by James, Honor
“You won’t let me get hurt, honey. You and I both know that. You would never allow me to be harmed, and I won’t let you get hurt either,” she said with a smile. “That’s what I need you to understand. I know that you will never let me get hurt.”
“I’d never survive if you were hurt.” His words were soft. If she hadn’t been in his lap, she’d have never heard them. “The beast barely survived my leaving. If you died”—he shut his eyes and looked to be waging an inner war—“Gods help anyone that had a hand in it. There would be nowhere in the kingdoms that they would ever be safe.”
“Then we will simply do whatever it takes in order to ensure that nothing happens to me. I know that between you, Gabe, and Raph, I will be safe. No matter what, I will be safe. You boys will never allow anything to happen to me. I have full and complete faith in that.”
Nodding, he pulled her in tight and held on. He pressed his nose to her neck, and she could feel his breaths on her skin. He was agitated but slowly calming, his breathing evening out a little at a time. “I love you, Rissa, little mate,” he whispered.
Smiling against the side of his neck, Rissa pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. “I love you, too, my very large mate. I’m happy that you are mine. We are good together, we are good as a foursome. We are very, very good, my dear.”
He nodded, his nose rubbing over her throat. “That we are,” he agreed quietly. “All because of you, darling, always because of you. You are what keeps us all focused and calm. You can calm the beast like no one I’ve ever met. Most people just aggravate me to no end, yet you soothe that savage side.”
Rissa smiled at that and nodded. “It’s because I happen to love my beast. No matter how grumpy he can be, I love him to the moon and back.” And that was not an exaggeration. “Besides, you have me forever so it’s good that your wolf loves me or else we would be in trouble, huh?”
“He’s always known who you were and would be for us,” he said quietly. Lifting his head, Michael stared down at her. “I should have listened to him, should have trusted in those instincts instead of leaving. But at the time I was too wounded, too hurt within to clearly hear him.”
Rissa could understand that. Sometimes you climbed into your own head and you forgot everything and everyone around you while you tried to heal. “I just hope that you never withdraw from me again. I don’t want to lose you, not now and not ever. You are mine, honey, and I’m yours. Now your beast has had a taste of me and understands fully what we are together, so hopefully he will help you remain at my side as well.”
“We could never be anywhere but at your side, love,” he told her quietly. “Only death could separate us now, and that is a long time coming. Of that I’m very sure.” His head lifted at a whistle, and he reached over to push the curtain aside once more. “We’re nearly there. Are you ready for this, Princess?”
“I’m as ready as I am going to get.” She had grown up in the role she was playing. Her voice went void of her emotions, a small icy sheet held up instead, but there was the smile that she pasted on for general gatherings. Her maids, her people she was open and honest with, but when there might be others watching that weren’t a part of her massive family, the people who worked for her, then she had the Ice Princess visage on.
His growl made her shiver. “I can taste that ice you wrap yourself in and I don’t like it. I’ve never liked it when you do that. I know why you do it, Rissa, but I and the beast both truly hate that you even have to do such a thing.”
“I know, but if I don’t then there will be some flaw that someone will point out.” She rolled her eyes. “I hate it, too. I feel so cold, so cut off. I would rather simply be me. However, we both know that it’s not that simple.”
“The only flaws people point out are ones they themselves have. They merely point the finger to you because they are that petty and little. Their opinions mean nothing, Rissa and they never have. The only opinion you ever need to take to heart is the one you have of yourself. If you can find fault with yourself, then you need to make a choice. Live with it or change. No other should ever have any power over who you are or how you live your life.”
“Where have you been?” she asked with a shake of her head. “I could have used this advice years ago, Michael. I hate constructing that wall between me and others, with a passion. I truly hate to block them from my mind, from my heart, so you should have given me that advice years earlier, love.”
“I did give it to you. You just chose never to heed it,” he said softly, the sound of the carriage wheels changing as they moved over the cobblestones leading to the palace. “Make your choice, Princess, we’ll be facing off with the staff soon enough. But choose wisely. It’s something you’ll have to maintain for the rest of your life.”
She chose to be herself. “No matter what happens, I want to be me. I finally have the men that I love in my life, and I’m so very, very tired of hiding. I want to be me.” Instantly, it was as if the coach warmed, because the icy veneer was shattered by her in that moment.
Michael’s body relaxed under hers. “Better,” he said, nodding. Pulling her in close, he kissed her. “If any should dare speak, I’ll give them a look of pity. For they only speak of what they try so hard to hide. They are not speaking of you, little mate, but of themselves.” The coach came to a shuddering halt, boots hit the stone, and then the door opened, the day’s light reaching inside. “Come, Princess, time to show the people the woman I know you to be, once and for all.”
Taking a deep breath, Rissa smiled at Michael. “And ensure that they know that I come home with my intended.” He had been so steadily working on ensuring that she was ready that he forgot that this show was one that he had to put up as well. “We will give our people what they need, stability, and we will find those that wish to destroy who and what we are.”
