Holiday Crown

by Nikki Jefford

  Lark caught up to Reed and wrenched his game piece from the young male’s fingers.

  “You nearly pulled off one of my fingers, you pit head,” Reed sniped.

  “Serves you right, infant.” Lark returned to the rug, where he and Fraya bent their heads over the game board as though they’d never been interrupted.

  Ryo rubbed the back of his neck and released a deep sigh.

  Mel and Lyklor walked in hand in hand with glowing cheeks. I felt a tiny tug on my heart, wishing for a moment that we could all go on a couple’s vacation. But this wasn’t the time. Besides, Ryo clearly needed reinforcements. I understood Lyklor’s request for time alone with my sister. I had no doubt they’d have success. As to whether they got the girl they wanted, that was up to Sky Mother, no matter what methods the blond Fae king attempted.

  My bet was on a boy, mostly because Jhaeros was betting on a girl, and it wasn’t fun if we bet on the same gender. Fraya was going with girl too. We hadn’t had a chance to ask Folas if he wanted in on the bet. It was probably better to do it out of earshot of Ryo since he was as gung-ho as Lyklor to bring a daughter into the family. I hoped they got what they wanted, despite my bet.

  “Well, kiddos, Mom and Dad are going away for a little while,” Lyklor said.

  “No!” Ronin yelled. He ran to Mel and wrapped his arms around her leg. She laughed and patted his head.

  “We’ll be back soon, and maybe we’ll even find you some more presents.”

  Lyklor groaned in exasperation. “Don’t you think we got them enough already?”

  “There’s always room for more,” Reed said from his spot behind Gayla’s chair. “What is that supposed to be?” he asked, peering over her shoulder.

  Ronin let go of Mel’s leg to hug her middle. She bent down and hugged him back. Ryo walked over and placed a reassuring hand on Ronin’s shoulder.

  “Behave yourselves while your father and I are away. See that crown on Dad’s head? It means he’s in charge and you must do as he says.”

  Ronin and Reed nodded simultaneously as though their heads were connected.

  Jhaeros sidled up beside me and whispered, “Shouldn’t they obey him even when he’s not wearing a crown?”

  “Maybe he lacks your natural authority,” I whispered back.

  Jhaeros’s gaze dipped from my eyes to my lips, remaining on my mouth long enough for my thoughts to turn to passionate kisses. Maybe Dahlquist was all the vacation we needed.

  “Reed, come give your mother a hug,” Mel said. He went right over. The boys were good at listening when it came to Mel. Elf mamas weren’t to be messed with. Squeezing a twin in each arm, Mel pulled them closer and blinked several times. “You too, Lark. I want a hug from all my boys before I go.”

  Lark smacked his palm to his forehead and groaned. “Mom, we’re in the middle of a game. I’ll see you again soon.”

  “Lark,” Lyklor said in a warning tone.

  Releasing the twins, Mel sauntered over to her firstborn, squinting down at the game. “Lately the two of you do nothing but play these games for hours. You know we have a whole armory filled with sharp pointy objects, right?”

  Fraya looked up and smiled sweetly. “No, thanks, Aunt Mel.”

  “We’re good,” Lark added.

  “Ugh.” Mel turned to me. “Please don’t turn my son into a gaming nerd.”

  “Too late,” I replied with a smirk.

  She huffed at me before returning her attention to Lark.

  “Up. Up. Up. I’m not leaving until I get my hug.”

  Lark got up and gave her a quick hug. Mel pulled him back and squeezed him extra long and tight.

  “Mom, you’re crushing me.”

  Reed snickered.

  “Where’s my hug?” Ryo asked.

  Mel threw her arms around her raven-haired mate. Their hug stretched on before ending with a passionate kiss.

  Once Mel released Ryo, I stepped in to hug her, whispering, “Good luck, Little Sis.”

  “Where are you headed?” Jhaeros asked.

  “Secret location.” Lyklor’s voice rose across the room.

  Smiling, Mel leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “Dubai. We’re going skydiving over the Palm Islands.” She bounced on the balls of her toes. Seeing our blank expressions, Mel stopped bouncing and groaned. “I’ll just have to send postcards so you can see for yourself.”

