by Riley Walker
“Growing up in the shifter community is nothing like living as a Fey. Here, we have to fight for dominance. As a young man, I knew I needed to prove myself, and I wanted to move up in the ranks. I slowly fought my way from the bottom of the pack to the top. One man stood in my way of becoming Alpha. He was the reigning Alpha and a sadistic man. He had no business leading anyone. The fight started out like all the rest until he unsheathed his claws. He had dipped them in silver. That is the one thing shifters can’t heal from. It slowly poisons our blood stream, and if Hawkeye had not been able to get me to the healer, I would have died. Instead, I am left with this reminder. I don't think of it as a scar. It is my badge of honor.”
“Oh, Rook. What happened to the other Alpha?”
“I killed him, of course. I am the Alpha now.”
I have no words of comfort for him. Our faces are just a breath away when he crushes his lips to mine, like a desperate man needing water. This is a kiss full of lust and passion. I greedily give back just as much as he is giving. I am suddenly pulled across his hard body, and am now straddling his hips. The fire that this man ignites in me is almost unbearable. I can’t help but get lost in his touch as he grabs my hair, forcefully pulling my head back, so he can bite and suck his way down my throat to my collar bone. He licks the sensitive spot where my shoulder and neck meet, and I come undone. We waste no time removing each other’s clothes. I am now pinned beneath his massive body as he slowly makes his way down, using his expert tongue to send goosebumps across my skin. His large callused hands massage my breasts before he bites each nipple to the point of pain, causing a wetness to gather between my thighs.
“Tell me what you want, Cara. I need to hear you say it.”
I shake my head no, too embarrassed to say it.
“Say the words. Tell me what you need, and I will give it to you.”
“Kiss me.”
“Where, Cara?”
“Everywhere.”
“Always, my Cara.”
Rook lowers his head and begins running his tongue across my stomach, paying extra attention to my belly button. I can’t help the snort that comes out. Rook lifts his head, raising an eyebrow in question. I just shrug and push his head right back down.
His tongue licks me from the bottom of my folds to the top, stopping only long enough to suck on my sensitive nub. The feeling of his mouth sucking and biting my clit drives me insane. Rook slips one of his thick callused fingers into me and curves it inward. Oh, my lord! This has my toes curling, and I begin to see stars. He adds another finger, rubbing that one spot that sends me over the edge. I ride out my orgasm as he continues sucking and pumping his fingers, until my last tremor fades.
Rook lifts his head and crawls up my body. He kisses me hard, the taste of me on his lips only makes me want him more. With one hard thrust, he sinks all the way in. I can tell this is not going to be a slow love making when he starts to pound into me vigorously. His gaze locks onto mine with such fierceness that it is terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. I swear I can see his beast looking back at me. My hips meet his, thrust for thrust, until he pulls out of me and tosses me onto my knees. He grabs my hips, pulling them back and sinks into me again. I lower my upper body, giving him better access as he starts pounding into me faster and faster. I feel like we are wild animals trying to satisfy our carnal desires.
He moves his hand between my thighs and begins circling my nub with his thumb. I feel the orgasm building, my body tensing as it takes over me. I barely have time to catch my breath before I feel Rook releasing himself all over my back.
I look over my shoulder, giving him my best ‘what the hell’ look.
“Seriously? Did you just do what I think you did?”
“We have already done this once unprotected. We don’t need little ones running around anytime soon, Cara. Stay still and I’ll get something to clean you off with.”
I watch Rook jump from the bed and walk over to his dresser. This man is hot, but a naked Rook . . . have mercy.
He makes his way back to me and begins to gently clean off my back. I feel him place a kiss between my shoulder blades before he settles back into bed, pulling me tight against his chest.
The last thoughts I have before drifting off to sleep are about my Knight. I have developed feelings for Rook, but my love for Edrik has not diminished. I feel guilty about being with Rook, but both are my fated mates. I don't know what to do about any of this. I close my eyes and drift off into a disturbed sleep.
11
Loyalties Tested (Hawkeye’s POV)
“Sir, you needed to see me?”
“Yes I do. Have a seat, Hawkeye.”
I sit in front of the man that has been like a father to me. War has made him more haggard, his black hair now showing signs of grey at the temples, his stone-grey eyes marred with creases. He may be getting older, but he is still built like a tree. Armand is not someone that I would ever want to trifle with.
Armand took me in when my parents were both killed by rogue shifters and helped me work up the ranks to become Rook’s second in command. I owe him my life and my loyalty.
“What can I do for you, Armand?”
“It’s Rook. I am worried about him and where his head is at. I know he had you follow the Princess to the Earth Realm. He seems to have developed feelings for her. Should we be worried?”
I rub my hand down my face, uncertain of how I should answer him. Where I am loyal to Armand, Rook is my best friend and commander. I do not want to violate his trust, but I can’t lie to Armand, either.
“I can see you are having a problem answering my question, Hawkeye. Let me make this easier on you. Do you think the Princess will get in the way of Rook doing what is best for the Renegades?”
