Page 39

DAHLIA

L ife is practically perfect. We’ve been at Ashcliff for a little over a week now and it’s feeling more and more like home. I know we can’t stay forever, but it’s nice to know that this is waiting for us any time Alaric can step away from battle for a time. We’ve had plenty of company—namely Sebastian Montclare (who thankfully did not seem upset that a human turned out to be his brother’s mate), and Alaric’s sister, Fiona, who I adore already. She’d hugged me fiercely the moment we walked into the sitting room.

“I just want you to know that I don’t care if you’re human or a shifter or a mermaid for fuck’s sake—though I would have many anatomical questions if that were the case—I’ve never seen my brother even close to this happy before and you are the reason for it. Some of the others might have more…thoughts on the matter, but fuck them, yeah?” I’d huffed out a nervous laugh, surprised by her acceptance and overall demeanor. She reminded me a bit of Wesley, so I felt instantly at ease. Her mother must have come from the old Selkish Isles, her accent a bit similar to da’s, but much more lyrical and lilting. Her hair is a deeper shade of red than my own, her skin pale as ivory and her features delicate.

“Cassandra always has a stick up her ass about everything, so don’t let her reactions bother you too much. Plus, one day I’m sure you’ll be one of us anyway,” she’d said lightly and Alaric growled fiercely behind her, snapping his fangs. I’d narrowed my eyes at his reaction, but Fiona had merely rolled her hers. Fi and Takara had apparently been friends for nearly a century while Takara had served the Montclares at the palace in Astoria’s Keep, so the two of them spent lots of time together, laughing and telling old stories.

The rest of the guard had arrived with Takara, with Wesley and Nova arriving not far behind. I’d nearly come out of my skin when they’d gotten here, flying down the stairs so quickly only Nova’s quick reflexes had saved me from tumbling and probably breaking a few bones. Alaric had muttered something about fragility, but I’d ignored him, throwing my arms around my friends.

“I was so worried,” I breathed, squeezing them both as tightly as I could. When I’d pulled away, they had both stiffened and bowed to Alaric.

“Sir, thank you for granting us liberty and, uh, inviting us to your home,” Nova said.

“Home? More like fucking castle,” Wesley muttered, eyes roving around the entry. Nova had elbowed him in the ribs and he’d cleared his throat. “I mean, yes, thank you, sir.” I glanced to Alaric who looked a little uncomfortable with the gratitude, and smiled at him. I’d mentioned being worried about them since I hadn’t seen them since well before the battle and he offered to have them come and stay for a time. Things were entirely quiet on the Revenant front after the great loss when Alaric had—from what Takara had told me—destroyed their forces like some avenging warrior god, so he assured me they could be spared from the front lines of the camp without worry.

“Is it true?” Wesley had whispered as I’d shown them around the…hells, it really is a castle, I must admit. “Are you really…his??”

I’d bitten my lip as I’d eyed them both and Nova had jumped up and down clapping.

“I knew it!!”

“You did not,” Wesley had said, rolling his eyes.

“I did too! Or, well, I suspected maybe. I knew there was definite attraction there, at least.”

I let out a long, almost ragged exhale. “Attraction is quite the understatement.”

“Details. All of them. Now.” Nova and I glanced to Wesley, wearing what I was sure were identical expressions of surprise. He held up his hands. “What? You’ve seen the man! No one is immune. Plus, you know I don’t discriminate: man, woman, human, vampire—I love everyone .” He’d grinned and Nova and I had laughed. She assured me that she was all healed from the injury she’d sustained in the battle—a deep cut through her thigh—and that she was going to receive some kind of award for valor because she saved some captain’s life.

Alaric and I have been nearly inseparable save the times he meets with Elias or needs to attend to High General duties, and I’ve never been so happy in all my life. The question of what happens with us later hangs in the corners of our happiness, but neither of us wants to address it just yet. We just want to live in this beautiful bubble we’ve found at Ashcliff for a little longer. I know what I want but I know that Alaric is going to have…thoughts on the matter if his reaction to Fiona’s words are any indication.

I lie with my head on his chest now, my body still shuddering lightly after the intense string of orgasms this man managed to wring from me just moments ago. He brushes his finger over the puncture marks on my neck where his fangs had sank in so deliciously while he pumped into me from behind. I shiver at the memory and at his touch.

“Your healing is slowing to normal again,” he observes. I’d been healing almost immediately after the attack on the road, but the effects of his blood have waned over time. He pricks the pad of his thumb with a fang and swipes the blood over the wounds, and I feel them knit back together.

