Falcon's Mate 1(23)

before he was building her right back up again. It hit her hard, just as

good as the first. She tensed, crying out his name in pure ecstasy.

“Rurik!”

Suddenly, he grunted, stiffening as he came deep inside her. Ari’s

body went numb and her limbs fell to the side. Rurik fell next to her,

breathing as heavily as she. Her heart hammered in her chest. Weakly,

she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, liking the feel of

his body next to hers. He was safe and she felt small and protected next

to her commander mate.

“I can’t feel my body,” she whispered.

Rurik chuckled in manly satisfaction, running his hand lightly over

her hip. As the back of his hand glanced near her sex, she jerked in

sensitivity. “It feels just fine to me, my queen.”

“Mm,” she moaned. Even now her body tried to stir him to passion.

“Are you going to regret living here at the palace, away from the

battlefield?”

“I like the freedom of fighting,” he admitted, “but I love you, Ari.

Wherever you are, that is my place.”

“But what if you come to regret palace life?”



 65

Michelle M Pillow

“Then you’ll have to make sure it stays interesting.” He kissed her

shoulder, as he rested his hand against the mound of her sex. Lightly, he

wiggled his fingers, tapping them against her slit.

“I’m sure I can come up with something,” she teased, mimicking his

movements by moving her hand to rest along his inner thigh, right below

his shaft. “I know the decision is officially mine, but I’d like to defer the

placement of your men to you. I’d like for you to pick your successor.”

His eyes met hers and he looked so proud she couldn’t help but kiss

him.

“Thank you,” he said, nodding once.

“There is something I want you to do, since we’re on the subject of

soldiers,” Ari said.

“What’s that?”

“My cousin. I’d like for her to join the Fifth.”

“Her?” Rurik repeated in obvious surprise.

“Vara, my cousin,” Ari said.

“A woman in the Fifth? It hasn’t been done in a long time.”

“So? It’s been a while since a pure blood has been on the throne. I

think it’s time we shook this planet up.” Ari smiled.

“When you look at me like that, how can I refuse? It’ll be my last

standing order with the men. Vara will get her chance, but she’ll have to

prove herself just like any other soldier.”

Ari nodded in pleasure. “Oh, she will. I’ve seen her fight.”

“Now, enough talk of battles, unless you’d like to discuss this soldier

right here.” Rurik grabbed her hand and slid it up his thigh to his shaft.

He kept his hand around hers, moving it up and down over the growing

length. It hardened in her hand and he groaned in satisfaction.

“So many wasted years,” she mused. “If only we hadn’t been so

stubborn. We might have come together sooner.”

66



Talons: Seize the Hunter

Rurik rolled onto his back, lifting her so she sat on his stomach. He

rubbed her thighs. “Nothing could come of us before. I think fate knew

that.”

“Why’s that? Why would fate deny us the last years?”

“I had to make myself worthy to be your king and you had to prove to

yourself and your people that you could rule. If we would’ve gotten

together back then, it would’ve made these long years harder to bear.

Carrying the faint hope that we might some day be was hard enough. If

I’d have known you’d be mine, I would’ve died from the agony of waiting.”

She smiled as she leaned over to kiss him. “For a soldier, you’ve got a

most romantic view of things. I like it.”

“For a queen, you’ve got…” He stopped, grinning.

“What?” she laughed. “Can’t think of anything?”

“…the most amazing breasts I’ve ever seen,” he finished, pulling her

forward so his face was buried between the large mounds. Taking them

in hand, he smothered his face. “Mm, I murphm memm. I murphm mu oo.”

Ari laughed, understanding him perfectly. “I love you, too, Rurik. I

love you, too.”