Page 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

B oth Wulf and Egon had been anxious to return to their mates so Ulric and Jessamin were alone when they returned to Port Cael.

Word of their approach spread like wildfire through the town, and by the time they rode through the massive gates of the stronghold, the courtyard was packed with people roaring their approval.

Jessamin sat proudly in front of him, her head held high. No longer the fragile southern bride, she wore her worn dress like a badge of honor. The people of Norhaven saw their queen return, unbroken, and their cheers shook the very stones.

But the celebration was tempered by his grim report to his council. They had rescued their queen, but Lasseran remained, his power intact, his vengeance certain to follow.

“He will not forgive this humiliation,” he told the gathered warriors. “He will come with everything he has.”

“We have been preparing for war,” Grak said quietly, and the other warriors nodded in agreement. “We knew it was coming.”

The older male was correct, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Lasseran was even more dangerous now.

The day passed in a blur of preparations, strategy meetings, and reunions. The brides from Almohad welcomed Jessamin with tears of relief, and he noticed his warriors bowed their heads respectfully when she passed them.

By evening, exhaustion weighed on them both. They retreated to his chamber—their chamber now. Servants had prepared baths and food, then discreetly withdrawn, leaving them alone.

After they had bathed and eaten, she led him to the balcony overlooking the wild, rugged mountains of Norhaven.

The stars were emerging in the darkening sky, cold and brilliant.

The wind carried the scent of pine and snow.

Winter was coming. Would that be enough to hold off Lasseran until the spring?

“It’s beautiful,” she said softly. “This land of yours. Our land.”

He stood behind her, his arms encircling her waist, his chin resting on the top of her head. “It is harsh, but true. Like its people.”

She leaned back against him, warm and trusting in his arms. “The war that’s coming won’t be easy.”

“No,” he agreed. “Lasseran will use every dark art, every cruel trick. He will target what we love most.”

“He already tried that,” she said. “He failed.”

“That doesn’t mean he’ll stop trying.”

“I know. I’ve been thinking,” she added slowly. “Before you came crashing into the ceremonial chamber, a Veilborn priest was there. He told Lasseran that what he was doing was not wise. He refused to participate in the ritual.”

“Egon’s contact in the city said that there were rumors of trouble between Lasseran and the Veilborn.”

“Do you think it’s possible that they would help us?” she asked. “Sometimes the enemy of your enemy is your friend.”

“I don’t know. They may have disagreed on the ritual, but we don’t know that they are enemies. And I was taught that they are very dangerous.”

“As was I, but my father said they sought balance. There will be no balance if Lasseran gets what he wants.”

“It’s worth considering. I will have Rook make some inquiries and see if he can find out more.”

“I’ll write to my father as well. He may be more willing to discuss the subject now that I’m older.”

They stood in silence for a moment, looking at the stars as the world turned below them, the night deepening around them. She shivered, and he pulled her closer, tucking her head under his chin.

“You’re cold,” he said. “Let’s go to bed.”

She turned in his arms, her smile bright in the moonlight. “Yes, please.”

He carried her to their bed, but instead of making love to her, he knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.

“I’m sorry that I was such a fool. I’m sorry that I ever doubted you. I let my fear of betrayal and my fear of Lasseran blind me to what was right before me.”

“We both carried fears,” she said softly. “I was terrified you would see me as tainted because of my blood, that you would never truly trust me. I should have told you about Lasseran from the beginning.”

“Why didn’t you?” he asked gently.

“My mother died giving birth to me, and my father kept me hidden away for a long time. I grew up hearing whispers about my uncle, about the darkness in our bloodline. Every time I made a mistake, lost my temper, showed any sign of being less than perfect, I wondered if his evil was in me too.”

He cupped her face. “There is no evil in you, Jessamin.”

“I know that now,” she whispered. “But for so long, I believed that if anyone knew of my connection to him, they would see only that—not me.”

He nodded. “And I proved your fears right.”

“You were protecting your people,” she said. “As a king must.”

“No,” he said firmly. “I was protecting myself. From the moment I saw you, I wanted you. Not just as a political alliance, not just as a queen. As mine. It terrified me, that wanting. It made me vulnerable.” He hesitated, the old pain still there.

“My mother betrayed my father in so many ways, and it destroyed him. I was afraid so I pushed you away, looked for reasons to distrust you.”

“I would never betray you,” she said fiercely, and he squeezed her hands.

“I know that now.”

“You really wanted me from the beginning?” she added shyly, and he smiled at her.

“From the moment you stepped off that ship, chin high, refusing to show fear despite being surrounded by warriors twice your size. You were magnificent.”

Her cheeks turned pink with pleasure.

“And I thought you were the most intimidating, most compelling man I’d ever seen. I was determined to prove that I could be a true queen to your people, that I wasn’t just a fragile southern princess.”

“You’ve more than proven that,” he said, his hand sliding down to the small of her back, pulling her closer. “You faced Lasseran without flinching. You fought. You never gave up.”

“Neither did you,” she said. “You came for me.”

“I will always come for you,” he growled. “You are mine now, as I am yours.”

She smiled, her hands coming up to rest on his shoulders. “I am yours. Now take me to bed.”

With a growl, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to their bed. He pulled away long enough to strip off his clothes and when he returned she reached for him, her soft little hands teasing his swollen shaft.

“Jessamin,” he groaned, reaching for those tormenting fingers.

“Let me take care of you,” she whispered, and then a hot little tongue swiped across the head of his cock. He swore, his hips jerking helplessly as she began licking him with eager strokes, her hand wrapped firmly around the base of his cock.

He buried his hands in her hair, trying not to thrust as her mouth worked its magic. His mate was pleasuring him, taking her time, clearly delighting in every lick and kiss.

But he was too close to the edge, too hungry for her to allow this to continue.

With a groan, he pulled free of her grasp. She looked up at him, startled, and he kissed her hard, then flipped her over on her hands and knees. She looked back at him over her shoulder, her eyes warm and loving and totally unafraid, and wiggled her lush little ass.

He growled, his Beast rising to the surface as he gripped her hips, nudging her entrance with the head of his cock. She moaned, trying to push back against him, but he held her in place, savoring the moment.

“Please,” she whimpered.

He drove into her with one swift, powerful thrust, burying himself to the hilt.

She cried out, her inner walls convulsing helplessly around him as her climax swept over her.

He didn’t wait, couldn’t wait. His body took over, driving into her with relentless strokes.

She arched her back, pushing against him, matching his rhythm.

Her fingers dug into the bed as he rode her harder, deeper, their bodies moving together in perfect harmony.

She came again, her body shaking, her cries filling the air. He could feel his own release building, the pressure growing with each stroke. With a roar, he let go, burying himself inside her as his knot expanded, tying them together as his seed flooded her channel in long, hot pulses.

They collapsed onto the bed, bodies locked together, and he pulled her close, cradling her against his chest as they caught their breath.

His heart pounded in his chest, and he could feel hers beating in time.

A sense of rightness washed over him, a deep contentment that settled into his bones.

This was where he was meant to be, where she was meant to be.

“I love you,” he murmured in her ear.

“I love you, too,” she whispered. “My king.”

“My queen,” he said, and he kissed her again.