The Journal Keeper (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (8 page)

Rianne turned to look in the mirror, surprised at how much she loved the way the gown looked on her. The tight corset pushed up her breasts and sucked in her stomach, giving her an appealing hourglass figure. The skirt was heavy, but would drape nicely over her legs while she was riding. The material was thick, but she knew she would need something more if she was going to be outside. Her memory of huddling into Nikolas while he carried her through the snow had heat creeping through her core even as the icy reminder made her shiver.

“Now, Sir Nikolas came to me this morning and told me you would need this while riding,” Carme said, holding out a box that had seemed to appear from nowhere.

“What is it?” Rianne asked, turning to take it.

“I’m sure I don’t know. He was very insistent, though, that you get it before you left,” Carme shrugged.

Rianne opened the box, surprised to find a thick woolen cloak inside. The dark-gray material was heavy enough to keep her warm, but not so heavy as to weigh her down. Pulling it from the box, Rianne wrapped it around her shoulders, fastening the row of clasps to her waist. Two slots in the fabric allowed for her arms to slide through, an extra layer of wool coming to rest just below her elbows to keep her arms warm. There was a hood to help keep her ears warm, but she didn’t bother pulling it up. She knew it would likely fall back while she was riding, anyway.

“It fits you perfectly,” Carme smiled, fixing the sleeves.

“I can’t believe he got this for me,” Rianne murmured, staring at herself in the mirror.

“Why not? It’s his job as your mate to keep you warm and safe,” Carme said, still focused on the cloak.

“It’s just not something I’m used to,” Rianne admitted, looking at the other woman in the mirror.

Carme met her gaze, her blue eyes softening as she squeezed Rianne’s shoulders supportively.

“It’s something you’ll soon learn to expect. All mated men are extremely protective of their women. It’s just our way,” Carme informed her softly.

“I guess things are a little more different here than I thought,” Rianne sighed, turning from the mirror.

Sensing her desire to change the subject, Carme grabbed the now-empty box and moved toward the door.

“I’ll take you to Prince Dorin, if you’d like. I believe they worry you might be lost if left to your own devices,” Carme grinned, opening the door for her.

“Can’t say that I blame them. This place is pretty big,” Rianne complained good-naturedly.

“Not so big once you get used to it,” Carme assured her as they made their way down the stairs and toward the front door.

“Carme, do you know what we’re riding?” Rianne questioned. “Dorin wouldn’t tell me, but I noticed when I came in there weren’t any horses in the stables.”

“Of course there weren’t horses in the stables. The only horses we have are shifters, and they don’t like being ridden. No, the stables are for other creatures who seek shelter during bad storms or when giving birth,” Carme answered, leading her toward the outer bailey.

“Then what is Dorin taking me riding on?” Rianne asked.

Her question went unanswered as the outer bailey came into sight. Carme stopped, but Rianne continued forward to meet Dorin who stood a few feet away. Dressed similarly to her in pants, shirt, and cloak, he smiled as she approached. His brown eyes swept her frame hungrily, making her entire body heat as she came toward him.

“Good morning,
danalya
. I trust you slept well,” Dorin murmured when she was close enough.

“Very,” Rianne breathed as he took her hand in his.

“Good. At least one of us did.” Dorin grinned, pulling her close.

“You didn’t sleep well?” Rianne asked as her free hand found purchase on his chest.

“Not nearly as well as I could have. I missed you,” Dorin admitted, leaning down to place a chaste kiss to her lips.

Her heart leapt in her chest at the brief contact, taking off quickly after he had drawn away. His eyes were filled with laughter as he looked down at her. Huffing in annoyance at being caught, she attempted to pull herself from his embrace.

“Ah, ah, ah. I don’t think so. I like you too much where you are,” Dorin insisted, tightening his hold.

“Well, I don’t see how we’ll be able to ride this way, unless you know something I don’t.”

“Too right, my love. Though if it were warmer and we both had on less clothing, it might be possible.” Dorin smirked, his hand skimming down to rest on her hip, pulling her closer to his body.

