Winter Princess: A reverse harem novel (Daughter of Winter Book 1)

by Skye MacKinnon

  I think I’d prefer black, I’ve always hated the colour orange.

  “Why aren’t you fixing her?!” Storm’s loud voice breaks the silence. There is panic in it, and desperation. If Crispin isn’t healing me, something must be seriously wrong.

  “Her body is fine, I’ve healed the few scratches she had from the fight. But her magic... something is wrong with it. I’ve never seen anything like it, though. It’s as if it’s shielded, but I can’t see through the shield. It’s different from a mental shield, it’s slippery and just... wrong.”

  “Let me try.” Arc’s voice is coming closer and the sound of someone kneeling beside me reaches my ears.

  Silence falls. I wait for something to happen. Maybe Arc will appear to me like he did when he was outside my island sphere. Maybe he’ll manage to talk to me.

  The bond! Maybe I can communicate through my bond! I’ve got hope for a second - then I remember that I use my magic to tug on my connection to the guys. No magic, no bond.

  “I cannae reach her,” Arc sighs, and I can feel a hand gently running over my cheek.

  “Then try again!” Storm shouts. Inside, I cry for him. He’s so angry, so desperate.

  “He’s doing what he can,” Frost’s gentle voice comes from far away. That’s so like him, calming his brother, but not getting the chance to do something himself.

  “Watch out!” Crispin suddenly yells, and the ground rumbles below me. Something explodes close by and a blast of hot air hits me. A body falls on top of me - or maybe throws itself.

  Damn it, why do I still feel pain. Could I just be numb, please? Preferably in my mind as well.

  “It’s Lewan, I thought ya killed him, Storm!” Arc shouts.

  “I thought you killed him!”

  Someone huffs in frustration above me. Frost. Oh, it’s him who’s lying on top of my body. “Would either of you please kill Lewan? It’s getting a little hot here!”

  He’s right, it feels like something is burning around us. The air is beginning to hurt when I breathe in, it’s that hot.

  “On it,” Storm growls.

  More explosions. Then the sound of wind, lots of wind. Shrieks in the distance.

  Then silence. The heat ebbs away.

  Apparently, whoever attacked us is no longer able to do so. Hopefully he’s lying on the battlefield - in pieces.

  Frost gets up, leaving me alone on the ground.

  “Looks like he was just a straggler,” Storm grumbles.

  “Some fled when Wyn killed the demons around us, so they might come back. We need to get through that Gate as soon as possible.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  My body is lifted by one of the guys. I’m pressed against a hard leather breast plate. They are still wearing their armour. It’s hard to tell who is carrying me – they’re all broad and muscly and wear armour. And they all smell of blood right now.

  But then, does it matter? They’re all my Guardians.

  I am pressed close against the guy’s chest. There’s an arm under my knees and another wrapped around my back. It’s not uncomfortable, but the swaying without being able to see what’s happening, is making me queasy. What happens if I need to puke? Will I choke on my own vomit, unable to open my mouth? I decide not to find out.

  There’s an eerie silence around us. The guys aren’t talking, and I can’t. Apparently, there are no demons left at Calanais. The battle was so chaotic, I totally lost track of how many we killed. How many I killed.

  It was necessary, but I know that I will never forget the smell of blood and burned demon that is now wafting over the battlefield. It’s a miracle, really, that we all managed to get out relatively unscathed. With ‘we’, I mean the Guardians and me. I don’t want to think of Aodh and Chesca.

  Where is Chesca, by the way? She must have left while I was unconscious. I don’t think she could stay quiet for this long.

  We finally stop and the queasiness slowly disappears from my stomach.

  “Are you ready?” Storm asks quietly.

  “Aye.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes.” The last one to speak is Frost, close to my ear. He’s the one carrying me. “But do you think this is safe? She won’t be able to think of our destination when we step through the Stones.”

  “We should probably all hold onto her,” Crispin suggests. “Arc, have you contacted the healers on the other side?”

  “Aye, they’re ready. Perhaps they ken what’s wrong with the lass.”

  “Stand close together and hold her tightly,” Storm commands.

