The Journal Keeper (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Leerene Evans

  “Damn it, what the hell are you trying to do? Pull my bones out one at a time?” Nikolas snarled from the bed.

  “I’m getting a bullet out of your side, you giant Neanderthal,” the Healer shouted back.

  It broke something in Rianne, and she ended up giggling like mad. He joined her, chuckling at his friend’s obvious discomfort. Nikolas was not amused, though there was no heat to his words when he growled at them.

  “Just wait until you get shot.”

  “No. Nobody else is allowed to get shot,” Rianne insisted, unable to keep from smiling.

  “I think she’s right, Nik. We should definitely avoid getting shot at from now on,” Dorin added.

  Nikolas glowered at them, but the Healer soon had his attention again as he pulled out the final bullet fragment.

  “There we go. Now, go easy for the next few days. Keep the wound clean and you should be back to your charming self in no time,” the Healer said, spreading the purple mud across his wound.

  “I’ll do that, Rirwor. You come look at Rianne,” Dorin insisted, lifting Rianne off his lap and depositing her into the chair.

  “Of course,” the Healer agreed, coming to kneel before Rianne. He gave her a small smile as he began checking the bump on her head. “Quite a lump, but I don’t think he broke skin. You’re lucky there,” the Healer said as he pushed up the sleeves of her gown.

  Rianne winced as she saw the bruises on her forearm and bicep. The Healer tittered as he pressed the tender area, watching her reaction and testing the bones beneath.

  “Well, these will probably last for a week or so, but I don’t feel any bones moving around, so nothing’s broken. This could have been much worse, my lady,” the Healer commented.

  “Thank you,” Rianne whispered, pulling on her sleeve.

  “I should ask you, did either of your abductors take certain liberties?” the Healer asked softly, so the men near the bed wouldn’t hear.

  “No. Nothing happened,” Rianne assured him.

  “Then my work here is done. Everything checks out fine. You may feel a little stiff for a day or two, but a hot bath with help with that,” the Healer instructed.

  “Thanks so much, Rirwor,” Dorin said, bowing his head slightly to the mouse as he prepared to leave.

  “Good luck with that one, Your Highness,” the Healer smirked, nodding toward Nikolas before closing the door behind him as he left.

  “He acts like I’m some great rampaging beast who’s going to start eating children at any moment,” Nikolas complained, moving to sit up.

  “No! No, no, no. You, mister, are staying in bed,” Rianne exclaimed, hurrying to stop him.

  “Fine. Then you’re staying with me,” Nikolas countered, grabbing her wrist and pull her onto the bed with him.

  “I think we could all do with a day or two in bed,” Dorin yawned.

  “I feel like I could sleep forever,” Rianne mumbled, snuggling closer to Nikolas.

  While she had been cuddling with Dorin, the guards had clearly helped Nikolas rinse the blood off his body. He smelled clean and fresh, just a little bit woodsy. Her hand trailed lightly across the bandage Dorin had placed over his wound, knowing she had come close to losing him. Her thoughts began to race over what she would have done if Dr. Cull had killed him, and her panic from before began to come back.

  “Easy, danalya. We’re all okay,” Dorin soothed her, pressing against her back as he lay down beside her.

  “I love you both so much,” Rianne whispered, reaching back to tangle her fingers with his.

  “We love you, too,” Nikolas sighed, nuzzling the top of her head.

  “Always,” Dorin added, squeezing her fingers.

  Pressed tightly between their bodies, Rianne finally calmed enough to slip off to sleep.

  * * * *

  “Thank you, Ambassador. We will see to sending some of our regiments down to assist your king in his fight against the revolutionaries,” Dorin agreed, shaking the man’s hand.

  “It is I who should be thanking you, Prince Dorin.” The ambassador bowed before leaving the study.

  “You’ve done well these past few days, Dorin. I’m impressed,” Silal commented from his place in the corner.

  It had only been a week since Rianne had been kidnapped and Nikolas had been shot, but Dorin had spent most of the last few days handling his father’s business, preparing for the coming ceremony that would make Dorin king. His father and mother were eager to pass on the throne, both wanting to spend more time together and less with politicians. Dorin could understand as he was already missing his mate and he’d only been away from her for a few hours.

