by Alex Lidell
I survey the calm faces around me. “You knew this would happen,” I say, nodding at the empty tabletop. “You didn’t even bother getting plates.”
Shade stretches, his lithe body lazily claiming the space around me and all the air from my lungs. “Do you imagine any of us will go hungry, cub?” he asks with a grin. “The runes may keep me from leaving the Citadel grounds, but they don’t stop game from coming in.”
My stomach growls, the scent of hot food so tempting, I all but shake with want. “We’ll wait until you hunt, then.” I push the plate away.
River pushes it right back. “Eat. I, for one, am looking forward to a fresh kill. Plus”—his voice lowers—“we can’t leave until someone eats. So either you dine like a smart being, or we’ll be reduced to grabbing scraps with our hands once the plates are cleared.”
The males keep up a steady stream of conversation, sprawling in their chairs as if every fae warrior in the room isn’t watching them. As if they’re here by choice and have graciously permitted the others to share our space. Shade drapes an arm over the back of my chair, fingers playing idly with the tip of my braid, sending shivers through me. Given the force with which Malikai is stabbing his food, I imagine the display looks as convincing to others as it would to me if I weren’t sitting close enough to Coal to see his white-knuckled fists.
It’s all for me, I realize. The males’ willingness to endure humiliations that should be hundreds of years behind them. To drop to their knees on the hard council floor and accept runes that trap them in a place they despise. My throat constricts, a sense of belonging, of fierce connection, filling my soul. I don’t know how I can ever repay the four warriors for the gift, but I will try.
River ensures that we are the last ones to leave the dining hall, chatting jovially until even Malikai gives up waiting for us to slink away.
That done, we take another long walk around the grounds before Coal growls that I’ll forget what little riding I’ve learned and takes me to the stables, where Czar and Sprite meet us with whickering welcomes. Riding turns into a long sparring lesson in a sunlit glen behind the dormitories.
Another gift, the training and the resulting fatigue. The one sort of balm that Coal can offer my fraying nerves. It almost works too. Almost.
The sun has set by the time we return to the suite. I smile weakly at the males, whatever borrowed strength that fueled me through the day choosing this very moment to depart my body.
“I’m going to bed,” I declare, not waiting for a response, ignoring the sharp cut of River’s eyes, the tick in Coal’s jaw, and Tye half rising to stop me as I walk back to my room. The moment I’m inside, I turn to shut the door at once, staying with my forehead pressed against the thick wood.
It takes me three slow breaths to find enough strength to reach up and engage the latch. Once I do, I slide down to my knees, my palms rasping against the finely carved wood. Tears I didn’t know were flooding my eyes now spill down my cheeks, my body trembling like a frightened rabbit’s. I’m tired. I’m scared. And I’m so damn confused that I can’t think straight. Some bloody quint warrior I am.
My fingers trace the runes on my neck, as they have over and over since the damn marks were burned into my skin. Four cords. Not five. Because one of us doesn’t belong here, no matter how brave a face the males put on, how much they pretend that having to repeat their Citadel initiation for my sake is no great burden. That today’s surrender, spurred into existence by nothing other than my fear, is naught but a small inconvenience.
I’m mortal, not stupid. I can see through their facade as easily as they can create it.
Scrubbing my sleeve across my face, I sniffle as softly as I can and turn toward my bed—only to stumble back toward the door as a sudden light flashes atop my covers.
Shade.
I glower at the wolf curled against my pillow, its nose tucked piously under its tail. He’s been here all along, watching me break to pieces and then shifting before I could make him explain the damn intrusion. “Get out,” I say quietly. “Or I will. And don’t pretend you can’t understand me. You bloody smell my meaning.”
Nothing.
“Fine.” I turn, reaching for the latch. My hand is halfway there when the light flashes again and a guilty-looking male replaces the giant gray wolf on my bed. “I didn’t mean to intrude,” Shade says sheepishly, swinging his legs over the side of the mattress to brace powerful forearms on his knees. Dressed only in the black uniform pants, which mold around his waist, thighs, and more, Shade is his usual shirtless self. Powerful muscles bunch under smooth, tan skin as he flexes his fingers. His golden eyes flick to mine, then to the floor. “By the time I realized you wished to be alone, it was a little late to announce myself.”
