46. Familial Discord and Filthy Forgiveness
A drian burst into his mother’s office right behind his father. Horace remained out in the hallway with Timothy. Inside, they found Queen Eileen sitting behind her desk. Her butler Luc stood behind her. Rose stood before them with her hand in Ciel’s mane. The majestic lion wasn’t growling, which surprised Adrian, but the tuft on the end of his tail twitched.
“Florian, this is none of your concern,” the Queen said, her eyes hot with annoyance.
When the King glanced at his butler, Pierre shut the door, giving them privacy, and then Florian said, “I warned you, wife, not to interfere.”
Eileen motioned to the necklace on her desk. “This was in the slave’s bedside table. This is the necklace you gave me for our twentieth wedding anniversary. Had I not interfered, it would not be found. Do you not care that she stole such a gift from me?”
“She stole no such thing.” Adrian stepped forward, squeezing Rose’s hand in Ciel’s mane. She pulled away.
“Of course she stole it!” his mother insisted. “You’ve been blinded by her wiles and . . .” Trailing her gaze over Rose, she let her voice trail off, and then pursed her lips. “I warned you she would take advantage of us.”
“She has not.”
“Silly boy. What do you call these?” When she motioned to Luc, he set Rose’s little bag of pink gemstones on the desk beside the necklace. Pulling the drawstring, he dumped a few of the stones out. “She’s not only been stealing from me but you as well, it seems.”
Adrian quickly stepped forward and returned the stones to the bag, which he then handed to Rose, to the incredulity of his mother.
“They are a gift,” he replied evenly, “from me to my love.” Returning to her side, he wrapped his arm around Rose’s waist, ignoring how she stiffened.
“Nonsense.” Lifting her chin, his mother folded her arms. “You are simply covering for her.”
“I do not need to. We stopped at my mine on the way home from Silvershade. I told Rose to have some nice jewelry made for herself.” He looked at Rose fondly, smiling faintly when she sent him a fleeting sideways glance. “I shall have it done myself since she is obviously reluctant.”
“Insanity!” the Queen yelled, slapping her desk. “Stop this nonsense, Adrian!”
“No.” Letting go of Rose, Adrian took a step forward. “I am done with the games. She is no threat to you—”
“She is a threat to you !”
“Stop your games,” Adrian told her, “or I will discredit you.”
His mother laughed.
Without hesitation, Adrian went to open the door. With a look, Timothy stepped inside the room, bowing to the King and Queen. “Your Majesties.”
“Timothy, how long have I had you guarding Rose?”
“Several weeks, sir. More than a couple of months, I’d say.”
“And in that time, has she ever been near my mother’s apartments?”
“No, sir. She never goes near that area of the palace. She spends all her time in your quarters, the gardens, the library, and, rarely, her attic room.”
“She was just there last night, was she not?” the Queen asked the guard. “You cannot watch her every moment.”
“Every moment she is awake, yes ma’am,” Timothy replied. “I am only dismissed when she is with my master.” He nodded to Adrian. “She was in her attic room for precisely eight minutes before she went out to the gardens, where she spent the remainder of her time off.”
The Queen pouted, drumming her fingers on her still-folded arms. Searching Adrian’s determined expression, she huffed out a breath. “This is ridiculous, standing up for a godsdamned slave .”
“Rose is no slave. Furthermore, what I find more ridiculous is you planting evidence in her room in an attempt to dismiss her.” Adrian was almost as sickened by her as he had been by Dimitri and what he’d done. “The papers would have a field day with that, wouldn’t they, Mother? Queen Intimidated by Former Slave Plants Evidence to Force Firing .”
The Queen rolled her eyes. “Don’t be dramatic.”
“Oh, I can make it happen. I will protect her, even from you.”
“That’s quite enough,” the King interrupted. “No more threats. I will not tolerate public discord. Leave us, Adrian, pretty flower.” He nodded to Rose, sent her a smile she didn’t return, and motioned for Adrian to lead her out .
“You will not force us to part.” Adrian looked from his father to his mother. “I will not compromise.”
“Enough,” King Florian repeated. “Go.”
Adrian gave his mother another sharp look before he and Rose left. In the hall, she stepped away from him but followed him downstairs to his rooms. Once they made it to his apartments, he dismissed Timothy and Horace until the Assembly. Rose followed him into his bedroom, where he shut the door behind them and lit a lamp, providing just enough light for her to see by.
When he turned back to her, she stared blankly into nothing. Stepping before her, he drank her in, happy to have her there, though she looked terrible. Dark circles puffed the skin under her eyes, her hair was a wild tangle, and her normally tan skin lacked its usual luster.
“It’s going to be okay, Rose.”
