Authors: Rosalie Redd
The yellowed pages were crisp to his touch. His body tingled all over. The sheets fluttered before him, and the cool air brushed against his face. They stopped, open on a page near the back of the text. With great care, he read the ancient scripture.
The king shall bond to his Lemurian queen
She shall complement his strengths and rule by his side
Neither will bow to the other, yet both will sacrifice for each other
Bonding bands will dictate the level of commitment
As the king and queen rejoice, so do their kind
He read the lines again, and then a third time. Sweat fell from his brow and landed on the paper. He wiped the dampness away and brought the book to his chest. There was no mention of a Stiyaha queen, only a Lemurian queen.
The sunstones shining down from the ceiling looked like stars. He smiled as relief flooded his body. His faith marking pulsed under his eye. He didn’t need to touch the mark to know the line had thickened.
“Thank you,” he whispered. His shoes pounded on the stone floor as he went in search of the one female who’d crawled under his skin, in all the right ways.
*****
Alora stood next to the window and placed her hand on the smooth wooden sill. The treehouse swayed in the breeze. She closed her eyes, enjoying the smell of the fresh rain. In the distance, the rising sun’s purple rays graced the sky.
A knot of anxiety formed in her stomach. She let the feeling boil so she could use the energy in the upcoming argument. Veromé wasn’t happy with her, nor did she expect him to be.
Crash
.
Alora turned in time to see a vase filled with Coletta flowers fly through the air. The pot shattered on the wooden floor, shards of glass and water cascading across the boards. Veromé’s fists were still on the table, where he’d vented his frustration. At her glance, his eyes narrowed.
“I can’t believe what you’ve done. You pushed that book off the shelf. What were you thinking?”
Her ire built in response, but she needed to calm him, smooth things over. So, she bit her bottom lip in the way that drove him mad.
“They needed help, so I helped them.”
“You risk the council’s ire. They will do more than sanction you if they find out.”
“They won’t find out.” She turned once again to look out the window.
He approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her body molded to his, and she leaned into him.
“Promise me you won’t do this again.”
“I promise.” Her words were soft and conciliatory.
“I don’t believe you.” He blew on her neck just below her ear. “But I can’t resist your charms.”
She shivered at the sensation, and a ripple of desire raced to her core.
The fine hair on his arms tingled her fingers as she rubbed her hands over his skin. She arched her bottom into his already firm shaft. He inhaled, the sound loud in the quiet room. At his response, she purred.
Raising her arms, she reached behind him and tousled his hair. He groaned. Moving his hands up her waist, he captured her breasts in his palms. His shaft jerked, and she laughed at his reaction.
“What I would do to have time to make love to you again,” he said.
She turned around and stared into his eyes. He was hers now, his anger long forgotten. She rubbed her hands down his chest to his firm abs. Giving him her best smile, she loosened the string on his pants. As she slipped her hand beneath the soft material, her fingers circled his fine hairs. He growled and tightened his grip on her arms.
She trailed her fingers down his cock and scraped the plump end with her nail. His erection jerked and beaded with need. He pulled her in for a bruising kiss. Just as she wanted this moment to never end, the familiar tug started in her stomach. She stilled, and he let her go.
The first rays of the sun broke over the horizon. He looked out the window and cursed. “Alora, this isn’t over. You can’t use sex to get your way.”
As she disappeared to go to her dark place, she knew she could, and would again.
Chapter Forty-Two
Noeh ran down the corridor, eager to reach Melissa and ask her to become his queen. His heart expanded at his joy, but in the back of his mind, he still had misgivings about the bonding. As much as he wanted Melissa as his mate, his fear that he’d lose her echoed to his core.
Jax rounded a corner and headed straight for him, his feet moving at a fast clip. “Your Majesty! I’ve been looking for you—Melissa, she’s gone, she’s gone!”
Dread wrapped around his limbs, slowing him down. “Explain yourself.”
“I came to bring her some victuals from the evening repast, I did, I did, but I found the door broken.”
