Footsteps from the hall had him holding his sword tighter, his eyes focused on the door handle. As soon as the door opened, he was on his feet, sword raised against the intruder. The young maid screamed when she saw him, nearly dropping the tray she carried in her hurry to get away from the tip of his sword.
“I did not send for supper to be brought.” Nikolas frowned, keeping his sword up.
In his mind, no one was above suspicion. He had once seen an old woman take down a man three times her size with nothing but a carving knife. He would not allow himself to lower his guard just because the maid was a young girl.
“P–p–prince Dorin s–s–sent me,” the girl stuttered, the plates on the tray rattling.
Slowly lowering his sword, he kept his eyes on the girl as he reached forward for the platter. She gave it up willingly before practically running from the room. Not remorseful in the slightest, Nikolas shut the door behind her and carried the tray over to where Rianne had finally looked up from the journal.
“Who was that?” Rianne asked, head tilted slightly to the side.
Her vacant gaze sent shivers down his spine, but he tried to ignore it as he came to sit beside her. She always looked a little off after reading the journal, as if a piece of Merlin had invaded her mind and she needed time to distance herself from the magic of the book.
“One of the maids. She brought us supper,” Nikolas told her, setting the food in front of her.
“Oh. Is it time already?” Rianne asked.
Instead of answering, Nikolas removed the covers on top of the plates, revealing lumbuve, which Rianne insisted on calling “steak,” for him and pwasdon for her. Sniffing for any foul play and finding none, Nikolas took a small bite off both their plates. When nothing happened, Nikolas sat beside her, placing the fork in her hand. He watched her for a few minutes, making sure she was actually eating and not just pushing the food around on her plate. Satisfied she wasn’t going to try to skip the meal, Nikolas dug into his own supper.
Despite the fact that his meal was nearly three times the size of hers, he finished well before she did. He ended up just watching as she finished, relieved to see the life slowly returning to her eyes, her pupils no longer taking up the majority of the blue. Unable to help himself, he reached out and snagged a strand of her hair, rubbing the dark-brown silk with his thumb. She gave him a small smile when he gently tugged the strand.
“I’m so sleepy,” Rianne whispered, her eyelids fluttering closed.
“Rest, then,” Nikolas encouraged, tangling his fingers in her hair and moving her head onto his shoulder.
She snuggled closer, an arm thrown across his chest as one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders. He ran his fingers through her hair, a calming gesture for them both. She gave a happy sigh into his shirt, and he smiled in response, knowing she was close to sleep.
“Tell me a story,” Rianne requested, surprising him.
“What kind of story?” Nikolas asked.
“Tell me something about you, your family. How did you end up in Wolvden?” Rianne asked sleepily.
Nikolas sighed heavily, knowing this conversation had been on the way. He’d been hoping to avoid it for as long as possible, having kept the truth from everyone, except Dorin, but he knew he couldn’t lie to Rianne. Not about this.
“My mother was very young when she mated my father. He was nearly 5,000 years her senior, but they loved each other. The laws in the polar territory are very strict, much more so than any other kingdom or territory. Mates can only be a man and a woman, and there can only be two mates. They’ve stuck to the old ways, outlawing mating between separate shifter species and absolutely no mating with magi.
“My father died when I was 500 years old and my mother, in her grief, ended up mating with one of the magi. He was traveling with the High Warlock to hold conference with the king, and my mother caught his eye. My father’s body hadn’t even grown cold, and he coaxed her into his bed. I didn’t understand at the time the pain she was going through with the loss of her mate. It would have been driving her to want to follow him, leaving me an orphan. Our law forbids widowed mates from re-mating, which unfortunately leads to many self-inflicted deaths.
“When her family discovered what she’d done, they banished her and me. My mother’s new mate wanted nothing to do with me and demanded she get rid of me, but her family and my father’s family could not take me in. She sent me to Wolvden, since it’s the only other place polars really thrive. I think she hoped one of the other banished polars would take me in, but instead, Dorin saved me. Silal and Visess took me in and treated me as a second son, but I never felt truly comfortable in my position within the castle until you came into our lives,” Nikolas told her.
