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  "What?" He frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

  "Gray, that's…that's not going to fit. I am tiny. You're going to split me in two!" I was mortified to even say it, but I had to. I'd never seen a naked man before, but surely this wasn't normal.

  He laughed, though, clearly not concerned about it. That should have annoyed me, that he wasn't listening to my worries, but it relaxed me somewhat. If he wasn't worried, then I probably didn't need to be, right? After all, he had his generational knowledge to fall back on, and I knew nothing.

  "Oh, varina. Much as I enjoyed the thought of torturing you, as you put it, that was not the only reason. I made sure you were ready for me, so you don't have to worry about that," he said, cupping my cheek gently in his hand. "I would never hurt you. Do you trust me?"

  I nodded, my eyes still wide. "I trust you."

  "Thank you," he murmured, bending to take my lips in a sweet, gentle kiss. He lifted me, his hands on my thighs, spreading me so that I straddled him, and then turned so that he could sit on the bed. He scooted back so that he was pressed against the headboard and rested me more fully against him.

  I felt his cock part my pussy lips, pressing against my swollen clit, and I moaned, unable to stop myself from rocking my hips against him. He groaned as well, thrusting up against me, and a wave of pleasure washed over me.

  "You're in control now, sweetheart," he said. "When you're ready, you can put me inside of you, and you can go as slow as you need to. That way you don't need to worry about anything. You can stop if you need to."

  My heart lurched, beating a little faster, at the thoughtfulness of what he was offering. He wanted me to be comfortable. He cared about how I felt in this.

  I rose up onto my knees, blushing as I reached between us to grip his hard length. I couldn't wrap my fingers all the way around him, he was so thick, but I did my best.

  "Look at me, varina. I want to look into your eyes as I fill you."

  I made a small sound and dragged my eyes back up to his, my breathing quickening. "Gray…"

  "It's all right, love. Go as slow as you need to."

  I nodded, bolstered by his reassurance, and fitted the head of his cock against my opening. I bit my lip, unable to help the little tremor of apprehension—this was something I'd never even dreamed I would do, never thought I would want to do, and I was still uncertain that he would fit inside of me, but I didn't want to stop.

  I needed him inside of me. It wasn’t just a desire, it was a compulsion. My body was burning for his, and I felt like I would just die if I didn't finally have him, after all that he'd put me through to get here.

  After a moment of hesitation, I slid down, taking the first inch of him inside, and moaned deeply at the sudden sensation of being filled. He was stretching my inner walls, pushing me to my limits, but it felt so good.

  "Oh, sweetheart, stop," he said, brushing a hand against my thigh.

  "What? What's wrong?" I froze.

  "Nothing, shhh, don't worry. It's just the matter of your maidenhead."

  "My what?"

  He seemed to try to hide a grin. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize no one had told you. There's a barrier, inside of you, and it'll hurt a little when it breaks. I know we said we could go as slow as you want, but from what I understand, it might be best to do it as quickly as possible rather than dragging out the sensation."

  "Oh," I whispered. "I didn't know anything about that."

  "I completely forgot. I'm so sorry."

  "No, no, it's all right," I said, taking a deep breath.

  "Do you need to stop for a moment, to think about this?"

  I shook my head. "No! I don't want to stop, Gray, it feels so good, so right, to have you inside of me. I want more. And…and I know you aren't going to break me. You're inside of me now. I trust you. I don't think I can do it, though. I think I'll freeze if it hurts, so…I need you to do it."

  "All right. Come here," he said, gesturing for me to come closer to him.

  I did so immediately, leaning forward and pressing chest to chest against him, but I was so short that my face settled in the crook of his neck.

  He ran a hand up and down my back, murmuring soft, soothing words.

  "I'm going to thrust inside of you now, darling. It'll be over in just a moment."

  "All right," I said, my voice shaky.

  He took hold of my hips with both hands, pulled back just a little, and then thrust up into me with one fast, fluid motion. I felt a sharp pain inside of me, a tearing sensation, and I whimpered, biting into his shoulder on reflex to muffle the sound. He went still inside of me, as if he didn't dare to move.

  "Nina, I need you to release," he said, his voice tight.

  Immediately, I did, but I still didn't dare to move, afraid that more pain would follow. "Sorry."

  "It's all right, sweetheart, but…you know what biting does to me," he said, taking in a steadying breath. "All right. When you're ready, you can move. Take your time."

  I nodded, but still I didn't move, allowing my body to adjust to the size of him inside me. The pain of my maiden barrier breaking was fading, and now it was just the slight…not pain, but more of a delicious ache, that came with him stretching me to fit inside of me.

  Experimentally, I rose slowly up, not all the way to my knees, and then came back down again. I moaned at the delicious sensation that came with it and did it again. And again.

  The pain of before was rapidly forgotten at the feel of him inside of me, at the way my muscles tightened around him to hold him inside of me, not wanting to let him go, at the pleasure that came every time he hit bottom inside of me.

