by Jana LaPelle
As the sun begins to rise, we come upon an abandoned dolmen portal. It’s about five hundred yards ahead of us. There they are, Tarron and his men poised to walk through the portal at sunrise. My panther roars, and we charge the group. Our muscles bunching as we race toward the mound, knowing we will be too late. Tarron turns his gaze towards us as he acknowledges my war cry. His face is blank, utterly devoid of emotion before he turns back to the dolmen before him. As the sun crests the horizon, the inside of the portal begins to shimmer and then flares to life. I'm four hundred yards out as I watch Tarron carry our mate through the portal, taking his entourage with him. The bastard is carrying an unconscious Ashlinn, and our roar can be heard echoing throughout the valley. He should never touch her! Two hundred yards out I see the portal begin to close and another roar issues from us again. One day will pass in the Otherworld but fourteen days will pass in the Mortal Realm. She will be without me for fourteen days, and I give into my inner beast as our roars reverberate throughout the Realm.
I vow at that moment that I will show him no mercy. I will tear the selfish bastard, limb from limb. My wrath will have no limit and will not be contained. Now we wait. We will avenge the wrong that has been done here this day.
Chapter 6
(Ashlinn)
There is a quick staccato knock on the door to the room, and I watch as the door knob turns very slowly before the door begins to open. I've pressed as far into the corner away from the entrance as I can go without looking as frightened as I know myself to be. Tarron peers through the opening, his vivid green eyes find mine and the attraction is instantaneous. I inhale sharply as I bite down on my lower lip. I know that my eyes are wide as I watch him enter the room. I can literally feel my soul revolt against the imposter before us. As I stare at the dark prince, I concentrate on the pull toward him and try to visualize the artificial bond compared to my kindred and mate bond. Slowly, I'm beginning to distinguish a difference.
“You’re awake.” He says as he continues to observe me and I’m shook from my revelry.
I decide to take a snarky approach, “Yes, I believe that is quite apparent, captain obvious.”
He rewards me with a crooked grin, and I swallow again because any woman, no matter her preference, would find him extremely attractive, in a bad boy kind of way. His dark, dirty blond hair is somewhat long and unruly with golden blond highlights and is swept back away from his forehead. He's sporting day old scruff. His face is angular but in a good way. Thank the gods he doesn't have dimples.
Still smiling he says, “Are you hungry? I would like to invite you to break your fast with me. Are you agreeable?”
Feeling defiant, I say, “I am hungry but would prefer to eat in my room with Jasmine.”
"Ah… yes. The prickly sprite, I have been threatened numerous times with a pixie dusting. As soon as I can arrange it, she will be going back to Faerie. I did not bargain for you and a companion." The dark prince says sternly.
“I assure you Prince Tarron that I did not bargain for this set of circumstances, so the pixie stays!” I say sternly.
“If it will make you feel more at ease then I will allow her to remain. As long as she behaves herself, no pixie dusting any of my men and she will not interfere where I am concerned. What happens between us from this moment forward is between us.” Tarron says in a tone daring me to become argumentative.
"You have my word. Jasmine will be my chaperone, and that is all. She will only interfere if you cross a line that should not be crossed. That includes seducing me using your incubus pheromones. You will respect me and my wishes. I gave you an option before that did not include forcing my hand." I state resolutely.
He eyes me curiously and then says, “Very well. But that does not mean that she can pixie dust me whenever she wants. I mean it, Princess. If she miss behaves just once, I will send her back to Faerie. Now that that’s settled, how soon will you be ready for breakfast? I will arrange to have the morning meal brought to the outer chambers.” He says questioningly. His serious eyes have not left mine.
"I have no clean clothes and nothing to wear other than what I have on now," I argue as my chin lifts in defiance.
“Of course you do. I saw to it that there were plenty of clothes for your use.” He moves to another door and opens it with a flourish. I’m astounded by the vast amount of dresses within the closet, dresses, upon dresses, upon gowns, upon items of clothing that I will never wear day to day.
I snort as I ask, “Where is the day to day clothing? What am I supposed to wear to train in?”
