Storm Chaser (Storms of Blackwood Book 3)

by Elle Middaugh

  Rafe chuckled. “I’m surprised you don’t already have allies. You’re so fucking tactful.”

  That he was.

  I took another bite of my roll along with a cube of cheese and tried to hide a grin.

  Cal leaned over and whispered, "Don't get any ideas. We're not adding him to the group."

  I cut him a glare and hissed back, "I'm allowed to think someone is funny without also wanting to fuck them, Calvin Storm."

  Cal raised a brow but grinned. "Why are you so feisty all of a sudden?"

  I raised a brow right back. "Because you're being a presumptuous, bossy asshole right now."

  "I have half a mind to show you just how bossy I can be."

  The Storm King sighed loudly. "Something to share with the group, you two?"

  "No, Father," Cal replied.

  I smirked. "Calvin and I were just wondering if any of these kingdoms have needs beyond the sexual that might be filled by something other than a dick. Perhaps aid of some sort? Or coin?"

  I shrugged nonchalantly, but I felt like a total badass for saying that shit out loud.

  The Storm King glared daggers at me.

  Well, good, you ugly bastard. That's what you get for making me look like a dumbass earlier.

  Rasheem cleared his throat but didn't say a word.

  Prince Rafe chuckled and grabbed a random goblet from the table, chugging its contents until the whole thing was empty. "I like this girl. Are you sure she's taken?"

  "Quite," Cal insisted.

  Rafe grinned devilishly. "Well, Werewood has a need that no dick can fill..."

  "If you say a need for pussy..." Rob growled, allowing the vulgar threat to hang in the air.

  But Rafe merely chuckled. "Get your head out of the gutter, Storm. I was talking about alcohol—beer, specifically, but I suppose any kind will do in a pinch."

  I raised a brow. "Werewood would accept beer in exchange for an alliance with Blackwood?"

  "Amongst other things..." Rafe shrugged. "I mean, why the hell not? Drinking and fighting are what werewolves do best. Why not kill two birds with one stone—no offense to the half-harpy in the room—and do them both at the same time?"

  "We'll consider it," the Storm King said with a sneer.

  Rafe shot him a scathing look. "I wasn't talking to you, Your Royal Dickheadedness. I was talking to her."

  The Storm King's glare intensified until dark slits were all that was left of his eyes. "You would make a deal with an ex-peasant over a king?"

  Rafe graced him with a lopsided smile before nodding. "I would."

  "Get out," the king shouted, pointing stiffly at the door. "There will be no alliance of any sort with you or your band of mutts. Go beg for bones somewhere else."

  Rafe chuckled, grabbing yet another goblet and downing it before standing up and strolling toward the door. "If I recall correctly, Your Majesty, it's you who's begging for allies, not me. But even mutts have standards."

  With that, he sauntered off, slamming one of the heavy double doors as he went.

  The Storm King ground his teeth and rubbed his temples. "Anyone else have any requests?"

  Veda spoke up. "Valinor could use some help with our volcano situation."

  King Zacharias raised a brow. "And what would you propose we do? It's a godsdamned volcano. We can't just knock it down or plug it up."

  Veda's already stoic expression hardened; then she pointed at me. "She controls fire. Send her to Valinor and let her see what she can do."

  "Out of the question," the Storm King said, leaning over the table. "She is the future of the Storm dynasty. She will not become a sacrificial offering to Valinor's torrid volcano. At least, not until she bears an heir."

  I smiled mockingly. Yes, as soon as I pop out a kid, by all means, toss me in!

  "Any other requests?" the king growled.

  "Metal," Akiko said, speaking up. "Gold, iron, silver, steel, whatever you have."

  The king's eyes narrowed. "How much?"

  "All of it," she said with zero emotion.

  "No." The Storm King leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingertip together. "I'll give Rubio twenty-five percent of any metal ore Blackwood mines."

  She shook her head. "Not ore. Finished, smelted metal. And not twenty-five percent. Seventy-five."

  He glowered in her general direction. "Twenty-five percent of our finished metal and that's final."

  She shrugged. "Then we do not have a deal."

