Their joined bodies cast shadows on the wall as they moved together. Charmeur groaned in ecstasy as he pulled out and thrust back in tandem with Bestiale. Her trembling became shaking, and the tension inside her grew tighter until it felt as though she was strangling his cock.
“Mon Dieu, I’m not going to last!” Bestiale cried out as he pumped faster, unable to control the release gathering like lightning deep within his body, ready to explode. “Come for us, Angel!”
“Oh yes!” she cried out in exultation, losing control, writhing between them in pure ecstasy as she climaxed, her movements in combination with theirs as lush and beautiful as the crescendo of a symphony.
Charmeur cried out as he arched and threw his head back, each gasping breath sounding as if it might be his last as he thrust hard and then stilled as he filled her with his seed. No longer holding back, Bestiale plunged deep and stilled, groaning harshly as his release erupted within him, coming forth in stinging streams until rapture encompassed his body.
She lay limp and panting, her sweat combining with theirs and making her slippery between their bodies. Bestiale couldn’t feel his limbs, much less move them, and the only sensation he was aware of was being crushed under his brother’s weight as Charmeur leaned against her back and caught his breath.
Eventually, Charmeur gently withdrew, taking care with her and whispering, “I’ll be right back.”
Bestiale was still unable to move.
Charmeur returned with a soft warm cloth and aided Bestiale in helping her to the center of the bed and cleaned her up. Charmeur fluffed pillows and placed them under her head before returning to the adjoining bath chamber for a few minutes. Bestiale listened to the sound of water sluicing from the shower as she moved closer to him. She practically purred as he gathered her languid, warm body into his arms. He wanted to hold her tighter, as if still afraid she might disappear and this might be the cruelest dream he’d ever had.
“I’m really here, Bestiale,” she murmured as she kissed his shoulder and stroked her fingertips through the smattering of brown hair on his chest. He took her hand in his and looked at it then noticed his own, slightly smaller, and undoubtedly human, hand, devoid of claws and heavy fur.
“Do you think in time you can come to love this form?”
Lifting her head, she propped it in her hand and smiled at him. “The same man is inside you. Yes, it’s true I did come to love you in beast form. I’d even say you were really hot like that. Very…Alpha. But I loved you in this form in the dreamscape and as I learned more about you in the stained glass. The man within is the same.”
“And we’re still big where it counts, eh, mon amour,” Charmeur said with a chuckle as he returned to them still glistening with water droplets, showing his desire to return to them quickly.
“And you still tower over me, both of you, so don’t think that I’m suddenly settling for ‘less than’ now.”
“I certainly won’t miss having a tail,” Charmeur said, rye amusement in his tone. “That was quite literally a pain in the ass when putting on breeches.”
Bestiale burst into laughter, a still-foreign feeling to him, and Angel joined them.
“I dunno,” Angel said when she caught her breath again, “I thought the way you swung it around was pretty cute, Charmeur. And I did find it pretty hot the way you’d growl at me and tower over me, Bestiale.”
“You were terrified of us at first,” Bestiale murmured as he stroked the underside of her breast, smiling at the way her nipple tightened and gooseflesh rose on her skin from his tickling touch.
“But I saw through you quickly enough.”
“You did, mon ange.”
Languor from the powerful orgasm seeped into his skin, and he stroked her breast one last time and said, “Sleep, ange. In the morning, the castle will be alive with activity for the first time in many years.”
“How many?” she asked with a yawn.
“Many years. You would’ve been not more than a babe yourself when everything happened,” Charmeur replied, his eyelids going droopy. “Many years to bear a tail, claws, fangs, fur…and snow and ice.”
“Yes,” Bestiale replied. “In the morning, the long winter will be over.”
The scent of roses lulled him in his dreams that night.
Chapter Fourteen
“I wonder what the enchantress did to Malcolm,” Angel said as the three of them descended the stairs in the west tower.
