by Olivia March
“Nefarion, we can’t perform a procedure on this girl that she doesn’t want, you know that. I have the same distaste for such a device as you do, but things are different on this planet. Humans can procreate with much more ease than our own, it’s only natural that they take steps to prevent that. Stand down and leash your shadows, or I’ll do it for you.”
Helion’s voice was ice cold, and it snapped Nefarion’s attention away from Annabelle and onto him. For a moment, it looked like the two were going to fight, and Annabelle was scared. She didn’t want to see Nefarion fighting with his own Commander, there had to be consequences for that among their own people. Insubordination or whatever. Annabelle stepped forward, intending to put herself between the two, but her movement brought Nefarion’s attention back to her. He seemed a bit like a dog at bay, not sure which target he wanted to bite into first.
“Nefarion, stand down your shadows, I will keep my word. The girl isn’t pregnant, that was always a possibility. But you, Annabelle, will give Nefarion a chance to woo you, to show you that even though being his queen will be hard, that he can make it worth your while. In return, Nefarion won’t attempt to mate you without your consent.”
Annabelle looked at Nefarion with no small amount of doubt. He didn’t look like he was in the mood to do any “wooing.” And even if he was, Annabelle was not in a receptive mood. But what would he do if she said no? The Keeper looked like he was about to commit violence right here in this tent with his Commander and his very pregnant mate watching. She had to convince him she didn’t want to marry him, and he wanted to convince her of the opposite at the same time. What a farce.
“If I agree to these terms, where will I stay? I can’t share a tent with Nefarion,” Annabelle added, looking at her feral lover cautiously. At her words his shadows pulsed, hard. Annabelle was intimately acquainted with what those shadows could do to her body, and that was all good, but right now they might inflict pain instead of pleasure.
“I won’t accept Annabelle residing anywhere but our tent. My men have secured that area, and it’s the safest place for the future princess of Balruin.”
Helion hesitated here, clearly searching for the right thing to do. He wasn’t a fool, he knew if Nefarion got Annabelle alone in that tent she was done for. But where to put her if not in there? She couldn’t stay in a tent with Gwen, no matter how much she wanted to converse with the lady. Gwen was pregnant and needed to have frequent intercourse with Helion for some medical reason no one had filled her in on. And Annabelle did not have a taste for voyeurism.
“Nefarion’s tent will be the best place for you, Annabelle. He has called in a dozen of his palace guard to protect you during our campaign against the Scourge, and they are already set up. However, I will assign you a guard that will…discourage…Nefarion from trying anything. This is intended to be a courtship period, not a forced mating. You may keep your pregnancy inhibitor as well, just in case.”
Helion’s eyebrows lifted on that last, implication hanging heavy in the air that Annabelle wouldn’t be able to resist a seduction. Since she wasn’t so sure of that herself she didn’t take offense. When he wanted to, Annabelle was sure that Nefarion could charm the panties off any person on his radar.
“Fine,” she sighed, accepting the inevitable. “I want to insist on a time limit for this experiment however. I know I don’t want to be a queen. And the sooner I convince Nefarion of that, the sooner I can get on with my life. But I won’t hang around here forever, there’s some things I need to take care of.”
“A time limit…what say you Nefarion? What amount of time do you think you’d require to convince this little human that you’d make a good mate?” Helion’s voice, for all its coldness, sounded darkly amused. Annabelle gathered that she’d somehow hurt Nefarion’s pride by refusing to be his wife, but he would need to get over that. One day he’d realize what a huge favor she’d done him by holding fast.
Nefarion backed away slightly, perhaps appeased by her agreeance to live in his tent for this “wooing” period. His shadows receded back into his body, and some of the feral intensity faded from him. Annabelle breathed a sigh of relief to see him downgrading his aggression. She didn’t want to live even temporarily with someone who had uncontrollable rage issues.
“I will give her two weeks of wooing to decide I’m a worthy mate. Come with me now Annabelle, I’ll get you settled into our tent and introduce you to your guard.”
