Broken Hearts

*Ainslee*

I sleep more now. Lucia is concerned, as is Marcus, but my father is convinced once I marry Marcus, all of this will change. I know it won’t.

The ceremony is tomorrow. I know I have to go through with it. I don’t want more people of Shadowglade or of Longclaw to die. This constant war business has to end.

I’m glad that my mother hasn’t seen me since my illness worsened. She’s been so busy helping with the troops. I don’t want her to see me like this. Only now I realized that on the same occasions that she visited since I’ve been here, my father found excuses to be away. He’d insisted that he felt no pain since she’d remarried, and I wonder if his brain injury had some effect on the severed mate bond.

I’m staring at my canopy again when Lucia comes in with tea. “This is chamomile,” she says, helping me sit up and then pressing the teacup into my hands. “It should help your stomach and settle your nerves.”

I look at her, and my heart sinks. “I’m sorry, Lucia. I promise, I won’t lay a finger on your mate. I’m not strong enough if I wanted to.” I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. I want to tell her this will only be a small hiccup before a bright future for her and Marcus.

Her eyes well up, and she wraps her arms around me. “Ainslee, I don’t want you to die. Even if it means you will be married to Marcus forever, and I never get to have him, I’d still rather you live.”

“There isn’t much of a choice. My father is wrong. If Marcus tries to mate me, I won’t be surprised if the Moon Goddess strikes me dead right there,” I say.

“I hope not.” She adjusts on my pillows. “Surely the Moon Goddess will wait until the baby is born. By that time, the wars will be over, and King Rafe will be able to make his way here.”

“I don’t want Father to kill him,” I confess. “If he comes, I’m afraid he will, if only to break the bond we have.”

“I don’t think your father is that cruel. He’s just angry about what has happened with the vampires. Alpha King Howard really needs to see past his hatred and distrust of vampires to see what’s really going on here,” she sighs. “I don’t want us to lose you.”

I shrug. “I hope the Moon Goddess will wait until my daughter is born. But I fear there is nothing that can be done now. Not without a grievous loss of life.”

“Has it occurred to you that your death or this marriage will also kill King Rafe?” she asks.

A tear slides down my cheek. “If he is suffering as I am suffering, I’m afraid it will kill him as well, yes.” I think of our poor children.

She huffs. “If Marcus’s letter made it to Shadowmanor Castle, then I know King Rafe is coming. I’m certain of it.”

I’m not so sure that the letter made it there, or that Rafe can come, but I don’t want to kill her hope by saying it aloud.

She sits up then. “Well, if you have to go through with the ceremony anyway, do you at least like your dress?”

“It’s very nice, thank you,” I reply with little interest.

With a snort, she goes to the closet and pulls the dress out, laying it on the bed. “Look at it once, okay? Then I’ll put it back.”

I look down at the dress and sigh. It’s a beautiful emerald green with gold brocade. I’d have loved to dance in it with Rafe. I can tell the skirt will swirl nicely. “It is beautiful, Lucia.”

“Good. I’ll put it back. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use it,” she says.

As I watch her return it to the closet, my heart sinks. I know, deep in my bones, I will be wearing that dress tomorrow, stand across from Marcus, and force myself to let him marry me. I can see no other way.

* * *

It takes a long time, but night finally falls. I close my eyes to greet another painful sleep.

Instead, I see Rafe in my dreams.

“Ainslee?” he says. “Are you all right?”

I see no reason to lie to him. I don’t even know if this dream is real. “I think I’m dying.”

A sharp pain shoots through my chest, and I know it is his pain, not mine. “I’m coming. I’m at an inn not more than two days away.”

My heart palpitates with worry. “You can’t! He’ll kill you!”

“I’ll risk it.” He reaches out, and I can almost feel him stroke my skin. “I miss you. I love you. And I am coming for you.”

I swallow. “Two days is too long anyway. I’m to be married tomorrow.”

He hisses. “You are my wife. No one else’s.”

“Tell that to my father,” I sigh.

“I intend to.” In my mind, he wraps his arms around me and buries his face in my hair. “I know you’re in pain. I am, too. But I’m coming, and I just need you to wait. Stop your father somehow.”

