Adric's Heart

by Rebecca Rivard

  Let it go. Jani’s okay, getting better all the time.

  A silence. Then Rosana said, “About that…”

  An icy finger traced down his spine. “What did you do?”

  She lifted her chin. “I told the prince I wanted to stay with you.”

  “You did what?” He winced as pain squeezed his head. “Why the hell would you do that?”

  “Because. I wasn’t sure how hurt you were, and—” She swallowed audibly. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “You should’ve demanded to leave. This is between him and me. Having you here just fucks things up.”

  “Maybe. And maybe not. In my vision, you came to the court alone—and you died, damn it.” Her voice broke. She took a jagged breath. “You need me, Adric Savonett. Why won’t you believe me?” Tears glimmered on her face.

  Hell, now he’d made her cry. “Rosana…” He touched her wet cheek, but she growled and buried her head in her knees.

  “Hey.” He set a tentative hand on her back. “I’m sorry, okay? Just…don’t cry.”

  “For your information,” she said to her legs, “I did demand to leave—more than once. The prince wouldn’t give me a straight answer. He was playing with me. Then you got here and you got hurt—bad. You were out cold, for Deus’s sake. And you think I should’ve just left you with them?”

  He heaved a breath. “C’mere.”

  She scowled but allowed him to guide her back to his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, love.” He kissed her temple. “I just hate like hell that you got dragged into this.”

  She gave a tight nod. “There is something,” she said, low-voiced. “On the way here, I called on Cleia for help, and I’m pretty sure she heard me. We were still in southern Maryland, so they may not realize Luc was bringing me here. But at least they’ll know I’m not in Baltimore.”

  “That’s good. But why would they think you’re in Baltimore?”

  “I left Dion and Cleia a note saying I was coming to you.”

  His brows flew up. “You told Dion? About us?”

  “Yep.” Her full mouth set in stubborn lines. “I’m not going to sneak around to be with you.”

  “Rosana…”

  “I mean it. If you want me, it’s got to be out in the open.”

  “But I told you—”

  “You want me. You’re not going to tell me last night didn’t mean something.”

  “No.” He tightened his arms around her. He just couldn’t do it. It would be a lie, and besides, he couldn’t hurt her like that. Not when she was locked in this fucking cell because of him. “You know it did.”

  “Okay, then.” He hadn’t realized how stiff she was holding herself until she relaxed and curled closer, one arm resting on his stomach, the other around his back in a loose hug. He sucked in a breath when she pressed a tender spot on his lower abdomen.

  “Sorry.” She tried to pull away, but he kept her where she was.

  “No, stay. I like you close.”

  “Me too.” A pause, and then she added in a small voice. “It makes me less scared.”

  His heart lurched. “Don’t be scared. You’ll get out of here—soon. I promise.”

  “Not without you.”

  He tugged a long black curl. “Are you this much trouble to Dion?”

  He felt her grin against his shoulder. “More.”

  “Never thought I’d feel sorry for the man.”

  She chuckled, and then laughed aloud when her stomach rumbled immediately after. “Sorry.”

  “You’re hungry.” He stroked his palm down the delicate knobs of her spine. “Why didn’t you grab something this morning? There was cereal in the cabinet.”

  “I didn’t have time,” she said sweetly. Too sweetly.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah. You snuck out on me, asshole.”

  He moved uncomfortably. “You were asleep. I figured we’d said our goodbyes.”

  “Yeah, right. You were afraid I’d talk you into taking me with you.”

  “Not because I don’t want you. It’s because I don’t want you hurt.”

  A low growl. “Stop trying to protect me. I can take care of myself.”

  “Against another fada, maybe. But these are fae. You saw the kind of power the prince has.”

  “So what makes you think you can beat him? You’re a fada, too.”

  “Because, damn it, I don’t care about me.” He gripped her shoulders, gave her shake. “But if something happened to you, I’d fucking break. I’ve lost too many people. I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you.”

  Her eyes widened. “You do love me.”

