A low growl rumbled through his chest and though she could hear the wolves shuffling behind her nervously, the sound only worked to calm her further.
“How did she get in?” Nikolas practically snarled.
“No one went into the study. We were all standing guard outside the door. No one entered,” one of the wolves defended.
Nikolas took a step away from Rianne, his large hands settling on her shoulders as he looked down at her.
“Tell me what happened,” Nikolas requested.
Rianne told him about how she had come in and started talking about the journal. She told him about the witch’s crazed stare as she insisted Rianne keep the information safe. With every word Rianne spoke, Nikolas’s face darkened and a continuous growl began emanating from his chest.
“Find the witch,” Nikolas ordered the four guards.
“Yes, sir,” the wolves replied in unison before turning to begin their search.
“As for you, we’re going to have a little talk,” Nikolas said, lifting her easily.
“Are you angry with me?” Rianne asked, frowning in confusion.
“Try furious,” Nikolas growled, taking her back into the castle.
“Why?” Rianne asked, even more confused.
“Because you’ve been reading that damned journal and nobody told me about it. Do you realize what could have happened to you? That thing is saturated in magic. The slightest mistake on your part, and you could’ve been blasted through a wall or turned into some creature or transported to another world or—” Nikolas ranted until she cut him off.
“Okay, okay. I get it. Reading it can be dangerous, but I haven’t been alone until today. Usually Silal is with me,” Rianne told him.
By then they had arrived at her bedroom door, and Nikolas shouldered his way inside, her still in his arms.
“And what the hell will he do if that damned book decides to hurt you? What could any of us do? You could be dead before anyone could reach you,” Nikolas snarled, practically tossing her onto the bed.
She bounced into a seated position, giving him a frustrated glare as he began pacing in front of her.
“Damn it, Rianne. You’ll not read that book again, do you hear me?” Nikolas demanded, still pacing.
“Sure thing, Mr. He-Man. Anything else I can do for you, or would you prefer me to just lay at your feet until you need a sandwich?” Rianne glared.
Nikolas stopped pacing long enough to give her a bewildered look.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Nikolas asked.
“I’m talking about the fact that you think you can tell me what I can and cannot do. You may be my mate, but you are not my father,” Rianne snapped, poking him repeatedly in the chest.
He grabbed onto her wrist, preventing her from poking him and leaned over her, forcing her body to fall back onto the bed. He followed her until he was stretched out on top of her, his arms on either side of her head.
“Being your mate means protecting you, from any and all dangers. That book…Rianne, that book is dangerous. I know you might not be able to feel it, but the magic around it is powerful. Too powerful for you to be getting mixed up in it,” Nikolas insisted with a quiet intensity.
“I can feel it, but it doesn’t feel dangerous to me. Morna said I’m the Keeper. I don’t know what exactly she meant by that, but I think she means I’m supposed to have the journal. I’m the only one who can read it, after all,” Rianne said, reaching up to comb her fingers through his hair.
He leaned down until his face was pressed into the crook of her neck. Inhaling deeply, he struggled against his instincts that demanded he keep her as far away from the journal as possible.
“All right. I’ll make a deal with you. If you only read it with me or Dorin in the room, I promise not to try and stop you, but one of us has to be with you. Agreed?” Nikolas offered, lifting his head until they were eye to eye.
“Agreed.” Rianne smiled, rising up to seal the deal with a swift kiss.
Nikolas gave a short grunt, instantly deepening the kiss. His hands tangled in her hair, tilting her head to give him better leverage as his tongue stroked across hers. Her hands moved down his body, slipping under his shirt to dance across his chest, around his back. She gasped when his hips began thrusting against hers, his erection pressed high between her legs. She spread them farther, giving him more room as she arched against him.
“You’re so damn beautiful.” Nikolas groaned, tearing his lips from hers to nibble down her neck.
“Oh,” Rianne breathed, throwing her head back as he suckled the sensitive spot just behind her ear.
