by Shania Tyler
But she couldn’t.
“You’re going to think about it all night, aren’t you?” he asked.
She stroked his arm and said, “Go to sleep.” She could always sleep in the carriage tomorrow. It was no big deal.
He sighed and sat up.
The light came back, blinding Piper for a moment.
He leaned down until he was over her and drew his brows together. “The Evaness killed my sister, Cecina.”
Piper set up as well and touched his cheek. She remembered hearing about his sister’s death and felt terrible for bringing it to his memory now. “I’m sorry. We don’t have to discuss this. Let’s go to sleep.”
Theo went on as though he’d not heard her. “She was Mason’s first wife.”
Piper’s eyes widened. She’d known Mason had been married before. She hadn’t known the woman had been Theo’s sister. She remained silent as he spoke.
“Cecina, from a young age, had thought slavery wrong. I hadn’t cared either way, but it became obvious as she grew older that she did not like the thought of slaves. Our family stopped beating them to appease her, to calm her, and make sure she didn’t make a fuss to the wrong people. She’d been five then, but to speak against the government could mean death, so my parents worked to keep her quiet.”
Piper could picture the strong young woman he was talking about.
Theo gave a small smile. “But the banning of corporal punishment still wasn’t enough for Cecina. She complained and by the age of eight, my parents had begun to give the slaves a day off. At first it was once a month, but it quickly turned into once a week. Our profits grew by a quarter that year and for a moment, I think my family thought there would be peace. I’d decided then that I would continue the day off tradition once I came into my majority.” Something flickered in his eyes.
“Then what happened?” Piper asked.
“People grew upset with my parents’ new laws. Other Colesters didn’t like that our slaves were being treated so well. They wanted us to return to beating the slaves and remove the day of rest we’d given them. My parents refused.” Theo frowned. “They were killed.”
“By who?”
“I never found out,” he said, returning his gaze to her. “But my Aunt Berna and my cousin Ben moved into my family home after that, and Berna took my father’s position as the head of the bloodline for the Evaness.”
“Did you and Ben ever get along?”
“Never,” Theo quickly said. “Aunt Berna spent most of her time with my sister and I in our grief, working to make us feel better. Ben resented us for that even well after we were no longer in grief and didn’t take up his mother’s time. He was never one to share.”
“Well, then, I’m glad you didn’t have to kill someone you were fond of.”
Theo nodded. “I tried to get along with Ben, but just when I thought we could, he would do something so dark like stealing something and blaming a slave so they could be punished or killed, or trying to cause either Cecina or me pain. I would not be surprised to learn that Ben had solidified his connection with Monrel early in life.”
From what Theo was telling her, Piper wouldn’t have been surprised either. “How did you meet Mason?”
Theo smiled. “I always knew Mason. We were both from wealthy families and would play whenever the Evaness held meetings that required our parents, I could always tell he was attracted to Cecina. They married young, around twenty years of age.”
Piper smiled. “Was Mason an abolitionist, too?”
Theo shook his head. “No. Mason was like me. We didn’t care. We didn’t see elves as people. They were beneath us. They were little more than animals.”
Piper tried to imagine what Theo would have thought of her if they’d met so many years ago. If she’d been little more than a slave, would it have mattered that fate had tied them together?
He touched her cheek, and his hand traveled down her throat before settling over her breast.
Piper’s breath caught.
He leaned forward and kissed her neck while his finger play began to make her nipple rise. His breath was warm against her flesh. “You would have always mattered.”
Piper bit back a moan. She didn’t know how close anyone else’s tent was and didn’t want to wake anyone else. But Theo’s kisses and caresses were messing with her mind. Heat flowed between her legs, and she tried to think of something that would slow them down. “So, would you have just taken me as a sex slave while you took a vampire wife?”
He lifted his head. His hand stilled, and he looked into her eyes. “There can never be another woman when I am with you. I would have done anything you asked me to. I would have gone to war in your name, Piper. You matter more to me than everything.”
God, she loved him.
He kissed her. His hand began to journey down her stomach and stopped to touch her navel.
Piper hooked a leg over him and saddled him. He’d been riding all day. It was her turn.
He was ready for her. She lifted her hips and slowly inched down his hard length.
They both let out a breath as they surrendered to the desire that engulfed them. She rose and rocked over him, leaning forward, and rubbing her sensitive peak against him while taking him deeper.
He groaned and his hands slipped from her hips and ran up and down her thighs encouragingly. “Piper,” he groaned.
She caught his mouth and kissed him as she continued to drill herself against him. Their moans and the sound of where they were joined filled the tent. Piper rose when she felt herself getting close and Theo’s hands gripped her hips once more, right before he quickened the pace. He rose, pumping furiously into her, and Piper bit her lip as her body quaked on release. The taste of metal filled her mouth.