Indeed, as he approached his bedchamber and the adjoining room, evidence of a scuffle appeared in the shattered wood and scuff marks that marred the floor. His muscles tensed, his senses on high alert.
Diiiinnng. Diiiinnng.
The bells rang loud throughout the corridor. Noeh stopped in his tracks. He turned and peered down the hallway in the direction of the Portal Navigation Center. Someone had left the Keep.
A chill in the corridor caused the hair on his arms to stand on end. Something wasn’t right.
Melissa
. Somehow, he knew she was involved, and he couldn’t deny his intuition. “Inform Rin that I’m on my way.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Jax placed his hand on a sunstone lining the corridor walls to send the message.
Noeh bolted toward the Portal Navigation Center, a cold draft of fear driving him forward. Where was she? What happened? His mind raced with possibilities, none of them good. Perspiration beaded his brow, flowing into his eyes, but he didn’t stop to wipe the sweat away.
As Noeh neared the Portal Navigation Center, Rin peered out the doorway. The small male waved him on, then disappeared back into the room.
Noeh pulled to a stop, heavy breaths billowing out his lungs. “What happened?”
“Your Majesty, I made a terrible mistake. Please forgive me.” Rin’s shoulders slumped as he hunched down in front of his king. He seemed broken, his head resting on his knee.
“Rin, stand up and explain.”
He stood and met Noeh’s look. His lip trembled. “It’s Mauree. She took Melissa. I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t.” His voice wavered. “She threatened the babe. I failed ya. I’m so sorry, Your Majesty.”
A thin film of sweat broke out on Noeh’s back. He seized Rin’s shoulder. “Slow down. Tell me the details.”
“Mauree called me. I sensed her vibrations through the sunstones. When I arrived, Melissa was unconscious. Mauree held a pickaxe against Melissa’s throat.” Rin’s body trembled. “Mauree threatened to kill Melissa and the baby if I didn’t open a portal. I didn’t know what else to do, so I opened one.” Rin choked back a sob.
Protect!
Noeh’s inner beast bellowed. Mauree wouldn’t go this far, would she? The truth stared him in the eyes, and his face reddened. “You did what you needed to, my friend. Tell me where you transported them.”
“The asylum. She told me to open a gateway to the asylum.”
“Prepare the portal for the same location. I’ll call for warriors. We leave as soon as they arrive.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you.” Rin bowed and headed for his workbench.
Noeh touched one of the sunstones lining the walls of the room. He sent out a mental image of the Portal Navigation Center to several of his warriors. Return blips rippled up his arm. They were on their way.
Noeh grabbed the hilt of his sword, and his ring tapped against the metal. The sound echoed in the room, but his mind focused on what lay ahead.
Melissa. Our son. Protect!
The need to do so overwhelmed him, and his body shook. Rage as he’d never known coursed through his veins. He’d eviscerate anyone who tried to harm them and watch their entrails spew from their body.
A vision of Melissa crossed his mind. A coy smile played on her lips as she held a small bundle in her arms—his son. His heart ached at the thought of losing them.
I will get you back, little kitten, and when I do, I’m never letting you go.
Footsteps trampled down the corridor. Saar and six warriors arrived. Saar glanced around, assessing the situation. His attention turned to Noeh. “What happened?”
“Mauree betrayed me. She took Melissa and left the Keep.”
Saar gasped. Shocked groans from the other warriors followed suit.
“Where did Mauree take her?”
“To the asylum,” Noeh said. “We’ll pick up her scent once we get through the portal.”
Saar handed a pair of arm cuffs to Noeh. “Here, I brought these for you, just in case.”
“Thank you, my friend.” He placed the protective bands over his forearms.
The pounding of many feet caught his attention, and he turned toward the room’s entrance. Demir, Aramie, and three Panthera warriors hurried into the room.
“We’re going with you.” Demir’s voice was steady and low. “We saw your warriors race through the Grand Hall and followed them here.”
