Summer of Frost Read online

  Sighing, I said, “I understand, Sarette, but if he so much as tries to get under my skin I’m going to kick his ass. He knows I can do it, too.”

  She snickered and squeezed me tighter. “I won’t let him bother you. I don’t think he’s gotten over the embarrassment of you beating the shit out of him in front of everyone.”

  “No, I don’t believe he has, and neither has anyone else who saw me take the mighty Alston down,” I cackled, releasing Sarette from my arms. I may not care for Alston anymore, but he was her family, and that was something that would never change. Unfortunately, I was going to have to grin and bear it.

  “Are we okay?” Sarette asked sheepishly. “I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

  I nodded. “Yes, of course we’re okay. Now that I’ve got my anger out I’ll leave you be. Will you be by later? I could teach you how to throw a spear, or maybe even get Aric to show you some moves.” I waggled my eyebrows when I mentioned Aric’s name. Sarette has had a crush on him for ages, and I’d been trying to get them together.

  Her eyes went wide and she licked her lips. He happened to be one of the best warriors we had, and the one with the most flattering reputation as well. He was never short on women, but that didn’t seem to bother Sarette in the least. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t partaken in a little fun with the warrior myself. He was the one who taught me how to kiss, and even to this day Aric and I still joke about it.

  “Can you please keep those thoughts to yourself? I see enough of you and Drake in your mind as it is.” Oren had his arms crossed over his chest with a look of disgust on his face.

  Laughing, I turned to him. “I’m sorry. I’ll work on it.”

  Sarette saw the exchange and narrowed her eyes. “You better not be talking about me you two.”

  Oren smiled and sarcastically said, “No, I just got some images in my head of the infamous Aric. Personally, I don’t see why you would waste your time with him, but by all means go for it. I just thought you might not want to be known as one of Aric’s conquests.”

  I smacked his arm and gave him one of my ‘shut the hell up’ looks. Sarette didn’t seem to mind, and waved Oren off dismissively. “I would be more than happy to get some moves by Aric. I’ll be by later, so tell him to wait for me?”

  “Of course!” I grinned, pinning Oren with a steely glare.

  Before Sarette was about to close the door, her mouth fell open and she gasped. She lifted her hand and pointed to something off in the distance. “What the hell?” she whispered in awe.

  Oren and I both turned around quickly, him grabbing his sword while I grasped my spear thinking there was danger coming, but what we saw in the direction of Sarette’s gaze was definitely dangerous, although not to us. Frozen in place, I stared at the majestic sight off in the distance, flying straight toward our court.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Oren asked.

  My smile grew wider and I nodded. “I do believe so.”

  I watched in awe as Drake flew over my court in dragon form. It was amazing, yet terrifying. He was huge, and I found it fascinating how someone my size could change their body to be something of twice the magnitude of an elephant. There were no other creatures in our land with those massive proportions. His reddish and gold dragon skin contrasted greatly with the stark white background of the Winter Court, making him stand out like the magnificent creature he was. It was interesting because his skin was the same color as his hair when he was in his normal form, all red with tints of gold like the setting sun in the Summer Court. Maybe one day I’d be able to see that setting sun.

  Drake had told me numerous times in our dreams how he flies with Ariella, and how each time he secretly wished she would choose to fly over the Winter Court. It looked like he finally got his wish. I knew he saw me, because even from high up in the sky I could tell his slit-like pupils were transfixed on me, just like mine were transfixed on him. He circled above a few times before guiding his wings in the direction back to his court. Ariella waved at us from above, and I waved back, secretly jealous that it wasn’t me riding up there. I must admit, it had to be fun to be able to fly.

  After the spectacle was over, Oren and I headed back to the palace where we separated ways so I could relax for the evening. Night couldn’t come soon enough. When it did, I nestled deep within the confines of my bed, falling into a much needed and anticipated sleep, bringing Drake along with me.

