Page 22 of Dark Shaman: Love Found (The Children Of The Gods #99)

AREANA

A reana forced herself to breathe normally as she walked toward Navuh's office in her usual unhurried way.

On some twisted level, she loved playing these games with her mate, and the fact that the stakes were so high made them even more exciting. Still, it didn't make walking into the lion's den any easier, not even knowing that he would never really harm her.

Areana paused outside Navuh's door to compose herself, smoothing her hands over her dress and forcing her breathing back to normal. Even after five thousand years of practice, the game had not lost its edge.

Perhaps that was what kept their relationship alive and thriving after millennia—the constant dance between truth and deception, love and power, trust and survival.

The disturbing truth was that these moments excited her. The danger of it, the risk of discovery, sent a thrill through her that she knew she shouldn't enjoy.

What was wrong with her that she was aroused by the prospect of discovery? By danger? By deceiving the man she loved? But then that was part of their dynamic. The push and pull, the testing of boundaries.

Navuh would die for her. She knew that with the same certainty that she knew the sun would rise. And she would die for him. That was the nature of truelove mates, bonds forged by love that transcended logic or reason.

But dying for each other and living with each other were two very different things.

If he discovered the communicator, he wouldn't harm her, but he would express his displeasure and take it away.

He would lock it somewhere she could never reach, and her connection to Annani and to her sons would be severed forever.

There would be no second chances once he discovered that his impeccable security had been breached and a communicator had been delivered to Areana.

He would make sure that it never happened again.

The loss of that lifeline would devastate her. To be cut off from her loved ones again was unthinkable.

She raised her hand to knock, then froze as the door swung open.

Navuh stood there, a broad smile lighting his features in a way that immediately eased her tension. It wasn't a mocking smile or a got-you smile. He just looked happy to see her .

"My love," he said, and before she could respond, he pulled her into the office and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was thorough but not demanding, affectionate rather than possessive. When he pulled back, his dark eyes studied her face with satisfied approval.

"You look good with some color in your cheeks," he said, brushing his thumb across her cheekbone. "You've been too pale lately, spending too much time indoors and not enjoying the harem grounds enough."

Relief flooded through her, making her knees weak. He didn't know. The call had gone undetected. She was safe for another day, another week, until the next time she risked everything for a few minutes of connection with her sister.

"You are absolutely right. I've been busy lately and haven't spent as much time outside as I should have. It was good to do that again." She leaned into his touch. "Even if the conditions were less than ideal."

"Tell me how they can be improved, and it shall be done." He guided her to one of the comfortable chairs in front of his desk, but instead of returning to his seat behind it, he took the chair beside hers.

Another good sign.

When Navuh sat behind his desk, he was the lord. When he sat beside her, he was simply her husband.

"It was insufferably hot, and there was nowhere to cool down except for the gazebo, but even that wasn't enough. We would have stayed longer, but the heat chased us away. "

"I was told you and the ladies went to see your quarters. What's your impression?"

"The upper levels are in reasonable condition," she said.

"The library survived, which pleased the ladies immensely, but since there is no air-conditioning, the humidity is continuing the books' slow destruction, and we need to get them out of there and dry them.

I guess specialized equipment is needed for that, but I don't know what to tell you to get. "

He nodded. "I will get whatever is needed. What else?"

"There is some water damage in the ladies' quarters and ours, but it's not significant if the crews manage to dry it out.

Otherwise, we might face a mold infestation.

The good news is that the ladies were able to retrieve some personal items. They were unhappy with what the island store had available for women. "

He nodded. "I'm aware of that. I told the clothing store manager to order the type of dresses you and the ladies favor. I even selected several of the items for you specifically, and I hope you approve."

Areana smiled. "I'm sure I'm going to love them." She knew Navuh loved buying things for her, and she always accepted them with the proper enthusiasm to make him happy.

"Was it just the heat that cut your visit short?" he asked.

"The air inside the structure was oppressive, so we couldn't stay long. The heat and humidity made it difficult to breathe, and that's just on the second level. I can't imagine what the workers are enduring on the lower levels, even with their masks and frequent breaks."

He made a thoughtful sound. "I thought it would be difficult for you and the ladies on the harem grounds. You need a place to recuperate after being exposed to the heat and humidity for a while."

She blinked at him. Was he actually being considerate, or was it a prelude to him forbidding their visits?

"It's not so bad. We'll manage."

"You don't have to." He reached for her hand.

"I've ordered a large tent with a strong air-conditioning unit to be erected near the harem.

You and the ladies can retreat there to cool down between inspections.

It will be installed tomorrow and ready for you when you arrive.

I'll also order specialized equipment for drying the books from the library. "

Areana stared at him. "That's incredibly thoughtful of you." And suspicious. "Thank you."

He cared for her but rarely stopped to think what she needed. If she had told him she wanted a tent with air-conditioning, he would have fulfilled her wish, but it just hadn't occurred to her to ask.

He inclined his head. "It is my duty and pleasure to provide for you and ensure your comfort. Have I ever been negligent in doing so?"

"No, but you usually wait for me to tell you what I need instead of anticipating my needs." After five thousand years together, any deviation from habit seemed strange .

"True." He leaned back in his chair. "I noticed that you and the ladies feel stifled in the mansion, and I thought of ways to provide you with a more comfortable environment.

Since the harem is not habitable at the moment, I had the idea to erect a tent so you all can have a relaxing time away from here and enjoy yourselves during your visits to the site. "

She leaned toward him and clasped his hand.

