Jeremiah nods his head once, lifts his hand and cups my cheek with his palm. “So you are a mighty princess, not just one who relaxes and has housemaids dote on you day in and day out.”
Wrinkling my nose, I shift my head from side to side. “That sounds boring,” I mutter.
His lips curve up into a grin. “And you, Princess Sylvi, you enjoy adventure.”
“How did you know?” I whisper.
He chuckles. “I can see it in your eyes. I can feel it in your touch. You crave adventure, honey.”
“I do,” I breathe.
Jeremiah wraps his hands around my waist and tugs me closer to his body. He slants his head before his lips lower and crash against mine. I gasp as his tongue slides inside of my mouth and he tastes me—completely and fully.
Chapter Three
SYLVI
I don’t miss the sideways glances from both Colton and Birdie throughout dinner. I try to ignore Jeremiah, but I’m unable to stop myself from sneaking glimpses of him throughout the entire meal. He acts as though he isn’t paying attention, then every now and then he winks in my direction.
My entire body heats every time his eyes shift over me. I want his eyes to stay on me forever, I want them to sear my skin as I’m bared completely to him. I want it all, I want him, every single part of him.
Once dinner is consumed, we make our way into the open seating space in the center of the home. I don’t know who decided to build a house like this, but I cannot deny how much I enjoy the way it is laid out, the privacy it offers within the spaces.
“He has been watching you all night,” Birdie whispers as the men converse and drink whiskey amongst themselves.
“He has,” I agree with a nod.
Birdie is quiet for a moment, then she finally speaks. “Is there a particular reason? Martha and I did leave you alone in the library.”
I feel my face heat, but touch my fingers to them to hide their no doubt pink hue. “Nothing indecent happened,” I murmur.
“But?”
Pressing my lips together, I look down at my lap, then lift my gaze to meet hers. “I wanted it to. Very much so,” I confess.
“You’re a princess. I mean, I don’t know much about this world, but I’m pretty sure that some things are universal. Like who you can and cannot marry, am I wrong?”
I shake my head once. “I was in love with a warrior once. His name was Gunnar. My brother agreed to the marriage, only because my brother wanted me to be happy and he knew that I was in love with him.”
“But?”
Closing my eyes, I inhale a deep breath, letting it out with a sigh. “He was taken from me. He died and I cannot get him back. I have been focusing on helping my brother with his country and attempting to allow my heart to heal.”
“Has it?” she asks. “If it hasn’t, then please do not lead my dear Jeremiah on.”
“I would not,” I whisper. “My heart will never fully heal from the loss of my Gunnar, but I also cannot allow myself to shrivel up and expire either. He would not wish for me to stop living my life, he would never ask nor want that from me.”
“And Aaric?” Birdie asks.
I like this woman. She thinks of all things, not just emotionally, but also with her head. “I think he will agree with my decision-making.”
“You think?” she hums her words, but doesn’t say anything else.
Her questions have spurred me to make a decision, to talk to my brother. I will not leave her unless I have a concrete answer from Aaric, and I will not walk away from Jeremiah until I have a vow from him as well.
JEREMIAH
My window faces the barn and although I would like to be nowhere other than Sylvi’s bedroom, I am not. I am not a cad and I refuse to compromise her any further than I already have. She is a princess, a Lady. I am not worthy of her attentions. She is leagues above me, not only in status, but also just because she is.
Something moves out of the corner of my eye and I turn my head to watch it. My eyes widen at the sight before me. It’s Sylvi. Her blonde hair flies out behind her as she hurries toward the barn.
Narrowing my gaze, I continue to watch the barn, on the alert and ready to run after her should I feel she needs me. I have a feeling that Sylvi is much like Birdie and can take care of herself. I still want to be available to her if she should need me.
A few moments later, I watch as the gigantic beast of a dragon steps out of the barn. He looks around him, extends his beautiful wings and then shoots straight up into the air. I watch him, unable to look away as he soars through the sky and disappears somewhere in the distance.
I don’t see Sylvi until she’s slipping back into the house. I can’t help but wonder what she was doing with that beast and why she sent him off somewhere, no doubt on some kind of mission for her.
Unable to sleep, I slip out of my room and walk outside, sinking down in one of the rocking chairs on the porch. Staring straight ahead into the black abyss, I can’t help but think of Sylvi more and more.
She consumes my mind. She consumes me. I want her in a way that I have never wanted anyone before. I’ve never felt this way before and when she is forced to go home, I don’t think that anyone will ever make me feel this way again.
Sylvi is special.
I want to live a life with her, to hold her as she sleeps, to fill her with babies, to cherish her and take her on adventures. I want to watch her flourish and grow. I want all of her to belong to all of me.
Chapter Four
SYLVI
Pinching my eyes closed, I can’t stop myself from smiling. I know without a doubt that Quest will deliver my message and be back here within days. He will not let me down and if I know Aaric, he won’t let me down either.
Opening the bedroom door, I start to head toward the dining table to break my fast when I am forced to stop abruptly. There is a large wall of a body standing in front of me. Tilting my head back, I look up into those eyes that have me completely speechless.
