Chosen Thief (13 page)

Queen Ruckler nodded
once at me. “That was pretty good. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that look on my Prodigy’s face, no matter what I’ve done to him.” She glanced at Brann and shrugged a shoulder when he turned his glare on her. “Sorry, but you did deserve it after laughing at her honest question.” Her attention came back to me. “Now, about Shifter matings: if you were a powerful Shifter, if you had an animal predator
inside you, his predator would have to prove his dominance to your predator at the simple touch of your tongues together, at the taste. If he skipped that part, as some men have no skill for foreplay, and went right for,” her lips twitched, “penetration, it would also make your predator wake up and fight back.” She shrugged a shoulder when I stared at her, trying my hardest not to have a gaping
jaw…because
she
was exactly the Shifter she was explaining, and I really didn’t want to know about her sex life. “It’s only the first time around. After that your predator recognizes the taste and doesn’t fight your partner.”

My eyebrows slowly furrowed together as I thought of something. “I’m about to ask a stupid question.” I glanced at Brann. “So no laughing, please.”

He held up his hands,
stating slowly and sincerely, “That was rude earlier. I’m sorry. Won’t happen again.”

I nodded, then I motioned to his hands, staring at them as I stated hesitantly, “You lifted me earlier like I weighed nothing, like you could do it with your pinkie and not break a sweat. I know Shifters have crazy strength, since I’ve actually seen it brutally in action before, but…” My eyes darted to his then
quickly altered to Queen Ruckler’s because that seemed safer. “You know, during the act,” I waved my hands, “you know, does a Shifter…” I waved my hands a bit more, uncomfortable to ask the question so bluntly. “Um, does a Shifter—” Brann stopped my ramblings by gently gripping my chin and turning my face toward him.

Chin tilted down slightly, he peered back at me openly as he lowered his fingers
from my face, stating, “A Shifter’s strength is a part of their power. Their magic. So, unless a Shifter purposely pushes the use of it, it isn’t used, just their normal strength like every other Mystical.”

I nodded once in a competent manner, still a little embarrassed, and went for a businesslike tone to cover it up. “Thank you for explaining.”

King Collins cleared his throat quietly. “I would
like to state, Brann, that you probably would have to be careful in the act before you learned the limits between you two because you are large, even for a Shifter, and Caro’s…well, she’s,” he paused, then he stated respectfully, “petite.”

Christ, there went my blush again, and I dutifully stared at the coffee table as Brann’s wolf growled a little, sounding irritated, before he stated sarcastically,
“Really? That never would have crossed my mind.” It was the first time I had heard that tone from him. He snorted with a bitty growl. “As if I hadn’t noticed how — and I’ll put it bluntly — damn tiny she is compared to me.”

I glared. At the coffee table. But it was still a glare. “Are we done with the sex talk?”

Queen Ruckler made a sound in her throat, then she stated, “No. I have a few more
things to say.”

Sighing heavily in humiliated irritation, I lifted my gaze to her.

When she saw we were both paying attention, she murmured, “First off, King Collins and I never had this conversation with you two. Secondly, if you happen to become pregnant, do not hesitate to come to either one of us immediately for help…because we will help you.

“And thirdly,” she hesitated, licking her lips
as she glanced away, “if you do choose to have a long-term relationship and not a one-night stand, the only saving grace to being caught is Law One. Marriage. Law One states a married couple can be kept apart only for a minimum of one year, no longer than two, although during a trial you would need to remind the Judge of this and let this person know you were married in secret to one another. Also
remember that this is not a permanent fix because even though you would be placed back together, you wouldn’t remember each other, so the outcome of this could be even worse. I’ll leave that for you to decide, if it ever gets to that point between you both.”

She sighed heavily before adding, “And lastly, you need to think about the ramifications for your people, not only if you were caught, charged,
and separated, but also if you had a lover’s quarrel or ended your relationship on bad terms. Those ruthless emotions you would feel for each other could not be acted upon in your duties as a King and Queen. Your subjects come first. They have to. And you would both need to respect that about each other.”

