Waking Her Tiger (7 page)

He released her ear and kissed her, rolling her to her back. He shifted, and she made a happy sound into his mouth, returning his kiss and undulating against him. The jewellery between them was rubbing against his skin and hers.

She tasted his magic in his lips, on his tongue and felt it where his skin met hers. He pinned her hands over her head and settled between her thighs, rocking out of her and thrusting in with a slow and measured pace.

He licked at her jaw, bit at her neck, and she shivered and moaned with the motion above and inside her. He stroked her palms with his and continued to work into her with a steady determination.

This was a human instinct, a basic need to mate and start another generation. Whether it was successful or not, the instinct remained, and right now, Maddy was a huge fan.

She wove her fingers into his and held tight as the slick, hot friction became too much, and she shuddered and screamed in a hoarse wave of sound and magic.

He kept moving inside her, against her, over her. She rocked back with every thrust and held tight as he rode through her inner clasping of him and continued until her body had stilled, and she was waiting for his release to take over.

She had a long time to wait.

Suran kissed her again, nipping at her lips and holding her hands tightly. He spoke to her softly in the language he and Teebie had used. She didn’t know what he was saying, but her magic rose to blanket her skin once again.

His chuckle said that it was the response he had been looking for, and his whisper continued until she felt hands moving over every inch of her body, inside and out.

Her heart sped up; she pressed to him and wrapped her legs around him. She had to touch him the old-fashioned way. With her hands pinned, she used her legs to pull him into her.

Suran moved faster; the hands on her became rougher, and soon, she was right where she had been before, on the edge of release.

The moon was rising above them when he groaned and she bucked, moaning with her climax and holding tight to her lover.

The bed slowly landed once again, and Maddy finally caught on to why they were outside.

Suran kissed her softly and pulled out of her, cuddling her against his side and waving his arm to bring a sheet to lie over them.

He kissed her temple. “That should ease your adjustment.”

She chuckled. “You should feel a little eased as well.”

He pulled her tightly to him. “That I do. When you are ready, we will go through the basics of controlling the magic, and after that, how to work a glamour.”

“Why would I need that?”

“You want to go home, don’t you? Want to see your family again? Do you think they would adjust well to your current shade of blue?”

She raised a hand and scowled at it. “You have a point. Can we sleep now? This has been one hell of a day.”

He laughed. “It has and you had an early start. I will guard you while you sleep. Rest.”

It was a good suggestion, so she smiled and followed it.

The next three days took on a pattern of waking in his arms, renewing their connection and then working on making sure that she could keep control over her magic.

She learned to clothe herself from a pile of raw materials and spinning them into fabric and tailoring it to her taste. She also learned that Suran liked her dressed like a lady.

She would put on jeans and a t-shirt, and he would work it into a lovely dress and golden slippers.

“I do like to wear jeans.”

“You are currently a little raw. A dress is better for you. Less abrasive.” He was stern.

She wrinkled her nose and wanted to throw her breakfast at him, but he wasn’t wrong. She healed fast, but she was pushing herself to keep up with his appetites. He had a lot more staying power than she did, and until her body finished its transformation, she was going to be stuck. Her heat was going to start soon, so she was glad for the practice. Her body would be calling his to duty frequently, and it was nice to know that he could keep up when it happened.

She was sitting on his lap in a wide chair and fruit was hovering next to her when a flare of magic struck her senses.

A man appeared in front of them, and her mate pressed a kiss to her neck. “Madeline, this is King Larion. Your Highness, this is my wife, Princess Madeline Black Yffa.”

She looked at Suran. “I am a princess now?”

He kissed her pointy ear. “I am the last of my family, the last of my bloodline. That makes me the prince of the starlit sea. It is easier for King Larion to have me simply be Lord Yffa.”

Larion’s lips twitched, and his long burgundy hair was waving in the breeze. “I am pleased to meet you, Lady Yffa.”

