Page 100 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood
“And I don’t want to leave you for a moment. We’ve been separated long enough. If we go out, people will see us, and they’ll want to talk.” The thought of staying in bed and sharing our bodies with each other thrilled me. I understood that, forroyalty's sake, the coronation and the wedding were required, but maybe we could work something out where we got ready in here instead of having to be apart.
“I have a solution.” He smiled and trapped me between his body and the wall.
If he was trying to calm me down, he wasn’t doing a great job. My wolf whined with the urge to be even closer to him.
Vad leaned in and put his hands on either side of my head. “There are ways to allow for fastest transportation throughout the palace and realms without walking. Spells and charms alike can help. Some people embed the sigils into jewelry or bracers or something similar. Some make it temporary. That room obviously won’t be your regular quarters anymore, of course.”
“Oh? Whose room am I staying in?” I smiled.
He narrowed his eyes and grinned. “My woman sleeps in my bed with me.” A low growl curled from his throat and set me on fire. "Which is why it is now known asourbed."
“Even if I want to sleep somewhere else because someone doesn’t want me to have all the blankets?” I cocked my head and pouted.
“I assure you, my queen, I will always keep you at the perfect temperature. So long as I have any say, we will never sleep apart.” He kissed my chin, then my nose, then my lips. “And rest assured, my body will always be at your disposal.” He kissed me and pulled back a little with a groan. “Now…as I was saying, I’m having Thalen put a charm in your former room so that I can whisk you there.”
“Why on earth would I want to go back to that room?” I tugged at his hair and whispered against his ear, “I like what’s in this room far better.”
He shuddered. “These chambers will be far less grand in your absence.” He kissed me slowly then pulled back. “After Thalen places the charm, I can take you directly to your room throughthe shadows and my magic rather than having to pass through the halls and risk you being seen.”
“Clever. But how am I to get back toourroom without being seen, hmm? And that still doesn’t answer why I would want to be in there without you.”
“If you would let me finish, I would tell you.” He smirked and took my hands in his. His thumb caressed the backs of my hands. “In a bridal competition such as this, Fate’s ultimate winner will have her bedchamber transformed to celebrate her victory. Fate even provides the gown in which you are to be coronated and married. It will be uniquely designed and tailored to you, and it will not be wearable by anyone else.”
My heart skipped as my chest expanded, and I squeezed his hands tighter. “Fate really designs a dress? Through magic?” No one had ever designed a dress for me. I got my clothes from thrift stores and bargain sales. “What if you decided not to pick me? What would happen?”
“It’s a beautiful honor, and I wouldn’t think of depriving you of it. If I had not chosen you as queen, you would still have received the dress, because Fate blesses the one she chooses. As for how you will get back, you’ll take this.” He opened the wardrobe and reached inside.
I could just make out that the shelf had numerous small boxes.
When he drew his hand out, he held a small box with the lid up and a small gold ring with a black stone nestled inside. “This will bring you here. As you learn to use the magic, you’ll be able to enter other open rooms in the royal family quarters as well as other restricted spaces throughout the palace. But let’s keep it simple. When you want to use it, press any of your fingers against the stone and visualize yourself in this room. The magic will see to the rest.” He slid the ring onto my pinky fingerand beamed. “By Fate, this looks like it was always meant to be yours.”
“Guess I’ll have to be careful not to lose it then.” I lifted a brow. “Otherwise, we might wind up with more surprise guests in your living room or, even worse, in our bedroom.”
He smirked, then nuzzled me before stepping away. “Yes, well, that would be exceptionally unfortunate for anyone who tried. I don’t share what’s mine. I’m not even fond of others seeing you at all, unless all they are capable of is admiration. But, to your point, the ring isn’t something to concern yourself about. It is bound to you now. It will work only inside the castle and without risk to you. Beyond that, it may take some building of your skills. For instance, you won’t be able to use it to come straight back after we visit your sister. We’ll have to go to a portal for that.”
“Can we see Ember soon?” I bit the inside of my cheek as I watched him walk away, feeling the chill of his absence. “I don’t want to stay there forever, but I do miss her. She’s protected me from so much, and we’ve always been there for each other.”
“Very soon.” He picked up his robe and wrapped it around me, his hands lingering to massage my shoulders in lazy strokes and then sliding down to briefly cup my breasts. His throaty groan confirmed how hard it was for him to pull free, and I knew well that that wasn’t the only thing hard now.
Smiling, I burrowed into the soft fabric and inhaled his scent. If I couldn’t have his body around me, this was the closest thing to heaven.
Vad dressed, but he didn’t bother to tuck in his shirt. He didn’t even put on boots. Instead, after pulling on a shirt and pants, he crossed into the bathroom and returned with a small vial of blue-green oil and deposited it into his pocket. He bowed and extended a hand to me as if we were about to dance. “Allow me to escort you.”
“Just don’t let me go.” I dropped into a half curtsy, and he swept me closer.
“Never,” he whispered into my ear, his voice so low I felt it more than heard it. The heat of his breath stole mine, as did the light tickling of his jaw against the sensitive skin behind my ear and along the side of my neck.
Smoky shadow wisps curled around us. Some actually stroked me when darkness swept over us, while his arm secured itself tightly around my waist.
The scent of cinnamon, ginger, smoke, leather, and something rather like roses and lilies reached me in a glorious, conflicting mass of scents. I blinked as we appeared in my trial room, and my eyes widened.
My mouth dropped open. Vad hadn’t been joking about Fate changing it.
The whole room had been transformed into an elegant black bridal suite. The bed was gone, and in its place was a massive vanity. Three full-length mirrors were situated in front of a small stool, and a black velvet settee and a broad, flat ottoman completed the space. In the very center of the room, sitting on an embroidered black-and-copper rug, stood a large octagonal box that was as tall as Vad.
The copper wolf mask still hung on the wall but was now framed by a large arch of black and white flowers with a few copper dahlias woven in. Beneath it was a small table holding a chilled bottle of some beverage, two flute glasses, and an assortment of tasty bites. My stomach grumbled at the sight of what looked like little brownie squares, blackberry trifle on shortbread, sausages stuffed with herbal cheese, and little shishkabobs of grilled meat and veggies. My mouth watered, and my wolf whimpered at the sight of meat.
“Is that safe?” I placed a hand on Vad’s arm. Though I didn’t like refusing good food, just diving in didn’t seem like thesmartest course, since we had no way of telling whether anyone had tampered with it. So many things had gone wrong already. It was a hard thing to resist when my stomach cramped again, and my wolf tugged at me once more in complaint.
