Winter Solstice in Draga Page 3

  Adelina looked up at him then and laughed. “They’re not that bad.”

  Shaking his head, Varan smiled for her sake, pleased he could break her out of her melancholy even if it was for a moment. “If I have to tell Nash to pick up his boots one more time I might throttle him in his sleep.”

  She laughed hard and long then and Varan felt the mood ease. He turned her around so he could hold her close and pressed a kiss to her gorgeous, night-black hair. “I love you,” he reminded her. “And I will always be here.”

  Just having her in his arms, alive and well…it was more than he’d thought he’d get out of this life. And that moment with the Neprijat king in that throne room – it still haunted his nightmares, and there were times he woke before dawn in a cold sweat.

  Only holding her could ease that sick fear.

  Her fingers pressed into him hard as she held on, like she knew what he was thinking – and maybe she did. “I know you will, Varan. And that eases so many of my concerns. I’m not sure I could do any of this without you.”

  Varan stepped back and pulled her along with him. “Oh, I’m sure you could. Would you like to take a hot bath with me?”

  Adelina tightened the blanket around her shoulders and nodded, but she didn’t come back into the suite. The smile from the laughter disappeared from her face and she frowned. “Do you think I’m making a mistake?”

  Reaching out and tugging her inside Varan nodded. “Yes. It’s bloody freezing outside and you shouldn’t be out here. Your nose will freeze right off.”

  Again that laughter that made his heart so light and free. “You know what I meant.” Then she stepped into the queen’s suite and the doors closed behind her.

  Varan breathed a sigh of relief and tugged the blanket off, admiring that red velvet gown again. “Nadyah has such exquisite taste. May I remove it?”

  Turning to give him access to the clasps she sighed. “Varan, could you answer my question?”

  It was a topic that was difficult for him. Varan knew he was biased on the matter.

  He would love to have children now. Tiny babes running around the palace? It had been something he’d wanted since their wedding nearly six months ago, but with the war and then all the reparations it was clear the time wasn’t right.

  After the weddings to Kaiden and Nash he had thought perhaps Adelina would be ready, but she’d never brought it up and only a female could activate her own fertility. Nothing could be done before then – as was her right since she was the one who would be required to carry it to term.

  Varan understood – he really did. Especially after what had happened with Joslynn…the idea of something happening to the babe or Adelina terrified him.

  But he would still like to try – to grow their family.

  But that wasn’t what she was asking him.

  “Do I think you’re making a mistake by not conceiving an heir for the kingdom?” Varan clarified, flicking the clasps of her dress open. He slid his hands inside the fabric to slowly pull it down her shoulders.

  “Yes,” she said, breath hitching when he brushed aside her long hair to kiss the nape of her neck. “After all, there are four separate systems under my rule now.”

  “Four children then?” he teased.

  “They will not just be children, Varan,” Adelina snapped, turning to face him. He considered the fire in those amethyst eyes. “They will be heirs.”

  He studied her for a moment. So that was her issue. “Even if they are heirs they will still be our children.”

  “And one day I will have to decide who rules which system, or if they should keep with our traditions and one rules them all.” Adelina shook her head and stepped out of the gown, throwing it over the back of a plush armchair. “What if I give birth to a Drakesthai female? Your children will always outrank any others if Nash or Kaiden can have them one day, but a winged female?”

  Tilting his head, Varan tried to understand where this fear was coming from. “You rule Hai now, they would not take her. And let’s say you did bear a female with wings – she’d still be half Draga royalty and it would be easy enough to decide then. That child could inherit Hai despite birth order. As queen you could do that.”

  “But what then?” Adelina asked, practically ripping the jewels from her hair and Varan winced.

  She walked through the suite in nothing but her lace underwear and Varan had to shake his head so he could focus when her ass swayed all the way to her bedroom. This was one of the reasons why they hadn’t talked about the matter. Adelina was far too distracting, and Varan knew he could never truly understand the situation from her perspective.

  So he tried to get more information – it was all he could do after all.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, following her into her bedroom to see she’d already disappeared into the closet the size of a small room. Varan could hear jewels clinking as she tossed them on her vanity.

  “If my daughter has wings she will inherit Hai,” she said, her voice weaving its way to him through the door. “But that breaks up my newly founded kingdom. Will her brothers and sisters want their own kingdoms? Will that tear them apart, or cause a new war? Then there is the issue of heirs even without the possibility of a winged daughter. How many will be enough? I lost two sisters and I have no idea how my mother bears that loss.”

  Adelina appeared at the doorway to her closet and Varan swallowed hard. He hadn’t considered any of these things and it made him feel rather stupid – but then again he hadn’t been born royal. He was nothing more than a common thief who had fought tooth and claw for what he had. It was a different world – one he was still getting used to.

  A world he hadn’t been forced to really think about during the war.

  Then there was the matter of his children. As king consort he was the one to provide the heirs. If he could not then Nash and Kaiden’s would be next. But due to rank and protocol he was king consort where the other two were prince consorts. His children would rule first and then Nash and Kaiden’s, regardless of whether or not one of theirs was born first.

