by D. Brumbley
Candra went around to each of them in turn. The earth shook underneath the Earthborn, it cracked underneath the Stoneborn, and the breeze picked up into a wind that swept through the entire circle of them as she touched Kit, who only grinned at the feeling of such strength and the way the wind whipped through them all.
Mitch and Beatrice touched her almost without outward reaction, but all the flowers around their thrones burst into full bloom before everyone’s eyes, as Mitch settled back into them with a deeply contented sigh. Reston and Marina were some of the purest among them, and so they took in the power she offered them almost quietly, though the swell of strength through them still made them both shiver, and they nodded their gratitude. Last of all was Nick, who took her power much more calmly than he had the first time he’d touched Candra outside her cell. Even so, it made the entire iron floor of the Court shiver beneath their feet, the metal singing with the overwhelming strength the setting sun poured down on her.
Nick held her hand for a moment longer than necessary, with a smile, letting some of the power flow back through him, though his throne, into Zara’s fingertips. “We thank you for your gift, Candra. It will be put to good use.”
The tiny taste of power that went into Zara rippled through them all as Candra grabbed onto Orlando again and took her place sitting next to him. Zara’s influence calmed everyone further and no one spoke out in argument after that, all of them under some peace found in the comforting feeling of being filled and satisfied. They felt the bond that held them together, and Zara was able to pull their focus back to Nick, who, of course, had started it all. He was the one who had to adjourn the meeting, and it seemed that since no one else had anything to say, that was all that was left to do.
“Tomorrow, we will start consolidating our forces to leave, as quietly and as quickly as possible. When this begins, we have to keep the dominoes falling or they’ll start falling back on us.” Nick said as he stood. “Until tomorrow, my lords.” This time, when he said it, there was no laughing, because they all felt like kings and queens with power.
They all left quietly for the first time and most of them, despite the situations between them, held tightly to their mates just to keep the power alive. Candra and Orlando were the last of the group to leave before Nick and Zara. Candra looked back once at Zara before she looked up at Nick as though she was going to say something, but then she just kept walking with Orlando. Zara stepped out to look up at Nick with a grin as soon as everyone was gone. “That was incredible.”
“It was a good beginning.” He said quietly, moving slowly as though his feet were reluctant to leave the Court. Better than I had hoped for, actually.
She took his hand and squeezed it firmly. With the two of them, you know we can’t lose.
Oh no, we can still lose. He wouldn’t go so far as to get that overconfident. It would be too easy with that kind of power behind him.
Zara shivered as she held onto his hand. The power…it feels amazing running through you.
I wasn’t sure if your former masters had ever given you a taste of Lightborn strength before.
Obviously they liked to keep it to themselves. She had, in fact, tasted it plenty of times through Coren, but by the time she got a taste, it was Oceanborn strength. She turned quickly and captured Nick’s lips in a passionate kiss. It’s probably a good idea to keep me away from that kind of power. Otherwise I won’t let you leave the bed.
He grinned at her thoughts. I think you keeping me in bed would just make that kind of power even worse.
It’s a delicious cycle. She ran her fingers across his chest. Can we sneak out back?
He started off with her, not sneaking at all, but openly walking with her back toward his house. I have missed you these last few days. And nights.
Zara kissed his jawline and held tightly to him. I’ve missed you too. I don’t like being away from you.
How was your morning? They hadn’t really gotten a chance to speak before the council meeting.
Busy. I was helping with the new arrivals again. That was where she spent most of her time, since the best thing for new people was to feel welcomed and to feel like they would have a place to belong. She was good at making people feel welcome. How did your meeting with Veronica go?
She could feel his mixed reactions on that score. Fairly well. They have a new pack member whose cousin is an Alpha of an American pack that’s been in Europe for a while. They’ll be coming to join us sometime soon. More than two hundred Fireborn. Fireborn and Oceanborn were among the rarer breeds of their kind, because of their power and the purity required to produce one. The only wolves more rare were Zara’s kind, and of course the Lightborn and Shadowborn, who were so rare they were generally believed not to exist. Two hundred Fireborn in one place under one Alpha was almost unheard of.
“Wow.” Zara said out loud. “Veronica must really like you to encourage such a pack to come here.”
“Yes, well, that was the other part of the meeting.” He said with a sigh, since there was no point lying to Zara, and he’d done nothing to betray her.
Zara raised an eyebrow, since she didn’t really know what he meant. “Was it?”
“You’ve seen how Balthazar is. She’s not the best-tended mate on the council. And a lot of these visitors to our home are curious about Ironborn, since they’ve never had one before.” He said it with a shrug, understanding where Veronica was coming from. “Don’t worry. Veronica still hasn’t. Not this one, anyway.”
She flinched at the thought, but she kept her composure otherwise. “I told you that Heartborn don’t really count for much.” She didn’t mean that he didn’t think much of her, but obviously Veronica didn’t think anything of her.
