by Rachel Jonas
“And in the meantime?” I asked.
“In the meantime, we need a solid plan B,” Silas interjected. “If Roman isn’t going to seal the bond, we have to at least hold up our end, ensure that the Dynasty continues to believe we’re making progress, make certain they know we didn’t lie to them. When we made the oath, the three of us here had every intention on fulfilling it. That’s our saving grace,” he reassured us.
We started back toward the study. “So, we’re supposed to come up with a plan B?” Levi asked. “Silly me didn’t realize there was ever a plan A. Seemed we were just making a mess of things as we went along,” he laughed.
“More or less,” I confirmed. “But now the stakes are a bit higher. We now know Jon has proof, and proof means he has power.”
We entered the room and I closed the door behind us.
“Then … perhaps we’re looking at this wrong,” Levi proposed, bringing both Silas’ and my attention to him. “Maybe plan B isn’t about pacifying the Dynasty. Maybe our new objective should be more along the lines of a preventative measure.”
Silas crossed both arms over his chest, leveling a grave stare on Levi. “What do you have in mind.”
Levi peered up from the thought. “I think we should focus on silencing our biggest threat—Jon Carlisle.”
Chapter Eighteen
Corina
As strange as it was to admit, this night out was timed perfectly.
Usually, when life threw me a curveball, I responded by shutting down, brooding until I figured out how to fix it. But tonight—despite the letter the Magistrates sent, despite still not knowing where Spencer disappeared to—I was going to take this date with Julian for what it was.
A chance to clear my head.
Tomorrow night, Silas and I had a big job ahead of us, one that could either go really well, or really badly. However, with several days of planning under our belts, I was confident in our ability to get in and out of there unscathed. And much to my surprise, he seemed to believe the same.
“Ouch!” I was yanked from my thoughts when the brush Elle swept through my hair hit a snarl.
She offered an embarrassed smile from the mirror before me. “Oops. Sorry.”
I took a breath, and despite the sharp pain, I smirked at her.
She loved this sort of thing. Just like Liv. She twisted and pinned strands to her heart’s content before finally releasing me from the seat I was practically nailed to for the past two hours. It had taken that long to beat my hair and face into submission. Eventually, both fit the vision she had in mind, and I was set free.
When we returned from our walk, she hung the dress she picked out in my closet. She insisted I couldn’t even peek at it before now—a fact that admittedly left me a little nervous. So, needless to say, I watched intently as she rushed to grab it.
“Turn, please,” she requested, waiting until my back was to her before unzipping the opaque garment bag she held. I fidgeted a bit, anticipating what was to come.
“Hands up,” was the next command I received, and when I complied, a swatch of black material was eased over my head.
Yes … a swatch.
I’d seen bigger socks.
“Elle, what the—”
“It’s sexy, right?” she sang, her expression showing just how pleased she was with the ensemble.
“It’s a bit much, don’t you think?” My voice was shrill, but I was careful not to hurt her feelings.
She ignored the question and worked my arm into a sleeve. On the opposite side? Hardly any material whatsoever, hence the reason she reached to tuck in the bit of side-boob it left exposed. It would be just my luck to be cited for indecent exposure. To say the thing was tight was an understatement. It hugged me from my waist, down to where it stopped mid-thigh.
“Here. Put these on.” She was having way too much fun bossing me around.
Eyeing her, I obliged, sliding my feet into the strappy, velvet heels she set on the carpet before me.
I was a good six inches taller, and … a little cold.
While I stared at myself in the mirror, a pair of silver hoops I could fit my hand through were pushed into my ears, and I guessed I was ready.
“It’s perfect.” That seemed to be her word for today.
Forcing a smile, I let her thrust a beaded clutch into my hand. Before shoving me toward the door to exit my suite, I was misted with perfume from a bottle I didn’t even see her grab along the way.
“Go, go, go,” she urged. “He’s waiting.”
Reaching the top of the stairs, it became clear Elle hadn’t told the whole truth. Not only was Julian waiting by the door, they all were. It was easy to see by Silas and Levi’s attire—both dressed down in t-shirts and jeans—that they didn’t plan to join us, but they did seem to have intentions to see us off tonight.
The way they stared as I descended—like I was a dessert tray being brought to their table—made me even more aware of there being a few yards of material missing from this dress. Their eyes climbed the length of my frame and I practically felt their stares.
The second I reached the foyer, Levi leveled a focused, thoughtful gaze my way.
“Exquisite,” he noted. With a single word, he made me feel like the most beautiful woman to ever walk the Earth.
Julian reached for my hand the next second, gently bringing me to him. The kiss that was placed on my cheek would’ve made me blush if I hadn’t been doing so already.
“You look stunning, as always,” he said flatteringly, sweetening the remark with a smile. I loved the way those words sounded leaving his mouth.
“Thank you.”
A hand placed at the small of my back brought my attention to Silas, and our gazes met as he stole me from Julian’s grasp. The look we shared was filled with a heavy dousing of the familiar heat that steeped between us. Even more so as he leaned in to embrace me. It was then that I realized some of the barriers between us had disappeared.