“To be honest, I wonder about where his head has been since she arrived here. She seems to have gotten under his skin quickly. I know he is hoping that having her here, seeing the way the Inferiors are being treated and the issues with the mining, will persuade her to work with us and make the changes we have demanded. I do not doubt his loyalty to you or the resistance, but I wonder if she might be a distraction we can’t afford.”
“I agree with you. That is why I have decided to test the loyalty of Rook. There is a shipment of minerals headed to the Dark Fey Kingdom right now. I want you to inform Rook of this, and tell him I want it intercepted and brought back here. In reality, the shipment is going to be delivered to the Dark Fey castle and then destroyed, taking out as many as we can in the process. It will be our version of the Trojan Horse.”
“Why can’t you just tell Rook the real plans? Do you honestly think that he would refuse to let this happen because of her?”
“That is just it, Hawkeye. I don’t know, but I plan on testing him and seeing just where his loyalty really does lay. With us, or between the Princess’s legs.”
12
Jerkface
There is a loud cough from outside the tent. “Hey, Rook, I need to speak with you. In private.”
Rook slides out of bed, and I instantly miss the warmth of his large body surrounding me. He walks out of the tent, but not so far away that I cannot hear the conversation between him and Hawkeye.
“What is it, Hawkeye?”
“Armand has sent me to tell you that he has an important mission. You need to go west and retrieve the minerals that are being delivered to the Dark Fey Kingdom.”
“Isn't that a job for my lieutenants? I have more important things to deal with here.”
“Do you mean the Princess?”
“No, I was referring to the resistance. I have a lot of planning and strategizing to do, but if he feels like this is that important, then I need to go. You will take care of the Princess in my absence. Do not let one hair on her head be harmed.”
“I will take care of her. You have my word, Rook.”
Rook enters the tent, and I try, unsuccessfully, to pretend I am still asleep.
“Cara, I know you are awake.
I have to go, but Hawkeye has promised to look after you.”
He begins to get dressed in his normal attire of a black fitted t-shirt, black cargo pants, and combat boots. He leans over and kisses me on the forehead, then walks out of the tent.
I am still laying in his bed an hour or so later when Hawkeye bursts into the tent. I have not bothered to get dressed yet since I have nothing to do.
“What are you doing in here? Have you not heard of knocking?” I yell at him while tightening the covers over my chest.
“There is no need to knock when Rook is not here. You, Princess, are a prisoner and are afforded no such luxuries. Besides, it is nothing I haven't seen before. Get dressed. I have rounds to make, and I promised Rook I would not leave you alone.”
Hawkeye just stands there staring at me. “Could you at least turn around so I can get dressed?”
“Nope. Now hurry up, we are wasting daylight.”
He shall now be known as Jerkface.
Two can play at this game. I drop the covers and stand up in all my naked glory. Shelby would be so proud of me. I walk over to the trunk where Rook stored the clothes he gave me and bend over in front of Jerkface. I slowly get dressed in the same attire the Renegades wear. Where do they get these tight t-shirts? When I am finally dressed, I turn around to see a look of concentration on his face. Let that show him that I will not be intimidated.
“I’m ready. Let’s go,” I say as I walk out of the tent.
It takes a few minutes before Hawkeye steps outside.
“You should never tease a shifter, Princess. We like to play games.”
13
Getting Dirty
I follow Hawkeye as he walks through the camp, stopping at several tents here and there to check on the children. Many have been left behind while their parents are away mining or hunting food for the camp. Hawkeye informs me that everyone contributes and everyone has a job.
“We are all equals here, Princess. Even you.”
The old me, the one before my time in the Earth Realm, would have been appalled by his statement. The new me wants to show him just what this Princess is made of. I spent three years on my own in the Earth Realm, and I am no longer that spoiled little girl.
“Good to know, Hawkeye. I would like to help any way I can.”
We walk farther away from the camp, and I hear women laughing. As we approach the huge community garden, the voices go silent, and everyone stares at us.
“That is not exactly the reaction I was hoping for.”
“What did you expect, Princess? One of your fancy parties?”
I leave Hawkeye’s side and head to the first group of women I see. They are surrounded by baskets of different vegetables. I grab an empty basket and head straight for the blackberry bushes off to the side. I kneel on the ground and begin picking the ripe berries, stopping every so often to pop one into my mouth. A shadow falls over me. I look up to see Hawkeye standing behind me. I reach into my basket and offer him one of the blackberries. He takes it from my hand, giving me a strange look before placing it in his mouth. A burly man with a bald head and a red beard waves Hawkeye over. He leaves me to my task and approaches the familiar man. I recognize him from the poker game a few nights ago.
Several hours of picking berries later, I am pretty sure I have all the ripe ones. I am surprised to see that I have at least ten baskets of blackberries. I was so focused on my task, that I had not realized Hawkeye had been replacing full baskets with empty ones. He has barely left my side all day. I stand up and brush the dirt off as best I can and look for another chore I can help with.
“What are you looking for, Princess?”
“Well, I am done here, and I would like to continue helping.”
He gives me an astonished look.
“Don’t be so surprised, Hawk. Out here, I am just Franchesca, not Princess.”