They were in his house by then, and Nick shut the door with a gesture as he turned to face her, not moving away from the doorway. There was half the room between them, since she had walked in toward the living room. With another gesture he stopped her as the bracelets on her wrists, all given to her by him over the last few months, began shifting and sliding up her arms in a tight caress against her skin. “You count to me.”
Zara turned slowly and smiled gently at him as she took a few steps back toward him. “Do I?”
She had taken to wearing clothes that were closer to Ironborn fashions in the time she’d spent with him, and so her summer dress had metal clasps behind her neck and at her sides. She could feel them moving at his command, beginning to unlatch themselves. “You don’t doubt me as often or as much as you make me think you do.” He stepped closer to her and kissed her once. “I know it’s mostly because you like to hear things, not just feel them. But I turned down Veronica this morning because of you.”
Zara kissed him back passionately as her clothes fell to the floor, all the hooks twisted so that they wouldn’t hold any longer. Just that tiny bit of Lightborn power, and he could tell that she was almost desperate for some time alone with him. “I didn’t know it was possible for me to feel this strongly about another person.” She growled softly as she kissed him several more times. “But I do.”
He let his own clothing fall around him and pushed her back against the wall harshly, the metal that was still around her arms binding her against the wall playfully. She could feel the power within him itching to be used, making him stronger than he had been the entire time she’d known him. “You’re about to feel exactly how strongly I feel about you.”
Zara squirmed playfully, her skin sliding against the metal behind her as she waited with anticipation of what she desperately wanted at the moment. Once he was close enough to touch her again, she kissed him just as harshly as he had thrown her. I love you, Nick. As much as she thought it wasn’t possible, she actually did.
He caressed her from waist to neck before he kissed her again. I know you do. At that point, the metal wrapped itself around her completely, and for a very long time, both their cries resounded, amplified, through the sheet-metal halls of his house.
* * * * *
By evening the news about what the New Council had decided went through all their people, even the outcasts like Aura and Ziem. As a wolf, Aura could hear things that other wolves didn’t want her to hear, when they were also in wolf form. It was easier to keep secrets as humans, when the mind wasn’t so open. Ziem spent a lot of his time as a wolf as well so that she wouldn’t feel so lonely, and she was grateful for that. Ziem came in from outside with a meal for them and set it down in front of her so she could start in quickly. She was always starving, which made her believe that she had to have all boys inside of her or something. So what’s it like out there?
Chaos. He said simply as he licked her neck once and then sat off to the side to let her eat. And there’s more sex out there than in every whorehouse I’ve ever seen combined. It’s crazy.
Yes, well, I guess that’s what happens when people prepare to go off to war. She took another large bite from the carcass beneath her and licked the blood off her lips. Did you get any news? Are you going?
No. He sounded a little sad about it, but that was only because he was a horrible liar. I had kinda hoped they would wait until after you popped, but it’s alright that they didn’t. My place is here with you.
She licked around her muzzle to clean up before she moved closer to him and buried her face into his fur. You don’t have to stay here for me. Just sneak out and go. I know that’s what you want to do.
No, it’s not. He returned the kiss, and laid down on his side to look up at her. I’m gonna stay here with you and the pups. I’m not leaving you. Certainly not now.
Aura collapsed on top of him and then bit at his fur playfully as she remained on top of his body. Aren’t you getting bored?
No, you do pretty well at keeping that from happening. He said with an inner laugh that came out as barks. And if I do get bored, I’ll go outside and break something. It works out pretty well for me, most of the time.
So you’re liking it wolf-style?
After not having it for thirty years? Yeah. I could get used to it. He looked up at her with his hazel eyes just as sarcastic as they were when he was human. You need to quit second-guessing yourself, baby.
She licked his face several times. I guess I’m just afraid. Before I was afraid to make a decision, and then I made a decision and it backfired on me. I’m afraid that now that I’m your wife, something will happen and things will fall through.
We’re about to have at least three puppies. They’re the only thing that’s gonna be falling anytime soon.
The puppies were constantly moving inside of her when she was awake, and she could feel them growing more powerful by the day in her wolf form. Is three really your guess?
I said at least. The way you’re about to bust, might be six, for all I know. Like I said, I haven’t spent much time around pregnant wolves except recently. Though I could actually get used to the hormones. You’re kinda psychotic, but there’s an up-side to that equation.
She nipped at his side and then growled playfully. I am not psychotic!
Yes you are. He actually bit back that time, and though he wasn’t as strong as she was, he didn’t actually fight back very often. Miss ‘I want chipmunk for dinner, but that one’s too fat,’ if you please?
They’re good! She pinned him down and growled a little louder. What are you gonna do when you’ve got six puppies all clamoring for dinner?
Send ‘em your direction so you can feed ‘em. I’m not equipped for that.
I wonder what that’s going to feel like. She didn’t think it would be a particularly pleasant feeling. Though in my human form, my boobs were getting pretty big.
They were never lacking in the first place. He licked the underside of her neck, but she could feel his thoughts darkening somewhat. I don’t think hunting is going to be a problem, I’m fine at that. But everything else…I hope I do a good enough job.
