Their Shadow Queen

by Kim Loraine

26

  Jensen

  My whole body hums with power. Maeve’s words register but I don’t comprehend them, not fully. I can’t. There’s too much magic running through me. Magic I need to get rid of before it burns through me.

  “Maeve,” I say, my voice a rough groan.

  She touches me tenderly, her slender fingers gliding over my face as she hovers over me. “What is it? Are you hurt?”

  God, everything hurts. Is this how Maeve feels having so much fae magic in her blood? My skin stings and feels too tight. “Take my magic,” I bite out. “Oh, God, I need you to take it from me.”

  Panic fills her eyes as she stares down at me. “I don't know what to do.” Her voice is small and terrified.

  I don’t know either. All I know is I can’t handle this level of power. I wasn’t made for this like she was. There’s a reason most fae only have one element. This is it.

  Pain radiates through me, making me arch off the bed. Fire builds in my belly and spreads across my limbs until I’m holding a ball of flame in each palm. I don’t know what to do with it other than try and reabsorb the power. The flames disappear but add to the agony inside me.

  “Finn! Christian!” Maeve screams.

  I want to be the strong man she needs, but right now everything is fading to black. Maybe this is where our story ends.

  27

  Maeve

  Jensen’s eyes close and his body is still but his skin is so hot it feels like he’s got a fever. My hands flutter uselessly over him, as though I can pull the danger out with sheer force of will.

  The door bursts open, revealing Finn and Christian, both ready for combat. Finn holds a ball of silver power in one hand and a sword in the other. Christian has no weapon, but his eyes are the pitch black of a raging vampire.

  “What’s happened?” Finn asks, his gaze sweeping over the room. It’s then I realize Jensen and I are both still naked. But neither Finn, nor Christian take the time to let their focus linger.

  Grabbing my discarded robe, I cover myself before pulling a blanket over Jensen. “He set the bed on fire.”

  “Why the hell would he do that?” Finn’s brow furrows in confusion.

  “He didn’t mean to. I think he can hold fire. Like me.”

  “He’s a Shadow fae. Jensen has never been able to do things Ember fae can do.”

  “Well, he did it. He set the bed on fire after…” I trail off. I can’t bring myself to finish.

  “He had you. Maeve, you must’ve awoken something in him, or transferred your power.

  Christian’s eyes widen. “Does that happen? Do the fae just develop new magic?”

  Finn shakes his head. “Not usually, but as we know, Maeve is special.”

  “He’s hurting. He kept telling me to take it. I don’t know how.” My voice is panicked as I look at the handsome man in my bed.

  “It’s going to be fine. I can help you with this,” Finn says, his tone soothing. His palm rubs gentle circles between my shoulder blades bringing me a small bit of comfort.

  “What do I need to do?”

  “Sit astride him. Press both palms to his chest and focus on pulling his power into you.”

  How does he know this? Jensen is eerily still and the heat radiating off him is terrifying. If he were a human, I’d be calling an ambulance. Doing as Finn has instructed, I place myself over Jensen’s thighs and press my hands against either side of his chest. His skin is slick with sweat and my palms tingle with discomfort from his temperature.

  “Just focus,” Finn says.

  Closing my eyes, I picture a glow the color of burning coals around Jensen. I will the power into me, pulling with each of my inhalations. I can do this. I can help him.

  My chest aches from the pressure of the magic. It rushes over me like a tidal wave, causing me to gasp for breath, but I’m not going to let up until I know he’s safe. If I did this to him, I will be the one to fix it. My vision blurs and I lose my hold on his essence, but strong hands hold me up and keep me going.

  “Jensen,” I whisper. “Please.”

  The color around him changes, a faint silver shadow threaded with gold rather than the bright and bold red. I can’t take any more. Dull throbbing in my head turns to a sharp stabbing.

  “Maeve, stop. You have to stop.” Christian’s voice barely registers against the ringing in my ears. But he’s right. I break my connection to Jensen and collapse onto my side next to him.

  I take long breaths, eyes still closed as the headache recedes and the buzzing in my limbs lessens. Soft strokes of gentle fingers along my cheek bring me back to the moment, causing me to open my eyes. Jensen stares at me, his face filled with wonder.

  “Are you all right?” he murmurs. “I can’t believe you took it.”

  Nodding, I reach out and mirror his actions by running my fingers over his face. “Are you?”