I shake my head. “He has threatened to wage war on Shadowglade if I don’t do as he says. I don’t want anyone else to die, Rafe.”

“We’ll figure it out when I get there. Don’t lose hope,” he pleads with me. His hands stroke up and down my back, and I realize how long it’s been.

“I suppose we can be together one last time. Here, in our dreams,” I whisper.

“It won’t be the last time.” He doesn’t say anything else. He simply strips me of my clothes and then takes off his own.

I wrap myself around him, and even though it has been so long, when he lays me back, he slides inside me easily. I gasp because I can feel the throbbing size of him even in my dreams.

“Ainslee,” he murmurs against my lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I reply, kissing him.

He is hungry for me, as I am for him. Though his body is cooler than mine, all I feel is heat as we devour each other, our mouths nipping at lips, tongues, necks, and shoulders. He thrusts in me desperately, and I know neither of us will last long this time.

I cry out in ecstasy just before he comes. He groans my name in my ear.

We lie there, panting, holding each other, our bodies still entangled. Then I feel him harden again and I moan.

“Ainslee? Are you okay?” a voice asks outside my dream.

“Fuck,” Rafe swears.

“Guess we won’t be going again,” I say regretfully.

“Ainslee?” My door cracks open, and I can see Lucia and Marcus poke their heads in when I open my eyes slightly.

Rafe somehow recognizes Marcus and growls at him.

A low growl emanates from my chest.

Lucia takes a step back while Marcus steps inside the room. “Ainslee, is there a problem? Are you in worse pain?”

With that question, the pain slams back into my chest, and Rafe is gone again. I adjust myself under the covers, not sure if I’d been touching myself but certainly not wanting to be caught at it, then blink when Marcus turns on the light.

“I’m fine,” I groan.

Marcus looks at Lucia, and then they are both sitting on the edge of my bed. “Is this about tomorrow?” he asks. “Are you worried?”

My head swims with the sudden loss of Rafe and our shared dream, and the return of the pain is almost unbearable. I don’t hear Marcus at first.

“Lucia, get her something. Tea? I don’t know,” he says anxiously.

“No, no, I’m fine.” I wheeze, waving a limp hand. “It’s Rafe. He’s coming.”

Marcus and Lucia look at each other. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I say. “I was dreaming. We had a shared dream. He’s two days away.”

“Well, that’s only one day too late.” He sighs.

“We have to postpone the wedding somehow, I guess.” Lucia rubs her chin, her eyes faraway and thoughtful.

“Father isn’t going to stop the mating ceremony, and he’ll probably kill Rafe,” I say.

“Not if he wants to kill someone else more,” Marcus muses. He looks at Lucia and grins. “I think it’s high time we marked each other.”

She claps her hands. “That’s a wonderful idea!”

I bite my lip worriedly. “I don’t want Father to kill you, either.”

“Yes, we wouldn’t want Father to kill you, either,” another angry voice says outside my door.

The three of us all turn, and standing there in his evening robe, is Alpha King Howard Bleiz himself. He looks murderously angry.

Marcus stands, putting himself between Lucia and me, and my father. “I won’t marry Ainslee, Your Majesty. You’re just going to have to deal with it. And King Rafe Poe is on his way as we speak to straighten things out.”

“Then he will have to answer to me” my father seethes. “And if you don’t marry Ainslee, I will banish Lucia from Longclaw forever.”

“Father!” I protest weakly. “How can you be so cruel?”

“Cruel? Look at you. You’re dying because of whatever spell that bloodsucker put on you. But I know if I get you properly married, the power of the Moon Goddess will be enough to take your pain away. And I wouldn’t entrust my kingdom to anyone but Marcus in my absence, so you must marry him.” His features soften. “I love you, my dear girl, and I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you anymore.”

“Don’t kill Rafe,” I beg. “Please.”

“Then he’ll be coming to give both his blessing and his well-wishes the day after the ceremony is held,” he says decisively. “Now, all of you, to bed. We have a big day tomorrow.”

Marcus looks at Lucia with great pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he says.

She pats his arm. “I understand.”