Without looking at him, I reached back and held my other hand out to him. He linked our fingers and quieted.
“Remember how we kept seeing vampires in the area?” Martin asked Thor.
He nodded.
“There was a battle going on between the witches and vampires that we hadn’t know about. Jo’s dad was King of the Vampires and somehow the witches found out about Jo. We were out in Mrs. Lindstrom’s field and they attacked us. It was just the two of us. I killed two of the witches, but another one grabbed Jo before I could stop her. She took Jo to the coven.”
Thor’s hand tightened around mine, but it was such a small movement, I wasn’t certain he had done it consciously.
“Jo, tell your part,” Martin said.
Thor turned toward me.
“Um, the witch took me to the coven. They had built a place on the other side of the river and cloaked the building so the wolves hadn’t been able to see it. They, uh, they tied me to a post and tried to get information about my dad from me. I didn’t know anything, though. They started torturing me to try to get me to break and…”
“We heard her screams,” Martin continued for me. “We broke their illusions and I had to barter for her release.”
A cost that I had been against and tried to convince him not to agree to.
“What was the cost?” Nico asked.
“That I separate from Jo and we never have a romantic relationship again. If we did, we would both become sterile.”
For me, that wouldn’t have mattered, but Martin had always wanted children. It was a definite deal breaker for him.
“So, you gave up your relationship to save her?” Deryn asked softly, his anger gone now.
Martin nodded. “But, they had already put a curse on her, two actually, that we hadn’t known about.”
“What happened?” Thor asked me.
“I was in a coma for a year until Grandma found someone who could break it. Then, just a few days ago, I had the final curse removed.”
“And almost died,” Deryn growled.
I jerked my hand away from his and stood up with fists clenched. “And I’d do it again,” I growled at him. “Don’t you get it? These witches put that curse on me when I was eighteen and I just now got it removed. I’ve been in danger and so has everyone else, because of it.”
Deryn reached for me, but Thor pulled me forward so he could hug me. I hadn’t even realized that he had stood up.
“What else happened, Jo? Why are you so angry?” he asked as he held me.
Like Fox, he had a soothing presence, and I relaxed into him. “A lot has happened,” I whispered. “Some things I don’t think I can even tell you about.”
“No, she can’t,” Deryn growled.
“Deryn,” Fox whispered, “calm down.”
“Stop touching her,” Deryn snarled.
“If she wanted me to release her, she’d pull back. You’re not her mate. You may be prince, but you don’t get to order me not to hug my friend and pack mate.”
“She’s not pack,” Rhys pointed out.
“Semantics. I spent just as much time playing and hunting with her as I did the rest of my pack,” Thor said.
He wasn’t wrong. I had spent a lot of time with him.
“I’m his queen,” I told Thor, looking up into his eyes. “Rhys, Deryn, Foxfire, and Nico are my guards. That’s a secret by the way, so please don’t tell anyone.”
Thor chuckled. “Well, that explains their protectiveness. But, unless you’re also sleeping with them, then…”
I glanced down and felt my cheeks heat up.
“Oh,” Thor said. “Well, why didn’t you say so?”
“Because it doesn’t matter,” I said and looked up at Thor. “You’re my friend and they…” I jerked my thumb at the guys, “need to get used to seeing me hug my friends, no matter their gender.”
“He kissed you,” Deryn reminded me.
“Yes, before he knew anything,” I countered. “I’m not marked, so he assumed I was unattached.”
“I would have kissed you anyway,” Thor said with a smirk.
I punched his arm and he released me and sat back down.
“Want to tell me the rest of the story?” he asked.
So, I did. I started from the end of the witch story and told him about almost everything that had happened to me and ended with coming on the train. I also made sure he knew to keep it secret.
“That’s one crazy life,” Thor said with a whistle.
“You never told us all of that,” Fox whispered.
“Well, now everyone knows,” I said and shrugged.
Deryn left, heading into the next train car with Nico following him.
A guy with tousled brown hair stuck his head into the car. “Thor? Alpha wants you.”
Thor nodded, hugged me, and headed after him.
I got into my window seat and watched the scenery rolling by. Lush green hills made up the land we were traveling through with no building in sight. It was beautiful and peaceful.
Talking about all of the bad things that had happened to me had reopened emotions I didn’t want to revisit, but was now forced to. After what had happened with Martin and the witches, I had distanced myself from people. I didn’t want them involved or hurt, so I made myself a hermit. I made friends online in the gaming community and did my best to only let those relationships flourish. But, I had grown tired of being lonely. I needed physical companionship and not just sex, but the hugging and cuddling mainly. Growing up with werewolves had made me affectionate and going so long without touch had been driving me insane.
Deryn came back and plopped down in the seat next to me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered without looking at him. “I was being selfish again. I hadn’t seen him in so long and the urge to touch him and-”
“No, I’m sorry,” he interrupted. “You weren’t doing anything wrong. And, I need to get over you removing the curse. You are here and fine, so it shouldn’t matter.”
“Why have you guys been so tense lately?” I asked him softly. “All of you have been worried about me, but I don’t know why.”
