Noah (31 page)

Her hands slid from his shoulders and into his hair.

“I think, then,” she said with a smile, “that this should be a quickie.”

“Which is what you wanted all along,” he noted, his scolding look making her laugh again. He closed his eyes and savored the sensation rippling over him, pausing in his stroke again to do so.

“I heard only a lecture, not a complaint,” she pointed out.

“The complaint comes next,” he teased, showing her his hand back and front purposely before placing it on her breast and sliding it down her ribs and belly. He slid through wet curls in search of sensitive flesh to play with, in the process feeling himself sliding into her body, giving himself an erotic shiver up his spine. “There we are,” he said silkily as he found the very spot he was looking for and began to stroke her with sure fingers, “the root of the problem.”

Kestra bucked beneath him as a soundless exclamation shuddered up through her along with the blinding ripple of sensation he created. In the end, all it sounded like was a sharp exhalation bursting out of her throat. She searched a little helplessly for his gaze, knowing it would be there because he loved to watch her face as he gave her pleasure.

“Do you like that?” he asked knowingly, tossing back his sweat-dampened hair. She nodded furiously, then gasped as he hit her with a double sweep of magic, both inside and out. He groaned, almost as if he were in pain, but never broke his cadence into her building body. She was tightening around him with whips of tension and it was an incredible feeling. “Is this going to be quick enough for you, baby?” An important question considering how she was driving him crazy. She was using her astonishing legs to meet his every push into her body, reaching just as he was for the ever-deeper surge and connection. They were a whole, a completion, when they were joined like this on a journey to mutual bliss.

“Yes,” she said breathlessly, the word punctuating a half dozen sounds of lost joy. “Hurry…please…”

This was definitely not a problem for him. He felt how ready she was, and he was burning with his impending release. He thickened inside her until the feel of it overwhelmed him with mindless instinct. He came first, a crashing wave spewing forth, only it was so hot he thought he would burn her. She felt him go off like dynamite inside her, heard his heedless cries and felt the helpless thrusts of his hips as he lost himself. The culmination of her little manipulation of him hit her like a ton of bricks. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, and could barely see. She arched up, meeting his final strokes, and then truly screamed as tidal swells of release washed over her with the violence of a riptide, tearing her first one way, then another.

Noah held himself above her as long as he could while the squeeze of her body took him for everything he had. Finally he fell against her, into her waiting arms, matching her gasp for gasp as their hearts crashed together at the juncture of their chests. He wasn’t capable of the casualness it would have taken to roll off her and say good night as if they’d just been talking about the weather, finishing the joke between them. He was incapable of leaving her at all, not even to give reprieve from his weight. But she didn’t complain. She held him, her hands alternately in his hair or sweeping his back. Her legs were curled around his. Buried inside her still, it was as full-bodied a hug as was mutually possible.

The Demon King came to understand then the true power of a mate for his soul, and why the everlasting nature of an Imprinting was so necessary. He lifted himself up onto his elbows, an easing of his weight on her and a way to look down into her eyes as his hands stroked through her hair. There was no such thing as complete fulfillment and contentment without someone to share it with. All the most valuable things in life were so wonderful that he wanted to share them, and felt empty when he could not. Weddings. Births. Deaths. Accomplishments. Knowledge. Family. Frustrations. Even the most painful tribulations were in essence things of wonder, deserving of respect and the most honorable of things to be shared.

I want to share my life with you.

The thought was between them before he could censor it. He caught his breath, blanking his thoughts of expectations or regrets or any baggage that would have come with such a deeply felt confession. He feared putting pressure on her that would shut her down or send her away from him in panic.

“Noah, I’ve been reading your thoughts for the past five minutes,” she chided him softly. “It’s the most beautiful thought anyone has ever shared with me.” She blinked, a single tear dropping out of her shining eyes. “You have such an incredible soul. You can’t frighten me with such honesty and purity of feeling.”

Noah felt his heart clenching tightly with emotion, and he bent to catch her tear on his lips, treasuring with all of his soul the acceptance that had created it. Finally, he rolled with her, taking her weight and warmth onto his body so he could hug her now. He wanted her to sleep like this, blanketing his body, her beautiful hair a soft sheet like white linen across his chest and arm. She lifted her head to look at him, quietly searching his eyes for a minute.

