“You’re not wearing any underwear.” His eyes unglazed slightly as he looked at her, a shocked expression on his face.
“Couldn’t have you forgetting I’m not as innocent as the dress suggests.” She was surprised she’d managed to get that many words out, and was rewarded by a low chuckle from Ruben.
“I don’t think anyone would make that mistake. You’re lust personified.”
“I think there’s a few full-blooded succubi who’d disagree with you,” she murmured.
“Don’t care about them,” he grunted, and guided himself to her. “You ready, Eira?”
“I’ve been ready for days,” she replied, lust dripping from her words as her succubus part came to the surface. She’d have thought it would be satisfied after the past couple of days, but she wasn’t about to complain.
With one powerful thrust, Rueben entered her, drawing out a loud moan before he clamped a hand over her mouth. “You can’t be loud here.”
“Why not?” she asked through her ragged breathing once he’d taken his hand away.
“Someone might hear us.”
“And come watch?” she asked hopefully, losing the last word to a groan that she just about managed to suppress. Rueben growled.
“No one is watching. You’re mine.” He growled and she was half-aware of the predator that was close to the surface.
“Not even the others?”
“They can. Maybe they can watch later as I drive into you from behind.”
Heat washed through Eira as he spoke, building her up in a way she didn’t think she’d ever experienced before.
“Promise?” She followed the word with a series of whimpers as he drove into her at an almost punishing pace. Rueben leaned in, kissing her neck gently, and at complete odds with the rest of what he was doing.
“If you stay quiet now.”
She whimpered again as his teeth grazed the soft skin of her neck. Anticipation welled up within her, especially now she knew she’d won and he was going to do exactly what she wanted him to. There was pressure at her neck, and she waited for his fangs to sink in, wondering what it would feel like. From the way he’d talked about it, it would only add to the intensity of the connection between them. She wasn’t quite sure if that would really be the case, but she couldn’t wait to find out.
A sharp prick of pain broke through her haze, but it soon faded into something far more enjoyable. Rueben began to draw her blood, and as before, she felt the tug as it left her veins. But that wasn’t the only place she felt the tug, as each mouthful of blood seemed to pull her own release closer to the surface, and Rueben’s fast pace wasn’t slowing the build down. She wasn’t going to be able to quiet even if she tried.
“Rueben,” she groaned, not receiving any answer from him as his attention never wavered from where he was drawing her blood. Not that she cared. She didn’t care about anything but him, and her, and their bodies moving in tandem.
His pace quickened even more, and it was too much for Eira. Tipping her head back, she let out a scream that could have raised the roof, and made her thankful that the fae partied so loudly themselves. She came back down to earth as Rueben let out a final grown, thrusting into her and reaching his own release.
Gently, he withdrew from her, and set her back down on her own two feet, where she promptly stumbled. “You okay?” he asked softly, pushing a strand of hair away from where it had come unraveled from her up-do. She guessed that’s what she got for having a quickie in a corridor.
“Yes, just a little...”
“Light headed? Enraptured? Never going to be able to walk straight again?” He grinned at her, looking annoyingly self-satisfied. Least he had good reason to, that had been earth-shattering as far as she was concerned.
“Oh good, the two of you have finished.” Eira spun on her heels at the sound of Leth’s voice. He was leaning against the wall just a couple of metres away, with his usual amused look on his face.
“How long have you—”
“Long enough, Frostie, long enough.” He made short work of the distance between them, and leaned in. “I very much hope that Rueben keeps his promise, don’t you?” he whispered in her ear. Eira swallowed loudly, but not in nervousness. She couldn’t quite voice how she was feeling, it was too intense, and would surely make her seem far too needy. Instead, she simply nodded.
“Did you need something, Leth?” Rueben asked, trailing a hand around Eira’s back.
“Our mate?”
“We always need her,” Rueben pointed out.
“Good point, she’s like a drug. One hit and we’re addicted for life.”
“I can’t say I’m complaining.”
