Shadow
Chapter Twenty-Eight

Raedwulf Dolph

The maid led us down to the dinning hall, not nearly as filled as it was the previous time. Rikki stood by the door, bowing to us before following us into the hall. The entirety of the Torbet family waited before us, bowing as we entered.

“You need not bow,” Idonia speaks before me. “We are family.”

Aeral Torbet stood, looking to me for clarification, “Of course, she is right.”

“Then you must call me Trym, if it pleases you,” Aeral Torbet offers me his hand, like he would his equal. I take it and nod firmly at the man that will be my pup’s grandfather.

“And you must call me Raedwulf.”

“Done and done.”

With that, we all sat at the grand table. The Aeral, Trym, sat at the head of the table, his mate to his right and me to the left. Down the table sat the five sons, and on my side is Idonia and Rikki. The Aeren glared wildly at my mate as she sad across form him.

“Pardon me, if you’ll remind me of your name, Aeren,” I drew his attention from Idonia to me.

“Eske Torbet,” his voice is filled with spite for my asking. He appeared more like his mother than his father. No black hair, but a deep brown. His eyes not a shinning blue, but a color similar to mud.

“Of course,” I give him the most courteous smile I can at the male I know is spiteful against my mate, his own sister. “Aeren Eske, future Aeral of Theris.”

“And brother to the future Khannun,” Olen adds with a bright smile. “Aren’t we all?”

“Of course, Olen,” I look down at the boy who sat alone at the end of the table. “You have ten years, correct?”

“Yes,” Olen nods. “My birth celebration is in only a few months time.”

“I remember when my brothers had reached your age. On their eleventh birth celebration my Uncle Ragnvald gave them each a colt to train.” Under the table, I grab Idonia’s hand; she squeezes mine.

“Well here we let the horsemen train our animals,” Eske scowls and grumbles, staring at me.

“That is not what Idonia has told me. Her mare seems the perfect animal and was trained by her own hand.”

“A calm horse perfect for a lady, not a Viker,” Eske continues, practically begging me to stand up and hit him.

“You’re of course, correct brother,” Idonai says calmly, gripping my hand more to stop the standoff between us. She gave a sickening smile to her brother. “I am no Viker by rite, but I have killed one more shadowbeast then you have managed.”

Her words brought a real smile to my face, and I have to hold back my laughter. Rikki chokes on his wine, coughing at the hostile conversation between us.

“Tell us more about your family, Khanel,” Aeralea speaks up, cutting off the tension surrounding the table.

The evening continues with small talk. Olen chimes in often, which I presume is unusual based on his mother’s reaction. He seems so much like his sister, often quiet in the group setting, but once he is engaged with his mouth shoots off like an arrow to the target. Idonia seems more relaxed with her other brothers, especially the one closest to her age who sat by Olen.

Dinner was served in four courses, a much heavier meal then we’ve had since leaving. There was cheeses and meats, turtle soup, roasted duck, and warm fruit pudding. The Aeren speaks very little during the courses, deciding to focus on his food then his sister or myself.

After the meal, Rikki escorts us back to the room with Idonia’s guidance of the pathways. Once there, Rikki hugs Idonia tightly saying, “I am so grateful you both have returned. What happened to you ?”

“We can speak of it during our trip to Bethlianna,” Idonia promises him. “We have a long journey and should rest. You are dismissed.”

Rikki leaves and we go inside the room. Once the door is closed, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her back into my chest. “You will make a great Khanea.”

“How do you know?” she softly asks.

“I just do,” I mutter into her neck. She let out a ragged breath as I move my hands. Burning a way up her hips, barely brushing the mounds of her breasts, then landing on her shoulders. I make quick work of the brass buckles that kept her shawl in place, abandoning the fabric on a nearby chair. “You look so beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you,” she tilts her head to one side, exposing her neck to me.

“You’re more beautiful without any clothes on,” I let out a playful growl, pulling at the leather tie that kept her dress up. It held tight, making it hard to stick my fingers under them to loosen them. The fabric slowly releases from her body, slipping off her shoulders with my help. When she stood there in just her shift and stocking, Idonia turns to face me.

A slick smirk plays on her lips. Her hands reach for the leather ties on my vest. It takes less time to undress me as my clothes were slightly less complex than hers. When I stood naked in front of my mate, she removed her shift herself.

I had seen my mate naked a few times, but in the candlelight of the room, she looks more beautiful than every before. I caress her cheek and coo, “So beautiful.” My lips meet her pink ones before my tongue invades her mouth. Her fingers wrap themselves in my red hair.

She jumps, wrapping her legs around me as I catch her in my arms. We move over to the bed where I lay her down. As I climb on top of my mate, I kiss up her body starting with her stomach, sucking each of her peaking nipples, and finishing with the column of her neck.

“Rae,” Idonia gasps, bucking her hips as one of my hands cups her mound. Her black hair extended down to her most intimate of places. She whimpers slightly as I spread her slit and graze one of my fingers over her wet cunt.

“Do you want this?” I ask her, mumbling into her ear. My beast growls at me for stopping the mating, but I need to know she wants this. I wouldn’t be a male that forces their mate to love them through a completed bond.

Idonia looks up at me, her eyes shining in complete vulnerability. Her hands reach up and cup my face. She pulls my head down, kissing me deeply before staring at me with this deep ocean eyes. “I want you, Rae. Every part of you.”

I kiss her fiercely, while pressing my shaft against her wet puss. She moans loudly as I kiss down her neck, the fangs of my beast pressing through my gums. They scarp against her skin as I press inside her. Her mouth whimpers as her body squirms slightly.

I had heard that mating can hurt the female. Her legs grip my hips, tense. “Calm, my love,” I whisper to her, gripping her knees and pressing them open. Her legs relax slightly as I hold them to the bed. I bury my cock deeper inside her, watching she she gripped the bed sheets.

I pull out, before quickly thrusting back inside her. Idonia moans, bucking her hips. Her response makes me grin, repeating my motion. I do this over again, watching as she enjoys the act with trusting hips and moaning lips.

She keeps her eyes closed though. I lean over her body, grabbing her hands from the bed and pinning them over her head. “Open your eyes, my love.” Her eyes open, instead of blue they shine a honey amber. I watch her watching me as I continue plunging my hard cock into her wet, warm hole.

Her hands struggle against my hold, but I keep her in place. The moans of both of us fill the room. My pace speeds up, her puss clenching around my cock. Lips and fangs meet her neck again. Idonia is close to finishing, to feeling the peek of pleasure as I mark her as my own. As my Khanelea.

She screams, her legs shaking as my fangs break the skin on her neck. Warm, wet liquid gushes out of her puss before I finish inside of her, my seed shooting into her womb.

Blood trickles down her neck, by I quickly lick the mark clean.

When I do finally pull out, white liquid trickles out with it. I sit on the bed, pulling Idonia into my lap where she rests her head against my chest.

“Did it hurt too bad, my love?”

“At first it did, then it felt so good,” she sighs, kissing my peck.

“You are mine forever.”

“And you are mine.”