  Three pairs of hands are gripping my body in various places. There’s a grumble inside of me. I dive deep until I’m in front of my heart cave. One of the large boulders blocking the entrance has split in half! There are still many others obstructing my connection to my magic, but something changed. It must have been their touch; this can’t have been a coincidence.

  “3…2…1…go!”

  We step through the Gate.

  I’m flying on a rainbow. A fucking rainbow.

  Everything is bright and colourful and magical. Magic! I can feel my magic! She’s not inside of me though, no, she’s floating by my side, purring as the wind tousles her fur. She’s stretching her limbs; finally out of the cave I have kept her in for so long. She grins at me, and I smile back. We’re friends, taking a ride on a rainbow that looks like a unicorn belched while flying loops through the air. It’s not a rainbow that starts on the ground and then forms a half circle. No, this rainbow is like a rollercoaster, stretching infinitely into the distance, shaped in curves and loops and – is that a heart shape up there?

  This must be a dream. A very lucid one, though. It feels so real. Have I taken drugs?

  “Wyn!” someone shouts from behind me, casting a chiming echo through this rainbow world. It’s Storm, riding the rainbow like a surfer rides a wave. I laugh and try to swim against the flow to reach him, but it doesn’t work. Luckily, he’s an expert rainbow-rider and reaches me in no time.

  “Wyn,” he rasps, and then I’m in his arms, squeezed against his chest. My magic chuckles and moves further ahead, giving us some space. I never thought she’d be this considerate.

  Storm lifts my head with a finger gently held beneath my chin. His eyes are soft, and he’s actually smiling at me. Storm, smiling! This must be a dream.

  He comes closer until our lips almost touch. “I thought I’d lost you,” he whispers, his breath hot against my skin.

  I’m trying to come up with a reply, but my mind is blank. So I do the next best thing: I get up on my toes and kiss him. He groans and nudges my lips open with his tongue. He’s starting out gently, but after a few soft kisses, they turn wilder. While claiming my mouth, he slides his hands under my shirt.

  I moan as he breaks our kiss.

  “Don’t worry, Princess, I’m not finished yet,” Storm growls, and rips my shirt in two. How the hell did he do that? But I couldn’t care less when he unhooks my bra and takes it off, together with the remains of my shirt. He goes on his knees in front of me and looks up with a strange look in his eyes. Desire? Devotion? Admiration? Hard to tell. He kisses the soft skin between my breasts and I moan again. While he’s leaving a trail of kisses down over my belly, he grabs my bum with his hands. I push my pelvis forwards, an open invitation. He chuckles.

  “Patience.”

  “Since when are you promoting patience?”

  In response, he unzips my jeans and slides them down, encouraging me to step out of them. All I’m wearing now are my panties (and my shoes, but that doesn’t count). I wish I had put on some nicer ones, but when I prepared for battle this morning, wearing pretty underwear wasn’t high up on my agenda.

  Kneading my arse, he continues to leave gentle kisses just below my belly button. It tickles and I’m getting frustrated with him. It’s not enough.

  Suddenly, there are hands on my breasts. Before I can turn around, a teasing voice whispers in my ear, “Guess I shouldn’t have worr
ied about you. Seems like my brother is looking after you already. You do know we’ve still got a way to go to reach the other side of the Gate?”

  Frost.

  Storm shoots an annoyed glance at his brother. “We don’t know if she will be okay once we reach the other side. Let’s stay in here a while longer.”

  “I’m okay with that,” Frost chuckles, and begins to gently massage my breasts. I lean into him, and he bends his head, nibbling on the nape of my neck. How does that feel so good?

  Storm has finally decided to do the right thing, and is slowly pulling down my panties. When his mouth touches the skin just above that spot, I see rainbows. Okay, maybe I’ve been seeing them all the time because we’re standing on one. But you get what I mean.

  I close my eyes as my body fills with pleasure. I’m in the arms of two Guardians. Unbelievable. Frost is twisting my nipples between his fingers while grazing my neck with his teeth. For some reason, I want him to bite me. Not something I’ve ever wanted before. What are those guys doing to me?

  Something presses against my core. Instinctively, I spread my legs a little. I cry out when Storm slides his finger inside me while suckling on my bud at the same time. Damn that Guardian!