“Tomorrow night, we’ll get to do this for real. You, me, and Dorin. We’re going to show you so much pleasure,” Nikolas promised, their movements fluid and perfect as the now-familiar tension built in her pussy.
It didn’t take her long before the tension broke, and she came apart, crying out as her entire body shook. Her body ached deliciously, but as her pussy clenched, she found herself almost desperate to feel his own body climaxing inside her.
Nikolas kissed her sweetly on her forehead, moving down to kiss both cheeks before pressing his lips to hers again. She could still feel the heavy weight of his erect cock between her legs, surprised that he hadn’t found his own release. An idea began forming, and she pushed on his shoulders, turning them until he lay on his back with her straddling him.
“Rianne?” Nikolas croaked, blue eyes desperate as they met hers.
“Will you help me?” Rianne requested, already moving down his body.
“Gods above,” Nikolas groaned, watching as she unlaced his trousers.
Rianne had seen naked men before. After all, Lynda was a firm believer in sexual education, but she had never seen anything as perfect as Nikolas. His cock thrust straight up from a tuft of white-blond hair, the tip already leaking pre-cum. Her hand wrapped hesitantly around the base of the hot shaft, pumping slowly. Nikolas let out a tortured groan, and Rianne’s gaze snapped up to meet his.
“Is this right?” Rianne asked quietly.
“Gods, yes,” Nikolas gasped, thrusting into her hand.
“I didn’t think it would be so hot,” Rianne commented, looking back down and squeezing his cock gently.
“Rianne, please,” Nikolas pleaded desperately.
“What should I do?” Rianne asked, still stroking slowly.
“Tighter and faster,” Nikolas gritted out, arching his hips.
Rianne tightened her hold and began increasing her speed, paying close attention to the way his breathing increased and his body flushed with each pass of her palm over the sensitive head. More pre-cum began to seep from the head, making Rianne’s hand slide easier across his skin. She could tell from the way his legs tensed that he was getting close. Leaning down, she licked the head, moaning at the taste of him.
“Gods!” Nikolas shouted, his fingers tangling in her hair to hold her down.
Her hand held him tight as his entire body seemed to spasm and long streams of cum jutted into her mouth. She was initially surprised at the salty taste, but the way Nikolas’s hands tightened in her hair as his cock jerked in her hand quickly dispelled any disgust she may have felt.
When he released her hair, she looked up at him with a coy smile and licked her lips in what she hoped was a sexy way. His normally pale-blue eyes were dark as they watched her climb up his body until they were face to face once more.
“Did I do good?” Rianne asked, surprised at the husky sound of her voice.
Nikolas didn’t answer right away. He brought a hand up to brush some of her hair behind her ear before leaning up to kiss her briefly.
“I have never felt anything like it. Thank you,” Nikolas whispered emotionally.
She didn’t even try to curb the smile that broke across her face or stop from kissing him once again. His fingers tangled in her hair to hold her still as his tongue slipped inside, no doubt tasting himself in the process. He didn’t seem to mind, though,
so Rianne pushed the nervous thought from her head and gave herself over to kissing one of her mates.
Chapter Ten
“You did well today,” Silal told his son as they walked through the castle portcullis.
“Thank you, but I feel as though I still have much to learn,” Dorin sighed wearily.
“And that is why I know you will make a great king,” Silal murmured, clapping a hand on Dorin’s shoulder.
They had just returned from discussing the shootings with the villagers, and Silal had insisted Dorin run the meeting. Dorin knew his father was preparing him for life as king, something that would be happening much sooner than Dorin would like. Silal was insistent that the young prince take the throne within a month of his mating ceremony, which would take place the following day.
If he wanted to keep Rianne safe, he had to find the shooter before then.
With a wave of his hand, Silal dismissed their entourage of guards at the entrance to the castle. Dorin watched as they went to join another group of guards milling about in the lists, recognizing them as the ones ordered to keep watch over Rianne.