  I began the dream playing one of Drake’s favorite songs on my harp. The setting for our rendezvous was my room in the Winter Palace, and I was sitting on the crimson, velvety seat that sat in the corner by the window. The soft, sensual melody of the song I wrote specially for Drake echoed throughout the expanse of the room. Only Drake, Sarette, and Oren knew of my love for the harp, and in my dreams I could play it freely. It’s one of the only things that relaxed me from the stress of Winter Court life.

  The strings thrummed along my fingertips as I played each note, gracefully and with ease. The music was hypnotic as I closed my eyes, soaking in the sounds, and it wasn’t long before I was able to lose myself in it. The veil to the dream world began to thin, and I could feel Drake getting closer the more I played. I sensed him behind me, inching closer, until finally his arms enclose my waist.

  “Is it bad that I live my life looking forward to the night?” he asked huskily, nuzzling his face in my hair. His hand swept it off my shoulder, and he laid a soft, warm kiss at the nape of my neck. I shuddered as the chills ran down my body.

  “No, because I’m the same way,” I confessed, moving away from the harp so I could stand in front of him. Taking my face in his hands, he crushed his lips to mine … wanting and needing. Running my hands through his hair, I tugged him closer, opening my lips further and allowing more of him to enter. His tongue was demanding yet sweet as he feverishly claimed me for his own.

  Leaning away from the kiss, I placed my hands on his chest, giving a light push. I’d wanted to tell him for a long time now that these dreams were real, but I knew he wouldn’t believe me, not without solid proof. This was just a dream world to him, but I was ready to tell him.

  Drake’s eyes were full of concern when he studied me. “Why did you pull away?”

  Averting my eyes to the floor, I took a few seconds to think of the questions I wanted to ask him before I looked at him again. “Drake?” I asked.

  “Hmm ...” he replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “Do you find it odd that you dream about me every night?”

  He narrowed his eyes in concentration, and shrugged. “I hadn’t really thought about it like that. I guess it is a little strange, but I’m not complaining.” He distracted me by dipping his head lower to graze his lips along my jaw and down to my neck. I sighed in contentment, and for a moment I let myself lose all train of thought while Drake ran his hands all over my body, rubbing and caressing.

  “You’re making it hard for me to think,” I chastised him playfully.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered in my ear. “It’s just … I’ve missed you.”

  I chuckled lightly. “You just saw me last night, but if it makes you feel better, I’ve missed you, too. What do you want to do tonight? We’ve travelled all over the world and done everything humanly possible. I guess we need to think of new things to do.”

  His eyes grew dangerously dark, the gray in them swirling like the mist on stormy seas. He pulled me tighter against his body, his gaze full of want and need, and it didn’t take long to figure out where this was going to lead. He bent down, lips almost touching mine, and murmured against them, “I think you know what I want to do.”

  I bit my lower lip, but he released it by taking it in his mouth and sucking it, hard. I sagged in his arms, knowing my window of opportunity to tell him the truth had just flown away. I was falling way too fast, getting in deeper and deeper. The more we did this, the harder it was not to tell him the truth. How were things going to be when I saw him in person again and told hi
m? We’ve spent the past ten months getting to know each other in our dreams, but would he see it as a violation into his life, or would he welcome it? I know his wants, needs, and fears, just like he knows mine. There isn’t another person in all the Land of the Fae that knows each other better than we know each other. Will things be the same when it’s all revealed?

  Drake looked down at my dress and smiled. He took a finger and lightly dipped it inside one of the straps, touching my bare skin. It sent chills down my whole body. “You look amazing in blue.”

  Blue is his favorite color, so obviously, I picked it out for him and he knew it. I could tell by the sly smile on his face when he mentioned it. Drake pulled the straps of my gown down off my shoulders, and lightly tugged it to where it settled below my bare breasts. My chest heaved up and down with my erratic breathing while his touches left me aching for more. He circled his thumb over my nipple and smiled when I moaned under his touch.

  “Drake, there’s something I need to tell you,” I whispered.

