“I went to see my mother. Once I had assured her I wasn’t there for gold or for a place to stay, it was a nice visit. I haven’t seen her in…a long time. I discovered I have two new little brothers.” His smile was brief. “It cost me almost all I have, but I retrieved what I went there after.”
From what I had heard, anything could be bought from the black-market stalls in Cathis.
I tried to withdraw. “In that case, I hope whatever you retrieved isn’t in that box.”
“It is in the box.” He thrust out his hand. “Open it.”
Sweat broke out over my body. Surety flooded me that whatever was in it, I did not want it.
“I’m not sure that’s wise.” I shoved it back to him. “You paid for it. You can keep it.”
“I don’t have any use for it.” He set the box just inside my tent. “This was meant for you.”
I eyed it the same as I would a poisoned apple sliced and plated for me.
“Open it or don’t.” He lowered the flap. “Just don’t return it. Please.”
Thanks to my keen eyesight, my vision adjusted to the dark as easily as it had the light.
The box sat there, mocking me. Its cheerful bow and neat wrapping made my fingers itch.
I curled them into my palm.
Strings attached, he said. I wanted no part of being strangled by obligations. This was my fresh start, my new city and new life. Whatever was in that box threatened those freedoms.
The flap rustled, and my heart leaped. “Asher?”
“Is he back?” Edan stepped inside and onto the box. “What is—what was that?”
I covered my mouth. “Oh no.”
I lunged to rescue the box before Edan finished scraping it from his boot.
“A gift?” His puzzled expression smoothed into one of irritation. “Asher was here.”
“He didn’t come inside, if that’s what has your wings in a twist.” I cradled the flattened gift. The fabric sagged in my hand. Its jaunty bow slid to the floor. “I should have opened it. Now it’s ruined.”
Edan scooped it out of my hands and unwound the fabric. “There’s only one way to find out.”
I grabbed his arms, but he slipped free of me. I had him by the wing when he cursed in a soft voice I wasn’t sure I had ever heard him use before. I released him and circled around to see what held his attention.
He had crumpled the fabric in his fist. The smashed box was torn to shreds. My gift was…
“Is that a bracelet?” I reached for it before I realized I meant to take it from him.
“It’s a marriage cuff,” he croaked. “What did Asher say to you? No. What did he ask?”
“Nothing.” I held the warm gold armband in my hands. It was the width of two of my fingers. Any thinner and it would have been crushed beneath Edan’s heel. Thankfully the box had padded it well. “I mean, he said he had a gift for me. That it came with strings attached. That was all.” I marveled at the intricate pattern stamped into the metal. “He said he retrieved it from his…” I groaned. “It was his mother’s.”
Edan scrubbed his face with his hands. “He wants you to marry him.”
“He hasn’t asked me anything yet.” I was tempted to try the cuff on, but I resisted the urge.
He jabbed his finger at it. “With a gift like that, it’s only a matter of time.”
I smoothed my thumbs over the design. “Do you really think so?”
Edan grumbled, “I’m surprised he isn’t here now, pressing his case.”
“That isn’t his way.” As I said it, I realized how true it was. “He had his choices stolen once. He would never subject another person to that. He gave me this, and now he’s giving me time to think.”
Wings twitching, he rolled his shoulders. “What will you tell him?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I shoved him aside and exited the tent.
Asher had no tent assigned to him. He might have joined the guards in their communal tent, but I bet he would crave solitude until the sting of my rejection—for that must be how it seemed—eased.
I decided to check the spot where he had sheltered Edan. It was far enough to give him peace, and I wouldn’t mind exchanging words with him in private either.
The spot must hold some sentimental value to him if he had remembered it and returned there.
Since becoming a permanent resident of Beltania, I had taken to wearing a light cloak Pascale had woven for me over my dresses. It hid my wings and let people see me as myself. Not as a harbinger. At least, that was what I told myself. It was hard enough to keep my head held high.
