Blossom and the Beast (The Alder Tales Book 1)

by RS McCoy

  “Except anywhere dangerous,” she teased him.

  “I thought that was a given.” He laughed, more than relieved she hadn’t asked to leave yet.

  “Is Raene still here?”

  “No, but I can ask her to come over if you’d like to see her.” Kaide didn’t know if it was a good sign or a bad one that she wanted to see his niece. He looked at her with guarded apprehension but couldn’t discern her reasoning.

  “Will you ask her if she’ll go to the market with me? Actually, can you show me how to reach her myself?” Blossom slid her leg over his side and pushed up and sat square on his hips. “If I’m going to be the wife of a Vice Syndicate, then I should probably know how to work all your fancy gadgets.”

  Kaide smiled up at her in awe. Bare-chested and glowing, smiling down at him with eyes as green as spring leaves. What had he done to deserve this? He put a hand on each of her hips and savored her skin, so light from years hidden under her Terra tunic. Smooth and creamy as milk. A secret treasure just for him.

  “What’s wrong?” Her smile faded into a frowning pout.

  “Nothing,” he said with a laugh. “I was just looking at you.”

  Her cheeks flashed bright red, and she tucked her chin against her shoulder to hide from him.

  Kaide gripped her forearms and pulled her down onto his chest. Embarrassed, she buried her face in the crook of his neck while he filled his nostrils with the floral scent of her hair. A low growl rattled in his throat. “You’re making it very hard to get up today.”

  Blossom pulled the skin of his neck between her teeth and nipped lightly, just painful enough to get his blood racing. “I don’t want to interfere with the important work you do,” she teased as she pushed off his chest and slid out of bed. She sauntered to his dresser and pulled out a fresh shirt, slipping it over her head. There was no doubt she thought it would keep him from temptation, but she had no idea how he coveted this look, the way she stood in his shirt covering her frame to the middle of her thighs.

  Kaide pushed out of bed and appeared behind her, wrapping his arm around her ribs and pulling her against his torso. Her chestnut curls draped over her shoulders, so thick and voluminous he had to use his hand to move them aside so he could plant kisses along the side of her neck. A moment later, gooseflesh bloomed across her skin and she shuddered.

  “That tickles,” she whispered.

  Kaide groaned and released her. If he didn’t step away now, he might not ever get clear of her.

  When she faced him, her cheeks were bright pink and she bit her lip. Kaide sensed her nervousness and smiled that he could have such an effect on such a woman.

  “Come on. I’ll show you how to make a transmission.” Kaide slipped into a pair of black pants before he reached out his hand, waiting for her to accept. When she placed her hand in his, they descended the stairs together and walked to his office where he showed her the transmission panel beneath his desk. “There are three screens, one here,” he pointed to the space directly in front of his desk. “One there, and one over there.” Again, he pointed where the screens descended from the ceiling.

  “And here, you enter the code for whoever you’re trying to reach.”

  “What’s Raene’s code?” Blossom held her hands over the buttons in wait.

  “One-seven-four-zero.”

  Blossom entered the code but looked up and asked, “What’s your code?”

  “One-seven-five-six.” Kaide tipped forward and kissed her temple but was careful to pull back a moment later. He didn’t need to get stuck on Blossom with Raene on screen watching. “Now, push this button here to start the transmission.”

  Blossom pushed it and waited, and within seconds, the screen in front of his desk illuminated with Raene’s face, still groggy with sleep. A few stray strands of golden hair fell across her cheeks. With a frantic motion, she wiped them away and smiled, though it was clear they’d woken her.

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize it was so early,” Blossom began but Raene quickly shushed her.

  “It’s perfectly fine. Don’t worry about it a bit. I’m so excited you called! Are you wearing his shirt?” Raene’s eyes narrowed and her face neared the screen as she tried to see better.

  Kaide laughed as he realized what Raene could see. Him shirtless, and her in nothing but his clothes. As close as he and Raene were, she’d never seen him in such a position.

