King Cave (36 page)

It was my turn to blink. “No.” At this point most of the Elders’ heads around us swung in our direction. “Why do you ask?”

Ezra was carefully removing the hand against his chest, glaring at it, as King Venclaire inhaled again, holding in the breath. “Blood. Grief.” His lips pinched as his gaze ran up and down my frame. “You were challenged?” His tone held bite to it, his eyes flashing in irritation as they met mine.

I held my shoulders as straight as I could, nodded once.

“Twice,” Elder Talus murmured from his perch on a couch. “She handled both well.”

Nice. Now everyone knew. Which included Jack and Pearl, both of them having gone mute. I clarified, “The first challenge couldn’t be stopped. The second I let go.”

Elder Harcourt nodded from a row away, sipping from his drink. “Mercy inside death’s grip is true wisdom.” His lips lifted. “Such a Queen you will become.”

A soon-to-be Queen who only wanted right now to sit and ignore everyone. “Thank you.” I motioned to our couch. “I’d like to rest now if everyone’s questions are through.”

I wasn’t sure if anyone opened their mouths to object because Ezra moved to block their gazes, giving me a tiny shove with his hand when they couldn’t see, pushing me toward our couch. It was appreciated, but I still glanced at him a little baffled. Understanding hit me only after the lights went out. Before that, it took him sitting down next to me on the couch, hitting the button to make the footrest pop out, maneuvering his legs so I could use it, too – Jack and Pearl also getting comfortable — and the lights flashing the warning for the movie’s start. It took for him to lean over the side of the couch and throw our comforter blanket that we had brought across us — big enough to cover the four of us easily without anyone complaining, although, we might grumble later about the bits of popcorn crumbled on it.

Then as the lights dimmed, the previews starting loudly on the speakers situated around the arena, his arm was instantly snaking its way behind my back against the couch, our now shoeless feet –curled around each other for comfort — hidden. He gripped my hip almost brutally while his other hand glided across my leg to clutch my inner thigh under the blanket. Only then did the light bulb in my head turn on as he exhaled heavily — a bit shakily — his entire body relaxing, though I hadn’t even noticed it was strung tight, lost in my own thoughts.

Huh. My eyes darted to him as the movie started. Apparently, it wasn’t only Shifters who needed touch when they were upset. And that was what he was. Upset. Extremely so. It was…sweet. Tilting my mouth to this ear, I whispered so quietly no one would hear but him, “I’m alright, Ezra.”

He nodded jerkily once, his grip only tightening. “The medic healed you.”

Realizing just how hard it had been for him to watch and not interfere, as I more than likely would have done if the situation had been reversed, I placed my hand on his hard thigh, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you.”

He grunted, and then murmured, “Hush.” His eyes darted to mine, dipping over my features. “Watch the movie.”

And sometime during the middle of the first show, I yawned heavily, tired from the workout with Elder Merrick, King Fergus, and King Kincaid, then my more intimate workout with Ezra, and lastly the challenges, the expensive whiskey having settled my rolling stomach and thoughts. I fell asleep, perfectly content in our sanctuary…only to be woken later.

A clapping sounded, and I heard King Venclaire bark, “Wake up, Prodigies.”

I growled, my wolf sounding, snuggling further into the warmth.

“Fuck off,” Ezra’s voice vibrated against my ear, his arms tightening around me.

“Five more minutes,” Pearl slurred.

“Hell…chickens,” Jack groused.

It was the snickering that really woke me.

And the sound of…Elder Jacobs…muttering, “Chickens?”

“Kill ‘em…bastards,” Jack snorted.

Jack mumbling unintelligibly in his sleep was nothing new, but hearing Elder Jacobs and King Venclaire? Well, that wasn’t normal. Nor were the many chuckles sounding.

My head and Ezra’s popped up at the same time, and I blinked blurrily. “Huh?” I pulled my hand out from underneath the blanket, rubbing my eyes to see better in the bright light. “Who’s there?”

Ezra’s predator growled loud in my ear, sounding ferocious, though he apparently had the same problem as me with his sight, taking a hand off my hip to rub his eyes. “Answer her!”

