know how long it’s been since you’ve been with her and if there will ever be a time when you’ll be tempted to return to her.”
He answered without a moment’s hesitation. “It has been two years since I have been with her as a mate. Before that, she and I had not seen each other in over a hundred years. She is much changed from the elf I fell in love with thousands of years ago. There is no chance of me returning to her.”
He’d been with her for thousands of years? How could I ever compete with that?
“Erin?”
I stared out into the darkness, seeing nothing through my tears. “I just need a minute.”
His arms encircled me from behind. “I am sorry. I realize that what I am asking you to do is something no female of worth would do, or should be asked to do. Forgive me, älskling.”
I sniffed, trying to hold it together. “Why didn’t you tell me on the street the night we met—when you told me that you hadn’t found your true-mate? That would’ve been the perfect time to mention it.”
“I did not want to lose you. Not when I had just found you.”
Pretty words. I wondered how true they were coming from his lips.
“Trust me, Erin. Please.”
“I trust you implicitly with my safety, Jakob. It’s my heart that I’m afraid you’ll be careless with.” Once a cheater, always a cheater. Isn’t that the saying?
He spun me in his arms. “I swear to you. You are my female henceforth. I will find a way to annul my mating. Emelie’s grandmother, Myrgjöl, can help us. After all, it is because of her that it wasn’t taken care of two years ago.”
Hope filled me. “You tried to get out of the mating?”
“It was either my happiness or Emelie’s freedom from the council. I would make the same choice again if I had to. A lifetime of servitude for the council is something I would not wish on an enemy, much less kind, sweet, Emelie.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.” Though I was still more than conflicted about the situation, the fact that he’d tried to break their mating made me feel a little better. We still wouldn’t be able to tell anyone or go anywhere, but at least we’d be together.
He tipped my face up and kissed me, his eyes earnest. “I know what you are thinking, Erin. This will not last forever.”
“Promise me.”
Tugging me closer, he held me tight in his arms. “I swear to you. I will make this right.”
“I love you, Jakob,” I confessed. “Please, don’t break my heart.”
Jakob’s green eyes crinkled with his smile. “What is that expression, älskling?”
“Determination.” What else could it be? I couldn’t go back to my life at the bookstore after this, and I couldn’t be without him. I’d made my choice; I would do everything I could to make sure Jakob and I would be together.
“I may never be worthy of, or deserve you, Erin, but …” He pulled an ornate, black-stoned ring out of his pocket. “Be my mate and wife—even if no one can know that the ring is mine.”
I held my shaking left hand out to let him slide the heavy weight onto my finger. “It’s beautiful, Jakob.”
“It was my mother’s. I meant to give it to you after the first night we spent together, but Soren’s early arrival made that impossible. I know my mother would approve of you. She said that the important thing is to fight for what you believe is right. I know that you and I are right.” He placed my palm over his heart. “I can feel it here.”
I sank into his arms, tears flowing freely. “I love you. I’d be honored to be your mate. I don’t care how long it takes. We have an eternity.”
He spoke into my hair. “I would do it this instant if I could.”
I snuggled into his broad chest. “I know.”
A bell sounded from inside the castle, making us both remember where we were. “That is the dinner bell. We should go.”
I straightened my clothes and ran my fingers through my hair. “Do I have blood on my mouth?”
He chuckled. “Do I have a gaping wound on my neck?”
I stood on my toes to get a better look and frowned. The bleeding had stopped, but it still looked terrible. “Uh…what’s your definition of gaping?”
“That bad, huh?”
“I could try to heal you. Soren has that talent, right?”
“No, love. I do not want to risk it after what I saw you do today. You need to learn control before you attempt that.”
I shrugged. “Suit yourself. Should I take the ring off? Surely, your brother will recognize it.”
“Kristian will not care. He harbors an intense hatred for my mate.” He offered his elbow. “Shall we?”
“I’m a little nervous. He’s the king. I’ve never met a king before.”
He rolled his eyes. “And what am I, just a lowly prince? I did tell you that I was to be king, did I not?”
“Oh, yeah.” I grinned. “Hey, that makes me a princess and a princess-to-be, right?”
“It does, and this will be your home, should you choose to live here. It is tradition.”
My home? A castle? Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would have ever been possible. “Let’s go, my prince.”
I stayed close to Jakob, almost clinging to him as we walked through the hallways. The castle was intimidating, to say the least. Cavernous and silent, it reminded me of something out of a gothic novel, in spite of the obvious attempt to lighten the castle’s drab stone walls with rich tapestries and paintings.
