by Moira Rogers
His pain pulled at her, perhaps because she’d been trained to use the magic inside her to ease a man’s agony. She touched his arm, and there was no hiding her sympathy. “Perhaps you needed a priestess who was good at her job instead of one who failed in every way.”
“And perhaps you are a bit naive.” Karim lifted her hand and kissed it with a gallant flourish. “How do you think I wound up dead inside?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t —”
“Cousin,” Rais’s deep voice interrupted. “Do you do anything these days besides charm the ladies?”
She jerked her hand back as if she’d been caught doing something illicit, which was absurd. But heat still flooded her cheeks as she leaned back against the wall and stared at Rais. Tall, powerful, a man with violence lurking close to the surface. Not as handsome as Karim, perhaps, but harder and stronger in ways that still warmed her body.
Karim’s laughter was edged with warning. “Charming the ladies is a full-time occupation, I assure you.”
Avani found her voice. “You’re back from the front so soon. It’s good to see you. I hope you’re well?” It sounded polite and distant, but at least her voice didn’t tremble as much as her hands.
“Depends on who you ask.” He stared pointedly at Karim, who finally sighed and scooted half a foot away. “How have you been, Avani?”
“I’m adjusting to life at the court. Your mother was kind to invite me in time for the full moon celebration tonight. I hear it’s quite an experience.”
“It is.” Rais lifted the glass of wine from Karim’s hand and finished it without taking his eyes from Avani’s face.
“Thieving bastard.” But Karim dropped a kiss to Avani’s cheek, then leaned in close to Rais. “Make her cry, and I’ll show you a few painful old warrior’s tricks, pup.”
Avani watched Karim’s retreat before turning her gaze back to Rais with a frown, unsettled by his rudeness. “Perhaps I’m not going to enjoy court after all.”
“Why is that?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Because you’re a king here. Not the man I —” She caught the word before it escaped only by digging her teeth into her lip. “Not the man I know.”
Uncertainty flashed in his eyes, and he fidgeted uncomfortably. “You say that as if I can’t possibly be both.”
“Why were you so unpleasant to your cousin?”
“I —” He snapped his mouth shut and stared at her. Slowly, his expression hardened into a cool, impassive mask. “Excuse me. I have duties to attend. I implore you to enjoy the celebration.”
He turned on his heel and stalked off through the crowd, leaving Avani alone with a dozen gazes fixed on her.
She wasn’t that sheltered. Rais had challenged his cousin. Over her. What she couldn’t fathom was why. It could be nothing more meaningful than a long-standing rivalry, or the remnants of possessiveness in a man who had so recently claimed her body.
Or he could want more. A dangerous, giddy thought. And maybe a second chance.
———
Rais ran through the forest which grew thick on the royal grounds. All around him, he heard rising howls as his fellow wolves sounded the call of the hunt.
Only they were soon to be his subjects, a fact he reminded himself of sternly. He had responsibilities, a calling that ran through his royal blood and demanded his service. Tonight, he ran for the last time as a servant of the king. The next time his mother held a celebration…
You’re a king here. Not the man I know.
Avani’s words had cut. He supposed there would never be a time when he didn’t feel entitled to most of the things he wanted; he hadn’t been raised to embrace the virtue of self-denial, and it was difficult not to feel as if the world was yours when it was true, at least of everything you surveyed.
But he was a good man, and he cared about his people. His recent foul temper was entirely to blame for his confrontation with Karim, not a generally poor disposition. His cousin understood that, but Avani —
Perhaps Avani just didn’t care.
You’re a king here. Not the man I know.
But if he weren’t the king?
His smooth stride faltered, and he skidded to a halt, all four paws digging into the loamy earth of the forest floor. Was that what she wanted, for him to be another warrior, finished with his service and ready to start a family?
Avani bounded past him, a small pale wolf who ran with a joy impossible to hide. But she slowed as the rest of the court thundered past, her paws slipping as she checked her run and turned to watch him.
He sat and watched her. If she stayed, maybe they could talk. Maybe they could figure things out.
She lunged, fast and surprisingly graceful, and nipped at his shoulder. Then she took off running back the way they’d come, angling into the deepest part of the woods.
He followed her, helpless to do anything else. The call of the moon sang in his blood, demanding he answer her challenge. Demanding he cement his claim.
His long strides overtook hers on the bank of a small creek running through the grounds. He nipped at her flank and jumped, twisting to land in front of her. Panting, he waited.
The full moon still shone bright overhead, but they’d run for hours already. Avani collapsed to the forest floor as magic swelled, and began to shift. With power thick in the air already the change flowed over her, leaving her naked and panting softly on the forest floor, her cheek pillowed on her arm as she watched him.
His own change stole over him in a maddening rush of magic and lust. “Stand up, Avani.”
He could smell her arousal, knew the rush of the change and the call of the moon would touch her, too. She smiled and came slowly to her knees. “I don’t know if my legs will hold me.”
Rais dragged her up and held her against him. “Do you hate the man I’ve become?”
Her eyes widened. “Of course not.”
