by Aurelia Skye
He frowned fiercely. “There hasn’t been a mating between a Fire & Ice being since the wizard split our world. Even before that, it was problematic and almost never done. Both sides had problems with going outside their races.”
She sighed, sadness welling in her. “That’s just awful. Do you wish you could change that?” She looked at the ice faerie chrysalis again as she asked.
He lifted a shoulder. “Wishing has done nothing for me thus far.” His gaze moved to the chrysalis of the ice faerie, and he looked bitter.
“Have you wished for her before?” When he nodded abruptly, she let out a small sigh. “I thought so. There was something between the two of you, a spark even I could sense. Does she feel the same way?”
He snorted. “I’ve never even spoken to her. We’ve seen each other across the line of demarcation at the function room in CenterPoint, but that’s it. I doubt it though. She’s so beautiful and graceful. Lyssa probably has a hundred fire demons and fire angels competing for her attention. She’d never look twice at an ice demon.”
North lifted a shoulder. “I’m sure no expert on relationships, never having had one, but I still think there was interest in her eyes too. You know, I’ll be going to their castle tomorrow… I could deliver a message for you, if you want?”
He looked scandalized. “I could never do that. Not only would it anger my family and hers, but it would be rude and presumptuous to simply write her a note.”
North struggled not to smile. “Perhaps, but if she’s as interested is in you as you are in her, I doubt she would be annoyed by a note from you. It would probably make her happy instead.”
He frowned. “Perhaps I’ll think about it, but I’m certain I won’t call upon you to be my messenger.”
She managed to keep her expression solemn. “Of course not. Just so you know that it’s an option if you want though.” She managed to maintain her stiff expression until he turned on his heel and strode the other way, as though he couldn’t escape quickly enough.
She doubted it was her that he was trying to escape so much as his own thoughts and the temptation of contacting Lyssa. Perhaps she should feel guilty for encouraging him, but the deliberate segregation of the races seemed silly to her, and she couldn’t help offering to bring them together if they felt as strongly about each other as they appeared to.
Chapter Four
Without a plan in mind, she kept an eye out for a familiar face as she wandered aimlessly around the palace grounds for a bit before finally returning to her room. She’d expected her training session to last much longer and had no other plans for the day.
The hairs on her neck stiffened as she pushed down the handle on the French doors. North stiffened and eased her head inside warily. A rush of relief filled her when she recognized Eli’s scent a scant second before he stepped into view. How had she known he was in there? Not that she’d known it was him until seeing him, but she’d definitely detected another presence in her room even before stepping across the threshold.
She finished walking inside and closed the door behind her. “Why are you lurking in my room?” She was happy to finally see one of her guards again after Marek had ditched her, but had to set boundaries. There was no doubt Eli would walk all over any barriers she placed between them if she allowed it.
His lips skinned back from his teeth, and the rings around his eyes seemed to grow wider. “Whose scent is on you?”
She frowned at him. “Answer my question.”
With a low growl, he stalked to her. That was the only word for it, and his entire form was elegant, alert, and predatory all at once. “Who?”
She put up a hand. “Stop right there. Why are you in my room?”
“I was waiting for you and trying to avoid the rest of the people in this palace.” His words were coherent despite the lengthening of his teeth. He moved suddenly, pressing her against the door as he inhaled her scent by burying his nose against her neck. He sneezed and let out a low snarl. “Marek, but who else? Someone familiar, but not…” As he trailed off, he lifted his head and revealed his irises were almost entirely golden now.
“Milo,” she said softly. A chill went down her spine, but she wasn’t exactly frightened by his animalistic behavior. Rather it was a combination of annoyance and lust that spread through her. Part of her liked this side of him very much, while the more civilized part of her resented his territorialism.
His teeth further elongated, and he seemed on the verge of shifting. He moved closer to her face, sniffing her lips before growling low in his throat. “Why would you kiss him?”
“It was an experiment.” She shoved against his shoulder. “Back up, rein in your wolf, and maybe I’ll tell you more.”
He seemed like he wouldn’t for a second, but finally, the gold receded from his gaze, and his teeth returned to normal. He seemed to make a show of putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he took a step back. “Why?” The question was far calmer now.
“Because when I kissed Marek, it made my power stronger, and his was boosted beyond anything he’d ever known. I wanted to see if that happened with anyone who kissed me.”
He snarled again, but his teeth didn’t lengthen. “You kissed Marek?”
North rolled her eyes. “Try to focus please.”
With a couple of deep breaths, he straightened his shoulders and seemed to be fully in control. “Did you get the same reaction with Milo?”
She shook her head. “Not at all, and he saw no power boost either.”
“Hmm.” He tipped his head, looking contemplative. “I assume the power boost only happens if you’re attracted to someone then?”
She shrugged. “Attracted, or perhaps just connected in some way.”
He moved closer, once more pressing her against the door, but without the rough edge of the wolf he’d shown before. “Let’s test our connection, precious.”