  “Go on. I know that look. You won’t get anything done until you’ve seen them again.” Silal grinned, shooing his son from the room.

  “Thank you, Father,” Dorin said, already hurrying out the door.

  He knew exactly where to find his two soul mates. The large doors to the library stood open so Dorin was able to sneak inside undetected. Sure enough, Rianne was stretched out on one of the couches while Nikolas rubbed her feet. She was reading from Voltaire’s Candide, her voice low and smooth. From the sound of things, she was coming to the end of the book, and Dorin, content to wait, listened in as she finished.

  “Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to come join us?” Nikolas asked, not even bothering to look over his shoulder.

  “I didn’t want to interrupt the story,” Dorin insisted, moving to take a seat across from them.

  “Are you done with all your stuffy business for the day?” Rianne asked, giving him an eager smile.

  “I am,” Dorin answered slowly.

  “Perfect! Let’s go riding.” Rianne cheered, snapping the book closed.

  “She’s been waiting all afternoon,” Nikolas told him as Rianne hopped off the couch.

  “Mr. Grumpy-pants said he didn’t want to go without you, but you were taking forever.” Rianne pouted prettily at him.

  “I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting,” Dorin teased, laughing when she moved around the back of the couch to push at Nikolas’s shoulders.

  “Get up, get up. I haven’t seen Alyla in weeks, and I want to go flying,” Rianne urged, shaking Nikolas’s shoulders when he didn’t move.

  “All right, all right. Gods above, where did you get this energy?” Nikolas asked, standing slowly.

  His side still hurt him on occasion, but he did well to hide it from Rianne. Their little mate tended to get a little teary-eyed whenever she was reminded about the shooting. They had talked the day after about everything that had happened, and Rianne had woken up almost every night with nightmares, but they didn’t let it affect their lives any more than they had to.

  Rianne quickly came around to stand in front of him, grabbing his hand and attempting to pull him from his chair.

  “Come on,” Rianne groaned, tugging impatiently.

  “I’m sure Alyla will be there, danalya,” Dorin told her with a grin.

  “I don’t want to be rude and keep her waiting,” Rianne huffed, leading him and Nikolas from the library.

  In less than ten minutes, they were mounted and racing away from the tree line. As soon as they broke through the last of the trees, Alyla took to the skies with Rysad and Byntwor right behind her. Rianne’s laughter filled the air as she and Alyla raced ahead only to circle back and find their way between Nikolas and Dorin, right where she belonged.

  “Race you to that hilltop,” Rianne challenged.

  “Oh, you are on, capora.” Nikolas smirked, shooting forward.

  Dorin followed behind as Rianne screamed at Nikolas for cheating. The polar didn’t let up and beat them both to the hilltop, allowing Byntwor to land while they waited for Rianne and Dorin.

  “You are such a cheater,” Rianne accused as she and Dorin landed beside him.

  “No, capora. I’m a winner. Now, where’s my prize?” Nikolas smiled, reaching for her.

  “Cheaters don’t get prizes,” Rianne
insisted, though she allowed herself to be taken off Alyla’s back and placed across Nikolas’s lap.

  “Nonsense. Come, now. I want my prize,” Nikolas persisted.

  “Oh, all right,” Rianne agreed with a heavy sigh, but she couldn’t quite hide her smile.

  Dorin watched as Nikolas took possession of their mate’s mouth, completely dominating her until she whimpered for him, her fingers curling in his white-blond hair. Only then did he come up for air, grinning victoriously. Rianne looked completely tousled, her face flushed and her eyes dark. Dorin knew Nikolas had succeeded in his goal of distracting their mate enough that she would want to return to the castle early.

  “Oh, wow. Okay, first one to those trees over there gets to have wild, crazy, outdoor sex!” Rianne called, jumping on Alyla and racing off before Nikolas or Dorin could do anything to stop her.

  “Nik,” Dorin said, watching her ride across the grass.

