by Kim Loraine
My heart flutters and I nod, one hand on the door. “Until tomorrow.”
20
Christian
I can still taste Maeve on my lips as I walk away from her. Strawberries and sugar. Now, for the rest of my life I’ll think of her when I see one of those delectable red berries. My nerves hum with arousal at the memory of her moan against my lips, and I have to adjust myself in order to hide my body’s reaction to her. If she hadn’t stopped me, I would likely have laid her out across the marble in the kitchen and taken her then and there. I’d have taken her body and her blood.
An edge of panic takes root in my gut at the thought of feeding. And the persistent ache in my gums has me running my tongue along my top teeth. Is this what it feels like to truly be a vampire? More importantly, will I be able to stop if my fangs do finally break free?
A scream fills the hall behind me, the sound coming from Maeve’s room. On instinct, I bolt for her. In less than a second I’ve broken down the door and stand in her chambers, gaze sweeping across the room in search of her.
She’s huddled in the corner, white as a fucking sheet with blood running down her leg. My vision fades as I focus on the lines of red until I shake my head and bring my attention back to where it needs to be.
“What happened?” I ask.
She points to the bed where the charred remains of what looks like a serpent lie in a twisted heap. “I…it was in my bed.” Her trembling voice sends a wave of rage through me. Someone tried to kill her. “I burned it with my hands.”
“Where are your guards?”
Shaking her head, she fights the wobbling of her chin. “I don’t know.”
I go to her, needing to see her safe and hold her in my arms. As I wrap my body around her, I tense at the fierce trembling of her body. She’s in shock.
“Did it bite you?”
She nods, but is shivering so hard she can’t speak. Fuck. Fae blood can handle a lot, but from the look of that serpent’s carcass, it was a Draconian asp. They’ve been used for their venom for centuries, able to take out even the strongest of magical creatures with the exception of vampires.
“Maeve, I’ll need to pull the venom from you.”
“Am…am I g-going to d-die?”
I hope to hell not. “I’m going to take everything I can. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
Laying her back, I assess the shallow bite on her thigh. That’s a good sign. My heart hammers at the thought of tasting her blood, even if it’s to save her life. And then I do it. I seal my lips over her wound and suck, tasting the bitter venom. I pull it out until her blood is clean. Her sweetness flows over me and my vampire side comes roaring to the surface. Fangs I never thought I’d have descend and pierce her flesh, adding my own mark on her. I can’t stop. Just as I’d feared.
She moans and clutches my hair, her arousal obvious from the pheromones filling the air. “Oh, God, Christian. What’s happening?”
My cock aches, pressing against the fly of my trousers, and every time she moves her bare foot brushes the straining length of me. I could come from this alone.
“Get the fuck off her,” an enraged male voice shouts as large hands grip my shoulder in an attempt to pull me from my Maeve.
I won’t be moved. She’s panting and moaning, and I want more.
A harsh blast of hurricane force wind hits me, sending me across the room and not letting up. I’m pinned to the wall and finally catch sight of the two men who must be her guards. The one holding his hand out toward me must be controlling the air, keeping me away from what’s mine.
“Stop,” Maeve says, her voice soft and tired. “He wasn’t hurting me.”
The taller, blond man turns a shocked gaze to her. “Maeve, he was feeding from you. He might’ve killed you.”
She stands and puts both hands on her hips. “No, Finn. He was saving me. There was a snake hidden in my bed. I killed it, but not before it got its fangs in me.”
The man holding me captive drops his hand and I can move again. “What?” he asks, anger and disbelief coloring his tone.
“Christian pulled the venom from the bite. Then things…progressed.” She blushes and I have to close my eyes against the need to taste her blood again. She doesn’t know how close I came to draining her.
“Is this true?” he asks me.
I nod. “It was a Draconian asp. If I hadn’t been so near her room, she’d be gone.” Anger burns in my chest. “She told me she had guards, loyal and faithful. Apparently, she was wrong.”
Finn pulls her into his arms and I bristle. She said there wasn’t anything between them, but that is a lover’s touch. Then my Maeve shrugs out of his grasp, leaving him crestfallen.
“I’m fine.” Her words are clipped. “Christian is right. Where were you? I would have died if he hadn’t been here.”
“My queen, you told us to leave you. Then we were reassigned. We only returned because we saw the two guards given our posts had left you unattended.” Jensen’s gruff tone betrays nothing but a stoic demeanor, but the way he averts his gaze says volumes. He doesn’t want to face her.
“I never reassigned you.” Her lower lip trembles. “You’re the only ones I trust.”
“Maeve,” Finn begins. “My queen, if we’d known you were unprotected there is no way in hell we’d have left.”
Unease churns in my belly. She lied when she said there was nothing between them. Finn is clearly in love with her. It’s coming off him in waves. “The point is, someone tried to assassinate the queen tonight. We need to get her out of here before it happens again. The palace isn’t safe.”
“I agree,” Jensen says. He strides across the room and opens the large French doors. “Your Highness, you need to gather your things. Finn will ready our horses and meet us at the stables.”
Finn cocks an eyebrow. “I will?”