In complete wonder, I asked, “This is where you grew up?” It was unbelievable that anyone could have spent their childhood in this enormous place. I can imagine it took ten minutes just to find a bathroom.
“No, love. I was born a few millennia before the castle was built, though I have lived most of my years on the land it stands on. There have been many happy memories here.”
I continued to stare at him long after he stopped talking. A few millennia, a thousand years … he said them as if it was nothing special to be forty-five hundred years old. To me, it was amazing. He didn’t look a day over twenty-seven. Well, make that thirty when he’s
being serious—which is most of the time. “So, it’s safe to say that you know your way around this place, huh?”
His green eyes twinkled with humor. “Yes. You examine me, älskling. What are you filing away up there now?”
“Just thinking about our age difference,” I answered, then wondered if those words were a little too honest.
When I didn’t elaborate, his brow lifted in question. “Will you not tell me your thoughts?”
No doubt, he was thinking that I was unsure about our mating as a result of the age difference, but that was so far from my mind. Not one of his self-perceived ‘faults’ was going to be a deal-breaker. He meant everything to me. I just hoped that he felt the same way in return. I had to wonder, since he was so reluctant earlier in our acquaintance, if it weren’t for the true-mate thing, would he have taken a second glance at me?
“Erin?”
Resigning myself to not overthink it, I tapped my temple with what I hoped was a beguiling smile. “Don’t worry, Jakob. There are good thoughts up here. And delicious thoughts, and naughty thoughts,” I added silently.
He trapped me against the wall, his sinful smile and scent overpowering my senses, making me weak in the knees. “I am intrigued, älskling. Tell me about these naughty thoughts.”
“Allow me to show it to you,” I said, meeting his hungry green eyes and opening my mind to him, showing him what I was thinking … and wanting.
Growling, he dragged my body into his, digging his fingers into my shoulders with urgency as he took my mouth in a hurried, desperate kiss. “I will give my brother thirty minutes with you. That is all. This hunger is consuming me, Erin. I think of nothing else.”
My breath hitched, and then became shallow. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes from his. The way he drew out my name made me shiver down to my toes, and that commanding tone had me on the verge of orgasm already. I wanted him now. Dinner could wait until tomorrow as far as I was concerned. I sent him another thought of him between my thighs, our bodies slick with the sweat of our exertion.
Tracing my bottom lip with his thumb, he hissed, “You romanticize what I am about to do to you, Erin.”
My brain stopped working after those words. Breathless with anticipation, I glanced around us for any horizontal surface that we could use. “I can meet Kristian later,” I suggested, slipping my fingers into the waistband of his jeans.
He licked his lips, exposing long, white fangs. “Erin, you need to eat. Trust me. You will need all of your strength today.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
After two more attempts to prolong us from going to dinner, Jakob managed to drag me to a dining room the size of my apartment. Already seated at the long mahogany table were Axel and a finely dressed elven male that must be the king. To my surprise, they both jumped to their feet when they saw me enter. That was interesting. I’d expected someone as important as the king to consider me beneath the consideration of formality, what with me being the new mistress and all.
Axel was at my elbow to escort me in seconds. “Allow me to seat you, Lady Erin.”
“Uh, okay.” I was flustered by his invitation. I still wasn’t a hundred percent sure that he didn’t scare the daylights out of me. Sweet Lord, those teeth were truly nightmarish. Nevertheless, he appeared to be a real gentle-male. I approved of that. An old-fashioned male was hard to find. Just ask any woman living in New York City.
Jakob, however, did not appreciate Axel’s good manners. His loud growl of warning sounded before he even had a chance to touch me. I shot Jakob a quizzical look and shrugged to Axel. “I guess Jakob will be seating me. Thanks anyway.”
Kristian watched the encounter with fascination. “My brother, Axel was being polite.”
Jakob nodded his acquiescence and muttered his apologies to Axel, though I didn’t think he meant a word of it. His eyes still tracked every move the astonished male made.
I watched the terse interaction between the two for a moment, but found it difficult to keep my eyes on their reactions once I was seated. My attention kept wandering to Kristian. Who could blame me? On top of him having the same thick black hair, build, and bronzed complexion as his older brother, he had the dreamiest purple eyes I’d ever seen. Emelie was right. He was smoking hot.
The king, noticing my scrutiny, lowered his head in an abbreviated form of the same strange genuflect Axel had performed in the garden earlier. “Jakob, you did not mention that she is so much like our beloved Alva. It is an amazing likeness.”
“I did not notice the similarities until her lineage was revealed,” Jakob admitted.
Kristian’s shrewd eyes found the ring on my hand and then lifted to meet my face. “No doubt, you had other things on your mind.”
