“Thank you,” I can feel the heat flushing to my cheeks.
This time his hand grazes my own leg in the water. I don’t shy away. As a matter of fact, my nipples harden under his touch. My center clenches and it’s as if he’s put me into an erogenous state. I’m almost certain my cheeks are flush with hues of red and pink. What is happening here?
“So when do you think I’d be able to leave here?” I ask him. “I see that the cubs are safe, and I want to stay for whatever Alkina needs. I’m sorry that I’ve only been able to bring the fish. And even that makes me feel like all of this is my fault.”
Juquo’s hand finds it way to my face. He lifts my chin so that I can gaze into his eyes, telling me, “Do not be sorry. You were the one who brought Alkina home from that place. I’m surprised she lasted as long as she did without changing into her human, without our secrets being discovered. But listen to me, the only person to blame is that hunter and I took care of him. I’ll take care of anyone else who dares threaten my subjects. And as far as when you can leave… I’m sorry Blissa but you cannot. While I trust you to protect Alkina and her cubs, I cannot trust that you will keep us and this place to yourself. I’ve lost far too many people I care for in the hopes of someone keeping this place a secret.”
“I swear I won’t say anything. I don’t have anybody on the outside anyway. My parents have long given up on me and I don’t have any siblings.”
“Well if you don’t have anyone out there waiting for you, looking for you, then why do you want to leave in the first place?”
“Because I don’t feel safe out there. Next to you, all of my worries melt away. I feel like you’d protect me with your life and I will do the same for you, any of you, but them… I don’t think they feel the same way.”
Juquo’s gaze narrows into my own dark brown eyes, peering into my soul. He makes an oath to me, “For all that you have done for my sister, I will never let any harm come to you.”
Chapter 5
While many of Juquo’s subjects despise the very idea of having me here, no one says or does anything to frighten me off, not intentionally at least. I walk into the room where Alkina is healing from her injuries. It looks really bad. The pellets from the shotgun blast took a chunk out of her torso. She writhes in pain and there’s nothing anyone can really do for her. And on the night she passes, there’s a solemn feeling of sadness that blankets the clan.
The tears won’t stop falling down my cheeks as I sit beside her, clutching one of her cubs in my arms. They won’t change until they hit puberty, but for the time being, they’re still babies. Babies I helped bring into this world. My heart aches for them. One of the cubs licks my salty tears away, making me smile and laugh. I want to help them but don’t know how.
Juquo is moody, brooding, and undoubtedly mourning the loss of his sister but he refuses to show it.
“She needs to be handled,” one voice says while I sit there, still clutching Alkina’s cubs in my arms. Turning around to see who’s talking, I see the tall woman with dark brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. She snarls under her breath. I can hear the bear inside of her just waiting to burst free.
“Enough Calici,” the old woman holds her hand up to silence her, “Juquo has chosen her and when the time is right. She will choose us and you will have to accept that.”
“What has Juquo chosen me for?” I ask haphazardly. The idea that I’m eavesdropping on their conversation, as if they’re not talking about me, is one that never crosses my mind.
“But why her? Look at what she’s brought to us? Nothing but death and humans inquiring about her disappearance. They won’t stop until they find a body!” Calici shouts.
“That’s not true,” I tell her. I tell them of the night with Dr. March, what he said and what I told him.
“That certainly explains the rumors, but it would be good if Juquo lets you out into town at least so they can see you’re alive. Make a statement that you’re okay,” Calici suggests with worry coating every syllable. I can understand why she wants me to, but that’s not up to me.
“What if they follow her back here?” Juquo questions walking into the room. He’s carrying a huge clay vase of sorts with a lid. Sitting it down on the floor next Alkina’s bed, the old woman opens the lid and sticks her hand inside. The scent is that of fresh dirt and smoked wood. She begins to sprinkle the dirt mixture around the bed forcing me to back away.
