Alaric whirled around and glared at Ilyssa. “But now it’s not going to happen because you interfered,” he growled, lips pulled back to reveal the elongated points of his canine teeth. “I had a chance to avert a war, to save countless lives, and see our two races live in harmony – only to be defeated by a homeless band of kidnappers and petty thieves!”
“You might have been more successful if you hadn’t been sneaking around behind your father’s back in an unmarked, unguarded coach!” Ilyssa snapped back, her own temper sparked by his sudden display of rage.
Her eyes did not glow like Alaric’s, but she knew he had to see the fire in them as she stared him down, unflinching.
“You can read every book in existence, Your Highness, but never presume you know anything about life. There’s a reason we live in these woods, and it isn’t because we all had dreams of being outlaws. Yes, we take what we need to survive but for the most part, we live off the land around us. And we choose to do it, because it’s better than living in kingdoms where we would be spit upon for our beliefs, where we would be called ‘traitor’ because we don’t agree with the policies of our leaders.”
She jabbed a thumb at herself. “I happen to come from Emberi. Just before I left, they were starting to accept Werewolves who felt out of place in Lobishome, allowing them to integrate. There were still a lot of whispers of resentment, though, and a lot of animosity dwelling behind closed doors. I was fifteen at the time. I was scared and alone and didn’t know the first thing about survival in the wilderness. I thought about giving up and going back. Then I met these people who shared my feelings. They took me in. They taught me to hunt and fight, but more importantly they taught me to stand my ground, to keep an open mind and heart even when it would be easier to just give in and follow the racist herd. For the last ten years I’ve been living out here, content with the choices I’ve made and free from the hypocrisy.”
She cut him off as he opened his mouth to speak. “Oh, and before you ask: yes, everyone in this tribe is Human, but there’s a small pack of Werewolves who sometimes stops by and trades with us. They’re loners who, like us, hold no ties to any kingdom; they just prefer to live a nomadic life. We respect that, and we’ve let them know that they always have an open invitation to stay. So maybe we’re already fulfilling your ‘prophecy,’ just not on a global scale.”
Anger receding, Ilyssa folded her arms under her breasts and sighed. “Not everyone can embrace change, Alaric,” she said, addressing him by his name and not his title. “Hatred doesn’t go away overnight. Especially one that’s been bred into people’s hearts for generations. As for this woman you’re supposed to meet…?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what she could possibly have that could convince two ancient enemy kingdoms to just roll over and pledge peace to one another. If you ask me, it sounds like she might have plans of her own. Don’t let your mind become so clouded by your dreams of unity that you walk blindly into a bad situation. Nothing’s worse than the rude awakening of regret.”
Alaric did not respond, at least not verbally. Ilyssa saw his expression change as she spoke, the furrow leaving his brow and the hard set of his mouth relaxing. She waited but he had no comeback, nothing more to add; instead, he looked crestfallen.
Softening, Ilyssa let out another deep sigh. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry we ruined your plans. Just so you know, I agree with you completely – there should be peace between our people, and I would love to see it happen in my lifetime. I also didn’t mean to go off on you like that, but I’m very loyal to the tribe and I couldn’t just stand here and listen to you criticize us. We’re good people.” She grimaced. “I’ve been worried about what’s going to happen to us, once we get you home to your kingdom. I came here this evening, hoping to prove to you that we mean you no harm.”
The prince looked away. Coupled with his continued silence, Ilyssa took that as a clear sign of dismissal.
“I guess I’ll take my leave,” she said.
She gathered up what remained of her supper, but she no longer had an appetite.
“They should be returning soon with a wagon to take you back to Lobishome. If all goes well, you’ll be home by sun-up.” A smile curved her lips. “After that, I’m sure my people will have to decide if we should pack what we can carry and hope to find another place to live before winter, or if we’ll stay and wait for your father’s guard to arrive and execute every one of us.” Turning, she started for the door.
“You have a third option,” Alaric called after her, speaking for the first time since his earlier outburst.
Curious, Ilyssa stopped and looked back at him. He took a step toward her, his eyes bright as molten steel.
“And that is?”
“Help me to keep my appointment with the woman from Emberi.”
Ilyssa let out a short burst of laughter. “You must be joking. Didn’t you hear what I said before, how this whole meeting of yours sounded like some kind of set-up?”
“I heard you,” he said, nodding. “But I also heard you say that you wanted to see a reconciliation between our kingdoms. I am giving you an opportunity to prove it. Come with me and stand at my side – a Human ally to a Werewolf – and I promise you that no harm will come to you or your tribe. Not only will I guarantee your protection from my father, I will also see that your stores are well-stocked and that you have everything you need to survive the coming winter.”
He continued to close the space between them, until he stood directly before her, gazing down into her eyes. “If ever I needed confirmation that our two races were once related, I needed only to meet you and I am convinced. We are kindred spirits, Ilyssa. We want the same thing. We share the same longing for harmony and a fear of war, and the desire to end the hatred which has poisoned this world for far too long. But we need to act now, before Lobishome attacks Emberi.”
He offered his hand to her. “Let peace begin with us.”
