by Ravyn Fyre
“What makes you think you are the only one affected? I’m dreading my daily obligations because they take me away from you. You became the center of my universe the moment I caught wind of your presence, making me question my position as the leader of my people because, for the first time, when I think of the future, I only see you. I’m not scared for you or me. I’m scared for anyone or anything that gets between us, seeing as I will stop at nothing to keep you.”
The truth of his words did wonders to soothe the possessive bitch dominating my thoughts but did nothing to assuage the fears threatening to consume me. If anything, his confession confirmed the complexity of our union and made me realize our feelings would only grow over time. My bottom lip quivered as I voiced my concerns. “The thought of you touching someone else moments ago pushed me close to an anxiety attack. How are we supposed to breathe, let alone function as individuals with the feeling that I will die if I lose you? It’s too much. What if humans can’t handle that kind of connection?”
Kalen puffed out his chest during my confession and looked on the verge of laughing until he saw my reaction and quickly covered his smile with his hand, “Oh my sweet. It only feels overwhelming because it is so new, but your jealousy is music to my ears. Let me try and put some of your worries to rest. I can’t say I’ll never touch another being. We’re immortal, and forever is a long time. But I can promise the only touching I do will inflict pain on the other party. After all, I am a warrior.”
“What about your need for blood? Will my blood be enough to sustain you? I don’t want anyone else to experience your bite. I’m trying to ignore the fact that there was anybody before me.”
“My need for blood? I forgot about the ridiculous stories rampant on your planet concerning my species.” Pulling me to my feet, he leaned down and brushed his lips across mine, once, twice - before he stopped to nibble. The act elicited a groan from me, giving him access to deepen the kiss. My mouth flooded with his essence a moment later. I sought out the source and sucked on his tongue without inhibition. Just a few drops were all I needed to feel complete, which proved he wasn’t the only one suffering from the ailment.
He yanked his tongue free with a groan, and with a knowing smile, he continued, “I crave our blood bond because it solidifies our union, gives us access to each other's emotions, and grants you immortality. I do not require blood to live, nor do I consume it as food. Blood holds power and is shared in my world but not as you would expect. You are the first person I’ve drunk from, and the first to drink straight from my vein. There was no one before you; there will be no one after you. Drinking straight from the source is saved for your mate because it offers the drinker access to thoughts and memories. We use my blood to grant our warriors immortality, but they drink it from a golden chalice, never from the vein. It helps maintain a loyal army if you can tell when a person is lying or if they harbor ill will toward you or yours.”
I felt like an idiot for assuming any of the myths I’d heard held any truth but considering the amount of weird and supernatural stuff happening around me, who could blame a girl for overreacting? It would appear I had a lot to learn about my new world if I intended to keep my dignity and save my sanity.
I smiled with a shrug and felt the beginnings of a full-body blush when he tapped my lips playfully and said, “While I love the direction of your thoughts, any action we take will have to wait until tonight. I am late for a meeting with my special forces team to discuss what they uncovered about the murder last night before the trials, which are scheduled for this afternoon.”
He chuckled at my groan and then groaned himself when I sucked his finger into my mouth and nipped it lightly. I smiled with victory only to mewl with disappointment when he flashed to the opposite side of the room. “Damn it, woman, you’re making it extremely hard for me to concentrate. Get dressed. I’ll be back to collect you after my meeting.”
“Unless there is something in my closet that doesn’t require assistance, you might find me naked when you come back.”
“What on Earth are you talking about?”
“You sent my maid away last night. I’ll be flying solo until you return her.”
“Until I know how the pixie died, no one will be allowed near you. Pick something out, and I’ll be in to help you after I get dressed.”
“Do you have a favorite color?”
“My new favorite color would be every shade of green your eyes emit in the sun,” Kalen replied with a wink before flashing out of the room.
Chapter Nine
I stood in the middle of the large walk-in closet without a clue what to wear. I had no idea what was proper or what my duties would entail on a day-to-day basis. If Selene were here, she’d know exactly what I’d be facing, which made me appreciate her position even more. I made a mental note to find a way to speak to her today and make sure she was alright. Hopefully, they’ll find the culprit soon because I’ll earn the nickname “frumpy queen” or some shit if I dress myself.
Looking around at what was supposedly mine, I laughed. I still couldn’t believe any of this was happening and laughed harder when I realized I didn’t have time to ponder it either. I needed to find something to wear. Something along the line of business casual sounded good. Skimming my hands over the soft fabric, I noticed the only things on the racks was fancy evening gowns and flirty dresses.
I moved towards the built-in dressers, looking for something more practical, and moaned when I saw my reflection in the mirrors. The water in the shower had done nothing for my appearance. In fact, I looked worse. My makeup was all over my face. The water plastered my matted hair to my head. So much for taking a shower. Next time I’d have to remember to wash up first before any kinky stuff, or better yet, after said kinky stuff.
