Connor entered the tower and made a beeline for the window.
“You shouldn’t have allowed her up here.”
“I had no choice,” Connor said. “She wanted to see what was going on, and I thought by doing so it might aid in your investigation of her trip to the Cu Maran crypts.” He withdrew his dagger from the window lock.
Roane agreed his wife had the right to be curious. “The bats didn’t seem to bother Theo much.”
“Do you think she is working for Dubheasa?”
“No. If that were true she would have staked me again. I’m certain of that.”
“And what makes you think so?”
The sting in his hand reminded him all too quickly. “Theo came fully armed—I found a vial of holy water shoved into a secret pocket in her garter. Lord knows what else she has hidden on her person.”
Connor chuckled. “She hates you already, and you’ve yet to properly bed the woman.” He slapped his hand on Roane’s back. “I think my king needs a few lessons in chivalry.”
He pulled away from the man and smiled wryly. “I’ve no need for instruction, Connor, least of all in that area.”
“Then, pray tell, why does your bride of less than a day have reason to want you dead?”
If only he knew. “She knows I’m vampire.”
“Sweet mother of heaven, what ever possessed you to reveal that secret?”
“Do you really think me daft? I did no such thing. It was the holy water. Apparently I must have opened the lid as I…” He stopped talking. For the first time in his life, he had no desire to share his intimate conquests with Connor. What transpired between him and Theo he suddenly wanted to keep secret, private. “The water burned my palm.”
Connor gave him a cautious stare. “And Her Majesty’s reaction?”
“She didn’t flinch. But I could tell she wasn’t all that pleased.”
“Hmm… Perhaps you’ve found your match, Roane.”
He didn’t think so, but Theo was shackled to him just the same. “She doesn’t fully accept Cu Mara belonging to the selkie realm. I sense she’s a bit confused as to what is real and what is legend. Apparently my refusing to turn over the hidden selkie tomes was a good thing. We’ve preserved our true identity from even our most trusted allies in the outside world. And being so involved in living for the myths and legends of the mainland, Theo’s come to accept the existence of various creatures other than mortals. I believe she’d accept me as merely vampire and let it go at that.”
“You need to tell her the truth about the Vanishing Islands,” Connor said, “about all our souls. She needs to know selkies do indeed exist.”
“In time I suppose I’ll have no choice. But I don’t want to send her fleeing from Cu Mara just yet, especially with a price on her head. I’d rather rot in hell before I allow Dubheasa to carry out that sick scheme.” There’d been enough bloodshed in his world and he had no desire to add to it at the moment. “From what Lord Barrett has told me about his daughter, the woman is quite capable of dashing off if given half the chance. He’s often found her in the suds due to her undying beliefs in the myths.”
Connor put his dagger back in the scabbard at his side. “Then you should be the woman’s dream come true. A selkie in the flesh.”
Unfortunately, he felt more like her worst nightmare. “As much as Theodosia is enamored of the selkie, she also has disdain for the creature. She feels the Barretts have lived in its shadow for far too long.”
“I’ll make certain the household refrains from discussing selkie matters in front of our new queen, and I’ll fill Miles in on the situation. Hopefully, that will give you some time to try to sort out what happened that night in the crypt.”
He prayed to the gods he’d get to the bottom of that haunting event before Dubheasa sent her bat army back to Cu Mara. Next time, Roane was certain, his men wouldn’t fare as well as they had tonight. And, knowing Dubheasa as he did, the dark queen wasn’t going to accept her army’s defeat so easily.
Chapter Six
A maid showed Theo to Roane’s private apartments and ordered servants to ready a bath for her. When she arrived in the queen’s chambers, her personal set of rooms adjoining Roane’s, a large tin tub had already been set in front of the fireplace. The thought of a bath pleased her. As she settled in the room, servants brought up several copper pails filled with heated water from the kitchen.