  "How about this?" he growled, standing from his chair to hover menacingly above his guests. "You join Blackwood in the war against Timberlune and Hydratica, or I will rain down every ounce of artillery I have on all of your kingdoms until not even a crow is left flying!"

  Veda stood and met his gaze across the table. "You will not threaten Valinor. My time here is finished."

  "Then your kingdom will be the first to go," he whispered darkly.

  She paused, considering his words carefully, before her jaw ticked. "If you reconsider my offer to wed Prince Daniel, or our request for Princess Alexis's help, then send Queen Valla a letter. If not..." she squared her shoulders, "then you'll have another war on your hands."

  As she marched off, the Storm King pinned Akiko and Rasheem with an intense stare. "Choose your next words very carefully."

  Akiko stood. "I will need to consult with Queen Narina. She will send a letter with her reply."

  "Tell her to be quick about it," the king threatened. "I'm an impatient man."

  She nodded her understanding, then left.

  The Storm King sighed and turned to Rasheem. "And Eristan?"

  Rasheem smiled, but no mirth touched his eyes. "Blackwood has already done much for King Solomon. His only request is a betrothal between his daughter, Princess Camilla, and one of your sons."

  "Done," the Storm King said, pushing away from the table and stomping toward the door. "She can wed Prince Chrissen, Lord of the Lunaley."

  Chrissen's eyes went wide, but he somehow managed to keep from gaping. Even still, I could feel his panic from across the table.

  Rasheem hesitated. "Majesty, I should have been more specific. King Solomon requests either Prince Benson or Prince Robert to be wed to his daughter."

  The king looked utterly irate. His eyes practically glowed with the fire burning in their depths, and his fisted knuckles were white as bone. "I will consider his request."

  Rasheem nodded, bowed deeply, then strode out the door.

  Then Zacharias turned his fiery glare on us. "Get out of my sight."

  He didn’t have to tell us twice.

  We were gone faster than a lightning bolt could strike.

  Chapter 10

  "Are there any special temples located nearby?" I asked the guys, pushing through a side door into the cool night air. The sky was an inky black with hardly any stars and only a sliver of a moon, and a crisp breeze blew through the trees, colder than I was used to. Winter was getting closer.

  I turned around in time to see Cal and Ben sharing a curious glance.

  "There's the temple of Hera located not too far away," Cal replied, clearly intrigued but not wanting to be brash and ask me outright.

  "And are there any priests available after dark?"

  "Priests?" Cal asked, allowing the full force of his curiosity to show.

  "I'm getting married tonight," I said matter-of-factly. "You heard the Eristani dignitary. They want Ben or Rob for their precious 'desert flower'. And the Valinor chick wants Dan. The Storm King is desperate for allies. He will agree to the terms, and our bond will be destroyed. I can't allow that to happen. I love you all, and I won't risk losing any of you."

  Cal was silent for a moment. "Not even to save your country and win a war?"

  I gave him a flat look. "You know the answer to that, Cal. Did I give you up in order to prevent war with Timberlune? No. There's no point winning a battle on the back of a lie. If we win, it better be because we were honest and true and smart and strong. Not because we
deceived someone into helping us."

  Fingers slipped into mine. I glanced down and followed the tanned arm up to Ben's gorgeous face. Love and adoration shone bright in his warm brown eyes as he gazed at me. "I'd be honored to marry you, Sailor."

  Then Rob strode up to my right and nudged my shoulder with his crossed arms. "I suppose I could marry you. If you insist."

  I chuckled and smacked his burly arm. "Of course, I insist."

  Then I turned to Dan who looked pale, even in the moonlight. "Are you okay?"

  He nodded.

  "If you don't want to do it," I said, backpedaling quickly, "then I'd never make you. I just thought—"

  "No, I want to. I'm good."

  Cal cocked his head. "That's a half truth, Dan. What's going on?"

  My stomach instantly plummeted to the ground beneath my feet, and I felt sick. My flirtatious Sea Prince... didn't want to marry me? Blood pounded through my veins like miners through a cave, and all of a sudden, I felt dizzy. He didn't want me?