  Blossom giggled, too. “Uh, yeah. It’s his. Anyway, do you want to go to the market with me today?”

  “Of course! Give me half an hour and I’ll be there.” At that, her face disappeared as the screen went black.

  Blossom stood still, in surprise Raene was gone so soon.

  “She does that sometimes. When she’s excited,” Kaide explained.

  “I wasn’t supposed to tell you about the transmission. The first one, I mean. She made me promise not to tell you.” She looked at her hands, and Kaide could smell the shame on her.

  With a finger under her chin, he tilted her head up so he could see her eyes. “Only because I told her to keep it from you. The fault is mine. She won’t hold it against you. It’s not her way.” Kaide pressed his lips to her forehead, good and long so she’d know he meant it. “Now, go get dressed.”

  Blossom smiled up at him—that stunning, heart-stopping grin of hers—before she slipped down the stairs and disappeared to get dressed for the day.

  With Blossom gone, he could concentrate better. Kaide pulled up his list of meetings and reviewed his course of action. As his appointment to Syndicate neared, there was so much to do, but it had to be carefully orchestrated. He couldn’t reveal anything until it was too late to be stopped.

  As promised, Raene appeared within the half-hour. He heard the front door push in with a hurry that could only be her.

  “Up here,” he called, and a moment later, her footsteps sounded on the steps.

  Raene’s smile glowed as she trotted around his desk and threw her arms around his neck. Her hair was pulled back in a long braid that dipped down to the small of her back, the only sign she’d been in a rush this morning. “Hey Rain Drop,” he said as soon as he had air again.

  “Missed you,” she said with a coy smile. “But you brought me a sister so I guess I can’t complain.”

  Kaide smiled to hide his sorrow. He would soon have to tell Raene about her part in his trade, but not today. He needed her to focus on Blossom. “She has a big decision to make today. I don’t know if she’ll ask you about it, but if she does, answer honestly. Do not try to sway her. This is her decision to make.” Kaide kept his voice low and his eyes on hers, begging her to recognize his seriousness. This was one time he could not have Raene misunderstanding his intentions.

  Raene chewed on her lip and nodded her understanding. “What decision?”

  “I’ll let her tell you, if she wants. Have a good day. Have fun and make sure she’s home for dinner. Druma will escort you.”

  “Not Olin?”

  Kaide shook his head, disinterested in getting into the complexities of Blossom’s relationships with his servicemen.

  Raene nodded a moment before her features erupted into a confident smile. “She looked amazing in that dress, didn’t she?”

  Kaide laughed and rolled his eyes. “I’m not sure you can take full credit for her beauty, but yes, you did well. I think she might have even started to see it.”

  “Finally,” Raene said with a giggle. “She’s as stubborn as a bull. But really, she’s lovely. You couldn’t have done any better.”

  “Does that mean you understand why I waited so long?” He shot her a smirk and waited for her surrender. After their long-fought battle of who and when he should marry, it seemed as if he had finally won.

  “She was worth the wait,” Raene admitted.

  “You up here?” Blossom called from the entryway before climbing the steps to join them, a half-eaten peach in her hand. Her curls hung over her shoulders, and her crimson shirt was tied to perfection. Kaide
worked to keep breathing.

  “I was just saying hello to my uncle who’s too busy to see me lately,” Raene teased. “Ready?”

  “Yeah. Druma’s downstairs waiting for us.” Blossom tugged at the ring she wore, her fingers lingering around the warm wood as she wrestled some decision.

  Raene figured it out first. “Well go on and kiss him. I’ll be downstairs,” she said with a laugh as she tossed her braid over her shoulder and left them alone.

  “She’s really impossible, isn’t she?” Kaide said when they were alone. His long legs crossed the sunlit room in three quick steps.

  “Impossible,” Blossom agreed, her eyes closed as she pressed her forehead to his chin. She smelled of peaches and flowers and fear. “I’m still thinking about it. I’ll have an answer by tonight.”

  Kaide held her in his arms and kissed the top of her ear. “I know you’ll figure out the right thing to do. And try to have a good day.”