Someone whistled long and high, followed by, “Someone’s testy when they wake up.” That would be King Nelson’s voice off to my right.

“You have no idea,” Cahal’s voice muttered, sounding exasperated, directly in front of me. “I don’t know how many bedroom doors, alarm clocks, and light switches we went through during his teenage years.”

I shook my head, still hearing Jack and Pearl snoring, and squinted through the light. I went completely still. I had no clue how Ezra and I had ended up on the ground, but there it was. We were lying in front of the couch, half concealed by the blanket, which was wrapped under us and protecting us from the hard, cold floor. All the Kings and Antonio’s posse were standing in front of our couch, spread out like a bad fucking dream. “Nightmare. It’s got to be.”

“Jack had it right the first time,” Ezra grumbled, basically lying on top of me. “It’s hell.”

“With brooms,” I muttered, brushing hair out of my face and staring at what King Kincaid held, firmly ignoring some of the looks we were receiving waking like this.

“And dustpans,” he mumbled, eyes on what Elder Jacobs held, even as I felt him carefully removing his other hand from under my shirt, where he had been gripping my breast. One of his favorite sleeping positions. Just not exactly appropriate for our current audience. Again, thankfully, the blanket partially covered us.

I nodded toward King Fergus’s hand. Stalling. Giving Ezra just a bit more time. “Pearl can Windex.”

“Revenge?”

“I stank of it for weeks afterward. It was like it soaked into my pores.”

“Are you two done yet?” King Nelson griped.

Ezra actually chuckled, his hand slowly creeping down my stomach. “Just about.”

I snorted hard, and my voice choked as I glanced at Cahal’s hand. “Jack gets the Dirt Devil.”

King Venclaire appeared pretty damn amused. “For the hell reference?”

“Exactly,” Ezra murmured while his fingers gently pulled the hem of my shirt down. “Well, that about does it.”

My head lolled back against Ezra’s chest as I began to laugh my ass off.

“Ignore her.” Ezra patted the back of my head. “I think she smoked something herbal.”

King Venclaire snorted, but coughed over it, then took the broom King Kincaid held next to him. I blinked as he whacked Jack and Pearl, whose snores turned to shouts, up on top of the couch. The broom was suddenly back in King Kincaid’s hand, and King Venclaire pointed at him, saying, “I believe he did it.”

“What?” Jack muttered loudly. A pause. “Hey! Where the hell are Ezra and Lily?”

“Down here!” I called, my chin quivering as I waggled my fingers. “Somehow.”

“That happened during the…” Elder Merrick paused, looking at King Kincaid. “What? During the second movie?”

King Kincaid’s head tilted. “Well, it all started during the first when Pearl fell asleep.”

King Venclaire nodded. “Ezra and Lily were already out, and then Pearl fell asleep.”

“What did I do?” Pearl asked slowly.

King Venclaire blinked. “You fell over on them.”

Cahal pointed the Dirt Devil at me. “Ms Ruckler started growling in her sleep, muttering something every once in a while about ‘too hot’.”

Elder Jacobs nodded. “Then Jack fell asleep.” He made a down motion. “And he fell over, too.”

King Nelson pulled at his ear. “Then Lily really started hollering.”

King Fergus shook his head, a look of absolute disbelief on his face. “How you four slept through her racket is seriously a miracle.”

“Ezra started growling when she got louder,” King Venclaire chuckled. “We didn’t see anything, but suddenly, we heard a thump.”

Elder Merrick’s eyebrows rose at the Kings and Elders, prompting, “During the middle of the second movie.”

They all nodded.

“I jumped up to check on you guys,” Antonio stated. “Apparently, Ezra had used his Vampire speed in knocking Lily to the floor, leaving Jack and Pearl to have the couch to themselves.”

King Nelson sighed. “It was blissfully silent after that.”

They stared, eyes darting back and forth between the four of us.

Jack muttered, “They’re putting us on.”

“Maybe drugged us, too,” Pearl griped.

“Lily?” Ezra asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

I chuckled, extremely embarrassed. “
Truth
. All of it.”

