by Jaymin Eve
I wanted to embrace my destiny, but part of that destiny was Jacob.
A huge part of it.
"Great speech!" Katerina and Simi screeched as they rushed me, throwing their arms around my neck.
"I actually swooned when you spoke about Jacob," Kat said in a rushed whisper near my ear.
Jacob's lips twitched a little—I could see him over her head. He’d heard her and I all but rolled my eyes at the arrogant fey.
"It's time for dancing now," Simi added as she pulled back. "You ready to show them how the Earth people do it?"
I shook my head at Jacob as I was pulled out into the middle of what appeared to be a makeshift dance floor. Mostly the younger generations were out there. With supes, even though the adults stopped physically aging in their thirties, it was easy to tell who was older. Their eyes always gave them away.
Dancing was definitely not my strong suit, but this was a mess of fun and chatting and laughter. What felt like hours later, I dragged my sorry ass off to find some water. I'd loved every second of being in the moment with friends and family, but I was more than ready for some time with Jacob.
He'd stood alone at first, but eventually the fey around him found some courage and approached one of the “famous” Compass quads.
Their reputation proceeded them.
"I think it's time I got a dance."
I jumped and spun from the water fountain—I’d been watching the pure, fresh, crystal clear water run over the edge of a large ornate basin into the waiting cups.
"Having fun?" I countered, smiling at him as I sipped the liquid. It was so good, and I gulped down that cup and went for seconds.
"I'm enjoying watching you in your element," he said, his eyes burning into mine as I drank my second cup. There was a powerful feeling to this moment. I wasn't sure I'd ever felt so feminine or sexy in my entire life, and I was kind of loving it.
"I'll take that dance now," I said, and then without thinking, offered up my cup. "Would you like some water first?"
His long fingers wrapped around mine as he pulled both me and the cup closer to his chest. My breathing got a tiny bit heavier as my heart pounded hard. I wondered if there would ever be a point that he didn't make my body react like this.
It felt like it was getting worse.
"You didn't leave me any," he observed, smiling as he glanced into the empty cup.
I wrinkled my nose at him. "I was offering the cup. You want me to fetch your water as well?"
Jacob's smile was pure sexy sin, and I was not at all sad about the view.
"I'm here to take care of you, Ruby," he murmured, removing the cup from my hold. "You don't have to cater to me."
I clicked my tongue. "That's not how this works." I stepped into him, our bodies rubbing against each other, and I could have moaned as a tingle ran across my skin, settling low. "We take care of each other," I managed to choke out.
His eyes burned. My body burned. Everything was on fucking fire and I relished in the heat.
I gasped lightly as he moved, but it was just to reach around and fill the cup from behind me. He lifted it to his lips, drinking down the water, never looking away from me.
I couldn't have looked away even if I’d wanted to. Maybe it was the energy in the room, or the melodic fey music that was somehow both light with a heavy beat.
Or more likely it was all Jacob.
"Fuck," he groaned. "I won't survive a dance."
Before I could reply, the cup was gone, and Jacob had moved us so quickly that we were out of the main hall and in one of the side rooms in an instant. His mouth was on mine in the same heartbeat and I groaned, a low earthy sound I'd never made before … but fuck ... I'd never been this turned on in my entire life. I needed him to touch me.
My body burned.
"Gods," I cried as I pulled back and his lips traced across my jaw, down the line of my throat, pressing to the tops of my breasts. "Jacob," I was all but sobbing at this point, not even caring. "I need—"
He slipped my harem top down, his tongue circling my nipples, teasing it until the already hard peaks were almost too sensitive to touch.
"What do you need, Princess?" he rumbled against my skin, and I gasped harder, throwing my head back into the wall. It didn't hurt, there was a thick curtain there, and I appreciated the support.
Jacob was unraveling me and I was about to fall apart.
"I need you to make me come," I said in a breathless rush. I was going to ask for what I wanted.
Jacob's laugh was low, tingling across sensitive flesh. "Thought you'd never fucking ask," he grumbled.
He dropped to his knees before me and I almost came right then because the sight of his gorgeous face staring up at me, the muscles in his forearms as he wrapped them around my ass, pulling me closer, and the pure desire drenching the air, was sensory overload.
"Hold on," he whispered, all wicked and sinful, and then his tongue was tracing across my thighs, one hand returning to shift my clothing so he could taste every part of me, while the other remained firmly around my body, massaging my ass.
Fucking hell.
Boy was multi-talented and I might not survive it.
His tongue caressed me through my underwear—no fucking idea where my pants went, but good riddance. When he landed on my clit, even through the material, I had to reach for some support or I was going to collapse on him. The arm around my ass now made sense; it was keeping me standing.
He was so strong that I couldn't move, and I’d normally freak about a restriction on me like that, but he had his head buried between my legs, and the last thing I wanted was to push him away.
He pulled my underwear aside, and in one long lick traced from the bottom of my pussy all the way to the top. One long stroke after another, licking and tasting me in a way that should be fucking illegal for how insane it made me feel. Like ... drugs? What the hell were women wasting their time on that for? They just needed a dude who knew how to use his tongue.
