by J. E. Taylor
Kyle was singing as he weaved towards home. His voice carried on the wind, deep and rich, and it twisted my gut in a way that I didn’t understand. For all the asinine things he had done, I couldn’t fathom why I was trying to save his ass.
I stared at the said body part and sighed. He was wonderous to look at, but in his condition, I wasn’t sure whether the shadows following him or the icy steps to the palace would prove to be the thing that killed him.
This vile and very drunk creature might be my only hope.
I nearly choked on a laugh, pressing my lips together at the wild card I had suddenly pinned my freedom on.
Before I could fully digest what my mind had conjured, movement across the open field caught my attention. Two men stepped out of the woods. One with a bow and arrow and the second with his sword at the ready. When the archer strung his bow, my gaze shot to Kyle, cluelessly drunk and still weaving a path up the mountainside.
If he had any idea that an attack was underway, the polar bear would come out, and these men would be torn in two. At least that was what I hoped for, but as the shot was lined up, I knew this would end with Kyle’s murder if I didn’t stop it.
I clenched my hands into fists, and when the archer let the arrow fly, I shot an icicle at the weapon, knocking it off course. It whizzed by Kyle.
Kyle stopped, staring after it before he turned. The tense set of his body told me enough. He was going to shift, and I couldn’t have that this close to the kingdom. That would get him hunted like a rabid dog.
Before the archer could get another arrow threaded, I blasted both him and the man with the sword, killing them almost as surely as Kyle would have. My stomach roiled at the sudden knowledge that I had taken human lives. This wasn’t self-defense like in the past; this was a calculated move to save another being. I nearly choked on the bile lining my throat.
I swallowed, shaking the sudden wave of nausea away. I would have a hell of a lot to explain in the morning when the hunters found them, but I would deal with that then. I would rather face a firing squad than be married to Senator Brax.
Kyle’s head whipped in my direction, and his jaw fell open. I crossed the distance until I was within earshot.
“You can’t shift within sight of the kingdom.” I picked up the bag he’d dropped. “And you can’t climb those stairs alone.” I trudged in front of him, then stopped when I realized he wasn’t following.
I turned, and he still stood staring at the icicles I had made of the men.
“Kyle,” I snapped, and he spun toward me. “Chop, chop.” This time I didn’t wait for him. I continued until I got to the ice stairs.
The snow crunched behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder at him. He still listed back and forth, but it wasn’t as pronounced as when I first saw him leave the kingdom.
“Do you need help so you don’t fall off the stairs?”
He came close to me and stared down into my upturned face with a crease between his eyes. “Why?”
I sighed. “I saw them following you.”
He looked up at the ice castle far removed from the kingdom below. “I am a threat to your reign. Why would you save my life?”
I didn’t want to get into the lesser of two evils with him. Instead, I offered him my arm and nodded toward the stairs.
He kicked off his boots and trudged up the steps with his bare feet without my help. When he got to the landing, he glanced over his shoulder. “Are you coming in or not?”
I hesitated and shoved my hands in my pockets. The paper sliced my finger. I yanked my hand out and pressed the cut to my lips. I stared up at him.
“I won’t bite. I promise,” he said, and his face remained stoic. Not even a hint of a smile appeared.
I picked up his discarded boots and climbed the stairs, wondering if I was trading one bad situation for a worse one. As I passed him holding the door open for me, I decided this might just be the easier pill to swallow.
When I dropped his boots in the castle, he put his finger to his lips and pointed towards the bear in the corner. “I’ll be up in a moment,” he whispered and took the sack from my hand.
I climbed the stairs to the bedchamber and stopped to watch him below.
Kyle laid out food for the sleeping polar bear with such care that my heart warmed. His gaze turned up and met mine. He paused and wiped his hands on his pants as he straightened. An intensity burned in his eyes, and my breath locked in my throat.
