The Eden Series: The Complete Collection

by Stalder, Janelle

  “Hold on!” Wolf yelled back. His voice dropped again when he spoke to her. “You think you can outrun me in this city? Do you realize who you’re challenging?”

  “Rider,” she said mockingly, “I’ve grown up in this city. No one knows it better than I do.” She watched his eyes as he accepted the challenge.

  “Wolf! Elisa! Let’s go!” Logan hollered.

  Wolf didn’t remove his eyes from hers as he answered. “Go on without us! I’ve just been given my own challenge.”

  She heard the three of them laugh, but didn’t look away from Wolf.

  “What is that?” Moose asked.

  “Elisa here thinks she can outrun me in the city.” They laughed again.

  “I give you five minutes tops before he gets you, sweetheart,” Moose called out.

  “I say six,” Logan added. “You do realize he’s a Rider, don’t you? They have an excellent sense of direction.”

  “We’ll see,” she answered, earning another round of laughter. Without warning she turned and ran. She could hear the others calling out, but she ignored them, focusing on making her way through the twisting streets of the Capital. She knew she’d lose him easily. No one knew these streets like she did.

  Elisa slipped down an alley that would lead to a less travelled back street. The main ones would have too many people milling about, and she didn’t want to alarm them if they caught her running at full speed. The lane was cast in a bluish glow from the moons sitting full in the sky. Cool air whipped past her, refreshing against the heat now building from exercise. Dodging a wooden crate behind a bakery, she threw a quick glance over her shoulder. The alley was empty. Not even the sound of footsteps could be heard. She smiled to herself. Either Wolf was worse than she thought, or he was setting her up.

  Taking a sharp left turn, she headed down another back street leading north. If she was lucky, she’d be able to make her way back to the dormitory before he caught up to her. She sprinted, her feet slapping against the cobblestone the only sound. Dark windows looked down on her from the tall buildings on either side. She was in an area predominantly occupied by merchants, so she knew most were already tucked away in their beds. They’d be up before anyone else though, in order to have their shops open and ready for the early morning bustle.

  She skidded around another corner careening around a small black object huddled in the middle at the last moment. She cursed loudly, her voice echoing back at her. A hiss identified it right before she heard the feline run away. Elisa stopped, her hands braced on her knees as she caught her breath. Her ears perked up at a sound not far away. With a lower curse, she backed up until she hit the wall of the building. The cold stone scraped at her bare arms. She controlled her breathing to quiet it, holding each breath before letting it out slowly. Another sound came, closer this time. Her eyes were already adjusted to the darkness. She watched the entrance to the alley in suspense.

  A shadow preluded the source of noise before it came into view. Elisa let out the breath she had been holding in a whoosh. It was just the damn cat again. She chuckled softly, shaking her head at her own stupidity. Even if Wolf had been able to keep up with her, there was no way he would just casually walk around the corner like that. Pushing herself off the wall, she continued down the alley until she came to the spot she had been heading for. There was a small lane that ran between two rows of buildings. It was where the occupants could put their trash out. It was so narrow it was hard to see in the daytime, never mind the night. The entrance also happened to be blocked off by stacked crates. She assumed it was to keep any stray animals out, but they certainly didn’t stop her.

  If ever there was a time when she thanked the Gods for her tiny size, it was now. She couldn’t run very fast between the buildings, without accidentally scrapping the skin off her arms, but she still went quickly. She reached the other side just as something dropped from the sky in front of her. She took a step back, clamping down on the scream making its way up her throat. Wolf grinned at her, his eyes practically glowing in the moonlight. He looked like his namesake, having just caught his prey.

  “You look behind you, my love, but you fail to look up,” he said pointing a finger toward the sky. Elisa smiled, undeterred. “Looks like I’ve won, so wipe that smile from your face.”

