skellas stood in the
doorway of the inn. Their faces were covered by the black masks and hoods that
were part of the garment. The uniforms revealed strong bodies corded with
muscles. Before she could stop it, her gaze darted over their groins. All three
sported unmistakable bulges but the middle Guardian’s erection seemed even more
potent than the others.
Oh Gods. It’s happening. Just like in the dream.
She backed up a step then another until her upper thighs
slammed into the edge of a table. “What is it you want?”
The three men advanced into the inn. The door slammed behind
them, shutting out the echo of the wind and plunging the room into awed
silence.
As Nelina struggled to breathe, one of the men approached
her. To her shock, he sank to one knee in front of her and lifted his head. She
could make out impossibly dark eyes between the ribbon of space in his mask.
The familiar glimmer in their depths made her heart tumble in her chest.
She squinted, but other than those piercing eyes, she
couldn’t tell much about him.
“King Shivar Waldemar requests the pleasure of your
company.”
There was something familiar about the rich timbre of his
voice but the only explanation her mind could conjure made little sense. The
smooth inflection in his tone was similar to the one she’d often heard in
Kirel’s speech but that was beyond absurd.
Besides, everyone reminded her of Kirel these days. He was
constantly on her mind, a ghostly presence that lingered just out of reach. She
couldn’t serve a male patron at the inn without thinking that the shadow of his
stubble looked familiar or that he glanced at her with the same hungry
black-eyed gaze as her former lover.
Believing even for a moment that this dark stranger was the
same man for whom she’d frantically searched during the past eight years could
only be a desperate hope borne of a fevered mind.
Nelina smiled sweetly, though her pulse pounded in her
temples. “Tell your king he can go fuck himself.”
An audible gasp echoed through the room. Reah rushed to her
side and clutched Nelina’s hand. “Have you lost your mind?” she hissed out
between clenched teeth.
The Guardian seemed nonplussed. He lifted a shoulder in an
elegant shrug but made no move to rise. “I’d hoped you’d come along willingly,
but I have orders to bring you with me by any means necessary.” He hesitated
for only a moment before pulling down his mask and adding, “My queen.”
The look of horror on Nelina’s face hit Kirel like a punch
to the gut. If he hadn’t been kneeling, he’d have stumbled backward a step. But
it was Nelina who moved out of his reach.
“No. It’s not possible. You can’t—” Her hand flew to her
mouth, covering it.
He tilted his head, staring intensely. Gods, he didn’t think
he could ever stop looking at her. After years of having to satisfy himself
with fuzzy, memory-blurred images of her, having her standing just a few steps
away felt almost surreal. “The funny thing about what you think isn’t
possible,” he murmured, “is that it almost always is.”
She seemed to consider that for a moment. Finally, she took
a determined step forward. Kirel fisted his hands on his knees to keep from
touching her.
Her palm connected with his right cheek almost before he saw
it coming. His head reeled but he absorbed the pain stiffly, watching the fury
and torment play across her features.
“Are you done?” He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t have
to.
Her body trembled with barely contained outrage. She lifted
her hand again but this time Kirel was ready for her. He caught her arm and
yanked it to him then pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, laving the
delicate skin with the tip of his tongue.
Even that small, tame contact made his cock ache. What would
happen when he began her training in earnest?
Thor moved to Kirel’s side. “That’s enough. You’re wasting
time.”
She glared at him and yanked her hand away. “I’m
doorway of the inn. Their faces were covered by the black masks and hoods that
were part of the garment. The uniforms revealed strong bodies corded with
muscles. Before she could stop it, her gaze darted over their groins. All three
sported unmistakable bulges but the middle Guardian’s erection seemed even more
potent than the others.
Oh Gods. It’s happening. Just like in the dream.
She backed up a step then another until her upper thighs
slammed into the edge of a table. “What is it you want?”
The three men advanced into the inn. The door slammed behind
them, shutting out the echo of the wind and plunging the room into awed
silence.
As Nelina struggled to breathe, one of the men approached
her. To her shock, he sank to one knee in front of her and lifted his head. She
could make out impossibly dark eyes between the ribbon of space in his mask.
The familiar glimmer in their depths made her heart tumble in her chest.
She squinted, but other than those piercing eyes, she
couldn’t tell much about him.
“King Shivar Waldemar requests the pleasure of your
company.”
There was something familiar about the rich timbre of his
voice but the only explanation her mind could conjure made little sense. The
smooth inflection in his tone was similar to the one she’d often heard in
Kirel’s speech but that was beyond absurd.
Besides, everyone reminded her of Kirel these days. He was
constantly on her mind, a ghostly presence that lingered just out of reach. She
couldn’t serve a male patron at the inn without thinking that the shadow of his
stubble looked familiar or that he glanced at her with the same hungry
black-eyed gaze as her former lover.
Believing even for a moment that this dark stranger was the
same man for whom she’d frantically searched during the past eight years could
only be a desperate hope borne of a fevered mind.
Nelina smiled sweetly, though her pulse pounded in her
temples. “Tell your king he can go fuck himself.”
An audible gasp echoed through the room. Reah rushed to her
side and clutched Nelina’s hand. “Have you lost your mind?” she hissed out
between clenched teeth.
The Guardian seemed nonplussed. He lifted a shoulder in an
elegant shrug but made no move to rise. “I’d hoped you’d come along willingly,
but I have orders to bring you with me by any means necessary.” He hesitated
for only a moment before pulling down his mask and adding, “My queen.”
The look of horror on Nelina’s face hit Kirel like a punch
to the gut. If he hadn’t been kneeling, he’d have stumbled backward a step. But
it was Nelina who moved out of his reach.
“No. It’s not possible. You can’t—” Her hand flew to her
mouth, covering it.
He tilted his head, staring intensely. Gods, he didn’t think
he could ever stop looking at her. After years of having to satisfy himself
with fuzzy, memory-blurred images of her, having her standing just a few steps
away felt almost surreal. “The funny thing about what you think isn’t
possible,” he murmured, “is that it almost always is.”
She seemed to consider that for a moment. Finally, she took
a determined step forward. Kirel fisted his hands on his knees to keep from
touching her.
Her palm connected with his right cheek almost before he saw
it coming. His head reeled but he absorbed the pain stiffly, watching the fury
and torment play across her features.
“Are you done?” He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t have
to.
Her body trembled with barely contained outrage. She lifted
her hand again but this time Kirel was ready for her. He caught her arm and
yanked it to him then pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, laving the
delicate skin with the tip of his tongue.
Even that small, tame contact made his cock ache. What would
happen when he began her training in earnest?
Thor moved to Kirel’s side. “That’s enough. You’re wasting
time.”
She glared at him and yanked her hand away. “I’m
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