“Excuse me, Father. I need to find Nikolas and Rianne,” Dorin said, a little worried about their mate.
“Of course,” Silal agreed, already heading toward the rear of the castle, no doubt to find his wife in her hothouse.
Dorin wasted no time in running up the stairs, down the hallway, and to Rianne’s door. Not bothering to knock, he shoved the door open and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Shit!” Rianne cried from her spot in front of the fire, a hand flying to her chest.
Nikolas chuckled, positioned behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist, his legs on either side of her. His lips pressed against her fluttering pulse, and Rianne visibly relaxed. Dorin could smell the lingering scents of arousal and sex, both Nikolas’s and Rianne’s. Frustrated that he had missed out on the morning’s activities, Dorin gave a slight huff as he settled down beside his partner and his mate.
“I see the two of you enjoyed yourselves today,” Dorin commented with a wry smile, eying their attire.
Nikolas had on a pair of trousers and nothing else. Rianne was wrapped in a robe, the belt cinched around her waist displaying her voluptuous curves. Dorin couldn’t be certain, but it looked as if the robe was all she had on. The thought sent a shaft of heat through his body, and his cock stood at attention. Nikolas’s quick cough hid a laugh, and Dorin shot him an annoyed glare.
“I’m sorry,” Rianne blurted out, blushing furiously.
“Why are you sorry, danalya?” Dorin asked, taking one of her hands in both of his.
He couldn’t stop himself from stroking her soft skin, luxuriating in the feel of her warm palm.
“I…Aren’t you upset?” Rianne asked, shifting nervously between Nikolas’s legs.
“Why would I be upset?” Dorin frowned, his thumb rubbing across the back of her hand in an attempt to soothe her.
“Because…because Nikolas and I…” Rianne stuttered, trailing off uncomfortably.
“Danalya, do you not remember? I was your first. Was Nikolas angry when he found out?” Dorin asked her gently.
“No,” Rianne whispered, biting her bottom lip.
“Just as I am not angry that he spent time with you today. You belong to us both, Rianne. There will be times when I cannot be with you, but Nikolas can, and vice versa, just as there will be times when the three of us will be able to come together. Hopefully the latter will occur more frequently after tomorrow.” Dorin smirked, leaning forward to kiss her sweetly.
As soon as he pulled away, Rianne shot Nikolas a worried look, but the Head Guard handled it flawlessly, giving her a kiss of his own. Dorin smiled when Rianne allowed herself to enjoy the kiss, signaling she had accepted that neither one would be jealous of the other. He knew it was natural for her to worry about jealousy, having not grown up as he and Nikolas had, but he had hopes that she would come to understand and love their culture as much as they did.
Rianne smiled softly when she and Nikolas parted, her stormy blue eyes turning on Dorin with an intensity that stole his breath.
“I love you, Rianne,” Dorin breathed, unable to hold the words back.
When her eyes began to shimmer with tears, he thought he’d said the wrong thing, but she launched herself from Nikolas’s arms into his. He caught her with a soft grunt, nearly falling backward from the force of her attack. She buried her face in his neck, her cheek wet with tears as she clutched him desperately.
“I know it’s crazy, but I think I love you, too. Both of you. And it scares me so much.” Rianne sniffled into his skin.
“What scares you, capora?” Nikolas asked, moving closer so he could run a soothing hand up and down her back.
“What if it doesn’t work? Or what if one of you wakes up one morning and realizes you’ve made a mistake? I can’t go back to my home, and…staying here would be too painful,” Rianne practically sobbed.
“Rianne,” Dorin gasped, shocked that she didn’t understand how the mating worked.
“Capora, mating isn’t like human marriage. Mating is forever. No matter what happens, no matter how many times we may drive you crazy or you rant and rave at us, we will always belong to you just as you belong to us. The only thing that can separate us is death,” Nikolas promised her.
“Didn’t Carme tell you this?” Dorin asked, knowing the fox had told Rianne about some of the traditions of their world.