He slid his hand into her hair and urged her head back. “Then why is my mother trying to find you a mate who isn’t me?”
She wet her lips, the gesture nervous. “You told me not to compromise my decision for you. I have decided I will never take a mate for love unless it is mutual love. A mating of practicality would be far preferable to loving you while you tolerate me because you made a vow in haste and find me lacking.”
“I don’t find you lacking,” he told her hoarsely, drawing her hips closer to his. “I nearly challenged my own cousin over you.”
“You barely know me,” she countered even as her body pressed tight to his. “Perhaps it was unfair to ask you to fall in love with me first. We’re at war, and there are more important things than my heart at stake.”
Her full lips called to him, and he shook his head to clear it. “You don’t think I could love you.”
“I don’t know.” She’d submitted to him gleefully in the bedroom, but he’d never in his life seen the brittle vulnerability that filled her eyes as she stared up at him. “Could you?”
Could he? She was a gentle soul, kind and thoughtful, despite her temper. “I could, if you let me in. If I let you in.” He touched her face. “If we both stop fighting it.”
She closed her eyes. “When you left me, it wasn’t because I wasn’t… enough?”
“No, Avani.” Rais kissed her forehead, her cheeks. Her mouth. “You gave me so much. Almost everything.”
“Almost?” It was barely more than a whisper against his lips.
“Almost.” He laid his hand over her heart and caught her mouth again, this time urging it open to slip his tongue inside. She tasted like wine, and moaned when his tongue found hers.
She kissed him hard, hard enough that her teeth scraped his lower lip before she pulled back with a gasp. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want you for my mate.” He lifted her into his arms and laid her out on the cool grass. “I’ll give it all up if that’s what you want. I’ll just be Rais, and you won’t have to worry about the court.”
The answer was simple. “I need you.”
She swallowed and shifted her touch to his lips, and her wide dark eyes turned wondering. “I didn’t imagine it, did I? The magic… It feels like you’re in my blood. With the trainers it faded in seconds or minutes, but I felt you days later. I felt sick from needing you. I thought it was just a broken heart.”
Instinct had led her close to the truth. “It was, in a way, and I felt it too. My unit’s healer didn’t want me anywhere near the front lines in my condition.”
“Your family has power. Not like ours. Stronger. I’ve seen Zahra hear people’s thoughts.”
“The royal bloodline has its gifts along with its advantages,” he admitted. “Sometimes I have visions. Does that bother you?”
“No.” She lifted her head and kissed him, a soft brush of warm lips over his chin. “Not unless you’ve had visions of our doomed love you’re not telling me about.”
“Nothing like that.” It had been ages since he’d had an outright vision. His precognitive ability mostly manifested itself in hunches these days. “Is it too late? Will you let me court you like you wanted?”
He felt the sharp sting of her teeth against his jaw as her arms twined around his neck. “Will you start right now?”
Need swelled in him again, calmer now that she’d accepted him, and Rais moved until his hips were nestled against hers. “I should have started weeks ago.”
Her body was soft and perfect underneath him, and her breath fell hot against his skin and she nipped along his jaw until her lips found his ear. “How wicked that would have been. You all but stole a novice from the Temple, you know. The gossip is already out of control.”
He scraped his teeth over her chin as his hand crept up to tease her breast. “The gossips will tire of us when we prove faithful to one another. There’s nothing more boring to them.”
“Mmm.” She arched her neck in offering. “I hope you intend to seduce me now.”
He bit her gently, teasing, knowing she wanted more. “Right here?”
“Under the full moon,” she agreed, her voice hoarse. Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging insistently as if she could force him to claim her. “My first time outside the Temple.”
Possessive satisfaction rose in him, and he nudged his burgeoning cock against her cunt. “First times should be slow.”
Her teeth sank closed on his earlobe without warning, and she growled. “So put your tongue on me again. I liked that.”
He moved quickly, drawing her wrists up and pinning them above her head. “You also liked when I took you, however I wanted.”
She still did. Her lips parted on a moan and she squirmed beneath him, grinding up against his cock. The magic that simmered between them flared, giving him a delicious taste of her need, her craving for him.
An answering need drove Rais to nudge her again, then slowly push inside her. She reacted with a low cry and a lift of her hips, and he steeled himself against the animal desire that rose and urged him to take her, hard and fast.
“Rais.” She was wet but so tight, and her eyes looked dazed as she stared up at him. “You — you feel —”
“Like I’m yours.” He lowered his mouth to hers and stroked her lips with his tongue as he flexed his hips and rocked inside her.
Her breathless laughter was giddy. Joyful. “I was going to say huge, but your ego is big enough, I imagine.”
He grinned and bit her lip. “You can’t behave, even when I’m fucking you, can you?”
“Not my job to behave. Not anymore.” She teased her tongue against his lips. “If you’re courting me, you should know what you’re getting into.”
“I know what I’m getting into.” Delighted, he flexed his hips again. “Trust me.”
Her legs came up, tangled around his hips so she could grind up to meet his next rock. “With everything.”
She was his. He’d claimed her before, but this was different. This was her accepting his claim, accepting him. Taking him in.