"Holy gods," I cried, both hands buried in his hair as I rocked against him, my body moving on its own volition as the swirls of pleasure in my center elevated to peak levels.
I fought against my impending orgasm, wanting more, wanting to experience this forever. I was practically sobbing at how good he made me feel. And that was the problem. It was too good, his tongue too perfect as it circled and slipped across my sensitive core. When he sucked my clit into his mouth, I screamed, my legs buckling as he caught me again, not releasing me in any way, his tongue moving faster until eventually he slowed, drawing out the last of my release.
My breathing was ragged, my heartbeat the same, my body mush as a tear slipped down my cheek.
That was how it was supposed to feel.
I finally understood.
23
Jacob Compass
Her taste. Fuck. Her taste was something that I’d never have the words to describe, but it was sweeter than anything I’d tasted before. Even Faerie food, which was heads and shoulder above Earth food. Justice was a league of her own, and I wondered why the hell I’d taken so long to taste her.
"Jake, my gods. You're going to kill me," she groaned. My gaze remained on her face, drinking in the pleasure there. The way she'd tensed up, throwing her head back as she moaned, was almost enough to have me reverting to my younger years, about to come in my pants.
Her cheeks were flushed, eyes glassy and a little unfocused, and I was still holding most of her weight, which gave me a weird sense of satisfaction. Taking care of my mate in that way … such a shifter and vampire mentality.
I'd been raised so solidly as a fey, and for the most part thought like one, but lately it had been more frequent that the quad nature of my genetics smashed me in the face.
I had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Just as Justice reached for me, footsteps sounded nearby. "Someone is coming," I warned, rising to my feet in one fluid movement, covering her so that no one would see her in a state of undres
s. Not to mention that look on her face…
That was my look.
Her worried expression clashed with my annoyed one. "Who is it? My parents?"
“It's a guard," I said shortly. "The same one that stopped us outside the gates."
Justice shook her head, reaching down to find her pants, which she dragged on quickly. "He’s my mother's personal guard.”
Deloria no doubt had decided she’d waited long enough to lay down the law on her daughter.
By the time he reached us, Justice and I were standing side by side, backs against the wall, chatting. Mentally I was practicing everything I’d learned lately in controlling my power—I really didn’t want to kill the queen's favorite guard because he couldn't keep his eyes off Justice.
That would not be the best way to start this little negotiation.
"Princess," the guard said when he marched up toward us. He bowed formally. "Your mother requests your presence in her library." He straightened. "Would you please follow me."
Justice managed not to sigh or roll her eyes, and that was an impressive display of control. Seemed both of us were learning to regulate our tempers. "Absolutely, but I don't need an escort," she said, effectively dismissing him. "Jacob will be with me, and I'm also not without my own powers and strengths."
The guard looked like he wanted to argue. He opened his mouth, and there was too much fire in his eyes for someone who should be professional and detached from the situation.
"Princess—" he started but I cut him off.
"She said that she doesn't require your presence." I sidled in front of her, even though I knew it would piss her off.
Tough luck, though. My job was to protect her.
"This has nothing to do with you," he shot back. "I guard the princess and her parents. You are—"
"Her fucking mate," I rumbled, cutting him off again.
That drew him up short. "How…?" He tilted his head, eyes drawn back to Justice like he wanted her to refute my claim.
She didn't.
"How can your mate not be from the ruby lands?" he finally asked.
Justice’s nose screwed up as she scowled at him. "What do you mean? Grace's mate wasn't from the diamond lands, so why would you assume my mate would be from ruby?" She shook her head. "And … in actuality, Cam and Gretley are from two different jeweled lands as well."
The guard straightened, his face neutral as he worked to hide his emotions. "Yes, but ruby has never had anyone find their true mate outside of our own people. It's a weird little quirk that we thought was just because of how strong our jewels are—that we couldn’t find a true match with anyone weaker."
"Guess there's finally a supe strong enough, then," Justice said blithely. She reached out and grabbed my hand, threading our fingers together. There was a heavy thud in my chest at that possessive gesture, and I would have given anything to be able to throw her over my shoulder and drag her out of here.
The guard shook his head. "Your parents are not going to be happy about this, Justice."
Before anyone—mostly me—could rip this asshole’s head off for being too familiar with her, he spun on one foot and strode away.
Justice let out a deep breath. "I really didn't want to chase the best orgasm of my life with a downer conversation with my parents. Their disappointment in me might be inevitable, but I was hoping to avoid it a little longer."
Using my free hand, I gave her a gentle hug. "You're about as far from a disappointment as anyone could be," I said in my don't-fucking-argue-with-me voice. "And no one should make you feel like you’re not good enough because of their unrealistic expectations."
I'd been happy to give her this time with her family before I pursued our bond. And on face value that was the best thing for everyone—Justice was calmer, happier, and at peace. Clearly, though, it was a fragile peace, and her family should be careful about how they treated her. I had entrusted something precious to them, and if they did not do the right thing, I'd be the immovable boulder between them and their daughter.