Noeh raised an eyebrow.
Demir moved into Noeh’s personal space and puffed out his chest. “I heard what you said. Mauree captured Melissa. You’re not leaving without us.”
Noeh assessed Demir, noting the thin line of his mouth and his steady eyes. “We could use the help,
if
that’s what you’re offering.”
The muscle in Demir’s jaw flexed. “We have a common goal, to rescue Melissa. You have my word on that.”
“Very well, join us.”
Rin worked his hands over the sunstones, sweat beading on his creased forehead. The mist didn’t appear, no matter how fast and furious he moved. Despite his efforts, the gems remained still, their usual brightness and luster gone. “Something’s wrong.”
He shook his fist at the ceiling. “
Craya
, Keep. What’s your problem?”
Noeh placed his palm over Rin’s hand, bringing his fist down. “Calm yourself and focus. Evaluate the problem.”
Rin blinked. His gaze homed in on Noeh’s eyes. Taking a breath, he shook his head. “Ok, yeah, focus.” His hand skimmed the stones, touching first one, then another, the movements precise. He stilled, a groan escaping his lips.
“Ah,
no!” Picking up one of the stones, he held the rock for all to see. A large crack ran down the middle, the light reflecting off the stone in a myriad of directions, like a crystal on fire.
“
Craya
. The spare is faulty. I should’ve known.” He shook his head.
“Do you have another?” Noeh asked.
Rin stared at his feet, his chin almost touching his chest. “No, the crystals used in the porte stanen are unique. They are hard to fashion and polish to just the right size. That was my last spare.”
“How long will it take you to prepare a new one?” Noeh asked.
“Days, to create a new stone with the right amount of power takes days.”
“You only have a couple of hours. We need the portal to be functional upon our return.” Noeh’s attention focused on Saar. “We must follow the old pathway to the surface. Do you remember the way?”
“Yes. It’s been a while, but I remember. The Keep hasn’t recalibrated any of the manual entrances since I last used one.”
Noeh squinted at the ceiling, noting the roughened edges of the rock. Never did he think their sanctuary would feel like a prison.
Saar tilted his head. “Your Majesty?”
Noeh swallowed. Using the burn in his gut to drive him, he raised his chin and nodded. “Very well, let’s move out.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Seated in an old pine tree near the asylum, Ram scanned the surrounding forest. A cougar stalked an unsuspecting deer. A rabbit trembled under an owl’s watchful eye. The hunters took down their prey, each using their own methods and skills, both just as fatal.
He admired the natural predators. They made the kill look so easy.
Ah, should our lot be so straightforward.
He ran his hand over the small dart gun in his jacket pocket. The smooth glass contained the magical glacier water, the liquid that would bring down Noeh. He breathed deep, filling his lungs with the cool night air.
A familiar odor made him sit up straight.
His legs dangled from the low tree branch. The rough bark scratched his hand, inserting a sliver under his skin. A small pain ran through his palm, and he shook with delight. Even his own torment could give him a thrill. That was sick, but he only chuckled to himself. Turning in the tree, he faced his lieutenant.
“Do you smell them?”
“Yes, my lord. Females.” Jakar adjusted his footing on the pine tree’s branch. “A Stiyaha and one of the new Lemurians. They are alone.”
Indeed. Very unusual.
Ram circled his finger in the air above his head. “Surround them. Let’s find out why they are out here by themselves.”
The branches rustled as Ram’s brood leapt from tree to tree. The females’ scent drove them forward, stoking their drive to kill. As they closed the distance, Ram barked into the still night air. The order to stop and wait halted his brood in the lower branches of the pine trees.
A female Stiyaha dragged another Lemurian along the path from the old asylum. The smaller one fought to free herself, but with no success. Ram’s eyes widened as recognition hit him. Melissa—the redheaded female whose shield he’d stolen. A smile pulled his lips tight against his serrated teeth. He lifted his chin, giving the signal to proceed.