by C. A. Worley
Eden jerked out of his hold and moved to the other side of the large chair, putting the obstacle between them when she really required a mountain of distance.
“I was wrong, Eden. I should have told you. I was trying to find a way out of it. Finally, I believe I have.”
“I do not care.”
Viktor blanched. “Did you not hear me? I think I’ve found a way out of that damned contract. I’ll not have to marry Bianca.”
“Congratulations. It changes nothing.”
“What do you mean? It changes everything!” he yelled.
“Maybe for you. For me, it does not matter.”
Viktor swung his giant arm, launching the chair between them across the room. It crashed against stone, falling to its side in pieces. He stalked towards his mate.
“You love me,” he growled, backing Eden up against the wall.
She didn’t bother denying it. He was right. Eden did love him. Her eyes burned as they filled with the tears she did not want to shed in front of him.
His large hands grabbed either side of her neck, holding her jaw up so she could not turn away.
“You are my sieva. Mine. You are the most important thing in my world.”
“Apparently, not important enough,” she whispered, a lone tear escaping down her cheek.
Viktor’s insides twisted. His words weren’t getting through to her. He blasted as much love and adoration as he could muster through their bond.
Eden whimpered, her legs finally giving out from her exertions. She hated she was so weak in this moment.
Viktor grabbed her around the waist and ported them to the bed. His mouth crashed into hers in a punishing kiss as he nudged her legs apart with his hips.
Though her legs willingly fell open to cradle his body, Eden did not kiss him back. She held very still, her mind warring with her body. Could she give herself to him after what he’d done?
Viktor’s emotions continuously crashed through the bond, besieging her fragile heart. She felt his love, felt it in her soul. Her body overheated, stimulated by his soul’s cry for hers, as well as his frenzied movements.
It was the touch of his soul, so pure in its devotion, that swayed her to return his kiss. It might be the last time she would ever feel anything so rapturous.
Right or wrong, Eden wasn’t ready to let it go.
Her hands fisted in his hair as she held his head in place. She boldly stroked his tongue with her own. Eden felt out of control. Wild. Angry.
He’d hurt her with his lie of omission. It didn’t change the fact she needed him like she needed the air to breath. He ground his hips into hers and all she could think about was feeling him inside her, even if it was only one last time.
Viktor could smell his mate’s slick desire. Eden’s little moans against his mouth made him feel desperate.
“Tell me you want this, that you want me,” he growled, needing to know she wanted to be taken.
“I want you,” she cried.
His claws slashed away her dress. His fangs descended and he was tempted to strike her neck, to feed while he took his sieva. He refrained, worried he’d weaken her further after her exhaustive trek across the ocean floor.
Viktor tore open the front of his pants tearing just enough to expose his hard length. He rubbed the crown up and down her folds, coating himself before plunging inside.
Eden cried out, her fingers digging into his back. Viktor took advantage of her parted lips and slipped his tongue inside. He groaned into her mouth.
He loved her. He loved her so godsdamned much. Their love vibrated back and forth, across the bond. Overcome, he was incapable of halting his release.
Viktor reached between their bodies and pressed his thumb on her hardened nub, catapulting Eden into her own climax.
Eden’s shouts of pleasure echoed off the stone walls. Her core spasmed, tightening around him. Viktor continued to spill against her womb as he called out her name.
They held tight to one another, chests heaving and skin damp with sweat. Viktor withdrew, but remained on top of her with his face buried in her neck. When their breathing evened out, he ported them to the bathing chamber.
After Viktor opened the faucet, he set Eden on the side of the bathing pool. He removed her boots and what threads of fabric remained attached to her body. Then he removed his own.
It reminded him of their first day together when she’d willingly tied her soul to his. She’d never questioned it, putting her blind faith in a male who would later wound her heart. It was the only thing her father had asked him not to do.
He scrubbed his face with both palms, ashamed he hadn’t been able to fulfill that request. He eyed her over his fingertips.
“Can you warm it or should I …” Viktor nodded towards the heating rocks.
“I can do it,” she answered quietly.
Eden lowered her hands into the cool water and pushed out enough energy to heat the water.
“I assume this is far less taxing than parting an ocean,” he tested, trying at humor to lighten the mood.
She nodded, but she did not meet his eyes. He scratched across his chest, the tightness becoming unbearable. Viktor didn’t know how to bridge the gap growing between them.
He walked down the steps into the bathing pool and moved to the edge where Eden was sitting. He reached for her. When she didn’t protest, he pulled her into the water.
Viktor sat on one of the steps, resting his back against the stone and holding Eden sideways on his lap. He pulled her against him and let his hands drift over her skin.
Eden tucked her head under Viktor’s chin. She was confused. She was hurt. She was also close to passing out.
“I have a few things I need to say, Eden. First, I realize now how poorly I have handled everything. I should have been forthcoming and I wasn’t. For that I apologize.”
Her eyes stung and she blinked hard.
“More than that, when we first met, I made the monumental mistake of thinking I could bond to my sieva and fulfill my contract with Dmitri by marrying his daughter.”
Eden stopped breathing. Her fingers twitched.