Being so close to him, being touched by him, caused my imagination to get carried away. Suddenly fantasizing about how interesting things could get if I were to have all three who surrounded me … at the same time.
You’re kidding yourself if you think you could handle that. You’d be worn out within minutes, and walking like you’d ridden a horse across the continent with no breaks. But … wouldn’t it be worth it?
My arms stayed locked around Silas, greedily taking up his time. Upon finally releasing him, his eyes were heavy with lust when I looked into them again.
“Have fun,” he breathed against my ear.
I was barely alert when Julian turned, offering me his arm. “Shall we?”
My only response was to nod as I eyed them all—beautiful, wonderful, mine.
“I’m ready.”
***
It was difficult not to overeat, when everything Julian requested the chef to prepare came out so delicious. Dessert brought the entire meal together. Now, as we stared out from a rooftop with strict orders given to his security detail not to disturb us, I would’ve sworn this was all a dream.
The sparkling lights of the city had me mesmerized for a moment, but Julian’s cool hand to my chin as he turned it, made it so I only saw him.
This moment reminded me of the first night we met, standing on the balcony of Lord Wilford’s palace. Then, there’d been so much chemistry between us. Only, at the time, I was afraid to let it take over me. I wasn’t the same girl today I was then. In fact, I trusted he and the others with my life, my heart.
“What is it about you that leaves me feeling so undone?”
After the question left Julian’s mouth, I stared at him—looking devilishly handsome in a black suit. This feeling he spoke of, I often experienced something very similar when we were together. So, I had no answer other than the shy smile that broke free while he watched me. Suddenly, his gaze lowered to my neck, seeming to jar his memory.
“I nearly forgot. I’ve been given permission to return
this to you.” He dug into his pocket with a smile, revealing a familiar piece of jewelry. “I believe this is yours.”
Eyeing the unique necklace Levi purchased especially for me, I smirked a bit.
“Don’t worry,” Julian laughed, “the tracking device has been removed. You have my word.”
I offered another smile before turning, allowing him to secure it. The softness of his skin caressed mine unintentionally, but it gave me chills nonetheless. When I faced him again, he was clearly deep in thought.
“I hope you understand that things are different now,” he stated. “I know it probably seems strange that our trust in you grew after you ran away, but I’m pretty sure you understand why that is.”
He smirked and so did I. I understood. Being with my team told him more about me than I could have ever comfortably told him myself.
“I get it. And I appreciate how openminded you and the others have been.”
Giving me a nod, Julian turned to face the largest city within the quadrant, which rightfully belonged to him.
“Something happened today,” he shared. “Something that sort of brought things full circle in my perspective. I suppose it solidified your place in our lives, our deepening commitment to you.”
The statement was vague, bordering on cryptic, but I didn’t ask him to elaborate. He seemed at peace with it, so I would be too.
My gaze drifted to his shoulder and I leaned my head against it, taking his hand next. “I never thought I’d be here.”
He gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. “It’s beautiful at night, isn’t it?”
A small laugh slipped out of me. “It is, but I don’t mean ‘here’, as in the Capitol,” I clarified. “I never thought I’d be here. With you. Any of you … with anyone,” I admitted.
It was true. Several months ago, I honestly thought I knew exactly how my life would play out. I’d fight for my cause, and then I’d die for my cause, with nothing to speak of in between other than the love I shared with my family.
Only, I was blindsided one night … by three handsome princes who made me feel like I had clouds at my feet. They showed me there was something other than familial affection. They showed me what love was.
Something came over me. It was akin to lust, but much, much deeper.
Passion.
It hit me the second I followed a whim and placed a kiss to Julian’s lips with what I thought to be innocent intent. Initially, it was only that, but that swiftly shifted. In acknowledgment of this take-charge move I made, he stood straight, leaning away from the ledge to embrace me properly. He brought me back to him, and with our bodies locked tightly together, that innocence burned away in our heat.
Firm hands explored me through the fitted dress I wore. Within seconds, the hem had been raised to my hips, granting Julian access to brush the softness of his palms up the length of my thighs and back down again. Our breaths came quickly, and I felt lightheaded from the rush.
Everywhere I touched him, my fingertips met a solid physique. They climbed his biceps to his toned shoulders, and I locked them at the nape of his neck. I was barely aware of the moment I was lifted, placed atop the ledge with nothing keeping me balanced but the firm hold Julian had on my waist. With forty-seven stories separating me from the sidewalk below, it became even more apparent that I trusted him.
With a gentle tug, he lowered the plunging neckline of my dress even more, pressing his lips to the softness of my chest. When I drew in a sharp breath, he gripped me harder, possibly because he was suddenly aware of how he’d awakened my flesh. In response, my thighs parted, allowing him to settle between them, allowing my imagination to wander where this would all lead.
His mouth climbed to my collarbone where his tongue met my skin again. Tossing my head back, I accepted the fact that, whatever he wanted from me tonight, I wouldn’t say no.
Not for anything.
A current of cool air breezed over my ear, and the feel of it aroused goosebumps that covered every inch of my body.
“I have a confession,” he whispered. “I want you so badly right now. More than life itself.”