I was sure my face was as red as a tomato. The marked look that accompanied his words was one that said he was appreciative of a little more than my commitment to his brother. Was this normal behavior for him?
A glance at Jakob held no explanation. Still absorbed in keeping a watch on Axel, he smiled at what his brother alluded to. “I have been a bit preoccupied. I ask, of course, that you do not speak of this to Soren. I plan on revealing all to him tomorrow.”
Kristian inclined his head. “You do not have to ask, Jakob. I am the soul of discretion.” Making his approval even more evident, he joined us on the other side of the table and took Jakob’s forearm in what I assumed was a show of solidarity. “Congratulations on finding such an extraordinarily beautiful elf. I am relieved that you will have a proper princess at your side.” His happy expression soured, becoming full of derision. “One that understands that you have to make sacrifices for love.”
I was surprised by the ferociousness of Kristian’s words. Sure, Jakob had mentioned his hatred of his mate, but this was more than hate. This was someone who ached for revenge. She must have done something awful.
Jakob smiled at his brother. “Thank you, Kristian. It means a great deal to me … to us, having you as an ally.”
“Of course, brother. I have not forgotten the part that you played in bringing Emelie into my life.”
“It was nothing that you would not have done for me,” Jakob said, with earnestness in his voice. “You are my brother.”
“For the love of the Norse,” Axel huffed. “Can you two save the ‘I love you. You love me’ shit for later. I’m starving over here.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “Yeah, if you two ladies are finished, some of us are on a schedule here. I pointed to the clock in the corner of the room. “You have twenty-seven minutes, Jakob.”
“Twenty-six, my love,” he corrected.
Kristian reached out to take my hand, his canines fully extended. “Sorry about the delay,” he lisped. “I am Jakob’s youngest brother, Kristian.”
The king was breathtaking up close, in the literal sense. My breath caught as I accepted his warm hand. The combination of his amethyst eyes and full lips was more than alluring. It was lethal. “It’s great to meet you,” I replied, not even comprehending what I said. “Erin Doherty, daughter of two psychopaths.”
“And I, you, lovely one,” he growled, his lips curling upward into a half-smile, hiding all but the tips of his fangs.
“Take care, Kristian,” Jakob warned, catching on to Kristian’s little diversion. “Use your influence over her again, and I will be taking your place as king tomorrow.” His angry eyes softened as he cupped my neck with his hand, and leaned down to kiss me. He lingered close for a few seconds before kissing me again, this time, with intensified passion. “Twenty-five minutes, älskling.”
I began to believe the validity of the old adage, ‘be careful what you wish for’, when the first course of dinner was served and the desired (or so I thought) exotic cuisine sat in front of me. I was perplexed by the squishy yellow berries, but even more so by the turquoise and black melon balls. They were bizarre.
Jakob moved his chair closer to mine. “Let me explain, before you cast them aside, älskling. I know that you will
love them. These are the fruits from which ambrosia is made.”
“Thanks,” I whispered, brushing my lips against his stubbled cheek. “But, you better explain fast. You have twenty-one minutes left.”
He forked a turquoise sphere and held it to my lips. “Open up, little elf.”
I accepted the forkful he offered, wanting to please him with my obedience, but food wasn’t on my mind. He was far too attentive, too beautiful, and way too damn sexy not to desire. Just thinking of the promises he’d made for after dinner made me certain that I wasn’t going to make it to dessert, or maybe even the next course.
We were so into one another, talking softly and sitting way too close to be appropriate, that neither of us remembered that there were others in the room—until Kristian cleared his throat to gain our attention. “It will not matter how many allies you have, Jakob. Soren will kill you for this. Whether he knows or not, if this affair gets out, you are a dead male, as is his right as her brother. You would not want this for a female of your own blood. How could you condemn her to this?”
“I love her,” Jakob answered. “She is my true-mate. I care not for the consequences I may face in this.”
Axel shook his head. “It is good that you do not, my prince. After what I saw in the garden, I would not be at all surprised if your affair is front page news by tomorrow. This will be a huge scandal. I believe that you should prepare yourselves for Soren’s arrival in the morning. The guards will not be able to stop him.”
Kristian sat back, dejected, though his face still held a smile. He was enjoying this way too much. “The heart wants what it wants, does it not, brother? That is the tragic way of life. Please know that you are both welcome to stay in the castle, indefinitely. Assuming you survive, of course. Nils and Viggo are welcome, as well. We are all family, are we not?”
“We are,” Jakob agreed, looking distracted. I cringed as guilt racked me. Axel’s words were plaguing him. Why didn’t I listen when he tried to stop me? Now we were as good as found out, and it was all my fault.