Favina's Royal Ransom (Northern Realm Royal Bears Book 1)

by Lisa Daniels

  He leaned over, removing his pants. Fayina had no idea how Adrik had managed it, considering he literally had his hands full. But she didn’t bother to ask. The idea of a bath in such a large structure was strange. She looked back at it and saw the steam rising from the surface. “You mean you don’t mind the way I look?” It was bothering her. Usually when she took a lover, the princess kept her body hidden in the darkness or under covers. Having so many cruel siblings living in a home where violence was encouraged, she had been scarred long before her brothers nearly killed her. Shame kept her from wanting anyone to see how hideous those experiences had been.

  Adrik responded by pulling her close, dropping her legs and pulling her body against him. Stepping into the water, he pressed her back against the smooth surface of the bath. He teased her until she broke the kiss and threw her head back with a cry of desire. Quickly covering her mouth with his, he thrust into her. Fayina grabbed him, digging her nails into his back. Almost immediately, she tried to apologize.

  Adrik placed a finger over her lips. “Don’t stop.” He grew more aggressive in his motions. His hand cupped her breast and he began to suck on her. It was unlike anything Fayina had ever experienced.

  At some point, he had moved from the bath to the soft floor. Fayina found herself unable to think of anything but the feel of his wet body against hers as he demanded more of her body. Each time she began to relax from an orgasm, he gave her a sly look and murmured, “Oh no, you don’t.” Then it started all over again.

  By the time he fell asleep, Adrik had pulled half of the bedding to the floor. Pillows, sheets, and blankets surrounded them as he held her close.

  As exhausted as she was, Fayina couldn’t help but look at him. Carefully wiping Adrik’s bangs from his forehead, she muttered, “Somehow I doubt that was very helpful to your recovery.” Suddenly, the thought of his wound opening again struck her, and she bolted upright. Adrik pulled her back down, apparently without waking up. For the couple of seconds that she had been up, Fayina had seen that the bandage did not show any signs of bleeding.

  “You really are amazing, you know that?” Her eyes moved over his face, and Fayina felt a sense of comfort and contentment she had never experienced. “Are you trying to break my heart, Adrik? If you keep this up, you are going to be very difficult to give up. And I know that I can’t possibly mean anything to you.” Wrapping her arms around him, she whispered, “I’m being selfish, but all I ask is for you to let me stay like this tonight. Let me fool myself into feeling loved.”

  The only response was the sound of him snoring back at her. With a sigh of longing, she kissed his forehead, then she allowed herself to feel happy as she pressed up against him. Soon, she slept in his arms.

  Chapter 6

  A Fine Mess

  Fayina woke to the warm sensation of a man’s arms, but her memories were much more accessible than they usually were. Without opening her eyes, she snuggled against Adrik.

  He wiggled her, and the princess realized that he had been trying to wake here. “Just a little longer. Please. I’m not ready yet.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you again, Fayina, but we need to go. And before you are too surprised, I’m still not Jameson.”

  His body quickly moved away from hers. Feeling a great sense of loss, Fayina opened her eyes. Adrik had moved over to a small area that looked like a strange kitchen. For a second, Fayina looked for a fireplace, but she didn’t see anything. Her eyes moved up to the ceiling of the cave and she saw windows strategically placed all over the area above her. Letting out a low whistle, the princess tried to hide her disappointment. “That’s impressive. You are so much more advanced than we are. It’s almost like…” She let the words die in her throat as the reality of what she and Adrik were came crashing down on her. There was no way that a member of a species this advanced would take an interest in such a backwards human girl.

  And Adrik deserved so much better.

  Pulling the sheet up over herself, Fayina tried to laugh as her eyes looked at the disaster that was the dress she had been wearing. “After you so carefully cleaned me yesterday, it seems a shame to put that horrid thing on.”

  As she walked over to pick it up, Adrik spoke, “Then don’t.”

  Fayina froze, the meaning of his words seeming to hang in the air, open for interpretation.

  Hesitantly, she asked, “Then what should I wear?”

  Hope sprung up, but she quickly pushed it down as Adrik turned to her with his usual smile. “Head into that small space over there. We have stored a number of different clothes in there. We should have some clothing that will come close to fitting you.”

  Forcing a laugh, Fayina pulled the sheet more tightly around her. “Close is fine.” She mentally beat down the disappointment she felt as she disappeared in the area that was big enough to be her bedroom back home. Flipping through the selection, she pulled out something that would make traveling easier. Fayina poked her head out. “Would it be alright if I wore pants?”

  Adrik turned from the small stove. His eyes shone as he gave her a questioning look. “Have you ever worn pants before?”

  “No, but my brothers are able to move around without all of that material getting in their way. Considering we are on the run, I figured that would be better.”

  Adrik turned back to what he was doing. “We will actually remain here for a few days.”

  “Is that because of your wound?” As soon as he spoke, Fayina began to worry about how he was healing, but he simply waved a hand in the air.

  “I’m almost good as new. Now, hurry up and get dressed in whatever you want to wear.” He turned, flashing a smile at her. “If you want to try pants, that will give you a few days to get used to the feel. You may find that it isn’t quite as comfortable as you think.”