“That depends entirely on how rude he was to her. The fae are known for their tempers,” Bestiale replied in a low tone as if fearing he might be overheard by the fae.
The aroma of freshly baked bread, cinnamon, and other heavenly scents called a rumble from her stomach, and Charmeur laughed as he grasped his own middle. “Me, too, my love. We worked up a healthy appetite.”
“Did we ever,” she murmured, remembering how they’d awakened her. The room had been chilly and the stars and moon still visible when Bestiale had risen from bed to put more wood on the fire. When he arose, she could see he’d grown hard again, and her body had responded with eagerness when he’d climbed back into bed. Their lovemaking had awoken Charmeur, and she’d willingly made love with him, as well.
As if he was reading her mind, Bestiale groaned softly and then chuckled. “I used muscles last night I’d forgotten I had.”
“You were both wonderful,” she whispered, and then she was distracted by all the sounds. “What is happening?”
“Looks more like has happened, mon ange,” Charmeur replied as they reached the landing and were startled by a stranger dressed in formal livery hurrying past in the corridor. He spotted them and then paused to bow in a courtly fashion.
“Good morning, princes…princess. Breakfast has been served for you in the dining room,” he said as maids curtsied before them and then scurried up the stairs.
Angel stopped him and said, “Your voice is familiar.”
The servant bowed. “I am Pierre, madam. I am, as ever, at your service. You have but to voice your desire.” He cast a quick glance at her, a spark of mischief in his eyes.
She blushed, thinking that the mirror had been in her room on her vanity table in so many moments of undress, anxiety…and arousal. “Thank you, Pierre.”
“I am ever discreet and at your service, madam, but not always ever-present. Your secrets remain yours. And on behalf of the castle staff, I welcome you home.”
After a quick consult with the brothers, Pierre went on his way.
Angel’s heart began to beat in a rapid rhythm, and more noise assailed them as they entered the dining room. She was surprised by the crowd and the way everyone stared at them.
For a moment she was self-conscious of the skimpier than normal attire in which she’d adorned herself. Bestiale and Charmeur had assured her that if the enchantress said summer would return, then it would and that her cleavage-baring dress would be very much in keeping with the attire of the court. She almost missed the telepathic link connecting them that had vanished during the night. The affirmation would’ve been good right then. Bestiale and Charmeur were also adjusting to the absence of the mental link, having attempted silent conversation out of habit and then realizing the other couldn’t hear them. Everyone had adjustments to make, and right at that moment she was considering going upstairs to adjust her wardrobe choice.
One glance at Charmeur was reassuring as he nodded at her and leaned near to whisper, “No worries, mon ange, you look lovely. And they will adore you.”
Bowing and enthusiastic applause greeted them as they escorted Angel to a seat at the head table and the crowd looked on as Angel was presented to Leo and Lionne—the king and the queen and then to various other court officials, which Angel soon lost track of.
“Enough,” Charmeur called as he guided her to a seat. “Our bride is famished!”
The queen, Lionne, spoke up, surprise obvious in her expression. “Your bride is first in your thoughts, Charmeur, how princely. You and Bestiale will
make fine husbands for our new daughter!”
Blinking in confusion and feeling a bit like Alice in Wonderland once more, Angel took a sip of fresh orange juice from the goblet provided to her. The last she knew of the queen and the king they had both soundly cast down the idea of acknowledging Bestiale in any way, shape, or form.
In the course of answering the royals’ questions, she discovered the reason for their newfound acceptance. They’d been imprisoned in statue form in the garden maze in an endless winter, but they’d been aware of everything that had transpired there—an idea that made Angel blush profusely. She tried to remember if they’d chased her past the statues in that thrilling run through the maze, but it was all a blur. However, they did recall for her the day she had cleared the thorny vines from them and the bothersome things hadn’t immediately grown back.
Charmeur filled his parents in on what had happened, and Angel noticed that his eyes glowed with emotion as he observed the king making a point of conversing with Bestiale.