Theo stood near the roaring fire and basked in its warmth. The chilly, dank air of the tower had left her skin cold and clammy and she welcomed any remedy that would alleviate the discomfort, even if it meant the possibility of Roane finding her naked in the tub. She wondered how long he’d be with Connor. The thought of spending the rest of the night alone with him unsettled her yet tantalized her at the same time.
As she leaned over the fire and rubbed her palms together, Theo wondered what Roane actually thought of her. He was a vampire—an immortal being who survived by drinking blood. The realization of his true identity unnerved her. In all the years she’d spent hunting dark beasts for the sake of saving selkie relics, she’d never once imagined living with one on a daily basis. Having a vampire for a husband wasn’t exactly comforting.
But with Roane’s revelation of what he was, she suddenly became concerned with the fact he could invade her mind. She’d always managed to keep her thoughts to herself around night creatures, but Roane had a way of making her forget to keep up her defenses. The man even had a way to make her ache in places she never knew existed. She couldn’t allow him to learn of that night in the crypt, of her making love with the selkie vampire and then staking the creature. That was a private matter. She had to find a way to keep Roane out of her head. Of course the whole recollection stirred up questions, such as why Dubheasa had desired the selkie skin. Perhaps she and Roane worked together in killing seals. A sudden jealousy overwhelmed Theo. She didn’t like thinking about Dubheasa and her vampire king in the same thought.
“Will ye be needing anything else, me queen?” her maid asked.
The woman’s scratchy voice brought Theo back to reality. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “Thank you.”
Giving the bath one final inspection, the maid placed a bar of soap and a clean bath sheet on a small table next to the tub, then she turned and headed out of the room.
The door closed with a light thud.
Theo stepped away from the fire and undid the gold ribbon at her waist. The thin fabric swayed slightly after she untied the belt. Reaching downward, she tugged at the hem of her gown and pulled the dress upward. Sliding the silky garment over her head, she reveled in the fabric’s soft caress. Tiny goose pimples dotted her skin.
She discarded the gown onto the floor and began removing the vampyric hunting trinkets she’d secured in her garters. The vial of holy water came out first. She studied the thin glass cylinder and found a small amount of water still remained inside. Knowing she shouldn’t take chances, she dipped the vial into the tub and refilled it. Her father taught her that in an emergency, as long as some blessed water remained, anything added to the vial would be blessed as well. Satisfied with her ability to improvise, Theo capped the tube and set it on the mantel. Next, she searched for the small wood nails and stake, and the silver cross. A feeling of sacrilege wracked her soul as she thought of where she’d been storing such holy relics, but she quickly reminded herself she needed to be discreet for the sake of her own safety. And somehow, she surmised, that had to count for something in the gods’ eyes.
Theo lined up both the relics and the weapons on the mantel before untying her garters.
As she bent down to undo the ribbons securing the silk strip of fabric to her right thigh, the scent of sandalwood rose up and teased her nose. Roane… The man’s intoxicating cologne still lingered on her garters. Theo closed her eyes and remembered Roane’s hands gently massaging her legs. Recalling the soft feel of his fingers kneading her flesh and seeking out her most private parts tantalized her. She wanted
him near her again, his hands working their magic. But despite Roane’s mention of his “fourth rule”, she imagined a king had other concerns besides a wife. And considering the attack of the bats, Connor would probably take up much of Roane’s time tonight. She resigned herself to spending her wedding night alone.
Theo placed her hands exactly upon her legs where Roane’s had been and traced the area with her fingers, caressing the smooth skin of her inner thighs. She moved her hands closer to her thatch of hair. A small twinge consumed her vulva.
Theo let out a soft moan, but her own hands didn’t feel anywhere near as good as did Roane’s upon her skin.
The sound of a door latch clicked.
Theo dropped her hands from her inner thigh area and focused on untying the garters. From the corner of her eye she saw Roane standing in the doorway between the two suites. She sensed him staring at her.
Theo felt her cheeks warm.