  If Frost wasn’t holding me, I’d be writhing on the floor by now.

  “Open wide for my brother,” Frost whispers, sliding his hands down my belly until he reaches my pelvis. Storm adds another finger and as instructed, I spread my legs further, giving him better access. His tongue is driving me crazy, flicking and suckling and swirling.

  A roaring laughter interrupts us. I open my eyes and see Arc and Crispin running towards us. Is it really bad that I want them all? “Don’t stop,” I command, and use my hands to press Storm’s head between my legs again.

  “Can we join?” Arc asks as they reach us.

  Crispin shakes his head in frustration. “Has anyone actually thought to ask why she is standing here, conscious? Or are you all thinking with your dicks today?”

  Storm refuses to answer, instead focussing on bringing me pleasure. Works for me.

  Frost clears his throat. “Well, she’s obviously okay, and I thought Storm had...”

  “Typical! Wyn, I should examine you,” Crispin says matter-of-factly.

  Storm growls. “Piss off or join us.”

  Arc gives me a mock bow. “Princess, with yer permission?”

  I’m too busy trying not to completely let go of all inhibition, so I just nod. The more, the merrier. A small voice in my head is telling me that this isn’t me, that I’m too prude for this, but I don’t care. I’ve got three hot Guardians around me, all intending to make me feel good.

  Arc is by my side in seconds, grasping my hair with one hand and pulling me towards him. He claims my mouth at the same moment as Storm adds a third finger. Gods, this is amazing. Frost is hard against my back and with every thrust of his brother’s fingers, I rub further against him.

  Around us, the rainbow is sparkling. But maybe that is just my mind making up weird things in the heat of the moment.

  This. Feels. So. Good.

  Storm suddenly stops the amazing tongue work he’s been doing. Damn that Guardian. I was so close. “Crispin, would you like to...” He falters as he looks behind him where our healer stood a moment ago.

  Crispin is gone.

  “Dinnae worry, Princess,” Arc mumbles while stopping his wild kiss for a moment. “He’s not been with a lass in a long time. We dinnae ken what’s wrong with him. Just forget aboot it, it’s got nothing ta do with ya.”

  I can’t reply because his lips cover mine once more, and his tongue meets mine in an ecstatic dance. Storm slides his fingers out of me and suddenly I feel very empty. I moan against Arc’s mouth. Then I hear the sound of a zip though, and I know it’s not over yet.

  “Lie her down,” Storm says breathlessly. Gently, Frost lowers me to the ground. My breasts are swollen from the attention he’s been giving them. Once I’m flat on the ground, he bends over them, taking one of my nipples into his mouth. Arc suckles on the other, while Storm spreads my legs.

  Sweet Gods, am I really surrounded by three Guardians? Three hot, sexy, talented guys who make me feel better than any man has ever before.

  Storm slides a finger into me again and I arch my pelvis in response, inviting him in. Then I remember that I want more.

  “Storm, please,” I moan, but Arc slides a finger into my mouth and silences me. I suck on it, and for some reason that feels amazing.

  “Princess, you ready?” Storm asks and I lift my head to look at him. He’s naked, and beautiful, and rock hard. Are all Guardians that... big? I guess I’ll have to do research...

  “Are you sure you want this?” Storm asks again and I nibble on Arc’s finger until he pulls it out of my mouth.

  “Yes, I want you,” I whisper, not taking my eyes off him.

  “And you don’t want me?” Frost asks. I’m not sure if he’s joking or if he’s offended.

  “I want you all.”

  Frost smiles and bends down, kissing me hard. I notice that my hands are lying uselessly on the ground, so I reach up and pull Arc towards me. I need all my Guardians close. That’s the moment Storm enters me. He’s not gentle, or slow. He pushes in and I groan in pleasure as he fills me. We’re one, and many. He moves in me, and at the same time, Frost is kissing me and Arc is massaging my breasts while I touch the bulge between his legs.

  We are one.

  Storm is sliding in and out of me, harder and harder. I’m starting to lose control; my breath has grown erratic and my hands are balled into fists, waiting for release. Frost pulls back for a moment, and I inhale deeply. There are sparks all around us, flittering through the air like fireflies. They’re tiny, but shimmering in a thousand colours. “Can you see them?” I whisper, unsure if this is just my eyes playing tricks on me.