“Train? You will not be training. You are meant to be my queen. You will stand by my side once I take the throne from The Morrígan. Until then I will keep you out of harm’s way. I will protect you.” He says with stoic determination.
Making my way into the overly large closet, I peruse my choices and then say, “Whatever. I want several pairs of jeans and some tee shirts. You will make these available to me as well as computer access. I have research that I need to do. For today, I will wear one of these outfits only because there is nothing else for me. I will meet you in the outer chambers in thirty minutes.” I say as I flounce away with a rather drab dress in hand.
“Might I suggest…” Tarron begins.
“No. You may not. I will be out shortly.” I say as I walk into the bathroom and promptly shut the door on his handsome face.
I slump against the door and gather myself together. Sliding to the ground, I desperately attempt to push back against the pull of the blood contract. Now I can differentiate between the two. That's a plus. Not that it's going to help. My will is going to be tested. I think back to what Jasmine said, every time I feel drawn to him, I will think of the child that I carry that is just one more tie that binds me to my kindred, to Alaric. On another note, I’m so ravenous I could eat my weight in breakfast. Maybe that will dissuade my unwanted suitor.
As I finish getting myself together, I look at myself in the mirror. Since my transformation, I have never looked less appealing. The dress is not attractive at all and is ill fitting, and the color does not suit me. I'm pleased with the look as I exit the bathroom. Jasmine is waiting for me and smiles when she sees me.
"Well, that's attractive." She says with a cheeky grin.
‘That’s the idea. All right, the dark lord is waiting. Let’s go.” I say.
As we enter the outer chambers of my rooms, I see a massive spread waiting for me, and my stomach growls loudly. It's only been about eight hours since I ate but it feels like three or four days. Now that the event has come to pass, I realize that the days leading up to this I hardly ate at all and like before I feel as though I'm playing catch up. My new metabolism is rearing its ugly head. Tarron is waiting for me, and I notice several of his men in the peripheral areas of the room. My stomach, predictably, likes to announce how very hungry I am. I look up to see several of the males try to hide their smirks. So I take that as my cue, and I say, "This may take a while. My shifter side is insatiable. I find that I can now out eat most large, physically fit, grown men."
Tarron takes my comment in stride and says, “Please, satisfy your needs.”
Before pregnancy, my hunger was beyond anything I could imagine, but now I’m beginning to notice that my hunger is constant and I fill my plate and start to dig in. There are eggs, biscuits, bacon, sausage, hash browns, gravy, grits, ham, English muffins, pancakes, French toast, maple syrup. OMG, my stomach has died and gone to heaven. I have two plates in front of me as I begin to wolf down a bit of everything before me. As I empty the plates in front of me, I reach for a clean plate and begin to fill up.
I'm so totally absorbed in the moment that I don't even notice Tarron until I hear him say, "You have a rather ferocious appetite. Has it always been this way or only after your first shift?”
In between mouthfuls of food I say, "Only after I shifted. I've lost about ten pounds or so since the shift, and I feel like I'm constantly trying to play catch up. I hope you don't
mind. If my eating habits bother you, I can eat in my chambers. Leading up to last night I really didn't eat as I should, and my cat is reminding me that I'm playing catch up." I say around a mouthful of food. Everything is so good that I find myself moaning over the contents of my third plate. I take a moment to assess whether or not I'm still hungry. I am, so I plate the fourth plate of food. I fill it with pancakes and sausage and bacon. Yum! I continue to stuff myself, and I will gladly fall into a food coma if that is an option but sadly, no.
“No. You will eat whatever you need to maintain your strength and your weight. I like you as you are. In fact, if I’m not mistaken you had slightly more curves the night I saw you for the first time. Eat your fill. I want to see you fill out again. I want to see the curves I saw a few weeks ago because I am now noticing that they are sadly lacking.” He says, eyeing me critically.
"Well, that may take several weeks of me stuffing my face. Nothing short of me inhaling daily amounts of food has been able to help me gain weight since I started losing it. No matter what I eat or how much I take in, I have still lost weight.
“Are you still hungry?” He asks with a smile.
