by J. E. Taylor
“Hold this tight,” that strange voice said.
My fingers tingled with the pressure being applied to my arm. I tried to open my eyes, but all I saw were glimpses through my thick lashes before my lids would become uncooperative again.
“Come on, May. I know you’re in there,” Aiden whispered, pulling me farther out of the black.
My eyelids fluttered again. Aiden’s blue eyes came into focus. He looked haggard and pale.
“There’s my princess,” he said softly.
I glanced at my arm. His thumb pressed down on a bandage over the inside of my elbow. He had the same peculiar bandage on the inside of his arm that he was also applying pressure to. Rough stitches traversed my lower arm and wrist. No wonder my entire arm hurt so much.
Memories flashed before my eyes, and my gaze snapped up to Aiden. “The cure,” I whispered, feeling felt like someone stuffed my mouth with wool.
He smiled crookedly, and some color bloomed in his cheeks. “That...well, aye, it seems to have worked.”
“And Marigold?”
“Gone.”
I lay back on the pillow and closed my eyes, letting sleep yank me down into the dark world I had been floating in since the world had filled with white light.
MY EYES OPENED TO THE canopy above my bed. Every muscle in my body felt as if someone had taken a training sword to it. I tried to move and groaned as new pains surfaced.
A chair scraped, and the bed squeaked.
I turned. Aiden sat on the edge of the bed. The dark circles under his eyes made me blink, and I raised my eyebrows.
“You look like hell,” I whispered.
He smiled. “Well, at least one of us looks well rested.” He glanced at the foot of the bed.
Shadow was curled up at my feet and sound asleep. I glanced back at Aiden. His smile faded.
“You scared the daylights out of me,” he said and pushed the hair away from my face.
His touch sparked the same strong desire within me, and I leaned my cheek into his palm. His thumb traced my lips, and that deep longing surfaced in his eyes. He pulled his hand away and stood.
“I, um...” He closed his eyes. “I need to go. I just wanted to make sure you were all right before I left.” He turned and started towards the door.
I forced myself into a sitting position. “No.” The word came out strong.
His back stiffened and his hand hesitated on the doorknob, yet he didn’t turn.
“Did that night mean nothing to you?”
He glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyes sad. “It meant everything to me.”
Aiden slipped out the door, leaving me alone with my sleeping wolf pup and a body that felt like I had gone through a war. I climbed to my feet and nearly collapsed under a wave of dizziness. Sheer determination kept me moving and I opened the door.
Aiden had his hands on the doorjamb and must have been resting his forehead against the wood. His head jerked back, and he stared down at me with wide eyes.
“Get back in bed.” He straightened.
I held on to the door for support and shook my head. “Not unless you stay.”
“I made a deal with your father, and now that you seem to be on the mend, I have to go.”
“No more deals. No more threats. No more running. You are going to marry me.”
He laughed, just as full and musical as I remembered. “Your parents aren’t going to buy into that, and I’d rather not have my head on the chopping block again.”
“We lifted the curse, right?”
Aiden’s gaze moved to my window and the bright light filtering in the room. He nodded.
“So, what is the problem?”
“I damn near killed you.” He glanced at my bandaged arm. He reached out to touch me, but he folded his fingers into a loose fist and took a step back.
“You were not in control.”
He pressed his lips together in a tight line before sucking his lower lip into his mouth. “I might not have been in control, but I remember everything from the moment that thing took possession of you. And your arm isn’t the only area I hurt.”
“It wasn’t you.”
He glanced up at the ceiling. “It was, as much as I hate to admit it. That witch released my darkest desires while we were in the cave.” His gaze dropped to mine.
I reached out and grabbed a fist full of his shirt, and his eyes widened when I yanked him in to the room. I stumbled, depleted of all my energy, and my weight slammed the door closed. My legs trembled, but I willed them to hold me in place. When I was sure I wouldn’t crumple to the ground, I moved the wave of red hair that fell over my face and stared into his dazzling eyes.
