“It seems as if Leukos has sent many males to find you. He has most likely laid claim to you and will want to take you as his queen. There are two dominant keythongs…not just one. You deserve to meet them both and to make your choice from there. It is your right.” He turned her around, looking deep into her eyes. “You deserve it. You are worth it. You can only make your choice when you have met both of them.” He lifted his hand, looking like he wanted to touch her. Then he thought better of it. “I have fruit. Let’s eat. We also need to get some rest. We fly for my home come nightfall.”
Claire swallowed down her emotions, holding back the tears that stung her eyes. It wouldn’t help to cry, to beg or to rail against him. It was clear that Magnar had set his mind on her meeting Ekon. She suspected that when Magnar put his mind to something, he followed through. There was no use fighting this. Her only hope was that she would be rescued before they made it there.
Chapter 18
Magnar shifted. He grabbed a shirt that was hanging over a nearby chair and tossed it at the human, expecting her to catch it. “Here,” he said, watching as it landed at her feet. “So, I see you catch just as well as you run?”
Her mouth twitched and her eyes danced but she didn’t smile. He could see that Claire was tense. “Don’t go anywhere while I’m gone.” He tried again to make her smile. Magnar didn’t like seeing her unhappy.
She threw him a dirty look. “Ha ha, that’s funny. It’s not like I can go anywhere when I’m stuck all the way up here.”
They were in his nest, had just arrived minutes earlier. “This way you’ll have some privacy. No one will bother you here.” He needed to speak with Ekon. He wanted things to go smoothly. “I’ll be back shortly with something more…feminine for you to wear. You are welcome to bathe.” He pointed to the closed bathroom door. “I will also arrange dinner.”
“How soon will I be expected to meet him?” She bent over to pick up the shirt, giving him a fantastic view of her swaying breasts as she moved.
Fuck! He shouldn’t be looking at her in that way.
Magnar looked away. She heated his blood at every turn. It didn’t help that he knew the sounds she made during rutting. Or how her face grew pinched just before she came. Or how sexy she was on her knees or when riding a male. It made him want her even more now that he knew what a strong female she was. Strong, beautiful, intelligent, with a side of sass. The sooner he handed her over to Ekon, the better.
He gave a sigh of relief as she pulled the shirt on. It came to just above her knees. “Better?” he asked.
“Much.” She got a look of relief too, but it didn’t last. “You should get dressed as well.” Her cheeks turned a touch pink and she stared at the far wall instead of at him.
Interesting. She wanted him covered because his nudity affected her. Pity he couldn’t actually do anything with the knowledge. He shrugged. “I need to leave again, so no point.”
“Don’t bother with bringing back something feminine. I’m going to assume you want me to get ready to meet Ekon. You will want me clean and dressed up with a bow in my hair.”
He shrugged. “You can go just like that if you want…easier access when testing compatibility. The river did a good job of cleaning you up. Dress, don’t dress, I don’t think Ekon will mind either way.”
He hated the way her eyes turned fearful. How her breathing became rapid. He was acting like an asshole.
Magnar took a step towards her. “Look, you’ll be fine. I suggest you bathe and get dressed. Again, you won’t be forced into anything. You’ll be able to choose between the two males. All I ask is that you give Ekon a chance.”
She didn’t say anything.
“You can help yourself to whatever you need.” He gestured around his nest. It was weird having her there. Magnar had never had a female in his nest before. Not in his space. “I have a brush for your hair, if you don’t mind sharing.” He pointed to the bathroom.
“At this rate, I may as well use your toothbrush as well,” she muttered. “You’ve seen me…all of me…at my most vulnerable…so why the heck not just jump in?”
If only she knew. For a moment he wanted to come clean and tell her that he’d spied on her and Leukos. The admission would serve no purpose, so he chose to keep quiet in the end.
“There is an extra toothbrush in the cupboard,” he added.
“I’m sure you have women over often.” She tossed back at him like she might be jealous of that fact.