I wrap my arms around my ribcage, my back against the door. “If the next words out of your mouth are ‘what’s wrong’—”
“I was rather planning on keeping my mouth shut.” Shade rises from the bed and walks slowly toward me, extending a hand that stops just short of brushing my shoulder. Even after the long day, his body is lithe and deadly, each flick of muscle an economy of lupine motion. His yellow eyes brush my body hungrily, sending a reflexive jolt of fire through my core. My hands long to touch him, even as I want to shove him out the window.
Shade’s nostrils flare delicately against my neck. “You are freezing, cub.”
“No, I’m not.” I rub my arms. Now that he’s said it, though, I realize Shade is right. I am cold. A bone-deep weary chill of stress and fatigue that no amount of blankets could conquer. The fact that the male knew it before I did sends another jolt of heat through me. “I mean, it’s nothing a bit of sleep won’t cure.”
Shade moves closer—which I would have thought impossible—until he’s bracing his hands on the door on either side of my head. His broad frame fills my world, his dark hair and yellow eyes forming a cocoon. The moonlight coming through my window silhouettes the hard cut of his hips. “I have a better idea.” His whisper brushes my cheek, his wolfish scent and my own rebelliously growing need trapping me as securely as any rope.
Shade’s soft lips graze the corner of my mouth and trail up my neck, leaving tiny burning footprints all the way to my ear. “Trust me?”
I can’t answer. Can’t speak, for fear of him pulling away from me. My self-control is worn too threadbare for such heroics.
Shade’s arms slide over my body, hooking beneath my knees and shoulder blades. My breath catches in my throat as the male lifts me against his chest and strides smoothly to the window, its curtains pulled back to welcome the star-filled sky. Opening the latch with one practiced motion, Shade vaults over the sill and onto the damp grass below. Even with me in his arms, Shade lands softly on the balls of his feet and carries me off into the darkness.
11
Shade
Shade hadn’t meant to intrude on Lera. He truly hadn’t. By the time he realized he was, it was too late. Moving easily through the night, he pressed her to his chest. The cold air brushing his skin was startling against the girl’s warmth, the combination alone rousing his senses.
Shade knew he was playing with fire. With the same delicious, loin-gripping, soul-consuming flames that had guided him free of a decade in wolf form and now challenged him to live every moment of the now. And therein lay the problem.
Shade had known he was in love with Lera since he first shifted form, but the wolf part of him, it wasn’t one for subtle. Not when it wanted. And certainly not when it claimed. Which it was a breath away from doing, whether or not Shade’s higher senses gave permission.
If the wolf had had its way, Shade would have claimed Lera nearly two weeks ago. And then proceeded to tear apart anyone and anything that got too close to his newly claimed mate. It was an instinct poorly conducive to a healthy quint, and it wasn’t one that Lera would likely tolerate, not with that streak of bravery and independence of hers that made Shade’s breath catch on a regular basis.
The other males
knew, of course—smelled how close to mating his wolf was becoming—and each in his own way had warned Shade to mind his animal or keep the bloody hell away from the girl. Since the latter was impossible, it would have to be the former. No matter how trying the night was likely to become.
Lera’s eyes were drooping closed as she entrusted Shade with her body like he’d asked. He lowered his nose to her hair, inhaling the way her lilac scent mixed with the crisp night air one more time, before opening the heavy door leading down, down, down a spiral staircase. The slight taste of sulfur filled Shade’s mouth at once, along with a damp kind of chill. The candlelit air grew thicker as they descended, an odd fog haunting the passage.
Lera opened her eyes, blinking in delicious wonder as the sound of rushing water echoed from the stony depths, growing louder with each step. A final turn, and the spiral staircase yielded to a vast cavern—one of the Citadel’s priceless treasures.
