The Dark Fey Chronicles Court of Roses

20

I told Erik everything.
I told him in exact detail of the first time I had seen Aros in the manor hall back in Vancouver compared to how I was seeing him now. I told him how I would randomly watch the world around me shift into a place of shadows and secrets. Erik was not pleased when he heard this.
We were sitting in the dining room, Erik at the head of the table, I to his immediate right. Liv sat to the left and with her Declan. Eric eyed them for a moment, watching as they walked into the room, Declan pulling out her chair. I cleared my throat.
"Anything spoken about in this room is confidential," Erik reminded everyone as he leaned back in his chair. His hand immediately gripped mine as he relaxed a little, bringing a wine glass up to his lips with the other. His eyes scanned the room, coming to rest on Declan.
"Ivy has brought me up to speed on all matters during my absence," he said and narrowed his eyes at Liv and Declan. "My only question now is, do you know where Aros is now?"
No one spoke. Liv sighed and leaned forward, looking around the table. "My power is-"
Erik groaned in frustration. "Unreliable as always and-"
"More accurate than you know!" Liv assured him. Erik frowned. "Lexi, if you mean to tell me that you believe all of this because of one of her crazy visions-"
I flipped my hand to wind my fingers through his. "Liv's visions are more accurate than you would believe!"
Erik looked at me, his eyes tracing my face. His eyes narrowed at me when his eyes met mine. I smiled.
"So," Erik said impatiently. "What is the word on the search for Aros?"
I watched Ajax stand to his feet. "He was last seen three days ago in New York, speaking to a Pound Owner. He had girls with him. We think he is buying-"
Erik leaned forward, his face furious. "I'm sorry, what?"
I glanced at Jax and Erik. "We think he is looking for someone. He always has two girls in tow. One red head and the other a blond. They are in bad condition. Rags. Malnourished. I am waiting for his to cross back over the border before I give my men the order to take him out-"
Erik leaned forward. "No, Aros is to be taken to the Grand Wall-"
Jax shook his head. "With all due respect, Ser, that would require us to travel-"
Erik nodded. "Eight hours away, yes." he nodded. "If we can catch him we will meet you halfway. As soon as he crosses the border, we will be able to track him!"
I nodded. "We have to make sure-"
Erik looked down at me. "You won't be going-"
I frowned at him. "The hell with that!" I argued. Erik's hand tightened slightly around my wrist. "We can talk about that later!" he assured me.
Declan and Liv glanced at each other. "It's getting late. Was that all?" Liv asked.
Jax leaned forward. "Tyr was seen leaving the Manor grounds an hour ago, just moments before you arrived, to be honest."
I watched Erik frown. "Why would Tyr rush out of here? And with a word to no one?"
Jax shrugged. "He was here as an envoy to the Drydalien Queen," he told us.
Erik frowned. "Let him go! The worst he can report is that I was MIA for a few days."
Liv nodded. "Anything else?"
I shook my head. "Not unless Erik wants to talk about Jesper teaching me defensive magics and tracking?"
Erik growled at me. "We already talked about this before I left for New York!" Before I could object, Erik stood to his feet, pulling me with him. "I am tired. And it's late. We have lots to do tomorrow. Our guests will begin to arrive."
Liv sighed and stretched as she stood. "See you guys tomorrow morning," she said. Erik pulled me toward the hallway, his hand sliding up my arm as we walked. I watched as he raised his other hand, holding his wine glas to his lips and downing the rest of his wine. I watched as some of the wine spilled from the corner of his mouth. My heart thump unevenly as Erik grumbled impatiently, turning to the first door on our left. I glanced around. It was the library. It was dark, none of the basins were lit. My breath came out in a white puff as Erik kicked the door closed behind him, pulling me toward him, his lips catching mine in a desperate moan. I shuddered and revealed in the sudden intense rush of this surprising and unknown feeling. Setting his now empty wine glass down on a nearby table, Erik's hands cupped my face, kissing me longingly slowly.