Calici looks at him with uncertainty and betrayal, “You will do as you wish no matter what any of us say, no matter how much it puts us all in danger. And for what? A human that can’t change? One that will surely be the demise of us all. If she’s not one of us then she isn’t suitable to be your mate, nor our Queen.”
She storms out and I’m sure the look of surprise on my face is present but they still talk about me as if I’m not sitting there in front of them.
“I will make her understand Ooma,” he tells the woman. She eyes me before whispering something to him. Whatever she says makes him smile and nod as he holds his hand out to me. “Come with me. I think I have a plan that will work for all of us.”
Juquo’s plan is simple … no one looks for a girl who’s run off in love. It’s the first time I’ve been to town in days and there are eyes all over us as we walk down the street hand in hand. People whisper, they stare. None of it phases me as Juquo’s hand wraps around mine like the missing puzzle piece to a picture I never knew was missing.
It feels real. And then I see them. Dr. March and a group of the others are sitting at a cafe. They don’t look worried about me. They don’t even look distressed. As a matter of fact they look like they’re happy and having a good time. I can’t keep my emotions bottled up as I charge toward them, “You’ve got some nerve spreading nasty rumors about me after you left me alone in the woods, in the middle of the night, with hunters and poachers around!”
Dr. March spit out his coffee. It’s almost as if he’s seen a ghost, “I thought you were… We were just about to… Um… How? When? What’s going to… Why haven’t you contacted your superiors back at the zoo? Everyone you care about back home is worried about you.”
“No they’re probably worried about paying some stupid insurance claim. I’m just a zoologist’s assistant back home, but out here I’m more than that. I get to do what I love without the confines of red tape, and bureaucratic bullshit about budget cuts and fundraisers. But even worse, you’re spreading rumors about me when you left before you could even see what happened. Juquo came to scare off the bear. He helped me bury that wounded animal properly. He took me into his home, his family, fed me clothed me, and kept me warm and safe. A bunch of strangers compared to colleagues who are supposed to be looking out for one another! You left me to die, but I found life, love and that stupid food brick doesn’t work! The animals hate it!”
Juquo chuckles, stifling it a bit as he smirks and grabs my hand. Pulling me in close to him, he moves a strand of my thick black hair behind my ear, and kisses me so gently, so delicately it practically makes my toes curl. I can feel the eyes of jealousy scouring every inch of our body language to see if it’s real. It is.
His tongue slips into my mouth, slowly, twirling around mine. I can’t believe this is happening as he pulls away with a subtle grin, he asks me, “Okay?”
“Okay,” I respond. Turning back to the table of scientists, I tell them, “Stop spreading rumors. I’m fine. I’m not mangled. I haven’t been disemboweled. I’m doing just fine where I am and you don’t have anything to worry about from me.”
One of the guys pulls a stack of papers out of his bag. He scrawls something onto a sheet of paper and then hands it to Dr. March, who then hands it to me, “Well sign that. We’ll all sign off on it as witnesses that you’re leaving the expedition of your own free will and do not expect to be compensated as you’re abandoning your position with this team.”
“Fine,” I growl. It makes Juquo raise a curious eyebrow, but I sign the papers and we take off out of to
wn and into forest.
It doesn’t take long for us to get back and now with the humans off of my trail, I can focus on what comes next… Life with Juquo and his clan.
Chapter 6
This isn’t ideal. This doesn’t even make sense, but it feels right. Standing behind Juquo and to his right, I watch as Alkina’s body, covered in a beautifully sewn sheer, silk, sheet is carried through the large glacial halls and out toward a fire burning brightly in front of the entrance. Large stone slabs sit on top of the burning pit. Her body is placed on top and then lowered into the ground where the flames rage on.
Ooma speaks words in their ancient tongue and it touches my heart so deeply. Loss is something felt by any species with emotions. I feel like a member of my own family has died and I can barely stomach the pain. I stand there trying my best to muffle my tears while others look at me with bewilderment. They don’t understand my connection to Momma bear. They never will.