Perhaps she should object to kissing a third man that day, especially since she knew she wouldn’t have a reaction if she wasn’t attracted—thus removing the need to experiment with someone like Milo, to whom she had no attraction—but she wanted to feel his lips on hers. Besides, she was positive she would respond to him, and vice versa, and their powers would surge.
It wasn’t just curiosity to see how much power they could generate as she snuggled closer and lifted her head. His lips pressed against hers in a hard, demanding kiss. He seemed to be making every effort to merge their lips and leave his mark on her. The intensity blew her away, and she threaded her fingers through his hair to anchor his mouth against hers.
Sensations swept over her—primal need and a deep hunger that she’d never experienced. She’d felt desire with Marek, but this was different. It was no less fierce or needful, but definitely different. North opened her mouth, and his tongue surged inside possessively. She couldn’t stroke it, because it moved too firmly and insistently, invading her space in the most delicious way.
With a groan, he pressed his groin against her lower body, letting her feel the hardness of his cock and proof of his obvious need for her. She whimpered and pressed back against him, rubbing herself against his thigh in her search for relief.
When his hand cupped her breast, it brought some semblance of a return of sanity. With a weak moan that revealed her reluctance to do so, she pulled away. Her chest heaved, as did his, and their skin pressed together through the fabric of their clothes with each ragged exhale.
Finally, her head stopped spinning, and she could breathe again without every lungful feeling like she was dragging it through cotton wool. Her heart rate gradually slowed to normal, and she slumped against the door. “We should test our power.”
He grunted as he started undressing.
She frowned. “I’m not ready—”
He started laughing, but it turned to a pleased growling sound when he dropped his pants on the floor, and his wolf appeared. It was as solid and beautiful as she remembered. When he nudged her hip with his muzzle, she re
alized he wanted her to try to shift too.
North was too shy to strip off her clothes, so she decided to sacrifice them. If they tore, should she manage to shift, there were plenty more waiting in that decadent closet in the dressing room. She closed her eyes, trying to imitate how she’d summoned water magic earlier.
She struggled to feel that low hum, and something pulsed through her. It was different from the water element, but not frightening. It wasn’t as intense, and though she struggled to shift, even imagining herself transforming into a llama—which was ridiculous, but the first animal she could think of—nothing happened. With a sigh of frustration, she shook her head.
Eli shifted back to his human form a moment later, standing naked in front of her without a hint of self-consciousness. “That was amazing. The shift was absolutely seamless. I didn’t have to focus or force anything. It just happened.”
She nodded, but couldn’t hide her discouragement. “It wasn’t anything like that for me. I could feel some kind of power, but couldn’t really connect with it well enough to do anything with it. Plus, I don’t know how to shift, or what to shift into.” She didn’t admit that part of her had held back too. Shifting into another form frightened her.
He ran a hand through his hair. “It could be this place. Being on Earth, or any realm besides Ascensia, makes it harder to shift, and I’m a born shifter. I didn’t have any resistance this time, after kissing you. It was as easy to shift here in Haedra as it is in my dimension. You certainly boosted my power.”
“Why didn’t I feel it though?” Her frustration bled through.
He hesitated and then shrugged. “Maybe you don’t have enough power or affinity to shift. Maybe you’ll be able to when we’re in Ascensia.”
“Yeah, maybe.” She cocked her head. “How do I know what kind of shifter blood I have?”
“You’d know at your first shift during puberty usually, but as a Trueblood, you might be able to take any form you wish. We’ll try again when we’re in my home.”
With a sigh, she nodded. “Yeah, okay. I guess that means I don’t have to kiss you again until we travel to Ascensia.”
Her words had been teasing, but he looked offended. “Have to kiss me? Was it that unpleasant?”
She tilted her head straight again. “I’ve forgotten. Maybe you should remind me…”
He pressed against her again, his mouth nearing hers. “A reminder is definitely in order.”
North parted her lips in preparation, but froze when the wood against her back vibrated. Someone was knocking kind of forcefully, making it impossible to ignore. With a small sigh of regret, she slipped under Eli’s arm as he groaned his frustration while pressing his forehead against the door. She opened the one beside it and peered out.
Eamon, Orin, Ryland, and Kriss stood in the hallway. They wore different expressions, from irate to curious, but all had one common element—hunger, which intensified when their gazes all settled on her.
Chapter Five
North ran a hand through her hair nervously before smoothing her hands down her sides. “Would do you need?” She wasn’t trying to be unwelcoming, but their gazes were unnerving.
“May we come in?” Ryland was the only one who even attempted manners, and he was asking as Orin and Eamon slipped through the other door against which Eli had rested his forehead. He must’ve moved, though she had been distracted by the other four standing in the hallway and hadn’t noticed.
“If we’re having some kind of meeting, Marek should be here too.”
Kriss frowned at her words. “He’s already had his share and then some.”
A ball of nerves tightened her stomach, and she was suddenly convinced they were there about the kiss. “How did you know?”