Annabelle looked at Gwen’s sympathetic expression and her mate’s annoyed one, and sighed. She really had no choice here, she had to allow Nefarion to “woo” her for the next two weeks. How he even planned to do that was a mystery. The way he’d told it to her for their entire trip, Balruin Keepers were a savage, brutal lot. What would he even know about wooing a woman? But she’d agreed to the bed, and now she had to lie in it, so when Nefarion turned and left the tent without another word, she followed him slowly.
* * * *
The walk back to the tent was agonizingly awkward. In her old life, Annabelle had limited her interactions with strangers as much as possible. She didn’t like being singled out for attention, and being social with strangers had always been very hard. But on the short walk to Nefarion’s tent, she was stared at by dozens, even hundreds, of Keepers. Some stood and were blatant about it, while others pretending not to be watching when in fact they were scoped on her. It was a relief when Nefarion’s huge tent came into view and she quickly brushed past him to get inside when he held the flap open for her.
She quickly drew up though, surprised. Nefarion had told her that Commander Helion was his superior, but this tent was every bit as large as his Commander’s, and just as comfortably furnished. Annabelle saw a huge bed on one side of the tent covered in blankets and pillows that her body ached to try. There was a large table for dining, wooden chests stacked against the walls, and boxes of firestones all around that lent a delicious amount of heat to the space. And right in the center of the room a large clawfoot tub had been placed, full of steaming hot water that Annabelle would sacrifice a limb to climb into.
“From the way you’re staring at that water, mate, I imagine your last real bath was a long time ago.”
With difficulty, Annabelle yanked her gaze from the tub and faced Nefarion. He looked calmer now, which was a relief. But he had a look in his eye that she didn’t trust, and Annabelle wondered how long it would take Helion to send over the bodyguard he’d promised. Annabelle wanted a bath, more food, and to climb into that bed, all in that order. She really didn’t have the energy or the will to go to battle with Nefarion right now.
“It’s been months…there’ve been no opportunities to take one since the invasion.”
“We will remain here on Earth together until the Scourge have finally been wiped out, mate, but I will ensure you get a bath brought here every day. And once we’ve rid the galaxy of their filth, I will take you to the palace in Balruin and show you the bathing suite attached to our rooms. The things I will do to you there…”
Annabelle swallowed, loving yet hating that hot look that came into his eyes. Her thighs still felt sore from her last foray into passion with him. And not just her thighs either. If her situation were different she could indulge her desire for him right here and now, she knew he’d welcome her advances. But the situation was what it was though, and she had to resist. But there was some comfort in knowing that should she show weakness, he wouldn’t be able to force her hand with a baby. She’d fight tooth and nail to keep this IUD, even if the idea of having a child with Nefarion made her heart hurt.
“I’m not your mate Nefarion, and I’m too tired and hungry to fight with you. Can we table this discussion until I’ve had a bath, some food and a little sleep?”
“Your needs are always my primary concern, mate. Once you’ve had your bath and are changed I will have the food brought. I want to introduce you to the men I’ve brought from Balruin to see to your safety, so they will dine with us this night. They will guar
d you at all times, Annabelle, even if you can’t see them they will be there.”
Annabelle turned her attention to the bath again, hearing more in Nefarion’s words than he was saying. She could interpret his statement two ways. One, he was possibly telling her this so she’d feel safe from the Scourge and from other Keepers. But the more likely interpretation was a warning; try to escape, and you’ll be caught, and quickly. There was no likelihood that she could escape this camp without being caught by any number of other Keepers outside of Nefarion’s men, so she had no intention of wasting brain resources trying to figure out a plan to get away.