  “Yes?” Nikolas questioned, also watching their mate.

  “Do you think she’s serious?” Dorin asked.

  “Dead serious,” Nikolas answered.

  In a flash, they took off after her, listening to the sound of her laughter as she disappeared behind the trees. As they followed her into the forest, Dorin realized they would probably always be chasing after her. When they came across her already naked in the middle of a clearing, Dorin found he really didn’t mind.

  Epilogue

  Three Months Later

  Rianne stood with Nikolas off to the side of the main dais in the throne room, watching as Silal passed off the crown to his only son. The entire room was filled with dignitaries from Laurasia and Gondwanaland, as well as many important people from Wolvden. There was barely any breathing room, but somehow Nikolas made sure no one was within a foot of them. If she weren’t so grateful she would have teased him about it, but she didn’t want the throng to press in when it was already so hot in the usually freezing room.

  Nikolas’s fingers brushed along her spine, sending tingles across her skin. She shifted restlessly against him, pressing against his side. His low chuckle shook her body as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as they both watched Dorin kneel before his father. Silal moved the crown toward Dorin’s head, chanting solemnly. He paused with the crown less than an inch from Dorin’s hair.

  “Do you swear to lead the people of Wolvden with dignity, honor, and wisdom?” Silal asked.

  “I do,” Dorin answered.

  “Then rise, King Dorin, and take your place before the people,” Silal said, backing away.

  Dorin rose, resplendent in his purple robes, and turned to face the crowd.

  “Long live King Dorin. Long live King Dorin,” the cheer went up, echoing off the walls.

  He looked over to where Rianne and Nikolas stood and gave her a quick wink. She blew him a kiss in return, grinning as he began walking through the crowd. Silal and Visess followed behind, with the other kings and queens of Laurasia falling in after them. Once the royal families had exited, Nikolas pulled Rianne back toward the wall while everyone else began pushing toward the door.

  They’d gone over how the ceremony would go and, although Dorin had tried to put up a fight about leaving them behind, tradition dictated that until Rianne and Nikolas had their own crowning ceremony, they remained in their position as a “lady” and “sir,” meaning they got stuck with the majority of the crowd. Still, Rianne didn’t mind too much as it gave her the opportunity to sneak around the castle with Nikolas as they worked their way toward the reception hall.

  “Come on. We’ll go through the servants’ door,” Nikolas said, pulling her along.

  Over the past few months, Rianne and Nikolas had prepared alongside Dorin to take over the kingdom from Silal and Visess. She knew that once they walked into the reception, Rianne would have to act the part of a future queen, something she wasn’t looking forward to. She still had trouble with the steps to Wolvden’s traditional dances, but Dorin was a fantastic partner. As for Nikolas, he preferred to watch the two of them twirl around the room. It always gave her a thrill when she saw him watching her and Dorin, knowing he was taking as much pleasure in seeing her in Dorin’s arms as she was in being there.

  “Are you ready?” Nikolas asked as they came to the servants’ entrance to the reception hall.

  “As I’ll ever be,” Rianne sighed, straightening her shoulders and smoothing out her dress.

  Nikolas gave her hand a quick squeeze before they walked through the door together. Dorin had obviously been waiting for them as he quickly swooped down and took her free hand in his.

  “I’ve missed you,” Dorin whispered, kissing her cheek.

  “I know. Those horrid people wouldn’t let us near you,” Rianne pouted.

  “Never again. After tonight, you have full access to me,” Dorin promised.

  “I better. I’m your mate, for God’s sake,” Rianne huffed.

  “And an absolutely beautiful one. I do love this color on you,” Dorin commented, his hands trailing down her side seductively.

  She had to admit, she liked the dress, too, but that was probably because it reminded her of the dress she’d worn at their mating ceremony. It was almost the exact same color, but the design was much more extravagant, reminding her of the gowns she’d seen in paintings of Queen Elizabeth, only without the flea collar.

  “Thank you,” Rianne murmured, giving him a shy smile.

  “I agree with Dorin. You do look beautiful in the dress, but I cannot wait to get you out of it.” Nikolas growled lowly in her ear.