The king rose from his seat at the head table and lifted his hands. The crowd quieted, and all waited to hear what he would say. He was a much older version of the king she remembered from the stained glass window’s tale. The king took his time gathering his thoughts and then in a booming voice said, “Let it be known from this day forward that I acknowledge my son, Bestiale, as my very own blood. I welcome him and Angel Hunter, the spirited bride he and Charmeur share, to our family.”
“A hunter?” a female courtier whispered nearby. “She is a huntress? How very intriguing.”
Angel giggled despite the tears running down her cheeks as she gripped Bestiale’s trembling hand under the table. Surprising Angel further still, Lionne joined the king in asking forgiveness from Bestiale for letting pride dictate their actions rather than decency and charity when it would’ve been appropriate, and thus could have averted the curse altogether, which he gladly gave.
Bestiale’s mother, Liberté, was escorted into the feast, and after her emotional reunion with her son, she was relieved of her castle duties and afforded special status as his mother.
Once the proclamation was made, Liberté turned and extended a lovely bouquet of freshly cut red roses, exactly like the red petals from the rose petal path to Angel. “These are for you, ma chère. Thank you for saving my son, and for saving me, as well.”
Charmeur rose, and the murmurs ceased. “I, too, acknowledge Bestiale as my brother. When it is my time to take over for my father, he has agreed to stay at my side as my most trusted advisor. Together, we will help our father in reintegrating our kingdom into the land of Tangere.”
Angel frowned. She remembered the two of them referring to the castle by name, but she’d not pursued it further because of the whole “magic kingdom” thing. She tried to remember where she’d heard that word before.
Near the end of the meal, the room grew quite as the enchantress swept in with a gorgeous teenaged girl with long white-blonde hair in her wake. If she didn’t already recognize the mischief in those bright blue eyes, Angel was sure it was Fleur when she spotted the pendant hanging on a blue velvet ribbon around her neck.
After allowing Fleur to give Angel, Bestiale, Charmeur, and her parents exuberant hugs, the enchantress took the seat next to Angel, which Bestiale willingly gave up. Over the enchantress’s head, Bestiale made big eyes at her and nodded his encouragement.
Angel said, “Miss Fae—I mean enchantress…ummm…I don’t know what to call you.”
“You may call me Selena, Angel.”
“You said you’ve been watching my ex-fiancé for a while? Why?”
“All I can say is that I keep my ears open. I overheard the prayers of another fae, whom I care very much about, and grew curious. I saw injustice that needed righting and a way for Charmeur and the others to redeem themselves.”
“So…would it be impertinent of me to ask what became of Malcolm?”
The enchantress frowned and muttered, “Do not even speak that odious man’s name in my presence. The smell of burnt piss still infiltrates my nasal passages. I truly do not know how you tolerated his presence much less considered joining your life to his.” Selena must’ve seen the flush that heated Angel’s cheeks as she nodded in agreement.
“Do not beat yourself up over him, ma chère. We all have made mistakes. I’m just glad you recognized yours before it was too late.”
The enchantress watched the royal family as they conversed, and a bittersweet smile formed on her lips. “Even I am prone to make mistakes I’m glad this time the results were worth the risk. I’m feeling generous today. So, you would like to know what became of your erstwhile fiancé?”
“Yes, I’m very curious.”
The enchantress took a sip from her goblet and smiled. “Well, after the three of you went on your merry way, Malcolm received exactly what he’d always wanted.” She paused with a bright smile for dramatic effect.
“Which was?”
“Endless wealth and immortality to enjoy it, of course.”
“What?” Angel, Bestiale, and Charmeur asked in unison, drawing the attention of the others. Fleur covered her giggle and said nothing, but the sparkle in her blue eyes spoke volumes.
Evidently satisfied she had their attention, Selena said, “You should’ve seen the detestable man’s victorious reaction. It made me want to shove the snowball a little tighter down his throat, but then he might’ve suffocated before hearing the rest. I told him, as was fitting, he would enjoy his wealth and immortality in his true state. You referred to him as a money-grubber, so…I turned him into a grub worm.”