  It was much like the situation with Ian. Adelina inherited despite being younger than Ian because of who her mother was. The situations were simply reversed here.

  He wished the other two were here to have this conversation with them, but this wasn’t something Adelina wanted to talk to them about yet – especially when the matter of their fertility was still so sensitive.

  But having backup would have been nice.

  Eventually the four of them would talk about it, but both Kaiden and Nash knew Varan wanted a child first and had left the matter to him and Adelina.

  “What if my children end up hating each other and try to kill their siblings for the power of sole ruler of five systems?” Adelina asked quietly, looking down at her signet ring.

  Varan sighed. He couldn’t say that wouldn’t happen. There was no way to know – even if they grew up as friends. Power did strange things to people.

  Adelina’s own experience with her sisters was no doubt causing so many of these fears – but the rest?

  He wished they could be like normal folk who could love their children and teach them what they could, giving them everything possible before sending them into the world. But their children would always have expectations.

  They’d always have royal blood.

  “We don’t have to have heirs,” he finally told her. It didn’t matter how much it would sadden him to not have them. If it was for the best…he could do it for Adelina. “You could name Asher your permanent heir and his children the next to inherit.”

  She looked up at him then and her eyes softened, the fear dissipating somewhat. Adelina crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him tight. “That you would even suggest a thing…Varan I am so lucky to have you.”

  Her scent surrounded him – even in the new rooms and Varan breathed deeply. He felt rattled by this conversation, but it was also one they’d needed. If he’d known the prospect
had weighed on her so heavily he would have brought it up sooner, but…they’d been rather busy trying to fix everything across the galaxy.

  “We need a holiday,” he muttered. Then he slipped a finger under her chin so she was forced to look into his eyes and see the truth of his words. “I was serious though. You don’t need to bear children if you don’t want them. There are three other royals to help carry that weight – five with your cousins.”

  Tears filled Adelina’s eyes and Varan wished he could do something to help her – to fix the world for her.

  “I do want children,” she confessed, words little more than a whisper. “But the idea terrifies me – the knowledge that the weight of the kingdom will fall on their shoulders…I wish they didn’t have to bear it.”

  Relief filled him and a vision of the future they would have together started to grow. There was so much he looked forward to. “We will do everything we can to prepare them,” Varan promised. “We will teach them to love one another and be kind. And we will treat them like children for as long as we can. No spoiling.”

  Those tears spilled down her cheeks when she laughed. “You’re a bad liar. Between you, Kaiden, and Nash those children will be spoiled rotten.”

  He didn’t bother denying the truth. Varan gently cupped her face in his hands instead and tilted her face up to his – Ladra, she was exquisite. “About that bath?”

  “I’d love one.” Adelina pulled his face down and kissed him with reverence. So much love and adoration infused into that kiss and Varan growled his pleasure against her lips.

  “Where are the other two?” she asked as he began to remove her lacy underthings – without ripping them to shreds this time.

  “Nash was being a sore loser so I told him to fetch your mother from the ragna farms. He’s helping her move the queens into the ballroom as his punishment.” Varan inhaled sharply when her hands slid under his jacket to caress his chest, all the way down to his abdomen until she reached his belt.

  “And Kaiden?” Those wicked sharp nails flicked his belt open and then Adelina yanked. A moment later she’d skillfully popped open the buttons of his shirt without tearing a single one.

  Varan cleared his throat, breathing through his nose to contain himself as her naked form filled his vision until she was all he could think about. “Kaiden?” he asked.

  “Yes. My second husband, or have you already forgotten?” Adelina teased, her fingers dipping below the waistband of his pants.

  “He’s setting up rooms for his parents. They’ll be here by nightfall,” Varan said through clenched teeth as Adelina slid his leather pants down his legs until she was kneeling before him. His erection nearly stood straight up as he watched her.

  “Did you wear nothing under your pants for this?” she asked, carefully running a nail up his inner thigh. Varan’s knees nearly gave out at the touch.

  “The pants are lined with fur. More fabric seemed ill-advised,” he managed. Adelina wrapped her hand around his base and Varan could barely think straight as he stared down at this gorgeous female – after all that had happened and everything they’d been through together, he still couldn’t believe she was his.

  Then she opened that sinful mouth and took him deep. When she started sucking Varan thrust, unable to hold still while she worked him. It didn’t matter how many times he’d had her, he always wanted more.

  He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of her hot mouth while he slid off his coat and shirt until his top half was completely bare. Adelina’s hand came up to stroke the planes of his chest and Varan let himself enjoy her a moment longer.

  Then he bent and lifted her up in one easy motion. Adelina shrieked as he cradled her against his chest and he chuckled as he kicked off his boots and pants. “I said I wanted a bath. You’re taking advantage of me, love.”

  Her breathy laughter as he carried her into the washroom made Varan’s whole body tingle. That she was so open with him…every day he considered himself the luckiest male alive.

  The washroom was massive and luxurious with onyx and gold everywhere. Pure black tile covered every surface. Only the long sink, fixtures, and giant bath were gold. Windows went from floor to ceiling along two walls which overlooked the snow covered Obsidian Mountains.

