ELORAAfter ensuring my siblings were safe, I headed back to my room, all thoughts of getting a good night’s sleep completely gone now. In my shock, I had run out to my siblings dressed in a night robe. Walking back, I burned in embarrassment as I tried to ignore the stares I got. As I stepped outside into the courtyard, I let myself enjoy the colors the setting sun painted across the sky. Sunsets in the palace were beautiful. It was magical, an experience one would like to share with a lover. The air was cool as a light breeze rustled the trees and shrubs. It would have been lovely to grab a book and read but I was too tired to think straight.On getting to my room, I dropped onto my bed and closed my eyes. In a few moments, sleep had captured me, bringing me into a world of dreams where I saw my family reunited and happily living in the islands of bale.A rap on the door jilted me awake and I looked outside my windows to see I hadn’t slept long. It wasn’t even dark yet. I felt myse
ELORAThe party continued late into the night and as the drinks kept pouring, the conversation got looser and laughter flowed freely even at things that weren’t funny."Wine?" Noel offered.I nodded, holding out my cup.He poured me a drink and waited with an expectant smile till I took a sip."What do you think?""Very...fruity." "Exactly. It's made from the finest grapes in all of Bale." He wiped his mouth, "Trust me, this is the least delicious. It'll be nice to have you try all of them but we don't want to get you drunk, now do we?"I took another glass and giggled."Definitely not.""Elora, have you been properly introduced to my sister?" Teriel asked, interrupting us.He had been drinking and it was obvious in the way he swayed lightly on his feet. The contents of his glass swished, looking dangerously close to spilling."Yes, Teriel. We’ve met." His sister interjected, rolling her eyes. "I'm Riley... I realized I didn't tell you my name.""A pleasure to meet you, Riley," I sai
ROMERome dropped Elora onto her bed as softly as he could, cradling her head in one hand as he let her fall back to her pillows. As usual, her room was perfumed with her usual rose essence that messed with his senses. He watched her snuggle into her pillows and pulled the blankets over her.She was beautiful even in her sleep.Her face looked soft and almost childlike, free of the worry lines that usually coated her features.He chuckled remembering how she’d looked dancing earlier with her hair blowing in the wind. She had called him handsome too. He wondered if she’d remember all she’d said in the morning.“Mmmh.” She groaned rolling over and grabbing his hand.His heart picked up its pace as he looked down at where their hands touched. Sparks crawled up his hand set his nerve endings on fire.He tried to pull out of her grasp but she squeeze his hands.“Don’t leave.” She sighed, pulling him down into the bed with surprising strength.He froze as she snuggled deeper into him, plac
ELORAMy eyes opened as the too bright sunlight stole into my room, leaving a terrible pounding in my head. I groaned sitting up surprised to see I was naked underneath the covers with strange marks resembling hand prints on me.Had I transformed last night?I rushed to my mirror to see teeth marks on my neck and even more on my chest and stomach and going downward.What the hell had happened last night?I looked towards my bed and saw a familiar lump of blue cloth and went to inspect it. It was the King’s shirt as well as his cloak. Why would his clothes be in my room? I sniffed deeply, letting the earthy scent of him fill my nostrils. The scent of him so close, jogged my memory and I saw flashes of last night.“Oh God.” I gasped as the fog cleared and images of last night flooded me.I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten to my room but I remembered when I’d started drinking. It was hard to watch Teriel’s sister being so close to the king. My jealousy had grown when I’d heard her fami
ELORA My heart beat a frantic rhythm in my chest and a lump formed at the back of my throat as tears sprang behind my eyes. Could it really be true?Was I really not alone anymore?It felt so strange to hear someone so ardently profess the desire to protect me after so long. To know that there was someone other than my family that knew the truth of everything that had happened. For the first time in a long time, I felt the stirrings of hope in my blood."Oh, Gael. It wasn't your fault those bastards ruined us...""It wasn't. But I have made it my mission to bring those bastards to justice.” He professed moving so fast I had barely even seen him move to stand before me. Grabbing my hands in one large calloused hand, he placed the other under my chin and pushed my head up to look at him. “And I plan to do it by your side. I will protect you, my Lady. I promise you that.” I met his gaze with renewed determination burning in my blood, nodding even with my chin still in his hands. I sud
ROMERome found himself fighting to restrain his beast for the thousandth time that day and it had only just begun. Since last night, he had struggled to control his beast and had transformed in the strangest way ever. He had spent the hours since he’d transformed back, racking his brain for an explanation to it but came up with nothing. Could it really be because of Elora? The thought sent uncomfortable shivers through him that changed to flames of desire as he remembered how soft and how naked she had been last night. He felt his member harden almost painfully at how plaint she had been beneath him with her soft well-rounded curves. Her scent was still in his memory and he was still painfully aware of how the explosion of her desire had tasted.It had been heady enough to stir his beast and if he hadn’t controlled himself, he would have sunk his fangs into her neck then and there. There was no reasonable explanation he had been able to come up with.Rome found his way to the roya
ELORAI let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding, leaving the library in a dark mood. I had started my day off happily, hoping I would find comfort in the aged leather-bound tomes this library housed but alas that was not to be so."Elora, wait up.” Gael called out, jogging up to catch me. “Are you okay?”I slowed my steps as I finally remembered that I hadn’t been alone."Oh, yes.” I answered after a long minute. “I'll go to my room now. I feel a little tired."It wasn’t a total lie as Riley had sucked out all the energy I’d gathered from seeing my siblings earlier."I’ll walk with you.” He smiled, “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone.”I shook my head slowly. “It’s fine, Gael.” I protested, “I release you from your duties today.”He ignored me and walked on, stopping when he was a few feet away from me to send me a look.I sighed and stopped protesting, walking up to him.“You should know that I find it impressive how you handled the situation with the…” He trailed off
ELORA After spending so much time with the king as we planned the raid, it was unsettling that I hadn't set eyes on him in days. Of course, I could feel his commandeering presence in the palace but he hadn't summoned me. I shook my head, reminding myself that he didn't need me. I was just his mistress. But I couldn’t fight the nagging feeling that perhaps I had done something wrong. The last memory I remembered of him was the night we shared my bed. Was the king still furious about the incident? But why should he be? Wasn't it my duty to bear his child? Running off after that night raised so many questions but with many moons spent as the king's mistress, I knew it was useless trying to decipher the king's thoughts towards me. I’d been trying to find justification that that night had actually happened but so far all I had had were the love bites but even they had faded now. Could it really be a figment of my imagination? "I brought a book." A familiar voice said pulling me