by KA Young
“Yes, it’s food from our lands. I have many connections that provide me with anything I desire.”
I began eating the food with more vigor. I needed all the strength I could receive from the sustenance.
“I suppose you have questions about who I am.” He lifted his eyes from his plate and I washed down a bite of steak with wine.
“You are Nyoka, the one who attacked me in my dream and bruised my neck.” I went back to my food.
“As I recall, you were the one who attacked me, I just deflected; but I do regret the injury you acquired because of it. However, it was not a dream; I intercepted you on your way to the flame of warriors. Only another warrior can reach you there.”
He wiped his mouth and placed the napkin back in his lap. I shrugged as if I could care less.
“I’m sure you have heard all kinds of rubbish about me. Let me be abundantly clear on one thing. I was in the state you found me in because of a spell that Eli placed on me. That is not my normal form, as you can see. As I’m sure you have figured out by now, Eli doesn’t like anyone to disagree with him.”
He had him nailed on that one. I sat back and listened. I could tell it pleased him.
“Allow me to explain my side. I will not lie to you. I know of your gift.”
I finished my wine then set the glass back on the table and Nyoka leaned over to refill it.
“When the Nephilim began to multiply in significant numbers, we decided to create two nations for us to reside between.” That I already knew. “Eli and I were both born with the birthright to be kings. You see, we are fraternal twins.”
I didn’t see that one coming. What was it with me always having to attract brothers? Mary was right; I was a mother’s worst nightmare.
“He and I had different ideas of how we wanted to run things, so we decided to divide the Nephilim into two nations, despite the objections of our people. A decision I now regret. It worked for a while until the prophecy about you emerged. There would be only one queen. As you can imagine, two alpha males could never share one woman and, even if we wanted to, the mating bond would only work once. ”
Eli’s words rang in my ears. “I WILL NOT SHARE YOU!” he had shouted. It was all finally beginning to make sense.
“After the prophecy, a war broke out, not of my choosing. I never wanted our people to die in such a way. I tried to speak to Eli about a treaty of sorts and explain my side, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He had his sorceress put a spell on me, instead. The result of that spell was how you saw me at our first meeting.”
He drained his wine glass and continued. I could tell he wasn’t accustomed to explaining himself to anyone, so I appreciated the details he was providing.
“I have had my sorceress working on a reversal spell for centuries and she finally succeeded. I know you felt the bond pulling you toward Eli.” He leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table.
“The promise that you made was this. I want you to spend some time with me because I believe you feel the bond between us as well. Give us time to see if the bond is actually with Eli, or with me. As much as Eli wants his people free to roam our entire homeland, I want the same for mine. If the bond is with me, you will become my queen. Ask your questions now, I will answer them.” He stood and paced the floor.
I was a bit puzzled by several things, but I finally settled on one question to start with. “How did you get the yetzer hara to assist you? How can I trust anyone that works with them?”
“Those fools found me in my cursed state. They never recognized me as the warrior that I am, even after I changed back. You killed them, saving me the trouble.”
“Did you kill Joe?”
He stopped and faced me. “The human you married? No, I did not, nor did I order it. My order was to find your location; they took it a bit too far, I’m afraid.”
“You led me to believe that you participated in his murder,” I forced through my teeth.
“I’m sorry for that. I needed to see if you were the one I was searching for.” He gave me a sad smile. “I heard you killed the one that was responsible for his death.”
“I did and I took immense pleasure in doing so. Joe did wrong by not telling me what I was, but he didn’t deserve to die for it.”
He knelt before me. “I ask for your forgiveness. Things haven’t gone as any of us planned. We are all learning as we go.” He was certainly right about that. “Do you feel anything with me this close to you?” He placed his hand on my knee. I did, I was drawn to him, not the same way I was to Eli, but the pull was undeniably present and I could tell that he saw it in my eyes.
I tested him by projecting my thoughts toward him.
Can you hear me the way that Eli can?
Of course, we are of the same bloodline. You and I have a particularly remarkable bond; you just don’t know it yet, but you will.
“I will not force anything on you. You must come to me willingly.”
He stood and pulled me to my feet.
“I am a patient man. I’ve had a lot of time to dwell on my mistakes, so I will not make one with you. The future of our people is too important to continue fighting amongst ourselves. It makes every single one of us more vulnerable to an attack from the yetzer hara.”
I had to agree with that. I started to ask more about him and Eli when there was a knock at the door.
“I must go. There are things that require my attention tonight.” He had me walk him to the door and kissed my cheek.
“Good night, my queen. If you need me, I will be down the hall. I will not lock you in, but I must caution you, you will not get far before I am alerted. I would be disappointed if that were to occur.” He bowed and left me standing there, staring at the back of the door.
Later that night, I lay in the lush bed, staring up at the ceiling. I wasn’t sure whom to trust anymore. Nyoka was so forthcoming about his position, whereas Eli kept things from me. Eli also led me to believe that Nyoka was as evil as the yetzer hara. I fiddled with the opal pendant that lay on my breast.
Elise said the opal pendant would alert me of danger. It didn’t react at all to Nyoka’s presence tonight.
