Scattered Siblings 3: To Mate a Werewolf

by Kryssie Fortune

  King Caleb glanced at Ellie and back to his mate. “That’s a story I’ve heard before, and there’s a slight resemblance. Are you sure?”

  Sylvie squeezed Ellie’s hand. “Herodotus isn’t a common name, even among the Fae. Besides, the instant she said his name, I used my sight on her.”

  Marcellus backed off. “I think this isn’t meant for my ears.”

  Caleb nodded, and as the alpha’s first lieutenant, Marcellus left to join the pack’s celebrations.

  Joel’s cheeks had a green tinge, and he ran one hand through his hair. “Damn it, she said she was an Elf. We killed the warriors, and their drudges were too scared to say a word. This is my fault. I should have looked deeper. Gods, Ellie, I’m sorry. I should have forced those drudges to talk, but I’m not big on bullying downtrodden women. You’re not an Elf, you’re—”

  The wind caught the Great Hall door, slamming it shut as Marcellus left. The noise drowned out Joel’s words.

  Ellie shook her head. “Am I the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on here? I was just telling the queen how my mother hit the gin when Herodotus walked out on her. Even as a toddler, I was the adult in our relationship.”

  Sylvie paled and took a couple of deep breaths. For a moment Ellie thought the queen had gone into labor. Instead, she leaned toward Ellie and whispered, “Did you have sex with Joel before you worked your magic?”

  Ellie blushed and pulled her hair over her face. “I’ve screwed so many Elves I lost track, but I never did it willingly. Well, I did, but only after those Elves poured their vile potions down my throat. When Joel and I… Well, it was consensual. I never imagined things could be so good after… Look, let’s just say everything’s a million times better with Joel.”

  Sensing her distress, Joel rubbed his hand up and down Ellie’s spine.

  Sylvie apologized instantly. “I didn’t mean to upset you. The thing is, I only developed my magic after Caleb carried me off and seduced me. Fae females only come into their powers after sex. Apparently forced sex doesn’t count. Ellie, like me, you’re half Fae. Honestly, I think those Elves knew that.”

  King Caleb nodded. “They probably got off on it. What better way to break your spirit than make you think you were related to their drudges?”

  Ellie felt like an ugly duckling that discovered she was a swan. Sex powered her abilities, which explained how she’d managed to flash to Joel. Little bits of this puzzle made sense, but she didn’t quite believe the Lykae queen. How could she? She clutched Joel’s thigh, and instantly his hand covered hers. Just touching him made her feel braver. “Me? A Fae? I think I’m being really thick-headed or something, but I don’t understand.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The tension left Ellie’s shoulders as Joel pulled her back onto his knee. When his arms tightened around her, she relaxed completely, but she still struggled to believe she was half Fae.

  Sylvie confirmed it. “Herodotus was my father too. A witch cursed him, and unless he bedded a new woman every month, he’d turn feral. When he died, the curse passed down to his son and my half brother, Leonidas.”

  Ellie’s thoughts whirred like a windmill in a tornado. Nothing made sense. How could her father be the same man who’d fathered the Lykae king’s mate? Sylvie was half sister to the Fae king, and queen of the Lykae. That would make Ellie—the kid who’d been fending for herself almost before she could talk—royalty.

  Sylvie’s voice reverberated with sympathy. “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? Herodotus was a selfish old goat who didn’t care how many offspring he left in his wake. Leo’s tracking down the survivors and providing for them, but apparently our dad went at it like a rabbit. Along the way, Leo found Meena, and she broke his curse. She’s from Whitby too. You might even know her.”

  Ellie shook her head. The only “Meena” she knew belonged in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

  Joel kept rubbing her back, letting her know he supported whatever the Lykae queen said. He thought a moment, grinned, and wisecracked, “Does that mean I can’t call her Ellie the Elf anymore? Damn, young Sammy’s going to be disappointed.”

  Ellie reached up and rubbed her ears. “Fae? Really? Fae? Sorry to repeat myself, but this is kind of hard to digest.”

  Queen Sylvie stretched her spine and rubbed her swollen belly. “I used my Fae sight, remember? But there’s more to it than that.”

  Ellie stroked Joel’s cheek, grateful for his support. He’d loved her when he thought she was an Elf. That meant the world to her. At least her origins would never embarrass him, not when the Lykae queen privately claimed her for a half sister.

