by Laurie Roma
“You are not horrible,” Kyriani contradicted. “This is all new, and all of you are learning together. You are allowed to make mistakes. Give yourself time to discover your gifts. It cannot happen overnight.”
“Thank you for understanding. I just hope they take it as well.” Allie sighed. “At least I soundproofed the room so they can’t listen in on our conversation. Otherwise, Tynan would already be in here yelling at me.”
Liandra blinked in surprise. “You can do that?”
“Yes, we soundproofed our quarters since we can be…never mind.” Allie blushed.
“I wish you could soundproof my suite,” Liandra said wistfully. “There are times I want to go out onto my balcony and scream. Like when my brothers annoy me…which is almost every day. If I did give in to the urge to scream, I would have a dozen guards breaking down my doors.”
“I’ll soundproof your chambers later and be sure to include the balcony,” Allie promised with a laugh. “Only calls for help will get out. It took a few tries to narrow that down. Don’t ask.”
“Magic truly is a wonderful gift,” Kyriani said in awe.
“Speaking of gifts…” Allie reached for the box Tynan had carried in and held it out to Liandra. “We lied to you. Your brothers and I didn’t go to the Iron Palace yesterday. We were working on your gift on the other side of the palace with Raven and her mates. Sorry that we didn’t go with you to the festival, but I think you are going to forgive us when you open that.”
Liandra took the box, then cleared the space in front of her on the table before setting it down. The box looked like it was covered in shimmering gold dragon scales, with a black claw hook keeping the box closed. She unlatched the box, then stared down at the contents in puzzlement. Dozens of small light and dark brown objects were set into individual gold compartments lined in rows. Each of the pieces was shaped differently, ranging from shells to blobs that reminded her of something rather unpleasant.
“It’s chocolate!” Allie exclaimed. “Try one. Go on. It’s safe, I promise. The guys tried all of them to make sure, and now I think they are a little addicted.”
“A little?” Raven laughed. “I swear they almost didn’t hand over the box.”
Unconvinced, Liandra chose a small, light brown piece shaped like a star from inside the box. She hesitantly lifted it to her mouth and took a small, cautious bite. At first, she didn’t know what to think. Then the delicious, sugary taste exploded on her tongue. Her eyes widened with delight as she chewed, and she instantly missed the creamy texture once it was gone. She popped the rest of it into her mouth and grinned.
“Creating them with magic was a little trickier than I expected since it was all about recreating the flavor from memory. Raven and our mates helped with that. There were a lot of misses, but we finally got it. The lighter ones are made of milk chocolate, while the other ones are dark chocolate. All of them are different. There are a few plain ones, but the others have fruit, nuts, caramel, little crispy things, and a few other goodies inside them. The one you tried is a milk chocolate truffle. It’s one of my favorites,” Allie explained.
“Mother, you must try one.”
Kyriani chose a dark piece and moaned in pleasure as she chewed. “It is magical.”
“It’s one of the only things we miss from Earth,” Raven said with a laugh. “We came up with a pretty cool idea for the box. We had to make sure the chocolate wouldn’t melt and…close it and open it again. You’ll see.”
After Liandra did what she said, she gasped when the empty spaces had magically refilled. “This is truly a magnificent gift. Thank you.”
“We’re just glad you like it.” Allie smiled as she leaned back and rubbed her hands over her pregnant belly. “I think I’m finally full. I guess I should go apologize to my mates now.”
Raven shook her head. “Not yet. Once you do, we won’t see you again until the celebration tomorrow night. We have some clothing to make and soundproofing to do before you disappear for the evening.”
“Actually, there is something else I wanted to speak to you about before you leave.” When Liandra saw that she had everyone’s attention, she explained, “I wish to create a dating site here in the city.”
Allie and Raven exchanged a look.
“Umm…I don’t think that means what I think you think it means,” Raven said gently.
“Is it not a place to go to have dates?”
Allie snorted. “She’s got you there. Tell us what you were thinking, Liandra.”
“It is something I have been considering since Raven told us about inviting the unmated females to her mating celebration. I would like to create a place here in the city where males and females can gather with the sole purpose of finding a mate. They can eat and drink while getting to know one another in a controlled setting that is well guarded.”
“We have started doing that at each of the havens,” Kyriani reminded.
“Aye, but it does not make them feel safe to allow so many males inside the doors of the havens. Some of the females feel it is an invasion into their home. They did not tell me directly, but I did hear some of them speaking about it. The dating site would be in another building, and it will be completely voluntary to visit.”
“I’m kicking myself for not thinking of it myself,” Raven admitted with a healthy dose of self-recrimination. “We invite the females from the havens in the Citadel and the Iron City to the palace for celebrations, but you are talking about having someplace that is available every day, right?”
Liandra nodded. “If we had a centralized location where males and females could mingle freely, there might be a greater chance of people finding their mates. This way, they can take their time getting to know one another in a neutral setting.”
“I think it’s a great idea.” Allie’s eyes started leaking again. “I just realized that I’ve been so caught up with my own drama that I haven’t been focusing on doing what the gods brought me here to do. I haven’t been helping bring more changes to this world. They must be so disappointed.”