He offered her a sly grin. “I see I’ve come at the perfect time.”
Roane entered the room and made his way across the chamber to where Theo stood near the tub. Bent over the way she was, he had an excellent view of her rounded, naked bottom. His mind transfixed upon her sex and suddenly he couldn’t walk fast enough. “Does the bath please you?”
“Yes. Thank you,” she said, her voice a bit raspy.
Visions of him pinning her to the door in the tower flooded his mind. In the name of the gods… He’d finally broken Theo’s mental barrier and now saw what she thought. He wondered if he should dare go there, to such a private world, to the one place he knew his own emotions could be assaulted. Perhaps he was better off not knowing what really went on in his wife’s head.
Theo straightened and placed one of her garters over a nearby chair. She bent and reached for the other one.
He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. “Let me,” he said, his voice sounding a bit hoarse even to his own ears. Roane cleared his throat. He learned long ago to never reveal his true emotions, especially to someone he didn’t know he could trust completely. Women made the most dangerous of foes.
The hot touch of her inner thighs against his hands seared his skin. His cock reacted almost on the instant, making his breeches once again far too tight for his comfort.
He untied the garter, but held it in place.
Theo didn’t protest.
He slid the thin strip of fabric around her thigh in a chafing manner, raising it closer to her mound with each tug and pull.
Theo moaned. She closed her eyes and let her head fall backward as her tongue licked her luscious lips.
How he imagined what she could do with that tongue given the right training. His cock jutted out in response.
Roane shifted his focus back to the garter stretched taut between his hands. He raised the delicate garment farther up Theo’s thigh and settled it between her swollen lips. Continuing to slide the strip of silk back and forth, he watched his wife’s face.
She moaned and leaned farther back against his body, giving in to him in a way he hadn’t expected.
As Theo relaxed, he dropped the garter and moved his fingers in its place. He toyed with the swollen nub, the pads of his fingers flicking back and forth over her clitoris. Now wet with her own juices, the smooth mound grew even easier to tease.
Theo let out a soft sigh.
He slid his forefinger lower and probed her slit. Theo’s sweet honey covered his skin. He reached his arm over her for better access and then inserted one finger into her vagina.
Theo squeezed her pussy, gripping his finger.
He imagined something else she could grip as well, and the thought made him completely hard.
Theo moved her head to the side and Roane kissed her neck. He brushed his lips against her ivory skin and ran the points of his fangs gently over her flesh.
Theo moaned again and reached her hands behind her back. Her long, thin fingers undid the laces at the top of his breeches.
Roane pulled away, allowing for the slightest space between him and Theo. He peered down and found his laces almost undone. Another second and he wouldn’t make it to the bed. “Theo,” he said, “the bathwater is getting cold.”
His words brought her out of a wondrous trance. She could spend the rest of her life wrapped in Roane Cu Mara’s arms, especially if he continued doing what he was doing right now with his large fingers. She remembered the tight feel of him inside her the night they coupled in the crypt. Roane’s wicked touch made her ache for more of him—she wanted his cock inside her, filling her, sating her need.
She also craved the vampire in Roane. What would it be like to have him bite her? To share her blood in that so very intimate way she’d imagined vampires coupled. Fear, mixed with excitement, stirred her senses.
Theo pulled away from Roane and turned around.
His long, thick cock hung out of his breeches like a sword aimed at its mark.
She pushed him onto the bed behind them and tugged at his boots. Then she reached for the sides of his knee breeches and yanked them down, pulling the garment off his body as quickly as she could manage.
Roane rose from the bed and lifted Theo into his strong arms. He carried her to the tub and gently lowered her inside. The warm bathwater soothed her tired muscles. Theo bent her legs to her chest, making room in the tub for Roane’s tall, muscled body.
After removing the rest of his clothes, Roane lowered himself into the tub and sat across from her.
The water rose over the brim.
