Unforgettable Lover (14 page)

Leonna picked up her favorite paintbrush and studied the tip. The fine hairs wouldn’t last much longer. She sighed. Although she’d miss this one, she needed to find a different brush, soon. Dipping the end into the brown pigment, she glanced at her current work, a portrait—one she’d promised a king several years ago.

The picture would take time. She wouldn’t rush to complete such an important task. The smell of the oil mixed with Nicholai’s scent and she closed her eyes, relishing the moment. She loved her caring, gentle mate. Bonding to him was the best decision she’d ever made. During the physical bonding they’d been fortunate—he’d received two black bonding bands around his throat, signifying a good, happy relationship.

A child’s laughter brought her out of her musing.
Noeh.
She glanced at her son. Even as a child, he had his father’s build, and the angle of his nose and the shape of his ears were the spitting image of his sire. His short blond hair and the contour of his blue eyes came from her. She took in a breath, and her lungs expanded so much, her chest ached. Noeh sat across from Nicholai at a small wooden table whose grain had pockmarks, evidence of its constant use. 

The worn furniture was in stark contrast to the opulence of the fine furnishings in their private chamber. In the corner was a large four-poster bed with a blue and green comforter, the colors of the royal family. Her dresser, filled with assorted bottles and grooming supplies, hugged one wall while Nicholai’s bureau sat against the other. Much taller than hers, his dresser was bare, except for his brush. A small antechamber led off to Noeh’s portion of the residence, and a hallway connected to the royal bath. 

Her paintings lined the walls—many, many paintings. Her career as an artist took off after she’d created the picture of Nicholai, despite its ruination. How much of that was due to her status as future queen, she wasn’t sure. As Nicholai often said, ‘It matters not.’ She chuckled to herself.

“How do you always manage to get the good rolls?” Nicholai pursed his lips, but the corner of his mouth crept into a grin. He looked at his son, and his eyes flecked with gold.

Leonna dipped her brush into the amber pigment, adding the touch to the painting. 

Noeh laughed. “You should try harder.” He picked up a handful of sunstones and tossed them across the table. His brow bunched in concentration while he studied the pattern the crystals created. 

A warmth radiated from her soul. As she brushed the paint onto the canvas, she moved to her own rhythm, adding fine details.

Noeh glanced at his father and sniggered. He picked up a stone and moved it to another spot on the table. The alignment of the stones was the key to winning the game. 

“Really? Un-uh. I’ve got you now.” A smile spread across Nicholai’s face, and he picked up another stone. He held it in mid-air. His smile faltered. “Wait. Um…” He bit his lip then shot a glance at Noeh. “Sneaky, sneaky…”

Noeh’s infectious laugh echoed around the chamber.

Nicholai placed the stone back on the table. “Well…shoot. You got me.” 

“Yeah! I won!” Noeh held up an orange sunstone, like the crystal was the best victory ever.

Leonna captured the moment, both in her heart and on her canvas. As she examined her work, she touched the chain around her throat. She’d painted herself into the scene, along with her necklace—the one that had brought them together.

She glanced at Nicholai, and her heart swelled. She couldn’t imagine life without him. At the passing of his father and mother, he’d assumed his role as king. He’d elected to wear his silver crown for the painting. She’d taken special care to ensure she’d detailed all the fine etchings into the portrait. 

The painting was a gift to Noeh, as much from her and Nicholai, as it was from Noeh’s grandfather. Family was important, and a sense of happiness enveloped her. To be blessed in love, that was the greatest gift of all. 

Reviews…

Enjoyed
Unforgettable Lover
? Word of mouth is critical for any author’s success. The best gift you can give an author is an honest review. Please consider putting a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or another platform of your choice to help spread the word and support an author.

Sign up for my newsletter to receive
free
short stories, deleted scenes, giveaways, and more…

I offer exclusive content to my newsletter subscribers including deleted scenes, character interviews, and more. I’m writing a “
Love in a Bottle
” series of short stories with cameo appearances from characters in the
Worlds of Lemuria: Earth colony
books. Newsletter subscribers get to read the short stories for free as they are released! 

Sign up here for my
Newsletter
or visit my website at
www.rosalieredd.com
. Don’t worry, your information won’t be shared with anyone but my muse. You can also contact me at
[email protected]
. I love to receive email from readers!

Books in the
Worlds of Lemuria: Earth Colony
series:

Novels

 - Untouchable Lover - book 1 -
Available now -
here

 - Untamable Lover - book 2 - coming May 6, 2016

Novellas

 - Unforgettable Lover 

Short Stories

 - Come to Me: A
Love in a Bottle
Short Story #1 -
Available now -
here

 - Be with Me: A
Love in a Bottle
Short Story #2 - coming April 2, 2016

Be with Me

A Love in a Bottle Short Story, #2

Available April 2, 2016…or a free read for newsletter subscribers

A Lemurian god’s love potion falls through a portal and lands in Portland, Oregon’s Forest Park. Once discovered, the alluring liquid can ignite adventure and passion, perhaps leading to a meant-to-be love for those that open it—if they're brave enough to take the risk.

Jo McCallum has a penchant for bad boys, the ones that screw up her life then run when things get tough. Charlie Ridgefield has had enough of princess-type girlfriends with mile high expectations. When Charlie stops to aid Jo and her disabled car, it’s more than the car’s engine that gets overheated.