Eira snorted. “Alright you two, that’s enough. Leth, did you need us specifically, or just want to watch?”
“A little of both.” He smirked. Eira tapped her foot, waiting for him to continue. “I need you to come meet my Mother,” he said finally, following the words with a resigned sigh. She touched his arm gently, hoping he felt her support.
“You need both of us?” Rueben asked, not moving his hand from Eira.
“Yes, I’ll need to introduce all three of you.” He pulled a face.
“She won’t like it?” Eira asked with a frown. “That I’m not just yours?” Leth let out a bitter laugh.
“I don’t think that’ll bother her. She has six children by six different fathers.”
“What? How is that possible, did she have six mates like I have you three?” she asked, frowning and trying to make sense of it all.
“No. It doesn’t work the same for female fae. They can have children with their mates, or with humans. Most just go for the latter because they never really leave the Courts. Instead they have the underlings kidnap men and bring them here for an evening. Most believe they’re dreaming I think.” He shuddered, looking kind of repulsed.
“And your Mother...”
“Had a mate. He died from a broken heart. Rose is his daughter, but we have three younger brothers too, none of which were his.” Leth looked away.
“You were close to him, weren’t you?” Rueben observed.
“He treated me like his own son. He let me grow up with Rose when he didn’t have to, I’m just the result of one of my Mother’s kidnappings after all, but Simion...he was kind hearted. He loved Deni too, before she...” A tear formed in the corner of Leth’s eye and to Eira’s surprise, it was Rueben who reacted first. He moved past her, and pulled Leth into a bear hug.
“The same happened to my brother, during the war,” he said the words quietly. “I spent twenty years drinking away the pain.”
“Did it work?” She could hear the curiosity in his voice, along with what sounded almost like hope, and it broke her heart. She didn’t want him to be in pain, yet could understand why he was. Assuming that Deni was his sister, but given how he spoke about her and Rose, she’d say that was likely.
“No.”
Eira reached out to take each of their hands, giving them a squeeze, and received sad smiles in return. “Let me try to make it better,” she whispered, glancing back and forth between them quickly to try and convey that it wasn’t aimed at just one of them.
“You already are,” Rueben replied, dropping a quick kiss on the top of her head.
“Very much,” Leth added, squeezing her hand. She smiled at them weakly. “But now we really do need to go introduce you to my Mother, I don’t want to think about what will happen if we keep her waiting any longer.”
Eighteen
Eira’s stomach was in knots. Leth still hadn’t explained what the potential issue with his Mother could be, so her mind was running a mile a minute. Not to mention she was still worrying over the grief she’d seen from the two of them. They’d both pasted their smiles back on, and were laughing and joking with each other, and with Josh now they’d collected him and Rose, but she could tell the sadness still lingered for them both. Maybe after meeting the Fae Queen of Summer, and sorting out the whole missing f
rost issue, she’d be able to help them move past their sorrow, though she was sure it always lingered.
“She’ll love you,” Rose said, coming to walk beside Eira.
“Why don’t I believe you?” Eira muttered.
“Hmm...because I’m as convincing as my brother when it comes to her.” The other woman pulled a disgusted face.
“Things aren’t good between you then?” she asked, checking over her shoulder that her men were still okay. They were whispering together, and looking her way from where they walked several paces behind, but they seemed fine. Hopefully she’d find out what they were conspiring about later.
“They’re not bad, I guess. I’m her heir though, I guess she kind of has to like me.”
“You don’t sound too happy about that.”
“Have you ever had to pretend to be someone you’re not? Constantly? It’s kind of exhausting.”
“You mean Yuna?” Eira cursed herself instantly, she hadn’t intended to bring up the obvious relationship between the two women.
“You noticed that?”
“Hard not to with the way Leth and Yuna were talking.”
“Ah yes, my brother, our only true supporter,” Rose said bitterly. Despite not knowing her well, Eira touched her arm gently, and Rose flashed her a grateful look.