  A new awareness unfurled inside Ellie, and she wriggled happily in her chair.

  “I’m so glad Mom didn’t saddle me with Ellie the Elf. Joel and Sammy will just have to get over it.”

  “Okay, Sugar Plum, no more Elf nicknames.” Joel grinned.

  She turned to face him. “Sugar Plum? Same as the fairy? You can’t…”

  Joel leaned over and silenced her with a kiss so hot she wished he’d take a page from Caleb’s book. She wouldn’t mind at all if he carried her off and seduced her.

  Sylvie looked across at her mate. “Caleb, you realize this means Ellie is my half sister, and a Fae princess.”

  The room went silent. Ellie gulped. She hadn’t expected Sylvie to publicly claim her. Half sister of a queen sounded daunting, especially to a woman who’d known so little acceptance. Finally she turned to Joel. “I’m glad, if only for your sake. It’s better to mate a Fae than an Elf, but I’m the kid who never had anything. How can I have royal relatives? And if I do, why didn’t they come find me?”

  Sylvie reached out and rested her hand on Ellie’s arm. “Because Herodotus fucked anything in a skirt. Leonidas didn’t track me down until my seventeenth birthday. If we’d known about you, I swear that Leonidas, me, and Caleb would have moved heaven and earth to find you. Now I’ve found you, we have loads of catching up to do.”

  Joel touched his forehead to Ellie’s. “You’re mine, make no mistake about that. I’d love you even if you were an ogre, but me and a Fae princess? Caleb, are there protocols or something? I won’t let hidebound attitudes and ridiculous rules come between me and my mate.”

  Ellie’s heart overflowed with pride. Lykae loved their traditions and almost considered them laws. Joel would defy them to claim her. She’d never felt so treasured in her life.

  Caleb laughed. “If I were you, I’d claim her quickly. Once King Leonidas learns he’s got another beautiful half sister, he’ll try to marry her off to some other species’ royal family. That’s what he tried to do with Sylvie— Well, he tried to force her to marry my little brother. I thought I’d tricked him into letting me claim Sylvie instead of my scheming little brother, but the wily bugger recognized us as true mates and played along.”

  Joel growled and splayed his hand possessively across Ellie’s back. She looked down and brought her hand over her scars. She’d been passably attractive before the Elves carved up her face. No way was she beautiful. But for Joel, she wanted to be. At least she felt less self-conscious among the Lykae.

  Sylvie gently moved Ellie’s hand from her cheek. “Fae healers can probably fix that. If they can’t, Meena—my sister-in-law—morphed into some sort of superwitch when she found her familiar. She’ll soon make your cheek right.”

  Ellie’s eyes widened. Not knowing how to react, she rested her head on Joel’s chest. He started that gentle rubbing thing again, and every nerve ending in her body throbbed for his touch.

  His voice was gentle. “Your choice, Sugar Plum. To me, you’re perfect, but I know you’re sensitive about your scars.”

  Sylvie smiled at her new half sister. “Ellie, we share the same father. You really are a Fae princess. I didn’t believe it when my half brother, the Fae King, first told me either. Why don’t we leave these men to their schemes and go talk?”

  Joel growled softly. The sound sent needy tremors though Ellie’s body. H
onestly, she was ready to growl herself. He gave her an encouraging smile, but his eyes showed the same disappointment he must have seen in hers.

  He needed to claim her with mind-blowing sex and sharp fangs, and she wanted that too. Much as Ellie needed to talk with Sylvie, she wanted Joel to claim her more. “Can we talk later?”

  King Caleb sensed her dilemma. “Go on, fairy princess, get out of here. I’ll keep your mate back for a while, and make sure you get a head start.”

  Ellie forgot everything except that her mate was going to hunt her down and claim her. She grinned and headed toward the door but bumped into Marcellus’s solid chest.

  Behind her, Joel growled with frustration.

  Marcellus steadied Ellie before he spoke. “I’ve been questioning Titus and Lysander, and I thought you should know the castle where the girl’s being held sits in the former disputed territory, right at the foot of the Impassible Mountains.”

  Sylvie sighed. “Then I suppose I should let my half brother know. Heads-up, Ellie, you’re about to meet the Fae king, but don’t let him bully you into anything you don’t want.”