  “What is it, beautiful?” he asked.

  I was trying to think clearly, but when he trailed his tongue down my neck and to the mound of my breast, I lost all train of thought. Getting on his knees, he cupped my ass and pulled me to him so my full and heavy breasts were right in front of him. My fingers tangled in his hair as he licked and sucked on my nipple, biting every now and again. If it weren’t for him holding me up, I would’ve crumbled to the floor.

  Drake left my breast and kissed a path down my stomach, sliding my dress down with him until it pooled on the floor. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured softly.

  Panting and heated to the core, I grew weak at his words. Even his voice turned me on. He stood again, and as determined as I was, I began to remove his clothes, not wanting to wait any longer. His shirt and pants were gone in the blink of an eye, and he was standing before me, naked and hard as a rock.

  The expression on his face was smoldering as he looked up and down my body. Still standing, he cupped me gently, rubbing against my core, before slowly entering his fingers into my slick, wet heat. Gripping him tightly, we both moaned together feverishly while I moved against his hand. He worked his fingers faster, and I screamed out with my orgasm, not caring how loud I was. We were alone, just me and him, in our dream world.

  Drake lifted me in his arms and carried me to the bed, laying me down gently. “Did that feel good?” he asked, grinning triumphantly.

  “Amazing,” I admitted wholeheartedly, breathing hard and shuddering from the orgasm.

  He climbed up on the bed and pushed my legs apart with his knee, settling his weight lightly upon me. I moaned in anticipation when I felt the hardness of his cock pressed against my leg. “What is it you needed to tell me?” Drake asked softly.

  He leaned down and kissed me gently, and opened my mouth further by sliding in his tongue. His taste was too intoxicating, too demanding. How could I answer anything when I could barely think? All I wanted was him, here … now … always.

  Breaking away from the kiss, I answered with a lie, “It’s not important. I can tell you later. All I want is you, and nothing else.”

  He stared at me for a second, doubting, and when I smiled at him reassuringly he brushed it off and continued the slow torture of my body. “Are you ready?”

  To answer his question, I frantically bestowed bruising kisses upon his lips, hoping he would get the picture. He growled low in my ear, and with one gentle thrust he entered me fully. Arching off the bed, I grabbed his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his waist. We had fooled around in our dreams, but we’d never gotten this far. There were many times when we came close, but it never felt right until now. No matter what happened after this, he needed to know the truth. I had to tell him.

  “Are you okay? I’m not hurting you, am I?” he asked hesitantly.

  I smiled. “I’m more than okay, and it feels amazing.”

  Moving my hips in tune with his, we settled on a rhythm; deep and slow, yet raging with passion. His cock pulsed inside my body, letting me know he was close. Gripping him tighter with my legs, I moved my hips faster, spurring on my own orgasm to explode.

  “Fucking hell … Sorcha! I’m going to come.”

  “Keep going,” I urged him.

  My orgasm was close, and the moment it exploded through my body I arched off the bed, raking my nails down Drake’s back as he gripped me tighter, releasing his own pleasures inside my body. Drake collapsed on top of me, breathing hard and still heavy between my legs. He kissed me on the lips, and I could taste the salty dew of his sweat, reminding me how hard he worked to pleasure my body.

  “You are amazing!” he told me, taking his hands and placing them on the sides of my face.

  “So are you,” I answered back breathlessly.

  He stared at me for a few minutes, and when he finally opened his mouth to speak, he slowly began to disappear. Dammit! He couldn’t go now, not yet!

  “Sorcha, I …”

  He faded away before he was able to tell me the rest. In my heart I knew what he was going to say, or at least what I hoped he was going to say, but in my head it was screaming that I’d gotten in too deep. What had I done?

  I bolted out of the dream when a loud knock came from someone at my bedroom door. Groaning, I got out of bed and stomped to the door, determined to kill whoever it was that interrupted what had to be the most amazing dream.

  “This better be good!” I yelled, opening the door.

