As Keir and Rhiannon walked down the dais, she noticed the room had gone completely silent. She thought she heard the scrape of metal against leather scabbards, as if D'Danann were unsheathing their swords.
Tension was thick. Everyone was looking to the back of the room.
The moment Rhiannon and Keir reached the long green carpet and had a clear view of the doorway, Rhiannon saw why.
At the other end of the carpet stood her father, accompanied by several armed Drow.
Rhiannon swallowed, hard. The train of her dress dragged slightly against the carpet as she moved with Keir toward Garran. She felt numb and had a hard time believing her eyes.
The Drow were dressed much as they had been when she'd visited themâbreastplates and leather straps crisscrossing their bare chests, leather breeches. Their black, silvery blue, or steel-gray hair shone softly in the light from the sconces, and they were tall and imposing.
Their features were hard and unyielding, almost arrogant as they stood at the end of the carpet.
Except for Garran. He looked ⦠proud.
Rhiannon's heart rate picked up the closer she got to
Garran. Keir held her tightly to his side and she felt the tension in his body against hers.
When Rhiannon stood directly in front of Garran, she tilted her head up to meet his liquid silver eyes. They showed a certain hesitancy, like he was unsure. Rhiannon was uncertain, too, but her heartâit seemed to know what to do.
She slid her arm out of Keir's grip, flung her arms around Garran's neck, and hugged him. With no hesitancy, he hugged her, too, his grip firm. Rhiannon felt tears slipping down her cheeks and onto her father's warm skin. He smelled earthy, mossy, fresh, clean scents that felt somehow homey.
When she drew away, she realized people in the room were murmuring, whispering, talking. But she didn't care. This was her
father.
He gripped her hands in his. “I wanted to share this day with you, my daughter. I hope you do not mind. Forgive me for my actions when we first met.”
“Forgive
me.
” Rhiannon squeezed his hands in return and offered him a smile. “I shouldn't have judged you so harshly.”
Garran gave her another fierce hug. “We will talk soon, you and I. For now, enjoy your bonding.”
She let her hands slip away. “Are you going to stay?”
His mouth quirked into a smile. “We are not welcome here.”
“You're welcome as far as I'm concerned.” Rhiannon reached for his hand again, but he stepped back.
“I will see you soon, daughter.” With that, he turned his back and strode along the break his warriors made for him to pass through. They turned and followed him out of the room. Rhiannon watched until she couldn't see him anymore.
The buzzing in the room had taken on a harsher quality, but Rhiannon ignored it. If they didn't like that her father was Drow, tough.
Gradually, everything settled down, and Keir took her around the room, introducing her to his friends and acquaintances. Some were very friendly, others barely, but she made
sure she maintained her poise. Hell if she was going to let them ruin her wedding night.
Bonding
night.
The celebration had lasted far too long as far as Keir was concerned. He wanted to take Rhiannon home to his bedâtheir bed. As he took another swig of ale, the thought warmed him and his chest filled with pride.
This beautiful woman was his. Her fiery green eyes drew him to her, the sprinkling of freckles across her nose and her fair complexion made him want to caress her, he desired to hold her sweet curves in his arms.
She was his.
Keir kept Rhiannon close as they mingled with the witches, D'Danann, and other Fae from all walks of his centuries of existence. The fact that these comrades, these friends accepted his half-Elvinâhalf-
Drow
âmate made his jaded heart melt a little bit more, as Rhiannon had done from the first moment he met her.
He almost grinned as he watched Galia zip around the room, creating havoc in her wake. She sprinkled pink Faerie dust over the merrymakers, went skating on the buffet table, and with the help of two Pixies, made rows of braids in Tiernan's long blond hair when he wasn't paying attention.
Keir did chuckle when Queen Riona flew up to Galia, grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her from the room. “You will work in the kitchens for a month!” the queen was saying as she passed by with Galia in tow.
Galia wailed as she was dragged from the great hall. “But, Aunt Riona, I was just having fun!”
Keir shook his head and brought his attention back to his mate.
The air still carried the smells of the roasted beef, bread, potatoes, cakes, and ale that had been brought in. Laughter and chatter filled the large gathering hall, enough to make his ears ring.
Another fellow warrior slapped Keir on his back with words of congratulations and Keir sloshed his ale onto his boots. He nodded and mumbled words of thanks and kept trying to work his way to the exit with Rhiannon in tow. Perhaps they could make their escape soon.
He set his tankard of ale on a table and started to hurry Rhiannon through the room.
They pushed their way further on until they ran into his half-brother. Silver, Hawk's mate, stood beside him.
Hawk smiled and held out his hand. “Congratulations, brother.”
Keir paused then grasped Hawk's arm and slapped him on the back.
When they released each other, Hawk turned to Rhiannon. “I am proud to call you my sister.” He looked down at Silver and kissed the top of her head. He touched her belly that still showed no signs that she carried his child.
Silver grinned and flung her arms around Keir. He stiffened in surprise before relaxing. “I think it's awesome that you and my best friend tied the knot. I can't wait for you to have children of your own!”
Keir glanced at Rhiannon to see her cheeks flush as she said “Er, let's not be in too much of a hurry,'kay?”
Silver released Keir, turned to Rhiannon, and hugged her. “I love you, Rhi.”
“I love you, too.” Rhiannon smiled. Silver gave another quick hug before she took Hawk's hand and they wandered over to a table laden with desserts.
“Phew.” Rhiannon looked up at Keir. “Things went well at least with your brother.”
“Aye.” He and his brother had come to an understanding. Perhaps for the next two thousand years their rivalry would fade.