  Ellie’s brow crinkled. “I don’t bully well.”

  “Considering she knocked Titus flat on his back, I’ll second that.” Joel laughed, and after appraising glances at Ellie, Caleb and Sylvie joined in.

  So pregnant that she waddled, Sylvie moved to Caleb’s side and locked her arms around his waist. “Don’t worry, Ellie, Leo’s not all bad. We won’t be long. You drive, Caleb.”

  Caleb flashed both away.

  Ellie smiled up at Joel. “Should I still run?”

  “No, Sugar Plum, not when they’ll be back in minutes. Marcellus, I think the Fae King will want to speak to Lysander and Titus. Tell them to hang around for a while. I won’t go for their throats, and if that tale’s the truth, then we’ll do what we can to help them.”

  Marcellus nodded and left them alone. Ellie could see Joel’s dick outlined through his military trousers. Maybe they’d shrunk after his swim in the river.

  Frustrated, he paced the room. “I’m sorry, Ellie. I wanted that chase as much as you, but we’ll have to put it on hold until we’ve spoken with Leonidas. We’ll rescue Lysander’s little sister, but I don’t want to cause trouble with an unsanctioned incursion in Leonidas’s territory if we can help it.”

  Ellie’s eyes shone with mischief. “Can we fool around in the meantime? Come here and let me ease that hard-on you’re sporting.”

  Even before she finished speaking, he stood before her. She dropped to her knees and unfastened his pants. Her lips surrounded his cock, and she sucked him as though savoring her favorite Popsicle. His soft groan only made her draw him deeper into her mouth. He tasted of summer days at the seaside, and she enjoyed giving him head. As she kneeled before him, her breasts ached for his touch, and her pussy grew damp.

  Desire, urgent and intense, heated her blood, and her body burned with need. When he thrust his hips forward, she swirled her tongue around his dick and deep throated him. His solid length delighted her, and she loved the way his eyes glazed when she swallowed.

  He pulled out quickly, gathered her in his arms, and carried her across the Great Hall to the storeroom. As he walked, his pants slid down his legs. So he kicked them off along with his shoes. He opened the door and stepped inside the huge cupboard the kindergarten used. “I don’t want anyone disturbing us until I’ve slaked your lust. I still want to hunt you down and claim you, but this will do for now.”

  He set her down, shoved the clutter of hula hoops and balls to one side, and backed her toward the wall. “Damn kids’ toys. Okay, Sugar Plum. It’s hot in here. Let me help you out of those clothes.”

  Ellie stroked her hand down his cock, then squeezed his balls. “Bad pick-up line there, Joel. Still, it is warm, and I don’t want heatstroke.”

  He chuckled and eased her jeans down her legs. Rather than remove her panties, he shoved them to one side. He brushed his thumb over her clit as he slid two fingers into her pussy.

  Ellie shuddered and spread her legs wider. “Now, Joel, please. I don’t want anyone to come looking for us before—”

  He silenced her with a kiss so hot she felt as though her bones melted. Again his thumb pressed on her clit, and she shivered with need. He chuckled and kissed her again. When she moaned into his mouth, he withdrew his fingers from her pussy and speared her with his cock.

  “Fuck me hard,” she begged.

  His hips surged forward and thrust so deep she thought it touched her spine. Glorious pressure built in her vagina as his dick swelled still more. Thick and full, he pulled back slightly, then surged deeper than before. Another thrust of his hips, and she creamed around him. She shrieked as she came, and he pressed his lips against hers, drawing the sound inside him.

  Ellie felt Joel shudder. He howled with satisfaction and buried himself balls-deep in her pussy. He came so hard she felt his sperm spray against her womb. His kiss thrilled her. His touch made her feel as though she’d drunk a bottle of finest wine. The world spun faster, and she clung to his shoulders before her legs gave out. Keeping his dick inside her, he lifted her arms and pinned her to the wall. “And now I’ve broken down your resistance, what should I do with you?”

  Ellie giggled. “Fuck me again, real soon.”

  He chuckled. “That’s such an easy promise to keep.”

  The door opened, and someone flung his military pants inside.

  “For gods’ sakes, get dressed before Leonidas arrives,” Caleb growled from the main hall.