  Blossom offered him a pained smile as she pulled away and disappeared down the stairs.

  Kaide couldn’t help but feel it was the first of many such smiles. The blood froze in his veins when he thought of what he was doing to her, what he would keep doing to her for the rest of their lives.

  He slumped into his desk chair and covered his face with his hand. There was so much to do, but all he could think of was Blossom and the decision she would make today.

  Climber

  “So was it the best night of your life?” Raene wasted no time, interrogating Blossom about the festival as they walked down the sloped driveway and toward the road, Druma following close behind.

  “Pretty much,” she admitted. There had been a few rough patches, but nothing could tarnish the experience of seeing his totem. That awe and reverence would always be incomparable.

  “Did you meet a lot of people? Was he a gentlemen? Did everyone love your dress?” Raene squeezed Blossom’s arm where they were linked at the elbow.

  Blossom laughed and tried to answer as best she could. “So many people I can’t remember. He was delightful, most of the time. And he said everyone was staring, but I didn’t really notice anything.”

  “What do you mean ‘most of the time’? He’s a Vice Syndicate. He’s supposed to be composed and proper at all times.” Raene stopped walking long enough to stomp her foot on the ground. “He’s going to hear about this when we get back!”

  “It’s fine, really,” Blossom said between bouts of laughter. “We had a good time.” The morning air was pleasant with a touch of coolness, and the winds had brought enough ash in the night to spread a thin layer across the ground, softening their footsteps. It looked like it would be a gorgeous day.

  Raene tilted her long neck enough to rest her cheek on Blossom’s shoulder. “I’m glad you had fun.”

  “I did have fun. And thank you, for the dress.” Blossom’s appreciation for Raene’s efforts was renewed after experiencing the festival. She’d stuck out well enough on her own. She couldn’t imagine the travesty she would have been if she’d been left on her own to get ready.

  “My pleasure.” Raene nodded as if that were the final word on the subject. “So what are we getting?”

  “Getting?”

  “At the market. What are we looking for?” Raene smiled as if it were obvious.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I just wanted to walk around a bit I guess.”

  By the time they reached the market, the air had turned warm with the streaming sunlight and volcanic heat. Waves of humidity rose off various meat stands and rolling carts. As if ignited by the warmth, the market bustled more than usual.

  For the first time, Blossom was grateful for the small space between her scarlet shirt and black pants, a strip of skin left to breathe while the rest of her was trapped under such heavy fabrics.

  When Blossom wiped away the sweat clinging to her brow, Raene offered, “It gets warm here in the spring, but just wait until summer. It’s this horrible, smothering hot like you’re standing on top of a volcano.” She curled her lip in disgust. “Winters are the best. Nice and cool.”

  “I like the heat,” Blossom admitted. She might opt for some lighter clothes if it was going to be hot every day, but ultimately, she loved warmth far more than chill.

  “Come on, let’s get a drink.” Raene pulled her along to a shop at the end of the block and found them a quiet table along the wall. Druma slid into the chair behind Blossom, but every time she turned to look, his eyes were elsewhere, pretending he wasn’t paying attention to them.

  A man in his early thirties brought them both a cup of strawberry wine without a word. Raene smiled up at him in thanks as he trudged away.

  “Do you come here a lot?” Blossom asked when the waiter was gone. Not that she didn’t trust Raene, but after the warehouse incident, Blossom was far more cautious about her drinks.

  “I’ve been here once or twice, but everyone knows me because of Kaide.” She shrugged and sipped her wine. Blossom followed suit and realized it was chilled to be even more refreshing.

  “Does that bother you? That you’re always tied to him?”

  “It did a little for a while, but I was really young. I was fifteen when he was appointed and took over the manor. It was just such a big change, but once I got used to it all, it was fine. Sometimes it’s nice.”

  “Nice?”

  “Yeah, like I don’t really have to worry about anyone trying to hurt me. Anything that happens to me would be taken as a personal attack on him, and everyone knows his reputation. No one’s tried to touch me in years.”

