The Journal Keeper (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (7 page)

He began to think of ways to make her happy with them, to make her want to stay. He didn’t want to keep her against her will, but he couldn’t imagine giving her up, either. He had to make her love Laurasia as much as he did, to make her realize she belonged with him and Nikolas. To do that, he needed to convince her there was nothing for her back in the human realm.

His thoughts went to her family, and he wondered whether she was close to them. Based on what he and Nikolas had seen during their short trip to the human realm, many families didn’t stay together. Mates separated, dividing the children between two homes. Children left home at an early age, sometimes never to return. Looking at his own parents, he couldn’t imagine never seeing them again. His parents were so much a part of who he was that he would never be able to simply leave without any contact whatsoever.

Nikolas would probably understand the ways of the humans better. He hadn’t seen his mother since his banishment from the polar clan. Dorin knew Nikolas had been shunned for attacking his mother’s new mate after his father was killed, but he didn’t know much more than that. Nikolas was a very closed-off bear, one who didn’t trust easily. Dorin had hoped that Rianne would be the key to opening him up, but it looked like he would have to work on Rianne before they could focus on Nikolas.

Sighing into his wine, he knew it was going to be a challenge, but it was one he was up for. He didn’t have any other choice.

* * * *

It was quiet as Rianne made her way back to the room she was staying in. Nikolas and Dorin accompanied her, of course, but neither one made an effort to break the silence. Rianne knew she’d upset them by saying she didn’t want to be their mate, but they had to understand that her life wasn’t in Laurasia. Her life was back in Washington, DC, and she was determined to return there, with or without their help.

She just had to figure out how.

She remembered Dorin reading off a small piece of paper right before they were transported to the woods. Maybe that was the way home. All she had to do was figure out what was on that slip of paper. Morna would probably know. It was just a matter of getting her to let Rianne have it.

“Rianne,” Dorin murmured, drawing her out of her thoughts.

She turned, surprised to find herself in front of her bedroom. Dorin had opened the door for her and stood in the hallway, waiting for her to go in. Nikolas stood across from the door, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at her. She wondered if she’d imagined his smile in the woods. He sure hadn’t smiled at her since then. In fact, he was constantly frowning at something or someone. Maybe he was just a grumpy person.

And they expected her to be his mate?

“Thank you walking me back to my room,” Rianne said, walking toward the door.

She was looking forward to a little peace and quiet to settle her thoughts, but Dorin reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Nikolas and I are on either side of you. Each of us has a door that leads to your room. If you need anything during the night, one or both of us will be there in an instant,” Dorin promised.

Rianne wasn’t sure whether or not to be grateful that they would be close throughout the night. She knew the first night of staying in a new and strange place could lead to nightmares. It had happened to her before, but she was a little perturbed that they would be able to come into her room whether she wanted them to or not.

“
Danalya
. I want to take you out tomorrow. Will you go riding with me?” Dorin asked, his hand taking hers.

“You have horses? I didn’t see any when we came in,” Rianne said, remembering looking over at the stables when Nikolas carried her through the bailey.

“If you agree to ride with me, I’ll show you.” Dorin smirked, his thumb rubbing slowly across the back of her hand.

Rianne looked at him, trying to see if he had some ulterior motive, but her curiosity got the best of her and she found herself smiling despite herself.

“All right. What time?” Rianne asked.

“Whenever you wake up. Carme will help you get ready,” Dorin said, raising the hand holding hers to brush his fingers across her cheek.

Rianne looked over to find Nikolas staring at them intently, his blue eyes practically glowing in the darkness of the hallway. His intense stare sent fire through her body, directly to the juncture between her legs. Even as Dorin pulled her close, she was unable to tear her eyes away from Nikolas.

“He wants you. He wants you just as much as I do,” Dorin murmured in her ear, pulling her closer until there wasn’t an inch between them.