“So I guess this means you are…tired.” She sighed on the word regretfully, her eyes sliding over him a little too suggestively.

“If you dare do what I know you are thinking, I am going to have to—”

“Lecture me again?” she asked hopefully.

“Kes!” He laughed at her impudence, feeling her lips on his chest as she tried to unobtrusively slide lower against him. “Kestra, you have to think of the long run,” he complained, though clearly halfheartedly. She arched that damnably naughty brow at him and he realized he was lecturing her again. “Kes, I am going to be dead by dusk if you keep this up!”

“Keep
this
up?” She asked the question while stroking fingertips against him that had somehow wriggled between their bodies.

He groaned softly, closing his eyes and covering them with both hands for a moment.

“Human females reach their sexual prime around the ages of thirty to thirty-five,” he began, making her laugh victoriously.

Kestra woke several hours later, realizing that darkness had fallen and she was alone in Noah’s bed. The presence of a couple of new towels, most likely damp ones, draped over the foot of the bed on his side attested that he had already showered and had begun to make his way through his evening.

Well, he
was
a King, after all. He probably had a great deal to do. Kes didn’t understand why he wouldn’t wake her, though. Or for that matter, why he wasn’t still sleeping beside her after giving her so much guff about how important his sleep was. Still, it was well after dusk by the look and feel of it. He was probably being considerate, letting her rest up from their heavy-duty lovemaking of the morning.

And early afternoon
.

His pained remark floating into her awareness was incredibly welcome and she laughed as expected. Her entire mood lightened and she bounced out of bed.

Thought I had abandoned you,
Kikilia?

Momentarily, I confess.
She quickly crossed the room to the bathroom and gasped when the lights flared to flaming life though she had done nothing to initiate it. She realized that Noah had anticipated her and set them to flame for her. Feeling inexplicably pleased, she began to run the shower.

My apologies. I had an urgent matter to attend to. Samhain festivities start soon and I wanted to get all business out of the way. Otherwise, there is nothing I would have wanted more than to wake next to you as I did the evening before this.

Kestra recalled that gentle wakening, lying together talking, his hand softly touching her back, nothing on his mind but comfort and caring. She suddenly felt his laughter ringing richly in her head.

Believe that if you like, but I was not entirely innocent.

Now, that I do believe.

She made sure the thought was in her haughtiest tone. She felt the surge of his amusement even though he didn’t laugh. This connection was so remarkable, she thought with hasty appreciation. She unexpectedly felt fortunate. How many women had this advantage? The opportunity to see directly into a man’s mind? To actually know what he was thinking, feeling…telling the truth or lying about? Any other situation, she might have been left to feel uncomfortable and a little neglected for waking alone. This way, he instantly put her mind to ease. What was more, Noah had sought her out. He’d kept a part of his thoughts dedicated to her, seeking her needs as she’d wakened. She hadn’t even thought to search for the answers within his mind when she’d felt her doubts, but the potential was there.

Baby, Imprinted mates cannot lie to one another. They do not even feel compelled to do so. The joining of our minds is one of those precious blessings that help us to communicate more smoothly, with love and less misunderstanding. For instance, I must tell you to shower and join me in the Great Hall when you feel up to it. That I must focus on my task here for the moment.

Of course. Thank you for thinking of me.

I am always thinking of you.

The thought was so incredibly pleasing that it warmed her entire time in the shower. She was surprised to find her toiletries settled comfortably next to his in the shower and along the vanity. Perhaps
surprised
was an inadequate word. It was just like everything else he did. Thoughtful, subtle things to make her comfort a priority to him. It was strange to have someone who was always considering her and her needs, even before she might consider them for herself. She wasn’t used to being taken care of. She wasn’t used to being cared for.

It was becoming very clear that Noah cared for her a great deal.

The idea left her a little breathless with a combination of exhilarating emotions. It was rather a lot like base-jumping off a “no access” building, hitting the ground running before the authorities caught up with her. Then again, she had done that twice and had never felt quite so alive as she was feeling at the moment. She was sitting at the vanity drying her hair with a towel when she realized there was no hair dryer. There were no electrical outlets, for that matter. Then again, it was a castle. It even had gas lighting systems. But the water was always hot. It had to get that way somehow. And didn’t water work on electric pumps?