  My throat was tight and hot, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes. "I'm so sorry. I must've read this situation all wrong."

  "No, Lexi, it's not like that," Dan protested, bridging the gap between us in a couple swift strides.

  I couldn't help it; when his arms wrapped around me, I silently cried into his warm chest.

  "I want to marry you, baby girl," he muttered into my dark hair as he squeezed me tightly. "I'm just scared. Remember how I told you I was afraid of being a shitty boyfriend?"

  I sniffed and nodded but didn't dare risk talking. My vocal cords might snap under the strain.

  "The same thing goes for being a shitty husband," he said, stroking my hair as he spoke. "I don't want to suck at this, and because of that, I feel like I'm not ready. How the hell am I supposed to prepare for something as serious as this?"

  "He's telling the truth, Peach," Cal confirmed from somewhere beyond us.

  It was a damn good thing I could feel the love and worry radiating off Dan's skin, or I might've been tempted to not believe him, no matter what Cal said.

  "Is this because of Sofia?" I asked, pulling away as I asked the question. I couldn't bear to be hugging him when he answered, just in case he said yes.

  Still, he reached out and took my hands. "Am I hesitant about marrying you because I'm still in love with her?"

  I nodded, allowing my eyelids to drop closed and the tears to stream freely.

  "No. I love you, Alexis. I swear it." He pulled me back into his arms and hugged me tightly. "My relationship with Sofia—specifically the way it ended—really fucked me up, though. It's the reason I'm hesitant or doubtful about a lot of things, but you have my whole heart. I promise you that."

  "Truth," I heard Cal declare, and I took a deep breath, allowing it to wash away the pain of feeling unwanted.

  "I'm sorry," I said, sniffling and wiping my eyes. "I shouldn't have just assumed you'd be okay with it."

  "It's fine, Lexi. I am okay with it."

  I shook my head. "But you're not. You need some more time, and that's totally okay. I'll marry Ben and Rob tonight and wait for you until you're ready."

  "No, I'm marrying you tonight too, no matter how scared I am, because I fucking love you."

  Rob came over and put one arm around Dan and one arm around me, hugging us both fiercely. Ben did the same, from the other side, and the four of us clung to each other, drawing strength and courage from one another.

  We stayed like that for a while, allowing love to lift us above and beyond anything that would get in our way. It was an incredible feeling, almost spiritual and definitely intoxicating. The tears from a moment ago fled like a shadow from the sun, and all I could feel was the warmth and strength of our bond and commitment. I was happier than the crescent moon smiling up in the sky.

  "So, about that priest…" Ben said, teasing, yet encouraging Cal to answer the original question.

  We all laughed, and the four of us broke apart, turning to Cal and Criss who were smiling proudly, as if they were pleased with us for banding together and figuring this out on our own.

  The Sky Prince blew out a breath and ran his hand through his blond hair. "There's one in Blackhaven. But that's quite a walk."

  "Is there one here at the palace?" I asked.

  "Yes," Cal replied, "but he's one of the Storm King's lackeys. He's eating coin right out of the king's hands."

  I shrugged. "I don't care if he runs and tells the king what I've done. Hell, that's half the point. I want the king to know that these men are mine. That they're not playing pieces he can use and abuse."

  Cal grinned and slowly shook his head. "All right, then. Let's round him up. I'm assuming you want the ceremony to be intimate and held at the temple of Hera?"

  I smiled and nodded, pulling Ben, Rob, and Dan in closer to me. "If that's the closest one, yes."

  "Well, if you're using the palace priest," Criss said, drawing our attention, "why not just use the palace temple? It's a hell of a lot closer than the temple of Hera, and that way we won't be freezing our asses off in the cold tonight. Plus, it's a lot closer to your beds for the honeymoon."

  Rob cocked an arrogant brow. "You sound like you're invited to the ceremony."

  Criss's brow furrowed. "Am I not? I thought since—"

  "Of course you're invited to the ceremony," I interrupted, jabbing Rob in the ribs.

  "Yeah, well," Rob conceded in a growl, "just as long as he's not invited to the consummation."

  But I refused to let our newest Storm be excluded anymore.