The assembly all began talking at once, and the enchantress raised her hand for silence. “After I made his unfaithful penis shrivel and fall off. I mean, he won’t need that if he’s a grub worm, right?” she asked with a flippant wave.
“So you whacked his pee-pee?” Angel asked as she gave in to a giggle-snort.
Selena joined her in laughing. “I vaporized it.”
“Oh.” The gentlemen in the vicinity all flinched.
“Don’t feel too badly for him, though. When I removed his gag and asked him if he had any last words before I changed him into his true state for all eternity, he suggested very loudly that I should suck his dick and that I couldn’t do anything to him without his lawyer and a judge and jury present.”
“That sounds just like him,” Angel whispered.
“I explained that I can do anything I want, and it was at that point that I ‘whacked his pee-pee,’ as you said. You should have seen his face! He took me seriously after that, especially once his fingers, hands, arms, and other extremities began to vaporize. And once his mouth stopped working…the silence was bliss.” The enchantress laughed out loud. “I know, I know I shouldn’t have gotten so much enjoyment from it, but I’d been watching him and your conniving stepmother and their evil ways for a long time.”
“What about Dior?”
The enchantress chuckled and said, “Dior will share in his fate from her side of the portal. But since I would never keep two soulmates apart intentionally, I told her that I would allow her and Malcolm to be reunited, as grub worms, to enjoy their wealth and fortune for all time, if she made the journey to the cave portal. If she starts out on her journey today, the trip should only take her about a thousand years, if she doesn’t get squashed or eaten by a crow. Of course, with their favorite parts of each other missing…who knows if their devotion will survive? They have all eternity to find out.”
“Mistress Selena, your wisdom…knows no bounds,” Bestiale said with a grin and a courtly bow.
Selena preened a little and said, “That was nice. Say more things like that while Angel eats. Poor dear, I can hear her stomach rumbling from here.”
While they ate their meal, the conversations rose and fell around the room. Selena leaned toward Angel once she was finished and said, “You have questions for me, yes?”
“Yes. Please, where is Tangere? I’ve never heard of it. Am I
just misunderstanding? I mean, I know Tangiers, but that’s in Africa and probably a bit hotter and sandier than anything I’ve seen around here.”
Selena smiled and nodded. “You heard correctly. You are not in Tangiers, my dear. It is Tangere. You know it as a defunct Latin verb from your high school language course, meaning ‘to touch, to draw forth.’ This kingdom is located in the northern region of the land of Tangere. There are maps in the library, which your charming men can show you. Tangere also refers to a gift bestowed on certain individuals.”
“What gift?”
“Do you recall the first night, and at other times, that you would suddenly become sleepy or feel a sense of calm or certainty come over you?”
“You know what that was? I thought it was part of the dreamscape.”
“All the magic of Tangere is connected in some sense, but that particular…touch, shall we say, came from your feline friend, Fleur. She could sense your fear and stress.”
“She calmed me with magic?”
“The touch of the tangere. She gave you a gift so you could find the value in your situation, as I recall you talking about one day.”
“That’s a lot to take in.”
“I will visit from time to time, and you and I can talk about whatever you want to talk about.”
“That…I would really like that. And…my friends? Caresse and Elaina? Can you tell me if they are all right? Are they safe? My uncle told me they were still missing.”
Selena looked into her goblet, a secret smile on her lips. “I think if you asked them right now, they would tell you they are not lost.”
“They’ve been found?” Angel asked eagerly. “When?”
“Within moments of entering the cave, I would imagine,” Selena replied, still gazing into her goblet. She chuckled at whatever she saw in the glass and then set it on the table. “You can use the mirror to see their images from when you entered the cave as you desire, but for now, their stories are still in motion. I will tell you this much…”
“Yes?”
Beasts in Winter Page 17