Chapter Eight
“Are you sure about this?” Juliet asked.
Raek chuckled as he led her out of the transport center and into the strong sunlight on a new island. “Don’t worry. The carnival we are going to is on its own island, far away from zombies, mutant bugs, and anything else that could possibly attack us.”
“Good. I don’t want to go anywhere near Death Island.”
He was in complete agreement with that.
After an island’s damaged power cell had brought a bunch of dangerous holo characters to life, people had stated calling it Death Island, and the name had stuck.
Most sane people had the same reaction as Juliet. However, even though the power cell issue had been fixed and all of the dangerous holos had been destroyed, there was now a waiting list that was a freaking mile long of people who wanted to check out Death Island.
The original amusement park and arcade was still located on Death Island, but it had been aged and turned into a true dark, spooky horror setting.
That meant they needed a new location that was focused on lighthearted fun.
With that in mind, the Artanes had created Festival Island with the help of a few visiting Dragon Warriors. The new island had been terraformed into four sections, each representing one of the different seasons on Earth.
The summer section was filled with games, rides, and competition-style activities where people could win prizes. Mile-high rollercoasters towered over smaller buildings, and there were rows of booths providing a wide range of food and drinks.
The spring section had vast fields of colorful flowers and groves filled with beautiful trees with glowing blooms growing on the branches. Petals rained down from the trees, blanketing the walkways with color and light. There was a large seating area in what looked like a fairy glade where they served tea, sandwiches, and a selection of cakes and other pastries.
The autumn section had generous orchards filled with fruit trees and a massive maze with assorted treasures hidden throughout it. People could carve pumpkins or participate in other contests to win prizes. There was also a selection of breweries on site for tastings, and areas where people could try making their own beer, spirits, or wine.
The last section was a winter wonderland, but at the moment there was only a snow-covered field and frozen pond where people could go ice skating. They were still deciding exactly what they wanted to include in that section. At the moment, they had ideas ranging from carving ice sculptures, building snowmen, to sitting around firepits drinking hot chocolate or cider.
In the center of the island was a large lake filled with crystal-clear water. A massive park surrounded the lake with areas set up for picnics and outdoor concerts. There were a few docks where visitors could rent paddleboats or sign up for other water activities. There were cabins for people who wanted to stay on the island, and rental cabanas for anyone who wanted a private resting area.
Raek and Juliet were spending the day on Festival Island as a favor to Brielle and the Artane brothers. The new island wasn’t open to the public yet, and they wanted the opinion of a few people who didn’t normally play video games. After spending some time there, they were to report back on their likes, dislikes, and if anything was missing or should be changed.
Festival Island was large enough that it would take days to explore all of the areas, so they were only focusing on the summer section for the day. Since it was warm out, he was dressed in a black tank and cargo pants, while she had on a pale yellow sundress with thick straps and a sparkly white belt. She had paired her outfit with white flats while he wore a pair of black sneakers.
He loved that her dress allowed him to see the new tattoo Fenris had done for her. At first, he’d been surprised that it was so big, but he relaxed once he saw how much she loved it.
He was well aware that she had slept in his brother’s bedroom last night. While Raek was jealous, it wasn’t a destructive feeling. He was simply eager for his turn to be with her. Raek and Fenris always knew they would share her since they both loved her and she loved them.
But they had to be careful not to push her too fast after all she’d been through.
As they walked toward the carnival, Raek noticed that Juliet glanced around at the crowd of people warily. “Too crowded?”
“Why are there so many people here? I didn’t think this place was open to the public yet.”
“It’s not.” He raised his arm up and tapped his wrist unit. “Evo, can you get rid of some of the holos in the carnival area?”
“Of course, Alpha Barra. Would you like me to remove a portion of all the holos, or just the visitors?”
“Just the visitors. All of the holo staff members can stay so we can interact with them.”
Instead of responding, the holos walking around the grounds simply disappeared so it wasn’t nearly as crowded.
He squeezed her hand. “Better.”