"I won't let them hurt you," I promised, and her eyes went very wide. "I don't make promises lightly." The absolute truth, "but unless I'm dead and buried, you're going to have a very different life from this point on."
Justice was still just staring, shocked.
I laughed. "Come on, Ruby. You know me well enough by now, I don't lie. I don't promise lightly. And I protect what is mine."
And Justice was mine.
When she snapped out of it, she shook her head in a few quick jerks, then she was dragging me down the hall, heading in a different direction to the ballroom.
"You're an enigma," she said over her shoulder. "But I really like that I never know what to expect."
I'd been described as many things over the years, but no one had ever called me an enigma like that. As if it was amazing.
Girl was very good at ripping away at my insides, forcing out emotions I didn’t even know I had. I could grow very used to a life with a lot more of Justice in it.
As we approached the end of the next hallway, I sensed the energy of her parents. This was my last chance to be alone with her, so I caught her in my arms, spinning so that she was against the wall, blocked from sight if anyone strolled past.
"No matter what is said in there, they do not control your worth," I murmured, close enough to see every facet of jewel in her wide eyes. "Your worth is immeasurable. You are beyond their understanding. Just give me the signal if it gets too much and I will get us the fuck out of there."
Her lips quirked up and I found myself drawn to the plumpness of that top lip, wanting to taste it again.
"What's our signal going to be?" she asked, amused.
Before I could answer, she kissed me, a soft, sweet, slow kiss. I let her have control for as long as I could, sensing it was cathartic to her in some way.
"Thank you," she whispered, when she pulled back. "I honestly couldn't have wished for a more perfect mate. Even with your arrogance and never-messy hair."
A snort of laughter escaped me. "Come on, let's get this over with."
Whatever amusement we'd cultivated dried up the moment we stepped into the book-lined office. The king and queen were sitting on twin high-backed, leather bound chairs. A lit fireplace was behind them, sending warmth through the room and casting an invitingly perfect scene.
Their expressions on the other hand, not so inviting.
24
Justice Winter
I'd spent only a month with my parents, and in that time I felt like I'd learned a lot about them, this world, and most importantly, about myself.
I really hoped that whatever went down in this room didn’t undo everything we’d built over the past month. Truthfully, luck was on their side … after that unbelievable orgasm in the hall, I wasn’t in any sort of mood for combat. Tonight I was a lover, not a fighter—I really just wanted to agree to their demands so I could run off with Jacob.
Of course, that wouldn't work since the very reason we were here was to deal with the whole "Jacob situation," so there was very little chance of avoiding a fight.
"Please, have a seat," Deloria said, gesturing to smaller versions of the chairs they were seated in.
Their chairs were crafted from the finest oxen leather, instilled with rubies for strength and energy, and spelled to be eternally comfortable. I'd actually sat in them multiple times while reading from their extensive collection of books in here.
Today, though, I was relegated to the guest chairs, and they weren't nearly as comfortable.
"We're sorry to pull you away from the celebration," my father said, leaning forward in his chair. "But if we want to actually talk tonight, there's no point waiting for it to die down." He chuckled, thankfully breaking some of the tension. "Our family will still be partying tomorrow."
I'd been to a few family dinners, so I knew what he was talking about. They would drink and dance and chat until the sun was rising. It was definitely fun, but no sleep was
had by anyone.
Jacob, looking relaxed, leaned himself back the best he could in the chair. His shoulders were too broad, legs too long, and overall it must have been super uncomfortable, but he made it work.
"Sorry to drop in unannounced," he said, voice calm and tinged with that special soothing energy only he had. Hopefully it worked on my mother. "But when I heard that Justice was going to bond with the jewels, I couldn't miss it."
My parents took a moment to answer, and I expected it would be Mom that would jump in with something, but again it was Jepati. "We should have extended a formal invitation," he said, sounding apologetic. "It just happened rather quickly. We decided to keep it on a local level. It takes a lot of planning for trans-world events and guests."
Jacob smiled, but didn’t comment.
"What intentions do you have toward my daughter?"
It was finally time for Deloria to speak, and just like me, she didn't fuck around. Getting right to the point.
Jacob's smile was real when he turned toward me, our eyes meeting and holding, like they always freaking did. "My intention is everything," he said simply, returning his gaze to Deloria. "I want everything. I will have everything. Justice is my mate and I intend to cherish and adore the fu—heck … out of her for as long as I live."
I choked down laughter. My parents were pretty relaxed about my love of cursing, mostly because those words didn't mean that much to them; they were too old to have been part of this new craze of copying everything in the human world.
"Mate?" Deloria spluttered out, some of her poised aloofness fading. "It's not possible."
My father sat straighter, peering between us. "I don't sense any bond or joining of your energies yet. Are you saying chosen mate?"
I shook my head. "We’re almost certain that we’re true mates. It's the only explanation for why we've been so drawn to each other. We’re even sensing the other's thoughts and emotions. But we haven't actually … uh, you know, had sex yet, so there's no bond."