  “I feel…different, but not bad.”

  The worry clawing at my chest eases. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—“

  “No. Don’t be sorry. I still feel it. Ember. It’s here.” He holds his hand up and it glows with a small flame in the center of his palm.

  “But I took it from you.”

  “Not all of it. You can’t take what I was born with.”

  Sitting up, I frown at him. “What?”

  He follows me, propping himself up on his elbows. “I must’ve had Ember in me because it feels like when you transferred your power, you unlocked something. I wasn't supposed to have so much, but this…the remainder feels natural.”

  I swing my feet to the side of the bed and stand. I don’t understand most of what’s going on, but if Jensen is okay then I’m much more at ease. “Are you sure you feel right?”

  He stands with the blanket wrapped around his waist. “I’m more than right. I’m fucking amazing.” His eyes blaze with love and adoration.

  It’s then the weight of what we did hits me. I gave him my virginity without talking to Finn or Christian first, without taking their feelings into account. Turning my gaze to them, I fight the worry in my chest. “Obviously, something happened with Jensen and me.”

  Finn offers a slight smirk. “Obviously.”

  “It just happened. I didn’t come up here planning on seducing him.”

  Finn holds up a hand. “Maeve, you don’t have to justify your choice. Just tell me one thing. Do you want only him, or do you want us all?”

  The three of them look at me with such devotion, I want to cry with relief. “I want you all.”

  “Then you’ll have us,” Finn says, crossing the floor and kissing me without allowing any other words to fall from my lips.

  Yes. I’ll have them and they’ll have me. These brave men are mine and I won’t ever let go.

  28

  The storm surrounding the castle of the Shadow Court rages on sending sheets of rain and wind to beat against the stone, threatening to bring the protective walls crumbling to the ground. Lady Saskia paces the floor of her chambers, desperate to find the young queen and return her to the palace, where she’s needed.

  “These men of hers are nothing but a distraction. Why would they take her? What good will kidnapping her do?” Frustration fills her tone as she speaks to what she thinks to be an empty room. “The Night Court will offer no alliance if she shuns their prince.”

  The unseen presence watches from the corner, shrouded in a glamor that keeps it from being noticed. The queen’s aunts have no idea they’ve been being watched for the last twenty-one years, but now that she’s returned, they have a reckoning coming. The two escaped death during the attack that had killed Queen Astrid and King Soren, but a day of judgment is almost upon them. Justice will be served and the Shadow Court will never be the same.

  With a flare of power, the presence moves through the castle, searching for the right place to set the next trap. It will allow nothing to interfere with the plan.

  One goal runs through its mind as it opens the door to the healer’s chambe
rs. The woman stares in shock at the empty space where her guest should be standing, then gasps as an invisible vice grips her heart, crushing it in one firm squeeze. Dropping the spell, the presence takes on the healer’s appearance and begins work on a potion. Something to stop the cycle of events.

  Queen Maeve mustn’t be crowned.

  To be continued in Their Shadow Queen: The Shadow Court Harem #2

  Their Vampire Princess

  Haven’t read about the princess of the Night Court and her harem? Keep reading for the first chapter of Their Vampire Princess.

  1

  I wake in the dark, the same as I have every night of my existence. But tonight is different. Tonight I’ve been alive for twenty-three years. The significance of this is not lost on me. As the vampire princess of the Night Court, this is the night I begin my ascension and take my place as heir to the throne. Nerves curl in my stomach as every word of my mother’s stories replay in my mind.

  Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. She grew from a lovely child to the most stunning woman in the court. She knew her destiny was to one day rule the Night Court and bring harmony between the humans and vampires, protecting the humans from the dangers of our world until the next generation rises. The night of her twenty-third birthday the princess was dressed in her finest gown, and her mother, the queen, gave her a special gift. It was a handmade box, which held the crown the princess would give to her chosen prince. One lord from each of the four villages who swear fealty to our kingdom were sent as an offering to the princess. She knew her choice would be difficult, but that she could not ascend until her mate had been crowned and the future of the Court sealed.

