by JL Madore
Creed frowns. “No. I wouldn’t expect so. I’m disappointed, though. My father considered some of these men friends.”
As he assesses who I’ve targeted and why, I pull up another array of photos. “The ones I marked with red tabs have actively worked to undermine you. I witnessed them plotting with Laryssa myself. The ones tagged in orange are people I know of from second-hand conversations with Laryssa or Vik.”
“And the ones tagged green?”
“Those are people Laryssa placed on her watch list because they were too loyal to the Thornebanes for their own good.”
“It’s nice to know someone was loyal to my family.”
“By my estimation, ninety-five percent of Dornte citizens support a Thornebane reign. And if the other five percent don’t want to get on board, they can leave. There are other quadrants they can live in.”
“Rames would be good. Let them take on the Golden Army and then see how rebellious they feel.”
“Exactly.”
When he turns from the table, he steps close and brushes my hair back to see my face. “Thank you for being here for me—for choosing me even when it cost you so much.”
“Talk about being disappointed in a lack of loyalty. I never expected to be thrown away by my mother and my twin. I don’t even know what to do with that.”
He advances, easing me back so my ass bumps the table behind me and he pins me in place. Leaning in, he brushes his mouth over mine and nips my bottom lip. “Do with it whatever you need to. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. We love you. I love you.”
I know he does, but it’s nice to hear—especially with the scent of his affection filling my senses. I swallow, wanting more of his mouth. “Kiss me again.”
He does. Pelvis-to-pelvis, chest-to-chest, mouth-to-mouth we spend the next few minutes kissing one another in passionate sweeps of tongues and lips.
When he pulls back, he’s as breathless as I am.
He glances at my lips and the hunger in those ebony eyes is the sexiest thing ever. “I understand that our coming together was a whirlwind of hostility and bitterness. We never got soft and sexy with one another, but I want you to hear me say it and know I mean it. I love you.”
I nod. “Thank you for including me in your marriage. Thank you for not leaving me behind.”
He frowns. “Leave you behind? You stood by me when my life was only pain and betrayal. You are the one person who gave a shit about me for two long, lonely years. Keyla may have seen it first, but I would’ve gotten there. You have to be with us because you own a piece of my heart. I’m not whole without you.”
I’m at a loss for words, but thankfully, a notification pings on Creed’s datapad. He eases back and smiles as he reads the screen. “Wonderful.”
I grin. “What’s wonderful?”
“I have a surprise for us.” He taps for the keyboard screen and starts swiping through the letters to send a message. When he hits send, there is another ping almost immediately afterward. “I have something to check on first and I’ve asked Keyla and Doc to meet us at the eternal tree in thirty minutes. Does that work for you?”
I close my files and shut down the war table. “It might be tight, but I won’t be much longer. I have something I want to take care of as well. I’ll meet you there.”
Keyla
Doc and I walk together through the public areas of the castle and I smile at the onlookers. Many of the faces are becoming familiar to me and I’m pleased to smell their growing affection. They’re getting used to seeing the four of us together and once they realized that Creed and I are the ruling couple, they seem to have stopped caring about four people in our marriage altogether.
As horrible as it is to think, Laryssa being a vile bitch has made people very welcoming to Creed and me.
“So, any hints as to what Creed’s surprise is about?” Doc asks.
“Not that he mentioned, no. He asked us to meet him at the entrance to the royal residence wing near the statue of the bronze tree in twenty minutes.”
I gesture to the tree ahead and smile at Creed arriving from a different direction. Then I see Creed’s attention shift to another corridor converging from a third direction and I squeal like a teenager—“Oh, my goodness. Look at you.”
I rush to close the distance and raise my hands to Rhylan’s face. The long, sweep of hair that has hidden his face and eyes from the world is gone and his beautiful turquoise eyes are shining out at us like two gorgeous tropical pools. “Sweet Powers, you’re so beautiful.”
Creed chuckles behind me and lifts his hand to stroke over the short, shaved sides of his head. The top is still fairly shaggy and long, but now it’s chic instead of a mop. “Men prefer words like handsome or hot.”
“Hot definitely works,” Doc says, stepping in to join the admiration. “Fuck, Dragon, you’re rockin’ my cock like crazy. This look suits you.”
The side of Rhy’s mouth quirks up in a shy grin. “Thanks. I figured—new man, new life, new look.”
“I vote we use one of these alcoves and show you how much we like the new look,” I say, eyeing the closest hidden nook.
Creed chuckles. “I like where you’re going with that, Little Wolf, but let’s finish with my surprise first. It might segue into your idea.”
I grin. “Alrighty, I’m even more curious now. What is this wonderous surprise you’re planning?”
Doc nods. “Does it have to do with your coronation ceremony tomorrow? Your sister? Something Lukas learned from going through the Blood Witch’s condo?”
Creed smiles. “All good guesses, Bear, but no.”
I giggle. “Then his guesses weren’t that good.”
Doc laughs. “Good point.”
“Follow me and all will be revealed.”
