by JD Nelson
Cringing, I shook my head. Anyone finding out we were here was a bad idea. Soren would flip his lid if he found out Jakob besmirched his sister’s honor in the harem. “No, we should go, but first,” I looked around. “I need pants.”
“Go without them. No one will be about at this time of day.”
Incredulous, I stopped my search. “Are you suggesting I prance about the castle naked from the waist down?”
His brows lifted in amusement. “As enticing as that would be, Erin, no. I am suggesting that you wear the robe from the bathroom.”
I blushed. Of all the idiotic things I could have said. “You know, I think it might be entirely possible that you’ve fucked my brains out.”
He laughed at my embarrassment. “I do not think that is possible.”
“Oh, yes it is. Just take a look in this empty head.”
Standing to pull on his jeans, he said, “No thanks. I prefer to remember your mind the way it was—compulsively worried and preoccupied with sex.”
I scoffed. “Any woman would be preoccupied with sex with you in their bed, brains or not.”
“That statement is a hundred percent not true,” he assured me, bemused at my fawning over his sexual prowess—which was extensive.
“Uh, sure it’s not,” I teased. Although, I wasn’t sure if he was being modest or truthful. The one thing that I was sure of was that I’d be making the walk of shame to the kitchen wearing a goofy smile along with the robe from the bathroom. “Ready?”
He opened the door with a flourish. “After you.”
“Why, thank you, kind prince.”
“Of course.” Once in the hallway, Jakob pointed to the end of the long corridor. “I want to show you something before we eat. Do you mind?”
“Not at all.” The castle looked to have, at least, five-hundred rooms. We could explore all day and still not see everything.
“The gallery is just off the staff’s entrance. It will not take a minute.”
He opened an ornate door and led me inside. My eyes were drawn to the heavy gilded frame of a life sized painting as soon as we entered. It took one glance at the cruel indifference that marred the beautiful raven-haired female’s face to know that she was my mother. “Is it a good likeness of Viveka?”
Jakob wrapped his arms around me from behind. “It is. The artist has captured her beauty, utterly.”
Still somewhat stunned, I stared at my mother for a few moments more, taking in everything I could. “She is perfect—a vision.”
His heavy sigh tickled my ear. “Erin, that beauty does not extend to her heart. Do not be tempted to trust her because she gave birth to you. She has done unspeakable things.”
“Unspeakable things? Like what?” I knew he wasn’t exaggerating. He’d used the real name-stern voice combo. That only happened when he was serious about something.
“She joined with Freyr in torturing my brother to near insanity. For over a hundred years, she drove him mad with the thought that he was a rapist when, in fact, he had done nothing. That was two years ago and the last time anyone has seen her.”
Well, that explained the apology Axel had given me outside. My mother was as horrid as everyone had warned. Great. Did I win the parent lottery or what?
Nudging my shocked form along, Jakob led me to the adjoining chamber to show me another painting. I sucked in a breath. It was my grandmother, Alva. The female was almost an exact replica of me. The one difference was the rich chocolate brown of her eyes. They had a twinkle of humor in them, as if she had a secret joy that she could not share. I walked closer, amazed at the incredible likeness, devouring every inch of the painting, looking for dissimilarities. I found few. We even had the same fingers…and jewelry. In the painting, she was wearing the ring I now wore. Turning to Jakob, I held out my hand. “I thought you said that this was your mother’s ring?”
He nodded with a half-smile. “And it is. Alva was my mother for so many years that I have lost count. How I wish she was here today. This castle was once alive with magic and the sounds of a loving family. Now, it is a tomb. I fear when Alva drew her last breath, the kingdom did, as well. It is a pity that you see it as it is.”
Smiling, I blinked back tears. For the first time in my life, it felt like I had some connection to my family.
Jakob pulled me into his embrace, resting his head on my shoulder. “Älskling, I did not bring you here to upset you.”
“I’m not upset. I’m not. I feel like I’m home.”