“Please, don’t go.” I stepped towards him. My legs failed, but before I hit the ground, Aiden’s strong arms caught me. He swept me up, carried me to the bed, and tucked me under the covers.
With a heavy sigh, he sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand. He turned it over and started the same slow inspection of my palm that I had done to him. His touch was soft and sensual. When his gaze finally rose to mine, a fire blazed in the blue depths.
“Do you want to be with me?” I whispered.
“I thought we established that pretty clearly in the cave.”
“We established you wanted me. That is different.”
A dimple appeared in his cheek, and he refocused on his inspection of my palm. The curve of his lips straightened as his fingers followed every line. His silence made my skin flush with uncertainty.
I tried to pull my hand away, but he gripped my wrist tighter, continuing his slow tracing of my palm.
“I can’t imagine not being with you,” he finally said. “But I am baffled that you still want to be with me with all that transpired.” He let out a soft laugh. “Your father nearly beheaded me on the spot.” His gaze lifted to mine. “I’m only alive because I had knowledge of blood transfusions.”
My eyebrows knit together.
“I’ve studied at the monastery at night since I was old enough to read.” He shrugged.
“Transfusion?” I asked, but my brain circled around the rest of his narrative.
He pointed to the bandage on the inside of my arm. “It saved your life.”
I sat up, ignoring the wave of dizziness. “But...” Concern laced my voice as I glanced at the same bandage on the inside of his elbow.
He pressed his fingers to my lips. “The thing about blood... It regenerates over time as long as you don’t lose too much. You lost way too much, so the only way to bring you back was to supplement your blood. I volunteered since I was the one who nearly drained you. That’s why I look like hell, as you so eloquently put it.”
“Oh.” I blinked as some of the memories came rolling back. “I’m not sure what happened out there. I thought my father died, and then I saw him set a pig on fire?” I cocked my head, still fuzzy about what was fact and what had been conjured by my brain right before I had lost consciousness.
Aiden smiled. “Your father wielded a magic spell that fooled all of us, including Marigold. I couldn’t believe he offered himself instead of you, and when it turned out to be a pig he was offering...” He chuckled and shook his head. “I didn’t have a moment to appreciate that irony until now.”
“She was a greedy witch,” I said, remembering the intense interest that had sparked when she thought my father had offered himself in exchange for me. I shivered, and Aiden reached for my hand.
“Thank God for that.” He squeezed my hand.
I couldn’t agree more. “So, will you stay?”
“I made a deal with your father.”
“You don’t want to stay?” I slid my hand out from his and crossed my arms. This deal stuff was bringing forth hot irritation, giving me the illusion of strength.
“I never said that.” He leaned back, adopting the same posture.
The door opened, interrupting our standoff. My father walked in. Behind him, a servant carried a tray of food. It wasn’t my lady-in-w
aiting, though.
“Where’s Sheri?” I asked as the servant put the tray down on the table in the corner.
“I let her go,” my father said and stared at Aiden.
Aiden lowered his eyes and gave a nod. He stood.
I grabbed his hand, refusing to let go, and glared at my father. “He is staying,” I said with a bite in my tone. “And I want Sheri back.”
Tension layered the room. My father dismissed the servant with a wave. Once the door closed, his hard gaze bore into me.
Shadow lifted his head as if he knew there was another storm brewing.
My father opened his mouth.
“Father, I don’t want to be disrespectful, but this is ridiculous. You pardoned the MacMahon name. The curse is lifted. So, there is no reason for you to force Aiden to leave.”
“After what he did to you?”
“He didn’t do anything. Marigold made him do every slight you think he served me. And you vanquished her.”
