by Ally Summers
He was willing to give all of that up. For me.
I had surrendered to him, but he had done the same. We had jumped off the cliff together.
My palms supported me as Alaric pushed inside, jostling me forward with his strength. Filling me. Connecting with me. Loving me.
My body tightened with anticipation as he reared back and sank inside me again. I pushed into him, hungry for more. Eager for the friction his body gave.
“Oh, Eden.” His fingers dug into my flesh as he thrust into me. “Come for me,” he demanded.
“Ahh,” I cried. How did we keep doing this? Finding a higher cliff to climb. A higher place to jump. How did he keep showing me new ways to enjoy sex?
My body was ready to detonate around him.
“Fuck, you’re so sexy like this.”
My breasts grazed the sheets, bouncing as Alaric took me with possession and determination. He fucked me slow and deep, drawing the climax from my core with torturous strokes.
“Come,” he commanded.
And I was lost. I convulsed wildly as we both skyrocketed to the highest peak before collapsing in our rapture.
Alaric rolled on his side, tucking me next to him. He kissed me gently on the shoulder. “I do love you, Eden.”
I could hear the sleepy haze in his voice.
My eyes grew heavy. “I love you, too.”
35
Alaric
The lodestar was thicker than usual. Although, this morning it was the last thing I wanted to focus on. Eden was naked next to me. I had brought coffee to bed along with the daily briefing. I read the day’s agenda while she slept. I had a hard time keeping my eyes off her body.
I’d never told a woman I loved her. I didn’t think it was in my DNA. But last night I spoke the words with full intention, meaning exactly what I said.
I was in love with this woman. I realized she wasn’t the one the dowager queen or Wallace would have chosen for me. But I was sure as hell not going to end up like Russel, wanting one woman while hating the one I had.
Eden stirred next to me. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled.
“Bonjour, love.” I closed the lodestar and locked the seal.
“Bonjour.”
“How did you sleep?”
She stretched her long legs. I couldn’t get enough of them. Graceful and strong. Her body was a work of art.
“I can’t remember.” She giggled. “I think I dreamed about a big strong bear.”
“Did you?” I reached for a cup of coffee, handing her the extra one I brought in from the service cart. “For you.”
She sat forward, taking the mug to her lips. “Mmm. I love waking up like this.”
“Is it the coffee or me?” I teased.
“The coffee.”
I laughed at her coy grin.
“Can I ask a question…about last night?” It was the first time she had looked shy since I had seen her on stage.
“Of course. Anything.”
She gripped the fine china. “What we did. The mating? Am I still human?”
I grinned. “In every way.”
“But, that thing you did to my boobs. The honey? Did it change me? How did that happen?”
My cock grew hard just thinking about drinking from her tits. She was so pure in her sacrifice. She was a true queen in every way.
“I wanted to explain the entire mating ritual when we were on the yacht. That had been my plan. I was going to lay it out step-by-step. But we were reckless. And step one is of course to prime the mate with seed.”
Her eyes widened. “Did you say prime the mate?”
I shook my head. “Forgive the crassness, love. It’s the shifter world, not my royal world that dictates these things.” I continued. “Anyway, we had forgone condoms, so you were primed. Your body had already accepted my essence. And one of the tests to see if we are compatible. If your body is ready to grow my cubs is if you offer me honey. Offer it as a sacrifice. Sometimes it takes mates years for the partner to be primed.” I grinned. “I think in your case, you were meant to be my mate from the first night together.”
“Oh my God. That’s the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever heard.”
“In hindsight, I believe things happened between us the way they were supposed to. Because if I had told you this, would you have done it?”
“Done it?”
I nodded. “Yes. Would you have let me prime your body for my cubs, knowing that was my mission?”
She bit her lip. “It just sounds so animalistic. So primal.”
I growled, sliding my hand to her thigh. “But how did it feel? Did you like all those times?”
She nodded shyly. “Of course I did. I loved them.”
“And last night, when I begged for your breasts to bleed honey for our cubs. Would you have ever let me do that?”
Her cheeks turned crimson. “No. Never.”
I shrugged. “Then, I think the very logical Eden Jacobs was better indoctrinated in my bed all along. It’s where you learn best, love. Contrary to your love for books.” I winked.
“Is that so?” She smiled.
I sat back. “I only have thirty minutes before my first meeting. Since the vote for irrigation in the olive groves passed yesterday, there is legislation that has to be reviewed.”
“Don’t you have attorneys for that kind of thing?”
“Yes. But I’m a hands-on king.”
“In many ways.” Her eyebrows lifted over the mug.
“After that, I’m going to see Francois. I want to make sure the contract has been ended.”
Eden’s eyes were a lighter shade of blue in the morning. It was hard not to stare at how fucking gorgeous she was.
“Should I go with you?”
“No.” I shook my head. “That is definitely not allowed.”
“Ok. I need to check on Bonnie. I sort of left her last night to deal with that situation. I’m becoming the world’s worst friend.”
