Brodie waves over his shoulder as he allows his much larger frame to be pulled behind Arela. "Later."
"I still do not like them hanging out so much." Dare scowls as he leads me out of the library and we make the long trek back toward the main hall and food.
"Oh, relax. He protects her and makes her happy. Right now they are just best friends." I snort. "Besides, I think he's scared to try anything at the moment, between the threats he gets from me and then there's all of you guys."
"Good. If he likes his manly parts, he'll keep his hands off."
I roll my eyes. "I want a sandwich. And some pickles. And cookies. And pineapple."
Dare's face morphs into one of disgust at the combo before he can hide it. "Whatever you'd like, mo grá."
"I saw that."
"I can't help it. You want the strangest things all at once."
"Don't blame me. Blame them." I rub at my belly. "What are we going to do with two babies, Dare?"
"Probably not sleep for months. But you will be the best mother, mo grá. I know it."
"I'm not so much worried about mothering but protecting. And what about names? Picking out one is hard enough. But now two? What if we name them something awful and we don't know it?" We reach the hall, and instead of the normal buzz of talking, it's dead silent. I look up to find Kirin, Eryn, and Axel, along with Dagan and Dax, all standing there, their mouths hanging open.
"Something tells me we've got people who won't let us make that mistake, mo grá."
"Did we hear that right? Them? As in more than one?" Eryn steps forward, a cautious smile gracing her lips.
I sigh. "Yeah, twins. A boy and a girl."
Eryn shrieks in a very un-Eryn-like way and lunges at me. I brace myself for the assault, but she stops short, softly hugging me.
The guys all whoop and holler, slapping Dare on the back and lifting him up in man hugs. Axel side-hugs me and Kirin picks me up, spinning me around.
"I'm going to be an uncle twice over!"
"You're going to be dead if you don't put her down. Now." Dare's voice is deadly cold and his chest heaves.
Kirin plops me back down gently before taking three giant steps backwards and holding his hands up. "You know I would never hurt her."
I smack at Dare's chest. "Stop it. He was just excited. He didn't harm me or the babies. See, I'm fine." I cup his face in my hands and he allows me to turn his head toward me. He looks me over, running his hands over me and stopping with both hands on my stomach. The babies kick and whirl in response to his touch and he huffs out a breath, his expression calming.
"Sorry, Kirin. I'm a bit on edge after the news."
"No problem, man. I get it. We're all ready to kill anyone who tries to harm her or them." They nod at each other in understanding.
"Can we get some food now?" I break the tension with my ever-present need for food and everyone laughs.
"Yes, let's get you some food." Dare ushers me over to the table, fussing until I threaten him.
Eryn sits next to me, grabbing one of the books on the table. "Goblin Baby Names? Oh, this ought to be good." She cracks it open, the spine creaking. "Oh, this one is perfect."
"Which one?" I lean over and read the name she's pointed to. "Borvin? You've got to be joking."
"Of course not," Eryn deadpans. "It's a great goblin name, don't you think?"
"Yeah, if he wants to be made fun of for his whole life. No way."
Kirin stands behind Eryn, reading over her shoulder. "Oh, this is a good one. How about Miroslawa? That's sure to drive the boys crazy."
"Hey! Don't joke. She's not even born. No dating for her until she's at least a hundred years old."
We go back and forth, eating and laughing at all the crazy Fae names that we've never heard of. Some of them we can't even pronounce, and Dare and his brothers help us with that, scowling when I threaten to name our son and daughter something gods-awful.
"Dare, you don't like Vratislav?" Merriment dances in his eyes but he mock frowns at me. "Come on. It's a strong name."
"It's a horrible name, mo grá. If you keep this up, I'm going to take away your naming privileges." He taps the end of my nose with his finger and I bite at it.
"You can try..." I yawn, ruining any menacing effect.
"Is that a threat?" Dare stands, circling the table and helping me to rise.
