by C. R. Jane
I pushed the storm until the rain was thick like a curtain, and the previously calm waves were crashing and snarling against the rocks and shore. I relished in my power, in the ability to use it at will.
"Selena," Seth's voice floated through the darkness. I shouldn't have heard it, the thunder and lightning battering the air around me should have drowned it out, but I heard it, nevertheless. Mate
I looked behind me and Seth was standing there, shirtless, in a pair of black silk pants. His hair was tousled and wet from the miniature hurricane I had created.
It was the awe in his eyes that really caught my attention, though. He looked at me like I was priceless, powerful, the most beautiful thing he'd ever witnessed. Which was saying a lot since I'd now seen firsthand the beauty of Fairie.
I held out my hand to him, and he walked towards me until we were standing face to face.
"I can scarcely believe you're real sometimes," he told me, his voice breaking through the storm. A sob hitched in my throat. We hadn't talked about what he'd given up for me, not really. A million thank you's wouldn't be enough.
I didn't feel worthy.
"You gave up the scepter for me," I finally said. "Why would you do that?"
His gaze was shining with vulnerability. "Don't you know by now that I would do anything for you, Selena? I would go through every strike of those whips, give up every kingdom in every world, just so I could be with you."
"I'm not worth that," I told him honestly, my self-doubt creeping through. It would probably take a lifetime to undo what my mother and Julian had done to my inner psyche.
"You're worth everything," he swore fiercely.
Seth
The rain suddenly slowed to a drizzle as soon as the words came out of my mouth. I just stared at her perfect face, knowing I'd never get tired of looking at it, never get tired of hearing her say my name or feel her touch. My heart raced with the depth of my feelings.
How did I get here so fast? Willing to give up anything, and everything, to keep her with me.
I guess it was true that when you found your soulmate, you just knew. Out of all the beings in the universe, there was no doubt in my mind that she was who I was meant to be with. Her blue eyes filled with wonder, as if we’re sharing the same thoughts. And I just… I need her to be with me forever.
I lifted my hand, and softly caressed her cheek. I felt her heartbeat quicken as we continued to gaze at each other.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” I said roughly.
I’m terrified now that we're out, that she'll change her mind about me. I know it's a stupid thing to think; her love for me is so tangible I can practically taste it. So strong it could knock me over.
But still that little voice in my head tells me that I could lose her just like I have lost everyone else. And I know that, unlike the others that I've lost, there would be no coming back from losing her...
“I'm thinking that I love you, that I can't believe you're mine… I can't believe what you gave up for me," she answers in that sweet voice of hers that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.
My arms wrapped around her shoulders, clutching her as the rain continued to fall. At this point, it almost felt like it was caressing my skin.
“Someday you'll understand just what you mean to me,” I told her.
“Make love to me,” she pleaded.
I tensed for a moment, wondering if she was really ready. We'd been… through a lot lately. But I didn't see any doubt in her eyes as she pleaded with me.
“Selena, we don't have to,” I told her, even though my body was already ready for her. It was always ready for her.
She put her hand to my lips. “I need you. I need to feel you against me, to know that we really survived, that we're really out of that place. I want you to make love to me because I love you.”
Her eyes didn't leave mine as she spoke, and I saw the mixture of desire and surrender in them. My fingers slid up her spine as I gripped her neck. Both of us moved in perfect harmony, and our mouths collided. I took control of the kiss, pouring myself into her. Each swipe of her tongue against mine was a balm to my battered soul.
Her hands moved down my shoulders, over my arms, caressing my rain-drenched skin, and then back up again. I loved the feel of her touching me. It had never been that way before. I couldn't get enough. The kiss continued as we touched each other.
It was as if I was experiencing everything for the first time.
My mouth moved against her throat, kissing her in that place right below her ear that I knew drove her wild. I moved back to her lips, and took her head in my hands, making sure she was looking into my eyes, making sure that she could see how crazy I was about her. That she was everything to me.
I led her out of the rain and into the lavish suite Alaric had prepared for her. Both of us were dripping water all over the wood floor as I led her into the bathroom, and then started the water. Once the steam started to build, signaling that the water was warm, we slowly undressed each other, and then I led her into the shower.
I filled my hand with body wash, turned her back to my front, and began to wash her. I started at her neck, messaging and lathering the soap, moving ever so slightly down her shoulders.
“I want to spend the rest of my life worshiping you," I whisper against her ear. “I'm going to make you smile every day. You'll never know pain again.” She leaned back against me as I moved to her chest.
“Seth," she whimpered as I paid special attention to the rosy tips on her perfect breasts.
Once I was done washing her, we were both desperate for more. I needed to be inside her. I needed it to feel whole. Her eyes were brimming with desire, echoing the need that was in mine. I couldn't wait any longer.
I pressed her back against the wall and found her mouth once again, pouring out every ounce of love I felt from my body. I wanted her to feel how deeply I was in love with her. She reached for my dick, trying to line it up.
"Selena," I gasped, smiling against her skin.
"Make love to me, Seth," she begged.