I smile back and say, “I could probably eat a little more. Is that a problem?”
"No. Fill up," Tarron says with an indulgent smile as I continue to devour my breakfast. I've lost count as I begin to feel full. If possible, I'm drunk on food. I feel sated for the time being and know that it is only a matter of time that I wake up to reality.
Leaning back in my seat, I realize that the incubus opposite me has not even plated any food and I eye him curiously as I ask, “Are you not hungry? You must be rather disgusted with my eating habits.”
"Not at all, we have quite a few shifters amongst my men, and they all have ferocious appetites. For that very reason, the kitchens are open and manned around the clock. As for myself, I require a different sustenance. I do however eat on occasion." He says as he studies me for my reaction.
Cocking my head as I think back to several nights ago, I blurt out, “How does that work, what you were doing to that woman the other night? Is it a sexual act? How does that sustain you? Do you require food at all?” I ask gesturing to the remaining food on the table.
Seeing that I'm genuinely curious, he simply says, "No the act does not need to be a sexual act. Although, I rarely feed from males and only then it is to drain them to gain the upper hand in battle. It leaves the opponent weak and disoriented but restores my reserve. That is a painful feeding for the male and one that I would never inflict on a female. What you observed the other night was consensual. I have many females that willingly allow me to feed from them and in return, I see to it that they enjoy the experience, immensely." He says with a smirk as he gages my reaction.
“So you have a harem? I assume that these females are your sexual partners as well.” I ask bluntly and hear one of the males behind me make a sound that is a cross between a snort and a cough as I wait for Tarron’s response.
“If that were the case, would that bother you?” He asks.
"Why should that bother me?" I shoot back but realize that it does, and I'm beginning to question my sanity as I continue with a shrug, “That's your business. Let's get something straight. After everything was said and done over the last several weeks, you still chose to bring me to you, knowing that I belong to another. This dark majical bond that is pulling us together is not real. It is a fabrication, an imposter. My kindred and mate bond are still there, and I find that I am being pulled in opposite directions. At some point, you will tire of me and my constant refusal of this binding. So what you chose to do in your private time is your business." I conclude.
Again, he studies me quietly before a wicked grin appears on his face as he says, “I can see that it does, in fact, bother you. Would you prefer that I send them away? I can pleasure you in their stead. I know that I would prefer it to be that way as well.”
I realize that I'm torn. What the hell? I shouldn't care what he does, but I find that I do and I'm not sure how to answer and for the first time I see Jasmine giving me a questioning look that brings me back to reality with a sudden jolt as I attempt to come off uncaring. "Whatever. That's your business, but I assure you, you will not be pleasuring me." I say defiantly, but I find that I'm incredibly turned on by the idea. Damn it. For a moment, I concentrate on the dark binding, and I can visualize it as it continues to tighten its hold on me. When I look up, I see that Tarron is as caught up in the pull as I am and I decide that I need some time away from my dark captor. "If you will excuse me, I think that I need a nap, I have not slept well in days."
As I rise, so does Tarron. He walks me to the door to my inner sanctuary. He lingers a moment as he stares down into my eyes. He lifts a hand to trail his index finger down the side of my cheek in a soft caress and as the moment lingers I find that I want to lean into him but fight the pull with everything I have. Pulling back from him, I turn and walk back through the door to my bedroom with an oddly quiet Jasmine.
Tarron speaks up before I can close the door on him and says, "You are not to leave your rooms." The spell is broken, as he effectively reminds me that I am his possession, his prisoner.
I swallow hard and turn away from him, and I hear the door click shut behind me. I walk over to close the window that was left ajar. The day is cool, dank, and dark and the room is as well. I turn on a lamp. The room is spacious and comfortable. There is a sitting area in one corner of the space with several bookcases full of books. The sofa like lounge chair looks comfortable and inviting. The bed takes up most of the space and is a large four poster. The colors of the room are very neutral. I wander over to the bed and collapse upon it as I feel the darkness pull me toward Tarron and my soul weeps for the loss of our true mate. This brief encounter has been exhausting, and the only comfort I find, is in the knowledge that I carry a part of Alaric with me, and I embrace the child I carry as I drift off to sleep.