Besides, the cloak would save my hide if we had guests unused to living with a tame harbinger.
She had woven Edan a cloak as well, but he refused to accept any gift, no matter how small, from her.
For some clans, such gifts spoke of the giver’s intent. While I doubted the Araneidae resorted to such trickery to secure their mates, Edan was unwilling to take a chance. Flat refusal was his stance.
A carpet of pine needles crunched underfoot as I wound my way through the trees.
On the river’s shore, I found Asher gazing at the pinks and purples warming the evening sky.
He must have heard me tromping through the woods. I had made no effort to quiet my approach.
When he didn’t turn or greet me, I decided I would begin. “I opened the box.”
I left out the part where Edan had crushed it first.
Asher kept silent for the longest time. “What did you think?”
“Of the cuff?” I held it out to catch the last rays of the sun. “It’s beautiful.”
He turned his head. “Do you know what the cuff symbolizes?”
“Marriage?”
“Commitment.”
I eased closer. “Was this your mother’s?”
“It was.” He faced me. “My father’s grandfather purchased it from the Hall of Artisans in Erania while he was courting his future wife. It was passed down through our family for generations until Father gave it to Mother. When he passed, she kept possession of it for the day I—or one of my brothers—claimed a wife. There is a stipulation, you see. A gold price must be paid to the female who surrenders it. No male within our family can marry until that price is met and the cuff given to a new wife of our line.”
“None of your brothers married?” It struck me I had no idea how many he had or their ages.
“Two live with their common-law wives.” His lips thinned. “They lack the means, and the drive to get the means, to purchase the cuff from Mother. While Mimetidae standards are lax compared to Salticidae vows, living together as they do, for as long as they have, with no plans of cementing their bonds, is still an insult dealt to their females.” He crossed his arms. “I want a wife. I want those ties.”
The metal felt heavier in my hand. “Will any wife do?”
“I think you understand me.” He shrugged. “I’m not a very subtle male.”
I stared at him. “Perhaps I want to hear the words instead of assuming what your intentions are.”
“What is left to say?” He rubbed the base of his neck. “I haggled with my mother for you.”
“What you endured at Lailah’s hands changed you. How could it not?” I closed the gap between us. “You have experienced the loss of control over yourself, and you fear putting another person in a position where they might go against their wishes to honor yours. But you have to understand that to ask a question is to get an answer. Even the hard questions must be asked. It might make one or both parties uncomfortable, but it is not you imposing your will. You are allowing the freedom of choice.”
The edge of his lips curled. “Should I beat on my chest now and yell nothing frightens me?”
“If that is what makes you feel better.” I rolled my shoulders. “Who am I to judge?”
“I want to fall asleep with you beside me and wake next to you, Marne. Every day. Until our days end. I want you to marry me. I will wait, if you need mor
e time, but I am resolved.” He dragged his gaze to mine. “Will you marry me?”
I tapped my pointer against my lips, pretending to consider his offer. “I’m not sure.”
The shine left his eyes, and I felt wretched for being the cause.
A final step put us chest to chest, and I stared up at him. “There is one more consideration.”
His brow creased. “What might that be?”
I fisted his lapels and let the blackness of his gaze swallow me. “I have to know—”
His head bent to mine. “To say I love you is to remark that there are stars in the sky.”
“Surely it wasn’t that obvious.” I rubbed my soft cheek against his coarser one.
“If your brother’s not-so-subtle threats to break my hands, legs and neck are to be believed, then I think you must have been the only one in doubt as to my affections.” Asher was smiling at me now.
I nipped his throat and relished his shiver. “What if I demand proof?”
His hands smoothed down my arms. “Aren’t you holding the proof?”
I planted my hand on his chest, trailing my fingers lower, over the hard muscles of his abdomen. Asher’s breath shuddered at my ear. My nails slid past the closure of his pants, down the laces until I traced the length of his erection. His exhales were deafening, his grip on my arms almost painful.