Again, he couldn’t do anything with the knowledge, and it burned his gut. “You’re the first.” He shouldn’t have said that. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t something she needed to know.
“What?” she replied. “I find that hard to believe.”
“I don’t like females in my space.” He shook his head. “I’m making an exception with you.”
She looked shocked at his admission. “Oh…and I guess I should be flattered?” She chuckled.
“Yes, you should.”
Her cheeks heated. “It’s not like you have me here for…never mind.”
Holy fucking shit! The human was still pissed that he’d said he wouldn’t be fucking her.
“I’m not flattered to be here.” She grimaced. “It’s not as if I’m actually choosing to be here.” She snorted. “Back to the toothbrushes. I can’t believe you even have basic toiletries, let alone extras. You…Fallen…is that what you call yourselves?”
“Yes.” His tone was clipped.
“You seem far too barbaric. To think I was a little disappointed when meeting the bear and the wolf shifters. I wasn’t sure why. It was only after meeting the Feral that I realized. I found the others to be a little…I’m not sure what the right word is…” Her eyes were lifted in thought.
“They’re a bunch of pussies.”
She choked out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess. I wouldn’t have put it quite like that. I found myself wishing for something more. Now I’m thinking that the saying ‘be careful what you wish for because you might just get it’ is apt. Right now, I’m starting to feel that home…where it’s safe and boring, is maybe the best place for me, and that a sweet human guy is probably the best man for me.”
Forget about it! Claire was worth more. “You say you want to go home but you don’t. I guarantee you’d regret it. Meet Ekon, give him a chance and then choose which male you would prefer. You have the power, use it. Have fun with it.”
“Have fun with it?” She tilted her head, her eyes were wide but twinkling, like maybe she liked the idea more than she was willing to admit.
“Have fun with it, sweetheart. Own the fuck out of it. You’re about to have two of the strongest males in Feral territory fighting over you. Doing everything in their power to win you.”
Her throat worked. Her nipples tightened beneath his shirt. His fucking shirt and he wasn’t one of the lucky two trying to win her. Pity! Then again, Leukos and Ekon wouldn’t have stood a chance if he was in the running. They should both be thankful.
“I’m going to take a bath,” she mumbled, looking out of sorts. Looking confused and excited. The female was trying hard not to like the idea of two males. He felt his own cock stir, which wouldn’t do.
“I must go.” Magnar’s voice was gruff. He began shifting as he moved to the exit, completing his shift as he jumped from the ledge.
Magnar flew fast, arriving at Ekon’s nest moments later.
The male stopped pacing the second Magnar’s claws hit the stone ledge.
Ekon walked to where he was shifting. “I heard that you had arrived with the human.” He sounded excited, buzzing with energy.
Good! Excitement was good. It was positive.
His king wore a leather loincloth. He was fully erect. Not so good! Humans were easily frightened. Claire would be pissed off if she met Ekon looking like this. Barbaric was right.
“What is she like?” Ekon rubbed his hands together. “Is she sweet and soft? My spies tell me that Leukos is beside himself. The male is besotted.” He chuckled.
“Her name is Claire. You should meet her and see for yourself.” Magnar cleared his throat. “I understand your motives, my lord, but you do still need to win the female over. You haven’t won her yet.” He suddenly didn’t like the idea of Claire being a pawn. She was worth more than that.
“The human is here and therefore half the battle is won. Is she ready for me?”
He frowned. “What do you mean by ready?” Magnar didn’t like where this was going.
“Is her chest painted? She should be delivered to my furs as soon as possible. As you can see,” he pointed down at his tented loincloth, “I am ready for her.”
Magnar grit his teeth. “We spoke about this, Ekon. Human females are different from Feral females. You don’t start with sex when it comes to humans. You need to first convince them that they—”
“I am the rightful king.” He shrugged. “What is there to convince her of?”