"I have to taste you first," I whispered, pushing the wet hair from her cheek and smiling before massaging and kneading her breasts as she writhed against me. I dropped to my knees and then lifted her legs, throwing them over my shoulders. She cried out at the first swipe of my tongue. I pressed against her clit, moving in circles, then up and down. Her body stiffened, and I knew she was about to climax.
“Holy crap," she panted as I slipped my finger inside her wet heat, and sucked her even harder. Another finger joined the first, and I pushed deeper, crooking them at just the right angle I knew would drive her mad. She burst apart on my tongue and fingers. And it was one of the most glorious things I'd ever seen. Our breathing was erratic, and I swore my heart was thumping loud enough to reverberate around the room.
I set her down as gently as I could, considering how desperate I was to get inside of her. Without warning, I stood and slammed into her. Her eyes squeezed tight as she struggled to accommodate me.
“You okay, sweetheart?” I asked.
She nodded quickly, and I kissed her as I rocked slowly in and out of her. This was heaven. I wanted to live in this sweet pussy.
“Seth,” she whimpered. “It’s too much.”
Everything about her was incredible. We moved against each other, completely lost in what was happening. I began to move faster as my orgasm built.
“I’m going to cum,” she moaned.
“Yes. Love the way you grip my cock, sweet girl," I said through gritted teeth. My fingers digging into the flesh of her hips, pulling her against me harder as I thrusted to meet her.
This was it, I was ruined.
"Selena!" I cried out as my climax hit me hard. Her answering cry was music to my ears as she followed me over the edge.
"I love you," I whispered against her lips as I turned the water off. I grabbed a towel, and carried her out of the bathroom.
I wasn't even close to b
eing finished with her.
We had a lot to celebrate.
Selena
We stayed at Alaric's house by the ocean for a month, just healing. Physically we were all alright, but mentally and emotionally… that was a whole other story. Alaric was the steadiest of all of us, being that he'd walked into the prison voluntarily to find out its secrets and find trinkets to help secure his territory. Evidently, along with my orb, he'd grabbed a treasure trove of other things.
It was a good thing that the Warden couldn't come after us or send anyone else after us.
I'm sure he was missing all of his ‘pretties’ really badly. That made me smile.
Our month was spent walking along the beach, cookouts on the deck, watching the sunset…and lots and lots of sex.
Honestly, it was a miracle that my vagina was still functioning at this point. Having an incubus around to make sure that everyone was able to perform constantly… was a bonus.
Thank goodness for supernatural healing.
We were packing to head down south to check in on Alaric's territories and holdings. Alaric had already been away from the business long enough. He'd promised we'd come back to this place often, but as I stared out at the waves one last time, I was already missing it.
The weather was echoing my emotions, no doubt influenced by my power. The sky was dark and stormy and there was a perpetual cool mist in the air. The sea was a stormy gray color, and the waves thrashed against the sand.
"Selena, time to go," called Laz, and I wistfully walked away from my view of the ocean.
Laz wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head. He didn't say anything to reassure me, and I loved that about him. Sometimes I just needed to be alone with my thoughts. For a hellhound, he was very cool-headed.
We loaded into a black Escalade that had so many gadgets that I was afraid to touch anything, and it took us to a nearby private airport where one of Alaric's planes was waiting. As soon as we got into the luxurious all-black space that was the epitome of sexy, fitting since its owner was an incubus, Keon and Laz settled down to play some video games while I snuggled with Seth on one of the four couches. Alaric was in the back already taking calls. With how busy he'd been since we'd gotten out, I didn't know how he'd survived not being able to communicate twenty-four seven with his people.
"Doing okay, sweetheart?" Seth asked.
"I hope there's water where we're going. I think it helps my power," I admitted with a shrug. "That place was the closest thing to a home I've ever experienced. I’m just sad we had to leave."
“Knowing how crazy Alaric is about you, I'm sure that this next place is going to be just as good," he reassured me.
That mollified me a bit and I snuggled closer to him, deciding to take a nap since I'd learned that planes were not my favorite things on the flight out here. What exactly did people enjoy about being trapped in a tin can in the sky? Even the most lavish tin can scared me, I'd decided.
Four hours later, and the plane was touching down. I looked outside at the tall pine trees surrounding the airstrip. It wasn't the ocean, but it was still beautiful.
Once the plane landed, Alaric took my hand and led me towards the front of the plane. When the door opened, I was hit by a wave of muggy air. It was freaking hot here.
I was so distracted by the heat and the new surroundings that I almost missed the small crowd of people gathered to the left of us. As soon as they saw us a loud cheer rang out. A broad, beautiful grin burst over Alaric's face at the sight of some of his people and I swear the crowd swooned.
Keeping me close, he led us down the stairs and towards the crowd. They were immediately trying to shake his hand and hug him, but their endeavors were sidelined a bit by the fact that Alaric hadn't let go of me. The crowd quieted when they noticed my three other lovers following behind us.
"It's good to be home," Alaric said simply. Evidently, that was enough because the crowd cheered again and then everyone loaded into the many vehicles on the tarmac, leaving another large Escalade for our group to get in.