“Jeremiah,” I breathe.
His lips curve up into a grin and he reaches up, sliding the backs of his fingers down my cheek before wrapping his hand around the side of my neck.
“What were you doing in the barn last night, honey?” he asks, his voice smooth as creamy butter.
Pressing my lips together, I roll them a few times, then shake my head once. “Nothing,” I rasp.
He chuckles. “You sent Quest off on a mission, tell me.”
Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I shift my gaze to the ground, then lift it up to meet his. “I don’t want to say anything, in case there is a problem.”
“Does it involve me?” I ask.
I shrug a shoulder, unsure if I should tell him. I’m afraid that he won’t understand, that he’ll become angry at the fact that I’ve done this without asking. Maybe he doesn’t want to marry me, if he doesn’t, then all of this will be for naught.
“I asked him if he would agree to a marriage between me and Colton’s most trusted soldier.”
His eyes widen and he blinks a few times. I expect him to release me, maybe stomp off in anger, but he doesn’t. Instead, his hand shifts from the side of my neck, moving up he cups my cheek. My breath hitches when he lowers his head and his lips brush mine.
“Sylvi,” he breathes. “You shouldn’t have.”
“I know. I should have asked you, I realize this. I apologize, but I could not imagine leaving here without you.”
He presses his lips to mine before I can say another word, his tongue slips inside of my mouth and he consumes me again, as he does every time he touches me in every way possible. I want him to be able to touch all of me, every square inch.
“He will deny it, but Sylvi, it means so much to me that you tried.”
“He may not,” I exhale. “He is levelheaded and kind, Jeremiah. He just wants me to be happy.”
My words, I say them, and yet I’m not completely convinced of them. Aaric is levelheaded in war. He is not so levelhe
aded when it comes to me, his sister, or his wife. With us, with his family that he loves and tries to protect he is emotional, irrational, and overprotective.
JEREMIAH
I ask Markus to guard the women for the day and slip away from them to go in search of Colton. It doesn’t take me long to find him, he is completely immersed in his railroad contracts and plans as he has been for weeks.
He doesn’t even lift his head as I enter his office. I’m surprised to see that Ernest is missing from his place a step behind him.
“Where is Ernest?” I ask as I sink down in the chair across from his desk.
Colton doesn’t even lift his head as he continues working on his paperwork. “Probably off to town to gather supplies. Now that I don’t have all those men to feed, there’s no sense in forcing the general store owner to bring the weekly supplies here himself,” he explains.
There’s a moment of silence, then he lifts his head and looks up, his gaze meeting mine. “You have something you would like to talk to me about, I assume, seeing as you aren’t guarding my wife or Sylvi.”
Nodding my head once, I shift in my seat. “Sylvi has sent a message to Aaric through Quest. She has asked for permission to marry me.”
Colton’s brows rise in surprise, but he doesn’t voice that surprise, at least not immediately. Instead, he watches me for a few moments, leaning back in his chair, his lips curve up into a grin.
“This is what you want?” he asks.
I shrug a shoulder, then nod a head. “I would have liked to ask Aaric myself, or even Quest, but I cannot be angry with her. She seems to want to be with me as much as I do her.”
“I was going to ask if you agreed with her desire and if you felt the same.”
Clearing my throat, I shift in my seat a few more times before I speak. “I do. Sylvi would be a dream to take as a wife.”
“But?”
“I’m not in her circle. Her brother won’t allow it. I’m not royalty, I’m not even any sort of high-ranking official.”
Colton chuckles. “I could decree you as one. It would not be difficult. If it would make you happy, if it would please Aaric, I will do it.”
My lips curl up into a grin. “Thank you, Colton. I’m not sure that would do anything. I am just not good enough for her.”
Colton snorts, then rises to his feet. “Would you harm her?” he asks. I shake my head. “Are you a criminal? Do you consort with the enemy? Would you defile her in any way? Are you going to cause her emotional or physical pain ever? Would you love her until your last dying breath?”
“I would,” I murmur. “I would love her and I will love her until my breath ceases inside of me.”
“Then I see no reason why Aaric would not approve the union.”
“Except I am not worthy and don’t have proper titling. Plus, she enjoys her time in Wolfjour Ail, she would never live here.”
Colton grins. “While I would love to keep you here to help guard my Birdie. I am not fool enough to believe that all of you will stay here forever,” Colton murmurs.
I see a darkness over the sky and I jump up, running toward the window. I didn’t expect the dragon to be back so soon, and yet here he is. He lands, but something is amiss.
There is a man on his back. A large man with a beard and half of his head is shaved on one side, the hair on the other side is long and braided. The next thing that I notice are all of his tattoo markings. They’re black and they cover his entire body.
“It seems the Sea King is here to speak to you personally,” Colton mutters from behind me.
“So it seems.”
Chapter Five
SYLVI
I see Quest land, and then I notice that Aaric is on his back. This can go either one of two ways. He can say he’s here to drag me back home or he is here to approve of the match between me and Jeremiah.
