by Olivia March
Gwen stared at Annabelle with concern. The girl had been through a lot, and Gwen could relate. But Helion had told her that Annabelle and Nefarion were mated. Gwen had looked forward to having another female in the camp, to having someone to talk to who was from her own planet that she could relate to. Helion was a wonderful companion of course, and she was crazy in love with him. But there was just something to be said for having a confidante of your own gender and similar life experiences to talk to, and Gwen had been eagerly anticipating that pleasure.
Now however…now she just didn’t know what to do. Annabelle had wasted no time when they’d arrived at the tent. As soon as they went through the flap Annabelle had begged Gwen for protection. Not because she feared Nefarion, but because she didn’t want to be his mate.
“I’m sorry Gwen, I know I’m putting you in an awkward situation. But the truth is, I told Nefarion last night that I was only offering myself for the one night. He didn’t accept my terms but I thought I could talk some sense into him. I’m just not cut out to be a princess, much less a queen. I’m flattered, really, but I just can’t.”
“I know how you feel Annabelle. Helion is a prince as well, so when we have our ceremony on Arthaneas I will become a princess, and later a queen. And it is a scary idea, to be a royal at all, much more so to be the queen of an alien land. But the truth is, love can make anything possible. If you love Nefarion, you can make this work.”
Annabelle looked nothing so much as uncomfortable at Gwen’s words. Perhaps she didn’t love Nefarion, Gwen could understand that. Nefarion was one scary son of a bitch. He moved soundlessly, looked like a devil, and commanded shadows of all things. Helion had told her that Nefarion’s people were ruthless assassins, and even amongst themselves were cruel and vicious at times.
“Honestly Gwen, I don’t know what I feel for Nefarion. I just know that I have such anxiety in social situations that I am completely unsuitable to be a queen. Please, I’m asking you in earnest to keep Nefarion away. I care for him, deeply. I’ve never been in love before, but I could fall in love with him, if I’m not already. But I can’t be what he needs. Please help me.”
Gwen felt her heart ache. She knew this struggle, oh, how she knew it. And she couldn’t allow Annabelle to be railroaded if she could help it. In the end, it had to be her choice to be with Nefarion, as being with Helion had been Gwen’s choice. Sighing, she told Annabelle to wait and called for Verdun, who’d stepped outside to give them some privacy. She asked him to call Helion back, but not Nefarion. She needed to see Helion alone. Verdun obviously had heard the discussion, because he looked very grim, but he complied. Then it was just a waiting game, and it took several minutes for Helion to arrive. And when he did, Gwen could see Verdun had already filled him in, because he was imitating a popsicle.
“Uh, hi honey,” Gwen said, coming forward for a kiss. No matter how upset Helion got with her, he never denied her the affection she loved and craved.
“What’s this I hear from Verdun, mate? That the woman doesn’t want to mate with Nefarion?”
Gwen wrapped an arm around Annabelle, who’d started shaking in the face of Helion’s ire. Gwen had once been fearful like this towards Helion, but she knew now he’d never hurt her, no matter how angry he became.
“It’s true my love. Annabelle agreed to give Nefarion the one night, she didn’t agree to be his mate. Though she has feelings for him, she doesn’t want to be a queen, or even a princess. Nefarion won’t accept how she feels about the matter, so she’s asked for our assistance in preventing Nefarion from forcing her into a situation she doesn’t want.”
“Did he force you to lay with him, Annabelle?” Helion asked, his eyes like chips of frosted jade.
“No sir. I wanted to be with him that way, I instigated the intimacy with him. I wanted my first lover to be one of my own choosing, and I have serious and complicated feelings for Nefarion. But I don’t want to marry him, and I don’t want to be a queen. I can’t be. But he won’t accept my refusal, that’s why I had to come to you and Gwen.”
“And what would you have me do, Annabelle? Nefarion has already reported his intention to mate to his father, King Galkith. Your new accommodations are waiting, your guard has arrived, and Nefarion is one stubborn bastard. He won’t take rejection like this well, not at all.”