At the thought of Nyoka, my little, lusty problem acted up. His beautiful, blue eyes and, oh my God, his voice, were enough to turn any woman on. The way my name rolled off his tongue…
How could I even have these feelings for yet another complete stranger with all that was going on?
I rolled to my side and tried to ignore it. I needed to think of something else. I was kinda hungry; maybe I could get something sweet to eat. I could bury my lust in ice cream. Yes, that would work.
I stepped onto the chilly, stone floor and walked to the wardrobe to get the matching silk robe for my nightie. I cracked open the door and listened. I didn’t hear anything or anyone stirring and I had no idea where the kitchen was, so I took a guess then walked left, down the end of the hallway, looking down the long, dark staircase.
Before I could drum up the courage to walk down, my opal pendant began to heat up.
I could feel the cool steel of my daggers pressing into my thighs while my flame burned bright within me. It was ready, waiting for me to access it.
I turned around to assess the threat, but saw no one. I did, however, hear a noise that sounded like a snarl. The werewolves must be guarding the floor. No sooner did the thought occur to me than I caught a glimpse of golden wolf eyes. It was on all fours with its lips curled over its razor sharp teeth.
I flattened myself against the wall and waited. The black wolf went low on his front legs, ready for attack. I sought my flame; I needed to be fast. It lunged and I jumped, giving it a barefooted kick to the side of the head. I felt razors slicing through my foot and, when it caught the smell of my blood, it instantly became crazed with bloodlust. I darted down the hall, seeking the safety of my bedroom, not wanting to fight the were any further. I couldn’t very well count on the help of the other weres if I killed one of their own.
I was a few short paces from my room, and the wolf was growling fiercely right on my heels, when Nyoka came out of nowhere, still dressed in the suit from earlier. He moved between me and the savage beast, stopping its chase, causing the wolf to lower its head in submission.
He looked at me in my nightie and then down at my foot.
“Change!” he ordered the wolf.
In a flash of light, the wolf went from a black, furry animal to a pretty hairy, naked man. I leaned around Nyoka, unable to help my curiosity.
He was much shorter than a Nephilim warrior, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in thickness. He had the build of the weight lifters I saw on TV.
“Roark, explain!” He scowled down at the were.
“I heard the mistress moving down the back passageway and began pursuing her.”
“Pursuing her or attacking her?”
The man made the same kinds of movements he made in wolf form. For the moment, he cowered in shame like a hound who had stolen his master’s favorite slippers. “I feared she was attempting to escape,” the were mumbled.
“She is a Nephilim warrior. I find it quite absurd that you would think she would try escaping in her night attire, barely armed to defend herself!” Nyoka appeared appalled.
“It was my mistake. I beg yours and her forgiveness.”
Idiotic werewolves! They have too much animal instinct and not enough brains.
Maybe so, but he’s kinda hot.
I tilted my head to get a better look at Roark.
Nyoka shot a glance in my direction. There will be no werewolf in your future! Keep looking at him like that and I’ll kill him.
Geez! These brothers seriously had over-protectiveness covered!
“Annabelle is a protected guest here, not a prisoner, and I expect her to be treated as such. I will not tolerate any more of your aggression toward her. Do we understand each other?”
“Perfectly clear.” Roark bowed low and loped away.
Nyoka turned to me. “It seems my apologies are required once more. I will work to ensure that they will not be needed again. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. It’s already healed.” I avoided his gaze.
“May I?” he asked as he kneeled in front of me.
I lifted my foot for his inspection. When his hands touched my foot, I felt an electric sensation run up my leg and I jerked it back. His eyes widened.
“I’m sorry. You just surprised me.”
“Surprised you how, Annabelle?” He looked at me with great interest.
“Anna, call me Anna. It’s what my family and friends call me.”
He smiled. “Well, I certainly would like to be considered part of that group, so, Anna, it will be.” He stood back up. “Shall we get out of this drafty hallway and continue our conversation in the comfort of your room?”
He took my hand, sending another jolt through my arm. I tried to remove my hand, but he held it tight, only releasing it once we had entered my room where I sat on the bed and then instantly changed my mind. Jumping up, I went to the small table and took a seat. He didn’t seem to notice the abrupt change in seating, though.
“I know you weren’t attempting to leave, so what was it that you were after, lovely Anna?” He took the seat opposite me.
“I couldn’t sleep so I went searching for the kitchen. I like to eat ice cream when I have trouble sleeping.”
Nyoka let out a hardy, belly laugh and the sound made me smile. He was beginning to put me at ease.
He stood up, walked over, and opened the door; calling out to another were and instructing him to bring up what I wanted before coming back to join me.
“If it’s ice cream you desire, it is ice cream you shall have. Now tell me, Anna, what do you feel when I touch you?”
I started to make something up, but as his eyes bore into mine, I wanted to tell him everything. “I feel a current of energy running up my arms. It reminds me of electricity, but not. I’ve never felt anything quite like it. Not even when…” My voice trailed off as a knock at the door interrupted us.
“Enter.” The ice cream was brought in and set before us. It was homemade strawberry ice cream and it looked scrumptious, so I dug in.
