ROUSED

36

One of the head staff retrieved the shifters and escorted them to the main dining hall where they were greeted by a feast fit for royalty awaiting them on the table.

Aria's eyes lit up at the sight of the dining hall door opening, shifting in her seat beside her father, the queen opposite her. From Aria's peripheral, Taren looked like they were moments away from bounding up to each of the shifters to wrap them in a hug. Even Professor Embris wore a smile. The only missing members of the full Assembly were Clem and Hyla, who would have been there had they not been finalizing the details of the coming days with the rest of the Royal Guard.

"Please," Arach gestured to the table as the shifters filed in, "have a seat. We're so happy you all could make it." The genuine kindness that reflected in Arach's eyes pleased Aria, his smile reaching from ear to ear.

She caught Evelyn's eyes as the panther acknowledged her with a wink before taking her seat, Luka following quickly behind her. The pull she felt toward their end of the table was palpable.

"Thank you for having us," Finn said quietly, pulling out the chair next to Taren who looked at him with wide, eager eyes .

"I know you must all be exhausted from your travel," Joyen clasped her hands together in front of her chest, speaking to the table after everyone had taken their seats. "Please, please, no need to wait. Dig in!"

It was strange, Aria thought, seeing her parents so cheerful in the presence of this group. Despite the onslaught of bad news over the last two months, they both seemed lighter. Her father's temper had been marginally doused, and her mother's smile had made more frequent appearances. It seemed as though coming clean about all they'd been hiding over the years had relieved countless tons of pressure off their shoulders.

As everyone stuffed their faces with the divine array of meats and vegetables in front of them, Aria reveled in the small talk that filled the room, but eventually the conversation drifted to the inevitable. They took turns filling each other in on what had happened over the last month. Joyen recounted their disappointing results from the tour around Allar, but Luka offered better news about the shifters. Almost everyone they'd visited committed all the resources they had available—time, money, people, whatever they could spare.

"We live very communally in Denover," Evelyn addressed the looks of confusion from the fae, "it's not surprising people are willing to contribute to the greater good." There was a bite in her voice, but she sipped from her wine casually.

"That is…" Joyen hesitated, Aria watching her mother fumble for the right words, "something we have been working toward."

"It's not easy to do when you rule without input from your people, unfortunately," Luka responded smoothly.

"Perhaps we may learn from your example one day," King Arach spoke genuinely, if not a little bitterly .

"To a better future, then," Luka raised his glass. Aria could barely see him at the other end of the table, but she could feel the hope in those words, spoken by the child of a man who wanted the same and failed, despite his best efforts.

"To a better future," Arach echoed, mirroring Luka's motion, likely sharing the same line of thought. Everyone else raised their glasses before taking a deep swig.

"When are you leaving for Erdane?" Evelyn asked Aria.

"Once our troops are set to leave, I will, too," she responded, meeting those fierce golden eyes that still frequented her dreams.

"And you're traveling by yourself?" Evelyn raised a judgmental eyebrow.

"Did you have a better suggestion?"

They had the attention of the entire table.

"It just doesn't seem smart, sending you out there to lure her to Denover by yourself. I think she'll see right through it."

"I'll go with her," Taren spoke up. "Vera likely knows my parents, perhaps my presence might reinforce things."

Evelyn held Aria's gaze. "No, I mean you need a shifter with you. Don't you think it'll look suspicious if two fae try to invite her to the heart of Denover without a shifter present?"

"Evelyn's right," Professor Embris interjected. "Two fae are not enough. We need to send shifters, too. Show her that both sides are committed to the invitation."

"No," Aria said adamantly. "We're not sending shifters right into Vera's grasp."

"Easy, Princess. You don't speak for all of us," Evelyn's eyes narrowed. "I've been there before and came out unscathed. It's not like she's after us, anyway. She wants the entire realm. Harming a few of us won't accomplish anything. Finn and I can go with you and Taren." The two panthers shared a look of agreement .

"Are you sure?" Luka grimaced slightly, clearly worried about their safety as well.

"I'll just pretend to be an emissary for a day," Evelyn said dismissively. "It's not like she'll care who I am, it just matters that I'm not fae. If she thinks we're offering some sort of truce, I highly doubt she'll see me as a threat worth pursuing, right?"

Luka nodded. Aria knew he trusted Evelyn. If she thought this was the best course of action, he wouldn't disagree with her. "You, Finn, and Taren will accompany Aria then. Kam, Leah, and I can handle the trek back to the Academy."

"I would feel better about you having company, anyway," Joyen grinned at Aria weakly. It wouldn't surprise her if Joyen had been itching to tell her to take backup but didn't want to risk looking like she didn't trust her daughter to handle herself.

"Fine," Aria rolled her eyes. Internally, though, she was relieved to not have to face Vera on her own, even if she still didn't like the idea of putting them in harm's way. And she was sure Taren wouldn't mind a little extra time with Finn. "I suppose it will be nice to have some company. If at any point it feels unsafe, though, I'm sending you both back to the Academy," she said, looking at Evelyn with her chin raised.