“I can speak for myself,” Aiden said, glaring at me, squeezing my hand. “I had no control over what happened at Stonehenge. The moment I met your daughter, I knew I would never willingly walk her into a death sentence. When I walked out of the throne room, I had already made peace with the fact I would be the last MacMahon to walk the earth, but your daughter sought me out.” He dropped his gaze to mine. “And I made her angry,” he finished, looking at my father. “I was the catalyst that let Marigold take possession.”
My father’s hands fisted, and his eyes flashed cold.
“He made me angry because he refused me.” I didn’t want to fuel whatever fury had been building in my father by telling him we had slept together and then he had refused me. He would never understand that. But he needed to know exactly why I got angry. Otherwise, his mind would go where it didn’t belong.
His hands uncurled, and his brow furrowed. “You... refused her?”
I squeezed Aiden’s hand in a silent warning.
“Aye. I love your daughter, and I could not sentence her to a cursed life.”
My entire body froze at his admission, and I stared up at Aiden with a slack jaw. A smirk cracked my father’s face. He tried to wipe it off before I saw it, but he wasn’t fast enough. I snapped my mouth closed.
He studied Aiden with a deep crevice in his brow.
Aiden shifted and dropped his gaze to the floor.
My father slowly crossed his arms. “Let’s say I entertained my daughter’s insane idea. What do you have to offer in exchange for her hand?”
My skin tingled with shock, and my eyes widened.
“I wouldn’t barter for her like she is livestock,” Aiden sneered.
“Is that because you have nothing to give?”
“No. It’s because she is a beautiful woman who should be treated as an equal. A partner. You don’t barter for a heart like it is a thing to be collected or owned.” There was just enough distaste in his voice for my father’s eyes to narrow.
My heart soared.
“However, if you were to give this union your blessing, I would promise to love her until my dying breath. To make sure her life was filled with joy and to do my best to protect her from the sorrows in this world.” He glanced at me and then back at my father.
“And marrying her would give you the throne,” he said, his face still pinched with distrust.
“No, Your Majesty. When the time comes, May will rule. And I will follow my queen to the ends of the earth if that is what is required.”
My father’s eyebrows arched, and his mouth popped open for the briefest of instances. He glanced at our clasped hands and stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I still do not trust your motives, Mr. MacMahon. However, your argument is compelling enough to give you and my daughter some time to court. If, after a fortnight, she still wants to marry you, I will consider it.” He turned and started towards the door but paused before he left the room. “And that does not mean screwing her, you understand?” He glared over his shoulder.
Aiden nodded, and my father strolled out.
I blinked, staring after him, and then my gaze snapped to Aiden’s. He stared at the door, dumbstruck with his jaw hanging open. When his gaze slid to mine, it held something I hadn’t ever seen in his eyes. Hope.
Chapter 11
Aiden held my hand as we walked through the woods. The electricity between the two of us had only grown since my father gave us his permission to court. But this was the first time we’d had the strength to leave the castle grounds. Shadow bounded ahead, pouncing on rustling leaves and generally being a puppy.
I smiled at the wolf’s enthusiasm, as well as his need to keep returning to us to make sure we were still nearby.
The past week had been filled with conversation and chess matches, while we both recuperated from Marigold’s aftermath. We saw eye to eye on many things, but my father’s rule was not one of them. That had been the source of many quiet but spirited debates. He had hardly touched me since my father made our courting rules clear, and it was driving me mad.
Aiden’s easy smile warmed my insides, and all I could think about were his arms around me and his mouth on mine.
“Do you want to go to the cave?” I asked, afraid to look at him.
His gait slowed. “Why?” he asked, his voice cautious.
I glanced at him. “I’d like my hunting clothes back,” I said, batting my eyelashes.
He chuckled. “Liar.”
Heat filled my cheeks, and I suppressed a smile. Instead of dignifying his accurate assessment, I kept walking.
“If we go, will you behave?”
I grinned and looked at the ground, letting my loose hair hide my face. He swept it away and stared at me with a cocked eyebrow.
I rolled my eyes. “Aye, I’ll behave.”