She gasped at the feel of his hardened cock pressed against her stomach, the length unmistakable even through all their layers of clothing. He buried his face in her neck, breathing deeply as his thumb rubbed tantalizing circles on her hip.

“Mmm, yes. You smell even sweeter today than you did yesterday, if such a thing is possible,” Dorin hummed, brushing his nose along her jaw.

Rianne swallowed a moan as his lips pressed against her pulse point, her entire body feeling warm despite the cold air.

“We should probably go, otherwise I’m going to take you back into the castle and lock you in my chambers for the rest of the day,” Dorin practically growled, pulling away from her.

She shivered at the sudden rush of cold air, instantly missing his warmth, but she knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to keep down the line they were walking.

“So, what exactly are we going to be riding?” Rianne asked after clearing her throat.

“You’ll see.” Dorin grinned, taking her hand and leading her out of the gates.

At first, she thought he was taking her into the village outside the gates, but instead he turned and followed the castle walls until they reached the forest. Once there, he let out a shrill whistle, looking up into the trees. She looked up as well, surprised when one of the trees started moving.

“What is it?” Rianne whispered, moving to clutch his arm.

Before he could answer, a white horse-like creature came floating out of the tree, quickly followed by another black one. They had wings that stretched out twice the length of their bodies and nearly two feet wide. On each of their foreheads was a small horn, though they differed in lengths. The white one’s horn was about four inches long, while the black one had a horn that was nearly six inches long. Both were bigger than the Clydesdales she’d seen in parks and on Budweiser commercials.

“This is Rysad and Alyla. They’re
pegamies
, winged horses,” Dorin said, urging her closer.

“They’re beautiful,” Rianne murmured.

“Yes, and very proud. They only allow certain people to ride them. I have been riding Rysad since I was a boy. His mate, Alyla, has been waiting for you,” Dorin told her.

“Me? Why me?” Rianne asked, looking at the white horse-creature.

“Because she is mated to Rysad and so can only allow my mate to ride her,” Dorin explained.

“So she’s never been ridden before?” Rianne asked, holding her hand out to Alyla.

“No,” Dorin answered, watching her.

“Then how do you know she’ll let me ride her?” Rianne questioned, smiling as Alyla pressed her nose into Rianne’s hand.

“Because she knows you, just as Rysad knows me,” Dorin said simply, petting his own
pegamy
.

“What about saddles?” Rianne asked.

“Alyla will not let you fall,” Dorin assured her.

Rianne bit her lip, knowing any further doubts she voiced would be met with that same assurance. Dorin grinned as she continued to pet Alyla, marveling at the softness of her fur.

“Are you ready to ride her?” Dorin asked.

“I’m not sure how,” Rianne said nervously.

Even as she said the words, Alyla bowed down on her front two legs, lowering her body enough so Rianne could easily climb onto the beast’s back. Dorin chuckled at her surprised gasp, climbing onto Rysad’s back easily.

“Trust her,
danalya
. She won’t steer you wrong,” Dorin promised.

Tentatively, Rianne moved to Alyla’s side, her hand trailing through the fur. Alyla gave a soft whinny as Rianne hoisted herself onto the
pegamy’s
back. She waited until Rianne was settled before standing to her full height. Rianne instantly grabbed hold of Alyla’s mane, gripping the smooth hair tightly in her hands.

“Oh, my. This is high,” Rianne breathed, looking down at the ground.

“Alyla won’t let you fall,” Dorin reassured her.

Rianne nodded, focusing on keeping her seat more than on his words. Alyla nickered, turning her large head around to nip gently at Rianne’s shoes. Laughing at the playful gesture, Rianne finally relaxed into the horse-like creature.

“Good. Now, how about a ride?” Dorin asked, grinning slyly.

“As in fly?” Rianne asked, instantly tensing back up again.

Dorin laughed at her obvious unease, throwing his head back as the sound echoed through the trees. Rysad shifted underneath him, snorting in what appeared to be impatience.

“Not for your first time. I thought you might like to see more of the countryside. There’s a hill a few miles away that’s tall enough for you to see the ocean from the peak. I thought we might ride there. On the ground,” Dorin added, teasing her.

“I didn’t realize we were that close to the sea,” Rianne said as they began moving.