  His gaze slid from hers. His mouth opened, closed. Because he couldn’t bring himself to deny it. What else could this hot ache crowding his chest be?

  “That’s okay.” She snuggled closer again. “I can wait for you to say it.”

  After that, they fell asleep, spooned on the bench together, his front to her back. But sometime in their dreams, they turned to each other. Adric woke with his hand on Rosana’s breast, his tongue deep in her mouth. He was much better, his battered body nearly healed.

  Rosana’s eyes were closed but she was sucking on his tongue.

  “Angel?” He nuzzled her neck. “You awake?”

  “Mm-hmm.” She tugged at the hem of the borrowed shirt.

  He dragged it off and removed his pants while she wriggled out of her own clothes. He made a rough bed of their clothing on the stone floor and laid her down on it before coming over her. She moaned and bent her legs up. But even with their clothes as a cushion, he was conscious of the hard rock beneath her. He rolled onto his side, taking her with him.

  She bent up a leg, rested it on his thigh. His cock brushed against her warm nest of hair, and he closed his eyes in pleasure.

  “You’re better?” She touched the bump on his temple.

  He nodded. “I have a small healing Gift. I had to draw on my quartz, though, so I won’t be able to shift for a few hours.”

  She traced the scruff on his jaw. “You know, I still haven’t seen your cougar.”

  “He’s here.” And wide awake.

  “He is?” She looked deep into his eyes before giving a satisfied nod. “So’s my dolphin.”

  “Did I tell you how pretty she is?” He turned his head, sucked her wandering finger into his mouth.

  Her breath hitched. “Uh-uh.”

  He rolled his tongue around her finger before releasing it to wrap his arms around her. “She’s strong, graceful. Like you.”

  “You think?” She scooted closer, plastering that long, curvy body against his.

  “Yeah.” He smoothed a hand down her ass. Damn, she had a fine butt, round and firm, the skin like satin.

  She nibbled on his earlobe, teasing the gold stud with her tongue. “In the summer,” she said, as if there was no doubt whatsoever that they’d both escape the night fae, “we have to go for a swim together. My dolphin’s skin is very sensitive—she’ll want to rub all over you. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

  His dick jumped. Mind? The thought of a wet, naked Rosana rubbing all over him sounded like his idea of paradise.

  “No,” he managed to say. “I wouldn’t mind at all. As long as you promise to swim with me as a human, too.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  “Naked.”

  A throaty chuckle. “Oh, I will be. I love to feel the water flowing over my bare skin.”

  He swore. “Have mercy, woman.”

  She gave a gleeful laugh—and pressed her mouth to his. When his lips parted, her tongue slid in, just a bit, sending a hot shiver down his spine.

  She teased him with small tastes and nips until he groaned and sucked her tongue deeper. Kissing the breath out of her—and himself as well. Even in the dank, musty cell, her scent had a hint of fresh water.

  When he finally came up for oxygen, she drew a serrated breath. Her eyes seared into his, the deep blue streaked with sea-green. “I love you.”<
br />
  His heart stumbled. “Rosana. I can’t—”

  “I’m not asking you to mate-claim me. But I wanted you to know. In case—” She moved a shoulder.

  His stomach fisted. “Nothing’s going to happen to you,” he bit out. “You’ll be out of here in a day, maybe two. I’ll make it happen.”

  He speared his fingers into her hair, drawing back her head to press love-bites to her throat. She moaned and angled her head to give him better access. One hand came up to his nape, urging him closer. Her back arched, pressing her pelvis into his.

  Electricity danced over his skin. He felt feverish, needy.

  “Come into me,” she murmured. “Now.”

  His throat worked. “Can’t. No protection.”

  “Adric. I love you. And I would love any pup—or cub—we made.”

  She reached down and guided his cock into her, and the gods help him, he didn’t stop her.

  Because he felt the same way.

  She was slick, hot. She gasped and clenched her inner muscles around him. Pleasure rocketed to his balls.

  He clamped his teeth together, resisting the urge to pound into her. Instead, he dragged her bent leg higher on his hip so that he was rubbing right against her clit and rocked slowly in and out.