She gave him a small smile that slowly faded into a concerned frown.
“What happened to your mother?” Rianne asked.
Nikolas had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could answer.
“The warlock left her, and she killed herself. I didn’t find out until almost 400 years later,” Nikolas croaked.
“Oh, Nikolas. I’m so sorry,” Rianne whispered, reaching up to stroke his cheek affectionately.
“It was a long time ago,” Nikolas shrugged, avoiding her gaze.
“It was your mother. It doesn’t matter how long ago it was. You loved her,” Rianne argued softly.
Unwilling to continue the conversation, unable to continue thinking about his mother and her tragic death, Nikolas decided to distract both of them, lifting Rianne up and pressing his lips to hers. As if sensing his desire to forget, Rianne simply gave herself over to him, opening her lips to his invading tongue. As soon as she did, he completely lost himself in the taste of her, the feel of her, and all thoughts left him in one swoop.
He lifted her easily, aching to have her body pressed tightly against his. She straddled his lap, shifting restlessly in his arms as her hands gripped his hair. The gentle tugs of her fingers clenching around the strands had him growling into her mouth, his own hands gripping her hips as she moved against him. Breaking the kiss briefly, Nikolas pulled her skirts up around her waist, his hands delving beneath her tiny, human-made pantalets. With one sharp jerk, the material gave way, and she was blissfully bare before him. Her gasp echoed in his ear as he stroked her wet folds, groaning at the heat of her around his finger.
“Nikolas,” Rianne whimpered into his neck, where her head had fallen at the first brush of his fingers against her clit.
“Do you want me, capora?” Nikolas asked huskily.
“Desperately,” Rianne moaned, practically clawing at his shoulders.
“Then take me,” Nikolas insisted, grabbing her hands and moving them to the catch of his trousers.
With trembling, unskilled hands, she began unfastening his pants until the hard length of his cock sprang forward. Gripping him with one hand, she rose up on her knees before coming back down, the head of his cock positioned right at her entrance. One hard jerk of her hips and he was inside her, completely surrounded by her wet heat. For a moment he could barely breathe, let alone move, but Rianne seemed to have no such problems and was soon bouncing on top of him.
“Gods, woman, you’ll kill me,” Nikolas grunted, gripping her hips tighter.
Her only response was a soft mewing sound, her head thrown back in ecstasy as she rode him hard and fast. She cried out when he jerked his hips up to meet her thrusts, sending shockwaves through his entire body. Taking control, Nikolas began thrusting from below while working her up and down on his cock. Her breasts, though still confined within her gown, bounced provocatively for him, making his mouth water. Letting go of her briefly, Nikolas reached up and ripped the front of her gown down the middle, revealing her creamy skin to him. Like a man starved, Nikolas began to feast on her flesh, nibbling and licking the swollen orbs as she writhed against him. Her pert nipples called to him, begging for his mouth, and he suckled them until she screamed in pleasurable agony, her nails leaving marks on his
skin. He growled in approval, wanting her marks on his body, wanting everyone to know he was hers.
Her entire body began to tense above him, her cries becoming more and more desperate until she exploded with a final scream, her beautiful cunt like a vise around his cock. His release was powerful, bringing forth an animal-like roar from within him as his cum erupted inside her. She collapsed against him, her breath rushing across his skin in forceful bursts as his hands stroked up and down her back. Neither one of them spoke, simply held onto one another and tried to calm their pounding hearts.
It took Nikolas a few moments before he realized Rianne had gone completely limp and that her breathing had become deep and even. Chuckling lightly, he lay his head back, accepting he would have to wait until his mate decided to wake up before he could move. As she snuggled closer in her sleep, her tiny hand fisted against his chest, he found he didn’t mind at all.