Silence floated about us as she stopped speaking, a heavy weight of all that had been said
in here, all of the knowledge these two had imparted on us. Even though we hadn’t even done anything together except accidentally fall asleep next to each other, I could see how they might think we had. Especially since they stated that we react to one another, an instant attraction that still boggled my mind.

And, in that moment, I realized something. These two Rulers, with their harsh dictates
throughout each and every day, truly did care about us to be imparting this type of intimate information to us. I did not really expect to have liked these two, and I actually did, even more so now that they had so bluntly, embarrassingly, and riskily, tried to help us.

I cleared my throat in the quiet, but my voice still came out distressingly soft. “Thank you. I realize how uncomfortable this
topic is to talk about and even the risks you’re taking by having this conversation with us. And even though I might not show it all the time, since I’m not used to others being honestly kind…I do appreciate the thoughtfulness and care you both obviously have for Brann and me. It means a lot to me.”

Brann growled a sniff, his voice gruff. “What she said.”

Queen Ruckler stared for a long moment,
then she blinked. “It’s always the hardasses who have the biggest hearts.” Another blink. “And me saying that isn’t a bad thing.”

King Collins grunted then cracked his neck, mumbling. “You’re both welcome.” He glanced at Queen Ruckler. “I think we’re done here.”

She blinked again with a little shake of her head, pushing off the wall. “Yes, I think we are.” Right before they exited our line of
sight, Queen Ruckler paused then added, “And quit gazing at each other like lovesick puppies in public. Save that shit for private.”

Again King Collins grunted, then they were quickly out the door, shutting it firmly but quietly behind them.

I sat still, staring at the blank, thin glass of the television. “Well…”

Brann growled a grunt. “Yeah…”

We went mute, sitting in stillness and quiet.

Cocking my head at the television, I asked bluntly, “Do you want to have sex with me?” Might as well know where we stood on the subject, since we had gone through that.

There was a long beat of silence, then Brann stated just as frankly, “From the moment I saw your face I found you attractive.” I heard him inhale deeply as I sat frozen with that gifted information, instantly turned on hearing
the actual words come from his mouth. “And you?”

Woodenly, I nodded once. “Same.”

He growled a grunt, his voice deeper than before. “Well…”

I stared at the television, trying to gain control. “Yeah…”

Again, we sat in stillness and quiet.

Glancing down, I picked at my pajama bottoms, really wishing my breathing would even out and that every time I inhaled it didn’t smell of forest. “You think
we should…” I let the question hang.

His voice half-growl, he murmured, “Probably not.”

I agreed. “It would totally screw up…our connection.” Our friendship.

“Exactly.”

“Well…”

“Yeah…” He glanced at me. “We done here?”

“Not yet. Why the hell do you smell of forest, pine, and earth, like at the beginning of a rainfall?” I inhaled again, rolling my head on my shoulders, shivering in warmth
as I dropped my face in my hands. “Christ, it’s driving me mad the way it’s strengthening.”

There was a beat of silence, then Brann rumbled a quiet chuckle. “I did shift last night, but I think it’s because I’m getting turned on, and apparently you can smell it in your own way.” A pause. “King Collins would love to know that little fact.”

I froze, then I shook my head, dispelling the worry I
had given away a spirit secret, because I hadn’t purposely divulged a spirit’s secret; my motives had been pure, no one ever having told me I could scent arousals. Although oddly, now that I thought about it, anytime I had been in bed with an Elemental since my Awakening I had scented something of their Element the more heated our sexual congress became. I just hadn’t put that little piece of the
puzzle together, and his scent, God his scent…

“Whatever it is, you smell fucking fantastic,” I groaned, banging my head on my hands. “Maybe we should try staying apart from each other for a little while.”

His wolf huffed quietly. “Good idea.”

That wise decision done, we lifted from the couch. But after opening the door we stopped dead, seeing Queen Ruckler and King Collins resting comfortably
against the wall directly across the hall not three feet away, arms crossed, intelligent gazes scanning our faces.

