by D. R. Rosier
I couldn’t remember feeling quite this bad about anything on this world since I’d arrived. My mates’ silence was like a bleeding wound I couldn’t close, which filled me with impotent anger on their behalf.
I really wished I could kill those fuckers.
I’d expected to toss and turn, but… Sleep arrived, unexpectedly.
I woke up with an itchy tickle on my nose, and I opened my eyes to see bright red hair.
Regina had her back pressed up against my chest, as I held her tightly against me, her ass cheeks were hugging my cock.
Sianna was behind me on the other side, but not touching me, which was a first, she was always cuddling me in bed when she slept beside me. Something told me the only reason Regina was against me, was because I’d grabbed her in my sleep.
Karana and Saria weren’t even in the room, and I felt my stomach sink. Where the fuck were they?
I sniffed Regina’s hair, and closed my eyes at the scent. I loved the scent of all my mates, all so feminine and lovely. I considered the tempting idea to take her in the spooning position, or just waking her up to talk, and then rejected both. I also needed to get away from the temptation, I wanted to love her back into submission, with my cock. I knew better though, life didn’t work that way, and sex didn’t fix everything. I untangled myself, and I slid off the end of the bed to avoid waking either of them.
Had Karana and Saria left last night and spent it elsewhere, or did they just leave earlier this morning as they sometimes did?
I felt lost and betrayed. It was petty, and I truly didn’t blame them for what happened on the drug, but afterward I’d needed them to reach out and reconnect for comfort, and they hadn’t. Still weren’t there.
Also, I felt quite murderous toward Arun and Sudryl, this time I came by that emotion a lot more honestly. Maybe we didn’t belong there, humans didn’t belong Lelmalond, or even just the great forest Laya. It was a mistake to come, I should have turned down the offer. I never would’ve thought our tight loving bonds could so easily be shattered.
But they had been.
I got dressed in the nicest clothes I’d brought, and then went over to the table and sat down. The chair was comfortable enough and well carved, even without cushions, it was well fitted to the body and didn’t dig in anywhere.
I flinched when I felt a hand on my knee, and then looked down to see Regina kneeling at my side, looking up at me with concern. I didn’t hear or sense her even wake up, much less leave the bed.
“Are you alright?”
Her soft gentle tones made my eyes water, time to turn in that man card.
“I’m… confused. How are you? I’m… waiting, for you all to work through it. Where is Karana and Saria?”
She tilted her head, “I’m sorry love. I just… couldn’t talk last night. I knew you needed me, but I felt so ashamed and undeserving, of all our mates. I failed you. I don’t know where they are now, but they were in bed with us when we went to sleep.”
“Your very naked, and beautiful,” I said nonsensically.
She smiled, “I love you, James.”
I took her hand, and then pulled her up into my lap.
She looked more than willing, so I kissed her softly. I’d wanted to deny her words, but I couldn’t. She had failed me, not when drugged, but when I reached out and they all slapped me away with their silence. I felt… almost disgusted at my weakness, but it really had fucked me up. I adored and loved my mates, and it’d hurt me more than I’d realized. If they ever truly turned from me, permanently I mean, it would destroy me. Oh, I’d survive, and go on, but I wouldn’t be the same person anymore.
I also didn’t really blame them, they’d been fucked up too, but I wanted to blame them.
Why hadn’t they reached out to me, when I had to them?
She was soft and supple under my roving hands, and so damned sexy as our kiss deepened.
She was breathy as it broke, and the look of devotion, love, and need in her eyes almost broke my heart.
She whispered in my ears, “Come back to bed, make love to me. Sianna too, she cried herself to sleep last night. Let’s go love her awake, and then show her what she means to us.”
She got up when I didn’t object, and then took my hand. I felt like I was in trance as she gently dragged me toward the bed and my young beloved princess, and I did exactly what she said.
Apparently, life did work that way, my mate just told me to fuck them into submission. Not really true though, it was the timing too, they were both ready for it now.