“Much. I didn’t realize they were all holos. Now, where should we begin?”
“Are you hungry? Do you want to get something to eat first?”
“I’m not sure my stomach could handle that. We should probably do the rides first before we eat.”
“Rides first, then I can win you a prize or two.”
Juliet flashed him a brilliant smile. “Let’s do it.”
They started out ambitiously, going on the highest rollercoaster first. When Juliet screamed the entire time, he’d been worried about her. Then, she’d dragged him on three more rides. After she complained about feeling a little queasy, they switched to playing some games at the booths that were set up. He won her a giant, pink stuffed rabbit throwing darts at a board, and she won him a sparkly blue butterfly keychain by winning a race through an obstacle course.
When her stomach rumbled, she laughed. “I guess I’m hungry. Should we try some of the food stands?”
“I made us a picnic lunch. We can eat down by the lake.”
“That sounds perfect.”
Juliet wasn’t surprised to see that there was a checkered blanket already spread out on the grass and a large cooler beside it. She sat on the blanket and watched with wide eyes as he unpacked a dozen food containers.
“Did you think you were feeding an army?”
He grinned. “I didn’t know what you would be in the mood for, so I brought options.”
“You sure did. I love everything you make.”
“And I love feeding you,” he said sincerely. “Now, should we open the champagne I packed or would you like juice?”
“Champagne, please.” As he opened the bottle, she glanced around. “I didn’t realize we were here so long. It’s getting dark already.”
He poured them both a glass of sparkling liquid, then they tapped the flutes together in a toast before taking a sip.
“It’s around midday back on the main island, but we were transported to a different part of the planetoid, so it’s almost night here. I can ask Evo to alter the image on the shield around the island if you want more daylight,” he explained.
“No, this is fine. I was just surprised. I guess I’m not used to transporting all over the planetoid in the blink of an eye yet.”
“I don’t think I’m used to it yet either. Here, try this.”
She opened her mouth and let him feed her a canapé. “Mmm, that’s good.”
As they continued to eat, stars began to twinkle overhead.
“We haven’t talked about this yet, but I think this might be the right time. I owe you an apology,” he said, out of the blue. “Actually, I owe you a few.”
Her brows furrowed as she studied his serious expression. “For what?”
“First, for not knowing you were in trouble.”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“No, that’s where you’re wrong. My pride got in the way of seeking you out despite your response to my last message. If I had pushed that aside and trusted my instincts, I could have figured out what that motherfucker was doing to you before—”
She shook her head. “No, Raek. I’m glad you didn’t come find me then. If you did, you would have put yourself in danger. No one knew how crazy James was until…well, until the trial.” She paused, then said, “In a strange, twisted way, I’m sort of glad everything happened the way it did.”
He recoiled in horror. “What? How could you say that?”
“No, really. Listen,” she insisted. “If it hadn’t happened to me, it would have happened to someone else. But what if that other person didn’t have the connections I do? I reached out for help and got it. I needed to heal and recover and was taken to a safe place where I could do that. And now, I have people who love me and will stand by my side for all the days to come.”
“You’re damn right we will.”
She smiled even as tears filled her eyes. “If things hadn’t turned out the way they did, those women could still be buried out in the desert. They had no one, Raek. No one to look for them or miss them. Even now, people like those protesters who keep bothering me have all but forgotten those women who lost their lives. If what happened to me was the price that had to be paid to shed light on what was done to those other women, then I can live with that.”
He was silent for several heartbeats, then he said, “You are an amazing female.”
Lifting her glass in a mocking toast, she smiled. “I try.”
Shifting closer, he framed her face with his big hand. “You don’t have to try.” He brushed his lips lightly over hers. “You just are.”
When he pulled back, she glanced at all the food they still hadn’t touched. “I want to try those desserts, but I ate too much already.”
By his frown, she knew he was thinking she had barely eaten anything. Eating whatever she wanted when she wanted was a luxury she was still getting used to. When he pushed the containers to the side, he gestured her over to him.
“Come here.”