“The name is Hawkeye, Franchesca.”
“Did you think I would sit around all day and do nothing? Believe it or not, I do care about these people, Hawk.”
“Forgive me for not believing that you have their best interests in mind, Princess. I have heard enough lies spewed from the mouths of Royals before.”
“What happened to you, Hawk? What made you decide to become involved in the Renegades?”
“My story is boring and none of your business. However, I know how nosy and unrelenting you can be, so the short version is this: both of my parents were killed by rogue shifters, and the leader of the Renegades took me in, introduced me to Rook, and the rest is history.”
“Well, that’s quite the story. What do you say you walk with me down to the stream, so I can see what is going on down there?”
I wink at him and walk away. There is a stream that runs along the side of the garden. I’m sure that makes watering the garden more convenient. There are several women downstream washing clothes. That seems like a good job to tackle next. I bend over to take off my shoes and roll up my pants’ legs. When I straighten back up, I see several women staring at me. I guess I should get used to it. Shrugging my shoulders, I grab the first dirty garment I see and a bar of soap. I step into the stream and start washing the shirt in my hands. The women start talking again, and I am happy to have the cool water caressing my feet and calves.
“Excuse me, Princess, but what are you doing? We can handle the clothes. Do you have some that you would like us to wash?”
“No, actually these are the only clothes I have here. Rook borrowed them from someone in the camp.”
An adorable girl who could not be older than ten starts giggling. She has corkscrew blonde curls and the sweetest smile I have ever seen. Her sky-blue eyes look off into a daze as she says, “Isn’t Rook sooo dreamy?”
I can’t help but let out a snort at this. This girl has a crush on Rook. She is so cute.
“Ummm, I guess so.”
I continue scrubbing the laundry when an older lady who looks just like the little girl, lays her hand on my forearm.
“Thank you for helping us, Princess. I will make sure some clean clothes are sent back to Rook’s tent.”
“I would really appreciate that. Please, call me Franchesca. I don’t see any Princesses out here.”
“You are most welcome, Franchesca. My name is Helen and this is my daughter, Annie.”
“I’m pleased to meet you both.”
“Franchesca, it’s time to head back to the camp,” Hawkeye hollers at me.
I roll down my pants and put my shoes on. I follow him back to the garden where he grabs a basket of tomatoes and nods for me to grab one filled with peppers.
I’m walking behind him when he turns his head back toward me.
“You did good today. The people need to see you are willing to help us.”
“I am always willing to help my people.”
He stops suddenly and rounds on me with a glare in his eye. “These are not your people. These are mine and Rook’s people. Your people are the Royals back in the Light Fey Kingdom. You may have helped them, but it was only one day. What will they do when you leave to go back to your fancy castle?”
I am taken aback by his statement. I am the future Queen of the Light and Dark Fey Kingdoms. Hopefully, they will give me a chance to prove that I can be a worthy Queen to all of my people.
I stand tall, squaring my shoulders, and walk off with the basket, raising my hand in the air and giving him the middle finger. It’s a universal sign in all realms. He quickly catches up to me, and we walk back to the camp in silence.
14
Taking Back Control
Hawkeye leads me to the area where the fire pit is located. Off to one side is a table set up with several women chopping and preparing vegetables. They are grilling venison and roasting the vegetables. We both place our baskets down next to the others.
“Good evening, ladies. Dinner smells delicious.” I notice several of the women blushing and batting their eyelashes at Hawkeye, but he doesn’t seem to notice.
&nb
sp; “Franchesca, do you plan on helping with dinner, too?”
“Not unless you want me to burn the camp down.”
He shakes his head and laughs at me. “Why don’t you go freshen up and meet me at tonight’s poker game.”
“Sure thing, Hawk,” I say as I saunter off to Rook’s tent.
There is a set of fresh clothes waiting for me on the bed. Helen is an angel. I clean up in Rook’s makeshift shower. Damn, it’s cold. Dressing quickly, I leave the tent and make my way to the warm bonfire. I am finally feeling toasty when Helen comes up beside me.
“Thank you so much for the clean clothes.”
“You are most welcome, Princess, I mean Franchesca. I saw you with Hawkeye today. Is he your fellow?”
“My fellow?” I can’t help the laughter and snort that flows out of my mouth. “Oh, hell no! More like my babysitter.”
“Well, Franchesca, he can babysit me anytime.”
This has me bursting out in laughter all over again. I like this woman. I look up across the bonfire, and Hawkeye is already seated at the poker table. I am surprised to see a small smile on his face.
“Excuse me, Helen. I have a poker game to win.” I nod to her and walk toward the table.
Over the next few days, I continue working in the garden and helping Helen and Annie with the laundry. I find myself enjoying the labor and the camaraderie of the Inferiors. Here, amongst these people, I am just Franchesca.
The days go by quickly, and the nights are entertaining. When will these men learn that I am the queen of the poker table? Tonight is especially entertaining because Roy, the bald red-bearded man, suggests strip poker. By the sixth hand of the card game, I am still sitting here fully clothed, except for my boots, and the men around me are all in different stages of undress. That is the moment he returns.