Page 36 of Queen Takes Rook
“Gorgeous. I mean it, Winston, this looks like an expensive spa. I love it.”
“I’m so pleased, Your Majesty. If there’s anything you need, anything at all, please let me know and I’ll have the contractor make adjustments.” He took my hand and inclined his head. “I’m at your service, Your Majesty. I’ll leave you to rest from your trip. I’m sure you’re exhausted. When you’re ready to eat, have one of your Blood come down to the kitchen. I have a space readied, so I can heat up food at a moment’s notice.”
“What about the clothes we took on the trip?”
Gina patted my shoulder and followed Winston to the door. “Not to worry, we have a crew assembled to take care of laundry needs. The car has already been unloaded, and we’ll bring your things up later.”
“You’ll find some robes, pajamas, and loungewear in the closet,” Winston called back over his shoulder. “Plus a few other things that Gina had delivered from your Kansas City house. We’ll get your closet filled in no time.”
As I walked back into the bedroom, Rik pulled the twins aside. “Do you two want to have guard duty together, or split up?”
“Together,” they both said without hesitation.
He nodded and then looked at the rest of my Blood. “Everyone on guard duty except for Ezra, Daire, and Guillaume. Check the grounds thoroughly, and then hit the shower and food as you want. Stick close.”
He didn’t have to tell them why. They all felt my hunger. I’d fed from Rik on the plane, but only enough to get home. I hated to destroy the gorgeous, brand-new bedding with a bunch of blood stains. I hoped Winston had hired a fucking stainmaster to get all the blood out of my laundry.
They all filed out, still joking and talking among themselves. I couldn’t help but smile. Mehen was still rhapsodizing about finding the Dumas set in the library.
Once it quieted, I sat on the edge of the bed and turned my attention to Daire. “Should I use the mirror now? Or wait a bit? I don’t want to insult her—but I also don’t want to appear too eager to do her bidding.”
Daire plopped down beside me on the bed and rolled around like a cat marking its territory. “She knows you’ve been traveling, and I’d hazard a guess that she even knows that you have a sib, and maybe even that you had some problems with Ra. You’re a new queen, with a new nest, so you’re going to need some time to prepare for a visit, even via mirror magic. I say take your time. Completely ignoring her would be rude, but if we wait until tomorrow, I think that’s perfectly acceptable.”
“I agree, my queen,” Guillaume added. “If you had a prior relationship with her, then she might expect a quicker response. Or she could have specified her expectation in the note. She left it open for a reason, and Marne Ceresa has a reason for everything she does.”
Some of the tension eased in my shoulders and I took a deep breath. “Okay, good. I’ll worry about her tomorrow then.” I looked at Rik. “Do we need to ward these windows or set up any extra protections? I know it’s inside the nest, but all this glass still makes me leery.”
“The glass won’t be a problem.” His voice deepened to a low rumble that strummed deep inside me. “Though if you will rest better, we’ll salt the window sills.”
“No, that’s fine. As long as you’re not worried.”
“Not in the slightest. This nest is solid and secure. You selected well, my queen.”
I looked at my magnificent Blood one by one. Showing them my appreciation for their incredible physiques, I didn’t hide my rising desire. “Yes, I did select very well indeed.”
Rik tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. “Are you thinking the same thing I am?”
It was a rhetorical question, but sometimes it was nice to actually say things out loud rather than use the bond all the time. It was definitely more of a turn-on. “If you’re thinking that I should feed on Daire while Ezra shows me his hook, then yeah, we’re on the same page.”
Ezra growled roughly. “About fucking time.”
15
Daire
The memory of Ezra’s hook made my purr rumble like a jet engine taking off. The thought of him giving that hook to Shara…
While I fed her…
Damn near made me blow my load before she could even start.
Ezra shoved me to get me moving. “Get her fucking jeans off, D.”
Which meant I should strip in record time first, so I could help her.
By the time I moved closer to her, she’d already tossed her blouse aside. The glittering scales of the snake around her throat drew my attention. It fascinated me, but not necessarily in a good way. Not after her cobra queen had pumped Rik full of poison.
Her arms came up to cross over her breasts, a shyness coming over her that I hadn’t seen since our first night together. When Rik and I had found her a few miles away, fighting off a dozen thralls with nothing but a board with some rusted nails in one hand and a pocketknife in the other.