"You are the best, my darling. And so wise.

If you could also find an equally clever solution to the couples' predicament.

Tamira and Elias and Tula and Tony are struggling with the current arrangements.

The lack of privacy is difficult for them.

In the harem, they had their own spaces, while here, every moment is observed, catalogued, and reported. They're desperate for intimacy."

"That's understandable." Navuh leaned toward her. "Every moment away from you is difficult, but I have my duties, and you have yours. We can't indulge in each other's company whenever we want."

"Indeed." She cast him a loving smile, and since he seemed in an amiable mood, she continued.

"They can hardly fulfill their purpose if they're never allowed to be alone together," Areana pointed out.

"Tula especially is restless, but it's not just them.

The other ladies are beginning to feel it too.

Immortals have needs, Navuh. A month without any outlet for those needs is difficult. "

He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled as he considered. "What would you have me do?"

"I was thinking along the lines of privacy arrangements. Scheduled times when certain areas are off-limits to staff. Or perhaps designated spaces where the couples can meet without surveillance."

"It's complicated," he mused. "The staff talk, you know that.

We've maintained the fiction of the true parentage of my sons this long because the harem was isolated and extremely well-guarded.

I can't isolate my household staff here in the same way, or rumors will start, and since they are free to come and go, gossip would spread like wildfire. "

"Then perhaps..." She hesitated, then forged ahead. "Perhaps we should consider alternative arrangements. If you're already setting up a tent for daytime comfort, what about additional structures? We can erect temporary quarters on the harem grounds."

He snorted. "Do you expect me to set up a tent city for my romantically frustrated ladies?"

"Why not?" She pursed her lips. "It might actually work. Private, smaller tents with the same climate control as the main tent. The couples could have their privacy, the fiction would be maintained since the regular staff wouldn't need to service that area, and?—"

"Areana." He held up a hand, laughing. "You can't be serious."

She felt heat rise in her cheeks. "Well, I was. It's a practical solution to a real problem."

He studied her with those penetrating eyes. "Is a month really that long to abstain?"

"Happy ladies are compliant ladies. Frustrated ladies are less so. "

He looked amused. "Are you threatening me with a concubine revolt?"

It was funny when he said it like that.

"I'm informing you of potential unrest," she corrected. "What you do with that information is your choice."

"So formal," he murmured, reaching out to trace her jawline. "Are you frustrated too, my dear? Do you need a tent of your own?"

"I have you," she said. "Nothing has changed for us. We still get to spend our nights together. That is not the case for them."

He sighed, dropping his hand. "I'll think of something."

The pressure in her chest eased. Navuh was clever. If he put his formidable mind to it, he would find a solution.

She was about to tell him that when a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," Navuh called.

The door opened silently, and the butler walked in on silent feet. "My lord, the others are gathered in the dining room as you have requested."

"We'll be right there," Navuh said.

"Yes, my lord." The butler bowed, retreated through the open door, and closed it behind him.

Navuh stood up and offered Areana his hand. "Shall we? "

As she accepted it, rising gracefully, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I love you," he said as he let go of her lips. "I don't tell you that enough."

"You tell me that a lot, but it's always wonderful to hear." She brushed her lips over his. "I love you, too."

As they walked toward the dining room, his hand warm on hers, Areana marveled at how well the meeting had gone.

Not only had her communication with Annani gone undetected, but she'd also managed to advocate for the couples.

The tent was an unexpected bonus—a cool retreat that would make their inspections far more bearable.

"You're pleased," Navuh observed. "I can feel it radiating from you."

"I appreciate your accommodation with the tent," she said carefully. "It will make our visits to the site so much more comfortable."

"And here I thought your pleasure came from successfully manipulating me."

Her heart stopped.

For one terrifying moment, she thought he knew, and that this had all been an elaborate game to toy with her before the confrontation.

But his expression when she dared look at him was merely amused, the comment apparently referring to her successful manipulation regarding the couples' needs rather than her actual subterfuge .

"I prefer to think of it as a negotiation," she managed in an amused tone.

"Call it what you like." He squeezed her hand. "I know you, Areana. Every tell, every manipulation, every carefully crafted argument. Spending five thousand years together teaches a man to read his wife."

Thankfully, he didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

It was better for some mysteries to remain, even between truelove mates.

As they entered the dining room and everyone rose to their feet, standing until Areana and Navuh took their seats at the head of the table, she tried to imagine how it must feel for Tamira and Tula.

To have their lovers so close and yet untouchable.

To make small talk about the weather and the restoration while their bodies ached for connection.

"Look what I found." Tamira lifted one of the bronze bookends that were placed beside her plate. "Elias and I went on an expedition to the storage area and found this treasure. I want to take them to my room, if that's okay."

Areana looked at Navuh, who nodded his approval.

"You can have any of the furnishings and decorations from the basement.

Just don't go overboard. I'm not convinced that moving backward aesthetically is the answer to your discomfort with the current design.

It needs to be a coordinated effort done by professionals. "

"We can give it a try," Areana offered. "Just add a few warm touches and see how they blend with the modern decor. If it doesn't work, we can put things back in the storage for a professional designer to rearrange."

"Fair enough. You may continue your scavenging, but it will have to wait a few days. I'm having some work done down there, and it's better if you stay out of the way until it is done."

It suddenly occurred to Areana that Navuh's generous offer of a tent was less about her and the ladies' comfort and more about getting them away from the house while his building project was going on.

"What are you building down there?" she asked.

"Nothing that concerns you, my dear."