"Of course it is. And you know I'll make good on it." I yawn again, covering my mouth. "As soon as I nap." I grab one of the books to take with me and wave to everyone. "Sorry, guys, I'm exhausted. I've got to take a nap before I face-plant in this pie."
"Go sleep. We'll catch up later." Axel and Kirin go back to polishing their blades and Eryn looks up from her book, with a "Get some rest" before shoving her nose back into the pages.
"I think I've been dismissed." I huff in fake affront as Dare and I walk toward our bedroom.
"Don't worry, mo grá, I'm sure when you wake up they'll be right where you left them, only this time with a longer list of abhorrent names for our children."
I lie down in our giant bed, cuddled up to Dare as close as I can be with a giant belly between us and try to get some rest. My body is tired but my mind is going a mile a minute. I sigh.
"Why are you not resting, mo grá?" Dare arches a brow.
"Because my mind won't shut up."
"We can't have that. You need to keep up your strength for both yourself and the babes."
"I'm open to suggestions on how to knock my ass out."
Dare rolls onto his side, facing me. He caresses my side, his large hand starting at my knee and ending at the bottom of my ribs. "I don't think we need to knock you out. Perhaps just tire you out a bit more." He licks his lips, his gaze focused on my mouth.
I roll onto my back and push up from lying down, sitting back on my heels, desire winding its way through me. "I like where your head is at."
Dare grips my hips, lifting me up and placing my core against his. "Come here and use me as you wish."
I grind my pussy over his hard length, shivering at the sensation. "I want you inside of me. Hard and fast, Dare."
"I don't want to hurt you, Ever." He rubs his thumb against my clit, swirling it in circles, and my breath hitches.
"I won't break, Dare." I dig my nails into the ridges of his stomach as I move back and forth on his length, my panties and his pants the only thing separating our flesh.
"Ever..."
"Don't argue with me. I'm horny and pregnant." I bat my eyelashes at him. "Pretty please, Dare?"
"You did that on purpose, mo grá."
I smile at him, pulling at his pants to get them out of my way. "I don't know what you mean."
Dare grunts in response but doesn't stop me from freeing his cock. I wrap my fingers around it, pumping him a few times. "Do you like these panties?"
"Actually—" Rip. The sound of fabric tearing greets my ears and I frown down at him. "I liked those."
"Too bad. They were in my way." Dare rubs a finger against my folds, my wetness coating his digit. "I love the way your body responds to my touch."
I grip his shaft in my hand and lift my hips, angling myself to take him. "I can't help it. You turn me on, goblin."
Dare steadies me with his hands on my hips and I sink down onto his length slowly, teasing the both of us. Inch by inch, until I've sheathed him to the hilt. "Ride me, little tine. Take your pleasure."
I bite my lip, doing exactly as he told me to, moving up and down on his cock. He meets me stroke for stroke, pushing his hips up to connect with mine in a dance designed to pull screams of pleasure from my lips. He moves one hand from my hips, his thumb notching at my swollen nub. Every movement of mine results in sparks of bliss shooting out from my core to my entire body.
"Dare."
"What, mo grá? Tell me."
"Feels so good."
Dare moves his hips faster underneath me, taking over the pace and driving up into me in a way that takes my breath away.
&nbs
p; "I can feel your walls fluttering around me, Ever. Are you going to come all over my cock?"
I nod, unable to form words as he pushes me higher and higher toward the edge. Symbols and swirls form on my skin, lighting up the room and casting shadows against the walls. Every time we're together, they take longer and longer to disappear afterward. It's to the point that I can't leave our room for hours once we've sated ourselves. I already feel like my protruding belly is a sign pointing at me, but add in the glowing symbols and I'm a walking billboard for attention.
My pussy clenches hard on Dare's dick when he swirls his hips and I gasp, gripping his hand on my hip with mine. "Dare... do that again."
He chuckles darkly and repeats the motion.
Once, twice, three times and I fly over the edge, chanting his name. "Dare, Dare, Dare."
"You grip me so tight, mo grá. Gods." He thrusts up into me and stills, the warmth of his seed filling me sending another pulse of euphoria through me.
