Liev
“We’ve only got one room left.”
Liev narrowed his eyes at the hotel receptionist. She’d barely looked up from her phone when they’d entered, and hadn’t checked the booking records at all before snapping out her answer.
“That’s fine,” Darklis said, her voice as calm and measured as ever. “If it’s a twin, we’ll take it.”
The receptionist sighed, then shrugged her shoulders. “It’s a room. Do you want it or not? You won’t find anything cheaper, so if you want it, now’s the time. It’ll be gone in the next couple of hours.”
It was Liev’s instinct to tell this rude woman that no, they would have no need of her rooms after all, but, recalling what Darklis had told him about knocking things off, he kept his mouth shut. The last thing they needed was to get into more trouble because he couldn’t keep his temper.
“I – I suppose we’ll take it then,” Darklis said, though she sounded a little uncertain.
“Pay upfront,” the receptionist grunted as she rose, turning to grab a key from a hook on the wall behind her.
Liev looked away, not trusting himself to hold his tongue. For himself, he hoped he could have borne the woman’s insolent tone with grace. But for her to speak to Darklis that way – !
Swallowing, he studied some papers stuck to a noticeboard in the hall until Darklis had finished paying and collected the key.
“Liev?”
He turned to see Darklis looking expectantly at him.
She is so beautiful.
The thought rose into his head unbidden.
For a moment, he could only stand, staring at her, his mouth dry.
“Are you coming?” Darklis seemed to be mildly amused by his sudden immobility. Liev gave himself a quick shake. He had to keep his head together. They were in an unfamiliar city, in a potentially very dangerous situation. He couldn’t afford to get distracted.
“Of course,” he said, quickly making his way back along the hallway.
“Elevator’s busted, so you’ll have to take the stairs,” the receptionist helpfully called after them as they passed her.
Darklis stifled a laugh. “Why am I not surprised?”
The stairs were dark and smelled of things Liev decided he would prefer not to think about too closely, but it didn’t take long for them to make their way to the second floor, and from there to their rooms. Darklis had to force the key into the lock and jiggle it around before it would unlock, but at last, the door opened.
“How much did you say these rooms cost?” Liev asked as he surveyed the small, cramped room before him.
“Room,” Darklis said as she followed him inside, closing the door behind her. “And not much.”
“Only one room?” Liev said, turning back to her, a tightness in his throat, warmth in his stomach. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure this place doesn’t do suites,” Darklis said, glancing at him. “Why? I mean, it’s a bit cramped, but –”
There is only one bed.
Liev coughed. Was it him, or was it warm in here?
And why couldn’t he find the words he needed to express his discomfort?
“It is just that – I only mean to point out that –”
You are mates, a voice in his head said. You can sleep in the same bed. You should sleep in the same bed.
She doesn’t remember that! Liev snapped back at it. And we are alone here, and she has no one. Telling her now would be akin to taking advantage. I will tell her when we are safe again.
“Oh,” Darklis said, as her eyes fell on the sole single bed in the middle of the room. “I... I was sure I said I wanted a twin...”
“The receptionist said they only had the one room left,” Liev pointed out. He cleared his throat. His cheeks still felt unaccountably hot. “But in any case, it doesn’t matter. I will sleep on the floor.”
“What? No,” Darklis said, looking up at him, eyes wide. “I can’t let you do that.”
“It would be beyond the pale to allow a lady to sleep on the floor,” Liev said. “And I have slept in worse places.”
That was technically true, he supposed. He had slept on the ground in the forests of his family’s kingdom for weeks at a time when he was growing up – it had been part of his training, to toughen him up and to foster an understanding of the lands that had been his family’s home since the dawn of time.
It had been cold, miserable and dirty, and he had only been allowed to eat what he could catch in his human form. But it certainly had taught him a lot about the land and his connection to it. Liev reflected that it was a pity his parents had not thought to repeat the experience by dropping him off without resources in a human city – then he might have been of more use in their current predicament.
The room before him now was... well, it was a room, that much could be said for it at least.