I attempted to run my fingers through my hair only to make it a couple of inches before they got stuck. Shaking my head at the chaos looking back at me, I moved quickly to ensure I would have enough time to make myself presentable. I opened the first drawer roughly and gasped when it revealed nothing but earrings in every different gem and color under the rainbow. Closing it shut with greater care, I opened the rest of the drawers one by one and stood there with my mouth gaping open when each revealed another treasure trove of jewelry separated by type. I had a drawer of bracelets, one for rings, another for necklaces, and even one for tiaras.
My hand hovered over an emerald necklace with want. I was afraid to touch anything, but the desire to wear it was overwhelming. I had never seen anything so intricate and beautiful before. It was the color of my eyes, and oh so tempting to put on. “Damn, aren’t you pretty!”
“I see you’ve found the small tokens I’ve been collecting for you since I was a young man,” Kalen replied from behind me.
“Holy crap! You need a bell or something. You scared the shit out of me!” I screamed, snapping my hand back like he’d caught me stealing. I flipped around to face him, closing the drawer with my body as I flattened myself against the dresser in a slightly protective stance. I relaxed somewhat when the devastatingly handsome man smiled at me encouragingly. He was drool-worthy, but his ability to pop in and out would take some getting used to.
“I don’t smell anything?” Kalen replied with confusion. When he started looking behind me for a mess, I was seconds away from dying of embarrassment until he buckled and started chuckling at my expense. Probably from the look of horror on my face.
“Ooh! You!” I replied by throwing my hands in the air when he gave me a wink. Fingering the dresser behind me, I asked, “Why aren’t these under lock and key? Having them out in the open like this is practically an open invitation, asking for trouble.”
Kalen approached me with a look of confidence. He caged me in with his arms before he replied. “Our quarters, in our personal wing, is hardly out in the open. I feel anyone walking in here without an invitation is asking for trouble. In fact, I dare someone to try and take the horde I’ve been building for my mate. Why aren’t you d
ressed yet?” Kalen asked, eyeing me up and down before fingering a wet lock of hair and tucking it behind my ear.
“I didn’t know what to wear. What am I doing today? Will my day consist of sitting in my room? Did you really say you’ve been collecting these trinkets for me? For years?” I finished in a whisper when I got the final question out.
“Thousands of years. Yes.”
“How did you know what I’d like?”
“Do you like them?”
“Very much. They are beautiful.”
“I’m glad. I didn’t know what kind of jewelry you’d like when I acquired them, but they called my name. I hope you like them.”
“What am I doing today?”
“I thought you could accompany me to my meeting, seeing as I don’t want to leave you alone quite yet. How does that sound to you?”
“I would love to go with you, but what does one wear to a meeting like that? Are we doing anything afterward?”
“We usually wear our uniforms, but you can wear whatever you want. I recommend anything light that breathes. It’s usually warm here. As for afterward, we must attend the opening ceremony of the trials.” Perusing my closet contents, he grabbed a sheer green sundress and held it out for my review. “What about this one?”
“That would be perfect if we were on a romantic picnic, but not what I want to prance around in or go to important meetings in. I don’t want people to look at me as just your arm candy. I have a brain and can be quite powerful when I’m in a room full of Sixers.”
“You are my mate. Not my arm candy and, trust me, I am well aware of your powers. Impressive, but the thought of you being in a position where you might have to use them is causing me to see red. Tell me, Jade, if the room you are in is void of a Sixer, what will your gift do for you?”
I pulled up short at his comment, having never thought about it. “Good question. Well, shit. I don’t really have a good answer. I’ve never been in a situation where my life was on the line, so it wasn’t anything I worried about.”
“Not the case anymore. Do you have any experience with hand-to-hand combat?” Kalen quipped while proceeding to pace in front of me.
“Not really. I took a small self-defense class when I got out of high school at my local community center. It mostly revolved around stabbing people in their private parts with anything I was carrying, but I did fairly well. Besides, my gift has a long radius; someone is usually nearby.” I reasoned.
“We’ll have to remedy that. I might not want you to be in danger, but I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if you were forced to defend yourself without your gift and had no way of accomplishing it.”
“Could you stop pacing? You’re making me nervous. I thought you said we were late.”
Kalen stopped in his tracks and shook his head. “This bond is going to take some getting used to.”
“I literally just told myself that same thing, but I was referring to your flashing ability!”
“We are late. I’m surprised we haven’t been interrupted yet. Pick something out. You make it hard to concentrate without any clothes on.”
“Can I get something like what you’re wearing? All of your warriors have them.”
“I wouldn’t be able to concentrate with your curves on display.”
“My curves and skin will be on display if I wear a dress. How is that not more debilitating to you? At least my bits would be covered with a uniform like that.”
Kalen eyed me up and down and said, “You’re right. It doesn’t matter what you wear. I’ll have some ordered for you, but until then, how about a compromise, and you wear this.” Offering me the dress again.
“Fine.”
When Kalen smiled with relief, I smiled mischievously in return. The look of confusion was worth it when I swiped the see-through garment from his hands and said, “Seeing as you rendered my undergarments to pieces, I guess the palace will get to see me in all my glory as we prance on by. I don’t see any replacements in here.”
“I beg to differ,” Kalen replied with a growl. Walking towards the entrance, he pushed a button and held his arms out wide as a second set of drawers, hanging rods, and shelves emerged from behind the first set of racks forcing the pretty dresses to the back.
