Bronwyn was moaning softly, tears squeezing from her eyes. Shim wasn’t in the mood to hear about his choice of vehicle. “Tell me what is wrong with our mate.”
Gillian got to one knee. “Bronwyn. Bronwyn, did they give you anything?”
Bron bit her bottom lip and forced herself to nod. Her mouth opened as though she was trying to speak, but her body convulsed again.
Even Lach seemed to come out of his fever long enough to be worried. “What is wrong? What did they give her?”
Gillian ignored them both, putting a hand to Bron’s forehead and feeling it. “She’s burning up. I suspect they gave her something to quiet her, but it wouldn’t explain why she’s in such pain.”
Shim leaned over, looking into her face. Such pain. “Tell me how to help you, a chumann.”
One hand came to his head, her fingers soft on his hair. “Kiss me.”
Her mouth came up, touching his, lips pressed to lips. Shim felt like he was falling into a dark well and Bron was the only spark of light. Her soft moan had his cock leaping in his pants. An aching want suffused his body with desire. His heart sped up, and a horrible pain began in his cock.
He needed. He fucking needed her.
“Damn it.” Gillian stood and turned back to talk to someone. Shim didn’t care. He knew what she needed now. Her body was calling to him. That bright, shimmering line that connected them was starting to come back.
“It hurts, Shim. She’s hurting so much.” Lach felt the connection, too, their minds opening to each other now that Bron was awake again, but the connection was marred by her pain, her outrageous need.
Gillian stepped forward again. “Pick her up, Shim. We need to get her inside. We have no way of knowing until we do a count if you killed everyone you should have. Reymon has a house close by. He’s willing to give it to you for the time being. I’ll keep watch for this squad of men who I have to hope will be smart enough to follow you.”
Through his haze, Shim managed to get up and haul Bron with him, her slight weight nothing against his strength. She clutched at him, her eyes fevered with desire. She pushed at his shirt, trying to get her hands on his skin. Shim couldn’t help it. He needed her so badly. She was the fever in his blood now. He kissed her, his tongue plunging deep.
He needed to get her away from here. He had to protect her, and he couldn’t take her here. It was too open. He didn’t want eyes on them. This was his bonding time.
But if he didn’t get inside her soon, he might burn down the village around him. Already he could feel the need to unleash his power. He would lose control if he didn’t satisfy Bron’s desire.
Lach was at his side as he began to move toward the small house Gillian pointed to. The door opened, and a woman pointed them to a back room. The house was a storefront. Candles and herbs covered the shelves. The man named Reymon gestured them through to narrow stairs.
“Our bedroom is small, but sturdy. ’Tis an honor to host your first night, Your Highnesses.” Reymon nodded. “We’ve hoped for this for so long. The Unseelie will fina
lly come.”
Shim didn’t want to think about the man’s enigmatic words. He wanted to take off his wife’s clothes and be with her finally. She mewled and twitched in his arms. Lach went up the stairs first, checking the bedroom and finally turning.
“Leave us, sister.” Lach nodded toward Gillian who stood in the doorway.
Gillian took a deep breath as Shim set Bron on the bed. She curled into his body.
“Take her. Make her yours,” Gillian said. “Bond fully with her so there can be no question from the Seelies that she belongs to our clan. Impregnate her if you can. And do it quickly. We need to be gone from this plane by the morning. I’m going to go and clean up the mess the warrior half left. And brothers, it is good to see you and to see just how powerful you’ve become. When the time is right and we unite the tribes, you will be the true Kings of the Fae. I honor you, brothers, and the woman who will bring the Unseelie into true power.”
Gillian turned and walked out, the door closing behind her.
Shim looked down at his wife, the woman who would be his queen.
“Kiss me.” Her words were fevered, her eyes desperate. Her body tightened as though the pain forced her to clench her every muscle. “Please. Please.”
He couldn’t resist her. Didn’t want to. Wanted to inhale her, to taste her, to take her into his body and to put himself in hers. He needed to merge with her. The world around faded away until all he could see and taste and touch and feel was her.
Shim gave in to the fever.
Chapter Ten
Bron thought she’d died and gone to the after. They were here, her Dark Ones. Shim and Lach. She’d called to them as the fire had started and when she’d opened her eyes again, they had been here. Surely this was her reward. To be with the men from her dreams.
And then the pains had struck again.