“Of course. I’ll go first to show you the way,” Dorin said, leading her to where the grooves were carved into the soft wood.
Rianne focused on placing her feet just right as she followed Dorin down, refusing to look at the ground until she was about two feet off it. Only then did she allow herself to jump into Dorin’s waiting arms.
“We need to get back to the castle and tell them what happened,” Dorin murmured, his arms tightening around her.
“You think they were shooting at us?” Rianne asked, surprised.
“I think we were the only targets they could have been aiming for,” Dorin answered, taking her hand and leading her through the forest.
“Why would they shoot us?” Rianne asked, still not quite able to believe it.
“Any number of reasons, danalya. If it was the revolutionaries, they’re against all things having to do with a monarchy. I’m a prince, so they would want me dead because without me the monarchy ends. If they were humans, they were most likely Hunters, and so would want me dead simply because I’m a shifter. With you being with me, they would have assumed you were a shifter as well,” Dorin said, continuing to scan the area.
Rianne chose to remain silent as he continued to drag her along, his hand tightly wrapped around hers. The moment they passed through the castle gates Dorin had a member of the Guard lower the portcullis behind them. By the time they had made it to the front steps of the castle, the gate was shut and the entire castle was locked down.
Dorin spotted Carme as soon as they entered the castle, instantly pulling Rianne toward the small redhead.
“Ah, Carme, good. Send one of the men to fetch Nikolas from the lists, will you? Have him come to my father’s study when he comes in. Oh, and when you get a chance, would you please have Cook brew a pot of tea? I have a feeling we’ll be needing it,” Dorin requested.
“Of course, Highness.” Carme bowed, casting a worried frown Rianne’s way.
“Thanks, Carme.” Rianne smiled before Dorin whisked her away again.
Dorin practically dragged her up the stairs in his hurry, his eyes wider than usual as he raced down the hallway.
“Dorin,” Rianne protested when he jerked her along.
His only response was a low growl as he pulled her into his father’s study, shutting the door firmly behind them. Silal looked up from his desk, clearly surprised at the interruption.
“Dorin? What’s happened?” Silal asked, standing abruptly.
“We have a problem,” Dorin informed him, breathing heavily.
“What is it?” Silal pressed, coming around his desk to clasp his son’s shoulder.
Before Dorin could answer, Nikolas came barreling into the room, his eyes instantly falling on Rianne.
“Thank the gods,” Nikolas breathed, sweeping her into his arms.
“I’m fine,” Rianne assured him.
“I thought you’d tried to leave,” Nikolas said, breathing in her scent.
“No. I wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye. Dorin and I just had a little bit of trouble on our ride,” Rianne told him, snuggling into his chest.
“What happened?” Nikolas demanded of his partner.
“We were shot at while riding through the southern meadow. Alyla and Rysad took to the skies immediately, probably saving our lives, but the shooter still attempted to hit us again. He missed Rianne by mere inches. It was only Alyla’s quick maneuvering that saved her,” Dorin said, running his fingers anxiously through his hair.
Nikolas instantly drew her away from him, checking her body once more for any sign of injury. Rianne smiled weakly at him, her hands wrapping around his large wrists.
“I’m fine. Really. The only time I was worried was when Alyla took off. I thought for sure I was going to fall.” Rianne grinned wryly.
“Did you get a look at the shooter?” Silal asked his son.
“No. I was too busy trying to make sure Rianne didn’t fall or get hit. It sounded like it came from the forest, but we weren’t shot at again when we made our way to the trees,” Dorin answered, sinking into a chair.
Nikolas led Rianne over to the one opposite Dorin, pulling her into his lap as he sat down. She curled into his chest, happy to let the men discuss the specific details of the shooting. In all honesty, she was pretty sure she was in shock. She’d read about it and knew sometimes it took a while before the realization of how close death was came to pass. In that moment, she just felt tired. The adrenaline crash would come later, but for the time being, she was perfectly content right where she was.