  Drawing out the pleasure. Teasing them both.

  Her arms tightened around him. “I love you,” she repeated in a fierce whisper.

  He faltered, swallowed.

  Never had he heard those words from a lover.

  While Leron was still alive, he’d stuck to casual, no-strings-attached hook-ups. He couldn’t risk anything more—Leron would’ve used any woman he cared for against him.

  After he’d become alpha, he’d been too busy, his hold on the clan too shaky. Especially that first year, when he’d not only been working day and night to heal his fractured people, he’d had to fight off multiple challenges.

  And then he’d seen Rosana at the sun fae ball, a vision in a sexy little dress the brilliant blues and greens of a peacock’s feathers, her shiny black curls tumbling down her back…

  Her eyelids drifted down. Her soft lips parted as she sank deeper into pleasure.

  His cat bristled restively, hungry to lay its wild heart at her feet.

  My woman.

  My mate.

  Mine.

  He swallowed the words, although it hurt not to let them out. He was a killer, a man who’d cornered his own uncle in a dark alley and slit his throat. So what if he’d done it to save Marjani? It still shadowed his soul.

  Someone like Rosana deserved so much better than him.

  But too fucking bad.

  Deep inside him, something moved, opened. In that moment, he understood what the cat had known for years. Some things were meant to happen. A man could only fight fate for so long.

  If they got out of this alive, he was mate-claiming Rosana do Rio.

  Whether her brother liked it or not. Whether his clan agreed or not.

  Sinking his fingers into her hair, he tugged her head back and set his mouth to the silken skin of her throat.

  “Mine,” he rasped. “I’m not claiming you—yet—but when I do, you’ll say yes.”

  Her full lips curved. “Haven’t you figured it out? I already have.”

  32

  The Rock Run men rode fast and hard. Marjani grimly kept up, fear for her brother a live creature gnawing at her insides.

  Behind her, Fane maintained a loose grip on her hips. She was thankful now he’d insisted on coming. She’d never needed his calm, steadying presence more.

  As they pulled onto I-95, she tapped her quartz, calling Jace.

  “Hey, Jani.” He raised his voice to be heard over the sound of drilling. He must be at the quartz mine. “Whassup?”

  “It’s Ric. He’s not at his den. I think he’s going to New Moon.”

  “Alone?”

  “Yeah. I tried to get ahold of him, but he’s cut off all communication. And it’s deliberate. I can tell.”

  “He didn’t give you a heads-up?”

  She ground her teeth. “No.”

  “Fuck.” They both knew that if Adric hadn’t told Marjani he was leaving, it was because he’d wanted to sneak out of town. Whatever he was up to, it was dangerous.

  “And somehow Rosana do Rio got mixed up in it. I found Dion, Rui, Tiago and a couple of other Rock Run men outside Ric’s den. They looked ready to tear him apart with their bare hands.”

  “His den? What the fuck?”

  She explained how Rosana had apparently been kidnapped from outside Adric’s den.

  Jace swore. “They don’t think it was Ric?”

  “No. But it looks like it might’ve been Luc. His scent was all over Ric’s backyard.”

  “Hell.” Jace’s tone matched the sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. “So Lady B’s a part of this? But what the fuck would she want with Rosana?”

  “Good question. But Cleia traced Rosana to southern Maryland. I’m on 95 south of Baltimore, along with Dion and his men. Fane’s with me.”

  “On my way.” The sound of drilling faded as he made his way to the surface.

  “I’ll keep you updated on our location, but figure on going to Virginia. And Jace? Call Zuri, tell him what’s up. Until he hears otherwise, he’s in charge.”

  “Cat’s balls, Jani. Give me the hard job, why don’t you? Zuri’s going to be royally pissed if we leave him in Baltimore.”

  “He’ll just have to deal,” she returned in a hard voice. “He’s chief of security. With Adric and me both out of the city, he’s in charge. And if the night fae catch Adric, we’ll be at war—he’ll have more than enough to keep busy. And Jace? No secrets.” The clan had had their fill of that during the Darktime, and even since. “Tell Zuri to let everyone know what’s up. Ric’s going in there for me. Every den needs to decide once and for all if they’re with the two of us—or against us. If not, they should leave now, or I will personally kick their asses out of Baltimore.”

