by Celia Kyle
Amy’s moans filled the tent, his cock still so deep in her mouth that he could feel the vibrations from back of her throat. Only then did he allow the deep ache within him to loosen into a deep, fervent release. Her head bobbed even faster as she pushed his climax into realms he’d never dreamed possible. She took every inch of him and lapped up every last drop before rolling off him and collapsing in his arms.
He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to think, but he gathered her in his arms and kissed the top of her still-damp head. Before Amy, he would have felt cocky about winning her attentions. He would have ridden back to the palace triumphant and thrown his victory in his brother’s face. But as he lay with Amy snuggled against him, their hearts beating in time, all he felt was pure, unadulterated joy. Pressing his lips to her forehead, he closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.
The truth hit him like a lightning strike. As impossible as it seemed, he was falling in love with Amy.
Chapter 11
Amy pretended not to notice the disappointed look in Tahvo’s eyes when she asked him to drop her at the palace entrance before returning the camel to the stables.
“I really need to check on Nabila,” she insisted, though they both knew it was more than that.
Every step the camel had taken back to the palace had only driven home Amy’s guilt. She’d come to Adikar to treat a sick mother-to-be, not mess around with a couple of hot princes. One had been bad enough, but then she’d gone off with the other and lost all track of time. The sun was much too low in the sky by the time the palace came into view, and anxiety got the best of her.
She hurried to Nabila’s quarters, vowing to spend the rest of what remained of the day doing her duty. No more romantic rendezvous. No more fantasizing about sexy shifters. No more sensual fun.
Knocking on Nabila’s door before pushing it open, Amy was met with a scene that made her blood boil. Nabila lay in her bed, her arms clutched around her stomach and her wide eyes following her husband around the room as he screamed into a cell phone. Amy didn’t care for the slightly green cast Nabila’s skin had taken on, the hue not helped by the chaos going on around her.
Zafar paced around the room with loud, thudding stomps, completely oblivious to his wife’s distress. Apparently discussing the kingdom’s oil holdings was far more important than his mate and her health. When he spotted Amy in the doorway, his voice grew louder, almost as if he yelled at her. His canines extended and sharpened to fangs that extended past his bottom lip. Shiny black fur ringed his neck, peeking above the collar of his Oxford shirt.
He was angry, and he already hated her. Recalling Shon’s warning about how the king had been ready to kill her, Amy paused. But only for a single heartbeat. One look at Nabila’s face made the decision for her.
Zafar didn’t have to like her, but he was going to follow her orders and do what was best for his wife and child.
Walking straight up to the King of Adikar, Amy snatched the phone from his hand, grabbed his tie and pulled him toward the open door. She held no illusion she’d somehow overpowered him. The only reason he didn’t resist was due to the element of surprise.
Giving him a hard shove, she pointed to the hallway and hissed a single word, “Out!”
She might as well have shouted judging by the way he winced, but at least he obeyed. She followed on his heels and snapped the door shut behind them. She jammed her fists onto her hips and glared at the country’s ruler, refusing to quail beneath his heavy stare.
“Do you love your wife?” she demanded.
Zafar’s long fangs snapped together and his nostrils flared. “How dare you! How dare you walk in here like my equal and steal my phone and…”
He trailed off, perhaps finally processing her question.
“Of course I love my wife! I love her more than the earth and the sky and the heavens above! How dare you question my adoration for the Queen of Adikar!”
With every word, he drew himself taller, his voice booming and echoing in the cavernous hallway. Then, when he reached the apex of this fury, his clothes ripped and seams parted as his muscles expanded while he grew leaner, longer. He dropped to all fours, black fur sprouting all over his body as he gnashed his teeth and growled, his fury apparently too overwhelming to express in his human form.
A line of fur along his spine stood on end and his razor-sharp claws clicked on the marble floors as he stared up at Amy. His ears laid back, and he released a blood-curdling scream that ended with a long hiss. The threat was clear, the cat’s assurance that it could rip her to shreds with a single swipe of his paw. Maybe he would, too. But not until she did everything she could for her patient.
Blood thundered in her ears as she clenched her jaw and squared her shoulders. Taking a step forward, she jabbed a finger at the nose of the beast and leaned down so close she could smell his musty breath.
“If you love your wife—and even a blind person could see you do—you need to get control of yourself, Zafar. You need to be calm and peaceful around her always—always—if you want her and your baby to be safe and healthy. Stomping around screaming and generally being a gigantic asshole isn’t helping anyone, least of all Nabila. More than anything else, she needs your love and support if she’s going to get through this. Give her that.”
The panther glowered, but the low, warning snarl ceased.
“Go put yourself together. You can come back when you’ve calmed down.” Without another word, she took a deep breath, spun on her heel, and headed back into the queen’s room. When she entered, Nabila looked up with worried eyes, her brow knitted as she studied Amy’s expression.
“Where’s Zafar? I thought I heard growling and—”
“He has some business to attend to, but he’ll be back soon enough. Let’s take some vitals and see how you’re doing this afternoon, okay?” Amy set to work checking Nabila’s pulse and the woman visibly relaxed as she worked.