* * * *
Dorin couldn’t take his eyes off the girl sleeping in Nikolas’s arms, couldn’t get the sound of gun shots out of his head. Even after repeating the tale twice, he couldn’t keep the image of Rianne almost falling to her death out of his mind. Over and over he berated himself for taking her riding, especially without some of the Guard for protection.
“It wasn’t your fault, Dorin,” Silal murmured, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Damn it, I never should have taken her outside the castle walls,” Dorin swore, ignoring his father.
“How could you have known someone was targeting you?” Silal argued.
“Spare me, Father.” Dorin spat, rising from his chair.
“Dorin,” Nikolas snapped, drawing the wolf’s attention.
“What?” Dorin nearly growled.
“It wasn’t your fault. All that matters now is that Rianne is safe and we know someone is after you. We can protect her now,” Nikolas said slowly, helping to calm his friend.
“You didn’t see her, Nik. God, she was so close. The bullet blew her hair. Do you realize how close the shot had to be for it to do that?” Dorin groaned, pulling at his hair.
“Calm down, son. We’ll send some of the Guard to see if we can’t sniff the shooter out,” Silal suggested.
“If he’s anywhere nearby, the Guard will find him,” Nikolas added.
“I want his head. He dared shoot at our mate, and I want his head,” Dorin growled.
“You’ll have it. No one shoots at my family and gets away with it,” Silal vowed, already moving to call a footman.
“I’m going to take Rianne to her room,” Nikolas murmured, standing easily despite having Rianne in his arms.
“I’ll come with you. We need to discuss placing some of the Guard to watch her,” Dorin said, following his friend.
“I’ll see to the search for the shooter,” Silal assured them.
“Thank you, Father,” Dorin murmured, bowing his head once before leaving the room.
He followed his friend and mate toward their rooms, closing the door behind him as Nikolas moved to lower Rianne onto the bed. While Nikolas got her settled, Dorin walked over and stirred up the fire. Within moments, he had a large fire roaring, helping to warm up the room for his mate.
“Are you all right?” Nikolas asked, sinking into a chair.
“I’m better now,” Dorin sighed, sitting opposite of him.
“You know you’re not to blame for this, Dorin. Nobody could have prevented it,” Nikolas told him.
“It’s our job to protect her. How can she trust me to do that if I can’t even keep her safe on a ride through the country?” Dorin fumed, making sure to keep his voice down so as not to disturb their mate.
“Damn it, Dorin. You need to snap out of this. If she wakes up and sees you beating yourself up over something you had no control over, she won’t be able to trust you to protect her. You need to show her you can be strong for her, no matter what occurs,” Nikolas insisted, leaning forward anxiously.
“You’re right, you’re right,” Dorin moaned, taking a deep breath to settle himself.
“Good. Now, I’m going to send someone to bring up dinner. I think it would be a good idea for us to eat up here with her. I don’t like the idea of taking her through the castle until we know the shooter wasn’t someone from within the walls,” Nikolas said, standing.
Dorin nodded to
show his agreement, his gaze finding the sleeping beauty on the bed. His body was drawn to hers, pulling him closer until he was standing over her. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching forward to brush her hair away from her face. His heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest when she moved into his touch, sighing softly.
“I’m so sorry, danalya,” Dorin whispered, leaning down to kiss her temple.
His entire body trembled with suppressed emotions as he watched her, the way her chest rose and fell with her soft breathing. Unable to stop himself, he ended up lying down beside her, his arms pulling her close until her head rested on his shoulder and he could breathe in her sweet scent with every breath. The trusting way she curled into his body helped to banish the horrid images of the previous hours.
As caught up as he was with Rianne and her body pressed against his, he didn’t realize Nikolas had been gone until he returned, dinner tray in hand. Dorin didn’t bother moving from the bed right away, instead watching as Nikolas set up dinner for them.
“Wake her up, will you? We need to talk about what needs to be done to keep her safe,” Nikolas insisted.