Thousands of candles, each as unique as the rocky shelf it stood on, burned with flames that consumed none of the delicate wax. The flickering lights reflected in the half dozen pools of water, some still and others bubbling, that made up the cave’s underground springs. “Welcome to the bathhouse,” Shade said softly.
“Bathhouse? That word is woefully inadequate.” Lera’s velvety brown eyes sparkled as she looked around. The magic of watching her see the cavern’s springs and geysers for the first time was already making the excursion worth it. That was one of the human’s most irresistible charms—everything was new and rich and exciting. It was as if Shade could live every wonder of life all over again through Lera. She cleared her throat. “Where are the . . . bathers?”
“At this hour, I imagine they are sleeping,” Shade said. The cavern was seldom used in the evening, save for visiting fae, as it was more practical for the trainees to attend to bathing earlier in the day. It was the reason he’d brought Lera here, to offer her an oasis of private calm after two days of being watched and assaulted and discussed and tested.
Lera stirred in Shade’s arms, her feet seeking the ground, as Shade maneuvered to the far pool. It was his favorite, perfectly hot and deep, with slightly murky bubbling water. The girl’s motion rubbed over Shade’s already taut cock, sending a jolt of fire through his loins. The male swallowed a curse and nipped the girl’s ear.
“You’ve done more than enough the past two days, cub. Let me take it from here. You can stand up to the Elders Council, face an arena trial, and discover magic again tomorrow, if you wish.” Still supporting the backs of Lera’s knees, Shade set her down on the pool’s smooth stone lip. The warm tub was smaller than the other pools in the cavern, but still large enough to let several fae soak comfortably, and the soft foam of its bubbling waters lapped the stone.
Shade’s heart quickened as he crouched beside Lera, pulling off her leather boots and undoing her long braid. Shade hadn’t the power to halt the Citadel’s trials, but a massage and a warm bath, yes, that much he could give the girl.
That much and no more. That was the rub of it.
A soft moan escaped Lera’s lips as Shade ran his fingers through her thick, silky hair, the tiny sound going mercilessly to his cock. His body tightened, his hands stilling on Lera’s scalp while he swallowed and fought for breath that suddenly came at a premium.
“Are you all right?” Lera asked, shifting until her eyes met his, sending another jolt of need through Shade’s core.
No. No, he wasn’t all right. He was one breath away from pouncing. Shade shook himself—only to find Lera’s palms on either side of his face, her lips so close to his skin that he could feel their heat. In the flickering candlelight, Lera’s melted-chocolate eyes were as deep and warm as the cavern itself.
Shade’s heart stuttered a beat then pounded so hard that the impact against his head and cock drowned out the world.
“Shade, what is it?” Lera’s hands slid from his cheeks to the tops of his shoulders, each friction of flesh spurring his desire.
Shade shuddered again, this time more violently, and caught Lera’s wrist. “It would be better if you just enjoyed, cub,” he said hoarsely. “I won’t be able to keep myself in check if you start . . . reciprocating.”
Lera frowned, tipping her head to the side so a single strand of hair fell over her dusting of freckles. “Do you have to?” she asked slowly, though Shade could see the rapid lub dub, lub dub of her pulse in the hollow of her neck. “Keep yourself in check?”
Stars. “Yes,” Shade said firmly. “I very much do.”
Her shoulders fell, a hint of pain flashing in her eyes almost too quickly to catch.
Shade’s heart tightened. “It isn’t because I don’t want you, cub. On the contrary. I want you too greatly.”
“Then let me explore you.” Lera rose to her knees, her voice filled with power. “When is it my turn? I want to touch you, discover what makes you—”
“There is very little secret as to what makes me hard, Lera. You sitting beside me is enough to drive me insane. But tonight isn’t about me. It’s about you.”
A quick flash of her brow. “Then I should have a say in how it proceeds.”
Shade caught Lera’s free hand before it could reach its pulsing target, and pulled both of her slender wrists into one hold. The night was quickly heading where it should not, and Shade’s sweat had little to do with the steaming bath. “I’ll make you a bargain, cub,” he said, his breath hitching. “You keep your hands to yourself and I’ll make it worth your while tonight.”
