would reveal them to the world as a married couple. She blinked as her
eyes adjusted. Dark eyes met hers.
Nae, it can’t be…
“Rurik?” she squeaked.
“Princess.” Rurik tilted his head. His clothing was still on, only
slightly disheveled. Though he looked directly at her, she couldn’t read
his closed expression.
Ari sprang into action, backing away from him. This was one man
she didn’t want to be in closed quarters with, let alone in the mating
bed— her mating bed! She would’ve fallen, but the magical boundary held
her up. Her back pressed against air.
“It’s been awhile,” he said.
“How…? What do you want with me? Why did you do this?” She
couldn’t get far enough away from him.
His eyes traveled down her body and he looked amused. How could
he look amused? Ari wanted to cry. He was mocking her. She could see it
in the familiar smirk on his face. His body might have changed but that
look was the same. It mocked her. He’d always mocked her.
27
Michelle M Pillow
“I didn’t do anything,” he assured her, looking very pleased with
himself, “that you didn’t beg to have done to you.”
“I hate you,” she whispered, for lack of anything better to say. “You
haven’t changed at all, have you? You’re just a mean—”
“And yet you lay naked before me, like an offering ready to be fucked
again.”
Ari glanced down in horror, scrambling to pull the ripped pieces of
her gown together to hide her body. “You haven’t changed, have you?”
“Neither have you.”
“Commander Rurik, leader of the great Fifth.” She shook her head,
still pressed against the invisible barrier. He knelt before her, just as
handsome as she remembered him being. “How dare you— ah!”
The barrier gave way and she fell backward off the bed. Screaming,
she flailed briefly in the air. Rurik’s hand wrapped around her wrist,
catching her. She bumped along the bed’s hard side.
Suddenly, a stunted pounding started from below. Horrified, Ari
looked down. Beneath her, a crowd stood tapping their feet in applause.
Thankfully, she was turned toward the bed and her torn gown was
hidden from view.
“That was fast,” she heard someone comment from behind. “The
mating went well. I’ve never seen a couple come out so quickly.”
“Pull me up,” Ari whispered.
“What?” Rurik asked, smiling down at her.
“We’ll bring a ladder, princess,” someone offered. “No need to come
down that way.”
“Pull me up,” she hissed, glaring at Rurik. “Now.”
“Ask nicely,” he grinned, holding her as if he could let her hang there
all day without straining himself.
28
Talons: Seize the Hunter
“Please,” she said through gritted teeth. Something about this
situation reminded her all too well of her childhood. Would the man
never cease to embarrass her publicly?
Slowly, he pulled her up onto the bed, barely breaking a sweat. When
she was safe, she jerked her arm away from him. It was a little too soon
and she nearly tumbled over the side again. This time, she caught
herself, swatting at his hand as he tried to grab her.
“You haven’t changed. Even as a child you had to torment me,” she
hissed. “This is just like that time you knocked wet cement on my head.”
“We were using them in training. You shouldn’t have been on the
field,” he protested, just like when they were younger.
“You didn’t have to aim it at me,” she ground out. Then, holding up
her hands, she said, “There’s no point in this. It’s a mistake. We both
know it’s a mistake. We can’t be mated. You’re a soldier and soldiers
can’t rule. My true mate will be king.”
“So soon you forget?” His grin was sinfully wicked and she shivered
at his meaning. The last thing she needed was a reminder of her wanton
behavior. “The Chalice chose me.”
“Come down, Ari,” her father called. “Join the celebration.”
Ari looked over, seeing the ladder.
“I can fly us,” he offered. “It’ll be faster.”
“Nae,” she said, too quickly. The idea of his hands touching her made
her skin tingle. She needed time to sort this out. “I’ll climb.”
His intense eyes bore into hers for a moment and she had to look
away first. He didn’t say another word. Rurik’s arms didn’t move as his
wings stretched to the side. They flapped, lifting his body up. He’d fixed