“He told us,” said Orin. “Marek was shaken, and it didn’t take much to get him to tell us what was happening.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and started pacing. “The thing is, I’m not sure what’s going on. I had a power surge, and his was beyond any power he’d ever known. Then I kissed Milo, but nothing happened.”
“You kissed Milo?” Kriss’s eyes sizzled, and little flames appeared in the brown depths. “Why were you kissing him? He’s not one of your promised.”
She let out a frustrated sigh. “Which is exactly why I kissed him. I wanted to see if I had the same power surge with him, but figured out after kissing Eli that we need to have a connection before the power surge happens.”
“You’ve kissed everyone except us?”
She frowned at Kriss. “I’m not sure what you’re implying, but it doesn’t sound good. It’s not like I went around Fire & Ice kissing everyone available to me.”
He winced, though it was difficult to tell if it was because of her words, or because she’d referred to his realm by its colloquial term. A moment later, he clarified. “I didn’t mean to imply anything like that, but I think it’s only fair that you kiss us now and see what happens.”
She couldn’t deny her enthusiasm for that plan. “That’s probably a good idea, and as soon as there’s an opportunity—”
Ryland cut her off before she could finish. “No, we mean right now.”
She arched a brow. “In front of each other? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“There’s no time like the present to discover if we’re all connected to you with the same intensity as Marek,” said Ryland in a calm voice. Eamon nodded, but hadn’t really spoken yet.
She licked her lips and shot a look at Eli, gauging to see how he was reacting. He looked a little stiff, and his lips were pursed, but he didn’t appear to be actively battling the wolf, or even overt jealousy.
It was still daunting to kiss any of them in front of the others, but she was most worried about Eli’s reaction, since he had been the most possessive right from the start. With a sigh, she nodded her acquiescence. “Who’s first?”
“Why don’t you pick?” asked Orin.
She rolled her eyes. “How generous of you.” She was a little irked how they basically burst into her room and demanded a kiss, but it wasn’t the thought of kissing them that irritated her. It was simply the manner they had chosen to approach her.
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” said Eamon. He shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor more than at her. The tips of his ears were red, and he seemed to be vacillating between anticipation and nervousness.
She found him absolutely adorable that way, and attractive as well. There was something endearing about his shyness, possibly because it forced her to move past her own if she wanted to interact with him in a meaningful way. When she pointed at him and cooked her finger with a smile, his eyes widened.
North actually giggled when he looked behind him on both sides to make sure she was pointing at him. “You,” she confirmed.
She was afraid he might trip in his eagerness to reach her, but he was next to her a moment later without mishap, standing awkwardly facing her. She leaned closer, bringing her lips near his ear so only he could hear. “Have you ever done this before?” At the hesitant shake of his head, she confirmed her suspicions. He was as new to all this as she was, aside from her two recent experiences with kissing—three if she counted Milo, but that was an inconsequential exchange.
North cupped his shoulders, urging him a little closer still, and stretched on her tiptoes to reach his mouth. His hands hung awkwardly at his sides for a moment, but he finally seemed to realize that and moved them to her hips.
North pressed her lips against his in a cautious touch that was more of an introduction than a kiss. He responded by repeating the motion, and their lips gently explored each other. Her mouth contoured to his, and heat spiraled in her stomach.
There was a surge of tenderness mingled through the desire that shot through her, making it a distinct reaction that she had just with Eamon. That she felt something completely different from him, while it was entirely similar to what she’d experienced with Marek and Eli, did
nothing to help her clarify who was the one she should choose.
Gradually, their mouths pressed harder to each other, and her tongue slipped between his lips. Eamon’s fingers tightened on her hips, and he pulled her snugly against him, so that their lower bodies pressed together. His hands moved from her hips to her butt, cupping and kneading the cheeks as the kiss deepened.
His tongue swept into her mouth, and though he was uncertain at first, he soon grew more confident with each little moan that passed through her lips. She could feel the assurance radiating from him, and the moans certainly weren’t any pretense on her part to bolster his confidence.
Pleasure wasn’t all she felt. That humming vibration was back, and it felt different than it had with Marek or Eli.
“Holy…” Orin trailed off.
His voice broke the spell that had woven around her. When she opened her eyes, she realized that was a literal thing. A spell surrounded them. She and Eamon hovered a few inches off the ground, and they were completely encircled by a purple ball of magic that seemed to come from both of them.
Experimentally, she removed her hand from his neck, and the ball started to collapse. Hurriedly, she pressed her palm to his skin again, and as soon as they were touching, their position and the sphere around them stabilized.
“This is cool,” said Eamon, though he sounded a little fearful too.
She looked at him. “Have you done anything like this before?”
He shook his head. “Never. I can feel power thrumming in me. It’s not like anything I’ve ever known before. And there’s no drain.”
She frowned. “What’d you mean?”
He shrugged a shoulder, which displaced her hand for a moment, causing the purple light around them to flicker before she touched him again and restored solidity. “It’s like when I made you the shoes the night Caius announced your existence to the Council. I could feel it zapping my energy, which is a normal part of magic, at least for me.”
“Me too,” said Orin.