“I’m happy to meet your men, Nefarion, but I really would like to have this bath first. Could you…”
Annabelle waved her hand towards the tent flap, trying to show him what she wanted instead of telling him flat out that she wanted him to leave his own tent. She was annoyed with him right now but there was no call to be rude. He made her revise that opinion though when he just smirked at her and folded his elegant frame into one of the nearby chairs. She eyed him, but he showed no signs of budging. If she really wanted this bath, she’d have to take it with him watching. Did she really want it enough to sacrifice her modesty? Hell yes, she did.
Annabelle turned her back to Nefarion and began to disrobe. There were quite a few layers to go through, yet her body was still chilled from their journey so she hated taking any of it off. But the tub was radiating heat, and there were such beautiful looking soaps and scrubs next to it. How often had she dreamed of taking a luxurious bath over the last few months? A little chill wouldn’t stop her any more than that voyeur over in the chair would. Annabelle methodically cast aside all her clothes until she was standing there entirely nude, and then hurriedly climbed into the tub.
And, oh…Annabelle wished in that moment that she was of a more artistic bent. If she’d been born to be a poet or a writer, she could have accurately described what the sensation of sinking into all that liquid heat felt like. But all she could do was groan loudly and sink down as far as she could until the water came all the way up to her chin. God, she never wanted to leave.
“You may have to just accept that I will never again leave this tub, and I will need someone to refresh it occasionally,” Annabelle called out to Nefarion. She closed her eyes and let her body relax fully for the first time in ages. Yet another pleasure in her life for which she had to give credit to Nefarion. The Keeper had saved her life, protected her, shown her unbelievable pleasure, and now pampered her with the most decadent bath she could ever recall taking. Was it any wonder she was in love with him?
Chapter 17
Nefarion watched his mate lean back in the tub and close her eyes. It was good that she did, else she’d have seen the reaction he had to her that he couldn’t control. He was quite uncomfortably aroused under his armor, but he didn’t dare take it off, not yet. Helion, thrice-bedamned Helion, would be sending Annabelle a guardian soon. Nefarion had inquired over their link who Helion imagined could keep him from taking his mate should he wish to do so, and goddamn Helion but he’d chosen the perfect Keeper. Tohran, Helion’s second in command, had been chosen for guard duty.
Nefarion thought over what he knew of Tohran as he tried to ignore the sounds of Annabelle soaping up all those luscious curves. The woodworker was famous in Arthaneas, from a family of famed artists. His clan wasn’t usually inclined to soldiering, but Tohran had a calling for it, a true talent with the short swords. His affinity for art could not be denied, however. He was always using his talents to carve wooden items, large and small, of great beauty. His affinity for nature was reflected in his personal appearance as well, from the vibrant green color of his hair to those golden amber-colored eyes.
Normally Nefarion wouldn’t give a thought for an artist. They weren’t normally very good at killing, even though all males on Arthaneas received some military training, and the girls too if their families wished it. Tohran, however, was quite a different story. The Keeper required little sleep, was miserably canny, and had a knack for knowing his enemies moves before even they knew what they wanted to do. He was always calm and collected, but when provoked could strike with the speed and accuracy of a coiled snake.
But perhaps his worst trait was that he was completely immune to intimidation. Even the prince of Balruin couldn’t put fear into Tohran, because the Keeper didn’t care if he died or not on these campaigns. While he was alive he intended to fight with everything he had, but it was a well-known fact that Tohran’s losses during the Scourge invasion of Arthaneas had left him zero will to live beyond getting revenge. It was the driving motivator behind his existence, and no amount of threats would sway him from doing his duty.
In sum, Tohran was the perfect Keeper to prevent Nefarion from getting inside his mate again until she accepted him. He stared broodily at his happily soaking mate, reformulating ideas in his head. Using passion to sway her had been his first impulse. She’d been delightfully willing to follow where he led the previous night. She hadn’t refused him from taking more and more of her either, no matter how tired she’d gotten. He could still feel the sweet, wet clasp of her around his cock, and he was eager to reacquaint himself with every inch of her delicious body. Now however…
It seemed that, for the first time in his long life, he needed to woo a female. This one wasn’t going to chase after him because of his position as his father’s only heir. And unlike those other women, Annabelle didn’t want to be seeded with Nefarion’s child, in fact she outright refused such a possibility when she wouldn’t get her device removed. That still grated on Nefarion’s nerves like an irritating rash. That device inside his mate needed to go. Just knowing it was in there, denying his seed a chance to plant, enraged him. He’d send his shadows in for the damned thing if he didn’t believe that would traumatize his mate and turn her against him. He needed to get her consent to have it removed by hook or crook, and have Nathal carefully remove it.
