by Ashley Nemer
“You are pushing it, Jonothon. I told you not to touch me in my office.”
“Who would dare come into your private area unannounced?”
“You did.”
“That is beside the point; you were waiting on me, and I have business with you.”
“I might have business with someone else.” She brought her hand to his head, running her fingers through his hair moments before fisting it and pulling his head up to look at her face instead of her legs.
“You are not above the rules; you are to suffer the punishment for breaking into my office.”
Jonothon’s fangs showed as he gave a smile. She could see them dripping in saliva, his need for her evident in his stare. “Yes, ma’am, if that’s what you wish.” He stood and began to move to the couch when Leigh, out of nowhere, flashed to his side and pushed him up against the wall. Her knife was in her hand as she took the tip and began slicing the shirt off of his chest.
“Leigh…”
She silenced him by placing the knife against his lips, making sure his words didn’t come out anymore. “The only time I want to hear you speak is when you are begging for mercy under my knife. Until then, silence.”
He watched her eyes flash radiant colors of green as the wall began to shake. Wood from inside the wall came out and grabbed his arms, securing him to the wall in a standing position.
“Leigh, what are you…”
She kissed him before he had a chance to refuse, her hand on his chest, her nails digging into his pectoral muscle as she raked them down his skin, three nail marks leaving a bloody trail along his unmarred, tan skin.
“What was that?” she asked, her knife tip pressing against his sternum, twirling in her hand. His blood rose to the surface, a little drop breaking free and trailing down to his belly button.”
“Nothing, ma’am.”
“That is what I thought.” She leaned her head to his chest and let her tongue run down his body, right down the center until she reached his pants. She took the knife and sliced the belt open. She put the tip against the base of his stomach as she saw his body jerk and heard him cringe.
“Don’t trust me?”
“You are always threatening to castrate me.”
She looked up at him and smiled as the knife pressed into his clothing and started traveling down, releasing his erection and causing the pants to drop to his knees. He bit back a refusal as he felt the tip of the knife slice right next to the base of his cock. He closed his eyes and tried to remember that he had entrusted her with his life numerous times; this was just one more.
“Look at me,” she ordered.
Jonothon opened his eyes and looked down at Leigh. The fanged grin she displayed sent terror down his spine, and this was why he loved her.
“Do you think you deserve to live past this moment?” she asked just before her tongue slipped out and ran along his length. She knew he was slowly losing his control, she saw his knees momentarily give way.
“Yes…please…” He leaned his head back against the wall, praying that she didn’t torture him to his death, but if she did, it would be worth it. His hands balled into fists when he felt her hot mouth around him. Her tongue licked and glided along his skin, causing his shaft to jump in her mouth. He wanted to pull free of the restraints and touch her.
“Leigh,” he let out with an exasperated sigh as he felt her knife running up his inner thigh then circle around his sac. Terrors flooded him as her threats became a suddenly real and imminent fear. “Leigh no…please.”
Her fangs scraped along his sensitive, hard erection as she freed it from her mouth, her free hand cupping his sac as the other one held the knife and circled the thin skin with the tip of the blade.
“Why do you deserve a pass? You broke my rules, you should be punished.”
“Not like this. Please, I beg you…please spare me that.”
“You are cocky, arrogant, and a risk. I should take what you so love the most and leave you to bleed out. You constantly forget who I am.”
“I never forget who you are.” He let out a moan as he felt her hands tighten around him; he felt his body redden with embarrassment, not knowing what was turning him on more, the pain or the threat of death.
“I will not have a man show me up and be my weakness. I warned you once, and now you will pay. With the tip of the knife she carved an “L” on the side of his left testicle, leaning over and licking it to seal the wound and ensure the scar would be a constant reminder.
“Now you know who owns you.” She commanded the wood to release his arms. She moved away as his body gave in a bit and his hands moved to his groin, a reactive defense. She laughed as she watched him cup and palm himself making sure everything was still intact.
“Next time you break into my office, you better be here to kill me, because that will be your last fight. Now get out of my sight, and don’t come get me until your men are ready to take the pregnant woman.”
Leigh stood and returned to her desk, pulling out a cloth and nonchalantly wiping the blood from the blade and sheath before attaching it back to her outfit.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Nikole was only a mile from the house as she walked along the forest edges. She’d taken the time to herself to think about what she wanted to say to everyone, to the men that ran her life, to herself, about everything. How was she expected to constantly pick up the mess yet not be shown any respect when that was clearly what she’d earned?
She felt the warm sun on her skin; it had warmth that couldn’t be duplicated by anything else. She stopped on the trail and closed her eyes, the rays soaked up by her olive toned skin. She tilted her head back and pulled the clip out of her hair, felt the strands moving against her back as the wind breezed around her. Days like this were when she remembered her omm and siti, the way they used to take her out to the lake when she was a little girl.