Dorin smiled as he leaned over her, his lips seeking out hers to wake her up. His fingers threaded in her hair, tilting her head to give him more access to her sweet lips. A soft sigh and the opening of her lips, allowing his tongue to slip inside for a deeper taste, signaled her awakening.
“Mmm. Hello,” Rianne hummed when they parted.
“Hello. Are you hungry?” Dorin asked, skimming his nose along her cheek.
“Starved,” Rianne admitted.
“Nikolas brought up dinner for us,” Dorin told her, sliding from the bed.
Rianne sat up more leisurely, looking around the room sleepily. When she saw Nikolas standing by the fire, she gave him a slow smile.
Dorin helped her from the bed and led her over to the fireplace where Nikolas had set up their impromptu dinner.
“Did you sleep well, capora?” Nikolas asked.
“I did. Thank you,” Rianne murmured, sinking into a chair.
“Good.” Nikolas smiled softly, kissing the top of her head as he handed her a plate.
Dorin took the seat next to her, holding his own plate as Nikolas sat across from them. Rianne eagerly dug into her food, giving a soft moan of contentment that interested Dorin far more than the food on his plate.
“Rianne,” Nikolas called to gain her attention.
She looked up from her plate, raising a brow in question.
“We need to discuss security for you until the shooter is caught,” Nikolas told her.
“Why would I need security?” Rianne asked, frowning gently.
“Because this shooter could come after you again,” Dorin answered, taking her hand.
“But you said they were shooting at you because of who you are,” Rianne said, her frown deepening.
“I know, but we don’t know that for sure and until we do, we all need to be careful,” Dorin soothed.
“Whoever shot at the two of you probably knows what you look like, and they could try again. Guards will accompany you until he is caught, or we know for sure you are no longer in danger,” Nikolas insisted.
“That’s ridiculous. I’m not in any danger,” Rianne claimed, wide eyed.
“Rianne. It’s not just you. I will have guards around as well. We all need to be careful until we know what the shooter wants,” Dorin said softly, still trying to soothe her.
“Well, if you really want to keep me safe, send me home. That way I’m completely out of the shooter’s way,” Rianne suggested.
Before Dorin could so much as form an answer, Nikolas gave an angry roar and yanked her from the chair, shaking her violently.
“You will not leave us,” Nikolas bellowed, completely ignoring Rianne’s startled response.
“Nikolas, let her go,” Dorin ordered, standing to diffuse the situation.
Nikolas growled at him when Dorin placed a hand on his arm, a clear warning to back off. Dorin ignored the warning and continued to try to calm the angry polar down.
“Do you know what would happen if we took you back? Every moment you’ve spent here is longer than the ones that have passed in your world. A day here could equal months, or even years, in the human realm. If we took you back to keep you safe and returned to find the shooter, by the time we returned, you could be dead and keeping you safe would have meant nothing,” Nikolas snarled.
Dorin knew it was the wrong thing to say as he watched Rianne’s eyes go impossibly wide with the realization that everything she knew could be gone if she returned to the human realm. Nikolas caught her when her legs buckled beneath her, and from the look on his face, he knew he’d made a grave mistake.
“Rianne. Capora, I’m sorry,” Nikolas murmured, burying his face in her soft hair.
“My family,” Rianne croaked as tears began to stream down her face.
“I know, capora. I’m so sorry,” Nikolas breathed, his eyes closing at the sight of her pain.
Dorin wondered if they would ever catch a break with their mate or if they were destined to screw up time and again. It seemed they could never win with her. There was always something between the three of them.
“Rianne, why don’t you finish eating? We can discuss this tomorrow,” Dorin suggested, hoping Nikolas would let the subject drop.
Rianne nodded against Nikolas’s chest before moving mechanically back to her seat. Dorin resumed his seat beside her while Nikolas remained standing. It was obvious he no longer planned on finishing his meal. Dorin could understand as his appetite had fled as well, but he resolved himself to eating with Rianne.
The silence in the room was unbearable, but Dorin could think of nothing to say that would help. Instead, he continued eating until both he and Rianne were finished.