“You cannot control this, Adrian. Your father won’t settle for less than he demands, and your mother will continue pulling these tricks.” Setting the bag of gems on the table, she stared at them. “Someone took these from the purse in my wardrobe. Someone from your staff. Someone planted the Queen’s necklace in my bed table upstairs, probably Cordelia.” She sighed, closing her eyes. “Someone hung dead animals from my wardrobe—”
“What?”
“Last night I found the bloody bodies of a red hawk and a house cat hanging in my wardrobe.”
The threat against Larkin was clear. “Fuck.”
“I want to say that was Cordelia as well, but killing is different than planting evidence, and again, the door has no lock.” Rose lifted her gaze to his. “It won’t stop. You grew up here, Adrian. You know it will continue until I am no longer a threat.”
“Rose— ”
“It’s okay,” Rose said with a small smile, though tears filled her eyes. “We—It was wonderful while it lasted, wasn’t it?”
“No.”
With that sad smile still on her face, she cupped his cheek. “It is okay, my Prince. I always knew it would end. I didn’t think it would be so soon but shouldn’t be surprised. You are controlled by your crown. Such is the life of a royal, yes? It is not your fault I cannot share.”
“You would so easily give up what we have?”
Rose laughed softly as the first tear fell. “It will destroy me to walk away from you—”
“Then don’t.” He pulled her to him, surprised she didn’t resist. “Don’t, Rose.”
“I don’t have a choice,” she sobbed, her calm starting to shatter.
“There is always a choice.” Running his fingers through her mass of messy curls, he held her head. “I will find a way. I cannot lose you.”
She clung to him. “You cannot stand against your family. I know that. I’m sorry I got so angry about it.”
“I hate it, too, but I will find a way.” He stared into her eyes, full of conviction. “I will not lose you.” When she tried to stifle a sob, he set his forehead to hers. “Stay with me here, where I can protect you. No more going upstairs. That is where you are most vulnerable. We will not give them another opening. I will increase security and keep Timothy and Horace guarding you at all times.”
Rose melted in his embrace. He savored it. And then he kissed her head, breathing deeply of her lavender scent, and then kissed her still-damp cheek. When his lips sought hers, she met them, returning his kiss. Slow and deep, his tongue stroked hers.
“I missed you so much, my Rose. I was lost without you, even for a day.”
He pushed her toward the bed. She let him, her hands tugging his shirt from his pants and slipping underneath to his skin. His heart thrilled to it, thrumming as her hands slid over his abs and up his chest. She took his shirt off as he worked the laces of her dress, and their kissing grew more hectic, their need rising like the heat in their blood.
When she was naked, he laid her down on the bed, her blonde curls fanning over the blankets, and sat back on his heels to drink her in.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “My Rose, my mate, my love.” He began kissing every mark that marred her skin: up her thighs, up her belly, over her chest, and then down her arms.
Every mark had caused her pain. Every one made him want to take that pain into himself.
“You’ve lit me up with your light, melted the ice that encased my heart, and made me new.” His hands brushed over the skin he worshipped with his mouth. He wanted to lavish every indulgence on her, shower her in love and adoration until she glowed, until she realized just what she meant to him. “I love you. I will spend every moment showing you just how much.”
“Adrian.” She sighed as he kissed up her neck and then back down. He cupped her breasts, pinching and pulling her nipples, as his mouth traversed her belly. She covered his hands with hers, urging him on, and spread her legs as his face neared the apex.
Shouldering her further open, sucking in the scent of her, he settled himself and licked her lazily from her wet center to her engorged clit. He moaned at the taste of her arousal. Using two fingers to spread her open, he did the same again, grinning as she arched up into him, making the most delectable whimper.
Slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, he teased her with his tongue, circling her clit and then flicking it. With her hand in his hair pulling him in, she rode his face, grinding to get the friction she wanted. Fuck yes, he thought but chuckled and eased off when he knew she was close to release.
Looking up her body, he met her eyes as she propped up on her elbows. He blew a cold breath over her wet sex and then slapped her clit. She gave a little scream that made him chuckle. But by the way she glistened, she liked it, so he did it again, running his fingers through her wetness and around her opening.
“Not fair,” she gasped, eyes glued to where he teased her.
“Stop being impatient. Let me take my time with you.”
She huffed out a breath that went ragged as he speared two fingers into her, her mouth opening in an O as he thrust them in and out of her fast and hard. Her eyes rolled, head lolled back, as his thumb found her clit and rubbed in quick circles. Her hips moved in time, chasing the orgasm building.
“That’s right, love. Feels good, does it?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
“Do you want to come?”
“Yes.”
“Who do you come for?”
“You.”
“Whose pussy is this?”
“Yours.”
“Will anyone else ever touch it?”