You’re here. That’s amazing in and of itself. She looked into his eyes again. I just hope that you can love them like they were yours.
I’ve spent more Fulness days and nights with you than either of their candidates for dads did. Anything coming outta you, I’ve got dibs.
She barked loudly a few times in laughter and she nuzzled the side of his face afterwards. I love you. And you’ll be great. It’s not like I have any experience with this either.
I love you too. But if you’re not gonna eat the rest of that fox, then get off me. I’m starving.
Aura leapt up off of him and picked up the fox, growling with a challenge for him to come take it from her. Guess you’ll be starving even longer.
He got up with a growl, and scratched at the ground a few times as if he was a bull about to charge, leaving deep gouges in the metal with his claws before he leapt at her, wrestling with her more roughly than any pregnant wolf probably ought to be wrestled with. He knew Aura was nothing if not tough. Even while pregnant.
* * * * *
After hours of being with Nick at the height of his strength, Zara was exhausted as she stumbled through the woods. She’d told Nick that she needed to go check on some families that she promised she would return to, and she did, but only briefly. By the time she got to the river, she lazily kicked off her shoes and walked in up to her ankles before she sat on a small stone to wait.
She waited there for an hour for Coren to come, but he didn’t appear, even when she moved to take an impromptu kind of bath in the shallow stream.
Zara stayed in the deeper waters for a long time, absolutely confused that Coren still hadn’t arrived. Her thoughts flicked back to Nick, and while she told him that she would be gone until dark, she knew he was waiting for her. The rest of the day was to be spent with loved ones before they really dove into war preparation. It amazed her how much she cared about Nick. Her love for Coren was still there, and they were mated after all, but the more time she spent with Nick, the more she realized everything that she missed out on with Coren.
Coren had never gone public with any part of their relationship. Ever. She was hidden from the world with him, and while it wasn’t Nick’s fault that she had insecurities, Nick had suffered the arguments she would have had with Coren.
Yet, it was clear that he wasn’t ashamed of her. Everyone knew that they were serious with each other. They weren’t hidden at all. It made the connection between her and Nick powerful in ways she never imagined possible. The more people knew, the stronger their relationship became because of all the little connections it made with other people. It was the reason why Heartborn were rarely exclusive and why they took so long to mate under normal circumstances. They thrived on a crowd, and being in a relationship with someone so much in the public eye was the best thing she could ever ask for. Coren had saved her from her horrible life before. He loved her and she loved him, but she had always wished for a relationship like the one she had with Nick. She wanted more.
She felt Coren before she saw him, as the current of the river flowing past her began to slow and turn into something different, a more deliberate caress across her skin than just the cool simplicity of the stream. It began to dance with her, holding her up and spinning her around a few times as it played with her.
Zara smiled, but weakly, hardly able to respond to the caress and the playfulness of it. She looked around for him, since she hoped that seeing him would ease her doubts.
He appeared not long after she could feel his power through the waves, walking alone as he always was with her. He was walking almost on top of the water, submerged up to his ankles in a stream that should have come up past his knees. “Zara.” She could feel his voice through every drop of water on her body as he slid further down into the water beside her.
Once he was close enough, he could see the scars that his guards had left all over her body. The ones on her face, beneath her eyes, on her neck and just about everywhere else. The worst were on her back, and while they were mostly faded, they were still there. “I’ve been here a long time waiting for you.” It brought bac
k hurtful memories of times when he’d told her they would meet, and he’d shown up hours later or not at all. Even the day after they had mated he’d left her alone and she hadn’t seen him until days later.
“I’m sorry.” He reached out to take her arm lightly. “I heard from our spies about the meeting of the Council earlier, but the new Skyborn guards your lover has been setting out have been harder and harder to avoid.” He took her other arm and looked down at her, not angry, just so sad she could feel it through the touch. “I’ve been out here every week since I saw you last. I didn’t know what to think.”
She felt like pulling her arm away, but she didn’t. “They really almost killed me.” Zara sighed as she looked away from him. “I wondered if you’d even notice.”
As she turned away from him, his hands stayed on her arms, and he pulled her back against him. “I had hourly reports on your welfare for the first three days. I didn’t sleep until you woke up.” He whispered in her ear, and she was flooded with the feeling of his concern for her. He knew she was strong, that she could come back from anything that happened to her, but that hadn’t stopped him from almost feeling like he’d lost the other half of himself the entire time.
Tears blurred her vision and fell into the water around them, and she trembled a little as he held her. “Why did you want me to do this?”
“I didn’t.” He said earnestly. “I wanted you to leave with the rest of the guards in Geneva, to be safe. But you got taken off instead. That was not what I wanted.”
“I can’t do it anymore.” She whimpered as she turned slowly, almost afraid that he would drown her at what she was about to admit. “I…”
“It’s over.” He said as his hands moved to her cheeks that still bore some of the marks from the beating she had taken. “You don’t have to do it anymore. You’ve done more than enough.” He kissed her forehead as he held her tenderly. “Tomorrow it will be over, and we can go home. Together.”