  She bit back her laughter at his confidence. She crossed her arms, tilting her head playfully. “So you were following me from above, huh?” He nodded, his hands twitching at his sides like he was fighting the urge to just grab hold of her. She looked up slowly, feigning interest in his previous location. “That’s quite the drop,” she commented lightly. She looked back at him. “It’s going to be quite the climb back up.” Before he could react she turned and headed back the way she came. There was no way Wolf was going to be able to fit. His curse a second later had her laughing loudly as she picked up speed. He’d never be able to get back on the roofs, especially not before she lost herself in the city.

  When she exited back into the alley she had just been in, she headed right before making another left then another. She looped around until she was back in her original spot. This was the only way she could get back to the dorm without him being able to follow. There was a series of these small lanes leading right to the street where the dormitory was located. Wolf wouldn’t expect her to come back, so she took her time making her way back through the tight space. She continued through the other lanes as she came to them, until she exited the last one in a small alley just in front of her home. She could see the doors to the dorm out in the main street.

  One step was all she took before she found herself pinned to the wall behind her. Wolf’s face was inches from her own, triumph written all over it.

  “You’re so predictable,” he said.

  She bristled at his comment, unsuccessfully trying to shake his hold on her. “I am not,” she defended.

  He ignored her, stating, “looks like I win.”

  “Only because you lay in wait. You didn’t even bother trying to chase me!”

  He made a tisking noise. “That sounds awfully like someone who is a sore loser.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “The chase was the whole purpose of the game!” she argued.

  “Was it?” he tilted his head. “I thought this was.” His mouth was on hers in an instant, stealing her breath. He still had her pinned, her hands stuck at her sides. There was no way to stop him as he pulled away, although she really wanted to. There was nothing in the world that compared to the feeling of Wolf’s lips on hers.

  “You cheat,” she said breathlessly.

  “You lose.” With a wink, he lifted her, throwing her easily over his shoulder as he made his way toward the dorm. She faced his back, acutely aware of her butt now in plain sight.

  “Wolf!” she admonished. “Put me down!”

  “This is getting to be quite a custom for us. You, drunk, over my shoulder,” he said conversationally. “I think I’m beginning to like it.”

  A laugh escaped her pursed lips. “Seriously, Wolf. You can’t carry me like this all the way to my room. What will people think?”

  He gave her a butt a quick swat, eliciting a yelp from her. “That’s enough complaining. You lost, so now you will deal with the consequences.”

  He called out a casual greeting to the guards posted at the doors, whose amusement was not hidden in their reply. Elisa was thankful for the fact her hair was hiding her beet red face. She gave them a small upside-down wave when they wished her a goodnight. The cool night was replaced with warmth as they entered the building. Wolf carried her quickly up the stairs, barely out of breath. Finally they entered her room where she was thrown unceremoniously onto her bed, followed by Wolf’s body covering her own. She looked up into his pleased expression, her heart skipping a beat.

  She opened her legs, cradling him better as he wiggled closer. “I feel like I’ve spent my whole life chasing you,” he said softly. A pang of guilt hit her. She reached up, running her hands through the long,
soft strands of his hair.

  “Well you caught me,” she replied. Pulling gently, she brought his lips to hers again, this time taking a slow kiss from him. Their mouths worked in sync with each other’s, their tongues meeting in a sensual dance. When they pulled apart, she looked up at him playfully. “Do you want your prize?” she asked huskily.

  “I already have it,” he answered, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose. A warm feeling spread through her chest. Despite what she’d tried to convince herself of in the past, Wolf was incredibly sweet when he wanted to be. It killed her to think that she could have had him like this long before now.

  “Well I have a very specific prize in mind,” she declared.

  His eyebrows rose comically. “Do you? What that might be?”

  Nerves were getting the better of her now. She took a deep breath before answering. “Take off your pants,” she instructed quietly. He stiffened.

  “Elisa,” he warned.