Creed leads us through the upper levels of the castle to a large set of double doors on the main floor. The wide archway curls between two massive stone columns that hold two heavy, iron-studded doors.
I glanced up at the spiked metal portcullis suspended in their brackets above our heads and wince. The tips are sharpened to pierce and impale those passing beneath. “This entrance is very imposing. Where are we going?”
Creed glances up at the threatening metal grates. “This is the public division between the King’s quarters in the north wing and all the rooms related to realm business. These gates separate the two and, as well as being dropped at night, can also be dropped and locked from either side if anything dangerous happens in the course of our duties.”
Our duties. I love the sound of that. Growing up the daughter of the Fae Prime, it was apparent that despite my natural disposition to realm politics and aptitude for ruling, I’d never be more than the sister of the Prime.
Kotah had every intention of integrating me into his reign, but it would never have been mine to claim.
Dornte is mine.
Creed and I will rule this quadrant together and I couldn’t be happier. There’s nothing I need… except maybe one thing.
I glance at my empty fingers and frown. “Is there a Queen’s ring in this realm? Not that I need one, but I grew up admiring my mother’s ring and always dreamed of wearing one.”
Creed nods. “When the invasion began, my father had all the priceless symbols of our family gathered and sealed away. Laryssa never found them and I requested them retrieved a couple of days ago. You are welcome to look through what’s there and are free to claim whatever you wish.”
“After I speak to Honor, of course,” I say. “She should have the first pick when it comes to your mother’s jewelry.”
Creed’s silver brows arch. “As the Queen of Dornte, you are the true and rightful owner of everything in the Queen’s collection. There are other items that are considered family treasures which Honor will claim as the Thornebane daughter and Guardian of the Crown, but honestly, my sister is more warrior than a princess. Don’t hold back on her account.”
I hear what he’s saying but still think Ho
nor should have first dibs.
We breach the threshold that marks the division between the public castle and what Creed described as the king’s wing.
The heels of my new thigh-high leather boots beat out a solid, surefooted rhythm as we move across the glass sheen of the granite floor. The boys haven’t seen them yet, but Dillan and Creed fantasized once and I am looking forward to surprising them.
The corridors become quieter, the further we go into the space and I slip my hand into the crook of the elbows of my dark prince and my beloved bear. If I had another side and another arm, I’d add Rhylan in too, but he seems content at Creed’s side.
I draw a deep breath into my lungs and smile. Doc smells like sunshine and evergreens, Creed like freshly laundered dress clothes and leather, and Rhylan like night skies and autumn breezes.
I breathe their scents deep into my lungs and smile at how things have changed.
We all have the same underlying scent, but overtaking that is the blended influences of our mating. The four of us have spent enough time naked over the past days to make it very clear to anyone we come in contact with that we are very much claimed.
Which is rather wonderful.
I’ve never been a jealous or possessive female but eliminating any chance of confusion as to the fact that these men belong to me keeps everyone happy… and all limbs attached.
Creed kisses the side of my head and squeezes me to his side. “Why is your wolf growling?”
I blink and shake myself inwardly. “Sorry, I was just reveling in the claims we’ve made and thinking about what I’d be capable of if some ambitious beauty thought to step in on one of you.”
Dillan chuckles. “By the sound of your wolf’s warning, you were envisioning gnawing off limbs and ripping out throats.”
I grin wide and bite my teeth together. “You’re exactly right, Bear. It’s good you know what’s in store.”
“I like a girl with bite,” Rhylan says winking at me. “Let me know if you ever have an insatiable urge to nip on something.”
“Rhy, I have an insatiable urge to nip on something,” I say without missing a beat.
Creed chuckles. “I can’t take you three anywhere.”
“You could take us back to our suite,” Doc suggests. “Problem solved.”
“Patience, mates. You can get naked where we’re going, but not until I’ve shown you my surprise.”
I chuckle. “Well then, why didn’t you say so. Lead the way King Thornebane.”
Creed
King Thornebane… she’s hilarious. Keyla and I have spent the past two days together, sorting through the castle staff, reading and discussing comments, and getting her accustomed to Dornte traditions. The work has been relatively boring and tedious.
They’ve been the best days of my life.
When we get to where we’re going, I stop and nod to the goblin male standing sentry. “Majesty, I wasn’t certain if you’d need help keying in the security scans for your mates.” He glances at Rhylan and drops his gaze. “Apologies… I didn’t realize… of course, you’re in capable hands.”
I sense his anxiety, but it’s much more about not wanting to make a misstep than it is about Rhylan himself. “I will announce it at my coronation tomorrow, but to be clear, Keyla Northwood and I are the royal couple and Dillan Baskins and Rhylan Silverwing are our beloved mates. We four are one in all things.”
The male nods. “Of course, Majesty. I simply wasn’t thinking.”
I pat his shoulder. “This is an exciting time. Let us embrace new ideas.”
“Yes, Majesty,” he says, stepping away from the door. “Do you need anything more from me?”
“No. You are free to resume your duties.”
“Thank you for thinking of us,” Keyla says, reaching forward to squeeze his arm. “Blessed be.”