“I’m sorry Zafar has been so…” she chewed on her bottom lip. “Intense. When he’s worried, he goes full alpha. He was like this when his father fell ill, too.”
“Let’s not worry about that.” Amy patted the woman’s arm. “Tell me how you’ve been feeling today.”
Nabila’s smile certainly seemed less vibrant than earlier that morning. “Okay, I guess. I felt almost normal this morning, but I woke up from my nap feeling funny. Not as bad as before, but it has me worried.”
Finishing her quick exam, Amy wrapped her stethoscope around her neck. “Your vitals are definitely better than when I arrived, but they’re not where I’d like to see them. Are you staying hydrated?”
Nabila blushed. “I had some tea this morning…”
Amy wagged a finger at her. “That’s not enough. You need to drink lots of water. Your mint tea is okay occasionally, but plain old water is what I’m ordering for you. Eight glasses a day, at least.”
Nabila sighed. “But my bladder’s so small already.”
Amy laughed and made notes in her chart. “Maybe your servant—Dalia, right? Maybe she could stay with you tonight to help you with the bedpan when needed.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Nabila said, wrinkling her nose in disgust over how low she’d sunk.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to figure out that part on your own. I don’t care how it all happens, just make sure it does.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nabila’s smile fell away, replaced by worry. “Have my test results come in yet?”
Amy set down her clipboard and sat on the edge of the bed. Taking Nabila’s hand in hers, she smiled softly and, hopefully, reassuringly.
“Not yet. They’ll take a few days, but we don’t have anything to worry about right now. Just make sure you stay relaxed and rested.”
Nabila nodded again, glancing at the corner of the room as she frowned slightly.
“Hey,” Amy said, softer this time. “I would tell you if there was anything to tell, okay?”
She didn’t want to hurt Nabila by telling her that
Zafar had undoubtedly been the cause of her minor relapse, and now that he was gone, she’d perk back up again. Some things were better left unsaid.
Nabila chewed on her lip again and nodded. “Okay.”
Amy put away her instruments and pulled a novel from her doctor’s bag. Settling into a plush armchair positioned next to Nabila’s bed—no doubt put there by Zafar—she started reading.
“What are you doing?” Nabila asked.
Amy peered over the top of the book. “What’s it look like?”
“But why?”
“Why not?” Amy shrugged, smiling at her patient who she was quickly coming to consider a friend.
Nabila threw her hands in the air in frustration. “Are you telling me the twins have been neglecting you?”
Amy coughed at the unexpected turn in conversation. Before she could recover her composure, Nabila continued, watching Amy carefully.
“They’ve grown so much since their father passed. Every single thing used to be a competition between them, but lately… they seem different. Like they’re looking for something more. Does that make sense?”
“Hmm.” Amy refused to commit to an answer.
The last thing Amy wanted to talk about was the twins, not when she couldn’t make sense of them on her own. Despite how shocked she was at her own behavior, if someone held a gun to her head, she had no earthly idea which one of them she’d pick. She liked each of them so much, on their own merits.
“They’re really coming into their own, though,” Nabila went on. “Dalia reports they’ve even stopped visiting the harem.”
Amy looked up at this, not even caring if she looked surprised. “Oh?”
Nabila smiled and nodded. “I think they’re finally growing up, becoming real men. They just need to find something that will make them happy and settle down.”
Amy found it difficult to swallow around the lump in her throat, but she finally managed. “I suppose that’s what we all hope for our siblings.”
Nabila’s keen gaze held Amy captive as she hummed her agreement.
Amy’s head spun. Nabila must have picked up on the attraction between her and the twins. She couldn’t stand the thought of word of her unprofessional behavior getting around, but more than that, the twins were distracting her too much from her patient. As pleasurable—doubly pleasurable—as her day had been, now was the time to focus on what was important.
Nabila needed her. The only thing to do was to avoid Shon and Tahvo at all costs.
Besides, it wasn’t as if they were long-term prospects anyway. Two notorious philanderers hooking up with a visiting doctor, that was it. No love lost.
So why did her heart feel as if it was breaking?
Chapter 12
Shon gritted his teeth as he stepped from Nabila’s room, careful to close the door quietly behind him. He didn’t know how Amy had managed it, but for the past three days, she’d been nowhere to be found. On the rare occasions he’d caught her in Nabila’s chambers or in the library, she’d instantly had an excuse handy before flying from the room, leaving him alone again with his battered heart.
He couldn’t understand it. After everything they’d shared, the only thing he wanted was to spend more time with her. All his time, in fact.
Of course, there was one person who might be able to solve the mystery of Amy’s sudden shyness—the one person in the castle who cared about her whereabouts almost as much as him. He had to find Tahvo. With a heavy sigh, he charged down the royal hallways so quickly he nearly bulldozed the woman walking directly toward him. He stopped short and the silver tray in her hands clattered before he reached out to steady her.
“Dalia?” He furrowed his brow as she blinked up at him. “It’s late. Why aren’t you in the harem?”
She nodded and kept her eyes on the ground, as all servants were trained to do when speaking with a member of the royal family. “Special dispensation from the king, Your Highness. Mint tea to soothe the queen’s stomach. The pregnancy has caused her a lot of distress.”