  Storm stops for a moment and I regret having asked the question. Couldn’t my curiosity have waited for just a few more minutes. Well, hours. Hopefully.

  Then he slams back into me and I squeal. “Yes.” He slides out. “I can see them.” And pushes in again, setting a new, fast rhythm. I won’t last much longer.

  The little sparks are forming shapes in the air, pulsing spirals, strange glittery clouds,

  Something is happening. But I couldn’t care less just now. My mind is blank, all that counts is the heat flooding my body, the electricity flowing through my nerves. I’m close. Someone starts rubbing my clit, but I’ve got my eyes closed, and it doesn’t matter. It feels good. More than good. I’m floating on a cloud of bliss.

  “Wyn,” Storm groans, and I moan with him as he jerks and presses deep inside me, coming at the same time as my inner walls contract, hugging him tightly. I ride the climax, my body one big haven of pleasure. There are hands on me, gently stroking my skin, but I’m too exhausted to reciprocate. My Guardians, surrounding me. Storm, still inside me.

  The bond is pulsating within me, and from afar I can hear my magic purr. Finally, they are satisfied.

  I slowly drift back into reality. Well, whatever crazy rainbow reality we’re in, anyway. I open my eyes - and blink a few times. I’m covered in glitter. The little sparkly particles that have been floating around the air have landed on my skin - they’re everywhere! I look like a... well, like I stood at the wrong end of a flatulent unicorn. I lift an arm in wonder, mesmerised by the glitter reflecting the rainbow light around me.

  “What the fuck is happening?” I finally ask. Judging from their confused looks, my Guardians don’t know either. Storm slides out of me, leaving me with an empty feeling. I’m exhausted, but I want more. I want Frost and Arc. And Storm, again. Together, on a rainbow, covered in glitter.

  I giggle, which quickly turns into a giddy laugh.

  “You’ve broken her,” Frost accuses his brother. “Now she’s behaving like a... girl.” He shudders as I break out in more giggles.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Storm finally says.

>   “It looks like magic. Magic that isn’t bound,” Arc ponders, his forehead scrunched. He probably doesn’t realise that he’s still having a hand on my boobs. I won’t tell him. The glitter doesn’t seem to hurt him, so why break the delicious touch?

  “But magic is always bound. It can’t exist without an anchor,” Storm argues. “Otherwise it would float around and do Gods-know-what. Explosions. Mutations. That kind of stuff.”

  I frown, the giggles suddenly gone. “Wait, so this stuff doesn’t usually float around in this rainbow?”

  “Rainbow?!” Storm looks at me incredulously.

  “You’ve not noticed that we’re standing on a rainbow?”

  “We’re on a cloud—”

  “No, we’re on a wave,” Frost interrupts his brother.

  “Lightning,” Arc mutters.

  “So, we’re each seeing something different. How can you not know that? You’ve travelled through this Gate before, right?”

  They look at each other.

  “Aye, but usually we step in on one side and out of the other one. There’s nothing in between. Nae rainbows, nae magic. Nae... sex.”

  I cover my face in my hands. “Is this even real?”

  Frost pinches me on my hip and I yelp. He grins innocently. “Looks like it’s real.”

  Bastard.

  “Now can we get back ta the fun stuff?” Arc asks and takes his hand off my boob - and everything spins as I’m pulled away from them, along the rainbow, flying through the air, faster and faster, a cloud of glitter flying behind me. I scream. Then suddenly, there’s a loop, a damn big rollercoaster loop. I flail, trying to get rid of the pull that is making me race along the rainbow, up the loop and - no, please don’t let me fall - down again. I try to keep the contents of my stomach down as I spin around my own axis, unsure of what’s up and what’s down.

  The rainbow stops and there’s nothing beyond.

  An invisible force grabs me and throws me and -

  - I land on soft snow. There’s no harsh impact, no pain. The freezing cold gnawing on my skin is letting me know that I’m still naked. Damn those boys. And where are they anyway? I look around. Behind me is a beautiful iron-wrought gate, covered in frost ferns and tiny icicles. Beyond that… a rainbow.