  The person who greeted me was none other than my pain in the ass sister, Ariella, with the biggest smirk on her face. “My, my … look who got up on the wrong side of the bed,” she teased.

  “What do you want?” I grumbled, turning away and heading back to the bed. Collapsing on top, I took a deep breath. There was no way I was going to be able to get back to the dream.

  “You need to get dressed. We’re going to the Spring Court,” she called out impatiently, throwing a bundle of clothes at me.

  Lifting my head, I spied her rummaging through my drawers and putting clothes into my satchel. “Have the little ones come yet?” I asked.

  “Almost!” Ariella exclaimed, waving her hands in the air. “I want to get there before they do! Now hurry up! I have your clothes packed.”

  Once Ariella left, I sat there thinking about everything that was happening. This was going to be my chance to see Sorcha! She had to be there, I just knew it. I got dressed quickly and had a group of warriors prepped and ready to go in a matter of minutes. We would arrive at the Spring Court no later than that afternoon.

  When we passed through the Spring Court gates, Ariella galloped the rest of the way to the front of the palace, where she abandoned her horse and scurried inside. Ashur, Meliantha’s guardian, was standing on the steps and came to greet me.

  “It’s a pleasure to see you, Your Highness,” Ashur acknowledged, bowing slightly.

  “Same to you,” I replied. “Are we in time? Ariella had to make sure she got here before the twins came.”

  Ashur laughed. “You were almost too late. She’s actually having them now.” His brows furrowed, and he winced. “As a matter of fact, Meliantha is doing her best to shield her pain, but she’s not really doing it so well. I thank the heavens every day that I’m not a woman.”

  I nodded in agreement. “You and me both, Guardian.”

  Ashur guided me into the palace and through several corridors. I was expecting to hear screams of pain, but as I approached the room all I could hear were screams of joy. Ryder was standing outside the door when I sidled up. “Couldn’t handle it in there?” I joked.

  Ryder turned around and laughed. “Once the babies started coming I hightailed it out of there. I’m sure Kalen was fine without the moral support.”

  “I bet his pansy ass fainted.” I laughed.

  Ryder clapped his hand on my shoulder. “Just wait until it happens to you, my friend.”

  At that moment, Ariella burst out of the room laughing and c
rying. She ran up to me and pulled me by the arm and into the room while Ryder followed. Everyone was smiling as they looked upon the two little babes wrapped in blankets. Elvena cleared away all the bloody linens and smiled at me before leaving the room. My twin sister, Calista, was being the mother hen, as always, dabbing a washcloth over Meliantha’s forehead and helping her to drink a cup of water.

  Kalen was sitting on the bed, staring at the bundle in his arms in awe. Meliantha smiled over at him, but when her gaze found mine she called me over, beckoning me excitedly. “Drake! You have to see this,” she said jubilantly.

  When I walked over and glimpsed the babe in her arms, I couldn’t help but beam at what I saw. “Red hair,” I sighed.

  Meliantha grinned. “Just like us. His name is Kale, and your niece’s name is Lia.”

  “Beautiful names, sister,” I whispered, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

  Calista took this time and stood up to give me a hug. “Dad is going to be thrilled to know his red hair was passed down.” She laughed. “Are Mom and Dad coming?”

  I nodded. “They’ll be here tomorrow. Ariella was in too much of a hurry to wait on them,” I said, shooting Ariella an exasperated glare.

  Ariella shrugged noncommittally. “Sorry, you all know I’m not very patient.”

  “That’s for damn sure,” Calista agreed with a smile on her face.

  Calista and Ariella bantered back and forth, making everyone laugh, but there was another matter that was eating away inside me. Impatient as I was, I had to know if Sorcha was going to make an appearance. Sounding as non-interested as I could, I directed my question to Kalen. “Is your family coming?” I asked him.

  Kalen smiled at his daughter before answering me. “Oh yes, they’re coming. Calista sent Nixie out there to tell them this morning, but only Brayden and Sorcha are able to come early.”