A Surrender Of Hope (Umbra Hunters #3)

23. Valen

TWENTY-THREE

Valen

“ W here did you get the dress?” Mi Sol calls from the bathroom, and I smile, thinking about how Mom had selected the gown from her closet, claiming it would be perfect for Meyer’s coloring and Demonic race. The dark blue silk gown was dripping with tiny sparkling jewels that encrusted the bodice before running down to the cinched waist like little water droplets. The color only excited me more, and I longed to see Mi Sol wearing it somewhere other than in her dreams.

“Mom chose it for you,” I answer, my anxious steps pausing as my beautiful girl walks over to the partially opened door of Nox’s bathroom, dressed only in the delicate white lace panties and bra I had magicked for her. Her long blonde hair is swept up in a simple bun on top of her head with small tendrils that curl around her face, and it looks like she’s applied some makeup. I briefly scold myself for not thinking of getting her some personal items, but it seems like Nox handled it.

I hold my breath as my gaze rakes down Meyer's stunning body, miles of creamy, soft skin on display as she clutches the gown to her breasts and grins at me. I swear my heart stops, and I have difficulty catching my breath as I watch her and thank all the Gods that this enchanting creature is mine. I know this girl was born for me as much as I was created for her. She is everything I want and didn’t know I needed. She may be only Nox’s mate right now, but she will be mine and my brothers’ as well.

“I love it,” she admits, hugging the dress, and I grin back at the woman I love.

Obsidian black is the color of the Versipellis Kingdom, with the now hardly ever worn color of rich, ruby red from the Devil's destroyed Kingdom. Then there are the Dream Walkers, who wore royal blue, the same color as the starlight seas surrounding the once beautiful castle in our Kingdom.

When Mom brought the gown to me after breakfast, I longed to see it on Meyer, especially after walking in the gardens of my father's palace with her in her dreams. I wanted her in something representing our race, something I hadn’t known I longed for. I had to alter the gown with magic since it had technically been made for Mom, shrinking it down enough to fit Mi Sol’s more petite body. I set out from there to collect my Princess, knowing she would want to get cleaned up and dressed before speaking with Mom and Father this morning.

It had killed me not to use my magic to clean and re-dress Meyer after she fell into the Demonic realm. However, we all agreed that we shouldn’t use any unnecessary magic on her until we talked to Father and ensured there wouldn't be any adverse reactions.

She had responded well to Nox’s healing magic, but when I had coaxed her from her dreams, magically forcing her into reality in order for her to start breathing again, she had released a horrible scream of pain, her back arching on Nox’s bed as he tried to heal her. The moment I recalled my magic, she settled, and the bright red mark now engraved on her wrist appeared. The memory of her screams still haunts me, and I have to fist my hands at my sides so I don’t rush over and smother her.

“I worried you might not like it,” I admit, trying to put a smile back on my face but knowing it probably looked fake. “You always complained about the gown you wear in your dreams.”

“Yes,” Meyer laughs as she takes a few steps closer. She moves the gown in front of her so she can look it over with bright green eyes. “But that was because it’s typically freezing, and I’m more often than not running for my life from Beastia.” A frown puckers her brow as she looks back up at me. “I need to ask Elaine how to fight in a dress. I know she changes into leathers when she knows she’s going to fight, but I’m guessing she's pretty badass in a dress, too. I kept tripping and losing my shoes,” she reminds me, and this time, my smile isn’t as forced as I cross to her and grab the gown, holding it up to her to ensure I sized it correctly.

“True, and I bet she does. I don't know Elaine as much as Nox, Creed, and Raz do, but she seems like she knows what she’s doing,” I agree, nodding happily when the gown looks to be an exact fit. It’s not too long that she may trip on the stairs, but long enough to cover the small slippers I also made for her to wear. “Do you need help getting dressed?” I ask, and Meyer smirks and wiggles her brows.

“Normally, I would ask you to help undress me,” she teases, making my smile freeze as my cock hardens pathetically quickly in my pants as I think about our activities last night. I’ve always enjoyed sharing a woman in the bedroom; loved how we could double her pleasure and make her see stars before passing out in our arms. I typically shared the most with Creed since Lennox and I often have a hard time sharing control, but I have a feeling we will quickly learn to work together for whatever this girl wants.

“But probably. There are a hundred buttons on the back of this thing, and I know I’ll never get them done correctly. I’ll be here for hours trying.” I smile and take her hand, leading her over to Nox’s bed where I left the blue silk slippers I made her and set the gown next to them. I take her into my arms, sighing when she immediately melts into my embrace and lets me relax for the first time since coming home. “Are you alright?” she whispers into my chest, her arms snaking around me so she can hold me as tight as I’m holding her.

“I’m always okay with you in my arms,” I whisper, pressing my lips into her wet, sweet-smelling hair. Her presence alone calms me more than anything else in this world. The stress and nerves I felt at returning home had affected me more than I thought. The overwhelming joy filled me to the brim, yet the sadness that things would never be the same is always at the back of my mind.

The family I left four years ago is gone, for better and worse. Archer’s betrayal and Meyer’s addition have altered life as we know it, and trying to act normal, like I hadn't been locked in a dark prison for four years, is a pressure I’m constantly feeling. It's easy to push everything behind me with Meyer nearby. She smothers the darkness with her light and makes me feel whole, but there are those moments when she’s not with me that I wonder if I’ll manage by myself.