The three of us made passionate love together that morning, it was intensely emotional, and both of them cried during it. A release of emotion, a good cry, and while it didn’t fix it all, not right away, I definitely felt our bond was back, stronger than ever.
The pleasure of their bodies, mixed with the intense emotions, was healing for me as well. I lost myself in it, in them, and in our love.
When we finished, and I’d reached completion inside both my pregnant wives, we took a quick bath. It must have been at least two hours after I’d woken up when we dried off and got dressed.
There was still no sign of my elven mates. No breakfast either. I felt better with half my family back, but I was also worried. They were alive, and fine, I knew that through our mating bond. They were even in the same place. I was starting to feel really welcome to fucking Lelmalond. Oh, yes, that was sarcasm.
I also decided I got to keep my man card, drugs have been known to do worse, and while we weren’t under its effects anymore, we were clearly still in the fallout stage.
Chapter Fifteen
Sianna was curled up in my lap, and wouldn’t stop caressing my chest, neck, shoulders, and face. Regina was leaning against my shoulder on one of the couches while we waited for that promised food. The suite was in the inner part of the palace, and I wasn’t really sure what time it was, but I thought it had to be after dawn. We’d gone to sleep earlier than usual, we usually stayed up much later for fun, but we’d been up at least three hours, and Karana and Saria still hadn’t moved from wherever they were deeper in the palace. Perhaps they were in her room?
Even as my stomach turned at the thought that they had felt the need to sleep somewhere else, I felt comforted by Sianna and Regina who almost felt back to normal. If anything, they were even more devoted and submissive, but at the same time it didn’t feel quite as natural and effortless. That would fade over time I thought. I didn’t mean it felt fake, they meant it, but it was like they felt more vulnerable than usual.
I also didn’t want to jump to conclusions, maybe there was more to Karana and Saria leaving than just running away from the three of us.
My stomach grumbled, making them both giggle.
There was a knock on the door, and Regina slid off the couch and headed for the door.
Desirae walked into the room with a small smile on her face, and a covered platter in her hands. She was also accompanied by Claire who was also carrying a covered platter of food.
“Served breakfast by the heir?” I teased.
Desirae laughed lightly, “Don’t get used to it. Saria planned to do it, with Karana. They’ve been arguing with my parents about our brothers for hours, and just realized how late it had gotten. They should be back soon to join you. Claire here bravely volunteered to help me when I offered to let them finish their discussion.”
Hmm, maybe they didn’t want to do that in front of me, I couldn’t blame her for that, I’d be embarrassed too, if my family members tried to murder her. I also felt better about their absence, and was relieved they hadn’t gone to Saria’s room to sleep away from me. I was glad I hadn’t commented out loud on my rash conclusions earlier, so I only had to eat crow in my mind.
Claire blushed, “It’s no trouble.”
“Thank you, both, and feel free to join us, if you haven’t had breakfast yet?”
Desirae smiled wider, and it actually reached her eyes, “I’d love to,” she said as she slid into on
e of the chairs.
Claire didn’t look too sure, but she nodded almost stubbornly and took a seat next to the princess heir. I got the idea she was using me to push herself and recover faster, mentally I mean, just as she’d spoken in the forest yesterday morning voluntarily. I also wondered if she was someone important, a baron’s daughter or something like that, I hadn’t expected to see the scouts or the ladies we’d rescued in the palace.
Perhaps I should just drop all my expectations. There could be a thousand different reasons she was in the throne room this morning, including at the request of Desirae. The princess heir had gone through the same thing, still was, but was about a month and a half ahead of the rest. Desirae struck me as the type of person who’d want to help the other sixteen victims.
I patted Sianna’s ass, and she slid off my lap with a mock glare, which was greatly marred by her wide happy grin. I winked cheekily, and then we walked over and joined them at the table.
“Arguing?”