  I ran my palms up Rob's chest and smiled. "I don't see why he can't... watch."

  Dan groaned and bit his bottom lip. Clearly, he was up for a little show.

  "That wouldn't bother you?" Cal asked me tentatively.

  I shook my head. "There's a difference between exhibitionism and forced exhibitionism. Just like there's a difference between sex and forced sex. Or labor and forced labor. Force, being the keyword. As long as we're not forced to do it, and he's not forced to watch, then I don't have a problem with it whatsoever."

  "What do you say, Criss?" Dan asked, grinning cheekily. "You up for a little voyeurism?"

  To my surprise, neither Rob nor Criss argued. Honestly, I kind of figured Rob would be adamantly against it and that Criss would be too shy to agree. These guys never ceased to amaze me.

  "Then it's settled," Cal declared. "I'll be a voyeur tonight too, since it's not my wedding this time. Are we holding the ceremony here or at the Temple of Hera?"

  I pursed my lips. "The temple. I don't want another marriage in that fortress of pain. Besides, I can control fire. I'll make sure the temple stays nice and toasty for us."

  Their gazes darkened as they realized just how true that statement was. After all, if I used my fire, there was going to be a flood of horniness and desire to follow.

  "All right," Cal said with a knowing grin. "I'll find a servant and send for the priest."

  An hour or so later, we stood before the temple of Hera.

  It was a long, white, open-air structure that was lined on three sides with columns. The fourth side was a solid stone wall with an altar at the back, a smooth statue of Hera carved into the wall above it. She was decently intact too, with only a small chunk of her nose and her left hand missing.

  Rob, Ben, and Dan each stood to the left of the altar with their hands folded in front of them, while I stood on the right clutching a bouquet of roses. The priest stood on a stool behind the altar, and Cal and Criss sat on a stone bench before us smiling like crazy. It was strange how contagious happiness could be. Our joy infected them, even though there were merely watching, and their smiles made us smile even wider.

  I glanced down at the lacy white gown I wore, which was mostly transparent and breezy as fuck. When Cal went to find the servant and the priest, he'd apparently taken a detour, grabbing me a white dress from the palace seamstress. She'd insisted that the gown wasn't finished, that the lace hadn't yet be
en attached to the silken underlayer, but Cal didn't seem to give a shit. Seeing how I looked in it, I now understood why—I was hot as Hades, like a fallen angel about to burn for her sins, and I'd never felt so sexy.

  The Storm King's priest, a tall and thin man with a nose too large for his face, looked pissed to have been dragged out into the woods in the middle of the night to perform a ceremony that would no doubt get him in trouble, but as long as the marriage went through, that's all that mattered to me.

  The priest sighed. "Is there any amongst you who would oppose this unorthodox union?"

  "Nope," Cal said easily.

  "Definitely not," Criss agreed.

  "Of course not," the dickbag muttered, rolling his beady little eyes before opening a booklet of some sort. "Let us begin. Do you, Alexis, take these princes to be your lawfully wedded husbands—in addition to your current husband, Prince Calvin?—come hell or high water, as long as you all shall live?"

  Apparently, like the Storm King before him, this priest would be cutting straight to the chase with none of the flowery poetics. Whatever. The sooner we were officially married, the better.

  "I do."

  The priest then turned to my grooms. "Bear with me on this next part. It's going to take a minute. Prince Robert, do you take Princess Alexis as your lawfully wedded wife, come hell or high water, as long as you both shall live?"

  "I do," Rob said with a sexy smirk that made my girlish heart flutter.

  Oh my gods, this was really happening! Again.

  "Do you, Prince Benson, take Princess Alexis as your lawfully wedded wife, come hell or high water, as long as you both shall live?"

  Ben grinned, eyeing me with so much loving warmth that I could feel it in the air around us. "I do."

  "And finally, do you, Prince Daniel, take Princess Alexis to be your lawfully wedded wife, come hell or high water, as long as you both shall live?"

  There was a moment of silence, but thankfully not hesitation, while Dan simply stared at me with an appreciative lopsided smile. "I do."

  The priest began scribbling in his notebook. "Do you have the rings?"