Without hesitation, she scooted over to his side and leaned against him like she had when she was young. He pulled her down with him, so they were lying on their backs, staring up at the sky. She chuckled when he shifted the stuffed rabbit under their heads like a pillow.
“Evo, start the show.”
Juliet gasped when colorful explosions filled the sky. “Fireworks! I love fireworks!”
“I know,” he said, snuggling her closer. “They aren’t real. It’s just images that are being displayed on the shield surrounding the island.”
“It looks real. This is amazing. Do you remember the New Year’s Celebration you used to sneak us out of the group home to attend?”
“Of course. You loved watching the fireworks.”
She sighed. “That’s another thing I thought about.”
“New Year’s?”
“No, those days back in the group home. I knew I loved you back then, but it was a different kind of love. As I grew older, that changed.”
“It was the same for me,” he admitted.
She turned her head to smile at him. “I think it was good that we were separated while we each established ourselves. It wasn’t easy at the time, but it helped us grow. Maybe it also helped us acknowledge how deep our feelings really are.”
Turning on his side so he was facing her, he whispered, “And now?”
“And now, I love you as my mate.”
“I love you, too, tava .”
She closed her eyes as he kissed her long and deep. She wanted to lose herself in him, but something made her pull back.
“Am I moving too fast?”
“What? No,” she said with a breathless laugh. “I was just hoping you could do something about all of them.”
When she gestured toward the other holo people who were still enjoying the fireworks show, he chuckled. “Right. I forgot about them.” Tapping his wrist unit, he said, “Evo, can you get rid of all the holo people in this section?”
“Of course, Alpha Barra. I can also block video until you finish bonding with your mate.”
“Thanks. Do that.”
Juliet felt her cheeks flush with heat. “I can’t believe I’m embarrassed about a computer system knowing we’re about to have sex.”
He laughed and rolled, covering her with his big body. “Is that what we are doing?”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she smiled up at him. “I love you, Raek. I want you to make me yours.”
“You always have been, baby girl. I love you, Juliet. And I will keep on loving you until all the stars fall from the sky.”
Raek stared down at her smiling face and felt completely in awe of her. It was true. She had grown up during the time they had spent apart, and now, he loved her even more. He hadn’t thought that was possible since she’d already owned his heart and soul. But now, he saw her as the strong, confident female she had become.
Her pale hair was spread out on the blanket like a halo, and she almost looked too beautiful to be real. He leaned down and lightly pressed his lips against hers. When she tightened her hold around his neck and deepened the kiss, he struggled for control.
As a powerful male who was very aware of his size and strength, he was careful not to cover her much smaller frame with his full weight. Even if he wanted to devour her, he would never risk hurting her. His heart thundered in his chest as her lips parted, welcoming him in. As he stroked his tongue against hers, desire sizzled through his bloodstream, burning white hot.
The taste of her was addicting, utterly intoxicating. He lost himself in the passion and pleasure of the kiss as their tongues met, plunging deep, touching, tasting. He felt his erection growing hot and heavy within the confines of his pants, and the hunger he felt for her pushing him to strip down and take her.
Growling, he reared back into a kneeling position and ripped his tank over his head. His gaze never left hers as he quickly stripped down, then he went to work on removing her clothes. When she lay before him like some sort of offering, he silently thanked whatever god had brought her into his life.
He wanted to take her, to show her exactly how much he needed her.
But first, he had to get her ready for him.
His admiring gaze trailed down her body, from the long column of her neck, down to her perfect breasts. She had a tiny waist, and long, beautiful legs, and he reached down to pull her thighs open so he could settle his big body between them. He let out a low rumbling growl of approval as he breathed in the scent of her desire.
It made him ache to taste her.
Giving into that need, he buried his face against her pussy, stroking his tongue over her slick folds. He lapped and sucked at her pussy, drinking down all the sweet juices she had to give him. She cried out his name as he shoved his tongue deep, and when her legs began to shake, he replaced his tongue with two fingers and sucked hard on her clit.