Desirae grimaced, “She wants them punished, and kept out of your sight for the rest of your visit. While there’s very little doubt they’re guilty, my parents are constrained by the law and there’s no real way to prove they were responsible. They also pointed out that I’d already punished them, in retrospect I let my emotions get the better of me. I… think highly of you, and they did true harm, even if not the harm they were hoping for. Saria is very protective of you, Karana as well, and the argument has been rather heated. In the end though, I doubt they’ll get more than a stern talking to, and possibly an escort to keep them out of mischief for the rest of your visit.”
I understood, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t angry about it, so I changed the subject. I also took note of the fact she was freely relaxing her emotions in front of me, which meant she was comfortable with me and truly saw me as family.
“The protections we talked about, are there other spores and flowers you cultivate that are dangerous?”
Desirae smirked, “There are many. I could name fourteen off hand.”
I nodded, “I could include them all, if I can see samples of them.”
Desirae tilted her head, “You’re not saying something.”
I shrugged helplessly, “If I learn how to make protections to sell to elven mages, I’ll also be learning how to protect my mates from any unfortunate recurrences, with a different biological magical drug. I’ll be updating their protections first thing.”
Desirae blushed, “Of course, I should’ve realized. I can arrange those samples, and I’ll buy the first one, and show off a bit. I imagine that by the time we make the next store delivery in Eastguard they’ll also have several orders with coin to pick up more? How about ten gold for mine?”
I looked at Regina, who shrugged minutely. She was a great haggler, but I supposed she didn’t know the value of such a thing any more than I did. Ten gold was also several years wages for most.
“Is that a fair price?”
Desirae smirked, “Yes and no. I get a discount for being family, plus I’ll be advertising for you and getting the supplies you need to make up the immunity protections. I imagine you should sell the rest of them for twenty-five, maybe thirty gold.”
“That sounds fair to me.”
Desirae smiled, and looked over to Claire.
“Why don’t you tell him why you were in the throne room this morning first thing?”
Claire blushed when I looked at her, and looked nervous, but again quite determined.
“I volunteered to be your first elven student. I… have had enough of violence, it appeals to me to become a person who heals and only fights as a last resort. There’s also something empowering about the idea of taking on the very magic that was used to harm me so egregiously. I think it will help me, and spending time with you will help me. Not just because you’re a man, but you’re the very thing I fear most, a flesh sculptor that could steal my will. I know you wouldn’t, I believe that, but the potential exists.”
I smiled faintly, “I’d be honored to have you as a student Claire. You’re aware of the oath involved, and about two years of training?”
Claire nodded, “I rode not far behind you for most of the trip from Malburn, and I heard your plans. Your mates also talked about you a lot, all the time really.”
I smiled wider and chuckled mirthfully, “Of course, I forget sometimes that elves hear everything. Are you the only one so far?”
Desirae replied, “So far, just her. There are complications… well, you’ll find out.”
Before I could ask what that meant, the door opened, and Saria and Karana walked into the room. I felt a flush of desire, love, and longing go through my body at the mere sight of them, even as I felt cut-off, and worried they wouldn’t be ready to reconnect.
My worries were put to rest at Saria’s tentative smile in my direction with an apology in her eyes. As for Karana, she was even more clear in her actions. She slid between Regina’s and my chairs, sat on my lap, and started to pick food off my plate as she wiggled and settled in. She even fed me a few of the morsels she picked up and stole several kisses as we ate. We’d still needed to talk, I still felt a wall between us, but I knew it would fall when we renewed our intimacy. Unfortunately, that would likely have to wait until later that night.
Saria said, “My brothers will be watched, that was all I could accomplish. They will still taunt you if they wish, but they won’t be able to poison us again, not without getting caught. I’m sorry I didn’t leave a note, or tell anyone where I was going, I didn’t expect that we’d be gone quite so long.”