He climbed the stairs, and when he passed me, my skin tingled. The moment I stepped into the bedroom, he closed the door behind me. Before I could blink, he had me against the wall, his mouth on mine.
I opened my mouth to protest, and his tongue slipped between my lips, teasing in a way that made my knees weak. Despite the dizzying bliss he created, I pushed on his chest, breaking the kiss, but this time without blasting him across the room.
He pulled away, and his gaze dropped to my hands splayed on his chest. “Why do you deny the desire I see in your eyes?”
“Whatever you see in my eyes does not give you the right to just take what you want.”
“I’m not.”
I raised my eyebrow. “What do you call kissing me without permission?”
He stepped away and narrowed his eyes. “If you are not here to follow through on this...this thing between us, then why did you come? Why did you save me from those men?”
“There is nothing between us.” The words twisted my stomach. The kiss had been divine, and I could see myself falling into his arms and getting lost in his touch. But I didn’t have the luxury of finding out if he truly was the one for me or if he was just playing me for the position I held.
He pressed his lips together. “I disagree. There is enough hostility breeding between us to cause an explosion.”
“Hostility?”
His lips formed a smile and his cheeks reddened before he shrugged one shoulder. “What would you call it?”
Heat filled my cheeks, and I glanced at the floor before meeting his gaze. We could discuss this burning sensation caressing my skin, or I could divert the conversation to the more critical issue at hand. I leaned on the cool ice behind me and sighed, reaching into my pocket. I brought the senate’s decree from my pocket and held it out to him.
Kyle pulled the papers from my hand, but instead of glancing at them, he focused on my finger, studying the blood running from my cut. He brought my finger to his mouth and covered the cut with his lips, his eyes locked on mine.
My heart thundered, and my mouth suddenly went dry.
He smiled against my skin. “Now I understand why the bear wants to eat you. You taste like honey.”
He let go of my hand and turned, crossing to the lamp next to the bed. After lighting it, he took a seat and studied the papers. He took so long reading each page, that I thought maybe he wasn’t educated enough to read.
But then he glanced at me. “You’re betrothed to that ancient senator?”
“Hell no.” I shook my head.
He waved the papers in the air. “According to these papers, it seems unless you have a proper approved-of suitor, then you are betrothed.”
I glanced out the window at the kingdom and shuddered. “God help Bryggen. Senator Brax will ruin this kingdom.”
He stood and crossed to stand before me. “Why did you bring this to me?”
“I need a proper suitor. One with royal blood.” I stared into his blue eyes.
Kyle pointed at his chest. “You think I have royal blood running through these veins?” He laughed. “Besides, who’s to say I won’t ruin Bryggen?”
I bit my lower lip. “You are the king of the Hanseatic League.”
“Just because I ruled the trade routes doesn’t make me of royal blood.” He stepped closer. “Besides, according to these, the senate has to unanimously approve your choice.” He rolled his eyes. “And without revealing my true lineage, there is no way that group of men will cast their votes for someone who seemed to care for wild
life more than their precious trophies.”
“Still...” I whispered. “I have to try.”
He cocked his head. “Again, why me?”
“Because you are the only man I have ever met that doesn’t flinch when he touches me. Despite this open hostility between us, I would rather spend my time with someone who can be in the same room without turning blue or shivering so much they chip a tooth. Even if you are a supreme ass.”
Color clouded his features. “I want to rule.”
“You want to conquer.”
He inhaled, making his nostrils flare. “A beast by nature conquers.” He stared at me and blinked as if the conversation had just settled in his mind. “You would be my... wife?”
“That is what I am proposing. But I will not be relegated to the background. I will serve no man.”
“But you expect that of me?”
I licked my lips. I didn’t know what I expected.
The papers dropped from his hand, and he closed the distance, towering over me. His gaze sharpened. “I will not be ruled,” he growled.
“Then be my equal.” The words tumbled out unbidden.
“Prove that you are my equal.”