  “Nikolas,” Rianne hissed, blushing as she made sure no one had overheard him.

  “Relax, capora. No one is listening,” Nikolas assured her.

  “And now, the king will lead us in the traditional dance,” a squire announced, drawing their attention away from each other.

  “That’s our cue, danalya.” Dorin grinned, pulling her onto the floor.

  He led her in the dance that still caused her feet to get tangled together, but she kept her eyes on his and the world faded away. They had survived everything: the shootings, the kidnapping, the bombs. Nothing had kept them apart. The knowledge that her mates, her men, would do anything for her blossomed inside her until she felt as though she might burst from the force of it all.

  Dorin spun her around, and she caught sight of Nikolas, back to the wall, watching the two of them spin around the room together. She knew he watched because they were the most important people in his life, just as he and Dorin were to her. They were three parts to a whole, none of them complete without the others. She couldn’t help but smile as she turned her attention back to Dorin. She’d told Nikolas her news earlier, and he’d been very specific in his instructions on how to tell Dorin.

  “I have something to tell you,” Rianne whispered, standing on the tip of her toes to reach his ear.

  “What’s that?” Dorin asked, his voice just as soft.

  “It seems, Your Majesty, that you’ll have an heir sooner rather than later,” Rianne informed him with a happy grin.

  Dorin froze in the middle of a step, causing one of the couples who had joined them on the dance floor to run into them. Dorin ignored their disproving looks, completely focused on her.

  “You’re…are you saying…you’re pregnant?” Dorin asked breathlessly.

  Rianne nodded, too emotional to speak. Dorin gave a loud shout, lifting her up and spinning her around, drawing the attention of everyone around them. Nikolas suddenly appeared beside them, grinning from ear to ear.

  “We’re going to have a baby.” Dorin beamed, throwing an arm around his best friend.

  The people closest to them heard and quickly moved to tell others around the dance floor. In the corner of the room, Rianne spotted Morna smiling at her in approval, as if she already knew what the people around them were saying. Before long, the entire hall was whispering, the news moving from one end of the room to the other in the span of a minute. Rianne didn’t pay a
ttention, too wrapped up in the emotion shared between her and her mates.

  “I know. She told me while you were preparing for the ceremony,” Nikolas told him.

  “Damn guards wouldn’t let us through,” Rianne huffed, but she couldn’t stop smiling.

  “Gods, I love you,” Dorin breathed, leaning down to kiss her deeply.

  Rianne grinned as he pulled away, turning to shout their news to the entire room.

  “We’re having a baby!”

  Nikolas scooped her up in his arms, a smile splitting his face as he carried her off the dance floor, Dorin chasing after him.

  “Forgive us the early exit, but we’re off to celebrate,” Nikolas said over his shoulder.

  “Enjoy the party,” Rianne called as the door closed behind them.

  As Nikolas raced up the stairs, Dorin right on his tail, Rianne knew no one in the world could be as happy as she was in that moment. She never would have thought a girl like her, who lived for the job and nothing else, could end up in another world, mated to two of the most gorgeous men alive, about to become queen of an entire territory, and carrying the future heir to that territory inside her. She owed it all to Merlin’s journal, which sat on the bookshelf in the corner of their room, surrounded by Dorin’s political texts and Nikolas’s Shakespeare, its hold having vanished with the end of the threat against it.

  “We’re going to love you so good, capora,” Nikolas promised.

  “Forever, danalya,” Dorin vowed.

  She truly did have forever to look forward to with her mates, her body already adapting to Laurasia’s decreased movement through time. As they slowly undressed her, paying special attention to her still-flat stomach, Rianne’s only thought was, “Thank you, Merlin.”

  THE END

  WWW.LEERENE-EVANS.COM

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Growing up in a small town outside of Richmond, VA, I would make multiple trips to the library, bringing home up to ten-fifteen books in one visit. It didn’t take long for me to put pen to paper and start writing down the characters in my mind. Short stories were written for friends in high school. In college, longer stories were posted online for review. During the summer of 2011, I began working on my first book.