* * * *
Dorin walked through the halls of the castle, tired beyond anything he could ever remember. The entire castle was in an uproar, and everyone was watching those around them, waiting for signs of guilt. His father and he were at their wits’ end about how to handle the distrust springing up among their people. Already fights had broken out in the castle and on the grounds between their subjects, the separate parties claiming the other to be the assassin. Finding the bastard behind the shootings was proving to be a bigger headache than Dorin had anticipated.
He came up short outside his father’s study, which Rianne was using until their own rooms could be completed, and inhaled sharply. The scent of sex hung heavy in the air, and Dorin swallowed a groan at the sweet smell of his mate’s arousal. Pushing the door open, Dorin found the study empty of both Rianne and Nikolas. Sniffing the air, he managed to catch a fresher trail of their scent and followed it toward their room. Walking in, he found Rianne sleeping in bed and Nikolas reading by the fire, his sword resting against his knee. As soon as Dorin stepped in the room, Nikolas was on his feet, sword in hand.
“Oh. Sorry,” Nikolas mumbled, lowering the sword and retaking his seat.
“Have you been carrying that with you everywhere?” Dorin asked, closing the door behind him.
“Of course. How else am I to keep her safe?” Nikolas frowned at him, watching as Dorin moved to stroke the hair away from Rianne’s face.
She sighed softly, turning slightly into his hand. The softness of her skin sent thrills through him, and he had to fight his desire to crawl into bed beside her. Instead, he turned and joined his friend by the fire.
“How is she?” Dorin asked softly.
“She recovered from the journal better today than before. I think she is finally starting to shake the hold it has over her,” Nikolas said lowly.
“Perhaps you had something to do with that,” Dorin smirked.
Nikolas gave a wry smile, glancing over to their mate on the bed. The sheet was down about her waist, revealing the creamy expanse of her back. Her head was turned to the side, facing the door and away from the sunlight streaming through the window. Dorin grinned when she gave a soft huff, shifting restlessly until she found a comfortable position and slipped back into a deep sleep.
“I’m worried about her,” Nikolas whispered, still watching their mate.
“The book?”
“She’s always so tired after she reads it. Even without our…activities, she was already exhausted. The sex actually seemed to invigorate her for a few moments.” Nikolas sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Morna said her connection with the journal is beyond anything we can imagine. The tiredness is probably just a side effect,” Dorin offered as an explanation.
“I know, but I feel so damned hopeless watching her slowly fade away.” Nikolas growled, his hands balling into fists.
“But she is getting better,” Dorin reminded him.
“She won’t be better until she stops getting that vacant expression whenever she so much as looks at the damn thing,” Nikolas grumbled.
Dorin knew Nikolas was right, but he had hoped that Rianne would be fine. She had come to no harm from reading the journal, just that vague expression that possessed her whenever she opened it. Of course, it would bother Nikolas more. Dorin wasn’t clear on the facts, but Nikolas held an obvious distain for things of the magi. He was pretty sure it had something to do with Nikolas’s banishment from Bearsalei, but since the polar never spoke of it, Dorin couldn’t be sure. Still, it wasn’t difficult to see Nikolas’s discomfort whenever they dealt with the magi, and it had only gotten worse since they’d recovered the journal.
“How goes the search?” Nikolas asked, effectively distracting Dorin.
“We still have no idea who the shooter is, and the people are getting out of hand. We had three fights occur within the castle walls today, all of them between shifters claiming the other to be the assassin. It’s getting out of hand, and neither Father nor I know what to do about it,” Dorin sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“This is a good thing, Dorin. The people will look out for Rianne, make sure she doesn’t get hurt,” Nikolas insisted.
“But at what cost? What if these fights escalate, and someone ends up dead?” Dorin pressed anxiously.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Nikolas murmured.
“I don’t know how we’ll protect them if it does.”