Theo let out a final groan and then grabbed the back of her head and brought her down. He sucked on her lower lip, tasting her blood, and she knew what he wanted.
“Bite me.”
There was another groan. Then he pulled her hair back, exposing her throat, and let him strike her vein. He held her neck over to him and then settled his other hand on her ass before thrusting inside her again. He was still hard and took her with a strength and speed that had Piper on the brink once more. She gasped and then shouted as pleasure rolled through her, slamming into her over and over again.
Theo released her throat and shouted as he came, emptying himself inside of her before he pulled her head down to his chest.
They sweaty bodies remained joined, and Piper was sure she’d never felt more content in her life.
When she finally found the strength to speak, she said, “I’m pretty sure our neighbors heard us.”
Theo laughed. “We have no neighbors. The couples have all struck their tents away from the servants and soldiers. It’s unlikely that anyone heard us.”
Piper felt her embarrassment leave her right before she settled into Theo. And this time, she found no trouble falling asleep.
* * *
19
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
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The rest of the week continued much like their first night away from home. They traveled for many hours and then settled down for the night. The eternal night felt different away from the many clocks that hung in Theo’s house. Her house, she realized. She’d never had one of those before. In such a short amount of time, he’d given her so much, everything she’d ever wanted. A home. Love. Someone who truly cared. And they were almost inseparable.
The eighth day of the journey, Piper had gotten tired of sitting in the carriage and had rode with Theo for a while, sitting in front of him on his horse. Theo kept a short distance from the other men so they could talk in private.
“There was one lady I really liked,” Piper said as she told him about life in the foster system. She played with the gold chain around her neck.
The arm of Theo’s t
hat wasn’t holding the reins tightened around her waist. “Who was it?”
“The nurse who found me. Mrs. Neal. She came to visit me a few times while growing up and she sometimes brought me something, a stuffed animal, candy, or whatever. She was sweet and really nice, but she stopped coming when I was seven or so.”
“Why didn’t she adopt you?” Theo asked. “Why visit, but never take you?”
“I don’t know,” Piper said. “My social worker believed it was the reason she never adopted me. Maybe her husband didn’t want me in their life.” It was the first time Piper had told the story to anyone besides Kelly, Meg, or Ethan and the first time she’d been able to talk about it without getting emotional. She no longer felt abandoned or lost. She knew her place was at Theo’s side.
Theo kissed the back of her neck and said, “I want you.”
She grinned and held onto the arm that held her. Then she turned around, met his eyes in the dark and didn’t know what to say, so she decided upon nothing and simply kissed him.
Theo hated putting Piper back in the carriage. He enjoyed holding her and feeling her body against his. He loved the smell of her skin and hair, and he’d purposefully moved away from the group so he could take advantage of it all. He’d touched her here and there, light caresses, and trailed his mouth down the column of her throat. He’d pushed his nose in her hair.
But when they reached the Middle Pass, he’d put her where she’d be the safest. The Middle Pass was little more than a large bridge made of land. It held no trees and had water on both sides, leaving the group more exposed than they’d be anywhere else. There was no place to take cover if they were attacked, which was why Theo had secure Piper away, and he hadn’t been the only one. Kelly, Meg, and Fedora had all rode with their significant others, but with them out of sight, the men spoke.
“We’re making good time,” Mason said. “I can only hope that the Mum don’t change their minds before we get there.”
Ethan leaned forward on his beast. “How much longer do we have?”
Noel said, “If we keep this pace, we could be there in fifteen days.” He didn’t sound happy with his own news. He would be returning home for the first time in almost a century.
“Nervous?” Theo asked.
Noel shrugged, but kept his eyes forward in the dark. “I am. I have taught you all many skills that are known to be secret. Especially Maurice.” He looked over at Maurice and said, “They could wish to challenge you.”
Maurice grinned, probably for the first time since the trip began. “And here I was thinking this trip would be dull.”
Noel narrowed his dark eyes. “This is not a game. You all act as though the Mum are a noble group of men, but they are not. We were thieves, assassins, and many times we made up the rules as we went, simply to kill off someone we didn’t like. We didn’t like outsiders, so I think it best if we all try to be a civil as possible when we approach them.”
“Why would we not be civil?” Lanzo asked.
“They might try to goad you into fighting,” Noel said. “Don’t.”
Theo asked, “And if we are challenged?”
Noel sighed and said, “I will fight if we are challenged. Most likely, they would want me to fight anyway.”
Mason stared at Noel with pensive green eyes and said, “You’re making this sound like you’re going to sacrifice yourself just so the Mum will join our numbers. If that’s the case, I won’t allow it.” Mason was the general of their forces. Whatever he said went.
Noel gave Mason a look that said he would do as he pleased.
An uneasy feeling settled over Theo. He had not taken his friend out into the wilds to sacrifice himself. “Noel, no army is worth your life. If this was your plan, we can turn around and head back to Morwen immediately.”