His lips moved with mine in slow, lingering,  desperate movements. I could taste the bitterness from the wine that lingered on his lips. A soft growl rumbled in his chest as his lips caught mine, making me gasp, my hands catching the front of his shirt. A soft moan escaped Erik's lips as he pressed me recklessly close. My breath hitched in my chest but his lips found mine again, his right hand coming up to pull my chin down. Erik's hot breath washed against my lips, neck and face and I shuddered just before he slipped his tongue across my lower lip.
I let out a shuddering, slow breath, a small gasp escaping my lips.
Erik blinked at me. After a moment, Erik seemed to Remember himself and pulled away from me, his hands pushing my face from his.
"I'm sorry," he breathed, his breath coming warm against my neck. "I didn't mean to attack you like that. Or even before hand, in the hallway-"
My hands found the front of his mud covered shirt and I pulled him forward. "You can't ever do that to me again!" I warned him.
Erik leaned forward, his hands warped around my hips. His hot breath tickled my ear as he breathed in deeply and then exhaled, a lustful sigh echoing into the empty and cold library around us.
"Oh how I missed you," Erik whispered in my ear . Goosebumps rippled over my already chilled skin, a soft sigh slipping from my lips. Erik breathed out a laugh and pressed his lips to my Mark. I gasped, my hands finding the front of his soiled shirt.
I waited for his lips, his tongue to touch my skin but it never came. A faint whimper of desperation escaped my lips. "Did you miss me Lexi?"
I frowned at him, not in the mood to play.
"You know I did, Erik," I told him.
He smiled, his eyes glowing white. Erik leaned forward slowly, his eyes sliding to my lips, giving me every chance to turn him away. Erik paused for a moment, his lips just inches from mine.
"Lexi...". My name left his lips in an almost lustful sigh as his hands came up around my neck, brushing my hair to the sides. My heart thumped hard in my chest as Erik pulled the string fabric of the dress open exposing the top of my chest. "So... mouthwatering," he whispered, his voice low and husky. I felt blood heat my face and I did my best not to shy away from him when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to my collarbone. I shuddered at the feeling and Erik breathed out a hot sigh.
"Erik." I realized my voice sounded oddly unsteady.  All gaspy and breathless. His lips traveled across my collar bones up the left side of my Mark. I leaned back, bending backwards as he pressed me forward. As I began to step forward so I didn't fall, Erik leaned away, his eyes ice white. With his hands still warped around my neck, he firmly pulled me forward, as he lifted me to straddle him with the other.
Blood boiled under my skin, as the thin material of my leggings stretched over his midsection. Without missing a beat and one hand firmly warped around my back, Erik pressed forward, his lips finding mine, a surprised gasp still managed to get past my lips.
I had expected his lips to be hard and demanding like they had been before. But this? This took me by surprise.
Erik pressed his lips tenderly to mine, his breathing fanning sweetly against my face as he slipped his hands down to my hips. I felt his hands tighten around my hips and he slid me forward on the table, pressing me to him. His lips kept at a steady, tender pace as he trailed his lips away from mine, his tongue traveling down the side of my neck. When he reached my Mark, he growled, leaning away. I was surprised to see his eyes ice white, his sharp teeth pinching his swollen lower lip.
I had seen him this way only once before. The day he had Marked me. I frowned. Did he want to bite me again? I had heard that some couples enjoyed the feeling of their Mark being played with. Erik and I were linked now. Would he get as much as much enjoyment from it as I had when he Marked me? Would I get enjoyment from it now?
Erik closed his eyes and breathed in quickly. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Perhaps we should return to our room?" His voice was strained, cautious.
I raised an eyebrow and looked around. "Is someone-"
Erik leaned forward. "No, but we do have an early morning," he reminded me. "And it's more private."
An unexpected rush of excitement went through me. Erik smirked at me, as if knowing what I was thinking. Without another word we set off down the hallway.