My hands shook with need as they wandered down toward his waist, where I fumbled clumsily with his belt.
“Good thing there’s no one here to stop you from taking what you want,” I teased, adding a breathy, “Your Highness,” that caused the beast in him to release a groan.
The instant I unclasped the buckle, I moved down to his zipper, feeling my hunger for him grow with every second. A seeking hand wandered beneath my dress, and a sharp tearing sound accompanied the feel of delicate, black lace being torn and then snatched from my hips, proving that his impatience rivaled my own. He tossed what was left of the undergarment over the ledge and I imagined it fluttering down to the crowded streets of the Capitol.
Instinct told me to brace myself for him, and the moment he showed me the force he packed, I knew I’d been right to do so. He entered me with urgency, and somehow, I withheld a scream, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip to quench it. Otherwise, my cries of pleasure would have rang out across his city, giving away our secret, and exposing how we lacked willpower when the raw, unbridled passion we shared ignited. He embraced me, locking my body to his as we gave in to the pressure that had mounted between us.
An intoxicating thought entered my head, and it lingered as pleasure ravaged me, quickly driving me over the edge of the cliff.
The thought was that he was mine, they were mine.
All of them.
For now.
Forever.
Chapter Nineteen
Julian
The first face I expected to see when I awoke in Corina’s bed was not Elle’s.
“Good morning, Your highness,” she whispered, holding out a robe for me to take. Her eyes volleyed between a still-sleeping Corina and I, unable to hide how pleased she was to see that we’d spent the night together.
“My apologies for waking you, but an urgent matter has arisen. One I thought it best not to put off until later.”
Stretching beneath Corina’s comforter, I delighted in her warmth beside me, hating that I’d have to leave it behind to tend to whatever business Elle spoke of at the moment. My first thought was that it must have pertained to Roman, possibly that he’d made good on his promise to be less ‘diplomatic’ in his approach to dealing with my brothers and me.
Elle turned away when I stood from the bed, still naked from act two of the show Corina and I put on for whomever might have been close enough to watch. At the time, there wasn’t even a thought concerning who in neighboring buildings could see. When we kissed, when I touched her, everything and everyone else simply fell away.
Securing the robe I’d been given around my waist, I glanced at the angel who somehow fell into my life as I followed Elle from the room, latching the door behind us.
“What’s this about?” I asked in a low voice, making my way down the hallway toward my own suite, where we could speak at normal volume.
“I’ve heard from your father’s assistant, Jenna, this morning,” Elle informed me. “She stated that Dr. Percival has decided to postpone his visit, indefinitely, but made it clear that he does still intend to check in soon.”
My expression shifted into a somber scowl. “Did he say why he’s decided to put us off?”
It seemed strange, considering that being a part of the bonding process was once high on his list of priorities. Now, I was left to wonder what he could possibly have deemed more important. Besides, waiting would mean several more weeks of nervous anticipation, when all I wanted to do was get it over with already.
“Well, I suppose there’s nothing to do about it but wait,” I stated with a heavy breath.
When Elle lingered, I peered up again. “Is there more?”
A quick nod accompanied a hesitant smile. “It’s the empress,” she began, and that was enough to draw a frustrated sigh from within me.
“I’m listening,” I answered, dropping down
into the armchair beside the window.
“Well, she intends to stop in around noon.”
First the news about Percival, and now this.
Mother was a kind woman, yes, but she was also calculative. It wasn’t lost on me that after being gone for weeks, she continued to make her presence scarce, never so much as inquiring about how my brothers and I were adapting, or how Corina herself was coping with her sudden infamy. Yet, now, after so much time passed, she was suddenly interested in stopping by.
What I’d observed the day she returned, also hadn’t been far from my thoughts ever since. She’d found time to purchase two harvesting camps while away. Call me crazy for thinking she and Corina—or should I say Blackbird—were likely destined to never see eye-to-eye. Having the two of them under the same roof might as well be the clash of the Titans.
Listen to me, judging Mother as if my own hunger isn’t part of the problem.
I needed blood to survive just like every other Ianite, so it felt hypocritical and counterintuitive to think less of her for dealing in the business that kept me alive. However, it wasn’t lost on me that I was straddling the fence. It seemed my entire life had become one big contradiction, right down to finding out Corina’s true identity, and then going on to spend my entire night with her.
Elle studied my expression, perhaps sensing how troubled I was.
“Should I tell the empress that today doesn’t suit you?”
A laugh slipped out of me. Had she met my mother? She was persistent if nothing else.
“Don’t bother. She’s welcome here anytime.”
Elle nodded. “Very well then. Should I awaken Mistress Corina? Perhaps draw her a bath?”
Aching in ways I couldn’t speak of, I was aware of how I should have been able to join her in that bath, but duty called.
“She’ll appreciate that, but mention nothing of Mother just yet. Perhaps it won’t be necessary that their paths cross today,” I confirmed, dismissing Elle to tend to my mate.
I could only hope that, after having already been through so much lately, Corina wouldn’t be forced to withstand the tidal wave known as Laura Westower.