Page 30 of The Time Of Queens (An Afterlife Story #2)

30

A FUTURE THREAT

‘ T ell me, how many years did I have to wait the first time?” he asked softly, playing with my fingers in his much larger hands. We were currently sitting up in his bed, with his back to the headboard and my body tucked in between him against his chest. He had his arms around me, both of us naked beneath the sheets.

It was hours since our time in the conservatory, as after I started to shiver, he illusioned a thick blanket to wrap me in. He also brought forth his own clothes, making me tease him about only dressing himself. But then he told me how he was not finished with my naked body yet, proving this fact after carrying me to his room. Of course, he also did this by supernatural means, by first ensuring that no one was around to see this. No doubt controlling the minds of the staff to be elsewhere.

Then once there, he made love to me over and over again, leaving me utterly sated and admittedly, exhausted in his bed. Which meant this question of his only came hours later, after having me lying in his arms and I had slept for a while. But his question did cast the spotlight on the truth of how I had come to be here, and it wasn’t exactly a discussion I wanted to have. Which was why I replied,

“Does it really matter the year? Only that it wasn’t this one.” The dejection in my voice was easy to hear.

“So, you really did use the Janus Fountain?” he asked instead, clearly not ready to drop the difficult conversation.

“Yes,” I answered after releasing a sigh.

“But why? Why would you ever take such a risk to do so?” he asked, making me swallow hard as I knew there was still so much more I was keeping from him. So, in the end, I turned in his hold to face him and simply said,

“Some things are always worth the risk.”

He lifted my hands up in front of us and after running his thumbs over my scars, he asked,

“And these, were these the result of similar risks?”

I shook my head gently and told him,

“No, these were the result of my determination to survive.”

He raised his eyes from the pale white lines and looked at me with the type of tenderness I knew came from the man that loved me. Then just like the first time, he lifted them to his lips and kissed each one.

“Then it no longer pains me to see them, if they signify you being here now.” I leaned forward and kissed him, whispering over his lips,

“Thank you.”

“You need not thank me for that, my sweet girl, for the truth comes easy from these lips when you are the reason for it.”

I groaned, letting my head fall to his chest before muttering,

“Gods, there you go again with your perfect words. Well, in that, you never change.”

I felt the vibrations of his chuckle against me.

“Perfect words easily inspired by the perfect woman.”

I groaned again, slapped a hand to his chest, and said,

“Argh, will you quit being so nice!” I teased.

“Well, I would happily pin you to the bed and force more pleasure from you like some consumed wild beast once more, if that is what you would prefer?”

I lifted my head back up and raised my eyebrows, a look of faux shock on my face as I batted my lashes. This made him laugh, before sliding me down and rolling over me.

“Mmm, the Gods have gifted me with an insatiable girl indeed, for I am happy to see your lustful needs match that of my own,” he said making me grin.

“Well, we are in your bed after all… it would be rude not to keep using it,” I whispered in a playful tone.

He burst out laughing before reminding me,

“Are you forgetting sleep?”

“Purposely, yes,” I replied with what I hoped was a wicked gleam in my eyes.

“Well well, it looks like we have no choice, especially when sleep is also considered as being rude,” he replied in an equally teasing tone, keeping our banter going. But then when his hands started to travel down my sides, reaching my thighs so he could hitch my leg up over his arse, I moaned,

“Yes, very rude indeed.”

He chuckled again before grinding his length against my core, creating delicious friction. However, before he could put his erection to good use, my stomach decided to ruin my fun with its even ruder interruption in the form of a grumble. Draven raised himself up and made a show of looking down at my belly.

“Ignore it… now what were you saying about insatiable wild beasts?”

“I believe I called you insatiable and I the wild beast, but with the sound you just made, perhaps I got it wrong,” he asked, raising a brow in a teasing way, making me blush.

“Ha ha,” I mocked, making him smirk. But before I could say another thing, he was suddenly up out of bed and tugging on a cord I knew would ring one of the bells in the servant wing. The sight of his naked arse was one I couldn’t help but admire, as it was like looking at a real-life Adonis.