  Turning to Jhaeros, I tapped my lower lip. “Or maybe we should pop in for a visit.” My mate snorted. Before Mel could protest, I gave her a loving pat on the shoulder. “Just remember to spend time in the hotel too. You’ve got business to take care of, after all.”

  Jhaeros took that as his cue to drift away and rejoin the males. Like Mel, he wasn’t much for the public sex talks.

  Trunks were carried down by servants after Mel and Lyklor took their leave. The rest of us got to work digging out garlands and faerie twinkle lights. We started with the family parlor then moved on to the halls of Dahlquist, concentrating on the most traversed passageways between the dining room, parlor, ballroom, and family suites.

  Folas carried the ladder around, propping it against walls for Jhaeros to climb as I held garland to his awaiting hands.

  Might as well get into the spirit. According to Hensley, the holidays went into high gear beginning the week of an American holiday called Thanksgiving, which was fast approaching. I hadn’t seen much of my human sister-in-law over the years, but that was okay. Liri was far from my favorite in-law, and I imagined that wouldn’t change. At least I was able to tolerate him, especially barely seeing him. It turned out Hensley was barren, but she said she didn’t mind, especially with her passion for theater to keep her occupied. Liri didn’t care either. Given he’d killed his own father to obtain the crown, it was little wonder. Liri had never struck me as father material. Luckily, Lyklor and Ryo didn’t take after him that way. Nope, Liri was his own special breed of creature.

  “That’s the last of it,” I said as Jhaeros hooked the remaining bit of garland along the wall leading to the dining room.

  He climbed down the ladder. Folas left it propped against the wall, and we returned to the parlor, where we found ornaments covering all the available chairs, sofa, and countertops.

  The servants were still carrying down trunks. Lulu and her adopted son, Alok, carried the next one in together and looked around for an empty spot.

  “I think I saw space in the corner,” Jhaeros said, taking the handle from Lulu.

  “Thank you,” she chirped.

  With Jhaeros’s height, the side Alok carried dipped down. The young male was Lark’s age. He had black hair with blue highlights. Lulu had once made them purple, which Lark had teased him relentlessly over. Lark had mellowed out over the years, but he wasn’t great at making friends besides Fraya and Devdan’s daughter, Zelie, back in Pinemist. I was happy to see Fraya get along so well with her cousins.

  The trunk bumped against the floor when Jhaeros and Alok released it. Lifting the lid, Jhaeros looked inside and said, “Well, we found Mel’s collection of holiday picture books.”

  “What are we supposed to do with all these ornaments?” Gayla asked. She’d abandoned her doodling to help pull decorations from the trunks.

  “We need a tree,” Reed said.

  “There are some fake ones in the attic,” Lulu said.

  “We should go out and cut down a real tree,” I said.

  “A real tree!” Reed and Ronin said in unison, jumping up and down.

  Ryo rubbed his jaw. “Sounds like fun, but I can’t leave the castle. We could send Folas to bring back a tree.” Ryo lowered his hand and looked at the blond guard. Folas nodded his consent.

  “No! We want to pick out the tree,” Ronin said. “Uncle Jhaeros will take us, won’t you?”

  Jhaeros shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

  “I’ll go too,” I said. “Fraya?” I asked my daughter, who stood near a trunk untangling faerie lights.

  “I’ll stay at
the castle,” she said, continuing to unwind copper wiring.

  “I’ll stay as well,” Lark announced.

  “Shouldn’t you go along and look after your brothers?” Fraya suggested.

  Lark’s face fell. He sighed and gave the twins a cursory glance. “I suppose.”

  “Or maybe you need me to come along, being the oldest and all,” she teased.

  “Only by six months.” Lark put his hands on his hips.

  “It’s settled then. Jhaeros and I will take the boys out to find the perfect Christmas tree.”

  “I’ll accompany you, along with half-a-dozen royal guards,” Folas said. “Gayla, you stay here with Fraya.” His daughter looked at Fraya and smiled widely.

  “Want to hang out in my room and color?”

  “Maybe later. I want to untangle these lights,” Fraya said.

  Gayla’s face fell, similar to Lark’s. My daughter was Miss Popular whenever our families got together. Her friends back home were always coming by seeking her company. She had a natural magnetic pull that made others want to be around her. The boy thing was the problem. At least Fraya wasn’t a flirt. Then again, that only seemed to make the males scramble to win her affections all the more. As with everything, I trusted my daughter to behave herself.