Dare pushes up, wrapping his arms around me so I don't fall backwards and he peppers kisses over my neck and face. I hum in contentment. I don't know how, but every time, it gets better and better. As we learn each other more thoroughly, it's like we set out to see who can give whom the most pleasure at once. It's a game that I'm all too happy to lose most times.
"I love you, Dare." I press my hands on either side of his face, kissing his mouth softly.
"And I love you, Ever. More than life itself."
I snuggle into him, happiness buzzing through my veins as my breathing regulates and my heartbeat slows from a jackhammer to a steady rhythm. "Don't let me sleep the day away, 'kay?" I yawn, my eyes closing of their own accord.
"Whatever you say, mo grá." Dare's large hand brushes up and down my spine and I drift off. My last thought before sleep envelopes me is the love I have for this goblin and the fact that I'd move heaven and earth to keep him by my side.
3
Shouts wake me with a start and I sit up in bed, a bit dazed at what's happening.
"And I told you she needs her rest. You can train another day!" Dare's thunderous voice practically shakes the room and I wince. Uh-oh. Someone's pissed him off.
"She told me that no matter what, I'm to wake her ass up and get her to train with me." The shrill feminine voice belongs to Kiara, daughter of the Unseelie queen and current guest of the Goblin Kingdom.
I stretch my arms above my head. "Dare, she's right, I did tell her that. Don't be mad at her."
Dare whirls on me, his expression morphing from livid to caring as he looks me over. "You can skip a day, Ever. It won't kill you."
"I don't want to skip a day. I need to stay active and sharp. I can't afford to get out of shape while I'm pregnant."
"I will protect you." Dare's chest puffs out and I smile softly at him.
"I know you will. But I'd also like to be able to protect myself and our babies if need be." I hold out my hand for him and he grabs it, sitting on the edge of the bed. "We talked about you wrapping me in cotton."
He sighs. "I know. I can't help it, Ever. I want you safe and out of harm’s way."
"Kiara isn't going to harm me. In fact, I'll probably be the one harming her."
Kiara snorts from the hallway. "She's right. I end each practice session with a new bruise to add to my collection."
"See? I'll be fine." I nod to Kiara. "I'll meet you in the training room. Give me, like, ten minutes to get dressed and waddle my ass over there."
"Sounds good. See you there." She shuts the door before retreating, her footsteps louder than they should be for someone so tiny.
"Can you help me out of bed?" I grunt from the effort it takes to get moving once I've been still for so long. Dare opens his mouth but I slap my hand over it. "Don't even think about it. I'm going. End of discussion. You can come and watch. That's all I'll give you."
He narrows his eyes at me, his lips forming a frown under my palm, but he nods. He stands up, pulling me with him and depositing me on my own two feet in one smooth motion. "Fine. But I will say when you've had enough."
I wave him off as I grab some clothes to throw on. "Sure, sure."
I dress quickly and we head to the training room, the sounds of flesh meeting mat alerting us to someone who's already practicing. I watch as Kiara practices her movements with a punching bag. She's focused on her breathing as she moves her body, each swing of her arm perfectly timed.
Kiara catches sight of us and stops mid-swing, her expression like a kid who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
"Don't stop on my account. You're looking really solid in your maneuvers. You don't have to only practice with me. I won't be offended if you spar with others. As a matter of fact, I encourage it so you can learn from them as well."
"I just don't want to go up against someone and make a fool of myself." She winces. "I've had enough of looking like a fool."
"I get it. Okay, then, let's add to what we were working on last time." I show her the basic movements for getting out of someone's hold, walking her through each step and correcting her when she steps too far or doesn't get it quite right. "Dare, can you help with this?"
Kiara's eyes go wide. "I can't break out of his hold. He's massive."
I laugh. "If I can break out of his hold, you can too. It's all about using your body weight to your advantage and their larger mass to their disadvantage."
"What can I help with?" Dare looks between the two of us, his hands on his hips.
