The warmth and concern in his voice helped to ease her slightly, and she relaxed back against the mountain of pillows, glancing down to see the handsome prince reclining on the pillows beside her. His eyelids appeared heavy with sleep, and it was clear she’d woken him with her sudden movement. Glancing around, she half-expected to find Drake and Blake sprawled out on the bed as well. Disappointment tightened her throat as she realized they weren’t there.
“Don’t worry, the twins will be back as soon as they’ve taken care of some business,” he assured her, urging her onto her side so she could nuzzle into his chest. “Did you have a bad dream?”
A bad dream! Yes, that’s all it was! she realized with a flash of relief. After last night, that had to have been all it was. There was no way in hell she could still be a virgin after her mates’ treatment of her the night before. One round hadn’t been enough for any of them, and she felt as though she’d been enveloped in pleasure all night long. Now, though she was terrified to dream again, she felt her eyelids drooping with exhaustion.
“I’m surprised you’re not gone too,” she yawned, unable to keep her eyes open. She laid her head upon his chest and enjoyed the way he stroked her cheek with the ball of his thumb.
“I didn’t wish for you to wake alone and wonder where we’d all gone,” Menion admitted gently, “but now that you’re awake, and I can see you're still exhausted, I should leave you to rest.”
Disappointment bubbled in Kira’s stomach, but she realized he was right. She was exhausted, and yet his being there only made her want more. She could still feel the wet stickiness of her mates’ pleasure between her thighs, and although she wanted more, she knew her body was not ready for it.
“Will you return soon?” she asked, silently thinking, I should probably bathe before any of you return.
“I’m sure I won’t be able to stay away long,” Menion told her gently, kissing her on the forehead before he began to slip out from beneath her, “but I must go and write to my father. I have to tell him the good news.”
For just a moment Kira was unsure as to what he meant, and she felt a shiver run through her at the mention of his father. Then Menion reached for the vial of her tears, and a realization hit her.
“How will you get those to your mother?” Kira asked, her stomach clenching with the fear that Menion might suddenly wish to leave now that he’d gotten what he wanted.
As if he sensed her fear, Menion leaned down and pressed his lips to hers before assuring her, “I ‘m not going anywhere.”
Kira glowered at him, not needing to point out that he was, in fact, leaving her at that very moment. He scowled back at her even as he began to pull on his clothes, which had been left scattered around the room.
“As much as I would like to be by your side and in your bed always, I’m afraid I have responsibilities,” he sighed as though he was deeply filled with regret. “I shall return as soon as I’m able.”
Knowing it would do her some good to be left alone for a while, Kira allowed him to go, though she still couldn’t entirely shake the negative feeling her bad dream had left her with. It hadn’t given her much information, but what did that really matter? It was just a dream! She reassured herself. That was all it could be, after all.
Unable to stand the sudden emptiness of the bed, she clambered from the mattress, slipping out from beneath the dirtied silk sheets. The ceramic bowl of water that had been left at the bottom of the bed was still warm, and a flush of embarrassment spread across Kira’s face at the thought that one of her maids must have seen her in bed with Menion. She could only hope Drake and Blake had been long gone before the maid arrived. What must she have thought of her if not?
Trying not to think about it too closely, she turned her attention to scrubbing herself clean with the warm water and a soft cloth. As she wiped between her thighs, she suddenly realized just how sore she was, and she cringed slightly at the pressure on her sex as she washed.
She’d just finished washing and slipped into a fresh silken gown when she heard the sound of knuckles rapping loudly on the door. The loud, authoritative sound caused her heart to hitch as she imagined one of her mates demanding her attention. With a smile upon her face and a bounce in her step, she crossed the room to open the door.
“I don’t know why you’re knock—” she began, but she was unable to finish her sentence as harsh, calloused hands suddenly grabbed hold of her and yanked her through the doorway. The scream that erupted from deep in her chest was cut off as a hand was slammed down over her mouth, and she was pulled backwards against a muscular chest.
“Don’t try to scream,” a harsh, oddly familiar voice sounded in her ear, “I have orders not to harm you, but if I have to, I will.”
The urge to fight against the man’s grip was almost overwhelming, and it took all her strength to stop herself from trying to escape. The tone in the man’s voice told her he was telling the truth. If he had to, he would hurt her.
We’re at the top of the highest tower in the palace, she reminded herself. How could he possibly hope to escape before someone saw him? With that vein of hope in the front of her mind, she fought with the nagging terror that everything was about to go terribly wrong. Yet, in that moment, she did not fear for herself. She feared for the men she was leaving behind.
Blake! Drake! Menion! Though she couldn’t bring herself to scream the names aloud, she felt as though her very soul was calling to them. Her chest felt like it was going to burst with the need to see their faces.
“Do yourself a favor and don’t fight this,” her attacker snapped into her ear when he was sure she wasn’t about to scream. “If I’m caught, someone else will be sent in my place. Best just to get it over with.”
Kira gulped fearfully, just in time before the man’s hand left her mouth and came to wrap around her throat. Fear gripped her once more, and she struggled to breathe as he tightened his grip threateningly around her neck for several seconds. In response, she forced herself to become submissive. She’d met men like this before, men who wanted to prove their alpha dominance by forcing her to do whatever they wanted. She had also learned long ago that it was best to let them have what they wanted while she looked for a way to escape.
That was before, she told herself. That had been when she was alone. Now she was not. She had her mates. Although they were not with her physically, she could feel each one of them as though they were already beside her.
“Move,” the attacker snarled, and he shoved her with one hand at her back, his other hand still around her throat as if to stop her from trying to alert the nearest guard. There was nothing she could do but listen to him, and as she stepped forward, she felt her foot knock against something. Instinctively, she lifted her foot to step over whatever was in her way. As she did, she glanced down, feeling the color drain from her face as she recognized one of the guards, now unconscious on the floor. Just barely able to twist her head enough to gaze sideways, she found that the second guard was slumped limply against the wall. Realization of just how dangerous the man was caused her to tense up. Against all rationality, she began to scream, only to feel the man’s hand tighten further around her throat.
In the next moment, he’d pulled her around to face him and thrown her roughly over his shoulder before she even had a chance to glimpse his face. Seconds later, she lurched backwards, her heart and mind reeling as she realized the man had launched himself forward, directly at the nearest window. Wings spread out before her, and in the next moment, a rush of air surrounded them. Kira was forced to cling desperately to the man’s tunic. Now hundreds of feet in the air, she had little choice but to let him take her.
Chapter 14 - Drake
Pain lanced through his chest in such a sudden rush that it almost caused him to collapse to his knees. The instant he felt it, he knew without a doubt that something was terribly wrong. It was not fear for himself, but fear for the woman whose beautiful face flashed in his mind’s eye the moment the pain began. The gasp that erupted from his brother across the room suggested he felt it too.
When his wits returned to him, Drake straightened up from where he’d grabbed hold of the back of an armchair, and glanced over at his brother. Blake had dropped down into his desk chair and was clutching at his chest as if he were suffering a heart attack.