He kicked at the leaves and sighed. “Sure.”
We kept to the woods instead of crossing through Stonehenge, and it took us longer to get to the cave entrance than it would have if we had crossed through the great rocks. Navigating in the darkness proved to be more challenging than either Aiden or I thought it would be. Without the benefit of the bear curse, Aiden was just as blind as I was. Every time he stumbled, foul language tumbled out of his lips and I would giggle. By the time we entered the cavern, his face was red with frustration. I crossed to my crumpled pile of clothes and folded them neatly on the rock.
The splash of water pulled me away from my task and I turned. Aiden’s clothing was piled on the shore, and his bare ass broke the surface as he crossed the expanse beyond the cold current into the hot springs on the other side. He stood in waist-deep water with his back to me and wiped his hair off his face, before turning in my direction.
Aiden looked tired, but more refreshed than he had all week.
“What happened to behave?” I asked.
He just grinned. “I’m behaving.”
I cocked my eyebrow.
“What? A man can’t take a swim?”
I kicked my boots off and stripped. Aiden’s gaze traveled from head to toe and back before I dived into the water. When I surfaced, I understood his sudden burst of energy. The water was invigorating until I swam into the cold spot. The river’s current pulled at me, and I didn’t have the strength to fight it. My eyes widened in fear as I was sucked down under the surface.
Aiden moved fast, grabbing my hand. He yanked me to the surface and into his strong arms, leading me to the hot springs beyond the frigid underground river. With his arms wrapped around me, I laid my cheek against his chest, trying to catch my breath. His heart beat just as wildly as mine.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” he said once his breathing slowed.
I stayed in place, enjoying being in his grasp. He kissed the top of my head and stroked the hair away from my face. With his palms resting on my cheekbones, and his fingers threaded into my hair, he studied my face with such seriousness, I almost squirmed.
He leaned in and gently captured my lips in the sweetest ki
ss. Warmth spread from my core all the way to my fingers and toes, rivaling the hot springs surrounding me.
My fingers glided down his chiseled chest to the outline of his hips. I opened my mouth, and our tongues rolled together in a seductive dance. When my hand wrapped around his manhood, he gasped and pulled away from my lips. His body remained in place.
“May, I promised your father.”
I gently stroked him and smiled. “You promised you wouldn’t screw me. I don’t see us screwing, do you?”
He blinked and then closed his eyes, letting out a groan. “No, but if you continue what you’re doing, I’ll lose any sort of restraint I have,” he said, but didn’t stop the slow movement of my hands.
His jaw tightened, and the veins in his neck stood out as he looked down at me. Hunger invaded his features, and it thrilled me. This was the same look he had when he’d taken me that first time. His lips crushed mine, and he turned me into the rocks. His mouth was greedy and insistent, and his tongue explored the depths of my mouth.
He still tasted like honey. My knees weakened at the power in the kiss. I stroked faster, and he groaned into my mouth. His hands lay flat on the rock on either side of my head, as if touching me would melt all his resolve. Just our lips and my hands remained in contact.
“Stop,” he whispered against my lips. “Please. I won’t have enough energy to get us across the river if you don’t.” He opened his eyes and met my gaze. Raw need blazed in his irises.
As much as I wanted to satisfy the need in both of us, I pulled my hands away, leaving us both frustrated and on edge. It was a sound strategy, especially since we struggled with the river’s undercurrent as we headed back to the shore.
The moment we stepped onto the sand, Aiden pulled me into a bear hug. His lips found the spot where my neck and shoulder met, sending gooseflesh across my skin. He held me tight while his hardness pressed into my stomach with nothing to stop him from lifting me in his arms and taking me right there, but he restrained.
He released me and stepped away. His chest rose and fell like he had sprinted to the castle and back, mimicking mine. I stepped close and dropped to my knees. His eyes widened, and the moment my mouth slipped over the tip of his member, a low moan escaped his lips.
