Page 32 of Kissed By Shadows

“Not you too,” I groan as his arms tighten. “I suppose you agree with Hunter to keep me trapped in their flat forever more? Perhaps I should grow my hair out and maybe a prince will come along to save me?”

Roman huffs a laugh, clearly getting the fairy tale reference. Hunter looks like it’s taking all his effort to remain seated, his hands still clutching his throne tightly as he stares at Nik’s arms around me almost like he wants to tear them off. Rowan is seated on his throne, his body poised, his hands twitching like he needs to occupy them. And Nikolai’s lips brush the shell of my ear, a low growl rumbling against my back.

“I don’t think there’s room for another in your harem,Kotenok,” he murmurs darkly into my ear, shivers making my nipples pebble. “Plus I’ll compromise and share with thembecause I have to. Because I can see the way they light you up. But no one else.”

“THE OTHER SIDE” BY RUELLE

NIKOLAI

Iris shudders in my arms, andsuka, I want nothing more than to throw her down on the dirty concrete floor and sink into her body again. Especially knowing that the Shadows have marked her, have maybe taken her too, even if not fully. My inner beast demands we stake our claim, regardless of the fact we now have to share her, something I never thought I’d be okay with.

“Okay,” she breathes out, and her acquiesce has a groan wanting to escape my throat. I hold it back though, instead taking a deep inhale of her intoxicating honey and cocoa scent. It’s laced with something sharper, a citrus that I don’t like, and I make a note to send her some of the body wash bars I found in her bathroom that smells like her.

I pull her closer, so not a breath of air is between us, knowing that this may be the last time I get to hold her like this for a long time. Every cell in my body rebels at the idea of not having her close, at walking away from her once more, but I have to because it’s the only way to keep her safe. It’s the only reason why I’m okay with this situation at all.

Straightening up, I glance over at the three men I’m entrusting my heart and soul to. They look as hungry as I feel, an air of possessive protection that I feel in my very bones aimed at her as they gaze not at me or my men, but her. I can respectthem for that. I suppose it eases the sting of having to share her somewhat, knowing that they will also keep her safe and that even if they don’t have the same level of feeling for her as I do, what they do feel is strong and will be enough to help protect her from the bigger threat.

Given a choice, I would hoard her to myself like a dragon, breathing fire on anyone who tried to steal her away, but I won’t lie and say that it isn’t smart that she also feels something for them, that her heart is no longer just mine. And I am partly responsible for that, though very little in my life is about choice, so I will do what I have to in order to survive. In order for her to survive.

“I will report back to my father that she is under your protection and that you refused to hand her over, reminding me of your connections,” I tell them, registering Hunter’s nod as Iris goes stiff in my arms.

“What will he do to you? For failing to bring me back?” she asks quietly, but I know that everyone heard, Dima and Andrei shuffling either side of me.

“I’ll be fine,Solnishka,” I soothe, rubbing my face against her hair. She’s so soft, yielding where I’ve only known hardness and pain. “He won’t kill me because I’m his heir.”

“But he’ll hurt you,” she whispers, her voice stilted, and I want to lie to her but she already knows the answer.

“We’ll take care of him,zaya,” Dima assures her gruffly, his voice softer than usual, and my brows raise to my hairline. Looks like she’s gained more than just the Shadows as protectors if Dima is calling her bunny, something I know he used to refer to his younger sister before she died.

She shifts so that she’s facing him, but I refuse to release her just yet, needing her in my arms for a while longer. “Promise?”

A jolt runs through my body, the realisation that once again, I have someone who’s worried about me hitting me inthe solar plexus. Someone who cares about my safety. I’ve not experienced that much since I got sent to Russia and she was sent away, her letters the only thing keeping me going some days.

Dima and Andrei are like brothers to me, our bond forged in trial and pain, a need to look out for one another to survive the harsh world. Iris was always like a soft blanket on the coldest of nights, something to keep going for, something that soothes the soul.

“I swear it,” Dima replies gravely, and after a moment, she nods before turning to face Andrei.

“And you?” she asks, her tone stern and unyielding. I see the way his lips twitch, sharing his amusement that this small, delicate creature would make demands from a warrior, a hardened criminal.

“I promise to take care of him too,zaya,” he agrees, his face turning serious as he makes his vow, holding her stare unwaveringly. “I swore to protect him with my life five years ago, and nothing has changed.”

My throat thickens, my chest tight at the knowledge that I am not alone like I was for so much of my childhood. To have all three of them, Dima, Andrei, and Iris, around me for the first time is making my loneliness feel so far away. I knew the guys would protect me with their lives as I would them, but to hear it said out loud for all to hear, and for Iris to care about their answer, it strikes a chord that reverberates throughout my body.

“Then it’s settled,” Hunter interjects, his voice that of a leader, all firm assurance and decisive action, and we all turn to face him. “Iris stays here and you’ll deal with Sergi.” I bristle, not used to taking orders from anyone other than my father. More often, I’m the one giving them out, and if the slight twitch of Hunter’s lips is any indication, he enjoys trying to boss mearound. If not for the woman in my arms, I would make a point of showing him the error of his ways.

“He won’t give up. He’ll try even if he can’t declare an outright war. Be on your guard,” I tell him sternly, and he gives me a nod even as his eye quivers at my commanding tone. Tit for tat, he needs to get used to the fact that he is not my leader. I don’t have to go into details for him to know what I’m referring to. My father is known for his ruthless ways, ruling with an iron fist, and fear is how he earns loyalty. “Then we’ll take our leave.”

“Now?” Iris gasps, twisting in my arms so that she’s facing me once more.Suka, in the few moments of her facing away from me, I’d forgotten how beautiful she is. Her hazel eyes bore into mine, her brows dipped low as the sparkle of unshed tears makes her eyes shine.

“It’s better if we don’t linger,Solnishko,” I say, uncurling one of my arms to cup her face in my palm. Her lashes flutter against her cheeks briefly as she nuzzles into my palm, and my soul screams at me for even entertaining the idea of leaving her.

“Will I see you again?” she asks, opening her eyes and stunning me again. The green is more pronounced now, reminding me of the times we spent running around her garden on lazy summer days.

“One day.” I sigh, watching as her lower lip trembles. “Until then, you must stay with them. Hunter and his men can keep you safe, but only if you stay by their sides.”

She sniffs, swallowing and nodding before I bring my lips down to hers. I taste the salt of her sadness when we kiss and feel the desperation in the way she clings to me again. I wish it was enough, wish that I could keep her, but she’s not safe with me, not yet. And it’s the only thing that allows me to stop, to not throw her over my shoulder and steal her away. That allows me to share this part of my soul with them, who may not be my enemies but are certainly not my friends.

I pull away far too soon, knowing that if I don’t do it now, I might never leave. Then I look beyond her to find one of the twins, Roman I think, waiting. With a final kiss on the top of her silken hair, I push her into his arms, my beast raging at the injustice of it all.

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