  The story had gone on, but much of the details varied as my mother had given me visions of the man I would choose. This fairy tale was my future, her past, the past of every generation before us. But now? Now it is real. I rise from my bed knowing this is the last time I’ll see these chambers. My place is no longer here. In a matter of hours, I’ll be shipped off, unable to return until I have my future husband by my side. Once we return, I’ll live in a different part of the manor, share a bed with the man I’ve taken, and leave my life as princess for one as queen. I am not ready for any of this, no matter how many times my mother has told me to expect it. I know she went through the same thing when she was my age, but she’s a formidable woman, a force to be reckoned with.

  A soft knock on my door has me whirling around, blond hair flying in my face.

  My mother’s disapproving gaze travels over my form. “Felicity! You’re not even dressed. We have to leave.”

  My heart leaps. I’m not ready.

  She shakes her head and pulls a gown from my wardrobe. Giving it a stern look, she frowns and tosses the gauzy fabric on my bed. “This won’t do. Where is the gown I had made for you?”

  “I’m sure it’s there somewhere. The maid might have laid it out somewhere special to keep it safe.”

  “You need to be in the royal blue silk. It’s the perfect color for your hair and skin tone.”

  I roll my eyes. “Why does it matter? These men have no choice in this. The one I choose will come with me to gain protection for his village for his lifetime. Isn’t that how the story goes?” The disdain in my voice is hard to disguise. I have no desire to marry a man who doesn’t want me.

  “And he’ll be lucky to be yours.”

  Will he? His sacrifice, his willingness to become my consort will only stem from the desire to save his home, not out of love or loyalty to me.

  “Here it is!” my mother exclaims from the depths of the ornate piece of furniture that houses my clothing. She produces the gorgeous silk gown and offers a brilliant smile. “Stunning. You’re going to be stunning. As it should be.”

  Crossing the room, I take the offered dress and let the soft, cool material brush along my skin. It matches my eyes. I’m sure she had the silk dyed this way on purpose. My mother doesn’t believe in coincidences.

  “Get dressed and be downstairs in ten minutes, Felicity. We have to leave within the hour. Your suitors will be delivered shortly.”

  There’s that familiar clenching in my gut again. “But…I need more time. Can’t we postpone?”

  “Child, what are you talking about? The ceremony starts at the hour of your birth. You have one hour until the rest of your life begins.”

  She runs a hand over my long hair and a wistful look crosses her face before she turns and practically glides out of the room, leaving me alone once more.

  In less than twenty minutes, I’m dressed and ready to go. I’ve had my bag packed for the last three days in anticipation of this trip. Two weeks away, maybe longer if need be, but I can’t help but harbor an ember of excitement at the change I’m about to experience. I’ve never been away from this estate, from my household filled with servants and advisors, and my mother the queen. Soon I will be on my own with only my potential consorts as company. My every move won’t be watched and judged, but more importantly, I won’t be treated like a child any longer.

  As I descend the wide staircase, I realize my mother was right. The rest of my life is about to begin.

  Their Vampire Princess

  Also by Kim Loraine

  Paranormal Romance

  Reverse Harem

  Their Vampire Princess

  Their Shadow Queen: The Shadow Court Harem # 1

  Their Shadow Queen: The Shadow Court Harem # 2

  The Siren Coven

  Eternal Desire

  Cursed Heart

  The Excalibur Duet (MMF Menage)

  Wicked Temptation: The Excalibur Duet #1

  Immortal Flame: The Excalibur Duet #2

  The Fallen Angel Trilogy

  Waking the Watcher

  Denying the Watcher

  Releasing the Watcher

  Such Violent Delights:

  A Holiday Paranormal Romance Anthology

  On A Cold Winter’s Night : A Fallen Angel Short Story

  Contemporary Romance

  Until the Stars Fade

  The Royal Virgins

  The Virgin’s Playboy Prince

  The Virgin’s Royal Guard

  The Virgin’s Forbidden Lord

  The Virgins

  The Virgin’s Fake Fiancé

  Rescuing His Virgin

  His Hollywood Virgin

  The Cocktail Girls

  His Whiskey Sour (A Stand Alone Rock Star Romance)

  The Halloween Honeys

  His Wicked Witch

  The Golden Beach Series

  Restoration

  Renovation

  Foundation

  Resonance

  Redemption

  Resolution

  Devotion

  Remnants

  About the Author

  Kim Loraine writes steamy romances in both the contemporary and paranormal genres. When not writing, she’s busy herding cats (raising kids), trying to keep her house sort of clean, and dreaming up cute ways for fictional couples to meet.

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