  “How would you know? Have you ever even worn a dress?” she shot back a little more aggressively than she meant to.

  “Yes. More often it is something closer to a skirt. We have different dress needs based on whatever we are celebrating, remembering, or worshiping.”

  Fayina paused for a moment. “Do you believe in the divines?”

  “No. My people believe in a pantheon of gods.”

  “Really? Are they different from ours?”

  “In many ways, starting with the fact that we have actually met a fair number of them. Now, hurry up and get dressed. The food will be ready soon.”

  Fayina wasn’t sure if he was trying to brush her off or honestly hurrying her to get dressed. Fighting the rising hope, she decided to treat the situation like she did all of her lovers. Don’t get attached. This will not last, and you will just end up disappointed by another rejection.

  She pulled on pair of black pants, thinking that they would help to hide her in the woods. A blouse with a combination of browns and greens rested near her. Fayina figured it would help to camouflage her better. Adrik was probably fairly difficult to see because of his coloring. That meant that anyone chasing them would focus on her to aim at, and Fayina was not willing to make herself an easier target in the name of fashion.

  However, the princess quickly realized that there were things that she didn’t know how to do. Trying to lace up the pants, she found her fingers starting to hurt from the cord rubbing against them. She was about to start cursing when Adrik’s head appeared in the doorway.

  “The food is ready. Oh,” he stepped into the space. “Here, let me help you with that.”

  Fayina’s cheeks flushed as his hands reached toward the top of the pants. He didn’t even seem fazed by where his hands were, and she was immediately ashamed of the memories of what his hands had done to her not that long ago. She placed a hand over her mouth to stop a moan as his fingers brushed against the skin of her stomach. He didn’t seem to notice the touch any more than the fact that her breasts were right in front of him. It was almost as if he didn’t see her as a sexually desirable partner anymore. Perhaps in the cold light of day, he was ashamed for what had h
appened and wanted to ignore it.

  It was crushing, but Fayina couldn’t blame him. He had been poisoned, or been under the influence of toxins, whatever that meant. But Filip had said it was similar to a bear shifter being drunk. Things began to click into place as Fayina reviewed the way things had progressed the night before. She had initiated it, but Adrik had not shown any signs of being interested. To be fair, she was always the one to initiate a physical relationship, but she had not meant to last night. She just felt comfortable around him, and found herself acting in ways that she had stifled for years. Now having known him less than 48 hours, Fayina found herself wanting so much more.

  If it was a choice between being friends with him and being lovers for a short period of time, the princess decided what she wanted was to be friends. The idea of losing him from her life seemed far more terrifying. With the way he was treating her, Fayina knew that he was either trying to forget what had happened, or he had been so out of it that he didn’t remember.

  As she watched him finish tying her pants, the princess knew that she would have to act the same as she had before last night.

  “Thanks, Adrik. Now, do you mind?” She tried to sound confident as she covered her breasts with her arms.

  Adrik stood up, then his eyes moved down. “Oh, I am so sorry.” Quickly exiting, he called over his shoulder, “Breakfast is getting cold, so if you need help, come out here. I promise not to look.”

  Despite what she had decided, Fayina couldn’t help thinking about what had happened. The feel of his arms, the way he felt against her, the…

  Shaking her head, the princess pulled the shirt over her and stepped out of the space. She was pulling the drawstrings as she moved over to the table. Adrik was just sitting down with a glass of some kind of juice.

  “You don’t want to wear a bra?” he asked, his eyes flicking up to look at her.

  “A what?” Fayina asked, her eyes starting to take in the elaborate meal he had made. Suddenly she remembered how long it had been since they had eaten, and her stomach began to hurt.

  “A bra. It goes under your shirt and supports your breasts.”

  Fayina froze, her eyes boring into him. Why was he asking about something to support her breasts?

  He continued to dish out food onto the plates. “Though I guess it won’t be necessary while we are here. You won’t be bouncing around like you were yesterday when I was running.”

  “I don’t suppose you know what that is like.”

  He shot her a quizzical look. “Not personally, no.”

  Fayina sat down, an awkward silence beginning to fill the space. Not wanting to let the silence continue, Fayina regrettably started to talk about something that made her very uncomfortable, especially after her recent decision not to think about exactly what she was considering. This was much harder than she had thought it would be.

  “So, what makes you suggest something that touches my breasts?” As soon as the question was out of her mouth, Fayina regretted it. Desperate to keep her mouth shut, she shoved a piece of toast in it.

  “Both of my sisters swear by them. I would say they are a little smaller than you, so it seems like something that would help you. Then again, if you aren’t bothered, I won’t press any further.”

  Images of Adrik accidently touching her breasts the way he had brushed against her stomach caused a reaction that she couldn’t stop. “If you don’t mind helping me put it on, I won’t complain.”

  It was too late to take back the request. Even if she could, Fayina knew that she wouldn’t want to. She didn’t expect anything to come of it, but the potential was still there.