“Wait, what are you doing?” I asked, covering myself back up with the sheet, panicked that someone would suddenly walk in.

“I am feeding my woman, that is what.”

“Oh, my Lord, I didn’t know you cooked,” I joked, making him give me a wry look that I couldn’t help but laugh at.

“Oh, you wish to play, do you?” he threatened light-heartedly, stalking back towards the bed. I scrambled away from him, knowing what was coming.

“No, no, just… hahaa… making… hahahah an… observation!” This came out in laughing bursts as he grabbed my ankle and pulled me to him so he could tickle me. Which meant that when the door knocked, I froze in his hold, making him grin down at me.

“One moment!” he shouted before dipping his lips to my neck and kissing his way up to my ear. “I have a little maid to torture.”

I huffed, making him wink at me before he sucked my lip into his mouth, kissing me. Only pulling back long enough to say,

“I adore this cute little pout of yours.”

Then I snapped my lips at him, pretending to try and bite him, prompting him to comment,

“And you call me a wild beast.” He lifted himself off me completely, and I couldn’t help but argue.

“I believe you claimed that title for yourself, my Lord.”

He scoffed in response before reaching for his dressing gown and putting it on so he wasn’t standing naked at the door when he answered it. As for me, I quickly hid under the covers before anyone could see who it was in his bed.

“I would like dinner brought up,” I heard him say to whoever was on the other side of the door.

“Right away, my Lord.”

“Oh, and bring two trays, for the new lady of the house is rather hungry.”

I couldn’t help but groan under the sheet, not missing the little gasp of surprise from the maid.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Seconds later, the door closed, and I yelped when the sheet was ripped from me, leaving me stark naked.

All humour left him as lust quickly took over, his eyes scanning the length of my body as if he was seeing it for the first time.

“I don’t believe this will be proper attire for dinner,” I pointed out, making him smirk down at me.

“Who says?” he asked.

“According to you, the new lady of the house,” I replied, stretching for the sheet, one that he quickly held out of reach.

“You are to be the new lady of the house,” he stated, making me chuckle,

“My my, you do move fast, Lord Draven.”

“That’s Dominic to you,” he said, leaning closer as I still tried to grab the sheet.

“Then my witchcraft must be working,” I teased back, making him grin.

“Well, you have certainly bewitched me,” he replied smoothly, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me close so I was plastered to his front.

“Great, perhaps I can also bewitch you into fetching me a dress and you can play the lady’s maid for once.”

He threw his head back and laughed, the sound being one I always loved hearing.

“I am afraid my skills only extend to removing dresses, not helping little beauties I am obsessed with into them… it defeats the object of my desires, you see,” he whispered this last part in feign mocking.

“Then perhaps I should answer the door next time and give your household truly something to gossip about.”

He laughed again before growling,

“This body is for my eyes only.”

Then he kissed me, making me quickly melt against him. After which I slapped both my hands to his shoulders and said,

“Then you will have no choice but to clothe me, as it’s that or stuffing me in your closet and hiding your preference for naughty little maids who like to suck your…” I paused before looking down to see said manhood rising to the memory, as I whispered seductively, “…Cock.”

His face buried in my neck as he grumbled, “That’s not helping.”

I chuckled.

“No but it is certainty entertaining on my part to watch you squirm,” I said, patting his back and pulling from his hold, at the same time grabbing the sheet and sitting back on the bed. Now feeling smug that I had won this round.

“Fine, I will get you a dress but then… I will have my revenge on you,” he said, walking to the door and pausing when I called his name.

“Draven…”

“Yes?”

“I can’t wait.” Then I winked at him, making him leave the room shaking his head and sporting a knowing grin. No doubt asking himself what was he going to do with me. Well, I knew exactly what he could keep doing to me. Because I swear that after going days without his sexual touch, it felt like I had lost time to make up for. And speaking of time, it was certainly the elephant in the room, as clearly neither of us had wanted to delve too deeply into addressing the future.

The one where I would be…

Leaving him.

