The Royal Series 0 - A Royal Archive

Chapter 8

† Braddock †

Eight hours later, Braddock walked into camp, feeling exhausted and empty.

Eryk and Amil sat by the fire, talking quietly.

Outside her tent, Yalena paced nervously, biting her nails.

Braddock had no strength left in him to explain or seek anything but the comfort of his life mate. He walked over to Yalena and ignored the shock she displayed, to cup her face and kiss her. He took no notice of the other soldiers or the stares, as his life mate responded to his kiss. All that mattered was Yalena and never again being blind to what was so clear.

Then she broke away and pressed both hands to his chest. "What happened? You look sick. Did that monster hurt you?" she asked in a panic.

He sighed and looked around at those surrounding them. This was not the place. He guided Yalena into his tent and closed the flap securely, before backing over to the bed and sinking onto it. He sat there, cold inside, wondering how the world had come to this.

A tender hand caressed the hair from his eyes, making him look up. "What did they do to you?"

Braddock met her confused gaze and cleared his throat, before beginning to talk. He explained everything, from entering the room, to discovering the real 'monster' and how he had dealt with him.

"I burned the ash once more and sank the remains into the lake, as I returned to camp. I am sure that will be the end of his wickedness, but I cannot forget the lives that were lost because I did not see sense sooner."

"Sense?" Yalena sighed and cupped her hand beneath his chin to tilt his head up. "Braddock, how could you see what no other could? I was attacked by that monster and never knew that it was our own commander. How could you see what I could not?" she asked, her eyes full of sadness and tears.

His own welled in response, until he sank forward to lay his forehead against her stomach. It was a mirror image of the last time they were truly alone together, but this time was different. Now, instead of pushing her away for her own safety, Braddock could do nothing but hold her close.

When fingers laced into his hair, he took a deep, calming breath and contemplated everything that had been clogging his thoughts lately. He could not bear to put his duties before everything else he wanted to be a part of his life.

"I cannot do this any longer, Yalena. I cannot remain in service to people I do not know, who believe they have the right to do as they wish, to whoever they wish," Braddock confessed quietly.

In the back of his mind, he knew that his complaints were pointless, but he had to voice them.

"Perhaps," Yalena began, hesitantly. "You should limit your service to the one man you truly trust. Rumours have been rife among the villages that the King seeks a personal attendant, with military expertise," she explained, gently caressing her nails over the back of his neck.

"So you believe I should become the King's assassin?" he asked, in shock.

Braddock had heard of the King's request for a personal attendant, but he also knew more people within the King's circle, who whispered about his need for an assassin. He did not know more than that, but he had more plans for his future than becoming an assassin. He wanted to get away from danger and the killing of innocents, not embroil himself in more death.

"I believe that you should utilise your skills," Yalena disagreed. "You wish to protect the innocent – humans and vampires alike – and there is no better way to do that than to be the King's man," she insisted. "You know that he and his sons are brilliant, strong men and they will do anything to protect their people. Who better to offer your skills to than the people that can ensure nothing like this will ever happen again?"

He considered her request and managed a faint smile, as he gazed into her stunning green eyes. "I will think it over. But, as of this moment, the only thing I care about is you," he confessed.

Braddock reached up to caress her face, in the same move it took to stand up and kiss her. His hand snaked around her neck, crushing her mouth to his as he felt those pert breasts against his chest and childbearing hips beneath his hands.

He felt wild and unstable, but her eager response drove all thought of slowing down or backing away from his mind. He wanted nothing but to bask in this beautiful woman that fate had deigned to make his life mate.

His lips moved of their own accord, drifting down the curve of her jaw and onto the supple skin of her neck.

Yalena moaned and her head lolled back, exposing the bare skin to him.

Braddock growled low in his throat, as an irresistible hunger coursed through his veins. Unable to fight the need, he willingly sank his teeth into the skin just above her pulse. He held her there, drinking voraciously from her wound, caressing all the curves of her body that he had longed to touch for so long.

He had dreamed of this moment a million times; of truly seeing her in her most natural form, of feeding from her, of touching her in ways that he should not. It had never quite felt like this. This was wild and untamed. This was dangerous.

Yet he could not stop.

It was improper to share this kind of passion before marriage, but he could not stop long enough to care and the sounds that escaped Yalena made it all too clear how she felt.

In his dreams, he had always been careful, even to the extent of acting as if he had no passion for her. This was too much. He was exposing himself too eagerly, putting her life at risk too willingly. He hated himself, but he just could not stop.

With a burst of speed, he moved them onto the bed, with Yalena beneath him. Braddock's hands wandered mindlessly to places he had not dared to think he may ever touch.

Their clothes were shredded and torn as they rushed to undress one another, while Braddock continued to feed. The moment their bodies came into contact, bare skin to bare skin, Yalena gasped and dipped her head further back.

Braddock licked her wound closed with a burr of pleasure and looked down at her, meeting her expressive eyes, waiting on the condemnation. He should not have been so rushed or rough with her; he should not have treated her as any other woman only there to satisfy his desire. But there was no blame, no hatred. None of the emotions he expected to see from her. Just love. Pure love.

Taking a calming breath, Braddock slowly leaned down to kiss her, hesitating just a breath away. It took a nudge from Yalena to bring them into contact, melting their mouths together in a lingering, deep kiss.

When they parted, he caressed her cheek and smiled. "I will never deny you again. I will never do anything to risk being parted from you," he promised. "I will take up the King's offer and make a home for you, where we may start a life together."

Yalena smiled and turned her head to nip the pad of his thumb. "You will take me as your wife and do anything I ask?" she checked, with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Anything at all."

"Then make love to me," she asked. "Balloch is safe with Eryk. We are alone and you need me. There is nothing that demands our attention this night, that cannot wait for another. Nothing but me," she whispered.

Braddock returned the smile and nodded. "Yes. You are very demanding indeed," he agreed, in his own round about way.

Yalena chuckled and drew him into a lingering kiss.

From that moment, he showed Yalena how loved and adored she was, as he made love to her the way she deserved. With love. With desire. With an abandon that bordered on infatuation.

All that mattered was that they were together. Finally together.

The End