“Yes.” He shoots the man a dangerous look before returning his gaze to Maeve. “Please don’t argue with me on this. We can’t risk you. You’re too important to us.”
The tightness of his posture makes me wonder if the us in question is the Shadow Court, or him and Finn. Crossing the floor, I gingerly place my hand on the small of Maeve’s back. I don’t know how she feels about me feeding from her now that the pleasure has worn off. A wash of relief hits me when she doesn’t move away.
“I’ll help you if you tell me what you need,” I say, applying a light amount of pressure to her back.
She locks eyes with me and shakes her head. “I don’t need help. I just don’t want to be alone.”
“Allow me to accompany you, then.”
Jensen clears his throat and we both turn to look at him. “Keep your fangs to yourself, vampire.”
I have a distinct feeling these two guards are going to be a problem.
21
Maeve
Jensen insists I ride with him and I don’t have the energy to argue. Honestly, the feel of him so close, his delicious scent, his warmth, all make me feel a little better—safer. I know nothing will happen to me with Jensen holding me close while Finn and Christian each ride ahead, searching for danger. We travel under the cover of darkness and the thick fog Jensen created. He’s an air fae, something he neglected to share with me. Among other things.
My thoughts drift to a simpler time when all I had to worry about were my fantasies of the two men I’d thought were only my gorgeous roommates. I long for the nights spent watching bad television and sharing a bowl of popcorn, Finn next to me on the couch, usually sharing a blanket, my feet draped across his lap. Jensen never sat close to me, and now I understand why. But he’d stare at the two of us, his jaw clenched and tension radiating off him the whole time. I don’t think he ever knew I saw him. His stern expression, eyes darkened with desire, and brow furrowed haunted my dreams. I’d wake up with my heart racing and thoughts of Jensen and Finn making love to me running through my mind.
“If you need to sleep, lie back against me. I won’t let you fall.” Jensen�
��s voice rumbles along my back sending shivers of want through me.
“I’m fine,” I lie. I’m so tired. My limbs ache and at the same time, they itch to move. “When will we arrive?”
“Are you eager to spend more time with your prince?”
Annoyance fills me. He’s the one who pushed me away, who said I had to do what was right for the Shadow Court. “You can’t be angry about this. You told me to go. You said I was a mistake.”
His arms tighten around me, just slightly, but I notice it. “That was before.”
“Before what?”
“Before I saw you with him.”
Shock makes me sit up straighter. “You can’t be serious.”
“You almost died today because I chose to ignore my devotion for you. I’ve tried to be the soldier, the guard, the protector. I can’t. Not if I’m not honest with you. I can’t trust you if you don’t trust me.”
“So…me being a mistake—“
“The only mistake I made was waiting so long to kiss you. I’ll spend my life reliving our moment in the meadow if that’s all I have of you, but I can’t let you go with him without telling you I want you too.”
Heart racing, I lean back against him just enough to hear his breath catch. “I don’t know how to do this.”
He drops a light kiss on the shell of my ear and whispers, “Neither do I.”
22
Maeve
The house they've taken me to is nestled into the side of a mountain and truthfully, I’d rather live here than in a palace any day. It reminds me of one of the chalets I’d seen on travel shows. Sloped roof, views overlooking the rolling hills, and beautiful planter boxes filled with flowers at each window.
“What is this place?” I ask as Finn helps me down from the horse before Jensen can.
“It’s the queen’s cottage.” His gentle smile warms my soul. This Finn is the one I want to see.
“But won’t they know to find me here?”
He shakes his head. “You’re supposed to be visiting the Night Court, meeting your husband’s family, and having a honeymoon away. No one will think to look here, likely because they’ll expect you to be murdered on your wedding night.”
My heart lurches. “What?”
Christian’s posture stiffens and he crosses his arms over his chest. “Why would you say that?”
“I’m sorry, Christian, but it’s the only explanation for Maeve to be betrothed to a vampire.”
“I’m fae as well.”
“And what power do you wield?”
Christian doesn’t answer for a long moment. “None.”
“As I said. Fae blood is like a drug to vampires. It’s dangerous for them to be around us, and we saw firsthand how difficult it was for you to stop feeding. We think it’s likely you were an unwitting weapon sent to kill our queen.”
Christian’s wide eyes and stiff posture make me nervous. “But…he wasn’t hurting me,” I protest.
My vampire prince runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “I almost killed you, Maeve.”
“No. It felt…good. You were gentle.”
“If they hadn’t gotten me away from you, I would’ve taken every last drop of your blood and sent you to your death on the wings of pleasure.”
Stomach turning, I let his words sink in. My savior almost became my angel of death and I’d had no clue. “Is that why I’m so exhausted?”
He nods. “I took too much. I’ve never fed before. I haven’t needed to. Until you. Your blood hit my lips and, for the first time, my fangs descended.”
A shiver runs down my spine. “Are you sure you wouldn’t have stopped?”
“I have no way of knowing, but I didn’t want to stop. You taste so sweet.”
Finn pulls me close and this time, I don’t resist. “I don’t think we should have brought him with us, Jensen.”
