“You’re so hot and wet, Roux.” He murmured the words against my hair, and I shivered, the growing tightness in my body building to an inferno.
“Please,” I begged again. “Something…”
He rubbed his jaw against my red tendrils and ground into me. “Let it come, liebling. Don’t fight it."
I moved eagerly, pushing myself closer and closer to the edge. “I can feel it…it’s so good. I’m burning Aldrich, I’m burning up. Make it happen, burn me.”
He pushed harder and faster, groaning low as I reached the peak that had eluded me. My body shattered and crumbled into a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors, and I shouted his name to the moon.
“…coming.” Aldrich ground out a single word, and I felt his member throb deep within my core. Warmth spilled out over us, and I shivered against his hold. A relaxing heat ebbed and flowed through both of our spent forms and settled like a comfortable blanket.
The cereus glowed and the stars shimmered just a little bit brighter. When Aldrich lifted his head, his eyes were once again the magnificent mixture I had missed. He smiled, and I kissed his mouth, loving every part of him.
“I love you, Aldrich.”
We fell asleep basking in the light of that emotion.
* * * *
I yawned hugely, my mind trying desperately to keep up with all Cundrie was saying, but it was nearly impossible. The fact that falling asleep in the dream world apparently meant waking in the real world with sleep land exhaustion tacked on didn’t help at all. Nor did the public humiliation for that matter.
Apparently while I had been knocked out by the glorious pink pixie dust, I had been ritually bathed, dressed only in my handy red hood, and moved to a sacred chamber with my mate, which was occupied by all the important Pack members. I’m not sure as to what exactly they all saw, but according to Frauke and Cundrie, it was enough to make Adalwolfa excuse herself.
I was given the details, but after the twosome assured me Aldrich had been healed, I just wanted to sleep.
“…so we thought we’d bring you straight away.” One of the girls was finishing a statement, but I completely missed the details. I did note, however, we were now standing in front of the biggest double doors I had ever seen.
Frauke shifted nervously on her heels. “Please pay attention, Princess Roux. Your father is standing trial. You must attend the hearing as you will be the one to make the ultimate decision.”
Aldrich stepped out of the shadows as if he had been waiting. My heart sped up at the sight of him even as fear and dread hung off my skin like a sheen of perspiration. “What’s happening?”
His mind brushed against mine, and this time I recognized his Beast as they both reached out to comfort me. “I’m sorry, liebling. While you and I slept, Ulric and Mina pledged themselves to the Pack on your behalf. Because they love you, they went out and captured your father. Unfortunately, because the Wolf Moon is still up, they went in their weakened states. As little more than a human, Ulric was injured, but they managed to bring him here. It would seem your father tipped his hand too far and brought the bloodied garment you were wearing when I met you as evidence you had killed the old woman. When they heard his accusation, the villagers turned on him, refusing to believe what he said. He tried to flee and was captured. The villagers have washed their hands of him; he is ours to deal with.”
I was wracked with a slight convulsion. “What will we do with him now?”
“The decision is for the Elders and you to decide. You are the greatest victim here. Whatever you wish will be done.”
I moved closer to him and whispered, not wanting anyone to see my weakness. “Do I have to see him?”
He nodded. “It is how it is done.”
My voice was tiny and frayed. “I’m afraid. I don’t think I can face him alone.”
Aldrich opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a very feminine voice. “You aren’t alone. You are of the Pack now, and we always take care of our own.” Adalwolfa stepped forward and tossed me a begrudged smile. “No matter what.”
My eyes filled with tears as I realized she, even though she didn’t want to, had accepted me. We weren’t friends, but we were something. Family. Just like I’d always wanted.
She nodded. “Now don’t be afraid. The mates of Elders have to be just as strong as their counterparts."
I was pushing at the doors before she finished her statement. They swung open easily, and a brilliant light blinded me for a second before my vision cleared. A Great Hall rearranged for a trial met my stunned expression. Shining surfaces polished to perfection mingled with the deep grays and browns of the forest to create an elegant and rustic open-concept design. There was a dance floor, a music notch, and a big table, long enough to seat fifty. A sparkling chandelier of bent glass and candles hung in the air, suspended by ropes as there was no ceiling, just free open sky. Every detail was breathtaking and completely wasted on me.