He held out his hand, but instead of taking it, I climbed into his lap and rested my head on his shoulder.
“You’ve been having nightmares. You cry out and sometimes call our names. You’ve even cried while dreaming, tears dripping down your cheeks and you’ll be whimpering. It’s been happening for weeks.”
Shit. I hadn’t realized they knew about my nightmares.
“Oh.”
“What are your nightmares of?” he asked me softly, his voice gentle and his arms a secure band around my hips.
“Death,” I replied softly.
“Whose?”
“All four of you.”
He tensed beneath me. “What happens?”
“You’re protecting me from something and one by one, you all die. I try to stop it, but I can’t move. I just have to sit and watch as you’re killed.”
I was crying, evident by the wet spot on Deryn’s shoulder. Deryn turned and licked my cheeks and eye, clearing away the tears.
“They’re just dreams, baby. We are all here, safe and sound.”
“What if it is a premonition?” I asked.
“We aren’t going to die anytime soon,” he assured me.
“You don’t know that for sure,” I argued.
“Do you really think they are premonitions?” he asked.
“No,” I admitted, “but it won’t stop happening. Almost every night.”
“Perhaps it is your own fear getting the better of you,” he suggested. “I know my biggest fear right now is losing you. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had nightmares about it.”
Part of me knew it was because whenever something good happened, something bad usually came next to counter it. I was trying really hard to just enjoy the happiness we had been having, but my subconscious was a jerk.
Now that I was surrounded by love and warmth, I di
dn’t want to go back to being alone. I didn’t want to be a hermit again.
“Hey,” Deryn whispered and kissed my forehead. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Honestly?” I asked.
He nodded.
“After becoming used to being loved and touched again, I don’t think I could handle going back to being a recluse. If I lose you, I won’t be able to be alone.”
“You won’t be alone,” he promised me. “You aren’t going to lose us. I told you, no matter what happens, I will always be here for you.”
“Even if I piss you off?” I asked softly.
“Always,” he said adamantly, “and forever.”
“I already used the lifetimes line,” Fox called to him.
“Line?” I asked, feigning hurt. “So, it wasn’t true? It was just a line you use on all the girls?”
Fox rolled his eyes at me. “You know it’s not.”
“Jolie, did you sleep with Thor?” Deryn asked in a whisper.
“No,” I answered loudly. “Why would you think that?”
“He said you were his first love,” Deryn reminded me.
“I was his first love. He wasn’t mine. I only slept with Martin from that pack,” I explained.
“So, he loved you and you loved Martin?”
I nodded.
“Wait, that pack? Were there other werewolves that you slept with from other packs?”
Oops. Spilled the beans. Shit.
“Um,” I replied intelligently, totally ready for that question.
“How many other werewolves?” he asked.
“I don’t ask you guys about who you slept with before,” I countered.
“This is important,” he said seriously.
“Why?”
“Because a representative from each of the packs will be at the Summit, so it is better if he is prepared ahead of time with knowing if any of them slept with you,” Fox answered for him.
“Doesn’t that mean I should let all four of you know if I have slept with others of your race?” I asked.
“Yes,” Fox replied immediately.
“Do I have to give you names?”
“Yes,” Deryn said.
Fuck.
“Yukio and Zelphar of the elves.”
Fox’s eyes widened and he blinked in silence.
“Declan and Kylan of the dragons,” I said, looking at Rhys.
“Both?” he asked.
“Yes.” They were twin brothers who I had dated one after the other.
“Werewolves?” Deryn prompted, growing impatient.
“Tobias, Ezio and…”
What was his name?
“Lorenzo,” Martin answered for me.
I gaped at him. “How did you know that?”
“He called me to make sure we were actually over,” he explained.
Wow.
“Anyone else fall in love with you? Like Thor?” Deryn asked with a scowl on his face and his body tense beneath me.
“I don’t know,” I snapped and stood up away from him. “You can’t be mad at me about this. You knew I wasn’t a virgin before we slept together. Plus, you’re not a virgin either.”
My anger was building, partly, okay mostly, due to my embarrassment. It wasn’t fair for him to get mad at me for things that happened before we got together.
“No one likes hearing the list of prior conquests,” Martin offered. “Not even me and we aren’t together any longer.”
“Or knowing you will see all of them at the Summit,” Deryn growled.
“All of them?” I asked, my voice squeaking at the end.
“One big Jolie reunion,” Deryn snarled.
I jerked back, feeling worse than if he had physically slapped me. Tears pricked at my eyes and I whispered, “Excuse me,” before running out of the train car.
Rhys I might have expected a comment like that from, but not Deryn.
The train didn’t have many places to escape to, but I knew towards the front was a car with glass ceilings and walls, so you could get a full view. I tripped over someone’s foot and muttered an apology as I continued on.
Someone grabbed my arm and I turned, ready to attack, when through my teary-eyed sight, I recognized Dan.
“Alpha,” I whispered, then sniveled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t want to-”
Deryn entered the car, following me, and I pulled against Dan’s hold.
“I don’t want to talk to him,” I begged him. “I just need some time.”
He released me and nodded. “Go, I’ll keep him.”