  “It’s not what you think,” she assured him. Although, truthfully she would have made love to him right then and there if he allowed it, but she knew how important it was to him to wait until they were officially married. “I might be a virgin,” she continued, “but I’m not completely uneducated on the alternative things a woman can do for a man.” She watched the realization hit him. A blush crept across his cheeks. Elisa had never seen Wolf blush like this before. It was endearing, and possibly made her fall in love with him even more.

  “Are you sure?” he all but whispered.

  “Do you want your prize or not?”

  He grinned, his eyes remaining heated. “Well, I’m not one to argue.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Rain slumped against the wall as she tried to catch her breath. The back of her dress was drenched with sweat, stuck to the base of her spine. Strands of hair were plastered to the side of her face. She felt and looked awful and the day was still young. Aziz was ruthless in his training. He had her up and moving at the crack of dawn, and showed no signs of stopping.

  The large beast she was training with gave her an inquisitive look, but made no move toward her. She held up one finger to him as she bent over, willing air to fill her lungs. This was insane. She understood Aziz wanted them all to be ready to fight, however working them to death before the King’s army ever made it to them seemed to defeat his purpose. She wasn’t a warrior. She’d never even held a sword prior to today, and yet he seemed to think they would all be experts by sundown.

  “Drink this.” A glass was shoved in front of her face at those words. Rain looked up into Elex’s worried expression. His back was to Aziz so he wouldn’t be able to see Elex’s concern.

  “Thanks,” she said breathlessly. She took the glass and gulped down the cold, refreshing water inside. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she was done. Water was definitely helpful, but she was going to need a lot more than that if she planned on surviving the day. “I’m exhausted,” she confessed.

  “Your body is not use to this kind of exercise,” replied Elex. “It will become easier the more you practice.” She cringed at the thought of having to do this beyond today. Elex caught her reaction and smiled briefly before getting back to business. “Let’s go,” he ordered. “Back to your starting position.”

  With a reluctant groan, Rain pushed off the wall and stood across from the large beast again. He waited for her to pick her sword back up before mirroring her stance. Elex signalled for them to begin. The beast came at her again as she tried desperately to defend and counter his attacks. She noted, inwardly, how unfair the match was, considering his arms were twice as long as hers. No matter how hard she tried, he effortlessly kept her far enough away that she was unable to land any blows of her own.

  She moved to lunge forward, but her legs got tangled in the skirts of her dress and she went tumbling forward on her hands and knees. Rain let out a growl of frustration. When she stood up, the beast stood at a respectful distance, obediently waiting for his next command. Elex was watching her, clearly amused. With narrowed eyes she pointed a warning finger at him, before looking down in annoyance at her dress.

  “I can’t fight like this,” she decided. “If I’m going to train with you, I need to be able to wear the proper clothing. Fancy dresses and sword play don’t mix well.”

  Aziz had walked up while she was speaking and now stood before her. He looked confused by her statement. “Are you suggesting you wear pants?” he asked, puzzled. She nodded her head, lifting her chin stubbornly. He considered this for a moment before conceding. “Fine. Andre!” The soldier in question stepped forward. “Find the smallest pair of trousers you can, so that my queen may fight more easily.”

  “Sir,” Andre replied with a nod.

  Rain took a slow perusal of herself in the mirror. She looked strange in her eyes, but in a good way. For some reason she felt stronger, more capable, dressed like a man. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and tucked in the long-sleeved, white blouse Andre had also brought. The brown pants fit her like a second skin. Giving her reflection a quick smile of approval, she went out into the sitting area of her room to find Elex waiting for her.

  His eyes swung to her the second she entered. They roamed down slowly then upwards slower. Finally his eyes met her own. “You can’t wear those,” he stated plainly.

  She placed her hands on her hips, taking a defensive stance. “What do you mean, I can’t wear these? Why not?”

  He looked her over again. She watched his throat work as he gulped before answering. “I can see all your female curves,” he replied as explanation. “I’m not letting you out of this room like that.”