Lera’s eyes glazed over slightly, her thighs tensing.
Holding her gaze, Shade released Lera’s wrists and pulled loose the laces of her shirt collar and that wide sash holding the tunic against the girl’s slim waist. He moved slowly, savoring every touch as if life, not cloth, hung in the balance. Shirt loosened, he pulled it over Lera’s head in one short motion, brushing his hands down her sides as soon as they were bare.
She was new to this, though Shade had no idea how that was possible unless all the males in the mortal world were bloody blind. Still, the girl seemed unaware of her distracting beauty, and while she plainly enjoyed touch, she was shy about her own pleasure.
Lera’s breath caught as he removed her chest bind, her face heating as the round swells of her breasts tumbled free. Lera’s nipples, pink and all but begging for Shade’s mouth, stiffened with their sudden taste of air. Shade brushed his hands down Lera’s supple skin, tracing his fingers along her collarbone, her sides, her hips, his gaze drinking in her face. She bit her lip, her eyes drifting closed. Even out of his wolf form, Shade scented the mix of desire and hesitation that hung around her, thick as perfume. The pants could wait until they were in the tub.
Making short work of his own boots, Shade lifted Lera against his chest and walked them both into the bubbling pool. The water—so hot, it rose in steamy curls into the air—soaked at once through Shade’s pants. Setting Lera on the cleverly molded bench beneath the water’s surface, he let the bubbles shroud her body while he tugged away her bottoms. “It’s a bath, cub,” he said into her ear. “It’s not generally taken dressed in Lunos.”
Lera’s eyes narrowed. Pushing away from the bench, she slid toward him, straddling his bent knee. The soft feel of her sex along his cloth-covered thigh, her skin pressing against his, her hands—
Shade growled, the tremor running through his cock and muscles. If the girl didn’t stop squirming and let him make her scream his way, the evening was not going to end well at all.
“Let’s make tonight about us,” Lera said, her hands now on his pectorals. His nipples.
“No.” Lifting Lera, he stood the girl up, turning her safely sideways. With one arm around her waist, keeping her that way, Shade used his other hand to open Lera’s thighs and stroke his fingers firmly along her slit, back and forth, back and forth, until she clenched with need. “I told you I would make it worth your while,” he purred into her ear, his hand halting its progression. “Now, will you behave if I let
you go?”
She gasped, wriggling against his hold, her sex seeking the pressure of his fingers again.
“Will you behave?” Shade bit softly along Lera’s neck in emphasis. In possession. The girl gasped softly at each new nip, her sex growing slicker despite the water, her weight shifting desperately in his hold. He circled her opening, felt it clenching with desire, and knew—savored knowing—that he could make her scream in frustration in a heartbeat just by moving away, only to bring her to the verge of release again with a scrape of a nail along her swollen nub. The wolf inside Shade stirred. “Will you behave?” he demanded again, moving his fingers in a slow, torturous circle that closed in on her apex.
Lera’s fingernails raked his shoulder. “Stop talking, Shade.”
“No jumping on me,” he ordered, punctuating the rule with a flick of his fingers against her pulsing sex. “No wandering hands. And no testing my control over my instincts.” He pressed his lips to her ear. “I promise you, there is very little left to test there just now.”
She nodded quickly, likely ready to agree to just about anything to make his hand move again. “Not. Fair.”
Shade chuckled, his cock pulsing as he held her there, riding that knife’s edge once more before loosening his hold.
He should have known better.
He truly should have, considering that the girl he was holding had stood up to the Elders Council of the Citadel only yesterday. Lera was no cub. And she didn’t take well to orders.
Shade’s eyes widened as Lera seized the moment his arm loosened to twist around and leap, wrapping her legs around his waist. Shade’s arms gripped her backside reflexively to keep them both from toppling over in the waist-high pool. His mouth opened in a startled protest, but she was ready for that too. Opening her lips, Lera claimed Shade’s mouth with hers until his cock throbbed painfully against his too-tight breeches, and all thought narrowed to a screaming, fiery need. Until it was him ready to whimper and beg.