Roane reached for her legs and gently parted her knees. “I’ll have to get us a bigger tub.” He set her feet on either side of the tin ledge.
“I think it suits us fine as it is, Your Majesty.”
He gave her a wicked grin. “Perhaps you’re right.” Roane reached for a small cloth sitting to the side of the soap bar. He dipped the white square into the water.
Theo gasped as Roane moved the cloth between her legs under the water. He rubbed her mound until she thought she’d explode. And then she did. The sensational ripples jolting her vagina were unlike any she’d ever experienced on her own.
Roane brought the cloth back up from the water and reached for the soap. He lathered the white square and then leaned forward.
The slippery soap, coupled with the fabric’s rough texture, teased her skin in a wondrous way. She watched in silence as Roane washed her body, soaping her up and then dipping the cloth back into the water and wringing out the fabric over her skin. He cleaned her from head to toe in the same manner, then washed himself.
She lowered her legs from the sides of the tub and leaned closer to Roane. Taking the washcloth from his hands, Theo lathered it with more soap and started for Roane’s shoulders. She ran her hands over his skin, enjoying the feel of his muscled body beneath the thin cloth. She eased her way downward, lathering his chest. Finding him more than a mere delight to touch, she dropped the small white square into the water and decided to wash her enticing vampire with her own hands. She ran her fingers through his dark chest hair and over his solid frame. As she moved farther down his body, her hands disappeared into the water. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, her fingers sliding over his thighs. Exploring his body, Theo reached for Roane’s cock and wrapped her hands around the thick, long rod. His size amazed her. She wondered how long they’d have to remain in the tub before he’d take her.
As if Roane read her mind, he reached down and pushed her hands away. “Theo,” he said between her kisses. “I think it best we move to the bed.”
She wouldn’t argue with him.
Roane rose from the tub and extended a hand to Theo.
Standing up, she lifted one leg and then the other over the tin side. Droplets of water splashed to the floor.
Roane picked up the sheet folded next to the tub and wrapped it around the two of them. He pulled her closer, their bodies sticking together from their damp skin.
Theo leaned in, allowing Roane to dry her back. He rubbed the
towel over her hips and buttocks.
When finished, he removed the sheet from around the two of them and concentrated on drying off the rest of Theo’s body, then his own. Apparently satisfied with his handiwork, Roane dropped the cloth onto the floor and carried Theo over to the bed.
He doubted he could last much longer. Settling Theo onto the blanket, Roane spread her legs and lowered himself between her thighs. His jutting cock brushed against the soft skin of her inner leg. A small droplet of liquid pooled at his tip. Roane steeled himself to hold back, but his physical urges were becoming harder to suppress. So were his vampyric desires. His fangs begged to be allowed to grow, but he fought against the vampire for fear of frightening Theo on their first official night together. He also refused to take her blood until he knew why she had staked him. Roane pushed the situation from his mind and concentrated on his physical nature, suppressing the vampire within.
He reached for Theo’s pussy and found her still wet from her orgasm. He dipped his head and kissed her on the lips. Then he trailed a series of small kisses down her neck to her breasts, taking her taut nipple into his mouth. As he suckled the firm bud, he pushed the tip of his cock into Theo’s vagina. Her slick juices helped him ease his way deeper into her tight hole, the feel of her walls wrapped snugly about his rod almost sent him over the edge on the spot.
Theo raised her hips, wanting to feel Roane deeper inside her.
He gently coaxed his penis in and out of her, sending spasms rippling through her body.
As he moved faster, he pulled away from her breast and stared down at her.
White fangs flashed in his opened mouth as his breaths came in pants. She didn’t want to think what he could do with those teeth. Luckily, the feel of Roane inside her helped focus her attention away from the vampire.
Roane plunged into her harder now. Theo met his every thrust until she felt her own body explode in pleasure for a second time.
Roane collapsed on top of her, his heart beating wildly.
In the Shadow of the Selkie Page 5