Her head still tilted toward the sun, she started to think about her siti Afaf, and her omm, Ikram. Those two ladies had taught her how much fun the sun could be. Everyone knew the magik in the sun was part of the key to their own magik. The Gods had ensured that the Algula wouldn’t be cave dwellers, because like blood, the sun was essential for strength and nourishment. It kept them young and made them feel good. She felt her body instinctively start to sit on the ground and then move lower to lie out on the cool dirt. Her mind began the journey back to 1190 A.D., to an afternoon when the three of them left had the men at home.
“Nikole, you have to remember, the men might think they are in charge, sweetie, but the reality of it is, it’s us women who control what they think they want,” Ikram said as they started to set the picnic up at the lake’s shoreline. This area in Lebanon was known for the wine it produced. The land was rich and fruitful. “That’s very true, my bent. Why, I remember when your baba first started with me after our nexus. He kept thinking we were a perfect fit because everything he wanted, I wanted as well,” Ikram laughed as she pulled some of the grapes off of their vine. “What he didn’t know was that I presented each of those opportunities for him.”
“None of that matters to you though, Omm; you’re the real ruler since you come from Gedi’s line.” Nikole tore some of the leavened bread and dipped it into the hummus that her omm had brought with them. The leavened bread tasted like heaven in her mouth. She looked over to her omm who was shaking her head.
“Child, what you don’t understand is there isn’t a real ruler. We share equal responsibility. There are things that each one brings to the table as a monarch, and you rely on your supporters to help you in your weakness. Together we make a full unit. This is why we want you and Zayn to rule together, sharing responsibility, strengths, and weaknesses.”
“I don’t know, Mama. Zayn doesn’t seem like he wants me to be anywhere near his crown. He acts like I’m a child.” Nikole looked out over the water as she saw a fish jumping, causing little waves to hit the shoreline.
“That’s because, right now, you are
a child. That’s what you are failing to see. You are not old enough, neither of you are yet, to fully grasp what is needed to rule. I was thrown into my crown because my baba was dying. Look what the rushed ceremony has caused. Haydar has sworn to kill me, his flesh and blood.”
The ladies sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking about what Ikram had said. Afaf remembered the night her ebn’ left. Never was there a pain greater than watching your child turn his back on you and leave.
“Had your akh been levelheaded, Ikram, he would be here helping you and Tamman rule. He would be able to bask in the greatness you all could have achieved. I’ll never forget the pain of that evening, your abb dying in our arms and my ebn’ casting us aside. I don’t think I can die knowing how much trouble there will be between you both. I never thought the prophecy would come true, but it seems we are heading down that road.” Afaf reached up and touched a strand of Ikram’s hair, her soft, dark locks shimmering in the sun.
Nikole opened her eyes and knew her siti must have made her remember that memory. Just because they were gone didn’t mean they couldn’t still teach us from up in the heavens. Siblings fighting- unacceptable. What it did to their people when their monarchs were at odds. She missed that lake, she had discovered a while ago that today it was called Taanayel, in the heart of Lebanon’s wine country. She wished she could travel back there and lay on the lake shore with her mama and siti. So few years she had had with her siti, but each memory she treasured.
Nikole stood up and dusted her clothes off. She had to go make amends with Zayn. It was what her mama would want her to do. Looking up into the sky away from the sun’s glare, she quietly spoke. “I know, Mama, I know. Like you always said, strength and weakness go together. It’s our job to complement one another.” She took off on a slow jog toward her house. She wasn’t in a rush to get back, but she didn’t want to put it off too long. Her mind kept telling her she was right; she had a right to be mad, a right to demand answers. Her heart, her heart felt her omm’s pain of being at odds with her own akh. She couldn’t let herself hold resentment toward Zayn.
Fifteen minutes later she arrived at the doorstep of the mansion. She walked in for the first time since Zayn’s departure.
“Zayn, are you home?”
Alec pulled into his driveway after the almost two hour drive from Nikole’s place. The burnt trees were a cruel reminder of the previous night. He already felt the pain of missing her, and it had just been a handful of hours. How was he going to cope with knowing her feelings, feeling her anger? His heart was burning and he was certain it was because she was upset. Was she upset because he was gone, or did something else happen?
He could call her, talk to her, find out, but would that do any good? If he didn’t want to continue their relationship, could he really just be friends with her? Two weeks until the blood connection dissipated, he had to deal with these feelings in the meantime. Hopefully she wouldn’t go through too many emotions. He knew better than to have let her feed from him so much, but the bond, the connection, it felt so perfect.
Alec stepped out of his truck and started to make the walk up the stairs. He realized as he walked into the living room to an empty house with no one there to greet him or shoes to trip over, maybe he’d made a mistake. He went to his desk to think. He always thought better sitting with a pen in his hand. Pulling out a notepad, he picked his pen up and closed his eyes. He needed to let the guilt of letting her leave go. He hadn’t even realized what his hands were doing. He knew they were moving, but what they were forming wasn’t on his mind.
After twenty minutes he decided to look down, and that’s when he realized he’d written a letter.
