“I’m glad Queen Nadine has offered to help,” Halo said, rolling the kinks out of her neck. “Working all day and conjuring magical food for a good part of the night is taxing.” Her eyes looked glossy with fatigue.“I am so grateful for her help,” I said. “When this is over, I’ll definitely make sure that we’re able to create a stronghold against any threats as she requested.” I made sure to say this in front of Gabrielle to ensure that she didn’t tell Polonius that Queen Nadine was fortifying Angeline Falls against his potential attack.“Did she mention when the food was coming?” Gabrielle asked, ready to continue assisting Halo as she hovered near where Halo sat at her chair.“The trucks should be here in a couple of days,” Halo said. She gathered a ledger and a clean white piece of paper, preparing for the day’s immigrants.“I’ll make sure to thank Queen Nadine when I see her next week,” I said, quietly dreading my trip with Polonius. He was coming in the next few days to discuss our
My wolf panted with desire, haunches up, ready for her mate to seal himself within her.“I hope someone does,” Lex said, and his fingers dipped into my already slick and needy center. He then thrust them into me, spreading my wetness to the far reaches of my sex.He let go of my waist, and I used my hands to brace myself against the wall. The rustle of fabric told me he was pulling his cock out of his pants, and without warning, he thrust it up inside me so hard, I jolted forward, moaning with the brutal intrusion that had set my entire body on fire.“Lex!” I cried out, then chewed on my lip to quiet myself, feeling him stretch my insides to accommodate his size.His body covered mine gently until we were breathing each other’s air. He started to pump in and out of me.“I’m yours,” he growled. “You own every inch of me, body and soul. And you are my mate, my life, my everything. Feel me. Emblazon me into your body, the only person who will ever be there.” He slowly pulled himself out,
“We thought as much.” The man had an wistful look in his eyes. “Everyone who’s met her has said something similar. I can’t wait until it’s our turn.”“Your turn will be here before you know it. Have a good day,” I said, leaving the man to his waiting.I walked for most of the day, looking at the fields that were just starting to be tilled, where crimson pitaya and the kingdom’s food would grow. I sat for hours there, watching a carpenter build a house near a clear creek that flowed through the rubble and debris. The kingdom had been cleaned up, but remnants of the destruction lingered as the magic had not been able to wipe everything away.I hoped one day, all memories of the sad time in history when Onyx Rah had been destroyed would be forgotten. But for now, the debris and burn marks proved the wounds of the kingdom were still fresh. I admired Aria for stepping into such a difficult role with no training or real experience. As she always has said to me in the quiet moments when she
The battle was fierce. Even though I had a million things running through my mind that interfered with my focus, I was still able to lunge at anyone who neared us and bite into their throats. My claws dug into flesh and fur as some of the attackers had shifted. I could hear Aria's growls and the muffled sounds of whining beside me. I knew she was taking down as many of the attackers as I was. We advanced through the hordes, gnashing, snarling, and scraping at anything our claws and teeth could touch.We battled for an hour before I realized that the attackers were not using deadly force. Some of them had even vanished upon being mortally wounded by either Aria or me. Soon, what had seemed to be an insurmountable battle became less and less of a threat. Was this not an attack, but a kidnapping attempt? Why would Midnight Moon Pack members want to kidnap us?Perhaps Aria being taken by force would force Polonius to pay a high ransom. The same principle would apply to Navarrah City if I
The soldiers removed their masks, revealing themselves to be the Royal Guards who had just enlisted to protect Onyx Rah.“You two were amazing!” one soldier shouted from the crowd.“I’ve never seen two fighters work together so well!” another yelled.“Something’s going on there,” still another voice added. “Only my mate and I show so much chemistry.” Then, he added in a raunchy tone of voice, “In bed!”There was laughter throughout the regiment.“Aria, I wanted to show you that Lex is your weakness, but here you go and prove me wrong. Aria is stronger with you, Lex.” Sire cocked his head in disbelief. “It is a fact I was unwilling to accept, and yet here I am, forced to acknowledge it.”“That’s why I need to be near her,” I told him. “So that I can keep her safe.”“Perhaps,” Sire said. He waved his arm in the air and started walking back to the castle. “At ease,” he addressed the soldiers. “You’re dismissed.”As soon as Sire released them, the soldiers came up to Aria and me. They wer
As I stood there wondering again if I should warn Aria that Sire was manipulating her for his own benefit, a soldier attacked me and took me to the ground.“Ha! Always be on your guard, you said,” the triumphant recruit crowed as he pinned me in a death hold.“That you should,” I said, defeated. “Nice work.”The soldier let me up, and I realized that Aria was taking too much of my focus. If I weren’t careful, the next person to pin me to the ground might actually kill me.Chapter 22AriaLex and I were in the forest again. We had taken to waking up early and shifting into our wolves for a run before our day began. It felt good to get out and exercise, with all the stress of running and establishing the kingdom. I usually didn’t see Lex during the day, so this was one of the rare times when we could be alone together unless we were in bed. Lately, we had been too tired to do anything more than just sleep in each other's embrace.We had just finished our run, and I was excited to get th
At that point, the only people who knew I was betrothed to Polonius were the leaders of Tobran. Sire’s greatest concern was that a citizen of Onyx Rah would see Lex and me together and start rumors that would get back to Polonius.“No,” I replied. “I hope we kill him before they ever know what I did to protect Tobran from war.” I hated the idea that the people I was coming to know and love would be subjected to a tyrant if I had to actually marry Polonius.“This reminds me of when we were in Brahman’s Peak and I was disguised as a mage scholar,” Lex said, laughing as he reminisced. “It was so hard for me not to touch you and be with you then, too.”“Lucian,” I said dreamily. “Oh, how I remember Lucian, the mage scholar. It was so hard to look at you once I knew who you were. Lucian was a scrawny and studious-looking man, but boy, did I want him to do wicked things to me.” I laughed again, and it felt amazing just to enjoy our memories. “We’ve had to hide our love so many times already
“Peace,” he answered. “It is the same plan we shall share with every kingdom we visit. These are peace accords, and my goal is a benevolent coexistence.” He sat up in his chair, his long hair tied back. He’d donned a white silk shirt tucked into black leather pants, yet was still wearing teeth and bones around his neck. Polonius looked every bit a warlord, despite his grooming.“And what price are you demanding for this peace?” I tried to breathe through my anger. “How am I a part of it?”“As long as you learn to love me, Aria, I will allow their kingdoms to thrive as they have without threat of Crypt Claw invasion or discontinuation of their crimson pitaya trade. We know that with Onyx Rah, my access to the fruit will increase and topple power in my favor. As long as you remain a loyal and dutiful wife, I shall not wage war against any territory in Tobran.” He sat back in his chair calmly, as if he hadn’t just detonated me.“Why do you need me to be a wife to you when all you want ar