Under any other circumstances, Ilyssa would have laughed and walked away. But something deep inside her stirred at the hope in Alaric’s voice.
Suddenly, she found herself remembering a moment from her childhood. Her family had been visiting a neighboring kingdom, one which also welcomed people from Lobishome. During a tour of one of the gardens Ilyssa had seen a couple laughing and cavorting with their young son. They had all looked so happy. Then, much to Ilyssa’s amazement, the boy had transformed, going all over furry with a bushy tail and big, fuzzy ears. Only then did Ilyssa realize that they were Werewolves. This had puzzled her, because she had always heard such terrible things about those people, and yet she saw with her own eyes that they were in fact not very different from Humans: they had loving families, they played and loved and carried themselves with dignity. And when the Werewolf boy had run up to her, a child looking at another child as a potential playmate, Ilyssa recalled how her own father had pulled her away, muttering in disgust. That day had marked her awakening, however, and she had made a promise never to let herself be governed by ignorance.
“You really do believe in this,” Ilyssa said at last, looking up at Alaric.
“With utmost passion,” was his solemn reply.
She nodded. “I’m probably going to regret this, but – all right. I’ll help you.”
Alaric broke into a wide smile and he started to thank her but she held up a hand to stop him.
“We have to work together, though,” she said, “and trust each other. By that, I mean that you’re going to have to defer to me at the first sign of trouble. You’re still under my care and I’m not going to let anything happen to you – I need you alive and in one piece so you can honor your promise to help my people. We’re also going to take a few of my people along just to be on the safe side. Strength in numbers and all that.”
He smirked. “While I do appreciate the precautions and your concern for my well-being, I can assure you I am quite capable of defending myself. Well…” He reached up and tapped the col
lar. “When I’m not wearing something like this, of course. You will remove it before we meet my connection from Emberi, yes?”
Ilyssa hesitated, again debating on what to do and how wise it would be to restore full power to a Werewolf. With a soft growl of frustration, she huffed out a sigh and made a twirling motion with her finger. “Turn around.”
Alaric did as she instructed. He even reached up to pull his hair aside and expose the back of his long neck.
Ilyssa brushed away the few strands that he missed, noting their silken texture, and for a moment she wondered what it would feel like to just bury her fingers in that thick mane. She shook herself and focused on unlocking the choker. Kristof is going to kill me, for sure, she thought.
When she pulled the collar away, the stones ceased their green glow and returned to their normal flat, black color. Ilyssa heard Alaric’s sigh of relief. He faced her again, rubbing his now bare throat.
“Better?” she asked.
“Much,” he said. He smiled. “Thank you.”
Ilyssa held up the collar. “Trust,” she said, and tucked the choker inside her waist cincher. “Don’t make me regret it.”
“On my honor,” he murmured. His smile faltered and he cleared his throat. “There…is…just one other thing. Something that must be done prior to this meeting, if you are to accompany me.”
He looked down at his hands as he kneaded each finger. “The woman I’m meeting is like me. A Werewolf.”
“I thought you were trying to realize some prophecy about Humans and Werewolves coming together.”
“We are,” he insisted. “I told you, she shares the belief that the two races must unite. She said she has a connection to the royal family; once our plan is set into motion, she will be able to return to Emberi and consult with the king.”
Ilyssa let out an incredulous grunt. “A Werewolf claims she has King Willem’s ear…Well, that just makes me even more suspicious. The king may have issued the decree of integration, but he’s one of the biggest hypocrites in Emberi when it comes to accepting his own law.”
She shook her head again. “I don’t like this.”
“Then you’re also not going to like what I am about to tell you,” Alaric said. “When I arranged this meeting, I said I would be coming with my driver.”
“Yes, and?”
“In my kingdom, Humans are servants. That is their station. If they are not employed by a Werewolf, they are not allowed within Lobishome. This is one of the many unethical practices I hope to see abolished, allowing Humans to become full citizens capable of owning their own businesses and contributing to society. But for now, they hold menial positions taking orders from their Werewolf employers.”
“Cut to the chase,” Ilyssa said, growing impatient. “You said you would be there with your Human driver, but we sent him back to Lobishome.” She shrugged. “Unless you specified that your servant was male, I see no reason why you can’t just tell them I’m your driver.”
“Yes, but there’s a problem with that,” he said. “By law, all Humans employed in Lobishome receive a unique tattoo – one that only Werewolves can detect – when they enter into service. I, myself, find it to be abhorrent. However, the people I’m meeting know of this law and will notice right away that you have no tattoo, which will give rise to suspicion. The trust I’ve labored so tediously to establish will be destroyed, and there will be no time to repair the damage before my father declares war.”
“Oh, well, this is lovely,” Ilyssa said with a caustic snort. “Thank you for being so forthcoming with that information. You could have told me this, sooner. And I agree that the whole tattooing thing is both sadistic and degrading.”
Planting her hands on her hips, she sighed and paced the floor in a small circle. “So, I’m supposed to go with you to this thing but I won’t be able to pass as a Human from Lobishome, which means we have to come up with some other reason to explain why I’m there, one they’ll accept.”