Magnar thought about his short time with Claire. The conversations they had had. “I’m afraid it won’t mean anything to this particular female. She will not be swayed by titles, or riches or—”
Ekon glowered. “I am the strongest keythong. If we mate, I will win my place back on the throne. She will be queen. I wish to mount this female now. Bring her to me.”
Magnar didn’t know what to say for a few beats. He just stood there dumbfounded.
“We need to move forward,” Ekon continued. “Does she know all of this? Did you brief her?”
“I didn’t tell her about what happened with Leukos. About what he did. I didn’t think it was my place to do so.” He had fully intended to tell her everything but in the end…didn’t. There were good reasons for that decision.
“Why not?” Ekon ground out. “You should have. What were the two of you doing this whole time while I was planning and strategizing? I have a crown to win back, for feathers’ sake.”
“Let me see…I was running. Bleeding. Fighting off wolves. Trying to heal and find food. Preserving energy. Staying alive, sire.”
Ekon rolled his eyes. “Fine! Bring the human. I will explain and then we can rut.”
Magnar bit back a laugh. Ekon was in for a surprise. The male was so gung-ho on winning back his kingdom. It had become an obsession. “Ekon—” Magnar began.
“You can call me sire,” Ekon growled.
“I’m here right now as your friend. I will call you Ekon.” Magnar stood his ground when Ekon turned, narrowing his eyes on him.
“Fine. Speak.”
“I have explained about human females. I’ve explained at length. I think the best thing would be for you to put on a pair of jeans. Maybe a shirt. I would recommend waiting until tomorrow because she—”
“You will bring her to me now.”
“As you wish, sire. I will organize a dinner for the two of you.
“I’ve already eaten.”
Ekon was starting to irritate the fuck out of him. The male was single-minded in his purpose. Something Magnar had always admired, but he seriously needed to take a step back right then. “Claire…the human…she hasn’t eaten since,” he glanced at the clock on the wall, “yesterday morning. You would do well to feed her and to treat her…with kindness. She is a beautiful, intelligent female. You will need to win her before you can bed her. Keep in mind that, just as Leukos has his sights set on this human, she has her sights set on him too. It is up to you to change her feelings on this. You will not be able to do so with sex. Talk to her. Be nice to her.”
Ekon looked like he wanted to argue. He finally pushed out a breath. “Thank you, I’m not sure what I would have done all these years without you. Thank you for your loyalty and your friendship.” He scrutinized Magnar, to the point where he began to feel uncomfortable. “I can tell that this female has gotten under your skin as well. Is she that lovely?” Ekon raised a brow.
“Yes, she is. Claire is worthy of being a queen.”
“Good! I will put a pair of jeans on. Organize us dinner. I can’t wait to meet her. To win her.” The male’s eyes glinted.
“I suggest that you wait before you tell her what happened with Leukos. Spend time getting to know her first. Forge a connection. She has feelings for the male already and might not like it if you put him down.”
“What happened is fact. She deserves to know.” Ekon’s eyes blazed.
“There will be plenty of time to tell her later, have some fun, sire. You deserve it.”
Ekon brightened up. “You’re right. I like the sound of fun.”
Ekon walked towards his closet. Magnar noticed that the other male’s erection was still out in full force. It made Magnar’s feathers rub. His nail beds itched as his claws pressed against them. His whole body bristled. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths. It would be fine. Ekon would calm down. He would be enamored with Claire in no time. Ekon would very quickly decide that he wanted the female for who she was and not because she could be used as a pawn. His king just needed to spend some time with her.
Chapter 19
“It’s late,” she pleaded. “Can’t you just bring me some proper food and allow me to eat it here? At your place?” Magnar had brought her a snack to tide her over until dinner. She’d wolfed it down in half a minute flat and was still desperately hungry.
“I’m exhausted and not up to meeting anyone new.” Claire didn’t want to meet Ekon. Not now. Not ever! “I’ll just sleep on your couch.” Her eyes felt wide. Her mouth was dry. Her hands were shaky and it wasn’t just the lack of food. “Also, I think this dress is far too short.” She gave the hem a tug. “And the lack of a bra is a problem too. I’m not the kind of woman who can walk around braless.” Her boobs were too big for that.