“Ah,” I said softly. “Now I am holding the proof.”
He groaned when my fingers closed around him through the fabric. “Marne.”
“Shh.” I dropped to my knees before him, lengthened my claws and cut through the laces of his pants. His hands tangled in my hair while I tugged the fabric down past his thighs. “Let me do this.”
My breath hit his flush skin, and his moan brought my gaze to his. Asher stared into my eyes when I took him in my mouth.
His taste was salty sweat and clean skin. He smelled of soap and leather. Intoxicating.
His thighs quivered when I raked them lightly with my nails.
I savored his pleasure, humming my approval when his hips started rocking.
“Not enough,” he said quietly before sliding his hands under my arms, hauling me onto my feet. His dark eyes glinted in the dying light. “I need more.” His mouth crushed mine. “Your tent or—”
I groaned into our kiss. The city was so far and… “Edan lives next door.”
While his lips brushed my temple, trailing down my cheek and across my jaw, I solved the problem.
I tugged at the intricate pin holding my cloak together. It hit the ground, and I let my wings stretch after their confinement. While Asher watched them, I reached for the next pin, the one holding my dress together at the shoulder. I removed it, and the material puddled at my bare feet.
A flush stole across his cheeks. He trailed his knuckle from my collarbone down to my breast. My nipples pearled, and I arched my back, inviting his touch. He accepted, cupping my breast in his palm, smoothing his thumb over the sensitive tip. He bent his head, put his mouth on me, swirled his tongue around that aching point and my vision blurred. I murmured his name as his teeth grazed me.
When his other hand drifted lower, gooseflesh raced over my skin. He splayed his hand across my abdomen, drifting lower until his fingers parted my folds and eased inside. His fangs scraped down the column of my throat, his tongue soothing away the slight pain. Asher’s thumb found my center, and I forgot how to breathe. His light strokes kept me gasping, straining against his palm until release set my wings aflutter. My feet lifted off the ground. He gripped my hips to keep me from floating away.
“Not so fast.” He dragged me closer, pinning me to his chest.
Wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms about his neck, I was happy to oblige and sank down his body slowly until my sex glided over his and his eyes rolled closed. His chest pumped, harsh breaths huffing into my ear. He buried his face in my neck and held me, let us both savor the press of our bodies together. When he reached between us and fisted his erection, I met his gaze.
He watched with rapt attention as he slid into me, so deep I sank my nails into him in retaliation.
The hiss between his teeth gratified me. I kissed the side of his neck, letting my blunt fangs score his skin. His fingers dug into my hips, lifting me before burying himself in me a second time. With a little help from my wings, I braced on his shoulders and took control. His surprise made me laugh.
His grip softened, allowing me to set a gentle pace. I rested my forehead against his, loving how his eyes never left mine as he watched me seek pleasure. Sweat slicked my skin. My fingers slipped.
He caught me before my wings did, wrapped his arms around my waist and drove hard into me.
I bit my lip and tasted blood. I didn’t care. I loved the way he held me, the way he filled me.
The way he loved me.
Pressing scorching kisses up my throat, he raked his teeth over my frantic pulse before plunging his fangs into my skin. I bucked against him when his venom hit my system. It left my hands and my feet tingling, my lips stinging and my sex aching for more. While I was dazed, Asher took control.
His pace made my nails dig back into his shoulders to anchor me to the moment.
“Not so fast,” I teased.
“I was wrong,” he panted. “Faster is better.”
My laughter strangled when his hand found my sensitive core and his thumb set to work on me. I shuddered in his arms as he coaxed another orgasm from me. My wings juddered once, going limp. I slumped against him, too weak to hold on any longer. Asher buried his face where my neck met my shoulder and followed me with a harsh growl that might have been my name before he sank onto his knees. He fell back onto the sand, taking me with him. I stretched over the top of him, content never to move again. His fingers tickled up my sides until the tips brushed across my sensitive wing joints.
