Page 38 of Quest for her Knights (The Lost Souls of Dyconia #5)

He lets out a laugh as I turn to look at Blaze. I can see he’s thinking hard as his jaw moves back and forth. It was only earlier today that he rejected me and I’m still feeling that pain. But technically, they’ve all been rejecting me since the day we met.

I turn back to ask Draven, “What made you change your mind?”

“Change my mind?” He brows pinch as his fingers move back and forth where he’s holding me.

“Yeah, about me. What made you decide you want to be with me? ”

“Oh, kitten.” He pulls a hand up to stroke my cheek softly. “I always wanted you. Well, once I got to know you. It’s probably been weeks if not months.” My eyes widen in surprise.

“That long?”

He smiles as he nods. “Holding myself back has been the challenge.”

“It’s been a challenge for all of us,” Blaze says as he tentatively steps closer. “You have no idea how much it pained me to refuse you earlier. More than anything I wanted to say yes.”

I shake my head and frown at him. “That’s not true. If you wanted it more than anything, you would have kissed me. But you chose your job over me.”

I feel a tear break free, and Draven quickly wipes it away.

Blaze steps closer, looking as hurt as I still feel from his rejection.

“Darling, I’m so sorry. You have no idea how hard it’s been to be so close to you all this time and not be allowed to do what my heart truly desires.”

“What’s that?” I whisper, and he moves to stand right against my leg.

“To ask you to be mine. To beg you to consider me as more than your guard, more than your friend. To let me love you and take care of you. To let me bring you pleasure from my touch.” I inhale sharply as his hand lands on my thigh, his thumb rubbing my skin over the fabric of my long dress .

“Elora,” Draven says, and I turn to him in question.

“I think you have an idea of how important our duty as knights of the royal guard is. But I’m not sure if you fully understand it.

When you’re sworn in, you basically say you’ll never have a family of your own, that protecting the royal family is your only purpose. Breaking that promise is never done.”

“Never?”

He shakes his head. “No. It’s unheard of. For me, though, the old Elora had been cruel to me. Her behavior made it easier to see being a knight as just a job, not my whole identity. It’s harder for Blaze and Arrow, but especially Ranger.”

“Ranger?”

Blaze continues, “He’s been the head of the royal guard for a long time, and a knight even longer. He’s completely accepted that that’s how he’d spend the rest of his life. You’ve thrown a wrench in that, and he doesn’t know how to handle it.”

“And you?” I ask, turning to Blaze as Draven steps back and Blaze takes his place, standing between my spread knees.

“And me... I’ve come to realize that there’s only one thing in this world I truly care about, and it’s not being a knight.”

“But you love being a knight,” I say as his hands run up my thighs.

“I love you more.”

I gasp in surprise, my mouth falling open as he smiles softly at me, one hand moving up to hold my neck .

“Darling, can I kiss you now?” Unable to speak, I lick my lips and nod. He holds me gently as he dips his mouth to mine, and I let my eyes close as he finally kisses me.

His lips are warm and soft, and my first thought is frustration that we haven’t been doing this for months, because it feels like coming home. Not that I’d know what that feels like, but there’s a sense of rightness, of contentment.

When his tongue seeks entrance and I let him in, those thoughts turn much more heated.

I slide my hands up his chest and around his neck and shoulders, pulling him closer.

He kisses so passionately it’s hard to believe he hasn’t done this before.

But it’s not like I have much experience either.

Maybe when it’s the right person, it just comes naturally.

My core starts to heat, and suddenly I want a lot more than just a kiss from him. I moan and try to press my pussy closer to him, but he slowly pulls back with one lingering kiss. We both pant heavily as we stare at each other.

“Wow,” he says, making me smile. “As much as I’d like to take this further right now, we better wait until we update Arrow and Ranger. It wouldn’t be ideal for them to walk in on us in any sort of intimate position without context.”

I nod reluctantly. He’s right. If Ranger walked in and saw me being double penetrated, he might blow a gasket.

The thought of being with two of them at once makes me smile.

Is that how it would work? Or would I be with them individually?

No one’s really explained how reverse harem relationships work in this world.

A yawn escapes me, and I realize it’s quite late. I glance around the suite. “Where are they anyway? Do you think they’re okay?”

“They’re fine. They were patrolling the grounds and checking on the horses. I’m sure they’ll be back soon, knowing you’ll be here.”