  “He doesn’t make you go with Druma?” Blossom wondered if someday she’d feel the same—that her safety was more assured because she was the wife of the Vice Syndicate. Lately it felt as if he only put her in danger.

  Raene laughed. “I usually go with Olin. He’s not that trusting.”

  Blossom smiled back. She should have known better. “He’s always been that way, hasn’t he?”

  A vibrant smile crept across Raene’s cheeks. “Oh forever. Even worse after his transformation.”

  Blossom expected as much. Now that she knew Kaide, really knew him, she understood his protective nature stemmed from his totem, from his fear of what he could do to others.

  She didn’t want to ask, but she had to know. “Did he give Norsa those scars?”

  Raene nodded. “A few days after his transformation. She just sort of disappeared for a while, but when I saw her again she had them. Valenta won’t go near him because of it.”

  “Did he give you that scar?” Blossom winced as she considered maybe her question was rude, but Raene didn’t seem to notice.

  She nodded again. “About a month after his transformation. He wouldn’t see me at all. I think he was trying to stay away from me. I went to the manor and told him if he didn’t want to see me anymore, then I would go live with my father and he wouldn’t have to bother with me. He transitioned right there in his office, tore the whole thing up, trashed his desk and one of the chairs. Gave me this,” she said as she followed the scar with her finger, tracing from her temple down her jaw and under her chin. When she tilted her head up, Blossom realized it was far longer than she first thought, extending clear across to the other side of her neck. “And these.” Raene stood and folded down the waist of her pants to reveal four parallel scars across her hip. Undeniably claw marks.

  Tears stung her eyes before she even knew why. But of course, she soon realized they were for Kaide. She knew he couldn’t control his totem, and in the early days, he’d struggled even more. He hadn’t meant to hurt his beloved niece, and she knew it had probably killed him when he realized what he’d done.

  “Norsa took me to my room and patched me up. It took a few weeks to get back to normal, but I did. He still blames himself, of course.” Raene sipped her wine, and for the first time, Blossom saw her vulnerable.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” Blossom regretted reminding her of it.

  Raene’s smile was so
vibrant, it was impossible to doubt her. “It’s fine. You deserve to know.” Her smile darkened as she added, “But you should also know that he hasn’t so much as breathed a stray breath near me since. I think he learned his lesson. He figured out how to be in control.”

  A nearby crash sounded. By the time Blossom looked over her shoulder, several chairs were upturned and a man had transitioned into a sharp-eared dog. The man across from him went rigid as he transitioned, falling to the floor as slender copper snake with a triangular head. As soon as it hit the ground, the snake shot some sort of clear fluid from its mouth, landing straight in the dog’s face and producing pitiful whimpers.

  “Time to go,” Druma shouted, putting his hand around Blossom’s shoulder and all but dragging her out of the shop. It all happened so fast, she found herself on the street still holding her cup of wine.

  Raene appeared beside them a moment later, her lips pressed together in annoyance. “Can’t we even enjoy a nice drink for once?” She spent a few seconds stroking down a few stray hairs before she linked elbows with Blossom. “Let’s find somewhere else to drink. We don’t need this.” Blossom only had time to set her cup by the door before she was ushered down the street.

  “That happens all the time here, doesn’t it?”

  Raene tossed her head around as she considered her answer. “Not all that often, but it’s definitely worse when it’s hot. All the reptiles get feisty in the heat. It just sort of sets everyone on edge. Like I said, it’s nicer in the winter.”

  At the next shop, Raene had to order their drinks from the bar, but Druma brought them over before resuming his usual spot behind her.

  “What was it like in your bear clan?”

  Blossom half-choked on her wine, but played it off as if she hadn’t been startled by the question. She wished she’d have thought to ask if Kaide had told her anything of his arrangement with Da yet.

  “It was quiet. Too quiet sometimes.” In her mind’s eye, she could still see the towering alder trees, stretching as far as her eyes could see, their smooth grey bark and pretty pink flowers.