4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Nik
“Are you almost done?” Ali yelled over the sound of the shower. “I still need to wash my hair.”
Nik scrubbed his skin with the angelfruit soap Ali had brought home, a small smile on his face. He usually opted for unscented, but he couldn’t get enough of the divine aroma since Ali had used it. It immediately filled his head with images of Ali’s soft, bare skin.
“I did say you could join me.”
Her voice sounded closer as she moved from the bedroom to the bathroom. “And I told you that would make us even more late because you don’t know how to keep your hands to yourself.”
He chuckled. She was right. Showering separately was for the best if they hoped to be on time meeting Grace.
Today was Ali’s first day as a council member.
She wouldn’t be able to join the meetings right away, but there were a lot of orientation details she needed to go through with Grace.
Nik wasn’t sure of the specifics. He had zoned out once Ali let Grace know she’d accept the position and Grace began to drone on about “standards” and “procedures.” But Ali was excited, so he was thrilled for her.
He rinsed his hair and turned the water off, stepping into the steamy bathroom to find Ali waiting. Before he could grab a dry towel to wrap around his waist, he caught her eyes trailing down his body, coming to a halt at his hips.
He tilted his head in amusement. “You said we’d be late.”
Her big brown eyes shot up, and she cleared her throat. “I did. If you’ll step out of the way, I can get my shower done and over with.”
Nik stepped to the side, just enough for Ali to squeeze by, her body brushing against his front. She kept her eyes locked on his as she moved around him.
He’d never get used to this. Spending life with her, waking up next to her, building a family with her. He wouldn’t take a single moment for granted.
She reached for the hem of her shirt, but before she could lift it over her head, Nik leaned in for a hungry kiss.
Ali froze for a moment before pressing into him and opening her lips wide enough for him to slip his tongue inside her mouth.
Her taste and the touch of her skin as she leaned against him made him moan with pleasure.
Before they could get too carried away, he pulled back.
“What was that for?” she asked, a little breathless.
“Because I love you.”
Her grin was accompanied by a twinkle in her eyes. “I love you, too.”
Ali and Nik held hands as they walked through the dark corridor that led to the entry hall. Even though she did her best to hide it, Nik could tell she was anxious. She walked a little faster than usual and was noticeably quiet while they wandered the hall.
“You’re going to do great,” he told her.
“Hmm? Oh, yes. Thank you.”
“Relax. You have nothing to worry about. You can do anything you put your mind to. Grace was right to trust you.”
That seemed to ease her nerves, and her shoulders slackened. When she was done for the day, he would massage those shoulders until her entire body was his to mold.
It didn’t take long to spot Grace in the main entry chamber. Unfortunately, she was standing next to the tall, brown-haired bonehead that Ali called her best friend.
As if he could sense their approach, Eli turned around and waved at Ali before frowning at Nik. Nik narrowed his eyes in response.
The two of them had come to an understanding in recent weeks. They could be in the same room, but they’d never be friends. They’d get along for the sake of Ali, but deep down, Nik still wanted to knock him down and possibly knock out a tooth or two. He had no doubt the feeling was mutual.
Following Eli’s gaze, Grace mimicked his greeting.
“Good morning,” she called, her voice cutting through the noise of the crowded chamber.
It was always busiest during the first few hours of the day, when everyone was headed to work or to spend their leisure time by the lake or one of the many shops outdoors. Today was no exception.
Ali closed the distance with a few quick strides, dropping Nik’s hand to hug both Eli and Grace. The latter didn’t irritate him so much as the former did. Grace had never been in love with his girlfriend.
“Are you ready for today?” Grace asked.
Ali responded with an eager but nervous nod. “Definitely.”
“Perfect. Then we’ll be on our way.”
“Before you do,” Nik blurted. “I wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to take you up on your offer.”
The decision to become a guard again had been on his mind all weekend, but in the end, he knew Ali was right and he should at least give it a shot before declining the position.
“You have? That’s wonderful news.” Grace glanced between Ali and Nik. Was she aware of the weight Ali’s opinion held in his decision? “After I get Ali situated, I’ll have to go over the details with you. How does tomorrow sound?”
He gave a quick nod. “That works for me.”
“If you don’t have anything else to do today, you could help Eli with his training. He was just telling me he was going to do some conditioning this morning to prepare for the first round of the Rite.”