Kyriani shook her head. “Those are your pregnancy emotions again, sweetling.”
“I did not mean to make you sad,” Liandra said softly.
Allie waved a hand in the air. “You didn’t. I’m being silly. Actually, I’m really proud of you for coming up with this idea. This is going to be so much fun!”
“Tell me what I can do to help,” Raven offered. “And after you have your dating site up and running, we would love to expand your idea to the Citadel and Iron City.”
“Oh, since this was originally your idea maybe you should—”
“Nope.” Raven shook her head. “I might have gotten it started, but you made it bigger and better. This is your project, sweetie.”
“I fully support this idea,” Kyriani stated proudly. “Bringing our people together this way will benefit not only our city but the entire world. I am very proud of you as well, daughter.”
Liandra could barely contain her joy. “You will speak to fathers about this?”
“Aye. I will be telling them that we are doing it.”
Allie beamed at her. “Go, mom!”
“I think we should continue this discussion downstairs while you do whatever magical workings need to be done.” Kyriani grinned as she stood up. “Liandra, make sure you bring the chocolates with you. We might need those while we are about our work. Now, tell me…what exactly is dating, and how do we go about teaching it to people?”
CHAPTER SIX
Liandra woke up gasping for breath. Her heart was pounding, and a thin sheen of sweat covered her skin despite the cool breeze drifting in through the open balcony. She wasn’t sure what had woken her, but she wanted to curse at the sudden disruption of what had been a very erotic dream.
She had been fantasizing about kissing Aeron again, only this time Jasyn had been pressing against her back. His large hands had been holding her steady while his brother took her mouth in a savage kiss. She had thorough
ly enjoyed being held between their hard, hot bodies, but she’d wanted to be closer. She’d longed to feel their bare skin beneath her seeking hands. Wanted to sink her fangs into them, to taste their blood and bond with them, but the dream shifted before she could.
She’d suddenly found herself naked on her bed with the three Mazer brothers staring down at her. She had begged them to strip their clothes off, and suddenly their bronzed bodies were bare to her hungry gaze. Braden had been the first to move onto the bed, lifting one of her legs to press kisses along her ankle down to her knee. Aeron had lain by her side, and she’d moaned as his large hand cupped her breast. She’d gasped as Jasyn pinched her other nipple between his fingers, then he’d tilted her head toward him, claiming her lips in another heated kiss.
“Open for them,” Aeron commanded softly. “Open for my brothers.”
She’d felt their hands pulling her thighs open, and she willingly complied, spreading her legs for Braden’s large body. When he moved closer, she took his hard, hot length into her hand, stroking him from base to tip. His low growl of pleasure made her shiver. Before she felt the weight of his body on hers, they were gone.
Being ripped from the dream was like being doused with cold water, abrupt and soul-shattering. Her fingers dug into the bedding, the cool sheets beside her further proof that none of it had been real. Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron hadn’t been with her. Raw grief made her want to cry. She had felt so safe between them, so loved, but it had all just been a fantasy. Lifting her hand, she rubbed the pads of her fingertips over her bottom lip.
Liandra swore she could still taste them.
She was covered with a thin sheet, but sometime during her slumber, she had kicked off the heavier blankets. Letting out a sigh, she curled onto her side and stared out at the open balcony. Thick red curtains fluttered in the breeze, intermittently obstructing her view. Before she had gone to sleep, she had forgotten to pull them closed to block out the light, as was her usual routine. She could see the two purple moons were still high in the dark crimson sky, telling her that she hadn’t been asleep for long.
Closing her eyes again, she attempted to get back to the dream world, but, like trying to catch wisps of smoke with her bare hands, sleep eluded her.
She should have been exhausted after spending hours with Allie, Raven, and her mother. When they were done soundproofing her entire suite and adding to her wardrobe, they’d also made several other changes. She had let them play around with whatever they wanted without protest. If carving images of dragons, stars, and flowers into the pale sandstone walls and altering her furniture made them happy, she wasn’t going to stand in their way.
Since she’d never really had female friends before, it had been nice spending time with them. Still, she had gotten a little worried when they had made their way into the smaller bedchambers located inside her suite. Since the rooms were meant to belong to her future mates, they should have remained empty or at least undecorated, as was custom. Instead, she had set up each room with the Mazer brothers’ preferences in mind.
It was presumptuous, wishful thinking on her part, but she couldn’t help herself. She had been grateful when Allie and Raven hadn’t asked any questions since she hadn’t been sure how she would have answered them.
She had stayed in her suite after her companions had left, then had replayed the details of the day in her mind while she had soaked in the pink pool of water in her private bathing chamber. Spending time with Jasyn and Aeron had been wonderful, though it had just made her greedy for more. She resented not being able to show them affection while in public, but that would change soon.
Their gifts to her had given her hope that they wanted her as much as she wanted to be with them, then the kiss she had shared with Aeron had destroyed all of her doubts. Although Braden was still an unknown factor, his feelings for her had to be similar to his brothers. A trio’s bond wouldn’t allow anything else. That didn’t mean he would be happy about it, though it gave her something to work with.