"You're going to attack Kiara and she's going to break out of your hold." I smile at him.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Dare steps backwards.
"Why not? You're a great teacher and it will be good for her to learn with someone larger than her." I tilt my head, wondering why he's scared of Kiara.
"She's the Unseelie queen's daughter. I do not wish to harm her by accident and start a war."
I look to Kiara. "Can you promise that if you get a bruise from working with Dare, you won't cry to your mommy and start a war between her kingdom and Dare's father's?"
Kiara nods. "I don't think it would be a problem. It's not like you're intentionally trying to hurt me. We're only training. I know the difference."
Dare still hesitates and I tap my foot on the mat, waiting for him to make up his mind.
"I can promise that I won't start a war from a silly scratch during training with my daughter." Her voice booms through the room even though she didn't raise her voice. Queen Nicnivin.
My hand flies to my throat in surprise and I twirl to face the queen of the Unseelie court. I shouldn't be surprised. She doesn't seem to have any issues breaking through our wards, but how she was able to pinpoint our location within the castle is another thing altogether. "Queen Nicnivin. How nice of you to join us." I tip my head to the side in a sort of bow in lieu of a curtsey. If I squat down, I'm not getting back up at this point.
"Oh, my dear Ever. You never were one to mince words."
"I didn't mean offense." I really don't care either way, but it's best to not piss off the queen of the Unseelie. She's got the sluagh under her command and I need another enemy like I need a hole in my head.
She waves me off. "I know. I came to check in on my daughter and offer my congratulations."
I frown. How the hell did she know that congratulations were in order? "You've already congratulated me."
"Yes, but now you know you are carrying twins."
"And you knew this before I did?" Dare steps forward, his stance defensive.
"Of course I did. I saw it in one of my glimpses of the future."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I'm not so much angry at her but frustrated that she withheld the information. Gods know who else she could have told. Or what she could have bargained for with the intel.
"And ruin the surprise for the both of you? I would never." She places a hand over her chest like the suggestion offends her and I try to stop myself from rolling my eyes at her dramatics. Normally she's much
more straightforward.
"Mmhmm. Well, thank you for stopping by. As you can see, Kiara is fine, and we're teaching her how to defend herself."
Nicnivin's sharp gaze moves from me to her daughter and her lips purse. "Where is Brigid? She is your guard while you are here. She should be teaching you this, should she not?"
Kiara's pale skin flushes red and I grimace. Shit, this is my fault. "Uh, actually, this was my idea. Kiara needs to learn, and Brigid needs to stay sharp, so we swapped. I teach Kiara and get a workout in, as much as I can in my condition, and Brigid gets to train with the goblins." I clap my hands together. "Win-win."
"Win-win, indeed." Nicnivin clasps her hands in front of her and stands there, staring at the three of us.
I look at Kiara and Dare, waiting for one of them to say something. Neither of them do. "Was there something else, Queen Nicnivin?"
"Nothing pressing. Please do continue. I'd like to see Kiara's progress."
Kiara's shoulders droop and I rack my brain on how to get her out of this situation. Training in front of an audience is daunting even when you've had years of experience. For someone so new to hand-to-hand combat, it can be terrifying.
"Okay, we'll show you a few moves." I make eye contact with Kiara and try to give her a pointed look, mouthing the words, follow my lead.
She nods almost imperceptibly and follows me over to the shelves of weapons. I grab two staffs and toss one at her. She catches it midair with one hand and spins it around.
"Let's go for disarming me rather than maiming me, yeah?"
"Got it."
I lunge at her, swinging my staff at her head with as much force and speed as I can muster. She blocks it, following through with a move of her own. We move across the mats, trading blows, both gaining ground and losing it. Kiara's moves are jerky and stiff but I try to counter them with moves of my own meant to make hers look better. After what I hope is enough time to give Nicnivin the show she was hoping for, I give Kiara an opening that I hope is obvious. She takes it, and my staff flies across the room, landing only feet from Nicnivin.
Yuletide Revelry: A Wicked Kingdoms Christmas Short Page 2