  She wanted to laugh, she really did. Something about Elex being possessive, and the way his eyes kept sweeping over her in a mix of appreciation and disapproval. Her humour must have shown on her face, despite how hard she was trying to hide it, because as soon as he looked at it he scowled.

  “It’s not funny,” he reproached. “I don’t want other men looking at you like this. Only my eyes have that privilege.” She was fully grinning now. His lips twitched, but he maintained his stern expression.

  “Rain?” Aziz called out as he walked into the room. She threw Elex a look of triumph before turning to Aziz with a sweet smile. Saved by the sorcerer, she thought happily. There was no way Elex would argue in front of him. She chuckled inwardly until she saw the gleam in Aziz’s eyes. Maybe Elex was right, she rethought warily. There was something about the look in his eyes that made her want to take a step back.

  She cleared her throat trying to remain calm on the surface. Elex’s anger was like a pounding drum in her head. Rain hoped Aziz couldn’t sense Elex the way she could. “I’m ready,” she affirmed.

  “I can see that,” Aziz murmured. Rain wanted to glance at Elex, but she fought against the urge. “Elex, I have some things I need to do, so I expect you to keep an eye on my queen, and make sure she continues her training,” he instructed, never taking his eyes off her. She mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Yes, father,” Elex replied.

  “Perhaps tomorrow we can let you face a real adversary,” Aziz directed to her with eagerness.

  “Oh?” she replied. Rain had no idea what he was referring to.

  “I believe the little forest girl needs a lesson in why she must not offend my future bride,” he explained. Rain nodded in agreement, anticipation filling her. The Shaman would be revenged, even if she had to do it slowly and painfully.

  Their voices were distant and quiet, even though she knew they were close by. Lily could still smell the dampness of the cell and feel the musty air on her face. She knew when guards came and went, and heard Ethan explain away her state each time. She knew it wouldn’t be long before one of the guards got suspicious and alerted Aziz. There wasn’t much time, she knew.

  The walls of the mountain fortress were thick and impenetrable. Avalon sat miles away west, much further than she had anticipated. Her mental fingers struggled just to get pa
st the thick rock of the mountain and the wards Aziz had placed around it. Once she was able to get past them, which had taken almost an entire day, she was struck by the realization that they were quite far north east. Time was running out. She put all her strength into what needed to be done. If this didn’t work, she wasn’t sure what they were going to do.

  She pushed harder, covering the vast lands of Eden in a blur of motion. Part of her desperately wanted to seek out Aiden, but she knew it would only waste her energy. She saw the Great Forest ahead and pushed harder. Please let this work, she prayed, just as she heard the door to their cell open.

  “Why is she still asleep?” the guard asked.

  Ethan put on a neutral face, praying the man didn’t see through him. “She was up earlier,” he lied. “You just happen to come when she has fallen back asleep.”

  The guard grunted in a way that told Ethan he wasn’t at all convinced. “Is that right?”

  Ethan nodded. “She gets tired a lot,” he explained. “Said something about the stone walls having an effect on her. Her people are used to being outdoors, not held captive in such a small, isolated area. It’s draining her.” The man’s face changed as he began to accept what Ethan was saying, even though it was a complete fabrication. Ethan had been making excuse after excuse as to why Lily was still sleeping and it was becoming increasingly more difficult the longer it went on. Unfortunately for them, it was the same guard that brought them their food each time. Had there been various guards then maybe it wouldn’t have been so difficult. That would have just made his life a lot easier, and Ethan was starting to think there was no such thing as easy for him. It was only a matter of time before the guard got really suspicious and brought it to Aziz’s attention. Then Ethan didn’t know what they were going to do.

  The guard left their meals and exited. When the door was closed and locked Ethan let out a sigh of relief, ironically. His eyes moved to Lily, watching her chest rise and fall with her slow breathing. Whatever she was doing, he hoped she did it quickly.