It was challenging for her to smother her own insecurities, but she hadn’t exactly been open and honest with them about how she felt either. That was also something that had to change. Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron had a lot to lose if they actively pursued her, yet she had been acting like a silly youngling waiting for them to make their intentions clear before she declared herself. She didn’t know much about courting, or what humans called dating, but she assumed the rules were different when it came to royalty.
Her mother’s support warmed her heart, but ultimately it would be her fathers she had to convince. They were the kings, and their word was law. Still, it was up to her to make it clear that she wanted the Mazer brothers as her mates, or she would spend the rest of her days miserably alone. There would be no changing her mind. The only thing that would do that was if Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron rejected her.
If that happened, she didn’t know what she would do.
When they had been in charge of her protection, the Mazer brothers had lived in a small suite on the floor below her. As a youngling, she had often gone to them if she had a bad dream or couldn’t sleep. She could have woken her brothers or her mother and fathers, but she had sought the comfort and companionship of Braden, Jasyn, and Aeron. A few cycles ago, they had put a stop to her visits. She’d understood that it was inappropriate to visit them in the quarters, but she had missed sitting and talking to them with the moons as their only companions.
After they had been promoted, they were given larger quarters on the other side of the palace. The physical separation between them had hurt her almost as much as the emotional distance she felt from them. Several months ago, she had broken the rules and had snuck into their new quarters. It had been in the early hours of the morning, and she had been hoping to catch them before they had left to start their duties for the day. Jasyn and Aeron had already been gone, but Braden must have just returned from night patrol.
He had strolled out of his bedchamber without a stitch of clothing on while she had hidden in the shadows by the entrance. She’d watched with wide eyes as he’d stroked his hand over his thick cock, tugging at the hard length in a casual gesture that made it obvious he had done so many times. She had stayed where she was after he had disappeared into their bathing chamber, then she had quietly made her exit. She had run all the way back to her own suite, uncaring that several guards had stopped to watch her.
She had caught glimpses of other nude warriors throughout the years since modesty wasn’t something they concerned themselves with. Still, seeing Braden had been different, and the memory of seeing his naked body had taken over her fantasies. She’d touched herself in the dark countless times while thinking about him and his brothers, but lately, seeking her own pleasure left her feeling more frustrated than satisfied. Feeling restless and edgy, she considered trying to ease the ache the dream had caused but didn’t bother.
Giving up on sleep for the moment, she got out of bed. Since she slept naked, she put on a thin robe before making her way out onto the balcony. She secured the three ties in the front, and the long, flowing material swirled around her legs as she walked outside.
Leaning her arms on the railing, she drew the cool air deep into her lungs as she looked out over the dark water. Her suite was built directly into the side of the mountain in the most secure section of the palace, and the view from each of her balconies consisted of nothing but sky and sea. When she was younger, the isolation had made her feel lonely, separate from the rest of her family, though she had come to appreciate the privacy.
“You should be sleeping.”
Letting out a loud gasp, she spun around at the sound of the deep voice behind her. Silver eyes glowed from the dark corner of the balcony where a male dressed all in black sat hidden in the shadows. She instantly recognized Braden Mazer even though she couldn’t see all of him.
He sat forward and rested his forearms on his knees. Seeing his harsh beauty highlighted in the soft lavender moonlight made her
breath catch. He was the epitome of male perfection. His long, dark-brown hair was wrapped up in a messy bun at the back of his head. Her eldest brothers were always removing elastic bands from Allie’s hair, leaving them scattered throughout the palace. Braden had started using the bands to keep his hair out of his way, and she found the unfamiliar style strangely sexy.
Who was she kidding?
She thought everything about him was highly arousing.
Braden was silent as he took in the sight of the goddess standing before him. Her face was bathed in moonlight, and the silhouette of her perfect form was visible through the thin material of her red robe. Her sleep-tousled black hair hung loose to her waist, and her glowing gold eyes were bright with surprise.
By the gods, she was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her.
She seemed happy to see him, though she tried to hide it. Perfect pink lips were parted as she gasped softly. He knew how those lips tasted, and he wanted to feel them pressed against his own again. When he had entered her suite and saw her nude body splayed out on the bed, his heart had nearly stopped. He had done the honorable thing by covering her with the sheet. It was cool out, and he hadn’t wanted her to catch a chill.
The very thought of her discomfort made him uneasy.
Covering her was all he had intended to do, then she had moaned his name. He hadn’t been able to stop himself. He had stolen a kiss, brushing his lips against hers. The light touch had set his body on fire. When she had tried to take the kiss deeper, he’d desperately wanted to strip his clothes off and join her on the bed. Instead, he’d forced himself to retreat to the balcony a safe distance away.
He’d spent countless nights hidden in the corner of her balcony, a silent sentry keeping watch to protect her when she was most vulnerable. Hellfire, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a full night’s rest, but it was damn well worth it. He liked standing guard over her while she was sleeping. Even his own brothers thought he was crazy at times. It was a compulsion in his blood, a need he had to fulfill for his own peace of mind.