When we were alone again, Nyoka pressed me. “Please go on.”
I didn’t, I just kept my eyes on my ice cream, finishing it in record time. His presence was really not helping my urges. I needed more ice cream, so I reached for his dish.
“Do you mind?” I asked after I had already begun eating his.
He came around and knelt before me, taking one of my hands, and I quickly shoveled the rest of his ice cream into my mouth.
“You’re really into this kneeling before me, huh?” I tried to laugh, but it came out more as a whimper. He was sexy and I was in danger of becoming a major slut.
“It is to show you my servitude. I honor you by kneeling.” He was deadly serious.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to insult you. This is all so strange to me.” He caressed my hand as I spoke and I could feel the flood gates opening. My mouth just began speaking on its own.
“I mean, not two months ago, I was a housewife married to a human lawyer, living in the suburbs. My biggest concerns were what to serve at a dinner party and where to seat everyone. Now I’m supposed to be queen of the Nephilim, the last female warrior, the one to change the future of our people and here you come along, kidnapping my sister, stating that you, too, are destined to be my mate. Forgive me, but I find all of this just a little difficult to digest. ”
I cast my gaze upon my lap. Everything that Elise had told me about the reason Eli was able to fine me being because he was my mate, came flooding back into my mind. I felt drawn to Eli from the moment I laid eyes on him that day in the cemetery.
I blushed, remembering all I had done with him. Then, I suddenly felt anger radiating off Nyoka. Shit, I forgot to shield my thoughts. I didn’t meet his gaze, I just put up a shield, but it was too late. He had seen everything, even Eli’s attempts to mate with me.
Nyoka let go of my hands and began pacing the room. He took his jacket off, untied his tie and tossed it on the floor. I could see him fighting to keep his rage down and his eyes were blazing.
“Damn you, Eli. You had no right to force the issue. You know the prophecy states she must choose her mate, you stubborn asshole. I should kill you.” He picked up the chair he was sitting in and smashed it into the mirror over the dresser.
I sat up straight. Much to my surprise the act didn’t even bother me. I now understood the need to release energy in times of intense emotion. It was the chair or Eli and, since Eli wasn’t readily available, Nyoka chose the chair.
“I’ll have a new mirror brought up in the morning.” He was perspiring and breathing heavily. I could see the outline of his muscles through his shirt becoming slightly damp with sweat.
I bit my bottom lip; he was what erotic fantasies were made from. The ice cream wasn’t working as well as I had hoped. I stood up, attempting to get a grip on myself, when our eyes locked as he slowly walked over to me.
He lowered his lips to mine, hesitating for a moment. He smelled so good and clean. It reminded me of how it smells right after a thunderstorm. I felt unbelievably hot and ready as his lips descended onto mine. I opened to him instantly allowing his tongue to slide into my mouth, igniting passion within me.
I pressed closer to him, wrapping my legs around his waist as he lifted me against the wall. I could feel the long, hard length while he ground his hips hard against me. I was so wound up that I came quickly, shuddering against him.
Just as suddenly, he pulled away, burying his face in the crook between my neck and shoulder. “I want you so much that it’s killing me, but we must stop. You are transitioning and that makes your sexual urges unbearable at times. I won’t take advantage of you in a weak moment. I’ll wait for you to come to me when you know for certain that I am yours. It’s the only way.”
He was breathing heavi
ly, trying hard to get control of himself. I held him to me, not wanting him to stop, but I knew he was right. I needed to know with certainty whether he was the one.
He brought his lips to mine for one last kiss, his tongue softly stroking mine and causing me to moan into his mouth. He tore himself away from me, lowering me onto the floor.
“I must go, I don’t trust myself tonight.” He bowed and kissed my hand. “Good night, my lovely.” He turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind him. I leaned against the wall. He was not the man I originally thought he was; indeed there was some honor in Nyoka.
I walked to the bed, crawled under the covers and tried to sleep. I tossed and turned for hours, unable to stop thinking about Nyoka; the way he smelled and how good he felt against me. I felt a draw coming from him. Like an invisible rope was tied around my waist and pulling me from the other end. He was calling for me, I couldn’t hear him audibly, but I could feel his body calling to me. I needed to get to him right now.
I was overwhelmed by my desire for him. I threw the covers back and walked out of my room, heading right to his room on instinct. I turned the knob slowly and went in.
There was a candle burning in the corner of the room. Nyoka was asleep with nothing covering his body except a sheet thrown across his torso. A force was pulling me toward the bed and I was powerless to stop it. He woke up before I could reach him.
“Anna? What is it?” He had a puzzled look on his face. I began to speak, but no words would come out of my mouth, so I just crawled on top of him. I needed to feel him against me. I took his face in my hands, kissing him with all the urgency that I felt, and he immediately responded, pulling me down on top of him. It felt so perfectly right being here in his bed with him.
“Oh, Anna you are so beautiful. I need you in the same way that I need air. I’ve been waiting for you to come to me,” he whispered in my ear as he kissed my neck. “I can’t explain it. I believe in my soul that you are mine. Say it, say that you are mine.”