I could feel his grin as he kissed my neck. “You are, Lady Väsen, you are.
In the staff kitchen, which was still four times bigger and ten times more luxurious than my own, we found Kristian with a bottle of tequila and an embittered expression.
“Hi,” I offered, sitting across from him. “What’s the good word?”
Violet eyes glared at me. “What good is there without a mate?” he slurred, leaning on the wood table. “I have lived an eternity without a female to call my own—an eternity of waiting, hoping, seeking, of wanting. Even after Emelie promised my mate was soon to come, still, she has not arrived. I grow tired of the trial, tired of life.”
My word. I don’t think anyone could have anticipated that kind of response out of the dark elf king. Jakob was standing stunned at the counter, a loaf of bread in one hand and a jar of mayo in the other. He hadn’t known how much his brother was suffering either. Switching places with Jakob, I took the sandwich supplies and pushed him toward his downtrodden brother. Kristian was in a lot of pain. I didn’t think kind words from me were going to cut it, so I took a knife to the bread instead, all the while wondering how soon she was destined to arrive. If I could just ask Emelie, I bet she’d know.
Oh, wait. I can. “Emelie?”
She answered right away. “Hi, Erin! How’s it going?”
“Not great. Kristian is drunk and wallowing in some serious self-pity,” I told her.
Her tinkling laugh filled the connection. “Kristian doesn’t drink.”
I watched him take another shot. “Well, he does today.”
“Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. I think seeing Jakob with me might have broken him.”
She sighed. “I was afraid of that. He has been so lonely.”
“Yeah. So, you think you can put a pin on that true-mate of his before he does something more drastic?”
“Of course, I’ll be right there.”
“We’re in the staff kitchen.”
“Hi,” Emelie said, making us all jump.
Kristian was on his unsteady feet so fast that his chair fell backwards. “Emelie, my mate, where is she? I can bear it no longer.”
She held her hands out to him without preamble. “We’ll find her now.”
Jakob and I smiled at each other as Emelie's eyes silvered over. I knew without asking what was on Jakob’s mind. He was eased by his brother finding his mate, and not because of the guilt he felt in finding his own true-mate, but because he knew Kristian needed her so badly.
“Her name is Shannon,” Emelie told us. “She’s human and from … oh.” She paused, looking weirded out. “Uh.”
“Emelie?” Kristian pressed, panic rising in his voice.
She shook her head, clearing her eyes. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry, Kristian. Shannon Eve is your female’s name, and she’s from Midgard—in Alabama. I think I’m seeing that she works in a tire store?”
We all felt Kristian’s relief when he breathed an alleviated sigh, then met our eyes. “Thank you. All of you.”
“Thank us by going to find her!” I exclaimed, laughing when he managed to pull the shifting stone from his pocket before I finished speaking. A second later, he was gone.
Emelie dusted off her hands and grinned. “Another crisis adverted.”
“Your modesty is admirable,” I teased.
Jakob bowed. “Safe journey, Emelie”
“Sure thing, Jakob, and Erin?” She eyed my bath robe. “I want details as soon as I see
you next. Scratch that, before I see you, ‘kay?”
I grinned. “You got it, Em.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
I woke to Jakob’s strong arm pulling me snug against his erection. Smiling into the pillow, I hummed a sigh of contentment as elation bloomed inside of me. I was mated to the sexiest male in existence.
“Good evening, älskling,” his deep voice mumbled into my ear.
Yawning, I rolled over in his arms, resting my cheek on the light sprinkling of hair on his chest. “Good evening, my mate.”
He kissed the top of my head. “You honor me.”
“I don’t know how you can say that. I fell asleep on you this morning.” A glance at the clock told me that I’d slept most of the day away.
His hands slid down to drag me on top of him. “Apologies are not necessary. It was my fault. I did not allow you to rest.”
No, he hadn’t. He had ravished me. We made love so many times that I had already lost count before I passed out with him still inside of me. I ground myself into his hardness, my hips moving in slow circles. “You know, I’m feeling pretty rested right now. How about you?”