“Of course.” Shon nodded, ready to walk off again, but then he paused. “You don’t happen to know where Tahvo is, do you?”
“I saw him in the garden on my way here,” Dalia said.
“Thank you. Sorry for almost knocking you over!”
Shon didn’t wait for her reply. He just hurried down the hallway even faster, but this time taking better care to watch where he was going. He found Tahvo sitting on the edge of the fountain in the center of the garden, staring down at the water with a deep frown etched into his features.
Shon sat next to his brother. “We need to talk,” he said simply
Tahvo nodded solemnly. “I’ve been thinking that too.”
Shon paused, unsure where or how to start. He’d never seen the lines of his brother’s face so clearly defined or his frown so deep and unyielding. For a moment, he considered asking what was on the other man’s mind, but of course he already knew.
“Amy is an amazing woman,” Shon said, studying his brother’s face as he spoke. “I’ve never met a woman like her before. So headstrong and passionate.”
Tahvo’s mouth twitched slightly as he nodded.
“She inspires me,” Shon continued. “I’ve been writing sonnets and poetry and ballads. I can’t stop thinking about her and I want to spend every single moment with her. The waking ones, the sleeping ones, I don’t care. I…” Shon searched for the words, desperate to make Tahvo understand, though he suspected his brother understood all to clearly. “I never thought this would happen to me, but I think this is what love feels like.”
Tahvo nodded again, his gaze never moving from the churning depths of the fountain’s water. “It is. I know because I feel exactly the same way. Her dedication to doing the right thing makes me want to become a better man. I’m sick of living a life of debauchery. I’m sick of being a stereotype. I want more. I want…her.”
Shon leaned closer to Tahvo and whispered, “Me too.”
They sat together quietly for a few minutes, gaining strength from each other, as they had since birth. Where once Shon might have been jealous of Tahvo’s feelings for Amy, he felt only empathy. They were both confused and hurting. Everything had changed, almost overnight. Now what were they supposed to do?
“We should talk to Aziz,” Tahvo finally said. “If anyone will know how to handle this, it will be Aziz.”
“Not a bad idea.”
Neither spoke as they sought out the king’s most trusted advisor in his office. They didn’t need to. Their bond had always been so strong that they often sensed the other’s emotions. Since the same emotions were churning inside both of them at that very moment, they didn’t need to even try.
They found Aziz behind his desk, reading an ancient scroll. He smiled up at them and motioned for them to sit in the plush leather chairs across from him.
“What can I do for Your Highnesses?” he asked pleasantly.
Shon and Tahvo took turns telling their story. They each left out the gory details of their private encounters with Amy, but their problem revolved more around their feelings than their acts. When they finished, Aziz sat back in his chair and studied them.
“I see,” he said, pursing his lips in thought. “Well, it seems pretty clear to me you both are in love. I think at a time like this, we must remember the story of Queen Dya.”
“Who?” Shon frowned and glanced at Tahvo, who shrugged.
“Queen Dya was the first queen to rule Adikar in her own name. Loved by her people, she was a patron of the arts and she spearheaded the movement toward women’s sexual liberation here in Adikar.”
“What do you mean?” Tahvo asked.
“Dya had two lovers,” Aziz explained. “She loved them both unconditionally, and they loved her in return. Unable to choose between them, Dya decided that if it was legal for kings to take multiple wives, queens could do the same. On the same day she decreed such unions legal, she took both men as her husbands. It’s not a common ar
rangement, but it is legal.”
Aziz looked from Shon to Tahvo, silently asking the question they could never ask aloud. They had spent their lives sharing everything—were they willing to share a wife too?
The twins turned to each other, speaking their silent twin language. After only a moment, and at the same time, they grinned.
Chapter 13
Zafar would never admit it, but Amy was sure he’d learned something from their little argument a few days ago. Since that confrontation, he’d begun leaving his cell phone on a table outside Nabila’s room. If Amy was there, and she usually was, he nodded politely, and then focused all his attention on his wife. If Nabila was thirsty, he poured her water. If she tried to sit up, he helped settle her in the most comfortable position. If she needed to relieve herself… well, he usually left that to Amy or a servant. Regardless, his attitude had improved greatly.
Still, Amy didn’t delude herself into thinking he actually liked her. Every now and again, she’d catch him glaring at her, but then he returned his gaze to Nabila and he seemed to calm. As long as he didn’t agitate Nabila, Amy didn’t care if he bit her head off outside the room.
Not literally, though. She quite liked her head.
She almost snickered at her own internal joke as she finished making a note in Nabila’s chart. Two hard knocks on the door made her jump and then sigh. No doubt one of the twins—or heaven forbid, both. She’d managed to avoid them for the last few days, and she intended to continue doing so. It wasn’t easy, especially when the tension between them was so thick it could almost be seen, but worth it as long as Nabila continued to improve.
Steeling herself as she pulled open the door, Amy had one of her ready-made excuses on the tip of her tongue. But instead of a handsome, rugged twin staring down at her, she came face-to-face with a squat, older man in a servant’s uniform holding a manila envelope.