Chapter 32 Forever #2
But even as he kisses me more, and we start to heat up in the water, about to get spicy, Bjorn pulls back. Gazing deep into my eyes, into all the places I no longer hide from him, he gets very serious now.
“Are you ready? For tomorrow night?”
I know what Bjorn’s asking, as he stares deep into my eyes. Because we have a handfasting ceremony, which is like a wedding to us Blood Dragons, planned between our entire Bloodbond for tomorrow night, something we’ve all been getting ready for this past month.
Strom wanted it to happen at the Jarl’s Hall at the Old Palace, which is already rebuilt, and in the thriving courtyards there, which were protected by magic and not too mangled by the Black Dragon’s rampage.
Bjorn and I agreed, though King Huttr was incensed he wasn’t going to be able to host it at Stockholm.
Before he gave me a massive bear hug, overjoyed at the news.
“I’m ready,” I tell him now, as I wrap my arms around his shoulders. “I was born ready to marry you.”
“No, you weren’t.” Bjorn smiles with a subtle humor now, though it’s not rageful anymore. “But I’m glad you are now, drakaina. And that’s all that matters.”
Bjorn claims me with his kiss now as he hauls me more firmly into his lap. I kiss him for a long moment as we relax in the hot pool; his full lips are so soft and his massive body so firm, I could stay here forever, kissing him as he grows hard against my belly.
But Bjorn growls then, giving me one last bite on my lower lip and pulling back so our lips part. As he regards me, he cocks his head curiously.
And someone else steps over the rim of the hot pool.
Strom doesn’t even care Bjorn and I were canoodling as he slides down into the water with us.
Relaxing back against the rim of the pool with a sigh, he melts in the water for a moment.
I see Jarl Jorg’s silver and emerald dragon-ring on Strom’s finger now, as an emblem of his new position as the Jarl of Clan Eriksson.
As he looks at us, his emerald eyes shine, vibrant in the moonlight.
“You two were talking about the handfasting ceremony tomorrow. Anything I missed?” Strom gazes at us as Bjorn turns me so I sit sideways on his lap now so we can all talk.
“Only that I’m excited for it. To finally get hitched to you both.” I say cheekily now as I reach out, interlacing my fingers with Strom’s in the pool.
“Which reminds me. I have a little housewarming gift for you. Now that you will be living full time in Jurggadden, and no longer at the Paris Hotel.” Turning in the water, Strom picks up a little velvet box I had missed him bringing up here.
“What’s this?” I grin at him now as I accept the box, utterly aware that it’s a jewelry box, all black velvet and rectangular as it is. “Pearls for the new homemaker?”
“Rikyava. Even though we’re all getting married tomorrow, you will never be a homemaker.” Strom grins now as he nods at the box. “Open it.”
“Okay.” Careful not to drop anything in the water as I sit on Bjorn’s lap, I open the velvet box. I catch my breath at what is revealed within.
Shining so beautifully beneath the high moon and stars.
“Moonstones,” I breathe, as Strom fishes out a beautiful silver necklace entwined with moonstones in a waterfall pattern, to look like a starry night sky. There are earrings to match; as Strom affixes the necklace around my neck now, I take out the earrings, setting them in place.
Last is a bracelet with only five large moonstones spaced around the band, though all are on separate lines of silver, braided through every other. I understand that the bracelet represents the five of us, woven into this Bloodbond.
As Bjorn gives me a tender smile now, affixing the bracelet around my left wrist.
“This set is Blood Dragon made. The silver will never tarnish, and the stones will never dull,” Bjorn says now as he sets the velvet box aside, behind him on the rim of the pool.
“Strom and I talked; not only has he always wanted to give moonstones to the drakaina that was supposed to be his, I wanted to do the same for mine. Now, we have.”
“You two made this set together?” I glance at them now, love burning so hot and bright inside my chest for both of them.
“We were going to give them to you tomorrow night, at our Bloodbond’s official handfasting ceremony and family party, but Bjorn and I agreed it felt better to give you this gift tonight,” Strom says soberly, though with deep love, as he leans in and kisses me.
Then he gets cheeky, grinning at me. “Besides, we’ll give you a proper wedding gift tomorrow night at the party. ”
“I hope it’s your penis,” I joke now, as I reach down, fondling him in the water.
Strom wasn’t hard previously, but he gets that way now; as I grip and stroke him, he gives me a deviant look.
But he sobers again, kissing me for real this time.
I melt into his kiss as Bjorn holds me fast in his strong embrace, biting and kissing my neck.
