As Promised

*Ainslee*

I watch as Longclaw forces assemble then march in two directions, one section to the north to fight Rallegrad, the larger section to the south to fight the Tormentians and protect Shadowmanor castle.

My father stands to one side of me waving to the troops as they pass the house. Marcus, his Beta, stands on my other side, also waving.

I force a smile and raise a hand to the troops. I am still surprised at how quickly they’d assembled. People in all the towns and villages worked their fingers to the bone quickly making uniforms with fabric and accents provided by Warfang. Warriors fell all over themselves volunteering to protect Shadowglade.

What Lucia said must be right. The feeling seems to be that Shadowglade is an ally and should be protected.

Lucia herself stands behind us, her eyes on Marcus. I know it’s killing her that my father keeps trying to throw Marcus and me together. For my part, I have absolutely no intention of taking a husband ever again, no matter what happens.

“Doesn’t Ainslee look lovely today, Marcus?” my father asks his Beta.

He flicks his eyes away from the troops, gives me a short once-over, then nods. “Yes, Ainslee looks very nice.”

I try not to grimace. “Thank you,” I say to both of them.

“Maybe after this, you’d like to show her the progress we’re making on the east gardens?” my father suggests.

I want to throttle him. “I’m actually rather tired, Father. The baby.”

“Ah.” He nods. “That’s too bad. The east gardens are shaping up nicely.”

“I’m sure they are.” I nod to Lucia, and she takes my arm, pretending to support me back to my room as I pretend to be more helpless than I actually am.

When I lie down, however, I realize I am really, truly very tired. “I shouldn’t have tried to stay to the end.”

“Probably not,” she agrees. She bites her lip. “Your father is still trying to set you up with Marcus, and he is too good a Beta not to do as he says. I think he understands what your father wants, too.”

“I don’t want to take Marcus from you, no matter how much my father might want to marry me off,” I reply. “If he’s your mate, then you should be together.”

“You should be able to be with King Rafe. Maybe once the war is over, and your husband is found, the two of them can sit down and hash out their differences?” she suggests.

“I hope so,” I whisper. I stare up at the canopy. I’ve started imagining shapes in it, as though I’m lying back and looking at clouds.

Lucia’s face enters my view. “You look kind of out of it. Do you need something to eat?” she asks.

I do a mental inventory of my appetite then shake my head. “I think I just need a nap. But thank you.” I take her hand and look at her seriously. “And you should marry Marcus regardless. Mark each other. Be happy. Don’t worry about Father, me, or anyone else.”

Her eyes well up with tears, and she hugs me. “I don’t know if Marcus will go for it, but thank you for thinking of my happiness.”

“I mean it. Life’s too short.” I pat her on the back. “You should take as much joy as you can from it.”

With a sob, she pulls away. “Marcus will never go against Alpha King Howard.”

“It’s not going against him as long as my father hasn’t officially asked him to marry me,” I point out. “Just try to convince him. I’m not saying that for myself, though it’s true I don’t want to marry him. I’m saying it for you.”

She dabs at her eyes and nods. “I’ll go find him now. Maybe I can convince him.”

“Do that.” I lie back down and sigh. “I’m going to sleep. Don’t worry about waking me for dinner. I’m too tired.”

“I’ll let the king know.” She heads for the door. “Sleep well, Ainslee.”

“Good luck,” I reply.

I start to dose off, and then the dreams come.

I’m home with Rafe, and Drake is sleeping soundly in a bassinet next to the bed. I don’t know how I got here, and I don’t care. I wrap myself around Rafe, taking in his unique scent.

“I missed you,” I say, my voice quivering.

Rafe’s eyes open, and he’s equally surprised to see me. He wraps his strong arms around me. “I missed you, too. Drake?”

I nod to the bassinet, and Rafe looks over, then sags with relief. “You got him home,” I say proudly. I kiss his chest. “You’re both home.”

“We are,” he agrees, awed. He rubs my back, and I realize we are both naked, which is as it should be. “Do you think we can risk it?”

“Risk what?” I ask.

“Waking Drake.” He gently runs his mouth over my neck.

I shiver. “I’d like to try.”

He rolls me beneath him and parts my legs with his knee. “Gods, I’ve missed you.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and widen my legs for him. “Take me, Rafe. Before anything else happens.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. He runs his fingers along my slit, pushing them inside me, then replaces his fingers with his cock.

With a groan, I arch my back, taking him deep inside me.

“Don’t wake the baby,” he whispers teasingly in my ear.

I swat him. “Like you’re any quieter.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Want to see who can be quiet the longest?”

“Ooo.” I smile at him. “Let’s.”

He starts thrusting, and I draw in a deep breath as he hits the right spot every time. But I stop my throat from making the little sounds of pleasure I usually would.

Instead, I let him torture me, teasing my clit with his finger, nibbling up my neck. When I come, I bite down on my lower lip, not making a sound.

He gives me an impressed look then looks confused when I push him off me.

With a wicked smile, I prowl down his body and take his cock in my mouth.

I can feel his legs and hips tense, and I know it’s taking every muscle he has not to let out a cry of pleasure.

I am merciless. I take him all the way down my throat, running my tongue along his shaft, before pulling back to tease his head. He’s leaking precum, and I lick and swallow it like it’s frosting.

His fingers tangle in my hair, and he starts bucking his hips. I still take my time, going up and down, squeezing his base.

When I also start playing with his balls, I win. He lets out a choked shout and comes hard down my throat.

I look up at him and deliberately swallow.

He groans. The game is over now anyway. “Who taught you to be this sexy?” he asks.

“Hmm.” I pretend to think. “I guess you did.”

“Damn right, I did.” He pulls me up into his lap, and we kiss, gearing up for another round.

Drake starts to fuss, and we break apart with a laugh.

“Aww,” I say, putting on a robe and pulling Drake out of the bassinet. “Did Daddy wake you up?”

“Daddy does not like being so rudely interrupted,” he teases.

“I think I know something that might make Daddy feel better.” I lean back on the pillows and start nursing my baby. “And I’ll show him as soon as this little one goes back to sleep.”

Drake lets out a big burp then settles back into sleep even before I’ve put him back in the bassinet.

Rafe lays his head in my lap and kisses my belly, which is sporting a little baby bump. “We have to make more of these.”

“I’m cooking one up right now,” I laugh.

“Yes, but after that.” He rubs my belly. “I think we should have a whole houseful.”

“I’m sure Drake will love all the siblings,” I muse.

His smile turns into a frown.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

He says, “Something’s not right, Ainslee.”

Then things start to get fuzzy. “Rafe?” I ask, wondering what’s wrong.

His eyes widen. “Don’t give up on me, Ainslee. I’m alive. I’m coming.”

“What?”

I wake with a gasp. It’s the dead of night, the room dark around me. I turn on the bedside lamp and look around the room. The bed is cold beside me.

“It was a dream,” I whisper. I look around miserably at the room in which I now feel like a prisoner. I’m in Longclaw, in my father’s house. And if my father has his way, I’m never going to see Rafe again.

But what Rafe said sparks hope in me that won’t be quenched.

‘Ainslee, I’m alive. I’m coming.’