One problem at a time. How to woo his reluctant princess was the first issue to deal with. He didn’t know how humans wooed each other, but on Balruin a wooing usually involved aggression and blood sport. Female Keepers where he was from wanted to know a male was strong, and could protect her and any offspring they were lucky enough to have. Keepers no longer warred much between each other, more’s the pity, but invasions like the Scourge attack were not unheard of. Before Arthaneas had become allied to the magic wielders and the shifter kind, both races had skirmished with Keeper forces here and there on satellite colonies. And the Scourge had directly attacked the Keeper home world. Balruin Keeper females would accept nothing less into their bed but ruthless, skilled warriors.
Looking at Annabelle, and considering what she had faced the night he’d met her, he had a feeling that a display of shadow Keeper aggression would not get him what he wanted. Annabelle wasn’t scared of him, and he never wanted to give her a reason to be. Perhaps some research was needed. And who better to ask than the only other male in camp with a human mate?
“Commander, I require advice. You’ve condemned me to this wooing ritual, and I have no idea how to court a human female. What sort of things do you do to please your mate, aside from the obvious.”
There was a pause, and Nefarion wondered if his Commander would even bother to answer over the link. He was very protective of Gwen and didn’t like discussing their relationship with the other Keepers, much to the frustration of his men. Many wanted to find human mates as well, seeing how quickly Helion had seeded his heir on one. A Keeper heir at that, according to Nathal. All his scans had shown that the baby inside Gwen had predominantly Keeper characteristics.
“Human women, I’ve found, need to feel loved. Cared for. When I come back from a skirmish or a mission, I maintain a lot of physical contact with Gwen outside of sex. Holding hands, hugging, kissing, small caresses. Sometimes I bring her items from outside the camp I think she will enjoy, like chocolates and books. And when we have time alone together, I tell her abou
t my life, and our world on Arthaneas, so she can picture herself there when we eventually go back there together.”
Nefarion nodded to himself, considering everything Helion had said. Annabelle had been happy with his small gestures the night before, with the pillow and the chocolates and other small items. He could quite easily bring her things of comfort from around her world to make her happy. And he had no problems at all touching her, but to touch for comfort instead of for sex was foreign to him. He didn’t think such gestures would come easily to him, but he was willing to try.
“Thank you, Commander. When will Tohran be arriving? My mate is currently bathing, she’ll need at least half an hour I’d say.”
“Probably more like half a day if Annabelle is anything like Gwen. I’ll send Tohran in an hour, and I warn you Nefarion, I have told him to stick to Annabelle like glue. My mate would give me hell if I did otherwise, as she’s very protective of her fellow human. Make that human love you and want to be your queen by fair means instead of foul, or neither one of us will ever hear the end of it.”
“As you say, Commander,” Nefarion bit out before cutting the connection. Fair means instead of foul, what a ridiculous notion. Nefarion would win this campaign to keep his mate by whatever means were necessary, be they honorable or not. He couldn’t let Annabelle slip through his fingers, it just wasn’t a possibility. Nefarion spent some time brooding over the issue, until finally he had to call a halt to his mate’s enjoyment.
“It’s time to dine, young one,” he called out, bringing his attention back to the room. He looked over and saw Annabelle frowning at him. “You may have another bath tomorrow, mate. I’m sure that water is getting cold as we speak, and you haven’t eaten all day. Come out now, and we’ll get some food in you before you rest.”