There were two huge beast-like men in the driver and front passenger seat. Alaric introduced them as his bodyguards. Keon snorted at the idea. And I kind of followed along, because he didn't really need bodyguards. Alaric growled at Keon before giving me a wink as he tucked me closer to his side, and I just shook my head.
We had only driven for about ten minutes when I plastered my face to the window. There was water, lots of it. There were rivers and streams. Deer kept popping in and out of the thick forest. Birds were fluttering from tree to tree. It was like we'd stepped into a forest from a storybook.
"What do you think, pet?" Alaric asked.
"It's gorgeous," I admitted in awe. “It’s so different from the beach house. But just as beautiful."
"I knew you’d like it," Alaric responded cockily.
The SUV turned the corner and I sat up in my seat nervously. There was a stone wall at least twelve feet tall in front of us, and beyond that…a freaking castle.
"Showoff," Laz muttered as gates embedded within the stone wall slowly opened and we pulled onto a smooth paved road that appeared to lead straight towards the castle.
There were buildings everywhere. Men, women, and children were six deep on the sidewalks waving excitedly as our vehicle passed. There was an entire city here, and from what Alaric had told me, a whole country beyond that.
Alaric rolled the windows down and waved back at his people.
A few women appeared to pass out when they saw him, like he was some kind of rock star. I just rolled my eyes and gave Alaric a side eye.
The rest of the guys were staring out of their window.
"Tell me we're going to be staying in that castle," Keon said excitedly.
Alaric gave him a look like, what do you think?
"No killing inside the walls," Alaric warned him with a growl.
Keon held up his hands. "Wouldn't dream of it."
We pulled up to the front of the castle, and I got out, a little dazed as I stared up at it. It was the same dark stone as the wall surrounding the city. There were at least twelve turrets that I could see with enormous windows and balconies peppered all over it.
"Welcome home, Selena," Alaric purred before he suddenly pulled me into a kiss that had me forgetting everything but the way that he set my soul on fire.
He pulled away from me and then took my hand and led us around the vehicles. The castle was set on a hill so the city was spread out before it. While we'd been driving, Alaric's people had gathered on the road surrounding the castle, their cheers growing louder and louder.
"I've missed you all," Alaric told the crowd, his voice somehow amplified. "My mission was a success. And we will never fear our enemies again."
With that announcement the crowd's cheers grew into a roar and I smiled thinking about the protective talisman and the host of other things Alaric had managed to poach from the Warden. That didn't even include the things he'd been sending his people throughout his stay in Nightmare as he discovered them.
Alaric held up his hands to quiet the crowd. "But I’ve brought you something else," he announced proudly, pulling me close to his side.
"I have brought you back a queen."
The crowd's roars grew so loud that it was deafening.
Laz, Keon, and Seth came up behind us as Alaric held our hands up in the air. He then grabbed me and dipped me in a kiss like I'd only seen in the movies.
Of course, his people loved that. I was going to need new eardrums after all of this.
Their enthusiasm was encouraging, though.
"Welcome home, my queen," Alaric purred after our kiss had ended.
I grinned up at him before my gaze flicked to my other mates.
I'd been a slave, and then a prisoner before I'd met these men. I'd never dreamed of being a queen.
Maybe happily ever afters could exist after all.
I really liked the sound of that.
Epilogue
Selena
3 Years Later
Being patient was a bitch. Even with the new life we'd built for ourselves, Julian still lurked in the back of my mind, a sore that was still festering and wouldn't heal until he was gone. We had a life to create, so there wasn't time to figure out a plan to get past the army that Julian had surrounded himself with. I'd had to ignore it because a world in which Julian still existed was a world I had trouble sleeping in. Despite how powerful I'd grown, and how powerful all my mates were… Julian was the bogeyman under the bed, waiting to pounce. The only creature who could destroy the slice of heaven we'd built for ourselves.
But that all ended tonight.
Alaric’s spies had been watching the vampires and they’d informed us that Julian had recently eased up. Our disappearance giving him a false sense of security that we were no longer a threat. Or perhaps something else was making him feel safer these days. I liked to think he feared retribution from my men and me.
Julian was at his decadent mansion, right on the lake's edge tonight, waiting for the call-girl he'd ordered. Evidently, he'd outgrown the sirens he used to favor and was looking for something a bit more... exotic.
It had been way too easy to make sure that the call-girl never arrived. And with some of Seth's fae power put into an amulet I wore around my neck, I'd been transformed into an enticing creature that he'd never suspect was me. I got out my compact mirror and checked my appearance one more time, making sure I hadn't suddenly changed back somehow. Long blonde hair cascaded over my shoulders down my back and sparkling brown eyes stared back at me from a stranger's flawless face. Perfect. I looked almost angelic like this. It was fitting.
The guys had wanted to kill Julian for me. But I'd refused.
Some things were just too personal to allow someone else to handle.
Killing Julian was one of those things.
Of course, the guys were nearby, just in case things went south. But I knew I wouldn't need them. When you wanted something this bad, there was no other option but success.
