Taken by the Enemy (26 page)

Authors: Jennifer Bene

“He was part of the resistance inside, I haven’t seen him yet but I heard he looks a lot like me.” Lucian smiled with pride, and she smiled too. “I can’t wait for you to meet him,
I
can’t wait to see him again. There won’t be any exiles any more, just one community.”

“A new beginning.” Emmie sighed, looking up at the sky above them. “Think we can handle that?”

“You and I together? We can do anything.” Lucian pulled her into his lap and kissed her until her arms went around his neck and the city faded until there was only the two of them, the wind, and the stars.

Epilogue

“Quiet, quiet!” Lucie laughed, and then turned to gesture at Emmie, her round belly making her look funny as she leaned back on the floor. The council hall was packed, and people were sitting on every available surface and covering the floor. The snow was deep outside, but with the fires inside, and the press of all the people, it was almost stifling.

“Okay, where were we last time?” Emmie smiled and a young man in the front row raised his hand.

“The girl had just found the ravens in the castle and she was going to ask them for the key to open the door!” he shouted excitedly and the older man next to him smacked him upside the head.

“Ah, that’s right.” Emmie opened the book and crossed her legs on her father’s old council desk. Its new purpose was
much
better. Reading stories twice a day, every day but Sunday, and serving as her work desk for reading and writing classes the rest of the time. As nervous as she had been at first, the women of the village convinced her to try and teach, and she was actually pretty good at it, but story times were her favorite. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and continued the story from where she’d left off.

“Dania was afraid of the ravens, for she knew she was only a little girl and they could peck her if she angered them, but Dania was also brave. Taking a loaf of bread from her bag she began to crumble it into her hands.
I will give you bread, pretty ravens, if you find for me the key to this door
. They squawked and bickered amongst themselves, and then they flew off into the castle to find the hidden key…”

An hour later, Emmie closed the book and the collective groan of young and old alike made her laugh.

“I’m sorry, everyone, but I’ll be reading from this story again in two days. Same time. I hope to see you all then!” She smiled, accepting the hugs and hands from various citizens as they thanked her and left to return to their work.

Lucie waddled up to her with a huge smile, a hand against her lower back. “You were meant for this, Emmie.”

“I’m just lucky.”

Lucie shook her head slowly, turning to watch the smiling faces of everyone as they filed out into the cold. “No, I think you’re the only person who could have done this. It’s everyone’s favorite time of the week, getting to hear a story, or learn and practice their letters.”

Emmie smiled, joy suffusing her again even though now it was a much more constant companion. “It was Gabrielle that okayed the use of the old council chambers for me to teach in. This was her doing.” She sighed. “You know there’s a man named Bertram who stopped by yesterday. He apparently did the accounting for the city and he’s offered to take over some of the class times to teach mathematics.”

“Wow.” Lucie’s eyes were wide and she laughed and rubbed her belly. “This little one is going to be quite educated!”

“Everyone deserves an education, Lucie, especially your little one.” Emmie smiled, but then it faded a bit. “How is Victor?”

“Oh, he’s fine. We’re all still in the same house because it means we can look after each other when Evan and Jennifer are out and about. He grumbles because it’s cold, but he’s moving around now, and can’t wait to meet the baby. He already refers to himself as Uncle Victor, and although he has to use a cane, it doesn’t slow him much. He’s pretty unstoppable.”

“I believe that.” She jumped when Lucie suddenly grabbed for her wrist and yanked her hand forward to press it to her belly. The strong kick that met her palm made Emmie’s eyes go wide. “I felt it!”

“I know!” She laughed. “Boy or girl, they’re strong!” Lucie released her hand with a laugh and started to head towards the door, pulling a thick shawl around her shoulders. “Have you checked in on Lucian today?”

Emmie rolled her eyes at the secretive poke her friend had given her. “I’m on my way out there now, he promised to have lunch with me today.”

“Good luck then and I’ll see you later, Emmie.” Lucie kissed her on the cheek and then winked as she walked off, and Emmie continued down the main street towards the gates. Wide open to the snowy forest outside. It didn’t take long walking outside the walls before she could hear him shouting, and as she came around the side she saw a team of men lifting a huge log, only to drop it into place as they built yet another fence.

The men cheered, and she saw Lucian smiling as Ben slapped him on the back. The two were still inseparable, but it was the slightly shorter version of Lucian to their left that drew Emmie’s eyes. Christopher looked too much like Lucian, there was no mistaking they were siblings, and the two were deep in conversation about plans for the next pen for livestock before he saw her.

“Em!” Christopher smiled and raised his hand, and Lucian turned to face her. Those heather-gray eyes lit up at the sight of her and he ran over to lift her into his arms, kissing her as she slid back down his front.

“
Lucian
,” she chastised, but her heart wasn’t in it even when she blushed because his whole crew of men were staring.

“What?” He grinned wildly, and she just rolled her eyes.

“Didn’t you promise me we could have lunch together? Just us?” She tilted her head at him and he nodded, nervously glancing behind him, acting for a moment like he’d forgotten.

Then he turned to face her with a wild grin and grabbed her hand. “Of course. Come with me!”

He tugged her towards the forest and she was as breath taken by its beauty as she had been the first night she had placed foot outside the walls. Only now it was still lovely and deep, but the snow and the bright sun made it anything but dark. “Where on earth are we going?” Emmie laughed as he helped her over a log. They had been walking for a while, but he just waved his other hand at her and pulled her along.

A few minutes later, they came across a meadow, solid white, and absolutely beautiful. Lucian ran to the side and snagged a huge blanket, laying it out on the ground, and then another which he wrapped around her shoulders as he settled her on it. He
had
prepared. “Admit it, you thought I forgot.”