In the center of the hall, a man knelt, chained to the floor. His moss-green eyes glittered with hatred, and as I moved toward him, he reared back to spit in my face. I didn’t flinch. Immediately we were surrounded by wolves quick to rush to my aid, but I held up a hand and all were still.
“You’ve killed so many people. So many innocent people, and you’ve ruined dozens of lives. You’ve done this with the disregard of a monster, and so you deserve to be treated like one.”
I circled him, letting my emotions roll on their own. I expected to feel hatred, but all I managed was a great sadness at the loss of life.
The Splitter watched me, saying nothing, but if looks were daggers, I would have been cut into bloodied ribbons.
"Have you anything to say for your crimes?"
He remained silent, constantly watching me with those flat, hard eyes. For a moment I thought I would waver, thought my heart would break, but I remembered I was not alone. I remembered what he'd done to Aldrich.
Turning my back from his hateful stare, I took a deep breath and felt the ever-present stirring of my mate. A thought struck me, and I laughed out loud at the irony. The answer had been so obvious, though I suppose no one else was in the position to see it. I swung around. “You know what, Splitter? I know a woman who would love to meet you. Her name is Ylva and you should see her garden, but first…”
I reached up and pulled the ribbon free once again. The red riding hood fluttered to a puddle in my hands. Again my naked skin glowed and shimmered before all in the Hall. I laughed again, and beside me, Aldrich heard my thoughts and began laughing too.
We doubled over with twisted ironic mirth until we snapped the stony silence of the chained man. “What the hell is so funny, bitch?”
I held up the cloak and closed my eyes. When I opened them, they were the bright silver of the moon. The same color as one of Aldrich’s.
“Behold, Father. You spent your soul like cheap coin for something you never could have. This is the Blut-kette.” I took a deep breath and, as his eyes widened, blew the hood to shreds of cloth.
“Blood chain to make it glow,
Caught in Candles light.
’Tis given to make it so,
And bloodlust will it smite.”
I sang it as he stared down in horror at the scraps of what used to be his only reason to live.
“Did you know the Wolf Moon is also called the Candles Moon? Listen carefully, Splitter. It was never the cloak. The cloak just made the way shine. It was love the whole time. See how my skin glows? Pure and simple love. Lyall must have realized it and that is why he laughed at you. He knew you were a fool.”
The Splitter tried to stand. He roared against his bonds and was quickly restrained. I watched him struggle, listened to him swear, and closed the door in my mind that held any want to be his daughter. We left the Great Hall, and Aldrich immediately wrapped his arms around me when the heavy doors closed behind us.
“The Elders will handle the rest, liebling. For now you just need to focus on being a Prin—” Wha
tever Aldrich was going to say was lost when Mina appeared, pulling me away from him.
“I’m so proud of you, Roux. I knew you could handle it.” She hugged me and watched as Aldrich dragged me back into his arms. “You guys look so in love, and don’t get me started on the cool eye thing.”
I laughed and rubbed my cheek against my mate’s chest. I could feel his power still swirling inside of me, though I knew my eyes weren't silver any longer. “We are pretty in love, aren’t we?”
He all but purred. “As only true mates can be.”
Mina grinned. “I knew you would be.”
I kissed my mate again and turned to my friend. “Oh yeah, then why did you tell me to just ‘try him out’? You remember, ‘even if it didn’t go anywhere’?”
“Easy.” Mina nudged me. “I knew he wouldn’t let you go.”
I opened my mouth to argue. “No, I suppose he wouldn’t have.”
Aldrich picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. “Now you sleep, mate.”
I giggled as best as I could with the jostling. “You do know what this means now, right?”
“What’s that?” He kicked in the door to what I assumed would be our room. He caught what I was going to say before I actually did and groaned.
“We’ll just have to live happily ever after.”
The End
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About Nina S. Gooden
Nina S. Gooden is an author of erotic romance as well as romance-romance. She has been in love with the written word since her first well-spent allowance on A Light In The Attic. She spends most of the time she's not drowning in characters and plot ideas watching anime and playing video games. Her biggest influences are mythology and psychology, though she's been known to dabble in the obscure. Nina lives in dusty Las Vegas with her long-term boyfriend and evil genius kitty.
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