The carpet and ceiling were both stained with mysterious brown marks, while the lamp had a torn shade and dangled at a sad angle from the wall, its wires exposed. The wallpaper was torn off in strips in places, and the bed sagged obviously in the middle, its coverlet ragged at the edges.
Liev wasn’t certain if he wanted to see what the bathroom was like.
As if she’d had the same thought, Darklis sidled over to the door, opening it and peeking inside.
“Ugh, no mirror, even,” she said. “Well, it was cheap at least. And... uh, thank you. For the bed.” She licked her lips, and Liev found his gaze immediately drawn to the soft, pink dart of her tongue.
She was so beautiful he could barely stand it.
Her hair was dark and fell to her waist, and her eyes dazzlingly green. If her clan’s traditional robes had only hinted at what was underneath them, the human clothes she was wearing now did nothing to hide it at all. The jeans she wore hugged her hips and behind like a glove, her long legs outlined to perfection by the faded denim. The plain t-shirt she was wearing was baggy, but he could still make out the luscious curve of her breasts beneath it. Her shoulders were broad for a woman’s, but that only increased her air of strength combined with beauty.
She was everything he could ever want.
She is my mate.
The knowledge flooded his heart with warmth.
He had been prepared to do his duty, of course. He would have married whichever suitable princess his parents picked out for him. The mated bond was sacred, of course, but as royalty Liev knew there were other things he had to consider.
Surely his parents would not deny him this, though? He was certain that once they met Darklis, once they saw her and understood how brave and strong she was, surely they would not have any objections to him marrying her and crowning her, making their bond complete?
Did it truly matter that she was not royalty, or that her clan was small and wielded virtually no power?
Well, it does not matter to me, Liev decided, fierce determination suddenly pounding through him. If his parents, for whatever reason, would not accept it, then he would simply abdicate his place in line for the throne, and make his own way with Darklis. He would join her clan, if they would have him. He was not so proud. He would become a Novak, if that’s what it would take to be with Darklis.
“Perhaps we should... um... have a shower.”
Darklis’s voice brought him back to the dingy hotel room in a rush.
“A shower?” he asked, blinking at her.
“Not together, I mean!” Darklis’s words came out in a jumbled rush. “I just mean... well, it’s a warm day, and we’ve been walking, and if we have to get that bus tomorrow it’s the last chance we’ll have to wash for... well, however long it takes to get there, and, so, I just meant –” She suddenly stopped, pulling in a deep breath. Liev found he was still too caught up in the image of Darklis wet and naked to really give much thought to anything else – and then, before he could do anything, the heat that had gathered in his belly was finding its way downward between his legs.
Coughing to cover up his discomfort, Liev turned away, hoping the evidence of just how enticing he found the thought of Darklis in the shower wasn’t showing plainly through his pants.
“I... yes, if you think that would be best,” he said quickly, hoping she couldn’t hear the slight strain in his voice. “Perhaps you should go first,” he added after a moment, when he realized he would have to turn and walk by her to get to the bathroom. And then she would definitely see the state he was in.
And besides, a prince always allowed ladies to go first.
“Sure,” Darklis said, nodding. “I’ll try not to use all the hot water.”
And with that, she turned quickly, dashing into the bathroom and closing the door hastily behind her.
Liev let out a long breath – one he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding.
A moment later, he heard the water of the shower begin to run, and he swallowed, doing his best to ignore exactly what that implied.
It is ungentlemanly, he told himself, for all the good it did to quell the tightness in his groin. He was disappointed with himself that he didn’t have more self-mastery than this.
He would have to, if he wanted to have any hope of getting through the next few days with Darklis. If their dragons didn’t come back to them in their sleep, then he was almost certain things could be rectified if they could spend some time with their hoards. If they could get Darklis to the Novak clan’s lands, then all would be well.
And then, she will remember she is my mate. After that, everything will be simple.
For now, however, he determined to focus on the problem at hand.
Or rather, not focus on it.
Taking a deep breath, Liev studiously ignored the way his erection pushed against his jeans.
This was going to be a long, hard – no, not hard, anything but hard – two days.