“Think we can get out of here?” Rhiannon said in his ear, her warm breath stirring his desires to be alone with her even more. She still wore the flowers on her short auburn hair but the wreath was skewed to one side. She pushed it up with one hand while she squeezed his fingers with her other.
She gave him a mischievous grin. “I think we can do a little celebrating of our own. Alone.”
The thought of carrying Rhiannon straight down the hall to the Chieftains' chamber, then taking her on the great dais crossed his mind and he nearly groaned aloud. He could push up her dress, tear away her undergarments, release his cock from his breeches and drive into her.
His erection grew painfully hard against its constrictions and he lowered his head and gave a soft growl in her ear. “I want to take you now,
a stór
. I do not know if I can wait much longer.”
Her tongue darted out to touch her lower lip and this time he did groan out loud. She grasped his biceps and raised herself on her toes to whisper in his ear again. “Think anyone would notice if we made our escape now?”
A rumble rose up in Keir's chest and he tugged her with more purpose toward the door. No matter how they tried to make it through the crowd with a hurried pace, they were waylaid every step.
Lise stopped them just at the door. She and Rhiannon were the same height, and Lise took Rhiannon by the shoulders and kissed each of her cheeks again. Lise gave Keir a sly look before she turned back to Rhiannon.
“This one will need much work to keep in line,” Lise said to Rhiannon with a grin.
“Don't worry about that.” Rhiannon returned a grin of her own. “He's all taken care of.”
Lise laughed, reached up and kissed Keir on each cheek, then melted into the crowd.
“I like Lise.” Rhiannon watched as she disappeared into the crowd. “How do you know her?”
Their eyes met and he had the good sense to give her a general reply. “I have known many beings during my two thousand years of life.”
Rhiannon seemed satisfied with his reply and he gave an audible sigh of relief as they made their way from the great hall into the empty foyer. He could breathe againâthe air didn't seem stifling in here and the sounds not as loud.
He whirled her around, pressed her up against the wall, and took her mouth, claiming her as his. The soul-bond intensified the kiss and he felt the pull of her soul within his own. The feeling made his cock so hard he was certain it was near to bursting the seams of his breeches.
She tasted of sweet wine and her own special flavor. He delved his tongue into her mouth, and she returned the kiss with just as much fervor. When he nipped at her lower lip, her body vibrated beneath his and she wrapped her arms around his waist. In return, she bit his lower lip with her small white teeth and he groaned.
“Now.” Rhiannon was breathless, her face flushed as he drew away from their kiss. She ran her hands from around his waist up to his chest. “I want to be with you. Fully. I want you inside me now. I don't want to wait.”
Keir grabbed one of her hands, gave her another kiss, then turned to check the hallway to the right. Thank the gods it was clear. He slid his hand to the back of her waist and guided her.
They slipped down the hallway toward the Chieftains' Chamber. The doors remained unguarded once the Chieftains had left. He grabbed the handle of one of the big heavy doors and swung it openâ
To see the High Chieftain, Chaela, on her back on the dais being fucked by one of the D'Danann warriorsâa large blond warrior by the name Conlan.
Chaela's robe was spread open, revealing her large breasts and her mound. Conlan stood as he drove his cock in and out of the Chieftain. He still wore his leather breeches, opened just enough to fuck Chaela as she lay back on the dais. The low lighting from twin torches on the walls were bright enough that Keir could see her flushed features. Her cries echoed in the room, as did Conlan's grunts.
Keir glanced down at Rhiannon to see her eyes wide, her mouth open. Chaela cried out and Conlan shouted. Keir was just about to step out of the doorway when Chaela rose from her prone position to wrap her arms around Conlan's neck.
She saw Rhiannon and Keir.
Chaela gasped and jerked her robe tight around her and Conlan threw a look over his shoulder. The big warrior showed neither embarrassment nor surprise. He turned back to Chaela and brought her close to him, hiding her nakedness.
“Um, sorry,” Rhiannon said as she backed away.
“My apologies, High Chieftain,” Keir added with a slight bow.
They closed the door and looked at each other. Rhiannon clapped her hand over her mouth, only minutely smothering her giggles, and Keir could not hold back a snort of laughter. “Conlan and the High Chieftain. One never would have thought.”
Rhiannon giggled all the way down the hallway as they moved further away from the Chieftains' chamber to a smaller room used for private interviews. It had a table in the middle with four chairs around it.
He drew her into the empty room and closed the door behind them. He would have barred it if there was a way to, but none of the rooms in the Chieftains building could be barred.
Keir and Rhiannon looked at each other and Rhiannon's giggles died away. He shoved her up against the smooth wood of the door, grabbed her ass, and pressed his cock tight against her belly. She gasped and grabbed his biceps.
“I need to be inside you now,
a stór.
” He pushed up her long dress, then slipped his fingers over the silk of her undergarment. The cloth was soaked when he rubbed his fingers between her thighs against her folds. He pressed hard and rubbed her clit through the material.
Rhiannon moaned. “Don't make me wait.” She slid her arms around his neck and wiggled against his hand. The wreath of flowers tumbled off her head and onto the floor.
Keir added his groan to her moans, and with a hard tug ripped her delicate undergarment away from her body and tossed it aside. She hooked her thighs around his hips as he rubbed her slick folds with his hand. With every stroke of his fingers, she made small cries that served to make him want her more.
Unable to control himself any longer, he held onto her with one hand while he untied his breeches with his other. As soon as his cock and balls were freed, he placed the head of his erection at her entrance, slipping a little into her channel, teasing both of them. He grabbed her ass with both hands and drove himself deep.