“Mmm,” I say, letting my lids flutter closed. “Good thing you’re around to heal me then.” He traces shapes along my back.

“So sleepy already, Keeva?” he muses, skating his fingers over the curves of my ass and making me perk up. Oh that reminds me .

“I know you lied,” I say, opening my eyes and shifting so I can look up at him. His brows furrow. “I heard from…someone,” I say vaguely, not wanting to reveal my source, “that Keeva doesn’t mean my name in the old vampire language.”

He sighs, lips curling. “No, it doesn’t,” he admits, stroking a stray curl from my cheek. “It was Fi, wasn’t it?” I make a motion as if I’m locking my lips tightly and throwing away the key. He chuckles lightly. “It means mine . It’s a…term of endearment, I guess you could call it, for a vampire’s mate.”

A tingle of excitement and joy shoot through my body every time he reminds me that I’m his, that this is real. Suddenly not tired in the slightest, I roll on top of him and settle my knees on either side of his waist. He’s already hard again beneath me and I bite my lip, toes curling in anticipation. I lean down and kiss him lazily, rolling my tongue against his, biting and sucking on his bottom lip.

“Mmmm, Keeva ,” he rasps, putting extra emphasis on the name he’s called me since the beginning, the only way he had to claim me as his for so long. Something about it makes my chest clench and my pulse race. I rise up and quickly maneuver myself above him, sliding down his shaft in one long, slow movement. He throws his head back and groans, hands gripping my hips as I begin to move. Up and down, up and down, riding his cock in a deep, steady rhythm.

“You’re mine too, Alaric,” I rasp. Not in the way of the vampires of course, but he’s mine in all the ways that matter, in all the ways a man can possibly belong to a woman. “ Mine .” Eventually, I increase the speed, leaning back and bracing my hands on his thighs behind me.

“Yours,” he pants. “Yours, Dahlia. Always.” He slides one hand from my hip and begins to massage my clit, making me cry out and buck my hips, whipping them in a frenzy as the pleasure builds and builds.

“Ah, just like that, Alaric. Don’t stop…”

“Gods the sight of you above me, riding me…” A low growl rumbles in his chest and I dig my nails into his thighs. “You take my cock so well, Dahlia. Look at you…” His words make a fresh wave of wet heat flood through me, soaking him, and pushes me right over the edge.

“Alaric!” I cry as I careen over the cliff into another endless pool of ecstasy. He grips my hips and bucks his own up once, twice, three times before roaring my name and coming hard. I collapse onto his chest, panting and blinking the stars away from my vision.

“Gods, will this ever ebb?” I ask. “This…intensity? This constant need?” No matter how many times we’re together, no matter how many climaxes rip through my body until I can literally no longer stand or move, it’s never enough.

“I don’t know,” he says between gasping breaths. “I don’t think so.” He strokes my spine and my heart slowly begins to return to a normal rhythm. “It’s a common, ah, trait of matehood.”

I laugh lightly, and then harder, shoulders shaking beneath his hands. He pulls me upright so he can look at me in confusion.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s just…a trait of matehood is to fuck like rabbits??” His lips curl into a slow, sexy grin.

“I suppose that’s one way to put it, yes.” And then he’s laughing with me, the two of us sprawled across the bed, laughing until my sides hurt. A knock at the door finally pulls us from our hysterics and once we’re sufficiently covered in a silk sheet, Alaric calls for whoever it is to enter.

It’s Livia, one of the humans who works for Alaric. I smile and wave and she gives me a tentative smile in return. She’s young, maybe seventeen, and a little shy, but I’ve been trying to put her at ease. I think she took this job with the understanding that she would basically never be around the prince, so our arrival sent her into a bit of a spiral. She’s coming around though, and I hope that we’ll be friends.

She bows her head. “I’m sorry to interrupt you sir, but…” She cuts her eyes quickly to me, lips curling before she looks back to Alaric. “The, uh, package , is nearly here. Perhaps thirty minutes or so.”

“Excellent, thank you.” She ducks her head and scurries from the room.

“Package?” I ask with a quirk of my brow, but Alaric is already off the bed and tugging me with him. “What are you doing?” I exclaim, but erupt into a fit of squeals and giggles when he tosses me over his shoulder and smacks my ass playfully.

“We need to shower and then I have a surprise for you.”

My eyes light up. “A surprise??”

“Yes, a surprise, but one you cannot receive naked and smelling of sex, you little harlot.”

“Harlot?? Oooh, you’ll pay for that one, your highness…”

“I look forward to it,” he says sensually as he slowly slides me down his body in front of the shower. “But for now—bathe,” he says sternly.