Rianne gasped at the feel of his hard cock pressing against her stomach, her head falling back as his lips moved across her throat. Nikolas held her gaze the entire time, his presence an erotic reminder of how dangerous this was. Not only could anyone walk by and see them, but the feel of Dorin’s lips and hands on her skin was heady and addictive. She worried that if she let it continue, she might give in to their insistence that she stay.

As much as it pained her to, she pulled herself out of Dorin’s embrace, instantly missing the warmth found in his arms. Wrapping her own arms around herself, she backed into her room.

“I’m sorry,” Rianne whispered, unsure what exactly she was apologizing for.

“Don’t worry,
danalya
. It’s not your fault,” Dorin assured her.

Nikolas pushed off the wall, walking forward until he stood in the doorway between her and Dorin. Grabbing the door handle, he began to pull it close.

“Sleep,
capora
. You have a busy day tomorrow,” Nikolas ordered, nodding his head toward the bed.

It amazed her, the effect he had on her without even touching her. She would probably explode the second he put his hands on her. Dear God, she wouldn’t survive these two together. She had to leave.

“Goodnight,
danalya
,” Dorin murmured over Nikolas’s shoulder.

“Night,” Rianne breathed as Nikolas closed the door.

She waited, half expecting them to open the door and come into her bedroom, but the door remained closed. She ignored the part of her that was disappointed, instead turning to get ready for bed.

Carme had left a nightgown draped across the bed for her, a white cotton gown that laced up the front. As beautiful as it was, Rianne wasn’t looking forward to threading the string through each hole to keep the gown together. Instead, she stripped out of her blue gown, draping it across the back of the armchair, and began searching through the chest and armoire in her room.

The armoire contained dresses similar to the one she had worn to dinner and a few more casual gowns, but nothing that looked comfy enough to sleep in. The chest held a plethora of nightgowns, shifts, and undergarments, none of which inspired thoughts of a cozy night. Sitting on the closed lid, she gave an unhappy sigh, wishing she had grabbed a pair of flannel PJs before taking a trip to another world.

A wrapped package on the table by the fire caught her attention, and she moved to inspect it. Her name was scrawled sloppily across the top of the brown paper wrappings, making her all the more curious. The piece of twine released the paper easily as she pulled the bow, the paper falling apart as soon as the twine loosened its hold.

Gasping in delight, she picked up the pair of shorts and overly large T-shirt, clutching them to her chest. Somehow, Dorin and Nikolas had managed to steal a pair of her PJs without her noticing. Granted, the choice was a little minimal for the temperature of the castle, but she was too happy to have her own clothes to care. She slipped the T-shirt over her head and pulled the shorts on, sighing at the familiar feel.

She wondered which one had thought to grab a pair of her pajamas before leaving her apartment and decided it had to have been Dorin. Not only was he the one who mentioned taking a pair with them, but Nikolas had been all He-Man-ish with his demand that women not wear trousers. She couldn’t imagine Nikolas swiping her PJs for her.

Whoever had done it, she would have to thank them. As she settled into the huge, fluffy bed, she knew it wouldn’t be hard to fall asleep. The softness of the mattress was like sleeping on a cloud, and the blankets on top were already on their way to warming her cold toes. With all the excitement from the day, it didn’t take her long to drift off to sleep.

* * * *

Nikolas watched through a crack in the door as Rianne discovered his gift to her, watched the smile that lit up her face as she unwrapped the scandalous sleepwear. His grip on the doorframe tightened as he watched her slip the shirt over her head, hiding that delectable body from sight. He almost regretted bringing the clothing with them, but the obvious happiness on his mate’s face quickly extinguished those thoughts.

The soft glow from the fire played across her face as she settled into the oversized bed. Her body was swallowed in a mass of blankets, but he knew they would keep her warm until he and Dorin could do the job.

He had hoped to spend the night with her, but Dorin had insisted on giving her some space. He worried the two of them would end up crowding her. Nikolas didn’t agree with his friend’s choice but chose to go along with it. At least for now.

Soon, though. Soon he would spend the night wrapped around her soft body, feeling her breathe as he wrapped his arms around her. He ached to do it then, to slip underneath the covers with her and hold her throughout the night, but an image of Dorin kissing her popped into his head and he couldn’t.