Unable to wait until he makes his way into the house, I turn around and run outside to my brother. He’s just sliding down from Quest when I appear in front of him. I hear boots crunching behind me and then I feel a hand against my back. Turning my head, I look back to see that it’s Jeremiah.
“Sea King,” he rasps.
Aaric’s gaze flicks from me to Jeremiah, then back to meet mine. “I require a private audience with my sister,” Aaric growls.
Without a word, Aaric reaches for my forearm. His fingers curl around my limb and he tugs me toward the barn. We don’t say a word as we walk, not until we’re inside of the space.
“You have fallen in love, did he compromise you, did you lay with him?” he demands.
I smile, shaking my head. “He has not and I have not. But yes, Aaric, I have fallen in love with this man.”
“He has no title,” he informs me.
“Neither did Gunnar,” I remind him.
His lips twitch before they turn down into a frown. “It’s true, however, Gunnar was one of my most trusted men. This man I do not know at all.”
“He is Colton’s most trusted man,” I inform him.
“Also, a man that I do not know.”
“So what happens?” I demand.
He arches a brow, crossing his arms over his chest before he tilts his head to the side. “I will meet them. I will make my decision soon as Liv is closer each passing moment to delivering our babe into the world.”
“He sees my sense of adventure. He thinks he’s not good enough for me. He wants to give me everything and prove himself to be a good match day after day until the end of his life. He is good, Aaric, I can feel it in my bones.”
Aaric grunts. “He is different from us, he does not understand our language, our customs, our lands.”
“Neither did Liv and she has acclimated.”
“Liv was sent by the gods, Sylvi.”
“Perhaps Jeremiah was sent to me by the gods, destined to be my match.”
Aaric snorts. “Perhaps, Sylvi. I will meet with him and let you know.”
JEREMIAH
Without a word to me, Aaric demands to be taken to Colton to have an audience with us both. I don’t leave Sylvi, at least not without checking on her to ensure that she is indeed okay.
Turning to face her, I cup her cheek with my palm. “You’re okay?” I ask.
Her eyes are wide and a bit glassy, but no tears fall down her cheeks. Her lips slowly turn up into a small smile. “I am okay, Jeremiah. Go and talk to my brother and Colton. Aaric will be making his decision shortly,” she breathes.
Nodding my head, my hand falls from her cheek, but I don’t leave her. Instead, I guide her out of the hot sunshine and toward the house. Only when she is safely inside do I direct Aaric to the office where Colton is still standing in front of the window watching everything.
“King Aaric of Wolfjour Ail is here to speak with you, Mr. James,” I call out as Aaric closes the office door behind him.
Colton turns around, his hands clasped in front of him. He takes a few steps toward us and extends his hand.
“Mr. James,” Aaric mutters as they shake hands.
“Call me Colton,” he chuckles.
“You may call me Aaric, as it seems we are now brothers.”
“It does seem that way, doesn’t it?”
“I would like to meet your Birdie before I take my leave later.”
“Your request will be granted,” Colton chuckles.
Aaric jerks his chin toward the chairs and Colton nods his head. We all take our seats and I clear my throat nervously, wondering what will happen next.
“This man sitting beside me. This man who wishes to wed my sister, is he good enough for her? Is he good, is he decent, will he be true to her and treat her respectfully?”
I press my lips together, wondering where this is going and what Colton will say.
“The man sitting beside you is one of my most trusted soldiers. I’ve trusted him to protect my wife and unborn babe. I will miss him, but I am more than comfortable telling you that he will do all of those things and he will do them unti
l his dying breath.”
Aaric shifts his gaze from Colton to me, then back to Colton. “She must live in Wolfjour Ail as she is in charge of my people when I am raiding. She will be treated like the princess that she is. She will be adored, and she will be given the adventures that she desires along with children. If you can provide all those things for her, I would be glad to give you my consent to take my sister as a bride, since it is obvious to me that is what she wishes.”
Standing, I turn to face him. “I would be honored to have Sylvi as mine,” I rasp.
It is the truth, too. I would be honored to have Sylvi as mine to love, cherish, and adore until my last breath. She is special in more ways than I ever thought possible.
She is perfection.
She is mine.
Epilogue
ONE MONTH LATER
SYLVI
I feel a warm hand on my hip, it slides up my waist, his fingertips gripping my flesh. I can feel his hard length against the crease in my backside and purr as I arch my back, lifting my arm to wrap my fingers around the back of his neck.
Turning my head slightly, I touch my lips to the side of his neck. “Good morning, husband,” I breathe.
He chuckles. “I will never tire of you saying that, honey.”
I purr as his fingers slide around my hip and dive between my legs. “Husband,” I gasp as his fingers begin to move, circling my clit before dipping inside of me and making a delicious motion.
He continues to touch me, his fingers moving faster and faster against my clit. Arching my back, I lick the side of his throat, my hips jerking and moving against his touch.
Bride of the Frontier (The Prophecy of Sisters Book 3) Page 33