Without realizing it, she had sifted into Noah’s brain and extracted the answers to her questions. She leapt to her feet, knocking over the vanity seat.

No electricity…ever?

There was silence for several beats and she began to tap her foot in expectation, her hands going impatiently to her hips, still clutching a towel in one of them as she glared at her own reflection as if she were glaring at him.

Kes, I need you to put something on and come down here. Now, please.

The request was a command and nothing less, no matter that it was couched in softened words. Normally, that would have pissed her off in a snap, but there was something in his tone that sought out that spot in the back of her brain telling her to pay very close attention to the details of a situation, versus her emotional reaction to it. She forgot her gripes about the missing modern technology and hurried to throw on one of her simpler dresses, a china blue and white gingham cotton minidress that made her look about fifteen years old, but it was the most casual, low-maintenance outfit she owned. She dashed from the room barefoot, flinging back her long, wet hair in an effort to order it, feeling it soak through her dress instantly. Her feet flew over the beautiful Persian runner that graced the third-story hall and continued on down the stairs. She took curving stone steps two and three at a time, a rushing descent that turned several times before the stairs emptied into the main room on the first floor. Without a railing to stay her, she would have shot clear off the last step and run to a stop. But just as she touched the marble floor, a powerful arm reached out and caught her, halting her flight instantly with a speed-absorbing swing into a hard body.

“Uh, Noah…I think you’re missing something.”

Kes looked up, impressively up, at a blond giant of a man whose hair was as purely gold as hers was sugar white. His merry green gaze regarded her for a minute as he set her back onto her feet safely. Kes would have thanked him, but her hands had inadvertently lain against his biceps as he’d caught her and she had to take a minute to marvel at the monstrous size of the muscles in comparison. No wonder he’d plucked her out of the air as if she were no more than a dust mote. He was enormous.

“My thanks, Elijah,” a familiar voice said near her ear as Noah drew her back against his body. Kestra shook her head bemusedly. She’d never been picked up and tossed around so much in her entire life. It was such a strangely feminine thing, to be lifted by men who never gave a second thought as to whether they had a right to do so. They just assumed it was a natural-born privilege.

Kes felt Noah’s arm around her waist, holding her back against his amazingly warm body, the sensation of coming home as she settled back against him so overwhelming that she raised a hand to fluff her bangs, hiding the flustered blush that burned cheeks that
never
blushed. That was when she realized there were more people in the room.

More men, rather.

The healer she recognized instantly. How could she not? His silver eyes and silver hair were a bit on the outstanding side. More importantly, she seemed to be able to see an aura around him now. A lavender mist all around him, dotted with splashes of color rather like random spray-painted graffiti. A quick glance at the others around her told her that everyone else looked normal to her.

Another man who was slimmer, and yet almost as tall and broad in the shoulders as Noah was, stood off slightly to the right of the healer. He was leaning one shoulder casually against a nearby stone wall, his arms folded over his chest. He had dark hair, either brown or black, and eyes that matched. She could hardly distinguish his irises from his pupils. He held himself with an air of confidence that hinted at the power just beneath his calm exterior.

In a nutshell, she was in a room being dwarfed by the four most powerful men she had ever laid eyes on. This in spite of the fact that she was of significant height for a woman. She suddenly felt at an extreme disadvantage, being held by Noah like some kind of blond-bombshell trophy and looking the part in her silly little dress. Kestra unexpectedly felt Noah’s arm drop from around her waist and he stepped around her. She felt a prickling over her skin she was beginning to recognize for what it was. An energy overflow. One that Noah gave off when something disturbed him.

She had somehow upset him. She knew it without a doubt, though she did not understand how. She folded her arms beneath her breasts defensively as he walked to the center of the loose circle they made.

“Kestra, this is Jacob, my Enforcer. Behind you is Elijah, my Warrior Captain. You have met Gideon, our medic. Gentlemen, this is Kestra, my…our latest Druid to join our lives.”

“Greetings to you, Kestra,” Jacob said, pushing away from his wall and reaching to shake her hand in a gesture that made her feel abruptly equalized. “An Enforcer is what you might call…police. I am in charge of policing our own.”