After the ceremony finishes, some take off into the woods while others retreat back into the glacier. I remain there until it’s only me and a few others there. Calici hangs back too. I’m sure she’s just curious as to my intentions, but I only want to say a few words before I walk away from her … for good.
“My sweet Momma bear,” I smile, swallowing my tears, “I tried so many times to save you but in the end I was too late. I’m sorry that Niko and Corvin will not get to know you as you are one of the most special creatures I’ve ever encountered. You soul was so tender. Your strength was enormous. Your heart and love couldn’t be measured, but what I’ll miss the most are those sweet moments you and I used to share. Granted, swimming in an enclosed habitat isn’t the most sane thing for someone like me to do, but you made me feel safe, joy, comfort in knowing that you were there for me. I charge myself with helping to raise your cubs in so that they feel the very same way. Loved and protected. I’m sorry, Alkina. I’ll miss you.”
And without another word to say, I find myself walking through the corridors of the glacier. Before long, I feel the slightest graze of Juquo’s fingers wrapping around my arm. I don’t know where I’m going, I just need to get away from her body. I don’t want to smell the stench. I don’t want to see the smoke. I don’t want to feel the hurt of my heart ripping into pieces knowing that those cubs will grow up without their mother.
He pulls me into his suite and hugs me tight. It’s the most emotion I’ve ever seen and of course it’s out of the eyes of his subjects. Their king mustn’t be seen in a moment of weakness. But I think it would only help them see he isn’t as rigid as he appears. There are many moments I catch him in weakness. Playing with his nephews, teaching them, caring for them. I wonder where their father is, but I’m sure he’s met a similar fate as their mother. This doesn’t appear to be a clan, a family you can walk away from.
I begin to sob uncontrollably, angrily into Juquo’s chest. I want it all to be a dream, “I don’t know why this hurts so much.”
Pulling me away to look into my eyes, he shares a few words with me, “You are far more connected to us, to Alkina, than perhaps some members of this clan. You have shared your life with her and her with you. It was never animal to human, or human to animal. It was spirit to spirit. She’s told me so much about you and at first I didn’t believe her until I saw you the first night with the fish. I was ready, poised to attack but I saw that look in your eyes. That same gleam of joy and care that told you to bring them food. We appreciated that deeply. The fish was more than enough to feed the cubs. You are so special Blissa. You have shown more heart than most women I’ve ever encountered. I see your softness as an asset to me when I don’t allow myself to be that way. You can help me.”
“How when no one respects me? There’s no way-”
Silencing me with his lips pressing against mine wasn’t a bad idea. It gets my mind off of the question but only temporarily. I tug away from his kiss. Smiling, I can’t believe him, “You can’t use your lips to silence questions you don’t know the answer to.”
“We both know the answer to your question already,” his eyes read of seduction.
“No,” I shake my head.
He steps near me, I take a step back.
“Give me your hand,” he commands.
“You’re not going to convince me by us holding hands,” I tell him, but oblige nevertheless.
He takes my hand and moves it to his neck. His pulse beats quickly against my fingertips. Heat rushes to the area and his cock twitches but I keep my eyes locked on his. My own heart thumps against my chest, and I can’t imagine what he’s going to say next.
“Don’t you feel what we do to each other? It isn’t by accident. Not for me, or my kind,” he tells me.
I try to catch my breath. It’s almost as if I’ve been running through the glacier.
“You can have the same respect any mate of the clan gets by becoming one of us.”
“How do I do that?” I wonder. His eyes show fear behind them. I don’t think I’m going to like what he has to say.
Juquo sits me down on the bed. He kisses me deeply. His hands travel over the contours of my body. The slight nudge of him separating my legs, he slips his fingers between my thighs. I swallow hard as I feel him insert his fingers inside of me. I move with his hand, riding his fingers until my orgasm coats him.
Pulling his fingers out, he sucks my sweet nectar off of them before returning his lips to my mouth.
“I have to bite you,” he chokes out.
“What?!”
I scurry away from him, backing up as far against the wall as I can.