  I should have known it wouldn’t last.

  Chapter Four

  Fraya

  I kept my attention on the task of untangling faerie lights as my parents left the parlor with Folas and my cousins.

  The sound of breaking glass sent all eyes to Gayla, who cringed as she stood over a shattered reindeer ornament.

  “I’m sorry!” she cried. “It fell out of my hand.”

  “There, there. We have plenty more,” Uncle Ryo said, going straight to Gayla and bending on one knee to give her a gentle pat. I swear he doted on her more than her own father did. Folas was the stoic sort. A loyal guard and reliable parent where his mate had failed.

  Gayla stared at my uncle’s head. “We should decorate your crown for Christmas,” she said.

  Uncle Ryo chuckled and touched the golden circlet. “Do you think a bit of garland would make it more festive?”

  Gayla nodded eagerly. She always brought out my smile. She was such a cute, sweet little Fae girl.

  Getting up and taking her hand, my uncle led her toward the open doors. “Let’s see if we can find some in the hallway.”

  My heart rate kicked up as they left. I hurried with the lights, which weren’t that bad to begin with, and rewound them into tidy loops.

  “These are ready,” I announced, avoiding eye contact with Alok as I set the lights on the armrest of a chair filled with ornaments. “I’ll see if there are any more decorations in the attic.”

  “We got them all, Miss Fraya,” Lulu said.

  “Wonderful. Thank you, Lulu. I suppose there’s not much else to be done until they return with the tree.” I swept out of the room.

  Reaching the corridor, I took off in the opposite direction of my uncle and Gayla. Luckily, they were preoccupied as Uncle Ryo lifted Gayla up, and she yanked pieces of greenery from a wreath. They looked so cute. I hoped he and Uncle Lyklor got the daughter they were hoping for. Whatever the gender, I was excited to cuddle my new baby cousin in my arms. I loved all my cousins, and since my aunt Shalendra didn’t want kids, I was happy Aunt Mel had grown her family.

  I wanted kids one day. Two seemed like a good number—a girl and a boy a few years apart. But that was years away, of course, after I was an adult and had become archery champion of the elven realm. If I lived on Earth, I’d have shelves lined with trophies and ribbons. Elves had no need for awards. Reputation was enough. But that hadn’t stopped Aunt Mel from having one made up for me during one of her routine trips to the mortal realm. She’d had my name engraved on a gold-toned plate attached to the base of a metal shield with a target and arrows jutting out of the bull’s-eye in the middle. It was one of my favorite gifts and sat on the middle of my shelf in my room back in Pinemist. Aunt Mel was the best! It was no wonder she’d snagged the hearts of two Fae males.

  I’d recently discovered the appeal of the Fae. I’d kissed a couple of elves back home. They were nice males, though hesitant and awkward, looking to me for direction. I liked a male to take charge. The Fae took charge. One in particular.

  My heart rate quickened.

  Alok was waiting for me in the attic when I walked into the narrow space located above the castle’s ballroom. Light filtered in through a single window, catching the brilliant blue highlights in his midnight hair. He was more gorgeous than any male I’d ever seen in the elven realms or Faerie.

  I put my hands on my hips. “Did you portal here?” I’d meant to beat him to our meeting spot.

  With his back to the small square window, Alok’s face was shadowed, making his smile appear dangerous. There had always been a dark energy surrounding him like a black hole. Looking at him, heat radiated from my neck to my core all the way down to each toe bound by my leather boots.

  “Maybe, or maybe I’m just faster.” He smiled deviously.

  I scowled. The rogue knew how competitive I was. I thought only Fae royals and their chosen guards were capable of portaling, but there was still so much I didn’t know about Faerie. Alok must have raced here the moment I headed out. Sadly, Fae trumped elves in speed. At least he was as eager as I.

  “I’ve missed you, Fraya.” The longing in Alok’s voice pulled me toward him.

  We met in the middle of the attic, grabbing one another roughly. I fisted Alok’s black tunic near his neck as he gripped me around my waist. Midnight black hair spilled over his forehead as though to eclipse the preternatural glow in his penetrating brown eyes.