“They will also find a much firmer hand when it comes to those that think to hurt you,” he said. He moved her from his lap and stepped out of the carriage. A moment later, his hand was inside, waiting for her to take it. “Come, Princess, no point trying to wait it out. I think they might be more stubborn on this than you.”
Her hand slipped into his much larger one and she allowed him to pull her out and then close. Squeezing his hand, Rissa looked up at Michael with a smile and nodded. “I think that this is the start of something very amazing for us, don’t you?”
“We started it already. Now we’re expanding it,” he said softly. Lowering his head, he kissed her gently, but with a possessiveness none gathered in the bailey could miss. “I love you, Princess. Let’s get the greetings over with quickly, please. I really hate having to be around so many.” It was something she knew all too well. He only ever did it for her.
“I couldn’t agree more.” She looked up at him and nodded. “I love you, too, Michael,” she whispered and then nodded. She pulled back from him and allowed him to pull her from the coach, facing their people as they did so. Smiling, she raised her voice. “This is my soon-to-be husband, Michael BlackStar.”
“Real subtle there, Princess,” he muttered at her side. Raphael and Gabriel were snickering to one side, all the while trying to look like they weren’t actually laughing. “We really need to work on your delivery of such things, Rissa.”
Rissa shrugged. “I am who I am. Subtlety is not one of my traits and you know that, honey.” Heavens, they were the ones that made her far less than subtle and they all knew it. They had made her the woman that she was, the woman that they loved.
He gave a small growl as he wrapped his arm around her for a quick hug. “Go and greet them all. I need to get Raph and the others organized. We need to know the walls and gates are secure. Don’t go inside until I’m with you again, love. And stay within my sight if you would.”
“Wasn’t planning on leaving your sight,” she told him softly and nodded. She pulled back from him and walked to her ladies-in-waiting, giving them quick instructions to have the Masters Suite prepared as well as the Mi
stresses Suite. She was determined to keep her men safe, even if it meant them ruffling up a bed to make people think that they weren’t sleeping together.
He was close. She could feel him close to her. He’d been gone a time, but now he was back, even though he’d yet to say anything. Of course, everyone was giving her a much wider berth, and their gazes were jumping all around. Then heat settled on her back, his hand resting at the curve over her waist.
Leaning back, Rissa immediately felt relief. She felt as if life were where it needed to be. “Hey,” she whispered softly and breathed in the scent that was all Michael. She had felt his eyes stalking her where she walked, and she loved every caress, every look that he gave her.
His lips brushed over her temple. “I’m starting to feel like a bug under a glass. I think it may be time to go within the hall, Rissa. We’ve kept everyone from their duties or tasks long enough. We need to keep things as normal as possible.”
“Good point.” Rissa gave him one last hug and then linked their hands together, moving into the Great Hall with him fast on her heels. She had began to feel an odd itch between her shoulders and wondered if maybe that was what she had been feeling as well, like a bug under glass.
Pulling her to a stop, Michael turned her into his arms, wrapping her up close. “You are acting nervous, love, what’s wrong?” he asked. His entire body was tense, a wire strung tight. “Talk to me, Rissa. You were practically dragging me those last few steps.”
“Don’t know,” Rissa confessed. “I feel as if my skin is crawling between the shoulder blades on my back,” she admitted. “It’s the oddest of sensations because I have never felt like this before, and it’s frankly more than a little unnerving.”
“It’s your innate, protective instinct,” he said softly. “Humans all have it like we do, like I do,” he told her. “The beast inside gives me more, though. He gives me a direction, a sense of who it is, how many and such things. For humans it’s more a sense of someone watching, usually someone that has foul thoughts in mind.”
“Well that’s what’s bugging me right now, so yes please, take me inside? Take me and ensure that we are safe? Get us out of the wide-open spaces where anyone could attack at any given time?” She would not handle it if she had someone watching her much longer.
Nodding, he took her hand in his again. “Let’s go up to the suites. We can close ourselves into a room and relax as the staff finishes up. That will keep us out of the way and view. We’ve just been on a long journey. They will expect us to want to freshen up before dinner. Not together in the same room, but that’s just too bad.”
“Exactly, because I certainly do not plan on being apart from you boys so they will just have to suck it up because I refuse to let you boys go. I mean it. You guys are mine, and I’m not going to let you go at all, not even to sleep apart from me.”
Lifting her hand, he pressed a kiss to her fingers. “Come.” He pulled her toward the stairs. He let her hand go to put her in front of him, his hand resting at the small of her back as they climbed. When they reached the top floor, the Royal floor, he took her hand once more. When they entered the Royal suites, there was a large number of servants straightening, cleaning and preparing. “Pick a room, Princess,” he said to her quietly.
“The Master Suite,” she said without hesitation. “It’s the larger of the two and is the safest.” There were hidden tunnels for escape as well. It was a good place to be, and the bed was massive for all four of them.
Nodding, he guided her toward the door. Stepping in, Michael quickly got everyone else out of the room and then shut and locked the double doors. Only then did he turn to face her, but he didn’t move except to lean back against the doors. “Any better now?” he asked softly.
“Yes, very much so,” she said with a nod. “How about you, feeling any better now? The feelings that you had getting any less intense? At least I don’t feel like someone is watching every single thing that we do, so that is a definite bonus.”