Gwen swallowed hard. She found it hard still not to let Helion’s will dominate hers at times. It was difficult to stand up to a man who was a couple thousand years old and thought he always knew best. And she could feel him trying to nudge Annabelle into accepting Nefarion against her own wishes, and she couldn’t allow that. Her own experience had led to a happy ending, but that didn’t mean Annabelle’s would. And if it did, then it would be her choice.
“Helion, honey, you told your men that if they wanted to mate with human women, it would have to be with the full consent of the women.”
“She gave her consent, mate. Annabelle admitted that she instigated mating with Nefarion. It’s too late to get cold feet now.”
“Don’t be obtuse my love. You know that having consensual sex is not an agreement to get married here. Women often have many lovers before settling down to marry one here on Earth. Annabelle told Nefarion that she was giving him one night only.”
Helion’s lips tightened, and for a moment Gwen thought he was going to dismiss her argument. Annabelle clearly thought so too, because her shoulders slumped and she sagged a bit against Gwen. Poor thing had been through so much, and here they were arguing over whether Annabelle had the right to have casual sex with a Keeper without being forced into marriage. But in the end her man didn’t disappoint her.
“I will go speak to Nefarion, mate. I leave you in charge of getting some food in Annabelle. When I return, we will discuss this further.”
Helion pulled her away from Annabelle in a quick movement before laying a full-on lip lock on her. His kiss was frustrated, aggressive, and rough, but Gwen loved it. When Helion turned all dominating on her, Gwen’s body literally went breathless and ready for anything. And then he was gone, striding quickly out of the tent to go intercept Nefarion. He wouldn’t be gone long, so Gwen hurried to feed Annabelle. Gwen ate as well, because she could already tell this was going to be a long and stressful evening and she was going to need her strength.
* * * *
Helion resented having to leave his tent at that moment. He didn’t want the human, Annabelle, to stay there. He wished she hadn’t caused this mess, and that he didn’t now have to deal with an angry Shadow Keeper. When Shadow Keepers got angry, people got hurt. And no one, no one, stood between a Keeper and their chosen mate, especially in Balruin. The Keepers of Balruin still followed some of the old ways, including ritual challenges for mates. A bloody, terrible business that was, and Helion had no desire to challenge Nefarion. He wanted to check on Mithrain, plan the next day’s campaign, then have a quiet meal with his mate followed by several hours in bed with her.
Instead, he strode into Nefarion’s tent, barely restraining a sigh when several Balruin Keepers turned in his direction. In truth, just having Nefarion in his company frequently disturbed his peace of mind. Having an extra dozen Shadow Keepers on top of Nefarion was nigh unacceptable, especially since these were the best of the best of Nefarion’s personal palace guard. A dozen of the most efficient and deadly killers that Arthaneas had ever produced. Lovely.
“I’ll come right to the point, Nefarion. Annabelle has contested your mate claim. She said she offered you one night only, and that she doesn’t wish to be a princess, or a queen. Here on Earth it’s not unusual for women to be intimate with men they have no intention of mating with, so I can’t dismiss her claim out of hand. What say you to this?”
Helion wasn’t surprised when Nefarion’s eyes merely narrowed, no other expression crossing his features. It was a testament to his upset that the eyes gave him away at all, Nefarion was as hard to read as he himself was. But whatever Helion couldn’t see with his eyes, he felt with his other senses.
He tasted rage in the air. Rage, disappointment, and even…hurt. The other Shadow Keepers said nothing, merely looked to Nefarion and waited. Helion knew that if he wanted, Nefarion could order his men to take Annabelle from his tent and stopping them would cost many, many lives. And even if it would mean their deaths, those Keepers would do as Nefarion bid without hesitation.
“I say that I informed Annabelle of my intention to mate her before I took her. And I say I have planted my seed inside her and it could already be growing life as we speak. So, I deny her rejection, and demand you to send her here to me.”
Helion swallowed the sigh he wanted to let loose, and kept his own expression impassive. This would not end well. Nefarion had kept his tone appropriate for one speaking to their commanding officer, but both knew that back on Arthaneas, they were quite equals in status. Getting Nefarion to obey orders on regular days was hard enough. Trying to get him to accept the rejection of his chosen mate was almost definitely a task doomed to failure.
