She put her face in her hands and sobbed. Her heart ached under the weight of all, and now she had no idea where to turn next. She had no home, no family, no friends. This Thorn, this barbaric, heartless raider was the closest thing she had to a friend in the world. The only thing that made her stay and not run to escape him was that he’d been friends with Eliseo. He had come to rescue her from Maverick because that’s what Eliseo wanted. That meant a lot to her, that Thorn would carry out his promise even after Eliseo’s death.
She sobbed, too, because she didn’t know the truth of his death. Thorn said he’d died of a broken heart, but Maverick claimed he’d killed him. Who had done it? Was she just as terrible as these men for killing the one she loved with her fearful actions? If only she’d told him how she felt, if only she’d taken the chance and gone with him when he said he’d help her escape, then maybe he’d be alive, and everything would be different now.
“I hated Maverick,” she said after a time. “But he was all I had. I never loved him. I only ever loved Eliseo. I only ever wanted him.”
Thorn paced the room. Finally, he stopped and faced her. “Is what you say really the truth?”
She looked up at him and blinked away fresh tears. “Yes, of course. I loved him with my whole heart. He meant everything to me. If I had known he felt the same, I would have risked my life to be with him. I wouldn’t have done as my father wished out of fear. I would give anything to take it all back. I’d much rather be dead now if it meant I could be with him.”
“You do not have to go to the grave to be with him again.”
Emalee looked at him in bewilderment. “What do you mean?”
Thorn lifted the bandana off the top of this head and pulled down the lower one. “Eliseo lives.”
Chapter 10
Emalee stared into Eliseo’s eyes, the shock drawing her mouth open. He stared back, letting her take some time to adjust to his revelation. After several minutes, she slid off the edge of the bed and walked over to him. Very slowly, as if he would disappear if she moved too fast, she raised her hand and pressed her palm to his cheek.
“It’s really you,” she said.
He nodded. “I have been waiting for this moment for so long.”
He put his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight embrace. Emalee cried again, but this time from pure joy and amazement.
“I thought you were dead!”
“I know. I thought you were lost to me forever. After Maverick destroyed Grynall Cay, I had to take revenge. I owed that much to our people. If I would have been there when it happened, rather than off wallowing in my own misery, I might have stopped it. The guilt was too much, so I immediately mobilized all the men I could muster to come and destroy him. I thought you were gone, but I had to see for myself. I had to know what would happen if Maverick were dead. I’m glad you saw me kill him. I needed to know if he had a place in your heart.”
She lifted her head from his shoulder to look in his eyes. “He couldn’t possibly. My heart is too full of you, there is no room for anyone else.”
He met her gaze for a long moment before he put his hand at the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. It felt like her lips hadn’t existed until that moment. To feel his soft mouth moving against hers in a gentle, loving way. Nothing like when Maverick kissed her, which wasn’t often, but was always rough and sloppy. Eliseo caressed her lips with his own.
When the kiss ended, he whispered, “I love you.”
“And I you,” she whispered back.
“I know I’ve left you little choice, but I offer you a home with me. I have a new island, full of lovely people and crops and colorful flowers. Plenty of room to fly. I think you would like it there, but I will not force you into anything. You are free to do as you like.”
“There is nothing I want more in this world than to be with you,” she said. “Wherever you are is my home, and I will live wherever you live.” She chuckled. “It was a shock to learn that men can shift into dragons. I had no idea you could do that. Maybe one day you could take me for a flight. I can’t imagine what it’s like to feel the wind on your face as you soar so high.”
He smiled back. “It’s wonderful. And I’m sure you can guess why we must keep these things a secret. There are many of us, but not enough to fend off armies if they would come after us. It makes for successful raiders, however, and it’s convenient to be able to fly over the water.”
“Was my father…?”
He shook his head. “If he had been, you would be, as well.”
“I might like to be.”
“I’ll take you as close as possible. I would love to fly over my island with you.”
She smiled, picturing riding on his back, holding tight to his thick, scaled neck.
“There is one thing I would ask of you if you are to live in my home with me,” he said.
She looked up at him, confused. “Anything.”
“I would ask that you live there with me as my wife.”
Her face broke into a bright smile. “There is nothing I want more.”
He kissed her again and picked her up, walking over to the bed with her in his arms. They lie on the bed together, embracing and kissing. Emalee thought of all those times she’d been with Maverick and had thought of Eliseo being in his place. What would it be like to feel his body over hers?
Thinking about it made her get wet. She wanted to feel him, to erase any memory of Maverick forever from her mind. She reached her hand down to cup his dick. He sucked in a breath.
“Emalee,” he said slowly, “we are not yet married.”
“I know. But I’ve wanted you for so long, and I’m no longer a virgin, having been married before. I am sorry for that, but I want to think of only your hands touching me. Please.”
He kissed her passionately and moved her hand away from him. She thought he was going to insist on waiting, but he pulled off his shirt, then his pants. He lay her on her back and loosened her dress so that he could pull it down to expose her breasts. He took one into his mouth, sucking gently.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, please.” Her words quivered as her insides did, wanting him badly.