She took the hint of Suran’s arm around her waist as a hint to stay put. It wasn’t because of his erection; he didn’t really have a bashful bone in his body.

“Suran, I need you to resume your duties. I am sorry that I could not offer more time, but there are public appearances and I need my right hand.”

Maddy snickered. Currently, that right hand was around her waist and holding her hip.

Suran sighed. “Today?”

“Please. There is a prince arriving from Europe, and I am ready for him to disturb the peace.”

Maddy felt a tingle on her skin, and she looked down to see what Suran had described as a djinn court gown. She wasn’t sure she was ready for it, but she was going to have to go out in public as a giant smurf.

He was in a tunic and trousers with boots, all black and covered with gold embroidery. Her clothing matched in colour and design.

He moved his arm, and she rose to her feet.

He stood beside her, and she noticed that he was taller than she thought he was when they were in bed together. In bed, they just fit. Standing next to him, she couldn’t figure out how.

Larion smiled, “Suran, it seems that your new wife has changed you already. Are those stripes?”

Suran growled low in his throat, took Maddy’s hand and pressed it to his lips. “She wears my marks and I wear hers.”

“Fair enough. We are meeting at the Western palace.”

Suran nodded and lifted Maddy in his arms. “We will meet you there.”

The air disappeared for a moment, and the next, they were standing in a pristine chamber lined with white marble and subtle gold veining in the stone.

Maddy whispered, “So, we are supposed to be security for Larion?”

The king appeared in the room, and he sighed in relief. “Thank you for doing this, Suran. I know you needed more time.”

Maddy laughed out loud, and it echoed in the chamber. Larion looked at her in surprise.

Suran grinned. “Madeline understands the call of duty for friends and family. She will observe and learn what the fey court entails.”

Pretentious snotbag was Maddy’s first impression of the emissary.

Madeline stood at Suran’s right hand and watched the verbal fencing between Larion and the brunette fey with golden eyes.

Prince Emertian expressed his contempt for the fey-shifter project and decreed it to be an abomination.

Suran tensed when he heard that, and suddenly, Maddy knew why Larion needed them here. Other couples around the room moved close together and held hands while glaring at Emertian.

Larion asked, “Why do you object to us mixing with shifters?”

“They are base animals. Our magic isn’t even compatible with theirs. We are the hot iron, and they are the drop of water skittering and fizzing at our touch.” Emertian sniffed in disdain.

“What if I told you that we have not only had one successful mating, we have had several successes and two blended children so far?” Larion smirked.

“They cannot possibly be true fey.”

“They are not, but they are powerful, even as infants.”

Maddy was surprised that it had been going on long enough to produce children. She scanned the crowd, and there were a few couples that smiled at each other with smug satisfaction.

With her new senses, she could see the fey, and a few were a strange combination. She looked at her hands and saw the same combination of energy with a slightly different tinge. She counted a dozen from her vantage point on the steps.

Several had a powerful and vibrant connection, others were more tepid, but all were focused on the partner standing next to them. The balance was very visible.

She smiled and listened to the pompous ass tell Larion how it couldn’t possibly work.

Finally, Larion called a halt to the proceedings and offered his guest some refreshment.

Suran followed Larion as he exited the audience room with the prince, and Madeline was in tow. Cocktails were served, and she stayed as far from the prince as she could. There was something unwholesome in the way he looked at her.

A woman nudged her. “Hello. You seem fairly new to this.”

Maddy laughed. “Can you tell?”

“It is just that I had that same messed-up look when I balanced with my mate.” The woman stuck out her hand. “My name is Yval. My husband the other darkly pigmented dude in the room.”

Maddy blinked. “Is he also a djinn?”

Yval shook her head. “No, just standard fey. Forest, I think.” She patted her belly. “I don’t know if it is a girl or a boy, but it is going to have one heckuva family tree.”

“What is your beast?”

Yval grinned. “Tasmanian devil. It still gets the better of him at mealtimes.”

