Page 50

Kerainne

After a few hectic weeks of educating the new luminite and vampire soldiers, Xochitl and Zareth decided to hold court with the residents of Niji to hear their grievances and inform them that some of the vampires would become permanent residents.

As that would require an extra day to make sure word got out to everyone, we were blessed with some much-needed downtime.

As much as I was tempted to see Lucian, I wanted to spend some time with my daughter.

Talking with Lucian about raising Xochitl made me realize that between her band and queenly duties, we hadn’t had much mother-daughter time.

I found her leaving the room her band had commandeered for practice, absently rubbing her fingers.

“Mom!” Her face split in a wide grin as she hurled herself into my arms. “I know we haven’t gotten much time…”

“I came to say the same thing.” I stroked her hair. “I was thinking now would be a good time. We can do whatever you want.”

“Hmmm.” She walked beside me to my suite.

“Shopping is fun, but it’s too cold and people-y out there.

No drinking, because we did enough of that when the delegation was here.

Movie nights are fun, but we can do those any time…

” She paused as her amber eyes lit up in that wonderful way when she got an idea.

“We haven’t created anything together in a long time. ”

“That’s right!” I thought of all the paintings, quilts, sculptures, and other things we’d made together. “What should we make?”

“If Zareth and I are going to be spending more time here, we need a garden of black roses too. Tiana would be best for transplanting the flowers from the tower, whenever that sort of thing is to be done. And we’re going to need a lilac bower too.

” My daughter’s excitement matched my own.

“I know we don’t have time for you to carve new luminite statues or for me to make a new outdoor altar—” for some reason she blushed at the mention of the altar, making me wonder what use she and Zareth had made of it— “But we can draw up plans! Plus, I’m better at drawing than sculpting. I illustrated our first album cover.”

“I remember you telling me.” And I remembered being blown away at how accurately she’d depicted a garden she hadn’t yet set foot in at the time. How long had Zareth been dream-summoning her? “Oils or acrylics?”

“Acrylics.” Xochitl hung her head in mock shame. She’d never had the patience to work well with oils because one had to wait a few days for a layer to dry before adding details without smudging.

“You’re so much like your aunt Nik.” I hugged her tightly, still feeling that dizzying mix of elation and disbelief that I was able to hold her again. “There’s paper and drawing material in the king’s study. That would also be where we’d find the schematic for the castle and grounds.”

A few minutes late, we were comfortably ensconced in the study, much better lit than the one in Zareth’s tower, eagerly sketching our plans for the new garden and bower.

As we drew, we chatted about all the things we wanted to do after the war.

So far, our list contained at least twenty movies, ten concerts, countless shops and restaurants, and some psychedelics.

Suddenly, a jolt of taunting, familiar electricity zinged through me, followed by a deep ache between my legs.

“Fuck sandwiches,” I grumbled, then bit back a gasp as another pang of need shot through me.

“What?” Xochitl asked with a light laugh. She loved when I said that particular phrase.

Then, to my horror, she gasped and shivered. “Ummm…Mom? I hate to make this awkward, but…”

“Fuck!” I growled, both out of frustration that this had to be happening to me here and now, and remorse that my affliction had set off my daughter’s. She was too young , damn it!

“Go to Zareth!” I hissed between clenched teeth in effort to keep coherent. “Now! And if you see any other man on your way to him, run away, fast!”

“Why?” Xochitl squirmed and sucked in a breath. “What’s happening to me… us ? It’s happening to you too.”

“The Yearning,” I panted, gripping the edges of the desk with so much force it hurt. “I don’t know if it can cause you to fuck someone who’s not your true-bonded mate, but you shouldn’t risk it.”

Xochitl’s already dilated pupils enlarged further. “Oh shit. Okay.”

She pulled out her sorcerer’s staff, so like the one Lucian had made for me and was lost in the destruction of Medicia, and with a whispered word of magic, vanished.

Pride filled me at her quickly learning how to ‘poof’ to places, as she’d called it. Then another hot wave of lust pressed down on me, tearing a moan from my throat. I needed to decide whether or not I should try to ‘poof’ away so I could take care of myself as I had for my past ten Yearnings.

I could have Lucian.

Despite the fire in my body roaring in demand for that very thing, the thought manifested clear in my mind and my heart.