Queen Ruckler pushed off the wall and stated bluntly, “Number one: you’re both making the right decision to stay apart. Number two: never have a conversation like that inside a room if someone can overhear.” She tapped her ear, staring at Brann. “The only reason King Collins and
I even had that earlier conversation with you two in there is because I have sensitive hearing and could tell if anyone was nearing. Choose a spelled private room in the future for those conversations or intimacies, since you’re obviously not using your sense of smell except on her.” A pause, then a gruff order. “And number three: both of you go to your damn rooms before anyone sees you looking like
you do.”

I stared wide-eyed, since we were still rumpled from sleep, and it probably did look like we had been rolling around doing things we shouldn’t.

King Collins’s lips twitched. “And Brann,” he cleared his throat, pointing vaguely to Brann’s lower half, “do something to hide your obvious issue before you scare the house staff.”

I froze and kept my eyes straight forward, not letting them
dip, realization dawning I had never glanced down to see how turned on he was.

Standing next to me, Brann muttered a curse at King Collins, who only raised his blue eyebrows in return. He turned his back to everyone, readjusting himself and his clothing before he turned back, stating, “I think we’ve been humiliated enough today, don’t you?”

Queen Ruckler raised her arms wide. “The day’s still
young, and depending on how foolish you two are, I guess we’ll see.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Brann muttered, taking hold of my bicep and herding me past them. “We’re leaving.”

“Wrong move, yet again,” King Collins stated candidly, and we stopped abruptly with our backs to them. “Number four: do not touch each other in front of others if it’s not needed.” Brann growled, but dropped his hand from my arm,
so King Collins continued. “And number five: never leave the same fucking way. Come on, you two. Use your damn heads. I know you’re both much smarter than this when your libidos aren’t doing the thinking for you.” A pause then slow words. “In more blatant terms…Caro, turn around and go to your room the other way. And try not to look anyone in the eye, because Prodigy, you are frankly a mess right
now.”

Running a hand over my face, I turned around and glared at King Collins a moment, my inner bitch coming out to save my currently stupid-as-fuck ass, then I started marching in the other direction, brushing past them.

Even as I moved away I heard Queen Ruckler mutter quietly to King Collins, “Christ, I don’t even know how they’re walking with how badly they reek.”

“I don’t even need your
nose to know that.” King Collins paused. “Now, you were telling me something about spirit info they said in there?”

I hastened my steps before he could pull me back when Queen Ruckler undoubtedly told him what had been said.

Sin was flipping through one of the many books on the Law and politics that I had been given by King Collins to study when I walked through the door to our bedroom into the retiring room. Lying on the couch, he tilted his head past the book, green eyes scanning me from white hair to pink toenails before he again slanted his head behind the book. “Do you know how many Laws I’ve broken
and didn’t even know it? I wonder if there’s a book of records I could enter to have my name placed in it, you know, like a hall of crime, or something.”

I patted his boots where they rested at the end of the couch, and he lifted them so I could sit, then he plopped them back down on my lap. “I’m betting if there were, you would have to be charged on all counts, and unfortunately — or in my opinion,
fortunately — King Collins expunged all of your past transgressions. Not to mention that you haven’t been caught for ninety percent of your crimes, so you wouldn’t fit the bill for a hall of crime.” I tilted my head back on the couch, running a hand over my face. “I was the idiot who got caught for the big stuff.”

Respectfully, he ignored that last bit of my ramblings. “Ah, but all of the best
criminals are never found, so being charged would actually be a mark against a criminal in an upside-down, twisted version of respectability, which means I would have a decent shot,” he inhaled sharply, on a roll, “which means if there was a hall of crime, it would have to be an underground venture—”

I pinched his leg. “Don’t even think about it, Sin. We’re going clean now, remember?”

He sighed
heavily, melodramatically, then peeked over his book. “Clean, you say?”

I grunted, closing my eyes.

“My lovely Caro, if I were you, and trying to have a clean, moral lifestyle, then I wouldn’t be disappearing with a Shifter all evening and morning.” I heard him flip a few pages in the book he was reading as I groaned in defeat. “You see, if you are unaware, Law Six Zero Zero Two states—”