Dorin had the right to claim her first, to be with her. Nikolas was just the third, only a part of the mating trio because his friend feared Nikolas would fade away without a mate. Dorin still thought Nikolas shared his race’s view on mating, but the truth was, Nikolas didn’t care what his mate was. As long as she loved him as much as he loved her, Nikolas would be happy. Dorin’s decision to join the two of them had come as a shock to Nikolas, but he hadn’t denied his request. Nikolas still wondered if he had made the wrong choice, if he maybe should have protested the joining, but it was too late. Nikolas and Dorin were bonded, and they would share a mate.

He shook the thoughts away and simply watched Rianne sleep, mesmerized by the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her lips were slightly parted, but no sound emerged as she slept.

After staring at her for a while, he slid the door closed, shutting himself in darkness. His superior eyes could easily navigate the darkened room, but even without, he knew the room like the back of his paw. The walls were green, like the forest in summer. His chair sat by the fireplace on the opposite side from where he stood. His bed was to his left, a chest at the foot. The only other furniture was a bookcase by the windows, filled with novels from Laurasia, Gondwanaland, and the human realm. Walking over, he fingered
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
, wondering if Rianne would like to read some of the texts he’d managed to snatch from the portal travelers.

Grabbing a random book from the shelves, he moved across the room to sit in his chair. A log thrown into the fireplace had a flame shooting up from the embers. Settling in for a read, he tried to clear his mind of images of the woman sleeping just a room away.

Rianne wasn’t sure what woke her up first, the sunlight streaming through the window or the soft humming from Carme as she straightened the room. With a contented yawn, she sat up, stretching her limbs until they gave a satisfying pop.

“Good morning, dear. I trust you slept well?” Carme asked, smiling as she moved to help Rianne out of bed.

“Wonderfully, thank you. That bed is magic, I swear,” Rianne grinned.

“Not quite,” Carme laughed, moving to make the bed.

Rianne spotted a tray sitting in front of the fire, filled with what looked like fruit, toast, and juice. Her stomach rumbled appreciatively as she picked up a piece of toast and began nibbling on the buttery bread. If Carme was surprised by her choice in sleepwear, the woman didn’t comment, for which Rianne was grateful. She wasn’t sure what the people of this world would think of her more forward-thinking attire, but she didn’t think Nikolas or Dorin would have brought it with them if the outfit would cause problems.

“All right, now, the prince told me he was taking you riding today, so you’ll need something that’s easy to move in,” Carme muttered to herself as she looked through the armoire.

“And, of course, he won’t let me wear pants,” Rianne sighed, smiling wryly as she popped a piece of fruit into her mouth.

“Afraid not, though I doubt he would deny you if it was something you really wanted. I’m sure with enough pressure, he would allow you at least one pair,” Carme offered, smiling devilishly.

“Maybe.” Rianne shrugged, unwilling to admit she hoped to have her own clothes back soon and wouldn’t need Dorin’s permission to wear them.

Carme gave her a saddened look, as if she knew what Rianne was thinking. Instead of saying anything, Carme pulled a minty-green riding gown from the back of the armoire, the skirt thick and full to allow for riding sidesaddle.

“It’s beautiful,” Rianne breathed, fingering the dark-green hem.

“Let’s see if it’ll fit,” Carme suggested.

Surprisingly, Rianne wasn’t embarrassed to undress in front of Carme. It reminded her of gym class in grade school, having to change into a uniform in front of all the other girls. Some girls had gone into the showers or the bathroom stalls to change, but Rianne had always dressed by the lockers. She figured everyone had something they were self-conscious about. Who would notice the stretch marks on her thighs and the few extra pounds around her stomach when everyone was too busy focusing on their own insecurities? Getting dressed in front of Carme was even easier because it was usual and ordinary for the other woman to help someone get dressed. It was her job.

“Perfect,” Carme claimed, stepping back to examine the gown.