Page 28 of Quest for her Knights (The Lost Souls of Dyconia #5)

“No. Actually, on the journey here, I’ve been altering some of my dresses to make them more to my liking. This one, I haven’t touched.”

“How do you alter them?” Jeremiah asks.

I figure there’s no real harm in telling them. If I’m going to have any chance at being with them one day, they’ll need to get used to me wearing shorter dresses at some point.

“I like to change the hemline. I find this length gets in the way of riding and gets dirty too easily. I prefer them above my knees.”

Jeremiah, whose hand has been on my lower thigh this whole time, slowly releases his grip and runs a finger across my dress, right above my knee. “Here?”

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat as my mind races. Did I like that? Am I actually vibing with these guys? The thought makes me anxious.

“You wear dresses like that just around your home?” Rowan asks.

“I’d like to dress like that all the time, if I’m being honest.” He gives me a smile that feels a little flat as Edwin asks, “Do you like to read?”

“I love to read,” I answer, thankful for the change in subject.

“We have a lot of books here,” Rowan says, gesturing to the wall of shelves behind him. “What kind do you enjoy? History? Politics? ”

“Uh…” My eyes dart between theirs as I admit, “Romance, actually.”

Their expressions shift a bit, my answer seeming to relax them. Edwin leans back on the couch, his arm stretching out behind me. I’m still sitting upright, so he isn’t touching me, but if I sat back, it would be around my shoulders.

“Is that so?” Rowan asks, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees as he stares at me. “What is it you like about them?”

I lick my lips, unsure how to answer, because I’m not even sure myself. “I don’t know,” I admit.

He cocks his head. “Is it the courting? Do you enjoy hearing how men woo their women?”

“Or is it the tease, the sexual chemistry that builds between the characters?” Edwin adds.

“I think you like reading about the things the men do to their women,” Jeremiah states boldly, making goosebumps rise on my skin from his touch on my knee.

Am I nervous? Intrigued? I’m not sure what to call this feeling. My eyes dart around the room, but Arrow and Ranger are behind me, so there’s no one to tell me if I shouldn’t be talking about this. It definitely wasn’t on the list of approved topics we went over weeks ago.

“I like all of it,” I tell them, before taking a shaky sip of my drink.

Rowan smirks before glancing at his brothers. “Hmm. Maybe one day you’ll be willing to elaborate on that. ”

I shrug and take another nervous sip, unsure of what to say.

“Would you like to play a game? We have a checkers and chess board, or we could play a card game?” Edwin suggests, making me relax a little.

“Yes, that’d be nice,” I say with a smile.

We spend the next few hours playing several different games, and the more I get to know them, the more I realize they’re actually easy to get along with. They’re all flirty in their own ways, which makes me feel like they actually like me, and probably aren’t hiding a secret girlfriend somewhere.

At one point, I get up and look through the bookshelves, happy to see no books about training a wife or gaining power and money.

Jeremiah seems to be the most physical of the group, constantly placing his hand on my knee or arm. Ranger always seems to be out of my sight line, so I can’t tell whether he’s upset about me letting that happen or not. It’s not like I’m the one initiating it.

Rowan keeps giving me these intense stares that bear the slightest resemblance to the way Draven looks at me, except they make me feel a little uncomfortable, likely because I barely know him.

Edwin is always smirking or winking at me, offering teasing remarks and quips that don’t quite land. He doesn’t have Arrow’s easy charm .

But they do make the time pass quickly and before I know it, I’m being escorted by the three of them and two of my knights to my room.

We find the doors open and Draven and Blaze inside, waiting for us. I can’t help but smile when I see them. It’s only been a few hours, but I missed them. Besides being stuck in the carriage when traveling, I don’t spend much time apart from any of them, and I’m happy to see them.

“Do you think your knights could leave so we can say goodnight to you, princess?” Rowan asks as he eyes the four men who don’t seem ready to leave anytime soon.

“Leave? Aren’t they staying with me?” I ask, not thinking about the optics, before I let my big mouth blurt out the question.

“Stay with you?” Edwin asks, looking confused.

“She means with adjoining or nearby rooms,” Blaze answers quickly. “On our way here, she was attacked in her room, so we like to stay close,” he finishes, saving my ass from an awkward conversation about why I was sharing a bed with men who I would not be marrying.

“Don’t worry, princess,” Jeremiah says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me to his side.

“My room is right beside yours, and Edwin’s is right through that wall.

” He gestures to the left side then turns us around to face the open door and points to the door.

“Across the hall is Rowan’s room. You just have to holler if you need us. ”

I frown, unsure what he means. Where are my knights staying?

As if understanding my confusion, Draven answers, “We’re sleeping in the guest house.”

My eyes widen with worry, but Ranger thankfully speaks up. “No. We stay with the princess.”

“Well, you aren’t sleeping in her room, that’s entirely inappropriate,” Edwin tells him, crossing his arms over his chest.

“And you think it’s appropriate to stick her in a room surrounded by you three?” Arrow raises an eyebrow at them in question.

I’m starting to feel very uncomfortable, but when I try to pull away, Jeremiah tightens his grip on me, keeping me firmly to his side. Ranger catches the movement, his eyes narrowing in on Jeremiah’s hand.

“Either you show us a room where Elora can stay, and we can be next door to her, or she comes to stay in the guest house with us.”

“We don’t have any other bedrooms in here!” Edwin exclaims in frustration.

“And the guesthouse isn’t befitting a princess,” Jeremiah says with a roll of his eyes, as if just the idea of it is preposterous.

Deciding I need to help move this conversation along, I finally speak up. “If it’s good enough for my knights, it’s good enough for me.” I try to pull away again, but Jeramiah’s fingers dig in almost painfully .