I rested my hand on her knee. “I doubt she believes that. I’m sorry she got mixed up with Russel.”
“But he seemed sincere, don’t you think? The way he looked at her. I believed him. He looked miserable, Alaric.”
I exhaled. I didn’t have a soft spot for him. I never had. We had always competed through school. He resented my position long before I was king.
“Doesn’t matter. He’s not going to leave Carina. And if your friend heard anything I said last night, she’ll stay away from him.”
“Maybe it’s not that easy for them.”
“Eden, it is that easy. Carina will destroy them both. If you speak to Bonnie today make sure she doesn’t go near him.”
She clutched the coffee. “I’m not going to tell her who she can and can’t have feelings for. Friends don’t do that. Maybe they have something real. Have you considered it could be serious?”
My eyes cut to her. “It doesn’t matter if it’s real. He’s not going to leave Carina. Why encourage it if he’s only going to hurt her? The man is married.”
“Then he shouldn’t have joined the society.” Her voice was angry.
“You’re annoyed with Russel, not me.”
“Maybe both of you.”
I leaned to kiss her on the cheek. “While you figure that out, I’m going to sign the irrigation law and pay Francois five million dollars for my freedom.”
I saw the smile sneak on her lips.
“Do you have to leave so soon?”
I looked at my watch. “I have ten minutes. Join me in the shower.”
She nodded and hopped from the bed, bouncing into the bathroom. I was already hard thinking about her slick body underneath the steam.
When I stepped inside she was waiting on her knees. Fuck she was sexy. The water ran over her skin, dripping from her hard nipples. I could see the want in her eyes. She licked her lips when she saw how hard I was for her. Only I could satisfy her thirst.
“Come here,” she whispered coyly. I entered the water slow
ly, tormenting her. Making her wait as she begged to be filled.
I pressed the tip of my crown to her lips. She greedily took me in her mouth, sliding her tongue down the bottom of my shaft. I groaned as she sucked me further, daring me to come.
The hot water prickling my back was nothing compared to the fire she lit inside me. I pulled back and thrust myself deeper into her throat, filling her the way I knew she wanted. She gagged around my massive cock. I shuddered against the convulsion.
I twisted my hands in her wet hair and fucked her perfect mouth. My hips moved in a steady rhythm as she dug her fingers into my thighs, coaxing me even farther. I didn’t know she could take me this deep.
I pulsed in and out, harder and harder. I could feel the pressure building. I slammed the palm of my hand into the tile wall, slick with steam. She didn’t hesitate. Her head tilted back as she relished my throbbing need. Tasting my mounting desire.
“You’re going to make me come, love.”
She responded with a moan that sent vibrations through my entire body. I tightened my fist in her hair as she swirled her tongue, meeting my pace. Matching my urgency. My muscles tensed as I hilted firmly into her willing mouth.
“Look at me.”
There were tears brimming as she opened her eyes. How could she still look this beautiful, even down on her knees choking around my cock? The hunger in her look pushed me over the edge. I pumped hard, spilling come deep into her throat. I ran my hands over the back of her neck, holding her there. Relishing in the wet heat as she drank me. Her lips slid around my shaft, coating me with my own release. The sensation was amazing.
She smiled as I pulled her to her feet, caressing her curves with my fingertips. Pulling her into a deep kiss.
“I can think of worse ways to spend ten minutes,” she giggled, reaching for the soap.
“Not so fast, Eden Jacobs. It’s your turn.” The meetings could wait for the king to fulfill his duties. “What do you want, baby?”
Her eyes sparkled. “To feel your fangs.”
I groaned.
This was how mornings were supposed to start.
36
Eden
I looked around for things to do to preoccupy my mind after Alaric left. I needed to think about anything other than the fact that my life was now forever intertwined with a bear shifter. It was strange to have all my old things in a new set of apartments. My rooms were joined to the king’s residence. On the other side of his spare bedroom was a corridor that connected his suite to mine. I didn’t need a set of rooms, but I realized while I worked on my dissertation it was nice to have a space to spread out. I didn’t have to worry about Bonnie stacking up my notecards.
I had left her a voicemail and sent two texts. She hadn’t responded. I’d try her again after lunch.
I had two bedrooms, a living room, dining room, an enormous bathroom, and a closet as big as a garage. There was no kitchen. Whatever I wanted came from the royal kitchen downstairs. The chefs on staff were ready to cook anything the royals wanted, no matter what time it was.
I opened my laptop. Palace cyber security was at an all-time high. One of the tech guys had to reprogram my laptop with encrypted codes so that it couldn’t be hacked when I was out. As the king’s newest advisor, that was a threat that concerned the intelligence force.
I didn’t tell them I wasn’t an actual advisor. I let them do what they needed and waited to get my laptop back.
The screen lit up and I clicked on my email. I had poured a second cup of coffee after my shower with Alaric. I wasn’t sure how we had mixed being so dirty with clean, but it was a fun experiment. I giggled to myself.
I deleted a few of the coupons in my inbox. Then I saw it.