  “Understood.”

  Fane leaned forward to mutter in Marjani’s ear. “Tell him to send Evie and Kyle to Baltimore. They’re not safe in Grace Harbor alone.”

  Marjani nodded. She relayed Fane’s message, adding. “If she asks why, tell her the healers will need her.”

  It was the one argument guaranteed to get Evie back to Baltimore. If it came to war, the healers would be stretched to their limits, and Evie’s ability to add her energy to theirs would be desperately needed.

  “Already planning on it. Horace is with me—he’ll make sure they get there okay. You heard that?” he asked the cougar fada.

  When Horace said yes, Jace instructed him to shut down the mine and send everyone back to Baltimore, ASAP.

  Marjani heard the rumble of Jace’s motorcycle coming to life. “I’m right behind you,” he told her, and ended the call.

  The city fell away. The highway was lined with trees, giving the impression they were in the country, but she knew it was an illusion. This section of the East Coast was a string of towns one after another, with a continuous stream of traffic traveling the I-95 corridor.

  “Don’t worry.” Fane squeezed her waist. “Adric will be okay. Your brother’s bloody hard to kill.”

  She growled. “He shouldn’t have gone without me.”

  “Mm.” Her mate wisely refrained from pointing out that she’d gone to Iceland without Adric for the very same reason—to protect him.

  She heaved a breath and cast Fane an apologetic smile over her shoulder. “Thanks for coming.”

  He shrugged. “I know the court better than any of you. Besides, I spent sixty turns of the sun with the fae. I might even be able to help. Envoy, remember? I was one of the ice fae’s top negotiators.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  He wrapped his arms more securely around her waist, his hard-muscled body warm against her back. Despite her worry, her cat gave a little purr of contentment.

  Fane brough
t his face as close to her as their helmets allowed. “You need to remember something, love.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re not alone anymore.”

  Dion went with his gut and aimed straight for New Moon.

  Three hours later, they entered the forest surrounding the night fae court. They slowed their motorcycles to a crawl. A look-away spell pressed at them, but he drew on his internal GPS to keep moving forward, even when the pressure grew so strong it was like slogging through invisible quicksand.

  Rui somehow picked up Rosana’s scent. “This way.” He jerked his chin at a narrow gravel road.

  They bumped down the rutted lane until they reached a clearing. Rui engaged his kickstand and swung off his bike. He crouched, nostrils flared, to scrutinize the prints in the moist earth.

  “Rosana was here,” he said without raising his head. “Along with the wolf and Adric. And a night fae—a mixed blood, I think. Lady B?” He glanced up at Dion.

  Neither of them had met Lady Blaer, although they knew from Dion’s brother Nic that she was a night fae/ice fae mix.

  Dion inhaled. “That’s my guess.” Beside him, Tiago grunted assent.

  Marjani pushed her way through the other men to his side, her mate following. She drew a slow breath. “That’s Lady B, all right. I’ll never forget her scent. And the other two are definitely Adric and Luc.”

  Rui circled the clearing, still in a partial crouch, gathering further scraps of data. “Adric’s trail leads out of here—I believe he was following the wolf.” He pointed down the narrow road. “But Rosana’s scent ends here, along with the fae.”

  Dion’s stomach constricted, the small hope that they’d reach his sister in time crushed. “So she teleported out of here with Rosana.”

  “To New Moon,” Marjani added.

  “That’s what I believe, sim. But if she’s behind their wards, we can’t know for sure.”

  “I know.” The cougar fada’s hand went to where her quartz rested beneath her leather jacket. “At least, I’m sure Adric’s there.”

  “You can’t contact him?”

  She hesitated, shook her head.

  He took a step forward. “What aren’t you telling us?”

  “He cut off contact with me. But I could still feel him, up until a couple of hours ago. Then—nothing.”