A scream tore from her lips as she came. When her thighs clenched around him, he held them open and continued to fuck her with his fingers and tongue. He licked and sucked at her small little pleasure nub, working his fingers in and out of her as he stretched her open. He pushed her over the edge into another hard climax, then he quickly moved over her and shoved her legs wider to accommodate his big body.
Before she recovered from her release, he slowly began working his thick cock into her tight pussy. He kissed her deep, sharing all the love he felt for her as he slowly thrust inside of her. It took him time to push the entire length of his shaft into her, but he wanted to give her time to adjust to the invasion.
When he was fully seated inside of her, he paused and pulled back a little to stare down at her. “You okay, baby girl?”
“Yes.” She softly moaned as she rotated her hips. “I can’t believe you fit. You’re really big.”
“You were made for me. You were always meant to be mine.”
“Then show me.”
With a growl, he took her mouth in a brutal kiss as he began to thrust into her. He sank into her over and over again, ruthlessly controlling her pleasure. Her pussy felt tight and hot wrapped around his cock, but her slickness allowed him to thrust inside her harder and faster. He could feel the tension building inside of her, felt her nails biting into his back.
He continued to pound himself into her, racing to join her as she once again fell over the edge. She let out a breathless cry as she came again, and he felt her pussy clamp down around his cock. Her pulsing muscles milked his shaft, pushing him toward his own release. He let out a roar as he exploded inside her, filling her with pulse after pulse of his hot seed.
As the pleasure surged through his body, he buried his face against the side of her neck and bit down. She cried out again as another wave of ecstasy tore through her, then her entire body shuddered beneath him. He remained where he was until she relaxed again. Then, he shifted his body off of her so he wouldn’t crush her, and rested his head against her chest so he could listen to her frantic heartbeat. He let out a soft purring sound when she gently stroked her hand over his head.
They lay there in blissful silence for long minutes. When his wrist unit buzzed, he glanced at it and sighed.
“Charm is calling us back.”
“Do we have to?” she asked lazily. “Can’t we just live here from now on?”
“She said we need to get back.” He sighed again. “We should go, or they might send someone to get us.”
It took a while to get dressed since they continued to talk and steal kisses as they did.
Juliet wished she could extend her private time with Raek, but she reminded herself that they could always spend another day together whenever they wanted now that they were officially together.
They held hands as they strolled back to the transport center, then they took a transporter directly back to the sanctuary. When they arrived on the transport pad located right outside the front entrance of the sanctuary, it was clear to see there was an unusual flurry of activity going on.
“Something happened,” Raek murmured.
Keeping hold of her hand, he began to make his way toward the castle. They had only taken a few steps when the whispers and pointing started.
“What is it?” Juliet asked, feeling a little panicked. “Why are they looking at us like that?”
“It’s not him they are looking at,” Fenris corrected as he walked over to join them. “It’s you.”
She should have been nervous from all of the attention, but she felt a sense of security being bracketed by her two males that pushed her fear aside. She knew no one would be getting close to her with them around.
“Me? What did I do?”
“We just got word. The Council of Regents made their decision, and the Alliance is officially ending forced bonding.”
“That’s wonderful news!” She beamed a smile at them, but it quickly faded. “Oh, no. Does that mean everyone here knows that I…”
Fenris nodded. “The council credited you for sparking the change in regulations.”
She groaned. “Some people are going to be really pissed about this decision, and they are going to blame me.”
Raek chuckled. “Don’t worry. If anyone shows up here to bother you or protest, I’m sure the magical wards will boot them off the property. And if the wards don’t, Fenris and I will deal with them.”
“That’s good enough for me,” she said honestly.
She wouldn’t let fear hold her prisoner any longer. Besides, she didn’t do anything wrong. With that in mind, she took both of her mates’ hands and gave them a little squeeze.
“Come on, mates. I want to move my stuff into your residence now.”
Raek raised a brow. “Whose residence?”
“Ours,” she corrected with a grin. “It’s our home now.”