bit more about you. Right now all I know is your name and the fact you look incredible naked Oh yeah, I also know you make this really sexy little whimper right before you come.” He was baiting her again, wanting to see a bit more of her spark before he went back downstairs.
Alayna’s heart gave a little skip as his frown melted into a lopsided grin, and she flipped him off as she turned and stomped back into her room, well aware that he was watching her bare ass sway with every step she took.
“Come downstairs when you’re ready,” he called as she neared the door of the bathroom she’d located earlier.
It wasn’t until she was standing under the jets of hot water that Alayna realized that never once while he held her had Nikolai made any kind of sexual overture. She’d been right there, naked, and all he’d done was hold her in his arms. That wasn’t the action of a man who wanted her just for sex. Neither was washing her clothes, or cooking her breakfast. Maybe there was something to their promises after all.
Maybe.
***
CHAPTER EIGHT
If Nikolai ever got his hands on whoever had told Alayna that being chosen was tantamount to being some kind of sex slave, he was going to beat them to a bloody pulp. He had imagined the moment they found their chosen a thousand times, but never once in all those scenarios had the night ended with the woman they’d claimed sobbing herself to sleep in another room. He’d expected her anger. He’d even expected her threats. What he hadn’t been prepared for was her tears. Not that he’d ever tell her that he’d heard her crying, or that he’d seen the single tear that rolled down her cheek before she’d walked away from them.
Now that they’d spoken, he had some idea why she had reacted that way. While not every bonded trio was perfect, it was very rare for one to be as harsh or cruel as what she had been told was the norm. Someone had being lying to her.
Last night, she’d told them she had run away less than a week after being tested. That meant she’d been hiding from the authorities for years, afraid of what would happen if they caught her again. There was only one group of people who could have helped her stay out of Alliance hands and hide her scrollwork tattoo. The rebels. That would also explain why she held such harsh opinions about the Alliance. Their chosen was a thief and a renegade.
Nikolai caught himself laughing quietly as he started preparing breakfast for the three of them. His parents were going to lose their minds when they learned what he and Colin had done.
He knew he shouldn’t take such pleasure in annoying his family, but it had become a lifelong habit he doubted he’d ever be able to break. The eldest of four children, Nikolai had borne the brunt of his parents’ ambitious expectations from the time he drew his first breath. They had his whole life mapped out, and he had gone out of his way to defy them every chance he got. By the time he was tested and sent away for elite training, it would be hard to say who was more relieved at the separation, him or his parents.
He hadn’t seen much of them since the day he’d left. After that his parents had focused their attentions on his baby sister, Sonja, and his two brothers, Adam and Scott. Sonja was at home, while his brothers were currently assigned to Alliance duties somewhere far from Earth, no doubt doing great things for the family honor.
Colin’s family, now that was a different story. They’d welcomed him with open arms, and he knew they would do the same for Alayna. Her lack of pedigree wouldn’t concern them at all. He was still contemplating when he should inform his family about his change in marital status when he heard a whisper of a footfall behind him. He spun around, expecting to see Colin standing there. It was Alayna.
Great.
Now he was living with two people with the uncanny ability to walk around in total silence. Cat-like reflexes and stealth were
Alayna’s heart gave a little skip as his frown melted into a lopsided grin, and she flipped him off as she turned and stomped back into her room, well aware that he was watching her bare ass sway with every step she took.
“Come downstairs when you’re ready,” he called as she neared the door of the bathroom she’d located earlier.
It wasn’t until she was standing under the jets of hot water that Alayna realized that never once while he held her had Nikolai made any kind of sexual overture. She’d been right there, naked, and all he’d done was hold her in his arms. That wasn’t the action of a man who wanted her just for sex. Neither was washing her clothes, or cooking her breakfast. Maybe there was something to their promises after all.
Maybe.
***
CHAPTER EIGHT
If Nikolai ever got his hands on whoever had told Alayna that being chosen was tantamount to being some kind of sex slave, he was going to beat them to a bloody pulp. He had imagined the moment they found their chosen a thousand times, but never once in all those scenarios had the night ended with the woman they’d claimed sobbing herself to sleep in another room. He’d expected her anger. He’d even expected her threats. What he hadn’t been prepared for was her tears. Not that he’d ever tell her that he’d heard her crying, or that he’d seen the single tear that rolled down her cheek before she’d walked away from them.
Now that they’d spoken, he had some idea why she had reacted that way. While not every bonded trio was perfect, it was very rare for one to be as harsh or cruel as what she had been told was the norm. Someone had being lying to her.
Last night, she’d told them she had run away less than a week after being tested. That meant she’d been hiding from the authorities for years, afraid of what would happen if they caught her again. There was only one group of people who could have helped her stay out of Alliance hands and hide her scrollwork tattoo. The rebels. That would also explain why she held such harsh opinions about the Alliance. Their chosen was a thief and a renegade.
Nikolai caught himself laughing quietly as he started preparing breakfast for the three of them. His parents were going to lose their minds when they learned what he and Colin had done.
He knew he shouldn’t take such pleasure in annoying his family, but it had become a lifelong habit he doubted he’d ever be able to break. The eldest of four children, Nikolai had borne the brunt of his parents’ ambitious expectations from the time he drew his first breath. They had his whole life mapped out, and he had gone out of his way to defy them every chance he got. By the time he was tested and sent away for elite training, it would be hard to say who was more relieved at the separation, him or his parents.
He hadn’t seen much of them since the day he’d left. After that his parents had focused their attentions on his baby sister, Sonja, and his two brothers, Adam and Scott. Sonja was at home, while his brothers were currently assigned to Alliance duties somewhere far from Earth, no doubt doing great things for the family honor.
Colin’s family, now that was a different story. They’d welcomed him with open arms, and he knew they would do the same for Alayna. Her lack of pedigree wouldn’t concern them at all. He was still contemplating when he should inform his family about his change in marital status when he heard a whisper of a footfall behind him. He spun around, expecting to see Colin standing there. It was Alayna.
Great.
Now he was living with two people with the uncanny ability to walk around in total silence. Cat-like reflexes and stealth were
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