He pulled her dress down until her body was free of it and then removed her panties. He lowered himself to wet her with his tongue. She moaned in pleasure.
He came back to meet her lips and gently moved her legs farther apart. He rubbed her for a moment, then pressed the tip of his cock against her. Without any force, he slipped inside her.
Her head spun with the sensation of him filling her. She looked up into his eyes, kissing him as he slid deeper in. He moved slowly in and out of her, sending waves of pleasure through her body.
When he increased his speed, the intensity built until she came harder than she ever had before. He groaned several times, thrust harder into her, and came.
He stayed inside her, throbbing, while he brushed the hair from her forehead and kissed her.
“I have dreamed of this moment so many times,” he said.
“I have, too,” she said. “And the many moments yet to come.”
“I look forward to a long and happy life with you, to having a family and growing more in love all the time.”
She thought of what it would be like to have his baby. She’d been taking herbs for years to make sure she didn’t have Maverick’s baby. She wouldn’t want to expand his bloodline. But Eliseo’s bloodline would go on, and she’d have as many of his babies as he’d give her.
“We’ll have hundreds and hundreds,” she said, laughing, kissing all over his face.
He laughed. “Hundreds? You overestimate me, my love.”
She closed her eyes and smiled. “Say that again.”
“My love,” he whispered.
Her heart took on its own wings and soared high into the sky as Eliseo closed his arms around her and held her tight.
The Cold King
~ Bonus Story ~
A Bear
Shifter Novella
She tells me it’s the opportunity of a lifetime and because of all my hardwork, I earn a space on this expedition into bear country. Sure I love bears, polar bears to be exact, and watching the new mom and her cubs get acclimated into their natural habitat is something I’ve never even dreamed about. But here I am, out of the zoo and in the wilderness waiting for my life to change.
The way he moves. The way he looks at me. I can’t tell but it’s almost as if that bear can see me observing from afar. Through the trees, into my binoculars, and straight into my heart. Surely the cold is getting to me, but something’s different about these bears, mystical even. Only time will tell whether the shivers down my spine are simply made from paranoia, or if the tingle I feel looking at the beast behind a strange pair of eyes are something to change my world, my life … forever.
* * *
Chapter 1
Music plays softly as a bunch of people mill around a large ballroom. The tables and chairs look perfectly icy with their bright white chiffon coverings. I can barely believe that I’m here, let alone responsible for this thing happening. Soliciting donations from just about anyone who’d listen is paying off and it’s paying off big time as I look around the room at all of the smiling faces and open wallets.
Adjusting my glasses, I keep to myself as I prefer polar bears to people, but nevertheless I see Lorna Heinrich making her way toward me. She’s one of the owners of the zoo and has taken an unusual interest in me. I want to believe it’s for my work, but there area few rumors going around that she’s a cougar. She likes them young and she likes them female.
Her platinum blonde hair is the complete opposite of mine. She wears it so short and so blonde. Her shimmering blue makeup is spot on with the ice theme as she sashays across the room. Standing over 6 feet tall, I don’t even want to think about this conversation. I just want to be left alone to run this event from my little corner.
“Blissa my Blissa, darling,” she exclaims with a tight smile and her arms open to me.
I lean in, but she pulls me in closer grabbing me by the arms firmly and kissing me on both cheeks. With her bright blue eyes darting around the room, they come back around to me, “You have done such an amazing job with this fundraiser and an even better job getting the donations just to throw this spectacular event. The polar bears thank you.”
That makes me laugh, “Well I want to do my part.”
“You have done more than enough and as a reward, I’m giving you a promotion within the polar bear habitat,” she tells me.
“That’s amazing, but as the zoologist’s assistant, what higher position would there be for me?”
“Well let’s not call it a promotion,” she smirks with a subtle eye roll, “It’s more of an opportunity. I’m going to let you accompany Dr. Taggart into the habitat when our lovely momma bear gives birth to her cubs.”
“Wow! That’s amazing. What if it’s happening right now?!” panic washes over me as if I’m the expecting bear.
“No, we have that live camera feed through the zoo’s app monitoring her. No worries. Besides, Dr. Taggart says it will be at least another week before she pops them out.”
*****
It’s more than a week. An entire month goes by with the mother polar bear splashing and thrashing around her habitat. I enjoy every minute of it and even better is Dr. Taggart doesn’t treat me like his assistant. He brings me in like a colleague. We discuss what improvements we can do to make the place more suitable for two new cubs. It’s more responsibility than I’ve ever had in all my 19 years.
On the morning our bear goes into labor, I’m already in the office. Dr. Taggart retrieves me and we go inside to witness the most spectacular thing I can ever witness… outside of the birth of my own children. Of course, I have to have a boyfriend, or husband, or romantic life in general.