If I did so, that meant that not only would I be accepting him as my mate again, a move there would be no going back from, I’d also be opening myself up to the possibility of conceiving another seedling…

and two years of agonized worrying about whether or not it would become a living baby.

Did I really want that?

Yes! My heart cried.

Please! My body demanded.

I tried to silence both and listen to my mind. But all it had to say was that I’d spent the past five months trying to decide what to about Lucian. And now I was out of time.

So I decided. But first, I took a quick detour to my suite. The feel of the soft silk nightgown on my heated skin sent another shiver of erotic pleasure through my being. Quickly, I put on the matching robe and ran barefoot out of my room.

When I knocked on Lucian’s door, I had a moment of worry that he was somewhere else in the vast castle, then groaned in sweet relief when his gorgeous, irresistible form filled the doorway. He was even shirtless.

“Lucian,” I gasped, then threw my arms around him. Fates, he was so warm, so deliciously firm everywhere.

He yanked me into his room with such force that my breath hitched in anticipation. But instead of taking me, he grasped my shoulders.

“It’s the Yearning again, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I moaned, letting my eyes drift shut in preparation to give myself over to absolute sensation. “Take me.”

“No.” His voice was hoarse.

I opened my eyes and gaped at him. “I don’t understand. This is what you wanted.”

“I do,” he growled. “But it’s not really what you want. Only your body wants me now.”

I growled in frustration. Of course he’d be a gentleman about this. Especially after all the times I’d rejected his attempts to win my forgiveness. I wouldn’t have him any other way, but damn it, this was the worst time for chivalry.

“Lucian, please.” I couldn’t hide the desperation in my voice even as I tried to reason with him. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want you truly. Instead, I would have gone off somewhere to ride it off in isolation.”

“Kerainne?” His voice roughened further.

“Yes?”

“Don’t mention riding right now. Not when it’s so hard for me to think.”

“Then don’t say ‘hard,’” I taunted, arching my hips toward his, then biting my lip in frustration as his strong arms continued to hold me back. “It makes me think of your cock inside me.”

“Kerainne, please . You’re making this har—more difficult for me.

” He took a deep breath, then groaned. “Fates, you smell like temptation incarnate.” Still gripping my arms, he walked us back to the chaise in his suite.

Then he let go with one hand to reach up to his hair.

“ If I help ease you, will you promise not to resent me afterward?”

“I promise!” I said eagerly, starting to reach out to touch him, then held back.

I could control myself until he gave me permission, I would .

But it was so hard! Right now, reaching up to run his hand through his hair, Lucian resembled my favorite sculpture, The Lucifer of Liège carved by Guillaume Geefs, a human artist from Earth.

Lucian denied ever visiting Europe, so he must have had a doppelganger there for to pose as the model.

All thoughts of 19 th century Earth art vanished from my mind as Lucian removed my robe, sucking in a breath as his eyes devoured the curves of my body beneath the nightgown. His warm hands gently guided me to sit on the couch.

When I did, sat beside me and slowly pushed the skirt of the nightgown up until it bunched at my knees.

I tried not to squirm in impatience. His hands felt so good on my sensitive flesh.

Especially when his palm slid up my right calf, then along my thigh, inching closer to my aching pussy. Helpfully, I parted my legs.

His other arm snaked around me to cup my left breast, then his right hand finally moved up and firmly cupped my vulva and squeezed.

“I remember you like when I do this,” his voice rumbled against my ear.

“Yes,” I panted. Fates, it had been too long since he’d touched me. My hips arched against his hand, begging him for more.

His thumb and little finger squeezed the edges of my mound as his ring finger and index stroked my labia. By the time his middle finger slipped inside me, I was whimpering in desperation.

“Fates, you’re so wet.” His lips trailed along my neck and the heel of his hand pressed down on my clit with just the right pressure.

I bucked against him, coaxing him into the rhythm I needed. He slipped in a second finger and deepened the pressure of his strokes, finding that perfect spot inside me while working my clit.

My first climax came in little electrical pulses that intensified with every thrust, building into lightning bursts until I was screaming and shuddering against him.

When I collapsed against his side, he pulled me into his arms and held me.

The sound of his heart thudding against my ear matched my own pounding pulse.

“Better?” he asked softly.