Elder Merrick’s nostrils were flared, ignoring me as his eyes darted over us. “That’s one hell of a blanket.” He pointed, eyebrows puckering. “Huge, in fact.” He sniffed long and hard.

Ezra and I both stilled. Oh, hell. Had we washed it recently? Not only were all four of our scents on it, which wasn’t a huge deal since we were currently all using it, but there was the tiny fact that Ezra and my combined sexual scents might remain. Just as my own nostrils flared to test the scent, a flash of golden light shone from above us. Ezra and I both grunted as we fell a few inches onto the cold floor, the blanket suddenly gone.

“I have a very large bed,” Pearl murmured, her legs swinging over the couch, barely missing stepping on Ezra and me as she stood. “Do you have an issue with that, Elder Merrick?” Her hands were on her hips as she glared at him.

His lips slowly curved. “No, Ms Cooper.” His eyes met mine. “My own bed is large.”

Pearl snorted, then nudged us with her foot, having saved our asses. “Lily, you get the Windex.”

Sighing in defeat, I muttered, “Fine.”

And so, we cleaned.

I reeked of Windex for several days afterward.

After meeting with King Kincaid, where he had given me a cell phone so he could contact me at all times, I roamed the halls of King Cave searching for Ezra, since over the past few days we had been too busy for extracurricular activities, and I was beginning to get a little itchy for some horizontal time. Pearl and Jack hadn’t been in our room, so I didn’t know where the hell anyone was at. The King had stated that all the Prodigies were receiving phones today, but I didn’t know yet their numbers to call them. It was actually pretty handy to be given these…if only I had their numbers.

Turning a corner, I stopped in my tracks, seeing the object of my carnal musings sauntering in my direction. His hooded black robe billowed out behind him, while his long legs, encased in perfectly worn denim, ate up the distance between us. Dangling from one of his hands was a black towel and his gaze was on the pool’s entrance. Watching him move, I knew why so many feared him. He was a predator by every stretch of the imagination.

And to me he looked like sex walking.

I watched as his nostrils flared. Feet faltering, his gaze immediately swung in my direction, green eyes finding me in the intimate golden lighting. He stopped moving, and his eyes flashed bright for the barest moment before he rested a shoulder against the cold, black wall. One eyebrow crooked as he cocked his head, and his eyes began to blaze with desire as they roved over me. His head straightened, and he reached out a hand, opening the door directly next to his shoulder.

Oh God, yes.

I nodded, and quickly hurried after him as he entered the room. Shutting and locking the door behind me, I saw the room was a softly lit office of sorts. Definitely a Mage’s, by the amount of gold decoration. And beautifully empty except for the sensual Vampire who was lighting the golden candles lining one wall of the small square room. There was a gold marble desk to my direct left, a row of bookshelves lining the wall to my right, and a sitting area at the end of the room with two gold and cream couches, a cream lounge couch, a golden leather chair, and a coffee table in front of the lit fireplace.

I itched my nose as Ezra blew out the long wooden match he had used to light the candles. The twinkling of firelight played across his face as he turned to me, placing the match on the long, narrow shelf of candles. As he lowered his hood, I could see his hair was mussed, but quickly forgot when he blurred, suddenly in front of me and pressing my back against the door.

Warm, strong hands ran down my sides to my hips, tiny flames leaping to life wherever he touched. Green eyes on my blue ones, his grip tightened and he lifted me, my legs automatically hooking under his robe around his waist as I grabbed his shoulders. Wide lips hovered directly in front of mine, his heated breath fanning my lips. “Is there something I can do for you, little wolf?”

“Mmm.” My lips lifted on a grin. “You can take your clothes off, for starters.”

Soft, lush lips teased closer, barely brushing mine as he spoke. “And after that?” He pressed against me enticingly, revealing his growing erection and aligning us perfectly for the act we desired.

A soft moan escaped, and I answered his question by rubbing my breasts against his chest, my eyes closing at the caress of warmth, his hard contours against my softness. “I don’t care if we’re too busy.” My lids slitted open to stare him in the eyes. “We’re gonna have to make time for this.”