  "Why…why aren't you…moving?" I panted, breathless from the pleasure that was rapidly overcoming me.

  "Didn't want to startle you, varina. I told you, it's your call now."

  "Move with me, Gray. I want to feel you moving inside of me. Make love to me."

  He growled, wrapping his arm around my back and pulling me back against him, his hips moving back and then thrusting up into me again. We found a rhythm, pulling away and then meeting one another again, and god, but it felt so sinfully good. Nothing could ever feel this good.

  I never wanted it to stop, but I could feel myself climbing toward the peak again—the feel of him moving inside of me and the angle he had me held against him had my clit pressing against him, applying pressure with every thrust, driving me insane.

  "Gray…I'm…I think I'm going to…"

  "Come with me, varina."

  "Bite me, Gray! Bite me, bind me, mate me," I pleaded.

  "Gods, yes, varina, yes," he groaned, lifting one hand to his neck and slicing a sharp cut into it, so that I could feed on him as he did on me. And then he was bending his head to my neck, and I eagerly went to his.

  We couldn't have timed it more perfectly if we'd actually counted down. My teeth clamped around the skin that surrounded the cut he'd made for me, pulling the skin together and sucking on his neck to pull his blood out and into me. And at the same time, he sank his fangs deep into my neck, feeding on me.

  His bite triggered my orgasm, but I wasn't just flying this time. He was with me. I could feel him pulsing inside of me, but I could also feel him in my mind. I felt our souls reaching for one another, and it was as if a golden cord shot out and wrapped around us, binding us to one another.

  We were one.

  Twenty-Nine

  A year of happiness and peace, and I still didn't think I would ever get used to this life. I was loved and cherished, not just by my mate but by the people I led, the people I cared for and did everything I could to ensure their happiness. They were precious to me, and I was precious to them.

  Gray and I had formed a new Council a little while after things had settled down. The old Council had been dealt with—imprisoned for plotting to overthrow the king and for all the horrible things they had allowed to happen to their people that we hadn't even known about—and we had replaced them after much deliberation. W
e had to be sure that we were giving the people fair representation.

  So the Council had humans, wolves, blood mages, vampires, and even hybrids sitting on it. This ensured that Gray and I, the king and queen, were making decisions that would benefit everyone. That there would be no bias, that no one would be forgotten, and that no one would go unheard.

  I had been nervous when we'd picked the representatives, a little terrified when we'd made the announcement. The vampires had lived for centuries now with an all-vampire Council, being the dominant species, and I had been a little afraid that even though they had embraced peace with open arms, they would chafe and feel they were being displaced, even though we were trying to be fair.

  But that hadn't happened. The announcement had been greeted with goodwill and great approval. Of course, nothing is perfect, and not everyone in the world was entirely content with the matter, but the majority was on our side. And those sticklers for the old ways were learning, coming around, and I was so proud of my people—all of my people—for the patience they showed with them. They made such an effort not to hold onto the animosity that had been bred between them for so long. It wasn't easy, god knew it wasn't easy, but they were trying, and that was what mattered.

  All in all, things had been positively beautiful. I was with the man I loved, there was peace between the species, and there wasn't a thing I would change.

  Only, well, I was a little nervous about one change that I hadn't ever predicted.

  I was with child.

  It was completely unexpected. Gray and I had assumed that it wouldn't be possible, considering the difference in our species. When we'd talked about it, I had worried that it would upset him, but he'd said that he would always be happy so long as he had me. And we had decided that when the time came, we would choose a good, just heir from the people.

  That had been that, and we'd said no more on the subject since that conversation months ago.

  I had been a little sad, to tell the truth. I hadn't ever envisioned a life with a mate, with the happiness that I had, and I didn't want to be greedy…but I had started to wish for a child, even though I'd known in my heart it wasn't possible. Speaking with Gray about it, at the time, had confirmed my suspicions, and I had done my best to put those dreams to bed and focus on all that I had been blessed with instead.

  But it had happened. I had felt the life blooming inside of me, so attuned was I to the rhythm of my body that it was impossible not to detect the rhythm of another life residing there. Still, I hadn't trusted myself. I had hoped and dreamed so fiercely for it that I had thought I was just fooling myself, that it was wishful thinking.

  I'd had Eva confirm it for me just a few minutes ago. She had been so happy for me, so utterly delighted—the woman was like an abuela to me, and we had only grown closer in the past year. In fact, she was one of the Council members; I had chosen her because she'd been such a strong voice in our community and because everyone respected her, and of course we'd also put it up to a vote after we'd chosen her, and the other mages had confirmed my choice for me. They all loved her after getting to know her, just as the mages I'd lived in the safe house with loved her.

  And so it was that I'd only felt closer and closer to her as time passed and we spent more time with one another. She called me nieta, and I called her abuela, and now she was crowing about how she would be a bisabuela.