When the corridor is empty except for the four of us, I gesture to the security screen and step aside to let Rhylan in. He taps a few things into the pad and then presses my hand against the screen. After my palm is scanned, he repeats the process with Keyla, Dillan, and then himself.
“What is the password to lock out changes to these permissions?”
I look at Keyla and smile. “Quadruple. Since Keyla made it up, it’s the perfect password”
Keyla laughs. “I did not make that up.”
“Of course you did.”
“It’s a real word. Tell him, Bear.”
Dillan looks at me and grins. “She’s not wrong. It’s a normal word, she just changed the pronunciation to fit our situation. It’s pronounced quadroople. When she talks about us as a four-person couple, she says it her own way.”
“Well, it’s still my pick for a password.”
“Add your security digits too,” Keyla suggests. “That would add a level of difficulty.”
Rhylan nods and types it in.
“And now that we’re finished with that, can we see our surprise?” Keyla asks.
Rhylan draws a deep breath and chuckles. “Our Little Wolf is giving off distinct mating vibes.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “I promised a happy ending but I also said you need to be patient.”
Rhylan’s brow arches and it’s wonderful to see his face unhindered. “Patience seems to be in short supply. Let’s not keep the lady waiting.”
Pressing my hand over the scanner, the ID screening beeps and allows me access. “Welcome to the King’s Tower,” I say, stepping inside and gesturing for them to follow. The massive rotunda inside the main entrance is decorated in charcoal gray and silver with pale blue, velvet drapes, and a silver-gilt dome high above. “These will be our living quarters from now on.”
Doc
“Holy shitters. This place is unbelievable.” I step away from Keyla and Creed to have a peek into the main rooms. “Wow. Look at this bar.” I stride across the polished stone floor and around the two oversized couches by the fireplace. The bar on the far wall is fifteen feet long and stocked with glass shelves backlit to practically glow. “Jaxx will lose his mind.”
“He will,” Keyla says, turning to take it all in. “Oh, and look at that view.”
“Dornte at night has always taken my breath away,” Creed says.
“That’s because it’s beautiful.”
He smiles, taking her hand. “Come. There’s more I want you to see.”
He gives us the tour of two receiving rooms, a games room, and the exercise room and then points at a closed door. “Doc, I think you’ll like this room.”
I arch a brow and Keyla grins and moves aside so that I can take the lead. Opening things up, I swing the two massive doors out of our way and my jaw drops.
With fifteen-foot ceilings and shelves lining every wall my brain shorts out. “Unbelievable. How many books are in here?”
Creed shrugs. “I have no idea but if you want, you can count them. I know how much you love to read, I thought you might enjoy losing yourself in here. There is fiction and non-fiction and historical accounts and pretty much anything you might be interested in.”
“I can hardly wait to dive in.”
“Me too,” Keyla says. “There’s so much about StoneHaven and Dornte and the Wars of Power I want to learn about.”
“And Kotah,” I say, brushing my fingers down some of the spines. “He’s our Rhodes Scholar.”
Keyla chuckles. “He may never return to rule his realm.”
“And this is only the beginning.” Creed points back out toward the hall and we follow him up an open staircase to a second story. If I’m not mistaken, he’s having as much fun showing us our new quarters as we’re having exploring them.
The study has two large desks with computers and leather chairs—one considerably smaller than the other and built for the frame of a woman. “Is this our office?”
Creed nods. “My parents ruled together and we shall do the same. You are my partner in all things. I’m thankful the universe chose you because I never would’ve gotten it so right.”<
br />
“You say the sweetest things.” Keyla pushes him against the desk for a long, slow kiss. When she palms the front of his slacks and he arches his hips into her hold the study is suddenly filled with a wave of sexual promise.
“Are we christening this room or continuing the tour?” I untuck my shirt to give myself a little extra space in my pants.
“Christening what?” Creed asks. “What does that mean, Bear?”
I arch a brow. “It’s customary in our realm that when you get a new home, a young couple or newly married couple has sex in each of the rooms to make the space their own. You know… for good luck. To bless you in the life to come.”
Rhylan chokes out a laugh. “There are a lot of rooms in the King’s Tower. We are going to be very busy for a very long time.”
Creed nods. “Is there a deadline on how much time we have to get this christening complete?”
Keyla laughs. “No, silly. It’s just for fun.”
“Oh, it’s going to be fun,” Rhylan says. “Challenge accepted. I’ll make a checklist of the rooms as soon as we’re finished and keep track.”
The dragon’s outlook on this whole tour has suddenly taken a detour. “Is it different positions in every room? What exactly are our parameters?”
Creed laughs. “We’ll come back to that. Carrying on. There’s more to see.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Rhylan
Creed forces us to give up the conversation on christening the king’s quarters but honestly, it’s the most interesting part of this tour. That could also be because I’ve seen most of these rooms at one time or another.
Laryssa was paranoid when it came to security sweeps in her private quarters. Vik and I spent a great deal of our time scanning for listening devices and cameras in the two years we were in her service.
Ironic: Even knowing that, it was her planting listening devices that exposed me as a sympathizer.