I enjoy every moment, before Strom at last pulls away.
“We love you, you know.” Strom’s vibrant emerald eyes pin me in the mystic gloom beneath the high moon and stars.
“Always,” Bjorn echoes, as he turns my chin now, making me look at him instead as he impresses his point.
“I know,” I say, nuzzling his nose before I look back at Strom. “And I want you both to say it like that to me all the days of our lives. Got it?”
“Got it.” Strom grins, as Bjorn gives a rumble of agreement.
But Baldur, Mikkel, and Laerke are joining us now, doffing robes as they step over the pool’s rim to slide down into the water with us.
“That’s the stuff!” Mikkel groans as he melts in the pool just like Strom did. Throwing his arms up along the rim, he gives me a decadent show of his lean but strong chest and lats. He sees me ogling him and gives me a hot eyebrow lift over his penetrating dark eyes.
Which shine with beautiful copper fire now, all for me.
“What’s this?” Baldur’s light chuckle of astonishment interrupts us, however, as he sees the jewelry now shining upon me in the moonlight. Sidling close in the water, he reaches up, skating his fingers over the beautiful spray of moonstones upon my chest.
“Bjorn and Strom gave me some bling. Like it?” I grin as Baldur inspects the beautiful set.
“I love it,” Baldur says with no hesitation whatsoever, only a simmering heat now in his dark blue eyes as he looks at me. “You look good with nothing on but moonstones, drakaina. Decadent in the night.”
His comment makes me blush hard now, as I heat even more.
Very aware that I am in the hot spring now with all four of my drakes.
But Laerke is here with us, too, as she heaves a deep sigh now, relaxing with us in the pool. “We should invest in more clubs near hot springs,” Laerke says now, always matter-of-fact as she plans the twins’ next moves with their empire. “Baldur, what’s the clubbing scene like in Reykjavik?”
“Decent enough. Better if the two of you open something there.” Baldur answers with a chuckle as he shakes his head at the twins, then leans in, kissing the side of my neck.
It’s casual, but scorching, as my gaze roves his pale gorgeousness with his wealth of silver-blue tattoos cascading over his chest and shoulders.
He sees me drinking him in and chuckles, low and disastrous in his throat.
Hot.
But Baldur pulls back now, pinning me with his deep blue gaze, as I feel what he’s about to ask next. “How did your meeting go with the True Knights this morning, before you went to Paris? Did Svanhild Magnussen and Annika Eriksson offer you an official position on the Knights’ Council?”
“They did,” I say. All my drakes and Laerke become rapt upon our conversation now, since I had asked for them all to leave my mind as I spoke with the co-Head Matriarchs of the new True Black Dragon Knights about what position I might take among them.
The True Knights have absorbed the former Knights, bringing the organization out into the open, and finally working in tandem with our King to lead our Lineage.
A very good thing, all around.
“And?” Strom presses, his green gaze intense as he watches me, because no one knows how that conversation went yet.
“They offered me the position of Head Matriarch. Maryse’s old position, at their pinnacle,” I say, as eyebrows go up all around.
“Did you take it?” Bjorn rumbles, cocking his head at me as he frowns, knowing I don’t feel like I took that deal.
“No.” I shake my head, smiling at him, then the rest of my drakes and Laerke. “Even with everything that went down with us and the Black Dragon, I don’t think I’ll ever take that post.”
“Even with me inducted as their Head Shaman now, you’re as stubborn as ever,” Baldur chuckles, as a pleased smile comes to his face. “I suppose it’s right, with the project you’ve been working on. I can see how you wouldn’t want to split your time between the Council and all that.”
“Project?” Mikkel asks now, as a cunning look comes to his face. “What have you been hiding from us, sneaky drakaina? What is this project Baldur’s speaking of that only he knows about?”
“I wanted to surprise you all with news of it tomorrow night at our handfasting… but I guess now is as good a time as any,” I say now, finally ready to divulge what Baldur and I have been working on.
“As you know, there aren’t very many Bloodwalkers who existed prior to the Merging—I’m one of only a handful who have come forward, like Mormor Annika, who have fully learned their power. ”
“So?” Strom’s grin is priceless; he knows I have something up my sleeve, as Baldur smiles a lovely cat-got-the-cream smile, as well.
“So, I’ve been talking with our King, and Annika… and we’ve decided to set up an official mentorship program as a joint effort between the Crown and the True Knights, for those who are learning their powers fast and need guidance.”
“You’re setting up a school. For Bloodwalkers. And you’re going to train them… just like Maryse did.” Bjorn blinks at me now, amazed.