He drew his hands up my ribcage and let his thumbs graze the hardened peaks of my breasts. “Incredibly rested, my love.”
My next words were interrupted by the excruciatingly loud crash of the door being blown off of its hinges. Screaming, I scrambled off of Jakob to cover my nakedness a second before Soren strode into the room.
Jakob stood up naked, ready to defend me, his green eyes glowing with the power he was ready to unleash.
Soren’s eyes moved from Jakob to me with disgust. “I thought you might want to see today’s headlines.” He threw a green inked newspaper onto the foot of the bed and stalked out of the room.
“Fuck!” was Jakob’s only response to the picture on the front page. It showed the two on us on the garden bench, my fangs buried into his neck while his hands were planted firmly on my ass. The headline, in big block letters above it, read, PRINCE JAKOB VÄSEN HAS AFFAIR WITH FIRE-WALKER.
“Shit!” I added. “I’ll talk to him and tell him that we’re mated.”
Jakob shook his head. “It will not matter to him.”
“I have to try.” I stood up to get dressed, quickly realizing that I’d left my clothes in the harem, and that my robe was in shreds on the floor. In desperation, I wrapped the sheet around me, kissed Jakob, and ran after my brother. I caught up to him in the foyer and yelled at his retreating form. “Soren!”
He stopped but didn’t turn around.
“Please don’t go without hearing what I have to say!” I pleaded.
His eyes widened when he finally spared me a glance. “Have you any shame?”
“Jakob is my mate. We had our bonding ceremony this morning. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
He snapped his fingers, and the sheet I wore was replaced with traditional elven garb. “Of course, you have not.” Reaching out, he stroked my cheek. “With your endearing naivety, I should have known someone would try to take advantage of you. I blame myself.”
His pious attitude pissed me off. “This is no one’s fault! I love him, and he loves me!”
Ignoring my outburst, he tenderly took my hand. “Are you so sure that it is you that he loves?”
His question confused me. Who else would he love? “What do you mean?”
“I cannot believe he has not told you.”
I didn’t like his tone. It immediately put me on the defensive. “If you mean about his ex-mate, yes, he has.”
“Has he told you that his ‘ex-mate’ is your mother?”
A sharp jolt flashed across my chest, and I gasped out at the pain. Disbelieving and numb, I asked, “Viveka was his mate?”
“In the eyes of the council and the whole of the Norse-lands, he is her mate.”
I felt dizzy and nauseous as I thought back to Soren saying that Jakob knew her best. How blind I’d been not to have seen this.
Soren wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Allow me to escort you to Ásgard.”
“No, I need to be alone for a minute.”
“You cannot stay here, Erin. I will not allow it.”
In the history of wrong things to say to someone who is broken-hearted, that must have been among the top ten. It pushed me right over the edge. “You know what? Fuck you, Soren.”
“Pardon?”
“I said. Fuck. You. I’m tired of your hypocritical bullshit. Our situations are almost identical! You didn’t worry about Emelie’s honor when you were trying to fuck her two years ago.”
He sucked in an angry breath. “Emelie is not my sister.”
“And that makes it any better?” I yelled, the fire within me begging to be let loose.
“No, it does not.” He sighed. “Can you not see that I wanted better than this for you? You should be treated with respect, Erin”
I pleaded with my eyes. “Jakob is your best friend and my true mate. Who could treat me with more respect?”
“A male that respects you would never subject you to the scrutiny he has. Your face is plastered halfway around the Norse-lands!” Turning toward the door, he said, “Say your goodbyes, Erin. I expect you back at the apartment soon,” and then he left.
That was it. The straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. It was time to leave. I couldn’t stand another minute of Soren or this situation. If I didn’t get out of here soon, I was going to lose my mind. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on my apartment, willing myself to shift there. I knew I had the power to do it, if my brother did.