I came a second time from that small touch. Cheeks burning, I buried my face against his chest.
“Interesting.” He traced veins in my wings until I was writhing. “Are you always so sensitive?”
“No.” I propped my hands on his chest and studied him. “At least, I don’t think so.”
He was the first male I had been with as a fledgling, and I had never orgasmed from a touch.
Until Asher.
“Hmm.” He lowered his hands to my hips and rocked me forward. “I think we should find out.”
I braced on his chest, tempted to nibble the dip in that full bottom lip of his. “Do you?”
His fingers teased a line up my spine that left me shivering. “We can go slower this time.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said faster was better?”
“You know what they say…” His grin was wicked. “There’s only one way to find out.”
A Solstice of Mischief
An Araneae Nation Short Story
A Solstice of Mischief
“Rhys.”
At the sound of my brother’s voice, my hand slid toward the hilt of my sword. “Have you found her?”
“Not yet,” Vaughn murmured for my ears alone.
Laughter and music swelled around us as our families enjoyed the Winter Solstice Festival. The absence of my wife, my pregnant wife, sent dread skittering down my spine. “Keep searching.”
“She can’t have made it far.” Vaughn’s gaze slid over the crowd of familiar faces. “She’s too—”
A growl started in my chest and worked its way past my lips. “Careful, brother.”
Vaughn splayed his hands in a gesture of peace. “It’s not my fault I thought she carried twins.”
My upper lip curled, which caused my brother’s eyes to gleam merrily.
He lived to torment me.
I scanned the crowd of relatives gathered here in the common room of the Araneidae nest for the seasonal festivities as well as to welcome the Araneidae clan’s new heiress into the world, if Lourdes would hold still long enough to birth her. Nine months had passed. The babe was due any day now.
“She’s too far into her pregnancy to have left the nest.”
The sound of Vaughn’s voice brought my attention back to him. “She might have had help.” My one duty in this world was to protect that female and her kin, and here I stood, without an inkling of where my wife had gone, who she was with or if she was safe. “It’s a dangerous time to be maven.”
“If only I had a wife who was a maven then I might be able to sympathize,” Vaughn said dryly.
Vaughn was paladin of the Mimetidae, our birth clan. His wife, Mana, a spirit walker, was their maven. But the Mimetidae had their fierce reputation to protect them. Lourdes’s clan, the Araneidae, depended upon the Mimetidae’s strength to shield them. As the Araneidae paladin, it was my duty to safeguard my adopted clan and above all others, my wife.
While my head was turned, a blur of color darted to my side. Amid the swish of rainbow skirts, I recognized my niece.
“Uncle Rhys,” Maisy panted. “Come quick.”
I smoothed a hand over her hair. “I can’t play now. Perhaps later.”
After Lourdes was safe.
“It’s Aunt Lourdes.” She took my hand and tugged. “I was in the stables visiting the falco. I had just returned Tiah to her cage when I saw her. She was holding her belly and looked very tired.”
Ice spread through my chest. “Lourdes is in the stables?”
“Someone was with her.” Maisy wet her lips. “I saw them open the hatch and ran to find you.”
Fists balling at my sides, I kept my tone calm. “Did you recognize the person with her?”
Maisy shook her head, and indigo curls bounced around her face. “They wore a cloak and hood.”
“You did well bringing this to me.” I held a finger to my lips. “But don’t tell anyone else.”
“I won’t,” she promised.
“Go find your mother.” I ordered, “Stay close to her.”
“I will.” Worried filled her violet eyes, and she flung herself against my side. “Be careful.”
“I vow it.” I gave her a gentle nudge toward the center of the room where I last saw her parents dancing. Once she vanished from sight, I relayed the information to Vaughn, who had drifted back to give me a moment of privacy with Maisy but listened now with rapt attention while we made a plan.
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