“She did, but…I still wasn’t sure. How do you know we won’t be the first to fail?” Rianne asked.
“Because mating joins souls, not just bodies. When we stand before my father tomorrow, he will join us as mates by creating a bond of our souls, just like he did with Nikolas and me when we were young,” Dorin told her.
“The two of you share a mating bond?” Rianne asked, looking between the two of them.
Dorin leaned forward and kissed the little line between her brows, erasing her intense concentration while Nikolas snorted from beside her.
“We share a soul bond, capora. It is why we will share you. When I was banished from Bearsalei, I came to Wolvden because it’s the only other territory in Laurasia cold enough for polars. When I met Dorin, he knew the likelihood of me surviving without my clan was dismal, so we formed the soul bond, tying me to the Royal Pack and, more importantly, to him. While we are close, the bond we share is that of brothers. You are the only one who we will ever have a mating bond with,” Nikolas explained further.
Dorin shared a look with Nikolas as Rianne leaned her head against his chest. Dorin knew it was a lot of information to take in, but it would all be worth it if she could accept what they were offering. To be completely bonded with their mate was something neither wanted to give up, but they could not rush her into the mating. Still, with her head resting on Dorin’s chest, he knew it didn’t matter how long they had to wait. She would eventually be theirs.
* * * *
He watched as the maids set up the throne room for the ceremony that would take place tomorrow, bonding the prince and Sir Nikolas with the human. Everyone was talking about it, running around excitedly. He knew once she became queen it would become near impossible to get her alone. Already she was heavily guarded wherever she went. When the prince and Sir Nikolas weren’t with her, she had four members of Nikolas’s regiment with her.
He nodded to one of the footmen as he walked by, trying to blend in with those around him. It wouldn’t do any good to get caught before he’d finished the job. So far he’d been lucky. The prince had been too preoccupied with getting the human to safety to worry about looking for who was shooting at her in the field. When he’d taken the shot through her bedroom window, no one had thought to look up above the smithy, which was positioned almost directly beneath his intended target. They’d assumed the shot had come from the battlements along the wall opposite the human’s window.
At first his job had been simply to scare the human into returning to he
r world, but once news spread of the prince’s plans to take her for a mate, his orders had changed. He’d learned not to ask questions a long time ago. He fingered the burn mark along his forearm, a constant reminder hidden by the shirts he wore.
“You there,” a voice called, causing him to stop short. “What do you think you’re doing? You should be preparing the dining hall with the rest of them,” the man said.
He recognized him as Sir Nikolas’s right-hand man, Kesring, and quickly bowed before hurrying to the dining room. Soon, he thought, he would be able to shed his lowly position within the castle walls. As soon as he was paid for his job, he would make for the coast of Siverly and spend the rest of his days basking in the hot sun. He just had to kill the human.
* * * *
Nikolas attacked the man before him, the broadsword sure and heavy in his hands. The wolf he was fighting was a competent swordsman, but he had yet to take his skills into battle. Although they would mostly be in their animal forms if there ever was a war, every warrior needed sword skills. It was Nikolas’s job to prepare him in case the always-present turmoil between the royal families and the revolutionaries turned into a full-blown war.
Somewhere in the castle, Dorin was preparing for their mating ceremony, making sure everything was ready and perfect for their mate. In her room, Rianne would be surrounded by females, all of them eager to help the future queen prepare for her big day. Nikolas was too anxious to stay inside the castle getting ready. Instead he took out his anxiety on his men, growling in frustration when they proved inept at taking him on.
“Gods above! Do none of you train when I’m not around?” Nikolas snarled, tossing his opponent to the ground in disgust.
Wisely, none of the men around him chose to respond. Nikolas strode toward the well, angry that his nervousness was still present even after a good sparring match. He doused his head before drinking a ladleful of water, taking a deep breath when he’d finished.
He spun around to return to the list, but stopped short when he found the witch standing right behind him.
The Journal Keeper (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 16