“I’m sure that’s not true,” she attempted to comfort her new sister-in-law. Huh, she hadn’t thought about Rose that way before. But it was true. And if what Leth had said was true, and she had no reason to suspect otherwise, she had multiple new brother-in-laws too, not to mention Josh’s sister, Reagan either.
“We wouldn’t really know. Leth is the only person who actually knows about us.”
“And me, and I’m sure Josh picked up on it too.”
“Yes,” Rose sighed in relief. “Actually, it feels good that someone else knows about us.”
“I’m glad I can help. But why don’t other people know? Is it because you’re both women?” She probably shouldn’t have asked, but curiosity was burning away inside her and Rose didn’t seem to be the kind to get offended. As if to prove her right, Rose laughed, the sound so musical that Eira swore she could have danced to it. Or she could if she’d been any good at dancing.
“I doubt it. It happens all the time in the Courts, the problem is more that we’re opposites. Summer and Winter. It’d be the same if Yuna and Leth were together.”
Eira let out a weird growling noise before covering her mouth. “Sorry, I don’t know where that came from,” she muttered, horrified with herself.
“It’s okay, I get the protectiveness, I feel it every time someone looks at Yuna in a way I don’t like.”
“But the way Yuna looks at you—”
“Yes, I know. Our bond is as solid as yours with them,” she pointed a thumb over her shoulder to where the three guys were still following and whispering between themselves.
“Then what’s the problem?” Eira asked, though mostly to herself. She couldn’t get her head around the idea that any mating bond was any less than a miracle. But then, maybe her guys were turning her into a sappy romantic. She snorted. Not likely. A sex addict maybe, but a sappy romantic? Seemed a little unlikely given the past few days.
“Summer and Winter just don’t naturally go together.” Rose shrugged.
“Like me and Leth.” Realisation of the cause of some of Leth’s concern flooded through her. If there was nothing she could do about the three men situation, then there was certainly nothing she could do about being partly winter.
“I honestly don’t know. You’re not fae, even if you are giving off the right signals.”
“Probably something to do with Leth,” Eira muttered, making Rose laugh.
“Most likely. I imagine you’ll also give off witch vibes and whatever the other one is.” She shrugged again as if it was immaterial.
“A vampire,” Eira supplied anyway.
“But yes, Mother may not mind. But then she might, I don’t know, it’s kind of difficult to be able to tell sometimes. Left here,” Rose said, indicating a change of path down yet another corridor.
“Where are we going? Isn’t the Queen at the ball?”
Behind her, Leth let out a bitter laugh. “Mother? At a ball? That would involve spending time with her children.”
“Leth!” Rose protested.
“Oh please, Rose, you know as well as I do that she won’t do that. Eira’s family now, she deserves to know.”
Rose sighed. “True. Mother doesn’t really come to parties. She hosts them because she has to, but she doesn’t go to them. She’ll be in her audience chambers.”
“Which is where we’re going now?” Eira asked.
“Which is where we are now, Frostie.” Leth stepped forward and slipped his left arm around her waist, pulling her to him. “Whatever she says in there, remember you have us,” he whispered quietly.
“You’re not coming with me?” she asked, looking up into his worried brown eyes, the swirls seeming to have dimmed.
“Of course we are, but—”
“Fae are matriarchal,” Rose interrupted, and Eira turned to find a disgusted look on her face. “Most of them long ago accepted that men should be treated as equal, but Mother...she likes to keep to ‘tradition’.” Rose made air quotation marks as she spoke, making her feelings known.
“But what does that mean?” She dreaded hearing the answer, already half expecting it.
“Once we’re in there, we won’t be able to say a word unless someone asks us something directly.”
Eira gaped at him, not wanting to believe what he’d said. “So how will you introduce me?”
“Why do you think I’m here?” Rose gave a small laugh, but it came across as hollow. Dread curled in Eira’s stomach, something told her that this wasn’t going to be the easiest of encounters no matter how it played out. “Ready?” Rose asked.