Ranger bares his teeth as he takes several steps towards us. “Release her. Now.”

His fingers relax, and I quickly step forward as Ranger reaches for me and gently guides me behind him as he stares down Jeramiah.

“If I see a bruise on her, you won’t like what happens next.”

I peek out to see Jeramiah swallowing nervously as he stammers, “I-I wasn’t hurting her.”

Ranger glares at him for a moment before spinning to face me. “Ready for bed, princess?”

“Yes.” I nod quickly, ready to get out of this testosterone-filled room.

He places a hand on my lower back, and we follow Blaze out of the room with Arrow and Draven behind us.

“Goodnight, princess,” I hear the Elderwood lords’ call as we head into the hall.

“Goodnight,” I call back, not wanting to be disrespectful, but not wanting to stop for a proper goodnight either. I’m also worried that they would think that includes a goodnight kiss, and that was not something I was ready for… from them.

The five of us walk silently through the halls, down the stairs and out a back door. The guest house is nicer than any I’ve seen, but once we get inside, I realize how ordinary it is compared to the main house. But I don’t mind. This is still much nicer than my apartment back in my old world .

I take a peek through all the doors to find that it has two bedrooms and a bathroom. Both rooms are decent sizes with large beds. I guess if it's the norm for women here to marry multiple men, then it makes sense the guest house would be built to accommodate them.

“We’ll go get your things,” Draven says as he and Arrow exit the house. I drop down on the couch, lean back and let out a breath of relief at finally being able to relax.

“Are you okay, darling?” Blaze asks as he takes a seat at my side. The nickname stirs something inside me, and I find myself feeling disappointed. Not in how that felt, but how it makes me realize that none of my interactions with the lords, however pleasant, made me feel that same thing.

It’s almost as if there’s something inside me reaching out toward Blaze, and the other three knights, wanting them as close as possible.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I finally answer.

“How did it go today?”

“Better than the last two places we visited.”

“So you like them, then?” he asks. Does he sound disappointed? Do I want him to sound disappointed?

“They seem nice,” I say with a shrug.

“They touch you too much,” Ranger says abruptly, pacing the room slowly.

“They touched you?” Blaze asks, eyes wide .

“Especially Jeremiah. He needs to learn to keep his hands to himself.”

I frown as I watch Ranger pace. So… he did notice all the touches. Is he mad at me? Maybe he’s jealous.

I shake my head. No. Maybe if this were Arrow or Blaze, but not Ranger. He doesn’t see me like that.

I glance back at Blaze and see him frowning at Ranger too, like he doesn’t understand his behavior either.

“Ranger? Are you mad at me?”

That gives him pause, mid-step. His head pivots and he studies me, brows furrowed.

“Mad at you? No. Of course not.”

“You’re not mad I let him touch me?”

His jaw clenches, working like he’s holding something back. Finally, he takes two strides toward me and drops to one knee in front of me, bringing us eye level.

“Did you want him to touch you?” he asks, his piercing blue eyes burrowing into mine.

I shrug. At the time, I felt something… but I don’t know that I actually liked it.

I think back to the first time each of the knights touched me, and the way it made me feel. It was like my body was yearning for theirs.

Hells bells. I sound like a romantic fool.

But I can’t deny that the instant connection I had with each of the knights feels nothing like what I feel with the lords .

“Elora?” Hearing my real name on Ranger’s lips, rather than “princess” like he usually calls me, sends warmth blooming in my chest.

What would it take to get him to call me baby again?

“Elora, are you okay?” Blaze asks from my side, bringing me back to the present as I realize Ranger asked me a question and I still haven’t answered.

“Oh, sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted him to touch you.”

“Not really. But I didn’t know how to stop it without being rude.”

He presses his lips together and frowns in what looks like frustration. “He shouldn’t have put you in the position.”

“How was he touching you?” Blaze asks.

Glancing at him, an idea comes to mind. One that might help me get a little clarity in this situation.

“Come here,” I tell him, patting the couch cushion right beside me. He frowns but scouts closer until his thigh is almost touching mine. I close the last inch between us then grab his hand and set it on my knee in the same place Jeremiah had been touching me.

He stares down at my hand with a confused look on his face. I’m not sure what part of this he doesn’t understand, but right now, I’m more interested in the flutter I feel deep in my stomach, one that seems to be moving lower every time Blaze’s hand twitches .

Ranger makes a strange noise, and when I glance at him, he’s now frowning at Blaze’s hand.

“Does this make you upset?” I ask, thinking Ranger doesn’t like anyone touching me.

“How does it make you feel?” he counters.

“I asked you first.”

His amused eyes dart to mine and I can see him trying to hold back a smirk.

“But my answer depends on yours.”

I consider that before I respond. His answer depends on mine… Meaning if I was upset, he would be? Does that mean if I like, he’d be okay with it?

“I don’t mind it,” I tell him, as I watch for his reaction.

“Is that all?” he asks with a quirk of an eyebrow.

“Well… If you really want to know?”

“I do.”

“I wish it was a little bit higher.”

Ranger and Blaze’s eyes drop to my thigh, realizing where higher would lead and suddenly Blaze yanks his hand back, like I burned him, as I try not to laugh.

“It was worth a try,” I mumble as they both move away from me.

“Seems like I missed all the fun,” Arrow says, entering carrying some bags, along with Draven.

“Oh, I was just explaining to Blaze where I like to be touched,” I say casually as I stand and move to take one of my bags from Draven. I hear Blaze coughing somewhere behind me as I try not to smile.

Draven’s eyes catch mine, and as he passes me the bag he whispers, “Careful, kitten.”

He releases the bag and walks away, leaving me standing there with wide eyes and wet panties.