Thirty or so minutes later, I found myself sitting opposite Draven just like I had this morning. Only this time, I wasn’t stealing his food trying to play the bad maid. Oh, and I was also finally in a dress, one that despite his claims, he did manage to help me into. Something that only ended up with lots of giggling on my part, groaning and complaining on his part, and both of us teasing the hell out of each other.

And as for the gossip, this ended up being unavoidable, seeing as they not only saw me in Draven’s room, but he made it pretty clear how he felt about me. Especially when openly putting an arm around me and leaving no question as to who he had declared as the new lady of the house. Not that I cared, as my plans to someday leave remained the same. Although I knew now that this goal would certainly become much harder to achieve.

“So, tell me of our life together,” he suddenly asked, surprising me enough to pause just before I could place the piece of meat pie in my mouth.

“You want to know?”

“Yes, for you may be leaving that life behind you, now that you are here, but I am still intrigued enough to hear of it.”

And there it was, the elephant was under the spotlight. So, I put down my fork.

“You can’t ask me to do that,” I said, making him frown.

“Ask you to do what?”

“Leave that life behind,” I stated, hoping that calm reasoning might win this time. He too put down his fork and leaned back in his chair. Something that didn’t give me much hope on the calm part when he folded his arms over his chest. He was now dressed also, and in something more substantial than just a robe. Although he had forgone the jacket, wearing a shirt open at the collar and a black button-up waistcoat with matching trousers. He also had boots on, making me wonder if he had plans later to speak with his brother or something. As he didn’t exactly look ready to just jump back into bed.

“So, correct me if I am mistaken, but your plans remain firm in your intent to steal from me and try and make your way home, am I correct?”

That was the hundred- and sixty-year-old question…

“Draven…”

“Dominic,” he corrected, and it was just even more proof that I was not currently facing my husband.

“I can’t stay,” I said, my voice dejected as his expression hardened.

“You will not leave,” he stated in return, his own voice now hard and unyielding. All playful banter and teasing was long gone. Which was when I knew it was time to hit him with the truth.

“I have been married to you for thirty years, we built a life together, we…”

“It does not matt…”

I sighed before interrupting him.

“We have children, Dominic.” This must have shocked him enough that he actually gasped. This was when I got up and swept my big red dress back, so I could scoot my chair closer to his before retaking my seat. Then I placed my hand on his thigh and told him in earnest,

“I have a family I need to return to.”

His eyes finally found my own, searching for the sincerity in them.

“It’s true… what you say is true.”

“I would never be so cruel as to say otherwise,” I pointed out, causing him to take in a deep breath.

“We truly have a family together?” he asked again, as if needing to hear it once more.

“Triplets. One girl and two boys,” I told him, and again he flinched in shock.

“Three… two boys and a girl?” he repeated, making me smile.

“Yes,” I replied, not wanting to get into the complicated matter of our boys and how to protect them, we could only have them in our lives when they were grown teens. Nor did I want to mention how Thane refused contact with us. How he still refused to accept being part of the family, let alone the powerful Demon he was.

Give it time, is what Draven had always told me whenever I got upset about this. For Theo might have welcomed us as his parents with open arms, but his brother had been quite different. It pained me in a way that tore at my heart whenever I thought about him. The monthly reports we would get, checking that he was still alright were always bittersweet. I was happy to know he was making his way in the world but pained that he still didn’t want us in it.

So no, I would not burden him with this knowledge, for I knew that my Draven suffered enough, just like I did. This despite always living in hope that one day he would need us. That one day he would tame his Demon side enough not to blame us for bringing him into the world. That in time, he would accept who he truly was and make peace with it.

But that day had yet to come, and with each year that passed, it only made it more difficult to bear.

“Gods, but I never dreamed such a thing possible… I am… I am a father.”

“Yes!” I was up out of my chair and hugging him tight, unable to hold back the emotion anymore. However, before our sweet moment could grow into anything more, suddenly there was a mighty booming sound before the house actually shook!

Draven was quickly out of his seat, holding me to him and walking us both to the window. Then once he opened it, the haunting smell hit us and with it, a memory of the tragic end to Witley Court.

It was the smell of…

Smoke.