The email popped open and I read it so fast that I couldn’t process the message. I had to reread it.
“Oh my God.” I placed the mug on the desk. I couldn’t believe this. I held my breath as if that would somehow affect the contents of the letter.
It had happened. London had accepted my application.
I read the email again, much slower this time.
I jumped up, throwing my arms in the air. “Yes!” I spun around.
Six weeks at the Literary Institute in London, locked in a vault with rare texts. It was a career dream. My dream. I could almost smell the pages.
But oh. Holy shit. Alaric was never going to be ok with that.
And my stomach flipped as I realized that I might not be either.
I was positioned at one end of the dining room table. I decided this was the best place to line up the notecards. I wasn’t going to host any state dinners here. It was unused space, and from what I gathered, the apartments were closed up when they weren’t occupied.
I looked up when my new suite manager knocked.
“It’s ok, Francesca. You don’t have to knock.” I smiled.
“Ma’am, you have a visitor.”
“Oh?” I looked down at what I was wearing. Cosette wouldn’t be happy I had taken the day off to be a student.
“Princess Juliette is here.”
“Oh.”
“Where would you like to receive the princess?”
I fumbled. Was it supposed to be formal? Couldn’t she just walk in here like a regular person?
“The living room is fine, Francesca. I’ll be right out. You can offer her something to drink.” There was one thing all palace rooms had—a fully stocked bar.
I left the rows of colored cards and walked into the main room of my apartment. Alaric’s sister was waiting for me.
“There you are.”
“Hi, Juliette. Sorry, I was working on my chapter orders.”
She waved her hand in the air. “I’m not like my brother. You don’t have to apologize. I can wait a few minutes.”
I smiled and took a seat next to her. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Have you recovered from last night?”
I almost choked. “Y-yes, I have.”
“Good. I know my mother was a complete bitch. She’s gone.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. A delicate approach was probably the way to go. “It’s not her fault. It was rushed. There was a large audience. It’s ok.”
“You are way too saintly for this family.” She crossed her legs. I didn’t know if she was planning on staying a while. “After that scene, I didn’t want to speak to her. Alaric was livid. She won’t be back until he requests it, which isn’t likely any time soon.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Alaric has told me a short version of the situation I’m sure, but I don’t want to be one more reason she stays away from Freychon.”
“Believe me, you are not the reason. I’m the only one willing to visit her anymore.”
“I’m sure you were excited about the olive grove vote. Alaric told me you spent time there before our trip.”
“That was his victory, not mine. I go where I’m requested. Which is actually why I’m here.” She flipped her long hair over her shoulder. Her high cheek bones were dusted with a light pink.
“What do you mean?”
She grinned. “As the king’s advisor I was hoping you’d be able to put in a request for me.”
I laughed. “You can’t be serious. You’re his sister. You have more pull than I do.”
“True, but with a little nudge from his favorite consort I think my idea would be more successful.”
“I don’t have that kind of influence. Really. Alaric makes his own decisions.”
“Then think of it as a favor.”
“Ok. I’m happy to help with a favor. But please, not as Consort. I wouldn’t feel right.”
She sighed lightly. “You have so much to learn about royal politics. Anyway, I’ve been trying to convince my brother to send me to Spain.”
“Spain?”
“Yes. I need to get away from Galona for a while. I’m tired of these rural trips. I need a vacation. And not a fake vacation where I have to make appearances. An actual, hon
est to God break from being princess.”
I didn’t feel like I could ask her what was behind the request. Besides, she should be able to travel where she wanted. But I was learning that everyone in the family had issues with the crown. It was like a ghost that haunted them.
“Sure. I’ll say something,” I offered.
“That’s it? You’re not going to squeeze answers out of me?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m sure you have a reason for wanting to go. My parents didn’t try to talk me out of studying in Freychon. I’m twenty-seven. I’m past the point of asking permission.”
“Ahh. And you aren’t royal.”
“No, I’m not.” It seemed as if someone was always trying to remind me what my position was in the palace. Instructing me to adhere to all the rules. Explaining that because I’m such an outsider, I couldn’t possibly understand.
“That’s a good thing, Eden.” She smiled. “Alaric needs that. We all do. A touch of reality in these walls is what we’re all looking for. It will keep him grounded and make him a better king. I think it’s already happening.”
“Favor granted.” I used my best royal voice. We both laughed.
“You’re the best.” She stood to leave. “I’m glad you’re here. You have no idea what it’s like living with four brothers.”
The palace was so huge I never ran into any of them. Everyone kept to their private apartments.
“No, I only have one.” I couldn’t relate to her life for many reasons.
“Lucky you.”
“I’ll let you know how it goes with Alaric.”
She pulled me into a hug. “Thank you.”
I sighed. If only the rest of my day was going to be that easy.
37
Alaric
Emmanuel waited for me behind The Titan. The door closed as I left and I knew I’d never be back. I had paid Francois in full. All traces of my name in the club had been destroyed. The House of Marquis would be represented by my brothers now.