“The sensation is still there, but less. The beast knows the threat is still out there, so it’s aware. At least these rooms are huge,” he muttered as he pushed from the door. He stalked to the door leading out onto the Royal balcony, not the one the people could see, but the personal one. It was perfectly constructed for full and complete privacy without losing any of the sights, sounds, or the sunlight. He didn’t step out, just stopped and braced his arms on the frame to either side. “Never thought I’d be back here,” he said in a low tone, one filled with emotions she couldn’t even name.
“I bet. Are you all right with being back here?” she asked softly. “Really, are you going to be okay, Michael?” she asked with concern and walked to him, her hand on his back. “I also chose this room for the escape tunnels that it has. I thought it might be good.” Two different topics, but she was okay with multi-tasking.
He gave a slow nod after long moments. His one arm lifted and then dropped to rest on her shoulders, which he used to pull her in closer. “It’s going to take some time to adjust, is all,” he said quietly. “I remember the layout of the place, Rissa. That’s why I didn’t argue with your choice of rooms.”
“I wondered, but then I wasn’t sure because so few people know of the tunnels. I should have known, however, that Daddy would have ensured that you guys knew about them.” Because her father had always known that she was to be Michael’s one day.
“I was Captain of the Guard, Rissa. I had to know all the ins and outs of the palace. Both for your safety as well as your parents’. I needed to know every detail of this place, and I did.” He let out a sigh before his lips brushed her forehead. “Not much seems to have changed.”
“This is very true and no, not a great deal has changed, I wouldn’t imagine. I know that there were very few people that Daddy trusted to redo the tunnels while you were gone, so I think that maybe he and perhaps Gabe and Raph redirected where the escape one from here goes.”
“That would have been smart, given I wasn’t here any longer and yet knew the lay of the land,” he said. At her look, he shrugged. “I was a liability to the safety of the Palace and the Royal family. I had the knowledge, and someone could have figured that out and come after me. Not that I’d ever have betrayed you or your parents, but it was still wise of him to change things around.”
“You really haven’t talked to Gabe and Raph, have you?” she asked with wide eyes. “Someone found the outlet for the tunnels. Followed it up and two years ago attempted to take Mom from here. Thankfully, Daddy was here with her and there was only one person, but yeah. That’s why it was changed more than anything, Michael.”
“They shouldn’t have been able to find it,” he said with a frown. He was silent a long time before he said, “Someone let them in. Or showed it to them. Which means there really is a spy in your household. I don’t like that at all, little mate. Which means we need to change all the escape routes without a single person in the area doing it or knowing.”
“Oh no,” she whispered. “That’s why Daddy only let the boys know, isn’t it? He had figured that same thing you did.” Which made her sick to think about. “Do you really think that there is someone who would be willing to destroy my family line?”
He just looked at her for a time before his left brow arched up. Given all that had happened, they both knew it was more than possible. “Someone got through all the guards, through the palace, and took their lives. Someone has been trying to kill you since you left the lawyers, Rissa. I’m willing to say, very clearly, that there is some person or persons out there that want your part of the Royal line dead.” It was harsh, cruel even, but Michael had never once minced words with her, not when it was as important as her life.
“Crap,” she muttered. “I really and truly hate to think that. You are right, though,” she whispered. “God help me.” She was happy that he was being honest with her though, very much so. “Thank you. For being honest with me. I needed that. I needed to know that you were with me as
well. We need to find him sooner rather than later, don’t we?”
“Or them,” he said quietly. His hand slid under her hair to rub at her neck muscles. “While there is likely only one person funding this venture, there are likely many on the payroll. Backups and contingencies to ensure that the job is done. Someone is determined to end your line, and they would want to be sure they had people in all places to never miss a chance. The only thing they couldn’t have foreseen was Raphael and Gabriel bringing you through my chunk of the forest. Or that you’d talk me into staying with you.” Or their mating, either.
Rissa grinned, “This is true.” Closing her eyes, she relaxed in her mate’s arms. “I bet that they hadn’t foreseen the three of you being wolves, and even more than that, that you three would be my mates.” And she theirs.
“Very true,” he murmured against her hair. He took a deep breath and then released it, his arms hugging her close. “Let’s get comfortable, love. Raph and Gabe will let us know once all the guards are in place and it’s secure again. Then we can start going about figuring out who’s out to keep you from taking the throne.”
“Can we sit out there? It’s private, and I love the feel of the breeze on my face and scent of honeysuckles on the wind. If you wouldn’t mind, that is?” she asked with a smile. “Unless you have a better idea of getting comfortable and relaxed?”
Nodding against her temple, he drew back enough to throw the double doors open, the breeze pushing in immediately to flutter the curtains. “We can do anything you’d like, Princess. You know all you have to ever do is ask. If it’s within my ability or power to give it to you, I will.”
“And you wonder just why I love you as much as I do,” she said with a smile. “Because you are truly an amazing and wonderful man.” And she loved him with all her heart and soul. “You are a good man, Michael, and you are mine. All mine!”