“Hold off on burning me until I’ve finished, mala vestica,” he requested.
Eden huffed at his second lame attempt at a joke.
“I never wanted to marry her, nor did I believe I would ever find my sieva. I put the ceremony off as long as possible. It’s been looming over me for a long time. Then, one night, five years ago, my cicatrice awoke. It was a complication I didn’t need.”
“I’ll bet.”
Viktor ignored her biting tone and continued. “Then I found you and all I wanted was to spend every second with you. I’d never imagined the soul-bond would be so intense. I was consumed and I nearly forgot why it was a complication because I was so damned happy. Then Bianca returned and I wrestled with what to do. Both Yuri and Luka have been trying to help me find an out. I even went to Bianca and demanded she release me. Dmitri gave her an out. If she didn’t want me, she didn’t have to marry me.”
Eden sighed. “Let me guess, she still wants you, even after soul-bonding to me.”
“Unfortunately.”
“So you didn’t find a way out,” Eden griped, trying to sit up and put a little distance between them. Viktor held her in place.
“No, I did, but I’ll get to that in a minute. The night I took you to the lagoons, I knew. I knew beyond all doubt that whether or not I found a way out, I wasn’t going to marry her. How could I when I was so in love with you?”
Eden’s heart banged against her ribs. It was the first time he’d declared his love aloud. The bittersweet moment affected her, but she couldn’t bring herself to return the sentiment.
“You should have told me the entire truth of that contract, Viktor.”
He sighed, unable to deny it. Eden was right.
“Yes, I should have. My only excuse was I didn’t want to hurt you. In the beginning, I was sorely delusional. Once I knew I loved you and
you felt the same, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’d planned to figure a way out and tell you after the fact. The truth had to come out eventually, especially if I violated the terms.”
“I thought breaking a magical oath was virtually impossible.”
“It is. When you break one, you suffer greatly. It’s thought the magic that enforces the oath creates a curse of equal weight.”
“You were willing to curse yourself?” she asked incredulously, her voice rising an octave.
“I was. I—”
A loud bang came from the door. Viktor spun and placed Eden behind him.
“Hate to interrupt, Brother, but you need to come quickly,” Luka’s muffled voice carried into the bathroom.
Laughter erupted and Eden rolled her eyes at Luka’s immaturity. Viktor’s mouth quirked. His brother was going to be the worst king the kingdom had ever known. Well, perhaps not as bad as Nikolai.
Eden’s tentative hands fell on his hips and he realized he didn’t really care. Luka gave a damn about the fate of Prajna. It would have to be enough.
He twisted in Eden’s grasp and hugged her close. “I have to go. I left Kellan and the others in the woods. I need to get back.”
“I understand.”
“Please don’t … leave.”
Eden craned her neck to see his worried face studying hers. Had he meant don’t leave the chambers or don’t leave him?
“I don’t really have any place to go.”
“We’ll talk more when I return. I swear it. Please be here when I come back.”
“Okay.”
His shoulders lowered. He hadn’t realized how tensely he’d been holding himself. Viktor planted a chaste kiss on his mate’s lips and hauled himself out of the bath.
Chapter 26
Viktor dressed hurriedly before flinging the door open. His brother was leaning back against the wall, arms and legs crossed.
“Did I, in fact, interrupt something?” Luka asked hopefully.
“What is the emergency?”
“Ever the responsible ruler,” Luka sighed. “Yuri came back. Said it was imperative he speak with you at once.”
“Where is he?”
Luka pushed away from the wall, his lips flattening into an uncharacteristic show of seriousness.
“War room.”
Viktor’s eyebrows drew close. They hadn’t used the war room in years.
“It’s bad, Viktor.”
“He already told you?”
“I refused to allow anyone near you until he confided. I wasn’t about to add further strain on you until you’d smoothed things over with Eden.”
Viktor was seeing his brother in a whole new light. More and more, Luka was showing he was not as irresponsible or uncaring as Viktor had once believed.
“Thank you.”
“It was nothing. Come, let’s go play warrior,” Luka winked and blinked out of existence.
Viktor almost rolled his eyes as he ported after him. Kings do not wink. Or roll their eyes, he mused.
He’d half-expected the room to be filled with battle-ready Prajna, but only Luka and Yuri were present. Luka was standing behind his old seat, hands clutching the back.
Yuri was pacing and spun towards Viktor mid step.
“Finally,” he blew out in a huff.
“Tell me.”
“You need to come with me, back to the shelter. Put some guards on Eden. Luka should probably stay with her, in your quarters.”
Bianca had been the only person to dare going near his living space. Only one of the Sephtis Kenelm would risk venturing close. If this was Yuri’s fear, Viktor wasn’t inclined to leave Castra Nocte.
“What did you find?” Viktor demanded.
Yuri hesitated.
“Tell him,” Luka snapped.
“We picked up a scent. Alec said it was the same one they found during Edward’s attack.”
Yuri’s eyes had fallen onto the table.
“You know whose scent it was,” Viktor assessed.
Yuri’s chest rose and fell as he nodded slowly.
“Whose scent, Yuri?”