I reached out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him to me, then snaked my hand into his hair and yanked him to my lips. His eyes widened before they closed, and our mouths parted. Tongues intertwined in a slow dance that left me breathless. His hands threaded through my hair, holding me in place as the kiss deepened.
Hostility.
He had used that word more than once, but it was more a fiery, sexual tension between us. One that when he pulled me against his body made me shiver in his grasp. His warmth surrounded me, nearly suffocating both of us.
He was the first to break the kiss. That cocky smile surfaced.
I pushed away from him. The balcony beckoned, and I ignored his salacious grin, crossing and stepping out into the chill of the evening. Kyle’s hands descended on my shoulders moments later.
“Do you honestly believe the senate will deem me fit to be a suitable candidate for king?”
I snorted a laugh. “Senator Brax already sees you as a threat.”
Kyle stepped into my view with his head cocked.
“The papers. The attempt on your life. Somehow your interaction with me got back to the senator, and he acted in his own best interest.”
The slow smile that spread on his lips thrilled me. “The good senator could be attacked by a vicious bear.”
“And then I would be executed.”
Kyle shrugged. “Then I wouldn’t have to share the throne with anyone.”
“You really are an opportunistic bastard.”
“I never pretended to be otherwise.” He reached out and pulled me against him. “Besides, you have not yet accepted your fate.” His gaze drifted inside to the bed and then back to me. “You have not proven yourself to me.”
“And you think me fucking you will do that?”
“Such a dirty mouth,” he whispered and traced my lips with his fingers. “But fucking me isn’t the point. Now, fucking the bear and surviving...” He cocked an eyebrow.
“I will do no such thing.” I went to step away.
His arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me against his hard body. His other hand drifted from my lips, down my throat to the V between my breasts. He traced the line of my gown, and my skin turned into a relief map of bumps. “I cannot imagine that Senator Brax will be quite as...” He stared into my eyes. “Exciting to bed than I would be.”
His touch nearly boiled my blood. Hostility flashed into desire, and each sweep of his fingers brought heat to the surface until steam rose from my skin. Damn him. I did want everything he was insinuating, and it burned as badly as his hands did.
He began to unbutton my dress, slowly. With each button freed, his gaze became hungrier, his hand more demanding. He moved me back into the bedroom, steering me with purpose. “If you are to be my queen, you must make this sacrifice,” he whispered.
I grabbed his wrist, stopping him in place. Doubt peppered my mind. His intensity overwhelmed me, and his intent scared me more than the bear ever had. But I was the queen, and he needed to bow to my whims.
“If you are to be my king...”
His mouth crushed mine, and the tearing of fabric followed. I didn’t know who was more violent—me tearing his shirt in two or him slicing through my dress. But the moment ended with me pinned under him on the soft bedding.
His hands explored, as did his mouth. He drank me in like I never imagined a man could. Biting, nipping, licking his way down my body. Steam rose where his palms met my flesh, sizzling and drawing a wanton growl from both our lips.
When his mouth clamped down between my legs, I thought my world would explode. The expertise in his tongue pulled a howl of pleasure from me. He continued until I thought I would lose my mind. I arched into him, wanting more than just his tongue. More than just his playful fingers. I wanted him to take me, to own me, to make me his.
Instead of obeying my pleas, he pulled away, leaving me gasping and desperate. When he straddled me, his manhood stood at attention in full view.
He smiled. “Quid pro quo, My Queen.”
I blinked up at him and then looked at his hard shaft, the object I wanted inside me despite its ample length and girth. He took my hand and guided it along his length, purring as I stroked him in my loose grip.
“Get that mouth dirty,” he whispered in a commanding tone as he stared down at me. The challenge of his statement reflected in his eyes. “Only then will I give you what you were begging for.”
“Or I could freeze it and break it off and satisfy myself.” I smiled and squeezed a fraction tighter.