  I'd been shocked dumb at first, though, when she'd confirmed it. Hadn't been able to believe it, and then the fears had come. That even though it had happened, it wasn't meant to happen, and something would go wrong. But Eva was a wise and powerful mage, and she had looked into me more deeply than I had thought possible and confirmed that my child—my son—was strong and healthy.

  After that, I'd allowed myself to share in the initial surge of joy, and then I'd begged her to keep it to herself.

  I had to tell Gray.

  I was more than a little scared to tell him. When we'd talked about not being able to have children, yes, he'd said he would be happy with just me, but he also hadn't said if he had ever even wanted children. What if he didn't? What if he would be upset?

  I worried at my lip as I walked the halls to the royal suite. As soon as I stood outside of it, I turned my thoughts to anything else in the world, running through lists in my head—the mate bond between us allowed us each access to the other's mind, and I didn't want him to know before I could tell him.

  After a moment of trepidation, I opened the door and stepped inside the suite. It was much nicer now than it had been when I'd lived in it as a thrall and very much nicer than the depressive feel it had taken on after I'd left. I'd done my best to pretty it up, getting Eleanor's opinion on just about everything since I didn't know the first thing about interior design.

  Not that it mattered at all to Gray, but I thought it was high time he live in a suite that befitted his station, that was a home for us instead of just somewhere we slept.

  He was by the window at the far wall, painting, and he glanced over at me, a smile quickly coming to his lips.

  "Hello, varina."

  "Hello…" My voice shook, damn it, but there was nothing I could do about that.

  Quick, think about anything.

  I started reciting a list of herbs Eva had drilled me on the other day—she was still teaching me healing magic.

  He arched one eyebrow, zeroing in on my nerves immediately.

  "Varina, what are you so pointedly not thinking about so that I can't hear it?"

  I wet my lips, my cheeks heating. "I think you should sit down."

  He frowned. "You're worrying me a little bit."

  "I'm sorry. I'm not…I don't mean to, but I really do think you should sit down for this."

  "Well… all right, as you wish, darling." He put his paintbrush down and walked to the loveseat to my right, taking a seat, and looked up at me expectantly. "What is it, then? Go on and get it off your chest so you can stop reciting herbs."

  I laughed weakly. "Right, yes, just…go on and get it out. Of course. Um…Oh, I don't know how to say this. Gray…I'm. I'm pregnant."

  I blurted it out at last, then covered my mouth with one hand, terrified, my other hand pressing against my abdomen almost subconsciously.

  For a moment, he just stared at me, and it was killing me not knowing what he was feeling. His mind was a blank, too, so that was no help.

  "Gray? Say something?"

  His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth then closed it.

  And then he was upright and lifting me into his arms, twirling me around and laughing. He pulled me close to his chest and peppered my face with soft kisses before he finally put me down again.

  "Are you sure?" he asked, gently touching a hand to my belly, as if he were afraid to disturb the child inside.

  "I'm sure," I said, relieved more than words could say. "Eva checked. It's um, it's a boy, and he's healthy, and everything's going to be okay. Are you…are you really happy?"

  "Oh, my love, words cannot say how happy I am," he said, cradling me in his arms again. "I never thought I would be so lucky."

  I laughed a little, pressing my cheek against his chest.

  No, I didn't think I would ever be so lucky, either.

  A mate, a son, peace in the world.

  My heart had never been so full.

  I was so happy.

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And here’s chapter one of Riordan!

  One

  Not for the first time, Quinn Parker questioned her sanity.

  Going to the Draiin’s for help wasn’t ideal, but it was the only option left.

  Quinn took a deep breath and tried to force the tremor in her hands to stop as she stood in front of the imposing glass doors leading into the Draiin center in Raleigh.

  Stop second guessing yourself. You’re doing this!

  She worked up the nerve to enter and pushed through the double doors. Hoping she appeared confident in her steps, she walked to the front desk. An imposing male with pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes regarded her warily. His pointed ears poked through the curtain of hair, and he wore a simple, gray suit.

  He was a Draiin, one of the humanoid, yet terrifying, creatures who lived in the recently discovered parallel world, Draiocht. She was sure he wasn’t a dragon shifter or werewolf or vampire, but she wasn’t well versed enough about the various species to know which he belonged to.

  His eyes held no warmth, and her heart sank in her chest.

  She felt certain he wasn’t going to help her. But with no other choices, she had to try. She would make it work out. She couldn’t accept anything less.

  She forced a weak smile. “Hi, Torvax. I’m Quinn Parker, and I need to enter Draiocht.” She bit her lip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

  He sighed. “No human may enter Draiocht.”

  Her throat tightened. “Do you have a supervisor I could speak to about a special dispensation?” She hated the way her voice broke and the desperation in her words. Her eyes burned with unshed tears.

  No! I’ve made it this far without crying, damn it. I’m not going to give in now.

  “I’m the highest ranking officer at the center. I’m sorry, but I cannot give you the dispensation you are asking for.” To his credit, he did look sorry.

  “Please, I just…” She felt hopeless. If she wasn’t granted entry into the Draiin’s world, she was—