  Varan loved the simple opulence.

  He set Adelina down on the large bench made of the fabric that soaked up water like a sponge to be reused later, and then turned to the massive bathing pool. Selecting the hot water and the oils he’d like to use, Varan considered this new life of theirs.

  They’d always known that their lives and choices wouldn’t be solely their own – he’d known that when he’d signed on to marry a Draga princess. But Varan hadn’t anticipated the effect it would have in reality.

  No one could have known what would happen. Varan could never have anticipated becoming king consort – having his children become heirs to the kingdom even when he collected intel from across the galaxy and could read patterns like a good book.

  “What are you thinking of, my love?” Adelina asked in that warm husky voice that made him shiver in anticipation whenever he heard it.

  “I was wondering if I would have been a good enough male to wed you had I known we would one day rule,” Varan admitted, swirling the jasmine and vanilla oils along the surface of the water.

  It wouldn’t do to lie to her. Adelina always knew in that way of hers – some mix of courtesan and royal blood allowing her to sniff out lies and truths.

  She stood and wrapped her arms around him, kissing the spot between his shoulder blades. “Perhaps not right away, but I think if we’d had the time to court you would have. After all, you love me.”

  He turned to her then and studied those amethyst eyes that were darker than they’d been when she was a few cycles younger. “You think so?”

  “Well, do you love me?” Adelina asked, running her hands gently down his arms.

  Varan quirked a smile at her. “Only at night.”

  Adelina shoved him into the pool with a laugh and the water splashed everywhere before she jumped in with him. “Don’t lie to me, rogue,” she laughed. “I may just have to punish you.”

  Varan grinned and pulled her toward him – the water hot and delicious. They floated into a sitting position and he flicked her nose. “You forget. I like to be punished by you.”

  “Mm, how would you like me to punish you tonight?” she asked.

  Oh Ladra. Yes, he was ready for her to dominate him. After the heavy conversation – he needed her. Varan took her claw-tipped hands and placed them around his neck, making her breath hitch. “Make me beg for it,” he whispered.

  Chapter Four

  Adelina

  The Queen’s Suite

  Draga Royal Palace

  The Draga System

  Her grip tightened on his throat and Adelina felt heat strike her core only the way Varan could do when he allowed her to dominate him so. He was naturally a dominant male, but he’d always given himself up to her so freely – he never doubted or showed an ounce of fear.

  One of the few who had zero reservations about the darkness of her royal dominance.

  Adelina watched as he leaned his head back against the edge of the bath, eyes never once leaving hers as she pulled herself closer so she could straddle him. He wanted her to make him beg for it, but it was going to be difficult when she was already so desperate for him.

  She let her nails trail down his neck, over his shoulders, and down his chest. Adelina used just enough pressure Varan could feel how sharp they were – how easy it would be for her to split his skin wide open.

  “Tell me you love me,” Adelina demanded, running those nails over the tops of his thighs as she floated away from him a bit.

  “I love you,” Varan breathed – watching her with an intensity that always made her heart skip a beat.

  “Tell me what exactly you want from me,” she murmured, placing her hands around his shaft. His sharp inhale made her squirm in the
water, long hair covering her breasts just to tease him.

  Varan tilted his head slightly to the side to expose more of his throat. “I want you to bite me. Hard enough the mark will be there through the Winter Solstice Ball.”

  She paused and considered his request. Claiming marks weren’t traditionally Dragan. It was something they did in Khara, but the act called to her. It always had.

  Claiming Nash that first time had been one of the most erotic things she’d ever done.

  “It will heal before the ball,” she told him, running a nail down the column of his throat as she considered how to bite him hard enough to do that without hitting the vital arteries.

  “Not if I refuse to have it healed,” Varan said with a smirk. “Everyone will see.”

  Despite how far she’d come, Adelina blushed at the idea, but she didn’t shy away from it as she might have once. “You think the other two will want one as well?” she asked, leaning forward to graze his neck with her canines.

  One hand gripped the edge of the bath to keep her in place while the other started stroking him.

  Varan groaned and thrust into her hand hard when she breathed on his neck. “I don’t bloody care. You asked what I wanted. I told you.”

  Adelina smiled up at him. “Is that begging I detect in your tone?”

  He closed his eyes as she continued her luxurious strokes up and down his cock. “Not yet,” he said through clenched teeth.

  Her hand never ceased the slow movements up and down. Adelina made sure the water moved with her to add to the sensation as she studied Varan’s delectable throat. His blond hair shone under the glittering lights – not too bright. They had the same warmth as candles or a roaring fire and it relaxed her even further.

  “I suppose that’s a rather reasonable request,” Adelina admitted. “Claiming you for Winter Solstice…my ancestors would be proud.”

  Varan’s breathing quickened as she moved closer, stroking him still as she pressed her breasts against his chest. Adelina licked from the hollow of his throat to just below his ear, feeling the ache in her canines as she took her time deciding where the mark would best be displayed.