But with all of that rumbling around in my head, it comes to a screeching silence when I see the tiny, squirming, squealing white cub. It’s pink flesh is under a thin coat of fur with its eyes still shut. Momma bear looks at me as I scoop her cub into my arms, only to carry her over to get her weight and a few other vitals. I stroke her on the head as she croons out obviously in search of her infant. I bring the cub near her again, meanwhile Dr. Taggart is standing back with an expression of wonderment on his face.
“You are something special. Our dear momma bear typically has a hard time letting go of her cubs. I’m surprised she’s not trying to take your head off right now,” he says with his eyes wide.
“Me and her have a really special bond,” I tell him, smiling to her. I pet her again. She nuzzles against my touch and it’s almost as if she’s smiling back at me. “I like to come in early mornings, and sit with her.”
“Does that include swimming in the tank with her too?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
My heart begins to race, “I didn’t know that anyone saw that. I’m sorry. It happened by accident the first time and I promise I’ll keep out.”
“On the contrary, her mental and physical happiness have increased since you’ve started working here, Blissa. As a matter of fact, since you like being with the bears in their wild habitat, I want you to take my place on this expedition I’ve been invited on. It’s a joint country effort to help wean polar bears away from hunting and scavenging food off of the polar ice.”
“What?” it sounds like crazy talk. Polar bears live on the ice.
“Let’s let Momma bear rest with her cubs and we’ll come check on her in a bit. Follow me,” he says with excitement.
Dr. Taggart regales me of research he and other scientists have been conducting to help the polar bears acclimate to a less than winter environment. Of course they’re all men at the helm of this lunacy but I can’t fault them for trying. They actually believe if they create food that’s both similar to seal meat and forest like protein, fish and deer. The result is a cube like product that smells like cat food and looks like a brick of charcoal. Call me crazy but I don’t think bears will go for it. But who am I to say anything?
By the time he’s done speaking, I don’t know what to say. I have so many questions but all I can think of is Momma bear and her cubs. If I’m going on this expedition, I want her to be free as well.
“I’ll do it on the condition that we get to bring her and her cubs,” I tell him.
He looks hesitantly, “I don’t know. That’s a lot for us to move a new mother and it also takes away from the zoo as well.”
“You have three other young females in there that will be reproducing soon. Why not take these three and see how well they adapt to your experiment? No animal will try harder to fend for her life, finding food wherever it may lie, than a momma bear trying to feed her cubs. Besides, you see the kind of bond we already have. It would be the perfect fit to have her out there with me. And then I’d at least have someone out there that I know,” I joke.
He rolls his eyes, “I worry that you’re getting too attached to these animals, but out in the wilderness, your nurturing demeanor should serve as an asset. I’ll make sure to have her transferred to the site as well. It’s around the same area where she was rescued anyhow. It’s about time she goes home.”
I can’t get out of his office quick enough, practically skipping back to the hay filled den where Momma bear is resting. The cubs are squirming and crying but she lies still waiting for them to find their way to nurse against her. Bending down, I let her see my hand first as she nuzzles against me. I want to be the one to tell her, “Momma bear, you’re coming with me. I got that old coot to agree to take you with us on the expedition. You’re going home! You’re going home.”
Chapter 2
My heart thumps against my chest as the tiny helicopter flutters across the vast wilderness. Trees extended out as far as the eye can see while I’m being transported from a very small airport in British Columbia to the expedition host site. Mountains decorate the horizon and all I can think about is how Momma bear and her cubs are
doing. Their release into the area was fairly stress free according to the reports but, I won’t believe any of it until I see for myself.
The things jolts and jitters as it flies through the air leaving me as a bundle of nerves.
“Are we there yet?” I shout to the pilot trying to keep my queasiness at bay.
“Almost there, just hold your horses,” he snarls back to me. “Hang on tight, we’re coming in for a landing.”
I let out a huge sigh of relief until I feel what he means when he says we’re coming in for a landing. It feels like we’re swaying in the wind, rocking on the breeze as we drift closer and closer to the ground. I can see a crowd of people waiting for me. Some are in heavy parkas with fur lined hoods, while the others appear to be in more indigenous garb.
The clearing is right off the bank of a large lake that opens into the ocean. A glacier sits off in the distance making me wonder if that’s where the bears are. The helicopter lands with a light bounce and a thud. A feeling washes over me that I can’t quite describe. There’s so much unknown and I’m full of excitement to get this mission underway.
The first person to greet me is Dr. Taggart’s colleague, Dr. Isaiah March. He’s handsome enough for an older gentleman. With glasses like mine, we already have something in common, but I’m not thinking about love or anything of the sort. It’s just nice to know I have options out here in the middle of nowhere.
“Good morning, Miss Harley,” he greets me with a warm smile.
“Blissa, please,” I shake his gloved hand with my own. It doesn’t feel as cold as I’m dressed. I can feel the eyes of one old woman boring a hole into the back of my head. Turning around, her weathered face is full of lines, wrinkles of wisdom. She shakes her finger at me before whispering to a man next to her. He’s tall, skin so tan he looks like he lives around the equator rather than a few miles south of the North Pole.
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