“I know it sounds insane, but in order for you to be one of us, to stay here, to be with me … you have to let me change you. I have to be the one to mark you as you will be my spouse, my mate, my queen. So what do you say Blissa? Will you let me mark you?”
Chapter 7
From everything Ooma tells me, the biting of a spouse isn’t something to be planned. It’s not like the courting rituals we go through. There isn’t dating, an engagement or some elaborate wedding ceremony. It’s an intimate moment between the two mates and that’s it. As wonderful as it sounds when she describes it, the part she refuses to elaborate on is the pain. Working for the zoo, I’ve been bitten by an animal or two. All of those polar bears aren’t exactly friendly either, so I can only imagine the pressure of a bite, one that’s to pierce the flesh and touch the soul of someone you love.
Days go by with me thinking it over. Calici has her eyes on Juquo and I’m sure they share a history but I never thought I would find someone like him. He’s right. It’s the way my body tingles, safety and warmth that trickle all over me when we’re together that lets me know he’s the one I want to be with. So I make up my mind.
The moon is high, shining through the ice in a way that I’ve never seen. It illuminates the room, the subtle glow of blue hues from underneath the water make for a soothing ambiance. I’m nervous. My stomach is in knots.
I let my hair down. It swings behind me just above my waist. It could be my imagination but its color seems blacker, richer than normal since I’ve been bathing in the glacial hot springs. My skin glows in the sunlight and even as I stare into Juquo’s beautiful green eyes, my confidence level grows. I’m still nervous, but not about him.
“Come here,” he tells me with a seductive grin spreading across his lips.
Walking across the room, he places his hands around my waist. Looking down into my eyes, there’s a vulnerability behind them, a softness that he only lets me see. When his mouth presses against mine there isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be. The strength of his arms around me, make me feel warm, and cared for.
The passion erupts between us, grabbing and groping at each other. My body fits against Juquo’s perfectly. Even as we lay down, he’s far more compassionate than I could ever imagine. His fingers stroke against my center, my clit, making me shudder from the pleasure. The way his mouth travels from my lips to my breasts, suckling and teasing my nip
ples gives me goosebumps. I run my own fingertips over his back. His muscles flex under my touch, contracting as he moves over my body. The pulse, the rhythm is a feeling of solace and peace. In the throws of passion, I only see him. His eyes, his spirit connect with mine so much a single tear of joy and bliss trickles down my cheek.
When I feel Juquo pushing himself at my center, I tense up, but he lifts my chin.
“Trust me, I will not hurt you,” he promises. The sheer girth of his shaft moving deeper and deeper into me makes me arch my back as I wait the pressure to ease. With every stroke he thrusts into me. Flashes of something, memories, fantasies, prophecies … they flash before my eyes as we move together. The amount of joy, surreal and orgasmic titillation flooding my senses is unbelievable. He thrusts. I see our future together. He thrusts. I see his past. He thrusts. I climax. He thrusts. I hold on tighter. He thrusts. I pant trying to catch my breath. He thrusts. I scream his name. He thrusts. I can feel the slice, the pressure, the pain of his teeth piercing into my flesh.
He’s biting me, dragging his teeth across my collar bone, wrapping around my shoulder. But we don’t stop moving together. Even after he’s done marking me, making me his for every lifetime, we continue to make sweet passionate love into the night. Once we’re both ready to finish, he turns me over onto my stomach.
Moving behind me, he plows into me. His aggressive nature, his dominance shows through as our moment for tenderness has passed. The lust coursing through my veins is insane and I can’t believe how much I’m matching his primitive nature. Crying out as my ass slaps against his lap, the tug of his hand in my hair pulling gently and then rough, brings me to one last orgasm. Before he finishes, he wraps his hand around my waist, brings me up so my back is against his chest. His other hand floats down, tickling, rubbing my clit as he strokes into me. His mouth is on my neck. And just as he cums inside of me, he angles his head so he can look me in the eyes.
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