  What if you go ruining this? What if your desire to feel him again destroys any chance of having him in your life long-term? Fayina’s thoughts were beginning to fight, and another idea quickly shot back, There is no guarantee that he will stay in your life anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to have him until he is no longer interested? You’ve never had such a competent, capable, caring lover before. It seems a waste to lose that just because you think that you can have something more with him.

  The thoughts raged in her mind as Adrik talked. She heard about half of what he said after he agreed to help her. It was only when he asked her something that Fayina realized she needed to respond.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know.” That response usually worked when dealing with her family.

  The confused expression Adrik had let her know that in this instance, that was not a proper response to his question. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear the question.”

  “Are you alright?” He reached out and touched her forehead. “You feel a little hot. Are you getting sick?”

  Fayina vigorously shook her head. “Not at all. Just… a little tired.” She said it in the hopes that he would be reminded of what had happened the night before.

  “I knew it. I was too much trouble for you. I’m so sorry. It would have been best if Filip could have taken care of you, but that would have been unfair.”

  It was like a shot to her heart. If Adrik didn’t remember what happened, it was like he was saying that he would be better off without her there. If he did remember… he was saying that he regretted last night.

  Fayina looked down at her plate, her stomach no longer so disquieted, despite the delicious aroma of the food. Picking up a fork, she lifted some egg and placed it mechanically into her mouth. When they finally left, she would need to have strength, and that meant eating. It was hardly the first time a guy had expressed regret with her.

  His voice broke into her musings, “This is ridiculous.” Placing his silverware down, Adrik came around to her. “Clearly you are getting sick, and that means that I put you through too much. I vaguely remember you trying to act as my crutch, then…” He frowned as he stood over her. “I don’t remember much past you struggling to bear my weight.” Leaning over, he picked her up. “After all of that, you slept on the floor because of me. For the next two days, you are going to get bed rest. I won’t hear any arguments against it,” he cut her off before she could say anything.

  Placing her carefully on the bed, Adrik moved back to the table. He placed her plate and several drinks on the tray. When he turned back around, Fayina had gotten out of bed.

  Hands on her hips, she insisted, “I am not getting sick, Adrik. Stop this nonsense and start—”

  Adrik’s expression changed, and for the first time since they had met, he almost looked upset. Walking quickly over to her, he placed the tray down next to the bed. “I won’t have any of this. Lie down.”

  “No.” She folded her arms over her chest.

  “Fayina, you are getting sick. Now, stop being stubborn, and get in bed.”

  “Make me.” Another poor choice of words—or perhaps the ones she had been wanting to say to feel him again. Fayina had a defiant look on her face.

  Something passed over his beautiful eyes, and for a fraction of a second, he looked angry. Like a spring thunderstorm, the expression quickly dissipated, and he shook his head. “If I didn’t know better, I would think that you are trying my patience.” He moved too quickly for her to counter. The next thing she knew, Fayina was bouncing on the top of the bed, the gentleness he had demonstrated earlier seemingly lost in his insistence on having things his way.

  Fayina pushed herself up. “Stop it, Adrik. There is nothing wrong with me.”

  Adrik set his jaw. Grabbing her hand, he placed it on her forehead. The argument died in her throat as Fayina quickly pulled her hand away. Her forehead was burning up.

  “Lie down. Or if you need to eat, sit with your back against the headboard,” Adrik instructed, turning his attention to the tray. “I don’t know what caused this, but there are so many potential sources that I think it best to treat all of the possibilities.”

  “I spent three days in a cold, damp dungeon cell with little food and only dirty water. It is very easy to know what is wrong with me.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Fayina grew concerne
d. “What about Iliya?”

  Adrik had sat down and was leaning forward with the tray. “What about her?”

  “She has a very weak constitution. If she gets this, then it could kill her.”

  As soon as Fayina tried to stand up, Adrik pushed her back. “First, it is probable that she isn’t ill.”

  “You have absolutely no proof of that. None whatsoever.”

  Adrik ignored her. “Second, even if she is getting sick, there is nothing you can do. By now, she is more than a quarter toward her home.”

  “So? We can still catch her.” Fayina was growing defiant.

  “You seem to have forgotten that I am still recovering from the toxins. And you are coming down with an illness. You are not leaving this cave.”

  “You can’t tell me that I have to stay here. You have absolutely no right.”

  “And three,” he glowered, “there are still bandits out there looking for us.”

  Fayina sat back, knowing that this was the one thing she couldn’t argue against.

  Seeing her acquiesce, Adrik curtly nodded. “Running off to try to help a friend in your state would just get you killed. I seriously doubt that would be helpful to Iliya.”

  “Until recently, you didn’t even know her name,” Fayina pouted, folding her arms.

  Adrik tried to offer her food, but she replied, “I’m not hungry.”

  It looked like he was going to argue with her, but seemed to decide against it. “Suit yourself. But make sure to drink. You are starting to burn up, so you need to stay hydrated.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “When a body heats up because of illness,” Adrik began to explain, “it uses up water. Much like… a pot of water on the stove.”

  Fayina imagined that he was carefully editing his analogy so that he wouldn’t have to face what happened the night before. Lying down on her side, facing away from him, she said, “Just let me sleep.”

  “A few seconds ago you were ready to go storming off to save your friend.”