He burst into laughter, full and engaging like I hadn’t just threatened his manhood. His fingers found the sensitive nub between my legs. He slowly circled, bringing the fire back low in my belly. His playful smile remained.
“That wouldn’t be quite as fun,” he said as we continued to stroke each other.
I lifted onto my elbow with my brain in a fog. The manipulation by his fingers was as delicious as his tongue had been. His free hand threaded into my hair, and he guided me towards him. Nerves bit at the back of my mind. I had never done any of this. Before today, the most I ever indulged in was a kiss.
“It will come naturally,” he said.
I glanced up at his soft reassuring smile. “And if I bite?”
“Then you will need to deal with the bear.”
A thrilling fear filled me, and his smile faltered.
“Please don’t bite.” His thumb caressed my cheek. Need like I never thought possible flashed across his eyes. He closed them, drowning in the intensity of the moment.
I opened my mouth and slid it over his hard tip. The rumble that filled his chest satiated the curiosity of what would happen if I chose to bite. This was so much more satisfying. I watched the dominance in him melt as if he were made of one of my sister’s cookies.
I went as far down his shaft as my mouth would allow, but when I started to slide back, his grip on my hair tightened and his hips pushed his length farther into my throat. His fingers increased their manipulation of my bud, and I moaned around him.
He groaned and slid deeper, tilting my head farther back. His veins pulsed against my tongue, and the ecstasy etched into his face thrilled me. I had him under my control. I pushed forward, swallowing more of him despite the gag in the back of my throat. His hips met my mouth, and he groaned, tilting his head back.
Unable to contain the heat between my thighs, I cried out with the strength of my release, but it was muted by his length. He groaned, his grip tightened, and I could no longer draw a breath. I bucked, and he released the hold he had on me. I pulled away enough to draw air into my burning lungs, concentrating on sucking his tip until I caught my breath.
His eyes opened, filled with want as they took me in. He continued playing with me while I slid my mouth from his tip to stern and back,
relishing the glaze over his eyes and the rumble of contentment in his chest.
His breath quickened, and the glaze over his eyes sparked into a fiery frenzy, matching that of the faster thrust of his hips. Each one drilled deeper into my mouth while his fingers continued their frenzied pitch on my bud. Veins stood out on his temples, and his jaw clenched right before he plunged into the back of my throat with a groan that bowed his body. Salty seed filled my throat, bubbling into my mouth with the force. I swallowed, taking more of him in than I’d thought possible.
I arched with the strength of my release. A rush of hot liquid coated the inside of my thighs, and his fingers slowed, dipping inside the warm wetness as he pulled from my mouth.
“Elsa,” he whispered and pulled away, falling on his back next to me.
I swallowed again, gasping for breath and trying to get my bearings. I wiped my face. As out of breath as I was, I was not ready for this bliss to end. I rolled on top of him, straddling him with my hips to his, his member trapped beneath me.
He stared up at me, his eyebrows arching.
“We are not finished here.”
His lips twitched into a smile, and he clasped his hands behind his head. “At your service, My Queen,” he said in a sinuous tone that flushed my skin.
I twirled my hips slowly, circling and staring down into his bright blue eyes. Mischief and lust danced in his irises.
“Does this mean we are betrothed?” he asked.
“I have yet to make up my mind.” I twirled my hips, and he jumped back to life beneath me.
“Liar,” he whispered with a grin.
I smiled down at him. I adored this game he played. The dominant and submissive all in the same breath. It was as paramount as the fight between the man and the beast within. “You have yet to prove yourself.”
His eyebrow cocked, and he grabbed my waist, picking me up and slamming me down the length of him.
I gasped, my eyes widening at the sudden girth filling me. The sudden pain of my innocence shattering was immediately replaced by a tingle that started at the tip of my head and spread to my toes.
He stilled beneath me, his eyes as wide as mine, but not with lust. No, his gaze was painted with alarm. His fingernails dug into my flesh, creating webs of agony through me.