“I borrowed the dress from a female who is shorter than you are,” Magnar explained. “I couldn’t find a bra that was big enough…not so quickly at any rate.” He got a sheepish look which was odd on a male with his level of confidence. “If it helps any, you look amazing.” He gave her the once-over. “Gorgeous.”
She could see that he meant it. “Thanks.” She hated the warm feeling she got when he said it. Then again, it was nice getting a compliment, especially when the person really meant it, so…it was a perfectly normal reaction.
“Ekon is desperate to meet you and to get to know you, what better way than over dinner? You might as well pull off the band-aid. Get it over with.”
“If I don’t like him, you’ll let me go home?” Nervous tension twisted her gut.
He nodded once. “Yes, but you need to give it a chance…” He cleared his throat. “Please.”
“Okay, but only because I’m starving.” She’d meet him. Eat and get the heck out of there. “Where will I be sleeping tonight?”
“We’ll worry about that later.”
“I’m not sleeping with him. I’m telling you now that’s not going to happen.” She set her jaw.
“Okay, okay.” He put up his hands. “I get it, loud and clear. You don’t have to sleep with him or anywhere near him. I’ll check in with you later. I’ll find you somewhere to spend the night.”
“Okay.” She swallowed thickly, feeling oddly disappointed that it wouldn’t be with Magnar. Not ‘with with’ Magnar but under the same roof. She felt safe with him, which was idiotic since he had been the one to abduct her in the first place. Everything was a little on its head right then.
“Are you ready to go?”
She ran a hand through her hair. “I guess so.” She made a face. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Magnar chuckled and shook his head. “It’s really not that bad.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am, you’ll see.” Then he paused, growing serious. “One thing I need to mention…”
She widened her eyes. “What is it?”
“Ekon hasn’t spent much time with humans. Unlike some of us.”
“Oh…you’ve spent a lot of time with our species?” She found herself leaning forward slightly, wanting to hear more.
“Can’t you tell?” He raised his brows.
“I guess…now that you mention it.” Why would he spend time with humans? To what end? “How much time is a lot of time?”
“Almost a year. I was sent into human territory with a small team to find out about the possibility of being with human females. With the idea of taking them as mates.”
“Oh! Interesting. I’m sure you spent plenty of time observing our ways and finding out as much as you could about us.”
His eyes got this weird look in them. “It was our job to test compatibility.”
“Compatibility as in…?” She knew exactly what it meant. Why was she angling for more information when she already knew? Then again, maybe he didn’t mean it like it sounded.
Magnar looked down at his feet and licked his lips before locking eyes with her. “We mingled extensively. One or two males came back with mates.”
“How exciting! Not you though?” Oh shit! Why had she even asked him that? It was none of her business and he might take it the wrong way. “You don’t have to answer that. It’s got nothing to do with me. You probably didn’t meet anyone you liked…in that way.” Why was she still speaking? She forced herself to shut up.
“I met someone.” He got a faraway look. “A female who was pregnant with a human child. I didn’t know the baby was human. It’s a long story. She was with someone already. A Feral. They have since mated. He’s one of Leukos’ males.”
“Pregnant with a human baby but seeing a Feral?”
“As I said, it’s a long story. I think I might have had feelings for her,” Magnar mused. “However,” he shrugged, “I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I’m commitment-phobic, I tend to want females I can’t have. Those types tend to be the most appealing to me. The novelty wears off pretty quickly if they become available to mate. I guess I’m the type who enjoys the fucking part rather than the mating part of how we are as a species.”
“So, we’re opposites then.” She laughed but it came out sounding all wrong. “I’ve been told I come on too strong. I tend to fall in love quickly and fall hard. It scares guys off more often than not. That’s why I have this rule about not having sex within the first few dates. I don’t allow myself that kind of intimacy too soon.”
Hate Awakened: Book 3: The Feral Page 14