Page 108 of Kingdom of Aramis

Colbie

Like me, Micah has a pack, but the rest don’t. I guess they have what they need at their apartment. They haven’t moved everything to the palace yet, because we haven’t exactly told anyone but their families that they are my mates. It will be common knowledge soon enough, but for now, we want the people who are after me to think they still have a chance at the crown. They might get sloppy and reveal themselves, or that is at least what we hope. Essentially, I’m bait, which isn’t exactly comforting, but I’d prefer they make a play for me and fail than for this to drag out too long. I’d hate to be constantly looking over my shoulder for my entire reign.

Hunter shifts, and Micah and I climb onto his back. Micah wraps his big arms around me and drags me back against him as Hunter takes off into the sky. The temperature drops rapidly as he picks up speed, and I shiver, my shifter body heat not doing a lot against the frigid temperatures. The clouds are thick, and the smell of snow is in the air. Hopefully it won’t actually happen, or it will make our mission uncomfortable.

“Are you okay?” Micah murmurs into my ear.

I tuck my chin in, making myself smaller, and mumble, “Yes, but I think I’m going to need some warmer clothes.”

Hunter must hear me, because his body warms beneath us, making my stiff legs relax.

“You will be fine when we’re on the ground again. Gryffin says they have a vehicle for us to use in the human zone. It wouldn’t be very stealthy for the humans to see a group of shifters running through the streets or flying overhead.”

A flash of light out of the corner of my eye catches my attention, and I turn my head to find Gem’s phoenix keeping pace with us.

“I bet he isn’t cold,” I grumble, watching his flames with envy. “He also isn’t very stealthy,” I point out. Despite being huge, Hunter’s dragon’s dark purple scales blend in with the night, but Gem’s phoenix is like a beacon, but just as the words leave my mouth, Gem disappears from sight. I cry out and lurch forward, looking around the sky for him, but he’s gone.

“What happened? Where did he go?” I shout to both Hunter and Micah, and Micah tightens his grip so I don’t slide off in my panic.

“Hunter says Gem has the ability to go invisible. He must have heard you comment about lacking stealth. He’s still there, we just can’t see him—something about a phoenix being able to bend light.”

I sag with relief but turn my head to look at the merman. “Hunter said?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. We have telepathy now that I have the bond mark. Hunter says that you should be able to do the same with Liam. Just concentrate on that feeling inside you that you gained when your mating bond snapped into place and push your thoughts to him.”

I do as he says and find that ball of warmth that I know is Liam inside me.Liam?

Colbie, are you okay?I hear his voice in my mind, and I feel his concern. That is so cool!

Everything’s okay. I just found out about the telepathy with bonds and was trying it out,I assure him, and his worry recedes before I feel his amusement.

Yeah, it’s pretty handy. It means I can do this. His amusement fades, and I’m gripped with an intense rush of desire that causes me to gasp while my core throbs with need.

“Colbie, are you okay?” It’s Micah’s turn to sound worried, but I just wave a hand at him, signaling I’m fine because I’m doing everything I can not to moan and beg him to touch me to ease the ache.

“Colbie, why do you smell like you want to fuck?” he rumbles in my ear, then he pulls me tighter against him, his cock pushing against my backside as one of his hands slides from my waist up to my breast where he cups it firmly.

“Liam is showing me the fun things he can do with the bond,” I rasp, and Micah groans.

The desire eases away, and I hear Liam in my head again as the lights of the neutral zone come into view.Your mer mate is no fun,he grumbles, but his presence recedes. I guess Micah must have used their bond to tell him to cut it out. I appreciate it, but I’m also kind of intrigued about what it would feel like to fuck Micah on Hunter’s back while we’re thousands of feet in the air. Jesus, maybe the high altitude is getting to me.

Micah gives me a little squeeze but stays silent as Hunter coasts over the neutral zone, descending slowly until we get to the tall building that I recognize as night watch headquarters. He touches down gently on the roof of the building, and Micah and I climb down before he shifts. A guard pokes his head out ofthe security building, and Micah steps in front of me, blocking his view.

“Commander Hunter, you’re here early,” he says, and Hunter also moves to block me from his view.

“Not an early start, but a late evening, if you get my drift,” Hunter replies suggestively. “My friends and I are just heading to our apartment.” He makes it sound like we’re having a late night booty call, and it seems to work.

“Have fun,” the guard calls with a laugh and returns to the building. Hunter wastes no time ushering us to the stairwell and down into the structure. No one else seems to be around, but I keep my head down so I can’t be recognized on any security cameras the building may have.

We don’t talk as we make our way down in an elevator then out into the street. Thankfully there weren’t any teams around. Hunter quietly explained that they should all either still be out on patrol or in their apartments sleeping.

The weather has gotten worse. It isn’t quite cold enough to snow, but there is a steady drizzle, and I wrinkle my nose. Ugh, although it isn’t raining heavily, we are still going to be wet by the time we make it to the bakery, so we don’t waste any time. The three of us move swiftly, but not too hastily to attract any attention if we happen to come across a watch team. They should know Micah and Hunter have permission to be out after curfew, and hopefully they won’t stop to question us. I also have permission, but we don’t want it to be common knowledge that the queen has left the shifter zone. The girls, the king, and queens will cover for us for a few days, even if they have to share that I found a mate and I am busy sealing the bond. That will buy us time if the rest of the council starts poking around. I’m supposed to have a meeting with them in a few days, but Lucas told me he can delay it if we tell them I’m in the mating frenzy.

We use the back alley to the bakery when we arrive, and I call out so I don’t give my grandparents a fright when I surprise them with my visit.

“Granny, Grampy, it’s just me,” I call as I push the door open. The heat of the kitchen rushes out, and I sigh with relief as I enter, clothes completely soaked from the drizzle. Both the guys seem to be in better condition, and I wonder if their uniforms are water repellent.

“Colbie, what a lovely surprise.” Grampy has a piping bag in his hand, and there is a smudge of white powder on his nose, which makes me grin.