"Fine," Evelyn said, taking another swig from her glass, never breaking eye contact. "You've got a deal."

The conversation eventually shifted and carried on around Aria, Arach asking Luka about the path they'd take to the Academy, Taren and Finn discussing the path to Erdane. As plates were cleared and bottles emptied, Professor Embris excused herself, Kam and Leah not long after her. Aria could at least guess where the wolves were headed.

Slowly, the others began trickling out, until it was just Aria and Luka remaining with her parents. Luka sat alone at the far end of the table, lingering uncomfortably. Waiting for her to leave, no doubt. "I was hoping you might give me a tour of the castle," he raised an eyebrow at her. An invitation. She was grateful he was mindful of the fact her parents had no idea he'd already set foot in her room several weeks ago. "It's not often us shifters are allowed into Allar, let alone the grounds of the Zephyr estate."

Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest at the way he looked at her. Without the others obstructing her view, she finally studied him. His dark, unbound waves framed his glowing face and contrasted the cream, sleeveless tunic that displayed his strong arms and rich, golden skin. Like a statue cut from the stone around them.

Aria glanced at her parents, her mother gesturing for her to go.

"Okay," she said, pushing back from the table, "a tour it is."

As she stood and walked toward Luka, he offered his arm and she took it hesitantly. He felt her light, unsure touch and placed his hand on top of hers, nestled in the crook of his elbow. It felt so familiar, so comfortable, she suddenly didn't care what her parents saw or thought about the intimate gesture as they left the room. Based on the way the king and queen had been giggling with each other at dinner—a beautiful, unfamiliar sight—she assumed they'd probably reverted their attention back to each other's company anyway.

"What would you like to see?" she asked him as they made their way down the stretching hallway.

"Everything you're willing to show me," he said, his words barely more than a deep whisper. Aria felt his warmth radiate beneath her palm. "More importantly, I'd like to hear about these ideas of yours."

"Not as much as I'd like to hear about your time with the author," she challenged with a smile. Teasing, but… also not. Sh e could feel his lingering gaze as a blush bloomed across her neck.

"Purely coincidental," he said, his lips curling upward. They kept their voices low as they walked room by room, nodding politely if they passed someone from the castle staff. Luckily, the bustle seemed to be quieting down for the night.

"You expect me to believe she simply guessed about the placement of your tattoos? How they wrap around your hips, into that deep vee below your waist ?" She quoted the description from the book with a laugh. "Not a chance."

"Listen, I can't help it if word gets around about how desirable I am," she felt him shrug against her arm.

"So you at least admit the main character is actually you, then?"

They'd made it back to the third floor by now, but still a ways down the hall from Aria's room, where she was not-so-subtly trying to end this little castle tour. The wing was quiet, dark, lit only by a few candles hanging from ceiling fixtures.

Luka stopped walking and turned to her, the tiny flames dancing in his expectant eyes. "And what if he was?"

Her mouth went dry, envy roiling in her blood. But she wouldn't show it, not to him. "Just wondered if it was accurate," she said with a shrug of her own, "that's all."

He advanced, causing her to stumble backwards until her back met the wall. "Well, she may have gotten a few things wrong," he said suggestively, pressing his hands against the wall above her, pinning her in place as his face loomed over hers. She looked up at him, his eyes darkening with desire, his lips pulled into a wide grin. "Perhaps you should find out for yourself."

Aria dared a glance down the hall to make sure they were alone. Not feeling any vibrations, she reached her hands up to his face, feeling the soft stubble lining his cheeks, his chin. Their breathing grew heavy as it mingled between them.

"I think I'd like that," she whispered softly, "very much."

Luka barely registered her words before acting on the invitation, pressing his mouth hungrily against hers. Their lips met and retreated over and over with a famished intensity a month in the making. She had missed that smoky, earthy taste so much that a small whimper escaped as he ran the tip of his tongue along her bottom lip.

Aria's hands found his hair, his neck, his chest as Luka moved his own hands down the wall until they connected with her hips. Cupping her ass and lifting her up so she was wrapped around him, she arched her back against the hard surface. She didn't care that her knee-length tunic rode up around her hips, revealing all of her to him if he dared to look.

She squirmed against the hardness that had settled between her thighs, craving his touch against that building pressure in her core. Luka's rough hand found her bare inner thigh and moved up slowly until he was met with the eager wetness between them. It unleashed something in him. A rumbling growl escaped as he teased her, taunted her with a gentle finger.

She couldn't muster anything more than a soft moan. Their mouths tangled, their hands fumbling greedily over each other, until she couldn't take it anymore.

More, more , she wanted more .

"Last door, down the hall," she muttered against his lips, his beard grazing her throat. Luka moved immediately, wrapping his arms around her torso as he carried her the short distance.

"Tell me we're safe up here," he said into her ear as he reached for the door, "that I can do with you as I please." He shut the door behind them gently, holding her with one arm .

Aria felt her pulse beating heavily between her thighs. She wanted everything, all of him. She pulled away from him, meeting those deep brown eyes, barely visible in the dark room as she cupped his face. "Yes," she said. "Prove to me that you're worth writing books about."