A small part of me thinks Finn is right, but the rest of my heart is screaming that I can’t be separated from any of them. “No. He needs to be here. You all do. Can’t you feel it? There’s magic in the air when we’re all together.”
“You don’t even know him,” Jensen grumbles. “He could be here to seduce and kill you.”
“If he were going to kill me he could have. Christian could have torn my throat out, or let the snake’s venom do its damage. He saved me. Yes, he got carried away and fed on me, but, Jensen, I know he won’t hurt me.”
“How?” Finn interjects, voice sounding desperate and broken. “How do you know that? We almost lost you tonight.”
“I need you to trust me. I feel the same sense of connection to him as I do to you. There has never been a time when I’m with you or Jensen where I’ve felt unsafe. You two have been my anchors since we met.”
“I don’t want you to be alone with him. Can you at least do that for me?”
I look him straight in the eyes. “Christian promised me he wouldn’t take my blood without my permission. I gave him that when I said he could take the poison from the snakebite. He never would have fed if I hadn’t.”
“That’s true,” Christian offers. “My father taught me the importance of respecting women, particularly the one I’m sharing my life with.”
Jensen snorts and rolls his eyes. “You’re not sharing anything with her right now. She’s not yours.”
Annoyance tickles my brain, making me lose any hold of my self-control. “Can we stop this? I want to go inside and go to bed. I was attacked by a snake, a vampire fed on me, and I’ve been riding a damn horse for hours. I don’t have time to watch you three fight over who I like more. I like you all. End of story.”
Silence falls between us as they stare at me. But Jensen dips his chin and strides toward the front door. “Let me do a sweep of the interior before you go inside.”
After a few minutes, he returns and gives the all-clear. We file in, me first, the rest of them close behind. Trudging up the stairs, I feel their eyes on me. I don’t allow myself to give in to my desire to have one or more of the men in my bed, holding me close. I just want the oblivion of unconsciousness. My limbs ache for sleep and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m out.
My dreams are filled with the three men in my life. Hands, lips, tongues, all over my body, soft words of affection embed themselves in my heart and I wake with need careening through me. Taking a deep breath, I get out of bed and find a robe hanging off the hook in the bathroom. I wonder if this house works the same way the castle does. Can I change things to my liking? Assessing the spacious, yet cozy room, I smile. There’s nothing in here I don’t like. The bed is soft and the fireplace adds a warm glow to the space. A bookshelf sits nestled into the corner along with a tufted chair and fluffy throw blanket, and best of all, I’m just Maeve here. No crown, no aunts trying to marry me off, no one trying to kill me.
Just me, Jensen, Finn, and Christian. No, I wouldn’t change a thing.
23
Finn
My eyes snap open at the sound of metal scraping ceramic. What is that? Heart racing, I jump from my bed and tug on some boxers before running down the stairs. Pulling all my power into my hands, I ready myself to defend Maeve from whoever is here attempting to harm her. Instead, I’m greeted with a sight I thought I’d never be gifted with again. Maeve, standing in the kitchen in a short robe, her hair piled on top of her head as she hums to herself and makes pancakes. My chest burns. Fucking pancakes are breaking my heart.
“You’re cooking?” I ask, making her jump and drop her spatula.
“Shit, Finn. You scared me.”
“I heard a noise. I was worried someone had gotten in.” I’ve still got power coiled in my hands and instead of reabsorbing it into myself, I touch the large ceramic bowl on the kitchen island and conjure fresh, ripe strawberries into being.
“Thanks,” she says, nodding at the bright red fruit. “Those look good.”
“You know you don’t have to cook. All you have to do is think of the food you want.”
Her soft smile t
ells me she knows. “How do you think I got the ingredients?”
“Can I help you?” I fight the tightness in my throat and bring myself closer to her. “ I can fry some eggs, make coffee. Whatever you need.”
She closes her eyes and for a moment appears every inch the regal queen she is supposed to be. “Coffee sounds good.”
We work in silence, her ladling batter onto the hot griddle, me scooping freshly ground coffee into the French press. It’s so…domestic. This is what life could have been like if we’d really been humans. I could have loved her without endangering either of us. Instead, I’m here. I’m standing in the kitchen, trying not to beg her to run away with me.
“Finn,” she says, turning to face me. Her eyes are filled with despair and trepidation.
“Maeve?”
“I’m so sorry.”
My spine stiffens at her apology. “For what?”
Cheeks blazing pink, she looks down at her sock covered feet. “Kissing Jensen.”
Shaking my head, I step closer to her, unable to control my need to touch her. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. As queen you have the right to many consorts. You’ll marry a royal and sate your lust with your consorts. If you so desire.”
Her brow furrows. “What?”
“There hasn’t been a queen to take a harem in hundreds of years, but your aunts both have multiple men. They use them to serve a purpose without the pitfalls of…love.” I can’t bring myself to lock gazes with her on the last word.
She shakes her head. “I could never do that.”
“I understand. As I said, it’s not for everyone.”
“It’s not that. I just…don’t think I could use men to sate my lust. I need to trust and love anyone I’m sleeping with.”
My heart gives a pained squeeze. That word. That damned word. “If you marry Christian, you’ll have to consummate. You’ll be giving him your body.”