He braced his hands on the earth on either side of her head and raised his body so he could look at her. Her disheveled blonde hair was pale in the silvered light of the moon, her brown eyes were wide and needy and her lips swollen from his kisses. “You’re beautiful, Avani.”
“I’m yours, Rais.” Her hands still rested above her head, and she twined her fingers together and tilted her chin up. “I’m at your mercy. Body and heart.”
“You were frightened before.” It had been something more than his lack of grand words or gestures. “Why?”
“Because you could break my heart so easily.” Her eyes fluttered shut as her voice dropped to a whisper. “I loved you as a girl. And I don’t think it would take much to love you as a woman. I’m halfway there, and I didn’t want to get too far ahead of you.”
He bit her chin lightly. “I would have caught up.”
Her hips nudged up against his, and the soft noise that escaped her had an impatient edge this time. “You’re not moving very fast right now.”
“Want me to?” Rais pulled back and thrust into her once, hard and fast.
She jerked under him and cried out. Color rose in her cheeks, and her eyes looked wild. “More. Again.”
Even that single thrust had taken him closer to the edge, so he shook his head. “Not yet.”
She snarled and bit him, and he drove into her again as his control wavered. Slow suddenly seemed unnecessary, and he lifted his hands to cover hers. “You want more?”
“Oh yes.” Her body embraced him as eagerly as her magic, her cunt hot and clenching tight. “I want everything.”
“Then say it.” He froze with his next thrust, his cock deep inside her. “Say you’ll be my mate.”
She panted against his cheek. “Yours. Yours, if you’ll take me.”
He teased his tongue over her lips, relief making him weak. “I already have.” Then he let go with a growl and rode her with hard, quick thrusts. By the third surge forward she was wild beneath him, making frantic, needy noises. Her teeth closed on his lower lip, hard and desperate, and she moaned into his mouth.
He growled back and snapped his teeth close to her lips. “Mine now, little one. Always.”
She made a choked noise of satisfaction and came. She tightened around him, gripping his cock, and Rais buried himself in her one more time as release overtook him as well, sending him tumbling after her with a shout.
It took forever for her to speak, her voice a hoarse whisper. “Mine.”
“Yours.” He managed to roll to his back before crushing her, and she nestled against his chest. “Want to tell everyone, or make them wait a while?”
She laughed and nuzzled her nose against his skin. “Make them wait. And hope you get stable video at the front. If you don’t, I’ll write you old-fashioned letters.”
“I’ll have the techs work it out.” He nibbled at her ear. “I can’t go too long without seeing you.”
“Better not have the techs in the room when you call me. I have every intention of being scandalously naked.” Her voice dropped to a dirty whisper. “I find myself enchanted by the thought of letting you tell me how to touch myself.”
The thought was ridiculously hot. He smacked her ass and grinned. “No more sex until we get back to my bedroom.”
“Why not?”
He ran his hand down her back, cherishing the softness of her skin. “Because you’re too delicate for this, no matter what you say. And this is no way for a king to treat his queen.”
She shivered. “Queen. I don’t know if I’ll be a good one. I never really thought about it, even when I thought about you.”
“Shh.” He held her tighter. “You were raised to lead, Avani. Even if you hadn’t been, you’re kind, gentle. Perfect.”
“I’m stubborn, irreverent and a little bit spoiled,” she countered in a sleepy voice.
“And speaking of how I was raised, you might want to reconsider this, you know. You’re going to have to speak to my uncle.”
Dhaval would have his head if he suspected the sorts of things Rais had been doing to Avani already. “I’ll handle your uncle. Trust me.”
“I do,” she whispered, the words gentle and accepting. The tender moment shattered a second later when she lifted her head and glared down at him. “But if you ever imply I’m too weak for a romp in the woods again I’ll plant my knee between your legs and see how delicate you feel.”
Rais laughed and tangled his hands in her hair. “Delicate doesn’t equal weak.”
“I’m from a family of warriors. I wasn’t raised to be delicate either.”
“Point taken, little one.” He shifted her weight and sat up. “Now, were we rejoining the celebration, or running back to my rooms?”
She laughed and rose to her feet, standing naked and unashamed in the moonlight. “Only one way to find out.” Two steps back and magic rose around her. With the moon high overhead the change flowed over her until the small pale wolf stood in front of him. She lifted her head and howled, the sound full of joyful challenge.
Then she turned and launched herself into the trees.
The same joy swelled inside him, and he followed her. He always would.
Epilogue
Avani paused in the doorway and watched Rais pace the expensive carpet in front of the receiving room’s massive fireplace. Old-fashioned to be sure, but in the past weeks she’d discovered that many in the royal family embraced traditions most of their people had long since abandoned.
Rais looked striking in his formal robes, rich fabric cut to show off the strength in his hard body. Traditional or not, they were still a country at war. Strength and virility were the virtues desired in a leader, and today Rais embodied them both.
He reached the edge of the room and turned sharply, and Avani smiled as his gaze fell on her. “I escaped your mother’s maids. You’d better not tell me they’re likely to hover over me all the time, because I can bathe and dress on my own.”