I spun in a circle with my mouth agape as rows of clothes of all sorts appeared before my eyes. Gathering my wits, I mouthed out a response that had no sound. Shaking my head, I cleared my throat a couple of times. “You could have just shown these to me in the first place.”
Crossing the small distance between us, he cupped my cheek. “True, but I’m selfish and like the easy access a dress provides. Plus, I’m fairly sure you could have gotten dressed by yourself. I thought it was your way of wanting to spend more alone time with me, which I was happy to oblige. I was simply prolonging the rendezvous.” He leaned down, kissed me softly until I couldn’t resist, and melted into him, deepening the kiss. Pulling back on a growl, he looked down at me with desire and shook his head. “I need to check in with Tanen and Jaelel while you finish up. You’ll find an assortment of lingerie in the drawers to your right. You have five minutes.”
I laughed and pointed to my head, “Sometimes I think you are blind. I won’t be able to fix what’s going on up here in five minutes. You can’t rush beauty.”
He gave my hair a quick once over before he shrugged and asked, “Ten be enough?”
Pushing away from him, I waved him on with a grunt and turned around, grumbling to myself as I moved toward the dressers, “He better not expect a masterpiece.”
“You are more beautiful than I imagined. Whatever you come up with will be perfect.”
I looked over my shoulder to thank him, but he was already gone. Smiling at his compliment, I dropped the dress and pulled out the first set of undergarments I found, slipping them on with a sigh. A girl could get used to this kind of luxury. I contemplated the sundress, but knowing I’d feel more comfortable in something less revealing, I rummaged through the more casual outfits for something sophisticated yet sexy as a compromise. I ended up choosing a daring green silk blouse with a low neckline, paired with skin-tight black leather pants and a pair of emerald suede knee-high fuck me boots to round out the ensemble.
Rushing to the bathroom, I proceeded to wash my skin with care. The last thing I needed was a red face. Thankful for a clear complexion, I decided to go au natural, pinching my cheeks for a little color before I tackled the mess on my head. Figuring I had a little less than five minutes, I pulled it up in a bun, leaving out a few tendrils to frame my face. The end result wasn’t anything spectacular, but I was proud of what I had accomplished in record time.
Surprised I was done before Kalen came to get me, I studied my reflection to see if I could do anything else with the time I had left to improve my appearance. When it hit me, I needed some bling. Heading back into the closet, I pushed the button to bring back the other half of my closet and waited patiently for the movement to stop before I grabbed my treasure. I was moments away from putting on the beautiful emerald necklace when Selene screamed at me from behind to stop what I was doing.
Chapter Ten
Startled, I dropped the necklace on accident and panicked as I watched it shatter to pieces on the marble floor. “No!” I yelled out, turning in Selene’s direction to scold her for scaring me. The look of terror on her face confused me until she pointed at my feet and cried, “Move!”
From my peripheral vision, a plume of black tendrils spiraled up from the necklace. Surprised, I stumbled backward to escape its expanding radius and nearly fell over. Kalen caught me in his arms. Shoving me behind him, he pushed his arms out and closed his fists. The action caused the vapors and the necklace’s remnants to contract on themselves until they imploded into dust.
Kalen spun around, frantic with worry, methodically inspecting me for injury, utterly oblivious to my astonishment. “Are you hurt? Did you breathe in anything? My men are on the way.”
“Holy shit, you can cont
rol gravity! I thought your gift was telekinesis. Boy, I was wrong. I completely underestimated you!”
“Who the fuck cares about my power, Jade? Are you hurt?” Kalen bit out angrily as Rom, Kiso and Tanen crowded into the room. Making my large closet feel much smaller.
“I don’t think so. I feel fine, Kalen. What the hell was that? I’m cringing over here thinking about what might have happened if Selene hadn’t arrived in time to stop me from putting it on.” Turning to face my maid, I was shocked to find her splayed against the wall grabbing her throat as she struggled to breathe. Kalen’s guards brandished their swords and spread out in a circle around her.
“Selene! Wait! Don’t hurt her!” I lurched forward to assist, only to be pulled back by my brute of a mate before I made it one step. I looked up at him in question and back-peddled away when I could practically see the rage rolling off of him in waves. He made that effort difficult when he tightened his grip around my waist. I knew Kalen was angry with Selene, but we needed to get answers, not revenge.
Stroking his arm with feather touches, I tried to reason with him before he killed her. “Kalen. Please let her breathe. If you kill her, we won’t be able to find out what she knows.” When Selene started turning blue, I tried a different approach. “Selene saved my life, Kalen. If she wanted to hurt me, then she wouldn’t have stopped me from placing that necklace of death around my neck. I think we’ll want to hear what she has to say. Please.”
My final plea appeared to reach him when he looked down at me with a torn expression. His grasp around me loosened slightly, allowing me to turn around and face him. The gasp behind me was euphonic. Taking a deep breath in relief, I cupped his cheek and held his gaze before I kissed him lightly and whispered my gratitude. “Thank you. Can you let me go so I can check on her?”