“We have rules while engaging the Scourge on this planet, Nefarion. The lady has denied your claim. I cannot force her to accept you as a mate, but I also do not wish to deny you the mate you have chosen. So here is what I propose. I will have Nathal confirm whether your seed planted. If it did not, I will…persuade…the young lady to allow you to court her and ease her into accepting you as her mate. That is the key here, Nefarion. We need her to accept you of her own free will.”
“You said if my seed did not plant. What if it did?”
Helion eyeballed Nefarion, wishing he’d just left it at that. He didn’t want to consider the hell his mate would rain down on him if he didn’t come back to the tent and assure her that Nefarion would diligently work towards wooing his mate. Gwen loved him, but she also had a kind heart. And that kind heart couldn’t stand by while a woman from her own planet was forced into mating against her wishes.
Nefarion’s deadly stare and the shadows creeping along the edges of his form urged Helion to caution though. His mate’s wrath he could survive. And while his odds of surviving a skirmish with one or even a few Balruin Keepers were good, for damned sure he wouldn’t survive thirteen of them. He had too much at stake to lose now, and he didn’t want the challenge.
“If it did plant this discussion is moot. She would have your heir growing inside her, and we know from my own mate’s experience that our progeny with humans do require our essence to grow. No one would dispute your right to ensure the survival and health of your child. But before you take her back to your bed, you need to convince her that taking you and saving your child is the path she wants to take. And I would only ask that, no matter which path you both must walk, you treat your new mate very carefully. Human females have many hidden depths and strengths, but they are also very physically fragile and as mates they will have many emotional needs that must be met.”
Helion waited for Nefarion’s response, relieved when he got a slow, considering nod. Still, Helion wasn’t sure which option he’d offered would be more beneficial to little Annabelle. Either way Helion was certain Nefarion would have his mate. If Nefarion wooed her and earned her affections, so much the better. But if Annabelle was pregnant, no force on Earth or Arthaneas would stop Nefarion from taking immediate possession of her. Poor child, she should have shown better judgment than letting the prince of scoundrels into her bed.
“Excellent. I will have Nathal attend me in my tent now. He will do a quick scan of Annabelle and confirm which path you will take. I will link with you and share the results as soon as we know, and you and I will discuss this further after.”
Helion turned to leave, but stopped when he felt a couple hundred pounds of aggressive Balruin Keeper at his back. It wasn’t unheard of for a Shadow Keeper to slice into an enemy when their back was turned. But Helion wasn’t concerned for his safety, not really. Nefarion had his own sense of honor, and their people weren’t even at war with each other. So, he just turned his head slightly, and cocked one brow at Nefarion in question.
“I will be present when Nathal inspects my mate Commander. If she carries our child, I will be among the first to know, not the last.”
Helion nodded slowly. It was a reasonable request, though not one his mate would have wanted him to agree to. But Nefarion, as the father, should indeed be one of the first to know if the miracle of a child was in his future. Helion remembered the pure joy he had felt when Nathal told him that Gwen carried his child, and he wouldn’t deny that to Nefarion. So, he walked on, calling for Nathal on his way back to his tent. Mithrain was stable for now, and this scan wouldn’t take long.
Chapter 16
Annabelle paced the tent, unable to do anything else. Gwen had been sweet, and supportive, but her husband was a cold bastard. She didn’t trust that Helion was doing what she wanted, and she didn’t really believe that Nefarion would agree even if Helion was. She wasn’t scared of him…hell, yes she was. She wasn’t afraid he would hurt her, far from it. But she feared his ruthlessness, of his dominating nature. Having already made up her mind that their relationship wasn’t going to work, she didn’t want her resolve tested.
But, it appeared that she wasn’t going to get her wish. Because when Helion arrived back at the tent, Nefarion was right on his heels, along with another Keeper. Annabelle swallowed hard, fighting to keep her pulse from beating too hard in her chest. She hadn’t had a panic attack in years, but she felt inches away from one now, especially after spying Nefarion’s face. It was the blank slate it always showed, but she was experienced enough with him by now to understand how furious he was. Oh, God.