Eli groaned at the same time Nik sucked in a sharp breath. He’d rather roll around in horse shit than spend an entire day with Eli. And even worse, Ali wouldn’t even be there as a buffer.
“That’s not necessary,” Eli said quickly. “I can handle it myself.”
“Of course you can. But won’t it be much more fun with someone to keep you company?” Grace asked.
Beside her, Ali was smirking. “I agree,” she said. “You two should spend some time together. Maybe get to know one another a little better. Plus, Nik has had a ton of physical training to be a guard. He can give you pointers.”
Nik glared at her, which only made her grin widen. She was clearly delighted at the torture she was inflicting. He’d make her pay for that later.
“Really, I don’t need his help,” Eli said.
“Yeah, and I was going to hang out with Sam,” Nik lied.
“Sam’s busy,” Grace replied. “Today was his first day on the job, too.”
“So it’s settled then,” Ali said cheerfully. “We’ll see you two at lunch.”
Nik sighed, knowing he couldn’t get out of it. Technically, he could make a show of helping Eli and then bail once Ali and Grace were gone, but he wouldn’t be able to live with her disappointment.
He shook his head before giving in. “I guess. We’ll see you in a few hours.”
Beside him, Eli ran a hand through his hair and released a long breath. Neither one of them was thrilled to be spending the day together. But neither was capable of displeasing their partners.
Together, Grace and Ali walked to the tunnel that led to the council chamber. Just before she disappeared from his sight, Ali turned and winked at him. Despite his annoyance, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Are you done staring, or would you like to stand around all day waiting for her to return?”
Nik scoffed. “Says the guy who’s literally putting his life at risk for another woman.”
“Unlikely. Grace explained the rounds to me. They might be dangerous, but none of them are life threatening.”
Nik raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t someone just attack Lady Ellen? And one of the council members was killed? It doesn’t matter how easy or hard the rounds are. Your life is at risk as long as you’re attached to Grace.”
Eli’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t bite back. He began to walk toward the mountain’s exit, a brown bag slung over his back.
Nik trailed behind and prayed the day would pass quickly. “So what do you have planned for the day?”
“You don’t actually have to come with me,” Eli said. “I can cover for you with Grace and Ali. Go terrorize some townsfolk or whatever it is you do with your spare time.”
“No way. I don’t trust you not to sell me out. You’ll make it seem like I’m the bad guy for leaving you to your own devices. I gave Ali my word and I meant it.”
Eli rolled his eyes. “Fine. Figured I’d start with a run and then do as much body weight training as I can.” He shrugged the bag on his shoulder and Nik heard what sounded like metal clanging inside. “Borrowed a few items from the research lab to use for weights as well.”
“Remind me what the first round is.”
“I’ll show you,” Eli said, and together they set off for a field on the outside of town.
“What am I looking at?” Nik asked as they approached a large hole in the middle of the ground, wide enough to fit at least two houses. He couldn’t tell how deep it was since it was full of reddish-brown mud.
“A mud pit.”
Nik grimaced. “And the point is…?”
Eli dumped the bag on the ground and began stretching his legs, pulling his foot behind him until it touched his backside.
“There will be eight medallions hidden in the mud. All sixteen of the suitors will be racing to find them first. Whoever finds one moves on to the next round while everyone else is eliminated.”
“Perfect task for a pig,” Nik muttered.
“I heard that,” Eli said, switching to his other leg.
“And?”
Eli stomped off like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
“I thought you wanted my help?” Nik called after him.
Eli began to jog, ignoring Nik entirely. He could either sit and wait for Eli to finish his run or join him. The latter seemed like the better option. At least it would give him the chance to blow off some steam.
They followed a path through the field of tall, yellow grass and into the woods where the treetops protected them from the scorching sun, down along the glistening river, and back up a hill until they reached the mud pit again.
It couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes, but Nik didn’t think he could take one more second of stifling silence.
The only sound he’d heard during the entire run was their jagged breathing and heavy feet.
He collapsed to the ground and watched as Eli pulled out a bottle of water from his backpack.
“Do you have an extra one of those?” Nik asked, wiping the sweat above his lip. The sun only seemed to beat down harder the more he wished for clouds. In this field, nestled between two peaks, the wind was nonexistent.