Elijah tapped her shoulder and engulfed her hand between his enthusiastically. “Hey there. I have to say, I’m tickled to death to meet you. I’ll enlighten you, too,” he added quickly when he saw Noah’s scowl of warning over her shoulder. “Warrior Captain means I am the head of our armed forces, as pertains to our defense against foreigners.”

“Foreigners?” She said it carefully, her gaze quickly sliding to Noah. He stood stiffly, not helping in the least. “You mean other Nightwalkers?”

“Sometimes. It is complicated. We have a relatively sound peace with all the other races at the moment, but like with any society, that has not always been the case. And, of course, there’re always other threats.”

Light dawned instantly and she spat it out on a bitter tone.

“Humans.”

“I am afraid so,” he said with honest regret.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” she said. “I have dealt often with the seamier side of humanity. I don’t blame you for taking precautions or actions to protect yourselves.”

“Hey, Noah, I really like her!” Elijah exclaimed with a laugh, chucking her in the shoulder hard enough to make her step back in spite of having her feet braced.

Kestra merely nodded to Gideon as she contemplated this new information. It had never occurred to her that Demons would look on humans as enemies. She had the knee-jerk reaction to go filing through Noah’s mind for information, but she also found herself feeling as though it would be an invasion since he seemed unreceptive to her at the moment. What she was left with instead were the only memories she had of Noah’s interactions with other humans. The encounter in Sands’s penthouse. He had killed both of those men without batting an eyelash. Of course, they had also been massively armed with an intent to kill her and she would be dead if not—

That thought ended abruptly and she looked up to meet Noah’s eyes. His gaze was infinitely softer this time and she saw his subtle hand gesture near his thigh. A calming press of his hand downward. A signal to ease her thoughts and to focus on the moment. Explanations and information could come later. He needed her…wanted her to stay in the moment and not tangle herself in trying to understand Demon motivations.

The group moved toward the desk set back by some colossal bookshelves, equally enormous leather-bound volumes stacked into them. Two chairs sat in front of it, one behind. She only had to look at the wide comfort and mellowed wood of the chair behind the desk in order to picture Noah sitting in it for hours on end. The armrests shone yellow-gold where the years and his hands had worn at the wood of the sturdy oak. The cushions, royal purple velvet fabric, had that soft paling of wear in the pile that bespoke frequent use.

Noah didn’t round the desk to take his familiar place, opting to lean back against the front of the desk. Jacob took a casual seat in front of him. The rest came closer and stood like sentinels, waiting for Noah to begin. Instinct galvanized her, and she moved to the desk and hoisted herself up onto it, her hip near Noah’s hand. They exchanged a look but no thoughts. The prickling had stopped and she could feel that he’d calmed down.

“Very well, gentlemen, let us get this finished. We all have…places to be and personal engagements.” Noah had not meant to hesitate midsentence, as if it were some kind of leering, manly innuendo.

Damn it
. He was editing his language of the word
mate
, purposely, so as not to make Kes feel pressured in front of others. Even so, she had come up with that blond-bombshell crack in that thick skull of hers. He had been truly peeved about that. Unusually short-tempered, actually. Eventually, after a few seething minutes, he had appreciated that unreserved affection with one’s mate was a cultural difference she would not be used to. Demons were very open about their mates and their importance. Affections, and even the outright acknowledgment about where they would all be ending up after the Samhain celebration, were commonplace. Had Bella or his sister been present, each would be held with far more blatant love and intimacy by her male counterpart than a simple arm around the waist. It was simply their way. A way, he tried to realize, that was practically an alien concept to Kestra. She was not used to affection of any sort. She had come a great distance in a short amount of time in their private moments, and he had to acknowledge that.

“We have a report of the Vampire rogues,” Elijah began as soon as he had total attention, his no-nonsense tone abruptly intimidating in the wake of the easy, almost jovial personality of moments ago. Kes was instantly aware that title of Warrior Captain was a far more physically invested position than, say, an American four-star general would be. “Tristan sent word to Siena of a death of one of the younger generation of Shadowdwellers. He was found with his throat ripped out in a human city. Tristan said the subsequent investigation and autopsy were a disaster. The rogues have exposed the ’Dwellers to humans in a way no one has ever done before.”