“Annabelle, as you see, I’ve brought Nefarion to discuss this issue in more depth. This other Keeper here is our head Healer, Nathal. Nefarion brought to my attention the fact that he might have put a child inside you last night. I will have Nathal scan you to confirm whether that’s the case, and we will proceed from there.”
Annabelle stood stunned for a moment. Nathal was walking towards her, his eyes an improbable shade of lavender. He was tall, and slender, and seemed more gentle than the other Keepers in the room. Even still, Annabelle didn’t want him to examine her, didn’t need him to.
“I’m sorry Commander, but that’s not necessary. I have an implant that protects me against pregnancy. I had it put in just a couple months before the invasion, so I’m sure it’s still functioning fine. And even if it wasn’t, you can’t tell if a human woman is pregnant for several weeks after having sex…”
Annabelle’s throat closed on the words when she saw Nefarion slowly walking towards her. He was stalking her, there was no other word for it. He looked fucking furious, and Annabelle had no idea why, so she clammed up and just watched him warily.
“Confirm that Nathal. Confirm there’s something inside my mate that will stop my seed from planting. If there is, remove it. Now.”
Nefarion’s voice rose on that last, still softly spoken, but everyone in the room now watched him the same way Annabelle was. They had good reason to, because even though he looked calm, the shadows had begun creeping around his form, an agitated aura just waiting to be unleashed. Every eye in the room watched those shadows with bated breath, before turning to look back at Annabelle.
“You can scan me if you like, there is a small plastic device implanted in my uterine wall. But I won’t allow you to remove it.”
It took all of Annabelle’s courage to say that last, while keeping her eyes locked to Nefarion’s. At her words the shadows writhed around him, but they didn’t reach out to strike anyone, thank God. Who ever thought that plain, socially awkward Annabelle would have ever been in this situation? Caught in a struggle between maintaining her autonomy, and trying to placate the beast staring at her like his next meal.
Nathal looked at Helion, and at his nod he approached Annabelle slowly. She didn’t know what to expect, but all Nathal did was extend a hand towards her belly. There was no pain, no touch or feeling at all. One minute his hand was an inch from her, and the next he was
stepping away. Amazing.
“The lady speaks the truth, Lord Commander. There is a tiny device inside her, attached to the wall of her womb. There is no child seeded there, and that small object will prevent one from taking root.”
Annabelle stared at the healer, confused. She could swear underneath that cool, impassive tone that there was a note of criticism. Why would they care if she had an IUD? It was a very common birth control device. Sure, she hadn’t technically needed it, since she’d never been in a real relationship. But she had been making some progress towards going on a real date with one of her coworkers before the invasion, and she liked to cover all her bases. Now she could only be extremely thankful for her foresight, it would have been a disaster if Nefarion had gotten her pregnant.
“Remove it, Healer Nathal.” Nefarion’s voice came, rougher and more biting than before.
Annabelle stared at him warily, not knowing what to say to diffuse him. If she conceded and let Nathal remove her implant, she had a strong suspicion she’d be literally fucked until he put a baby in her. And when that happened…he’d never let them go, never let her go. If she had any chances of escaping the type of life she knew she wasn’t suited for, she needed to keep him out of her body. Even if the image of a baby with long black hair was trying to tug at her consciousness.
“I don’t want it removed, Nefarion. I don’t want to have a baby, I’m not ready to be a mother. And I can’t be a mother for your children. I told you, and I told Commander Helion, I’m rejecting your claim. I…care for you. I do. But I don’t want that life. I’m a solitary person, it’s always been just me and my stars. I can’t be a princess, and I can’t be a queen. And while Earth is still so imperiled and fragmented, I can’t be a mother.”
They stared at each other for a long time, everyone else in the tent forgotten. Annabelle tried to show him with her eyes how she felt. How sad, how desperate. She willed him to just let go, and at the same time she didn’t want him to give up on her. What a crazy jumble she was. Too scared to take him, too much in love to really want to push him away. In the end, it was Helion who broke their staring contest, else it might have lasted quite some time.