I nodded, “I understand the need to protect family. Desirae is going to help us out so that can’t happen again. Perhaps the other nobles against my visit won’t act as precipitously, but I won’t take that chance.”
Desirae said, “I’ll have those samples to you by lunchtime.”
I asked, “What did you mean earlier, complications?”
Desirae said, “Some elves don’t believe we should need to give an oath. That we aren’t like humans and don’t need such a leash to know the difference between right and wrong. I’m not sure if they’re truly offended by that, or just by your presence, or maybe just at the idea of being taught morality from a greedy no good human.”
I snorted, have those idiots met the princes?
Claire looked a bit shocked by Desirae’s comment.
“I’m grateful to have my sister looking out for me, as well as my mates.”
I elbowed Sianna lightly as I asked Desirae, “Do you not have a source for wool and cotton?”
It was of course, completely transparent to everyone at the table. Of course, I’d used the subtly of a sledge hammer on purpose, and it did work to lighten the mood. It also worked to get Sianna and Desirae talking about expanded opportunities for trading between kingdoms, which took up the rest of the breakfast. I was also right, outside of the spider silk from the forest, they really didn’t have cheaper cloths. Even the linen napkins we used over breakfast, was the same silky-smooth material as the sheets, and Desirae’s white and Karana’s dark green elven mage robes. Dark green today at least, I knew she’d change them back to red soon, dark green helped her blend into the forest.
Silk was also extremely rare and valuable to humans, which meant the trade would be profitable on both sides. I let Sianna take it from there though, it was her ambition, and she did give me a grateful look or two, before we finished breakfast.
There were other items as well, the elves living in a forest meant they didn’t have as much access to metals, like iron. They didn’t use it in much outside of swords and daggers. There was other stuff, or I thought there would be. Sianna had a long way to go to achieve her true ambitions, but I’d be surprised if that tent city idea wasn’t a done deal by the end of our visit, if not a more permanent marketplace. Which would be a hell of a good start.
Then it was time to go meet the in-laws, my silver white haired mate’s parents, who were also a king and queen. I
’d also probably be facing the brothers again as well. When we left the room, we all went except Claire, who would meet with us when we were ready to leave. She wasn’t royalty, but the real reason was she’d been in captivity for a long time, and she wanted to reconnect with her family and get her affairs in order before leaving Lelmalond for another two years or so.
I wasn’t nervous at all about meeting the in-laws, piece of cake. Yeah, right, I have a bridge to sell too.
Chapter Sixteen
The throne room was spacious, in the same way the center of the sun might be described as warm.
It was incredibly vast, in the center of the palace below the largest dome, which seemed to be made of glass. There was a small grove of trees in the throne room, as well as countless varieties of other flora. It was rather beautiful actually, and the thrones made of elaborately carved and decorated wood stood in the center of the arboretum type throne room.
The familiar faces of the princes stood by the thrones, along with a throng of other people I assumed were nobles of some type, as my mates, Desirae, and I stood before the king and queen.
King Orum looked to be in his forties, which my mind translated to somewhere over four hundred for elves. The elven mage king was six foot one, with fairly broad shoulders for an elf, but otherwise wiry and athletic like the rest. He had silver-white hair and dark blue eyes like the other elves, but those dark blue eyes were the exact shade of my mate’s.
Saria’s mother, Queen Kaylessa, was remarkably similar in appearance to both her daughters around the facial structure, though her dark blue eyes were a bit lighter. She was also a mage, and looked to be in her late thirties, I guessed around three eighty or ninety for her true age. She was shorter than either of her daughters, at about five foot one, which made her far more curvy than willowy.
Whatever the case, it was obvious they must have mated as soon as they came of age, and gotten pregnant fast with Desirae.
Kaylessa had a light smile on her face, and she looked a little excited at meeting her daughter’s mate, and all her sister-wives. That was a bit of a relief, I knew the mother-in-law thing was a cliché, but in Cynthia’s case it had been a very true one.