The male’s gaze lifted, meeting his King’s stare. A shaking hand pointed to the seat across from Luka’s.
“’twas a ghost’s.”
* * *
Eden had just poured herself a cup of tea when someone knocked softly on the door.
“Yes?” she called, not wanting to open it. A vampire meaning harm could have gotten to her easily. A soft knock was likely another servant bringing something Viktor had ordered for her, like the tea.
“Do you have time to tend to my wounds, dear lady?”
Eden tittered at Luka’s ridiculousness. Despite his absurd behaviors, he was growing on her. Luka ribbed her as an older brother might. Irrationally, she liked it.
“If they’re that bad, why bother knocking?”
“I was trying to give you time to cover yourself,” the voice spoke from directly behind her.
Eden yelped and sparks shot from her fingertips.
Luka laughed, tempting Eden to throw something at his head. Seeing his arms wrapped in gauze saved him from further damage.
“Why would you think I wouldn’t be clothed? Nevermind, I don’t want to know.”
Eden picked up the kettle. “Tea?”
“I would love to have tea with my future sister.”
Eden nearly dropped the teapot. She had to use both hands to finish the pour.
“Do not make such jokes, Luka. I cannot …” her throat constricted.
“Here,” Luka reached for the kettle and set it on the table. He pulled Eden into his arms and swayed back and forth, as his mother used to do when he was troubled.
“I didn’t say it in jest, Eden. Someday, it will be official.”
Eden pulled away and sat down in the chair that someone had brought to replace the one Viktor destroyed. Luka took his mother’s old wingback.
“He’ll be cursed if he breaks the oath, Luka.”
“He’s not going to break it.”
“Then he lied to me?”
“No, not if he told you he wasn’t going to go through with the wedding.”
Eden rubbed her temples. She could sometimes stave off a migraine, but this one was coming on strong.
“Perhaps it would be best if I go back to Gwydion or to Sanctus Femina,” she thought aloud.
“You cannot.”
“I don’t know if I can stay.”
Luka slapped his hand on the table. “You must stay. He is yours. You are his. Your souls are bound, Eden. There is no end to this for either of you. Do not waste this gift, one others would kill to have.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “You have no idea what he’s done, what he’s giving up in order to be with you in the way he wants.”
“We didn’t have time to discuss much. I promised to stay and hear him out. That’s all I can promise right now.”
Luka dropped to his knees before her. He took both her hands in his, his eyes beseeching.
“He’s renounced the throne Eden. The contract with Dmitri was that, as King, he would make her the Queen. If he is not on the throne, the contract is null. He shared this with Yuri and I just before he left.”
Eden had to force air in and out as her heart felt like it had stopped. He couldn’t possibly, not after all he’d done to take control from Nikolai.
“No,” she whispered.
“Yes. He’s already set it in motion.”
“Who will replace him?”
Luka let go of her hands and dropped the weight of his haunches onto his calves and heels, sagging his posture. It was the pose of a child.
His eyes glassed over, the regret obvious.
“I tried to tell him no. I’m not the one who it should be. Legally, yes, but in reality?” he huffed. “I’m no king.”
Eden wanted to console him. Luka lacked confidence in his worth.
“When he told me it was the way out of the oath, I agr
eed. For the both of you, I agreed.”
“Luka,” she signed.
“Fight for him, Eden. He’ll fight for you. He is fighting for you. His road has been a hard one and I know he made the gravest of errors where Bianca is concerned and it wounded you deeply. But if you love him, you need to fight for him. Very few ever have.”
“Fought for him?”
The corners of his mouth turned down. “Loved him.”
He shifted backwards and rested his spine against his mother’s chair. “We only ever had our mother.”
“You had each other.”
“For a time,” he shrugged.
“He had Yuri. Dmitri.”
Luka hissed and Eden recoiled. His eyes were a little wild. His jaw ticked.
“I’m sorry,” he bit out.
“It’s okay.”
“No, you don’t understand the mess it’s all become.”
“All what?”
Luka ported to the small serving cart where Viktor kept his spirits. He poured three fingers of whiskey, downed it, and did it once more. Eden thought his mannerisms were almost identical to Viktor’s.
“Luka?” her concerned voice grabbed his attention.
He swallowed the liquor and slammed his glass on the cart’s surface.
“It seems our beloved Dmitri was a crafty one.”
Eden’s brow lifted. While finishing her bath, after Viktor left, she’d been mulling over the oath Dmitri had gotten from Viktor. She found it unusual a vampire, one who had found his own sieva, would complicate his daughter’s chances of finding her own.
Dmitri asking Viktor to take care of Bianca made sense. It was the condition of matrimony that did not, not when the Prajna were a faction who had fated mates.
She didn’t know the male, so he could have been shallow enough to simply want to make his daughter a queen for the title alone.
“Your tone implies you’re aggravated with Dmitri. I thought he was a friend.”
“So did I.”
Luka looked down at his empty tumbler, contemplating filling it up again.
“The pact was made a hundred years ago, so I’m guessing something new has come to light.”
“More like come to life,” he mumbled, tipping another serving of spirits into his glass.