“A picnic? In the snow?” Emmie raised an eyebrow but he only smiled as he pulled over a basket and joined her on the blanket.

“If you start to get too cold, we can head back, but you’re always saying we never get a minute alone anymore.” He waved a hand around them at the peaceful quiet of the woods. “I don’t think anyone will be interrupting us here.”

“You, my love, are
very
smart.” She leaned forward to kiss him and he returned it.

“I’ve got a smart mate, I think it’s rubbing off.” He grinned and then dug in the basket for bread and meats. “Speaking of smart ladies, how is Gabrielle handling everything since it became official?”

“She says she’s fine, but we both know she didn’t want to be a leader. Luckily Sarah is with her, and I think she keeps her from going crazy.”

“Mathias is still helping her, right? With Brendan?” Lucian handed Emmie the little sandwich he had made for her and she took a bite, nodding.

“Of course, he’s on her council as the captain of the guard, and Brendan is his second in command.”

“She
also
has her head education council.” Lucian nudged her as he took his own bite and she shrugged.

“We both know she made up that title.”

“It doesn’t matter. Gabrielle got selected because the citizens already recognized her as the heir to the head council position, and because she’s
your
sister, the villagers were accepting of her. You deserved a title too.” He shifted and laid his head in her lap as he took another bite. “Not to mention, we went through a rough couple of months. Even when the citizens and the villagers saw your father buried, his tombstone, many of them were still afraid. Some of him returning, some of the change. This was the answer, and I know this new council format will work.”

“I can’t believe anyone
wanted
a council anymore after —”

“No, don’t go there again. It’s done, and you and Gabrielle are
not
your father. Do you think anyone would have chosen her, or anyone would spend their time with
you
, if they thought that?”

“I guess not.”

He smiled up at her, the same cocky smile he always had when he was right. “So, other than always being interrupted, why did you want to have lunch today? We could have just kicked everyone out of the house for dinner tonight.”

Emmie felt butterflies in her stomach and she chewed on her lip. Lucian creased his forehead and sat up next to her, but she forced herself to smile. “I just – I wanted to talk where no one would knock on the door, or just
walk in
.”

“Is everything okay?” He slid his hand under hers, squeezing her fingers, and she felt the tingling rush of his touch.

“Everything’s great, um…” The crimson blush rushed her cheeks, but she forced it out before she could lose her nerve again. “I’m pregnant.”

Lucian’s heather-gray eyes went wide and he almost choked on the bite in his mouth before standing up. “Really?”

Nerves raced through her, and she nodded. “Yes, I —”

“I’m going to be a father?” he shouted, and she nodded again and then he let out a loud whoop that sent birds taking off from the trees. His grin when he looked down at her erased all of the fears she’d been harboring for a week since she first realized it and verified her symptoms with Lucie and the local midwife. Lucian scooped her up in his arms, swinging her around before kissing her hard. Then he suddenly froze and slid her down his front. “Oh, hell! Last night! I just —” he groaned, grabbing at his hair and she laughed.

Her ass was still sore from the spanking he’d delivered, and she had loved the way he had taken her pinned to their bed. It had been
perfect
, and so when he stared at her with so much concern, she just grinned. “Lucian, I love you, and I already checked with the midwife that everything is perfectly fine. If somehow I earn a real punishment, we can talk it through, but our fun? All okay.”

“So you’re okay? The – the baby is okay?” Lucian dropped to his knees in front of her, his hands landing on her hips so his thumbs could brush over her lower belly.

Emmie reached forward to run her hands through his light brown hair, and when he looked up at her, she had never loved him more. “The baby is perfect. She thinks I’m about four months along.”

“But that —” He froze, and then lifted his eyes back to her. “In the village?”

She smiled and shrugged. “Or close to that time.”

Lucian hugged her tight pressing his cheek against her belly. “I love you so much, Emmie. You and this little one.”

Pulling back from his grip, she slid to her knees in front of him as well, loving that even when they were on their knees, she had to look up at him a bit. “I love you too, Lucian. You’re going to be an amazing father. You’ll be this kid’s hero.”

He grinned and kissed her, and it was tender at first, but then his hand found the braid in her hair and tugged and a flood of heat coiled between her thighs. “So, they said we can still have our fun?”

Emmie grinned back, biting her lip for a second as she tried to imagine all of the creative things running through his mind. “Oh yes, at least for a little while anyway.”

“What the hell did I do to deserve being this lucky?” Lucian kissed her again and hugged her tight and she laughed, wrapping her arms around him.

“Well, a little bird told me you were a good man to a lot of people.” She laughed, and he did too.

“Remind me to thank that little bird,” he growled and pressed her back onto the blanket as he kissed her.

The End

About The Author

Jennifer Bene is a best-selling author of erotic fiction. Her writing has been described by readers as "dark in a way that turns you on", and she definitely takes that as a compliment! She has a terrible mouth that often gets her in trouble but comes in handy when she's writing. She loves to write strong female characters and dominant male characters in stories that take readers for a walk on the dark side.

When she's not attached to a keyboard, she likes to read, drink wine, do yoga, binge on Netflix, and enjoy life with friends/family. She lives in Texas, and no, she doesn't own a horse or wear a cowboy hat, you'd have better luck finding her on the dance floor downtown. Seriously.

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Books by Jennifer Bene:

Dark / BDSM Erotica:

Security Binds Her (Thalia Book 1) (Amazon #1 Best Seller in BDSM, and Romance Erotica!)

Striking a Balance (Thalia Book 2)

Salvaged by Love (Thalia Book 3)

Of Fog and Fire (Part I & II)

Taken by the Enemy (Blushing Books)

Dark / Paranormal Romance:

Fae (Daughters of Eltera Book 1)