Maddy covered her mouth, and she giggled. Suran’s tiger came out in bed. He had finally gotten the hang of the biting of her neck during sex, and it had definitely managed to speed things along.

Yval was smiling knowingly. “I am guessing that there have been a few characteristics from your beast that he has exhibited.”

Maddy was going to answer her, but Prince Emertian sidled up to her, reaching for her hand. Not knowing what to do, she let him take it, but she was shocked when he pressed a kiss to her knuckles before licking her while he made eye contact.

Maddy jerked her hand back. “Unacceptable behaviour, Your Highness.”

He pulled her to him. “I have never had a djinn woman before.”

Yval inhaled sharply, but Maddy was moving. Her hands were claws and her teeth were out.

“Let me go!” She shoved him, and he skidded across the floor on his butt.

Punctures marked his skin, and he looked at her in horror.

Larion shook his head. “You made the mistake of waking her tiger.”

Suran picked the prince up, and they disappeared.

Larion came to Maddy’s side, and he said, “Easy, Lady Yffa. He will return when the prince has learned his lesson.”

She flexed her fingers and let her teeth retreat. “I apologise for my lack of control, Your Highness.”

“It was well deserved. He is just lucky that your claws didn’t puncture more than his shoulders. Suran was about to use his own claws to take his head off. Your reflexes may have saved a life.”

Maddy was mildly amused that he wasn’t sure that the prince was still alive.

Yval came up to her, inclined her head to the king and made sure that Maddy was never left unattended.

There were several of the fey who had seen her shift, and they came up for introductions as the wait continued with the king watching carefully.

She was the proof that the balancing was not only feasible, it was proven. Her magic radiated out of her, but her shifter nature was intact. A few of those who came to speak with her commented on Suran’s stripes, but she just raised a brow and smiled at the next person in line.

One hour and twenty minutes later, Suran returned with the prince. She was amused the moment she saw the very shaken fey. His clothing was pristine, his skin was unmarked and he was coated with djinn magic. Suran had clawed the hell out of him and then put him back all neat and tidy.

Maddy went to her husband, and she curtsied. “Welcome back, Lord Yffa.”

“Thank you for being so quick, Lady Yffa.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her chastely.

The prince pulled his tunic straight. He bowed low. “Apologies for my forward behaviour, Lady Yffa. I was unaware of the strength of your bond.”

Maddy kept her face calm. “You should simply not chase after mated females. Well, not in this court. Some have worse things than claws.”

“I stand warned, Lady Yffa. Thank you for your understanding.”

“You have my understanding, but forgiveness will have to be earned. You had better start now. I only have a few hundred years ahead of me.” She turned her back and put her arm around Suran.

When his arm came around her, they checked that Yval and Drorik were watching Larion, and then, they made the rounds.

Maddy was wearing her wedding jewellery like she had since Teebie put it on her; it definitely made an impression.

The pride in Suran’s voice as he introduced her as his wife was unmistakable. She smiled and touched the fey that had the nerve to shake or hold her hand. They were expecting the zap of energy, but instead, they felt the hum of magic.

When the prince was off to his accommodations for the night, Larion dismissed Suran and Madeline.

Suran didn’t wait to be told again, he lifted her in his arms and she was placed on her feet on the roof of a palace.

Maddy grinned. “Is he below?”

Suran shrugged in acknowledgement. “I live where he lives, and now, we live where he lives. Our apartments are here.”

He waved his hand, and a huge structure appeared on the flat space containing wide windows all designed with ancient patterns and organic shapes.

“Very nice.”

He smiled. “I believe it is human tradition to carry you across the threshold.”

“It is, but I am not human.”

He lifted her in his arms. “Close enough.”

With his focus on introducing her to his world, he stepped across the threshold and into a home made of bright colours and attention to function.

Maddy felt at home in the strange place, and she was prepared to learn the technical aspects of her new status so that she could travel where she wanted and visit whom she wanted.

Her world had opened up, and all she had had to do was surrender everything.