Annah,
My love, I am so sorry I let you down. I let Haydar take you from me, and I’ve been paying for my crime ever since the day you died. I wish… I wish there was something I could do to make myself feel less at fault. I know he would have attacked, and I had to be out on the front lines, but I should have killed him to defend your honor. I hope you can find it somewhere in the afterlife to forgive me…
Love,
Your Alec
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Adara slept through most of the night. There were no dreams, no thoughts that lingered, just sleep. Her body had known that she needed sleep more than anything else. The nurse taking her vital signs at four a.m. had woken her up with the tight squeeze of the blood pressure cuff around her arm.
“Good morning, ma’am. I am just checking to make sure your body is stable. How are you feeling this morning?”
“I, I think I’m feeling better. My heart doesn’t feel like it’s going to jump out of my chest anymore.” Adara yawned and stretched as the nurse removed the cuff and pushed a button, raising the bed.
“The doctor has scheduled an ultrasound to check the lining of your cervix to make sure it’s repairing itself. We want to see if the medicine has started to take hold. We also have given you an infusion of blood, hoping that helps your body correct itself naturally.” The nurse placed a hand on Adara’s shoulder. “Try to rest some. We know this is hard for you, but it’s important you rest. That’s what your baby needs.”
Adara looked up at her and simply nodded. She didn’t know what to say about any of this. She was still learning about being pregnant herself and didn’t know how things should be working, given all of the things that had happened. She turned her head to look out of the window, and that’s when she noticed Nasir in the chair next to the wall. He looked like a warrior, hard, lean, and vicious.
“I’ll leave when they come in to examine you; Zayn wanted me to stay with you while you’re here to keep you safe.”
“You don’t need to stay; all of this unnecessary, Nasir.”
“Nonsense, I’ll be just fine bunking here for a couple nights. Besides,” Nasir stood from and walked over to her bed, “our future king or queen is in there, and I’m sworn to protect the Royal Family at all costs. So you are stuck with me, Lady Adara.”
It was at that moment, as if her hormones had taken the cue, that tears flowed from her eyes. She couldn’t control them. As tight as she squeezed her eyes, her lids couldn’t hold the salty liquid in. Nasir wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close for a hug. He stroked her hair and her back as she put her arms around his chest and cried.
To Adara, it felt like hours passed in his arms, crying. In reality, it was five minutes. The knocking on her door brought both of their heads up and turned in that direction. Her doctor opened the door and wheeled in a machine. She saw the long rod at the end of some cords. It was metallic and huge. Her hand immediately grabbed Nasir’s as she squeezed it tightly.
“You won’t leave me? Please.”
“I think it’s best if I do. This is a woman’s business, and I’m not your mate. I don’t belong in here.”
“I can’t be alone. Please don’t leave me, Nasir. Stay with me.” She looked up to him, her eyes puffy from the tears and pleading with him to stay.
“What do you think, Doctor? Can I stay?”
The doctor plugged in his machine and turned it on. “I can set up a makeshift screen, so she can have some dignity, and you won’t see her. If you stay at her head you will be fine.”
Nasir nodded and stepped back as the nurse came in. He watched her and the doctor exchange a few words before she went to the cabinet and pulled out an extra gown. They each attached a pole on either side of Adara’s bed and draped the gown over it. The nurse put a condom on the metal rod, then some gel. The humming of the machine was the only thing Adara could focus on. Her hand reached out for Nasir’s as the doctor said he was ready.
“You will feel some pressure, but it shouldn’t hurt. On the count of three, I’m going to spread your legs and insert the device. Are you ready, Adara?”
She looked back up at Nasir who was smiling down at her. “Yes, I am.”
“One, two, three,” she heard the doctor say as she felt the pressure he mentioned in her abdomen. The nur
se took the machine and repositioned it so Adara and the doctor could both see the image on the screen.
“You do know how long a natural gestation lasts for us, right?”
“Not really. I’ve never known anyone who’s been pregnant; I just assumed it was like humans in the movies, nine months.”
“Actually, our people only gestate for six months, so you are halfway through your pregnancy, and that’s good. It means the fetus is stronger at three months than it would be with humans. That’s part of the benefit of being the original species. You are at the equivalence of 22 weeks for humans. This means, looking at this image, if we had to, we could remove the baby and incubate her.”
“Her?” Adara said, starting to cry again. “I’m having a girl?”
Adara’s heart started to pound as she tried to focus her eyes on the image the screen displayed. The nurse came to Adara’s side and pointed to the monitor.
“This is your baby’s head. Here are her hands, and here are her feet. You see, right here, this is her belly. This is your bent, Adara.”
She was crying harder as the nurse pressed a few buttons and pictures of her baby were spit out of the machine. The doctor turned the machine back to him and moved the rod against her walls. He was looking for something.
“Nasir, it’s a girl. Zayn and I are having a girl!”
Nasir looked down at her and didn’t bother hiding his own tears; this moment was pulling at his heart. “Do you want me to call the king or your omm?”
Adara shook her head; she had to tell him, had to share this with the abb of her child, and her mama. “Nasir, please call Zayn. I’ll take care of my mama. Is my child going to be okay?” she said to the doctor.
The doctor didn’t reply as he pulled the rod out from inside her and cleaned her off. He put her legs back together, and they took down the makeshift screen.