The pressures of the kingdom weighed down on him, and Dorin knew if they didn’t find the shooter soon, the entire castle would start to fall apart.
* * * *
Rianne woke up to low voices, the conversation sounding incredibly grave, and she mentally cursed them for ruining her amazing nap. Stretching like a cat in the sun, Rianne pushed up off the bed and twisted around until she was sitting facing the fireplace. Her two mates were frowning at the floor, discussing the issues within the castle. Rianne took a moment to appreciate their incredible sexiness. Dorin’s dark-brown hair fell into his eyes, giving him that tortured artist look, while Nikolas looked like a blond Fabio, all dangerous intention in his ice-blue eyes. She didn’t know which was worse, but they both made her feel better than a hot bubble bath with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on the side.
Dorin noticed she was awake first, his nose flaring briefly before he looked up at her. Instantly blushing in embarrassment, Rianne grasped the bedsheets and yanked them up to cover her naked torso. Dorin chuckled softly, shaking his head as he watched her. His laugh caused Nikolas to look up as well, grinning when he saw the sheet clutched to her chest.
“You do realize, capora, that we have seen every inch of that delectable body?” Nikolas reminded her, rising from his seat.
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean I’m entirely comfortable strutting around here naked. Can you hand me my robe?” Rianne asked, indicating the thick material hanging over one of the doors of her armoire.
“I don’t think so.” Nikolas smirked, reaching forward to tug the sheets away from her.
She refused to release her grip and ended up tumbling toward him, showing off her very naked rear end. She squeaked in embarrassed outrage when Nikolas’s hands moved down to grip each cheek. Her face flushed, she glared up at him and attempted to pull away.
“Let me go. Didn’t you get enough earlier?” Rianne huffed, pushing against his solid chest.
“Of you? Never,” Nikolas growled, mock-tackling her back onto the bed.
She gave another shriek as his fingers drifted along her side, tickling her sensitive skin.
“Dorin! Get him off me!” Rianne screamed amidst uncontrollable laughter.
“No can do, danalya. He’d likely throw me into a wall if I tried,” Dorin teased, laughing at the display she and Nikolas made.
“Stop! Oh, God, stop! P–please!” Rianne stuttered between giggles.
“Tell me I am irresistible,” Nikolas demanded with an evil grin.
“You’re irresistible!” Rianne shouted, trying to twist away from him.
“Tell me you can’t get en
ough of me,” Nikolas continued, taunting her.
“I can’t get enough. Please!” Rianne laughed, tears running down her face.
“Tell me you love me,” Nikolas insisted, his hands flattening against her body, stroking sensually instead of tickling.
Rianne panted beneath him, her sides aching from his persistent fingers, but she wrapped her arms around his neck anyway, lifting her body until her lips were right next to his ear.
“I love you,” Rianne whispered, right before blowing a raspberry.
“Ugh!” Nikolas shouted, jumping off her and rubbing his ear against his shoulder.
Dorin busted out laughing, clutching his stomach as he almost fell out of his chair. Rianne grinned victoriously, jumping off the bed and dashing for her robe while they were distracted. Slipping the heavy material on, she turned to find Nikolas glaring at her, still absently rubbing his ear.
“That was dirty, Rianne,” Nikolas growled.
“You forced me to it,” Rianne accused, practically skipping over to Dorin and settling in his lap.
Nikolas followed, resuming his seat across from them. He continued to glare at her as she made herself comfortable, despite Dorin’s continued chuckling.
“Oh, I think you have finally met your match, my friend,” Dorin sighed, finally managing to stop laughing.
“We shall see.” Nikolas hummed, sounding incredibly foreboding.
Completely unaffected by his dark tone, Rianne curled up on Dorin’s lap, giggling outrageously at his indignant glare. It didn’t help matters that Dorin continued to grin widely at his friend, mocking Nikolas further. Her laughter slowly faded though, a faint tug at the back of her mind causing her to frown.
The Journal Keeper (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 21