Jakob yelled from the top of the staircase, startling me into opening my eyes. “Erin, stop! Do not leave!”
He was too late. The familiar weightless feeling that accompanied shifting was already upon me. I didn’t know how to stop it once it was underway, and right now, I didn’t want to. I couldn’t believe that he would keep something like this from me. My own mother! Regardless of me telling him I didn’t want details about his mate, he should have told me it was Viveka. Tears of anger and hurt rolled down my cheeks as Jakob’s anguished face disappeared from my view.
I sensed that something was off the second I appeared in the darkness of my apartment’s hallway. Tiptoeing my way to the living room, I found that my instincts were dead on. My apartment was in disarray. Every book on my bookshelves had been searched and thrown unceremoniously to the floor. All of my cabinets and kitchen drawers were open in the kitchen. The place was ransacked, and … oh shit, dusted for fingerprints.
Dread filled me. I hadn’t listened when Emelie reminded me to call Chase, and she had freaked out and called the police. Honestly, what else had I expected her to do? Ignore her boss and best friend not showing up to work for days? Oh, this would be bad. She was going to be royally pissed at me for not telling her I was taking a little vacation … to get mated … to an elf. Even I didn’t believe it. How would she?
I hurried to where the phone should have been and found it missing. The police must have taken it in as evidence. Evidence of what, I have no idea. The answering machine hadn’t worked right in months. Stepping over a pile of scattered books and DVD’s, I made my way to my bedroom and grabbed a jacket from the closet. I needed to get to the shop, now. What was I thinking, shirking my responsibilities like this? I was the worst friend and boss—ever.
The short walk to the store seemed like a monumental task. I didn’t remember it being so bright, or painful. Pulling my jacket above my head. I tried to shield myself from the worst of the sun’s rays, but eventually, I gave up the pretense that I was not burning to a crisp and ran the last two blocks to the safety of the store. Crashing blindly through the opened door, I collapsed between the non-fiction sections and started to cry, cradling my badly burned hands. They’d taken the brunt of the sun’s assault when I held my coat up to protect my face. How could I have forgotten about the dark elves inability to withstand sunlight? My skin felt like it was getting stung by a million tiny pricks of a needle at the sam
e time. How stupid could I be?
A soft, soothing voice sounded to my left. “Erin?”
Through my tears, I could see Chase’s solemn eyes looking over the various spots of smoking flesh. They were as wide as saucers. “Hey.”
She crouched down on her knees, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. “Oh, Erin. I thought you’d been kidnapped! The police said that the first forty-eight hours were the most critical time. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
“I’m okay. Just give me a minute to catch my breath.” And for my flesh to hopefully mend itself.
Chase’s forehead was etched with worry. “What happened to you? You vanished without a trace. Your checking account, credit cards, bus pass, none of them were touched. It was like you dropped off the planet. Where were you? What happened to your hands?”
I looked around the store from my prone position. “Are there any customers?”
“No. Why?” She was understandably confused. “Are you in some kind of trouble? Tell me what’s going on!”
For a moment, I debated telling her the truth. She was the best friend that I’d ever had in my life. If anyone would believe something like this, it would be her, right? I really, really hoped so.
Bracing myself for the worst, I began. “There’s something unbelievable that I need to tell you. Can you lock the door? I don’t want anyone to overhear this.”
“Okay.” She did as I asked, and then sat at the counter, nervously chewing her thumbnail and looking more scared than I’d ever seen her. Soren probably wouldn’t approve of me sharing my secret with her, but even he could understand that I didn’t have anyone else to confide in. I certainly couldn’t talk to him about it. That was out of the question, and Emelie was grossed out by the mere thought of Jakob being intimate with me. There was no one else.
Gritting my teeth against the agony, I struggled to my feet and shuffled to the counter, where I sat staring mindlessly at my wedding ring, wondering where the best place to start was.
Chase leaned across the countertop and smiled. “That’s a beautiful ring, Erin. Elven made—the clothes, too. Am I right?”