I went through the next door and just as the door closed, I felt Dan use his power as he said, “Sit!” It was such a strong command that my knees wobbled.
I stumbled forward, right into Thor.
“Jo, what’s wrong?” he asked, his eyes scanning my face and then behind me.
“Jus…need space,” I said and hurried around him.
He let me go, but was scowling with furrowed brows as he watched me leave.
Finally, I made it to the car and found a seat. Surprisingly, there was no one else in the car. I curled my legs up, hugging my knees as I watched the hills go by.
There was something more going on with Deryn than he was telling me. He had been upset a lot recently. More than he should have been, even with me almost dying and my nightmares.
“The number one thing alphas hate, is not having control,” Nico whispered from beside me.
“Nico,” I sighed. “I want to be alone.”
“No, you don’t. Now, listen. alphas hate not having control. As prince, we have to operate knowing that for now, our fathers have control. And, we know there are some things we don’t have control over and never will. Many alphas mate with a submissive because it ensures that we will have control.”
“How loving,” I scoffed.
“Shush,” he ordered me.
“Fine,” I mumbled and turned away from him.
“Deryn has always been in control of everything he possibly could be. Then, you fell into our lives.”
“Is this the, Jolie fucked everything up, speech?” I asked with a snarl.
“You are incredibly unpredictable, wild, danger prone, and infuriating. You are emotional, independent, and happy to butt heads with anyone, even the kings.”
“This is a fantastic pep talk,” I grumbled. “Definitely making me feel better.”
“On top of all of that, our lives drastically changed. We went from our happy and content foursome to our hectic fivesome.”
I stood up and walked away from him. “Then, just fucking let me leave!”
He teleported in front of me and grabbed my shoulders, his eyes fell to the tears on my face and his scowl disappeared.
“Despite all of this, Deryn loves you more than anything else in the world. More than his own pack. Nothing regarding you is controllable. There is always something new for us to learn about you. We all figured we weren’t the first Others you had had relationships with, but half of those wolves you slept with hate Deryn. They will use this opportunity to throw it in his face that they had you first. Since you aren’t mated and our relationships aren’t public knowledge, they can touch you if you allow it. He is once again not in control. You opted to put your life on the line and there was nothing he could do about it. You almost died and all we could do was pace and pray. He is stressed and hasn’t been eating well because of it. He also hasn’t shifted much lately. It is not an excuse for him saying such a cruel thing to you, but maybe you’ll see things from his side if you know all of the facts.”
My anger had dissipated, but I was still hurt.
Nico disappeared, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
What he said made sense. I could understand how infuriating someone like me would be to an alpha who liked to be in control of everything. I knew shifters preferred schedules and predictable events because chaos made them a little less in control o
f their beasts and an out of control werewolf was not something anyone wanted. For someone as powerful as a prince to lose control would be unthinkable. The fact that he hadn’t shifted much recently was bothering me the most. I was a shitty girlfriend for not noticing he hadn’t been shifting while we were together. He should have been spending at least half of our time together as a wolf.
I marched back to the car where Dan was sitting next to Deryn who was obviously frozen from his father’s order.
“Shift,” I ordered Deryn.
Dan said,” You may go.”
Deryn stood up and opened his mouth.
“Shift,” I ordered him again before he could speak.
He scowled, but then did as I asked and shifted into his wolf form.
I held open the door for him. “Come on.”
Deryn followed me on silent paws to the observation car. I lay on my back in the aisle, looking up at the sky. Deryn sat in front of me, slightly between my legs, head cocked, and looked at me.
I grabbed the fur on either side of his cheeks and gently tugged his head, so he lay down with his head on my chest, muzzle between my breasts. I pet his head with my eyes closed, inhaling his hot wolf breath and letting him breathe my scent in.
“What you said was rude and hurt me a lot,” I whispered. He tried to lift his head, but I held him. I didn’t continue until he had stilled. “It is not my fault that I didn’t meet you until now. Yes, I have had a few sexual partners, but only one I had planned to mate with before you four. The way I see it, you have a few options. You can keep things as they are, withdraw your request to be my mate, but stay my guard, or you can completely cut ties with me. I love you so much, but I don’t want to continue causing you misery.”
And, I was crying again. Dammit.
His long wolf tongue licked up each cheek, then he shifted, laying atop me, but propped up on one arm so he wasn’t squishing me.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I am a jealous asshole. It is not fair of me to take my frustration out on you. You aren’t causing me misery.”
“You were happy and smiling all the time, wanting to play and be carefree, but now you are mad all the time. That sounds pretty miserable. What’s your decision?”
He kissed me deeply, his tongue sliding along mine in a slow caress as he gripped one of my hips, his thumb rubbing over my hip bone.
“I’m not going anywhere. Didn’t we just talk about this? You are stuck with me for the rest of your life. I love you and I promise to work on my attitude and worrying. I want you to be safe and that has seemed impossible lately. I will do whatever I need to, to keep you safe, happy, and with me. I’m sorry for what I said. It wasn’t fair of me.”
Royally Exposed: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Her Royal Harem Book 2) Page 10