  I breathed in bergamot along with faint hints of lemon, ginger, sage, fir, and cedar musk. The smell of him drew out a wildness deep within me.

  I’d missed Alok too—more than I was willing to admit out loud. I missed him every time one of the males back home tried to flirt or show off. They were like dull smudges compared to Alok’s dark pulsating energy. I longed for him to appear inside my bed chamber at night, even in a dreamscape if only to see and speak to him in the stolen hours before sleep. Father’s entire estate was heavily warded against dreamscaping. Mom had a special room only Uncle Ryo, Uncle Lyklor, or Folas could access if they needed to contact her.

  We were worlds apart, and my need for him only grew more desperate after each absence.

  Digging my fingers into his back, my hungry lips covered his. With a flick of his tongue, Alok drew out a strangled moan from low in my throat. Our kiss deepened, tongues pushing past teeth to plunder with savage demand.

  Alok’s deft fingers slipped up my sides to my shoulders. His lips moved from my mouth to my neck. I tilted my head back, eyes fluttering closed as I exposed my throat to him. I wanted to both surrender to him and conquer him in one breath. Never one to shy away, Alok’s teeth scraped along my neck, his tongue tracing my collarbone, feeding the furnace inside my belly. Flames descended and pulsed between my thighs.

  My body responded in kind. Heady arousal turned to sleek heat that bloomed inside my sex. There was nowhere to breathe inside the tight bodysuit. The attic felt like it was tightening us in together, cocooning me and Alok in a lovers’ embrace.

  I only wanted more. More kisses. More friction. More of him.

  We might as well have portaled into the middle of the galaxy. There was only Alok, a dark, carnal mass of swirling desire. My body trembled against him. The castle and the attic faded. There was nothing beyond the dampness soaking through my snug body suit and the empty ache high above my thighs.

  I pressed my body into his lean fame, wanting to hear him groan with need. At fifteen, Alok was tall, trim, and already toned with muscles from endless activity at the castle. My first memory of him was as a sulky child after he was first adopted, but Lulu’s love and his life at Dahlquist had shaped him into the robust and mature young male he’d become.

  The first tim
e we kissed, he said he was going to marry me one day. I’d found his declaration both amusing and naively romantic. But the more time I spend with Alok, the more I feel like a starfish caught in a whirlpool.

  His arm circled my waist. Bold fingers from his second hand stroked my thigh then cupped me between the legs. The warmth of his fingers spread through the tight material of my bodysuit. I rubbed shamelessly against his hand until he worked his thumb over my aching, tender folds. The steady friction generated bolts of pleasure rippling along my thighs. My desire seeped through the fabric pants, permeating the dank attic air and dampening Alok’s finger where he stroked.

  We stumbled over to a pile of blankets I suspected Alok had arranged before my arrival.

  I climbed on top of Alok and rubbed against the hard length straining beneath his tunic and trousers. Our kisses grew sloppy as we gyrated over the attic floor. With a gasp and a pant, I broke off the kiss and sat upright over the beautiful Fae male.

  “I want you to be my first,” I told him. I’d given it a lot of consideration. Like my mom, I was a planner. I wasn’t sure she ever planned this sort of thing, though. According to my parents, they hadn’t even liked each other when they first met.

  Alok and I didn’t have a lot of opportunities together. My family only ever came to Dahlquist when Aunt Mel was in residence, and even then, our visits were rare. Mom preferred to spend time with her sister when she was in Pinemist.

  I’d been craving this for months. Living a realm away, unable to talk or touch, was torture.

  Alok gazed at me with eyes that shimmered in the dark. “Are you sure?” he asked. “You know I’ll wait for you, Fraya.”

  I dipped down and gave him a quick, hard kiss.

  “I don’t want to wait.” I smiled. “Do you know someone who can procure a tincture after and be discreet?”

  Unlike Aunt Mel, I didn’t want a swollen belly stretching my leathers in the new year.

  “Lulu. She’s a romantic. She would never say a word.”

  I twisted my lips to the side, not sure how eager I was for Lulu to know our business. She was a sweet, if simple, female, not the sort to flash me knowing smiles. I certainly preferred this option a thousand times over to asking Mrs. Calarel, our cook back in Pinemist. She’d run straight to my parents and find a way to tell them, despite being deaf.