Noel looked at Theo. “Why keep me when you can have at least a dozen more men with my skills?”
“Because,” Maurice said. “We can’t have another you.”
Everyone turned to Maurice and gave him a look of astonishment. Maurice was the last person to every express emotions other than the glee of murder.
Maurice met everyone’s eyes with his startling blue ones and said, “What?” He looked at Theo. “It was what you were going to say anyway, right?”
Theo grinned. “Yeah, I was.”
Maurice sucked his teeth and turned to Noel. “Look, right now, numbers don’t matter as much as loyalty does. It’s like you said, the Mum are not a noble group of guys and we’ve already had to deal with traitors in our ranks. So, yeah, you’re kind of irreplaceable. So, try something stupid while we’re in Ucrary, and I’ll do something stupid as well.”
Noel grinned, but kept his head low with embarrassment.
Ethan said, “Aw.”
Everyone laughed.
* * *
“Try it,” Piper whispered.
Theo trailed his finger down the valley between Piper’s exposed breasts and then back up. “I can’t.” They were lying in bed, their caravan was still in the Middle Pass, but would be reaching the forest the next day.
Piper touched his cheek, directing his eyes to her warm brown ones. “Try it.”
“No,” Theo said right before he stole a kiss. He leaned on an elbow over her body. “What if I make you disappear and I can’t bring you back?”
Piper buried her head further back on the pillows, causing her black hair to fan around her shoulders. Her entire body glowed from the lantern he’d turned down, shimmering with the sweat of their earlier lovemaking. She smiled up at him. “You’ll be able to bring me back. I just want to know what if feels like.”
Theo shrugged and rested his hand on her stomach. “If feels no different, just people can’t see you.”
“I want to try it myself.” She sat up and straddled him. Theo leaned back and ran his hands down her sides and to her hips. It was his second favorite angle of his wife. The first was her underneath him, her nose scrunched up, and her mouth open as he came…
What if he made her invisible and he never got to see that again? “No.”
Piper frowned. “Please?”
His heart raced.
She leaned forward and ran her lips over his. “Please,” she whispered. She began to wiggle her bottom.
He groaned as his lower body began to stir back to life. “Piper.”
She smiled, biting her lip, and began to purposefully rub herself against him. His breath caught at the feel of her lower lips opening for him.
He grabbed her hips tighter and began to rock. He wanted inside her.
Piper closed her eyes and shivered. “This is crazy,” she whispered.
“Yes,” he agreed, knowing exactly what she was talking about. They were like animals in heat, always at one another.
Piper stilled and her brown eyes stared down at him. “Please.”
Theo grabbed her hips and began to rock her against him again, sliding her up to angle himself at her entrance.
Piper held down on his shoulders for leverage against him, trying to fight him just as much as she was fighting the trembles that went through her. “Theo,” she murmured.
He began to move himself under her, rubbing against her peak.
Her eyes rolled back. “Oh, God, Theo.”
“You want me to stop?” he asked.
“Never,” she whispered right before she came apart.
A moment later, she giggled and said, “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
He ran his hand down her back and then he hugged her. “I love you.”
Her arms snaked under his arms, and she returned the hug with just as much force. “I love you, too.”
Theo closed his eyes, breathed, and then let go.
Piper sat up. He could feel the weight of her body on him, but she couldn’t see him. All he saw was the tent and even with her scent, he felt alone.
“Hey.” She touched his cheek and then gasped. “Oh! You made me invisible.”
“Yes,” he said, try
ing to hide his agony. He was ready to change her back… but he would wait and give her time to explore.
“Oh, wow. This is insane. I can I touch things?” Piper’s weight left him, and he could only tell she remained in the room because of her continued laughs and comments. “Oh, you were so right. I feel exactly the same. The ground feels the same. The air feels the same. Oh, do things still hurt?”
“Yes—”
“Ow!”
Theo sat up and became more alert.
She laughed. “I touched the glass on the lantern.”
The frowned. “Piper, please be careful.”
“I will,” she promised from the other side of the room. “It’s so strange to be able to see through myself. Like, I can know what’s behind my legs without turning around. Or I can just bend over like this—”
Theo groaned, thinking about how he’d have loved to see her that way, bent over, with him thrusting inside of her.
Piper laughed, knowing exactly where his mind had gone, and then everything went quiet.
He watched as twin impressions were made on the bed right before he felt her hand gasp his manhood. He closed his eyes and growled.
“Time to return the favor,” she whispered right before something even warmer than her hand covered him. Her mouth was hot and almost had Theo shooting instantly. She used her tongue, swirling around him, while her hand picked up a steady pace. It felt wonderful, but he had to see her.
He touched her head, and Piper flowed to color. Theo debated on whether this was his new favorite view of her right before his head flew back and he shot off.
* * *
20
CHAPTER
TWENTY
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