They both lapsed into silence for a moment. Then, Alaric said, “There is one other way we can do this. While not on the same level of barbarism as tattooing, it is primitive and crude.”
She stopped and looked at him. “What is it?”
“I would have to mark you. With my scent.”
Ilyssa frowned, drawing back in confusion. “What, you mean like pissing on me?”
Alaric let out a lighthearted laugh. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Nothing as unhygienic as that, I assure you…but very close.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How ‘close?’” she asked, folding her arms under her breasts.
She watched him look around the room as though searching for an answer. “Well?”
“I’m trying to find a way to put this in a manner that won’t offend you.”
“It takes a lot to offend me. Come on. Out with it.”
“All right.” Alaric drew a deep breath and continued. “For Werewolves, the most traditional method of marking another person is through sexual congress.” He grimaced and met her gaze again. “In short, I would have to mount you.”
Ilyssa stared at him as though a second head had suddenly sprung from his neck. It took a moment before she could speak again in a coherent manner.
“You’re telling me,” she said, “that before we go to this meeting – which is supposed to happen a few short hours from now – you and I have to have sex. So some iffy-sounding Werewolf woman you’ve never met before can smell you on me and know that I can be trusted.”
Alaric nodded. “That is the general idea, yes,” he said. He moved closer to her. “I’m sorry, Ilyssa, but if you are set on going with me to this meeting, I can see no other way. It must be done.”
Tentatively, he brought his hands up and placed them on her shoulders. “I’m not in the habit of bedding women I’ve only just met – even when they are as stunningly beautiful as you. As much as I would love to have you at my side for this history-changing event, I will not ask you to submit yourself to me if you’re opposed to the idea, just as I will not see you endangered in any way.”
“Endangered…” Ilyssa had to chuckle. “You have no idea who you’re talking to, Your Highness. Remember – I’m the one who held up your coach and kidnapped you. No one endangers me; I endanger others.”
The heat of his touch distracted her, as did his passing compliment about her looks, and once again she found his eyes to be captivating. Shake it off, girl, she told herself.
She had to consider her options. She could hang back with Kristof and whomever else she could recruit to go along to this meeting, watch from a distance, and at the first sign of trouble launch an attack. That seemed to be the wiser choice, but she could also foresee problems with it. He just told you the alternative. The question is, are you willing to submit to him?
“If you go in there alone,” she said at last, “they’re going to know something’s up. You need someone beside you. I already told you I would help you see this prophecy thing through.” Ilyssa smirked. “I also need to make sure you hold up your end of the deal about helping my tribe.”
“I gave you my word.”
“I know.” Reaching up, she removed the carved sticks holding her hair in place and gave her head a brisk shake. Her tresses, still damp from her bath, tumbled down around her shoulders. Looking into his eyes again, she smiled. “Now I guess you’re going to have to give me your mark, as well.”
Alaric seemed surprised at first, but then his mouth stretched into a grin. He brought his hands up from her shoulders to cup her face.
“We’ll have to make this quick,” he said. “But first, allow me this.” Bending down, he pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss.
Ilyssa felt an instant rush of heat through her body. She opened to him willingly, inviting him to deepen the kiss. She could still taste the wine on his tongue. As she wound her arms around his neck, she felt one of his hands slip under her hair to cradle the back of her head while the other drifted down and slid around her w
aist. He pulled her in against his lean, firm body. Ilyssa had never been this close to a Werewolf before; her intimate relationships had always been with Human men. Alaric had the preternatural strength to crush her to death right now if he so chose. Instead, she found him to be quite tender.
They knew they did not have much time. As soon as the kiss ended, they separated. Ilyssa made quick work of the lacings on her cincher. Tossing it aside she pulled her blouse off over her head. She turned to lean against the wall so she could remove her boots, when Alaric’s naked arms circled her from behind. He took her heavy breasts in his hands while nuzzling her shoulder. Ilyssa could feel his hairy chest against her bare back. She tilted her head to give him better access to her neck, moaning as he rolled her nipples simultaneously between his thumb and forefinger.
“That didn’t take very long.” Grinning, she tugged at the drawstring of her doeskin trousers to loosen them.
Alaric released her breasts and ran his palms down over her soft curves. One hand dipped down inside her pants, following the round of her belly to the thatch of curls between her legs. Ilyssa gasped as his long fingers teased her clit.
“So wet,” he whispered against her ear, and she shuddered.
“I must admit, I found you attractive the moment I first saw you.”
“Oh, really?”
Ilyssa grinned. “Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen you. Being a prince and all, your face is fairly well-known.” She reached up and back, grasping a fistful of his hair. “I like what I see, though.”
“Mm,” he said, and slipped his fingers inside her, making her inhale sharply. “I like what I’m feeling.”
“So do I,” she groaned, and twisted her head to offer her mouth for another kiss. She wanted to reciprocate in some way, to please him, but between Alaric twisting her nipple with one hand and fingering her labia with the other, she found she could only stand there, swaying, easily supported by his embrace.
The Wolf Prince´s True Mate: Alpha Male BBW Pregnancy Fantasy Romance Page 3