To pre-order
Be with Me
, click
here
or sign up for my newsletter
here

Untamable Lover
,
book 2 in the
Worlds of Lemuria: Earth Colony
series featuring Demir…coming May 6, 2016! 

Turn the page for a sneak peak…

Untamable Lover - Available May 6, 2016

A World at War…

Shape-shifting Lemurian warriors battle against a deadly enemy in the dark of night. The prize—Earth’s most precious resource—water, and the fate of humankind. 

A reckless leader…

Panthera leader Demir is stuck in a coma after taking a mysterious liquid-filled dart intended for another. Trapped in his own body, memories of his reckless, violent past and his lost mate, Eleanor, haunt his mind. When Aramie, his second in command, takes control of the Pride, she makes a decision which results in devastating consequences. After Demir wakes from his coma, he must impose punishment despite his unbidden desire to claim her as his mate.

A female warrior…

Aramie honed her battle skills defending herself from males hellbent on making her a mated female, the one thing she vowed never to become. Her hidden feelings for him drive her to find a cure for his coma, but her quest results in a painful sacrifice and grief propels her into a solo mission for revenge. As Demir hunts her down and they face the enemy together, she must decide—submit to him as his mate, or lose him forever.

To pre-order
Untamable Lover
, click
here

Chapter One

Deep in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest

Present day

Demir was a hostage in his own body. Immovable, invisible bonds bound him tight. Unable to open his eyes, constant darkness engulfed him, an eerie reminder of how much he relied on his vision. His sense of sound and smell sharpened, heightened, compensated for his lack of sight and only increased the bead of frustration forming in his gut. He concentrated on his fingers, willing them to move, but they remained motionless. The smooth, cool satin sheets caused goosebumps to form on his skin, sending a mental shiver along his nerves. His supine body didn’t flinch. 

He’d been this way for weeks, ever since the enemy’s dart had penetrated his hide, poisoning him with some kind of mysterious liquid. How much longer could he stay like this and survive? The muscles in his arms and legs screamed to move, to flex, to exert the strength his body once contained. 

The familiar scent of his leather jacket hanging on a hook near his bed stirred his senses. Heated sunstones lined the cave ceiling and walls, yet even the warmth couldn’t bring him any solace. 

Tick, tick, tick.

The clock on his bedside table magnified into the tolling of a bell. He wanted to grab the thing and smash it against the rock walls. The vision of the shattered timepiece and its bits scattered across the stone floor made him smile inside. 

In his current state, he couldn’t even mark his territory. How wrong was that? As a shape-shifting Lemurian Panthera, that was torture. 

The underground Keep was as much a prison to him as his own body. He longed to be free, to search out Ram and his Gossum minions, to rid the earth of the foul beasts. The battle between the Lemurians and the Gossum had gone on for millennia. His Goddess, Alora, had placed the Panthera and the other Lemurians here to win the war to ensure Earth remained a free planet. If they failed, Earth would be enslaved, and the humans would be forced to give up their most precious resource—water. 

The echo of footsteps eased through the crack under his door. He had visitors. As the door opened, a cool breeze wafted into the room, caressing the skin on his arms. A squeaking wheel in need of some oil pierced his sensitive eardrums, grating across his nerves. Fresh and clean, the scent of soap could only mean one thing—a bath.  

Quick footsteps entered. The door clicked shut.

“Good evening, Demir.” Bet’s cheerful voice reverberated around the chamber. “I brought Til with me. It’s time for your bath.”

Demir mentally stiffened, although his body remained still. The last thing he wanted was another bath.
Grrrrrrr
. The growl echoed in his mind, but no further. 

A thin film of sweat broke over his skin. The Keep’s Jixies were back and despite their best intentions, a bath would be another lesson in humiliation. He didn’t need to go through that again. Helplessness was the worst kind of torture.

“Til, thank you for coming with me today. I can’t move him on my own.” Bet’s melodic voice only increased Demir’s anxiety, and a bead of perspiration raced over his brow, pooling along the edge of his ear.

“No problem.” Til’s words were clipped.  

The table rolled closer to Demir. The wheel squeaked and water sloshed as if over the lip of a bucket. Demir strained against the bonds, and he tried to open his eyes.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Bet asked.

Silence stretched out for several seconds. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just…I don’t know.” Til sighed.

“What is it?” Bet’s soothing, encouraging response rolled over him.

“It’s just—do you think he can hear us? Does he know what’s going on?” 

Of course he did, he heard every damn word, felt every touch. His anger boiled beneath his skin, hot and fevered. His need to break free threatened to drive him mad.

Bet shuffled across the floor, away from Demir, the sound of her soft leather shoes imprinted on his brain. “I don’t know. Gaetan told me that he hasn’t responded to any form of treatment. It’s as if he’s—”

“No, don’t say it.”

“Oh, sweetie, if you aren’t up for this, I can get someone else.”

“You’re King Noeh’s chambermaid. Why do you do this?” 

“Demir saved Noeh’s life. It’s the least I can do for this honorable male.”

He winced. Honorable was the last thing he was. He’d had a lot of time to think about why he’d taken that dart for Noeh. During a battle in the middle of a small clearing, Ram had aimed the dart straight at the Stiyaha king. Noeh hadn’t appeared to hear the click as their bitter enemy fired the gun. In his Panthera form, Demir had jumped in the projectile’s path. His impulsive choice had changed everything. If he could raise a sarcastic eyebrow, he would.