“Come here, danalya,” Dorin requested, opening his arms.
Wordlessly, she moved into his lap, her head tucked beneath his chin as he held her.
“Why don’t we call for Carme to help you get ready for bed? I’m sure you’re exhausted,” Dorin offered.
“Yes, please,” Rianne whispered into his chest.
“Of course, danalya,” Dorin sighed, kissing her forehead.
He didn’t look up as Nikolas walked over to pull the string that would send for Carme, instead focusing on the woman in his arms. He knew she was upset about the loss of her family, but he also couldn’t deny a part of him was glad she finally understood that returning to her home wasn’t as easy as she’d thought.
He was rocking her gently in his arms when Carme came in, solemnly indicating for him to release Rianne.
“Nikolas and I will be back soon, danalya,” Dorin promised, kissing her temple as he lifted her to her feet.
Rianne nodded, but said nothing as Carme took over getting her ready for bed. Dorin and Nikolas went into their respective rooms to get ready for bed as well. Dorin knew he and Nikolas were of the same mind as he stripped out of his trousers. The three of them needed to be together that night after the difficulties of the day. Dorin had little doubt that he would wake up at least once with a nightmare and being able to reach out for Rianne would go a long way in easing his mind. Besides, she needed to get used to having them in her bed.
Dorin returned to Rianne’s room after stripping to his drawers, uncaring if Carme was finished assisting her out of her gown or not. He walked through the door to find Rianne sitting while Carme brushed out her hair, the fox humming softly as she went about her work. Neither one of them looked up when Dorin walked into the room, and he took a moment to enjoy the simplicity of watching his mate being groomed.
The door opposite him opened, and Nikolas came out, his eyes instantly seeking their mate as well. Dorin couldn’t help the sly smirk that crept across his face as Nikolas became just as enraptured as he had been watching Carme brush Rianne’s hair.
The act of grooming was usually reserved for mates, but until the mating ceremony was completed, neit
her Dorin nor Nikolas would be allowed to help their mate prepare for bed. He wasn’t sure how Nikolas felt watching the two women, but Dorin’s entire being ached at the idea of taking the brush from Carme and completing the nightly ritual himself.
Carme finished brushing Rianne’s hair and turned to look between Dorin and Nikolas. Seeming to be satisfied with what she saw, she nodded once before leaving the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, Dorin moved to stand behind Rianne, settling his hands on her shoulders.
“Come to bed, danalya. I know you’re probably exhausted,” Dorin said softly.
Rianne nodded, looking as though she was about to fall asleep in her chair. Without another word, Dorin lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed where Nikolas stood waiting, the sheets pulled back. Placing Rianne in the middle of the bed, Dorin crawled in after her, instantly drawing her body into the curve of his. Nikolas moved to settle on her other side, his arm thrown loosely about her waist.
“Sleep, capora. The morning will come soon enough,” Nikolas murmured, kissing her softly.
Dorin smiled contently when she shifted closer to Nikolas, drawing the three of them together. Her head found a place on Nikolas’s shoulder while her legs tangled with Dorin’s, connecting the two of them as she would for the rest of their lives. As the strain of the day left his body, Dorin forgot to think about the shooter, the Guard, his father. All of it fell away at the feel of finally falling asleep next to his mate.
Chapter Eight
Rianne wasn’t sure what to think about the fact that she might not be able to return home to her time. Staring out the window at the busy baileys below, her mind wandered to all the things she would miss if she ended up unable to return home. Chocolate, for one. All her novels, especially the ones hidden in the back of her closet. She would miss Lynda and her tales of her latest conquest. She would even miss the stray cat that would sit outside her window and yowl at all hours of the night.
As for her job, the idea of never returning to Cull Industries hurt, but nothing more so than letting down Dr. Cull. The man had reminded her so much of her grandfather, taking her under his wing when she began learning the trade. Despite the fact that women were rare in their line of work, he had ignored her gender and seen only her abilities as a translator, encouraging her when others would have given up on her.
The Journal Keeper (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 12