Chapter 7
(Ashlinn)
Day 4
Over the course of the next few days, I lock myself away in my chambers wallowing in my misery. I surface only long enough to eat, and then I go back to huddling under the covers of my bed, hiding from the inevitable. Tarron comes to the door multiple times, only for me to turn him away. During this time, Jasmine has been very quiet giving me my space until this very moment.
"Enough is enough, Ashlinn! I've been patient with you. I’ve been quiet allowing you time to adjust, but by the goddess, Ash you stink and need a shower. I will no longer share these quarters with you and your foul odor. It's well past time that you get your ass up and get dressed." Throwing the covers back to allow the light of day to invade my dark cocoon, I see that my tiny friend is fuming. I ponder her standing beside me on the bedside table with her hands on her hips, glaring at me, and I know she's right. I smell. Yep, it’s official, I’ve become the source of the foul odor she’s talking about. I think I’ll have this dress burned after I shower. It’s the same dress that I wore my first morning here. That was three days ago.
I sigh as I throw the covers off of me and address my dear friend, "Okay, Jaz, you're right. I'll shower." I say. The room has a certain chill, and for the first time in days, I conjure a small ball of flames and direct it to the wood and kindling in the fireplace grate and watch the fire come to life. I walk over to the window and open it ajar to let the room air out as I go to the closet to find something to wear. I groan in frustration as, once again, I find no pants, only dresses that are more like vintage gowns. It's at that moment that I come up with a plan. If it's a princess he wants then a princess he shall get. "Jasmine, I'm going to need your help. Are you up for some fun?" I ask.
She looks at me with wide eyes as a grin begins to appear on her beautiful little face, "Thank the goddess, you're back! I'm in, what's your plan?" I quickly share with her my cunning little plan, and I go about gathering some things together. It’s simple really, he wants a queen. I’ll just give him what he thinks he
wants and play dress up at the same time. Hopefully, I will be able to get the dark prince to open up to me and gain his trust. I quickly shower and dry my hair. The gown I chose has a medieval appearance, and as I step into it, Jasmine makes quick work of the back and cinches me in. As I look at myself critically in the mirror, I feel as if I'm looking at a stranger. The warmth has gone from my amber eyes, and my face has a bit of a hollow look to it, other than that I think that the look will do. The dress is a deep midnight blue with a scoop neck that barely contains my breast and displays the delicate column of my neck and exposed shoulders. It's form fitting down to mid hip where it flares ever so slightly, and the hem of the skirt rests on my toes with a bit of a train behind me. The sleeves begin at the very upper most part of my arm, and they come to rest at the top of my wrists but flare to a point and hang past my knees on the underside of my arm. There is an intricate golden embroidery that adorns the hem of the dress, the neckline, and the hem of the sleeves. The inner sleeve is a contrasting gold silk, and there is a medieval style sash that rests on my hips, the buckle is in a triquetra design and rests low in the center of my belly pointing downward. The sash itself is gold and straight and almost reaches the hem of the skirt. The dress definitely accentuates all the right places. I find that I'm sporting more cleavage than I'm comfortable with and my curves are all on full display.
While I was in the shower, Jasmine found a white gold elven leaf circlet with a large teardrop amber stone in the center. It now rests on my head, and the amber stone is resting in the middle of my forehead. Jasmine has begun weaving my abundant hair into an intricate design and continues to place matching hair pins all throughout my hair so that it looks like I have tiny little silver leaves holding the weaved pattern in place. As I stare at my reflection, I wish with all my heart that Alaric could see me. I know that he would approve of how I look and I instantly feel shame for having taken so much effort with my appearance, not for my kindred but for Tarron. I unconsciously begin to rub at the center of my chest as the ache there intensifies to the point that has me all but gasping for breath. That is until I feel Tarron coming this way and then it's replaced by an instantaneous pull toward the dark prince. I steel myself for his entrance into my chambers. I look over to Jasmine and ask, "Are you ready? Just follow my lead."