Alyla seemed perfectly content following Rysad’s lead through the woods, keeping pace with the larger male easily. Rianne let the
pegamy
have the lead, unsure about how to control the beast.

“We’re closer to the sea than the mountains, which is good for many of our people. We have villages within our borders that are made up entirely of sea shifters. They live closest to the sea, but we can get to them within an hour if need be,” Dorin told her as they rode along.

“Exactly how big is your kingdom?” Rianne asked, wanting to learn more about this mysterious place.

“The wolves’ territory stretches from the eastern shore of Emddyn Bay to the west along the shore of the Roertia Sea. We have all the territory to the north and go as far south as the Liald River, which runs west from the southernmost tip of the Emddyn Bay,” Dorin answered.

“Okay, that means nothing to me,” Rianne sighed.

“I’ll show you the map when we return to the castle,” Dorin promised with a chuckle.

“Promise?” Rianne asked, mock glaring at him.

“Promise.” Dorin nodded, holding a hand over his heart.

Rianne found herself smiling, enjoying the easiness of just being with him. As they continued on their journey, she realized just how much she liked it and began to worry that she might just be falling for him.

She quickly shook that thought off, telling herself it was impossible to fall in love with someone after only two days. Besides, she still fully intended on returning home as soon as she found a way.

* * * *

The sound of swords clashing rang throughout the lists as the warriors went through their afternoon training. Dorin easily spotted Nikolas in the middle of the mayhem, standing nearly a foot taller than the wolves around him.

Rianne stood beside him, her arm threaded through his as they made their way along the outer edge of the yard. A bench stood against the wall about halfway down, and that’s where he led her to, settling down beside her as they watched the fight going on.

“Do they do this often?” Rianne asked, wincing at the sound of metal hitting metal.

“Every day, though not always with swords,” Dorin admitted, taking her hand in his.

Rianne gasped as Nikolas received a blow to his shoulder, but the giant bear just roared before going after the offender that much harder. In a matter of minutes, the wolf was pleading for the polar to stop. Dorin didn’t recognize the man, but Nikolas looked furious as he forced the smaller wolf to his knees before calling the match.

Looking over at Rianne, Dorin noticed the way she held her bottom lip between her teeth as the watched the fight. He wondered if the aggression bothered her, whether or not she would be able to accept that side of Nikolas.

“Is he all right?” Rianne asked, her nails digging into his arm.

“The wolf? He’s fine. Nikolas didn’t even strike him,” Dorin assured her, patting her hand gently.

“Not him. Nikolas. He’s bleeding,” Rianne pointed out, sounding almost frantic.

Dorin looked back to the field and, sure enough, Nikolas had a nasty gash along the side of his head. While the swords they used for practice were dulled, they could do some damage if enough force was put behind it. He frowned at the wolf who had done the damage, making a mental note to have him removed from the guard until he could better wield his weapon.

His attention went back to Nikolas when Rianne gave a sharp cry. The polar was staggering on his feet, his hand clutching the wound on his head. In an instant, Dorin was hurrying across the field to his friend, Rianne right beside him. They reached Nikolas just as the polar was about to fall over.

“Easy there, brother,” Dorin grunted, hefting Nikolas back up.

“It’s just a scratch,” Nikolas grumbled, attempting to shake his head.

“It is not. You’re bleeding everywhere. Tell me you have a doctor or someone who can help him,” Rianne demanded from Nikolas’s other side.

“We have a Healer. He’ll be fine,
danalya
. He has a thick skull,” Dorin reassured her.

“Listen to him,
capora
. He would know,” Nikolas teased, wincing when Dorin jerked him slightly.

“Dorin!” Rianne scolded, her hand leading Nikolas’s other arm around her shoulders to help carry his weight.

“He’s fine,
danalya
. The Healer will have him fixed up in no time, and he’ll be back in the fields scaring his warriors.” Dorin grinned as they lowered Nikolas onto the bench they had been occupying a moment before.

Rianne fluttered around the polar, her cheeks flushed and eyes wide as she pressed a cloth to the cut. The white linen was almost instantly soaked through, and Rianne turned tearful eyes to him.