“Are you sure Ranger isn’t avoiding me?”

“Oh, he’s definitely avoiding you. But he won’t slack on his job. He knows someone needs to stand guard while you sleep.”

The sound of the door handle jiggling draws all our attention as it swings open and Arrow and Ranger walk in, their eyes immediately taking in Blaze and me in our intimate position. They both look confused and interested, but they don’t comment.

“Everything okay?” Draven asks, moving to stand in front of me, blocking Ranger’s intense stare. I drop my head to Blaze’s chest, and he holds it there.

“Yes, no concerns. What are... you guys doing?”

Draven doesn’t answer. Arrow peeks around him to look at me, an amused eyebrow raised in question. “I feel like we missed something important here.”

Draven stays silent, and my stomach tightens with worry. Is he not going to tell them? Is he going to keep it a secret? That thought upsets me, I don’t want to be their dirty little secret. My hands fist in Blaze’s shirt in frustration .

Finally, Draven speaks. “I’ve claimed Elora as mine.”

“Me too,” Blaze adds, and I pull back to look up at him. He hadn’t said those words to me yet, but he told me he loved me. He smiles nervously, as if unsure of my response, so I smile back and nod, accepting his claim. He kisses my forehead and pulls me back against him.

Arrow lets out a huge cheer and pumps a fist in the air. “Yes! Finally!”

Draven huffs a laugh. “I’m not sure what you’re cheering about. Who said she’s willing to accept you?”

Arrow’s smile turns predatory as his eyes narrow in on me. “Hmm.” He steps closer and waves a hand at Blaze. “Step aside, Blaze. Sounds like I have some wooing to do.”

Blaze slowly releases me, winking as he steps aside and Arrow takes his place.

“Well, sweetheart?” My eyes close as I savor the sound of that pet name.

It’s been a while since I’ve heard it, and I’m hoping, like Draven, he’s finally ready to stop pretending he doesn’t want me.

He’s flirted with me more than anyone, and the countless nights I’ve slept cuddled beside him make my body ache for his, even now, with him this close.

“Are you ready to be wooed?”

“I’m not sure what that means, but if you’re the one doing it...”

“I am. ”

“Then bring it on.”

He smirks, leans forward, but before his lips can connect with mine, he swerves to the side, leaving me wanting as he whispers in my ear, “I’m going to make you woo so hard.”

I burst out laughing, but his lips connect with my neck, just above my shoulders, and my laugh cuts off as I gasp in surprise. I tilt my head, giving him more access, and he hums against my skin, sending sparks of electricity to my core.

I press my fingers into the table, determined not to reach for him… yet. He kisses across my neck and down my chest, to the edge of my dress, before lifting his head. His pale blue eyes are filled with hunger as they meet mine.

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry for pulling away all the time. I thought it was the right thing to do. You deserve the best. I thought that was marrying noblemen."

“Do you still think that?” I ask, needing to know the answer.

He shakes his head. “No. Nobody could ever treat you as good as we can. Nobody else could truly appreciate you for who you are, like we do. And no one else could ever love you like I do.”

“Arrow!” I gasp, not expecting him to throw the L word out so quickly.

“I had to say it. I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you standing in the prison cell with hearts in your eyes as you looked at me.”

I laugh and swat at his chest. “I did not have hearts in my eyes! ”

“I’m pretty sure the first thing you asked is if I was available.” I roll my eyes and he pulls me even closer. “Let me make something perfectly clear. I am not available to anyone but you. You’re my reason for getting up every day, my reason to smile, my reason for living.”

“Arrow,” I whisper, completely taken off guard by his warm words.

“Tell me you’ll have me, sweetheart. Tell me you love me, too,” he begs as his forehead presses to mine.

“I do love you, Arrow,” I whisper, knowing it to be true.

I’ve known I was in love with all four of them for weeks now, if not even longer.

He’s right, the second I laid eyes on each of them my body instantly wanted to claim them as mine.

If I wasn’t a princess, and they weren’t knights, we would have been together months ago.

“I’m gonna kiss you now,” he whispers before he does just that. He doesn’t start slow like the others did. He demands I open to him and he takes complete control of me as I moan with need. The sensation of fire flowing through my veins has me panting and silently begging for more.

When he sucks on my lower lip, I whimper, wanting him to push me over the edge right now. He pulls back with a smirk and kisses my forehead.