“No! Gods, Adrian, please.” Those bright eyes cut straight to the core of him when they opened. “Please let me come. I’m right there. Oh fuck !” Body glistening with sweat in the flickering light of the lamp, she rode his hand.
Moving his thumb, he replaced it with his mouth, flattening his tongue to lick her just as fast and hard as his fingers were fucking her. Fisting his hair, she pulled him in as she rubbed herself on him just right.
“Yes. Yes. Fucking Gods, yes !” Her muscles trembled, her sounds devolved to screaming cries as her body locked up, her pussy clenching him tight and milking his fingers as she climaxed. She drenched his hand, thighs squeezing his head as he continued licking her until she came down, making the cutest whimpers as her body shuddered with aftershocks.
“Goddess, I love it when you come.” Crawling over her spent body, his hands roved her flushed skin until he positioned his leaking cock at her entrance. “Ready for me?”
“Always.” She pulled his mouth to hers as he thrust inside. Moaning at the instant connection, he adjusted her legs higher on his back to get a deeper angle and began moving in powerful strokes that felt like he touched her soul. She wrapped around him, arms and legs, body and soul, magic and heat. He accepted every bit of it, welcomed her magic inside as her cunt welcomed every thrust of his cock.
“We were made for each other,” he said, rising onto his elbows to stare down at her. “By the Gods, Rose, we were meant to be. No plot of my parents, no manipulations of the court, no fucking law can keep us apart. I promise you, I will find a way. You are mine, and I will not let you go.”
“Yours,” she whispered with tears in her eyes. Pulling his mouth back to hers, she kissed him with every ounce of her heart. She poured it into him with her magic, seeped into his every pore, filled every dark and shadowed place within him.
In the soft glow of her power, they were fused: heart, soul, spirit. Pulling away from their kiss, she offered her neck. He bit in and she sighed in ecstasy. Arching, head thrown back in rapture, she let him drink. He cupped her ass, lifting her hips, and pounded harder .
“I love you, I love you, I love you,” she chanted.
The power rose, the heat grew, and their spirits soured as the bed squeaked with every stroke of his dick inside her. The tension coiled, bliss pooling at the core, threatening resplendent euphoria. She broke first, crying his name as she shook. As his hips stuttered against hers, his balls tightened, the tip of his cock tingled as he thickened, and then in a white-hot blast, he came, pulsing inside her as she milked his cock until he was spent.
The melted pieces of their selves coalesced and reformed in the afterglow, bringing a sense of fulfillment and contentment that went deeper than sexual satisfaction. Through the bond, he felt it echoed in Rose and knew he was exactly where he belonged.
For a few hours, he knew deep and abiding peace with her in his arms.
Rose’s dreams were not peaceful. They featured bloody dresses, carcasses in her bed, glittering poisoned necklaces, and empty manors full of people but no Adrian. She ran through dark hallways, chased by a drunk and stumbling Dimitri, and couldn’t find the strength within to fight him off when he caught her. He laughed maniacally, madness in his eyes, and could not be reasoned with.
Cornered in a garden of dying flowers by a vampire with glowing red eyes and sharp fangs, she was forced into a cage and her slavery collar was snapped back on. And then she died during a public flogging, Ciel shot down by an arrow to his heart as he tried to defend her. Adrian watched from the crowd, his pretty brunette wife smiling coyly before the arm wrapped around his pulled him away.
Screams choked her awake.
Adrian, naked in bed beside her, tried to soothe with soft words and gentle hands. “It’s alright, love. You’re alright. You’re safe here. You’re safe.”
Sweaty and cold, she shivered as Adrian untangled the blankets and pulled them around her. He then pulled her into his arms against the pillows, brushing strands of hair off her face. Her hammering heart slowed as she lay against him, especially as Ciel moved from her pillow, shifting to the leopard, and settled beside her.
Closing her eyes, Rose sought her magic. In her fear, it retreated, moving to the deep place within where it was hard to pull out. But she needed to keep it close, always wrapped around her so she could protect herself.
She replayed Aldric’s words like a chant in her head, needing to believe them so she could be that person. All the fear of Adrian’s family terrorizing her needed to be combated with confidence. The strong elf she was born to be was inside her if she were only brave enough to find her.
“You are brave,” Adrian said, kissing her forehead. “The bravest female I know.”
Unaware she’d spoken out loud, she told herself there was no reason to be embarrassed. Leaning up, she kissed him, lifting her hand to his face, and then ran her fingers back and through his hair. His worry was a palpable thing between them.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Rose shook her head and then kissed his chest, right over his heart, and ran her hand over his lean muscles. As she bit down on a pale nipple, he hissed, and her fingers trailed down his defined abs.
“Do not tempt me,” he warned huskily .
Oh, but she wanted to. His dick in her mouth seemed the perfect distraction.
Because all too soon, reality would set back in.