Page 12 of The King's Mate

Chapter Six

Piper stretched, yawning, as she woke from one of the best sleeps she’d ever had. She opened her eyes and turned to her left, bumping into a large, warm body. For a second, she couldn’t remember what happened the night before. She squeezed her thighs together, and all the memories came flooding in.

Aleo groaned in his sleep, draping his arm over her body. She’d actually slept with the king. Lifting his arm, she tried to push him away. Instead, he pulled her closer.

“Sir, there is a situation going on with the shaman to perform the ceremony.” Keenan stepped into the room and stopped when he saw Piper in the king’s bed. “Uh…”

Aleo groaned and sat up. “I’m sure someone else can take care of it.”

Piper glanced around the room, clutching the blanket to her chest. The thin garment she wore hung off a chair on the opposite side of the room. There was no way she was standing, naked, in front of Keenan to grab it.

“Perhaps.” Keenan stared at her. “Uh, sir, I must warn you about what others may think of this.”

“I’m aware.” Aleo rubbed a hand over his face. “Take care of the shaman problem.”

Aleo stood from the bed, nude, and grabbed a dressing robe from the hook on the wall. He pulled it on and tied the sash as Keenan left the room.

“I’m assuming my servant status is complete.”

He stared at her. “It is. You’re free to go.”

She nodded. Pointing at her dress, she said, “Will you please hand me that?”

He turned and grabbed it, holding it out to her. Piper took it and pulled it over her head. She blushed at the memories of the previous night. She couldn’t move without recalling the way Aleo filled her, the way he took control over her body and made her ache for him.

Piper stood next to the bed and glanced over at Aleo’s grimace. “What’s wrong?”

“You need something else to wear. That dress is too revealing.”

Piper glanced down. Her nipples beaded beneath the thin fabric the longer he stared at them. Beard burn marred the skin of her breasts and thighs, and it took an extreme amount of effort to keep from reaching out to touch the sensitive areas.

“I’ll have someone bring you something,” he said finally. He walked to the door and yelled at one of his servants.

“It’s really okay.” Piper walked around the bed. “The less people who know what happened the better.”

Aleo didn’t say anything. She could only imagine how it looked to the outside. A woman was about to mate with the man for life, and he’d just spent the night before with another lover. She swallowed hard. It made sense to leave before anyone else woke up.

“Uh, I’m going to go.” She walked toward the door. “Good luck with the matching ceremony. I hope you get the woman you want.”

He smiled. It was an arrogant smirk that had her skin warming. Something about his expression said that he’d already had the woman he wanted, and the thought made her blush. What happened was in the past. There was nothing she could do to change it.

She escaped out the door and took the nearest stairwell to let herself out of the castle. The matching ceremony had twice as many people attending since the families had come to support their daughters. She did her best to keep from being noticed by anyone.

Before she could make it out of the castle, one of Aleo’s guards grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby room. She jerked away from him, glaring at him for touching her.

“The king wants you to be present during the ceremony.”

“Why?”

“King’s orders.” The guard shrugged. “You can wait in the throne room with the rest of the women.”

If she left anyway, he’d send out a squad to hunt her down. Why did he want her to watch him get mated to another woman? She walked toward the throne room before choosing instead to head out the side door of the castle when the guards weren’t looking. There was no reason to stay. Last night had been foolish, but she didn’t regret it. Maybe Aleo was right. She wanted to rectify their unfinished business before he mated another female. Whatever it was, Piper knew it had ended, and she had to find a way to move on.

Shifters filled the castle grounds each hoping that their pick was chosen. Piper did her best to make her way through the crowded area before someone stopped her.

“What on earth is a human doing at the matching ceremony?” A young lion shifter held out his arm, his eyes pinched as he stared at her. His question drew the attention of his friends, who all circled around her.

“I had business with the king, and now it’s over.” She shoved at his arm. “Let me pass.”

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