“As I’ll ever be,” Eira muttered, watching as the ornate twin doors swung open, revealing an opulent room filled with a pale golden light.
There were a handful of women about the room, each dressed in gowns of summer colours, including jewel tones and one that reminded Eira of sunshine. To her surprise, there were also eight men, four positioned on each side of the room. They wore nondescript armor, and were pretty much being ignored by all of the women, save one.
At the opposite end of the room to where Eira was now stood, rested a large ornate throne that appeared as if it had been carved from a large tree and gilded with gold. It was beautiful, if a little garish, but it fit with the woman who was sat upon it.
There was no doubt in her mind who the woman was, even if she hadn’t been wearing a crown and looking down on everyone as if they were mere dirt on her shoe. She had the same brown hair as Leth and his sister, hair that shone and looked like it had taken on a life of its own, and Eira was sure that if she moved closer, she’d be able to see the woman’s eyes swirl much like her mate’s did.
Slowly, Rose led the way up to the woman, ignoring the whispers from the assembled women as they looked on, probably trying to determine who they were, and who was with who.
“Your majesty.” Rose’s voice was surprisingly formal as she dipped into a curtsy, and Eira quickly followed suit, spreading the skirts of her dress, and feeling ridiculously conscious of Leth’s explanation about what it meant. Even without saying a word, the Queen knew who Eira was, and the look on her face revealed more about her feelings on the matter than Eira found comfortable.
“Daughter,” the Queen acknowledged coldly. “Who have you brought me?” At least she sounded vaguely interested now, Eira would’ve hated to feel completely insignificant.
“May I present the Lady Eira, Lord Leth’s mate. Lady Eira, may I present our Mother, the Fae Queen of Summer.”
Taking her cue from Rose’s formality, Eira dipped into another curtsy. “A pleasure, your majesty.”
“For you, maybe.”
She tried not to respond, biting her tongue har
d in her attempt not to. The two siblings may not have seemed enamoured with their Mother, but she didn’t want to be the one to burn bridges for them. Though given Rose’s choice to omit her surname from the introduction, maybe the bridges were already burned.
“Explain, Leth,” the Queen demanded.
“This is my mate, the Lady Eira, your majesty,” Leth said with a bow. “And her other mates, Vampire Elder Rueben DeLuca and Joshua Bailey.” He indicated towards Rueben and Josh who executed twin bows that any court goer would be proud of. Rueben possessing the skill made sense, he’d been alive long enough for it to be a necessity, Josh on the other hand...she’d be asking him where he’d learned later. It was probably Reagan’s influence again.
“Three?” the Queen asked Eira with an accompanying raised eyebrow.
“Yes, your majesty.”
“You should have at least tried for an even number.”
“I’m afraid I don’t pick my men based on symmetry,” Eira responded as sweetly as she could. Rose stifled a laugh with her hand while her Mother’s back was turned, and one of the men coughed behind her. Josh was her guess, but she didn’t turn around to check.
“Think you’re funny, do you?” the Queen seethed, turning around to face Eira with her eyes blazing.
“Not at all. But I don’t like you belittling my mates,” she bit out, sounding a lot more confident than she felt. It was impossible to forget that this woman was royalty, she emanated far too much entitlement for that, and even less possible to forget that she was talking to one of her Mother-in-laws.
“Who gave you the right to talk to me like that?” the woman demanded, though didn’t raise her voice, she was clearly too well trained to do that.
“Mother, she’s—”
“Quiet.” The Queen didn’t even look at her daughter, and the expression on Rose’s face just made her want to reach out and hug the other woman. Thankfully, Leth seemed to have the same idea, as she saw him press a comforting hand to his sister’s shoulder from the corner of her eye. Luckily, the gesture went unnoticed by their Mother, or Eira didn’t know what she’d do. The woman didn’t seem completely stable if anyone asked her.
Saving Eira (Fated Seasons Book 1) Page 11