  Ellie’s eyes widened. She felt heat rise up from her pussy and spread to her face.

  “So you do blush all over. I wondered about that.” Joel grinned.

  Ellie blinked hard, then crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m never going out there again. Not when he knows what we were up to. I’ll just stay in here with the teddy bears and pretend tea sets.”

  “Are you dressed yet?” Caleb called. Ellie hated the teasing note in his voice.

  “Almost.” Joel laughed as he pulled on his pants.

  “Then hurry up. Leonidas is eager to meet his new half sister, and he won’t want to find her making out in a store cupboard.”

  Reluctantly, Ellie pulled on her jeans, but she never wanted to face the Lykae king again.

  “Come away, Caleb,” Sylvie snapped. “You’ll only embarrass them.”

  Joel straightened Ellie’s hair. “There, Sugar Plum, you’re decent now.”

  Ellie shook her head, but Joel opened the door and dragged her into the open. Sylvie waddled across to Ellie as only a pregnant woman could and put her arm around Ellie’s waist. “My mate has a sick sense of humor sometimes. Let’s go outside and join the party until Leonidas arrives. He and Meena are flying in on Lipstick, their war dragon.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Ellie glanced across at Joel. “War dragon? Okay, it came as a shock when I learned that dragons are real, what sort of girly name is Lipstick?”

  King Caleb threw back his head and laughed. “I like your mate. Leonidas didn’t name him. Meena did, and from what she’s told Sylvie, my brother-in-law got in a right snit about it.” Caleb didn’t try to hide his grin. “It couldn’t have happened to a nicer bloke.”

  Sylvie beckoned Ellie to her side, and together they moved toward the door. “That dragon’s fast. Come outside, Ellie. A fully grown dragon in flight is something you won’t see often, at least not unless you’re at war with the Fae. Then you should run like hell rather than stand around and get scorched.”

  Ellie kept hold of Joel’s hand as she followed the Lykae queen outside. Off in the distance, a red fleck dotted the sky. It grew bigger as it drew closer. Finally the dragon descended and made a beeline for the green outside the Great Hall.

  Joel followed and intertwined his fingers with Ellie. “That dragon’s gonna be hungry, and those things can eat. I’d say Mom’s having a panic attack right around now.”

  “I should go help he
r.” Ellie tried to tug her hand free.

  Joel shook his head. “No way. Sugar Plum, I want King Leonidas to see that we come as a pair. I’ve only just found you, and I’m not letting your half brother pry you from my side.”

  The dragon made a perfect landing. Lipstick curled his prehensile tail around the woman seated behind King Leonidas and gently lifted her from his back.

  She patted Lipstick’s cheek. “Thanks, sweetie. Now let’s see what we can find for you to eat.”

  Lipstick mewled like a contented cat as Lykae soldiers pulled three carts of raw meat toward him. He settled on his haunches and lifted a whole bullock with his tail. Jaws open, he dropped it into his gullet and chomped away happily.

  The woman ran to Sylvie’s side, her rainbow curls disordered from the ride. She kissed Sylvie’s cheek. “How are you and my nephew?”

  Sylvie rubbed the small of her back. “We’re fine, but the baby’s getting impatient. My daughter will put in an appearance soon.”

  “Niece, nephew, who cares as long as you’re both fine.” Meena laughed and turned to Ellie. “You must be my new half sister. Welcome to the family. Let’s go inside and get Sylvie settled, then you can tell me all about yourself.”

  Half an hour later, Ellie grinned like a loon. Her mate stood talking tactics with a group of Lykae warriors and the kings of two allied nations. Leonidas, the Fae king, had accepted her as easily as the women and King Caleb.

  For the first time ever, Ellie had a family who actually seemed to care about her. After her lonely childhood, she valued that above anything—except Joel. He was a treasure she never thought to possess, and once he claimed her, she would be his for all eternity.

  Joel walked over to Ellie’s side. “That’s settled, then. Ellie and Meena, you need to stay here and watch over Sylvie. We’ll leave Lipstick to guard you while we lay siege to the castle.”

  They’re planning to leave us behind like medieval ladies. Should I expect them to break out the chastity belts? Queen Sylvie took her hand. Eyes downcast, the Lykae queen nodded. “If that’s what you think’s best.”