Some of that internal conflict dissipated as I sat with my family last night. It had been years since I had seen my father's smile, and I finally felt like I was actually here, my life no longer on hold when I sat at the dinner table with them last night. Creed kept everyone smiling, telling them the story of how Meyer had saved his life in Idaho before she was dragged back to the castle. Razar ate in silence, his eyes bouncing between the two doors, always on guard to ensure his family was safe.

Nox’s chair and the smaller one placed at his side for Meyer remained empty. The mating bond finally got the best of my brother, urging him to keep Meyer locked in his rooms. But there was still the empty seat next to Razar that he refused to glance at even once, the seat which seemed to haunt us all but Mom. Father had chosen to keep Archer’s betrayal from her until we had more information, so we had to act as if our anger and pain were simply from his death and not from him stabbing us in the back.

“Hmm. Ditto,” Meyer whispers, snuggling into my embrace, her arms tightening around my waist, and I smile at their strength. Almost like she’s convinced she can hold all my broken pieces together and make me whole again as long as she squeezes me tight enough… and I think she might just be able to do precisely that.

“Let's get you dressed. Mom is impatient to actually meet you. We all got a tongue-lashing last night for allowing you to arrive at her home in that condition,” I tease. Meyer blushes, pulling out of my arms so she can tug the dress over her head. I help her with the buttons of the gown, admiring the color against her skin.

“Nox? Have you seen Meyer? I thought she was with Valen, but they're not in his rooms,” Creed's voice drifts through the large space, making her perk up and turn toward him as I finish the last button.

“In here,” she calls out, bouncing on her toes a little as she grabs her dress and swishes it around her legs before turning and beaming up at me. The urge to have her in my arms again to kiss her cherry red lips is almost painful, and I can't stop myself as I tug her in for a deep kiss, licking into her mouth and moaning at the taste of her on my tongue.

A low whistle makes me pull back, and I look up to find Creed leaning against the doorway, eyes raking over Meyer with a hunger in his eyes that I’m all too familiar with. “Damn, Lemon Drop,” he whispers, standing to his full height and walking to us when Meyer looks over her shoulder at him. She holds a hand out, lacing their fingers together when he steps to her side and pulls him close while staying in my arms. “This dress,” he whispers almost reverently, a finger trailing over the sparkling gems, running from the curve of her breast and down to her waist.

“She’s stunning,” I agree, turning her in my arms so she's pressed to Creed's chest as I dust kisses down the long column of her neck.

“As nice as this is,” she whispers, shivering in our hold as Creed smirks and dips down, nipping her ear. “I’ve already canceled on your parents for one threesome. I probably shouldn't do it a second time.” I grin, a feeling of male pride running over me as I recall Nox calling me to his rooms last night, stating Meyer had completely passed out after our attentions toward her, and he needed a meal sent up so she could eat when she woke.

“A… a threesome?” Creed jerks upright and glares at me before looking at Meyer, mouth agape. “Where was my invite?” he growls playfully at her, and I slug his shoulder, not wanting her to feel any guilt over what Nox and I did with her last night. But Meyer only giggles and winks.

“Next time,” she promises, going up on her toes and pressing her lips to his, making him moan and grab her almost too hard, jerking her to his body.

“I’m holding you to that, babe,” he whispers into her ear as I step over and grab the slippers I made, holding them out for her to put on.

“Where are we heading?” I ask as Meyer grabs the shoes, slides them onto her petite feet, and stands, smoothing the silk of her dress down.

“The east gardens. Mom wanted to take her morning walk there, and Nox joined her so father could tell them about the attacks on the northern villages,” Creed murmurs, eyes still locked on Mi Sol as she moves over to the nightstand and grabs the cup of water that is left on the breakfast tray from this morning.

“Attacks?” I ask, frowning as I keep my attention on my princess. She watches Creed with a concerned frown, setting the glass back down before returning to us.

“The Beastia are combing through the villages. Dad brought most of the residents of the outer ones to the city, but this one was only two leagues away,” he admits, shocking the hell out of me.

“Two leagues. That's practically at our front gate,” I rasp, holding my hand out for Meyer so we can find my parents.

“I know. Dad thinks they’re heading our way,” Creed says with a dark look.

“They can't possibly attack Versipellis. It would be suicide.” Creed nods in agreement, taking Meyer’s other hand. We head out of Nox’s rooms, moving through the royal apartments and down the grand staircase before ducking into the narrow corridor that leads toward the east doors.

“Apparently, this would be the third attack in the last six months. They’re all organized, and the Therion and Beastia fight in formation. Whoever is controlling them on Earth is doing the same here. It’s why Dad wanted to keep Jesthren here when we left to find you. Before we left, there was already a shift in the Beasts; they had started to attack the villages in the Riverlands, but have escalated since we left.”

“And there is no idea as to who is doing this? The Wraiths are involved. It has to be someone in court with enough magic to control them,” I mutter in confusion as Creed opens the door and lets me tug Meyer into the flowering gardens that Mom tends before he follows behind us.

“From what he said last night, he has a few people in mind. Men in court who are upset at the lack of resources and dad’s refusal to take it from the other realms. But there is no direct evidence pointing to which one it is.”

“Could it be a group effort? This is a lot of Beastia and Wraiths to control. It would take a lot of magic to control them,” Meyer points out, and I nod in agreement.

“That would make sense. I’m unsure how to control the Beastia, but even if I did, I doubt I could do it alone.” I tighten my grip on Mi Sol as we walk down the cobblestone path that leads to the center of the gardens, passing several guards on our way. “Creed,” I glance pointedly at the guards, and he nods, stopping to dismiss them as I bring Meyer close and press a kiss against her brow. She frowns, looking over her shoulder as the guards bow to Creed and turn, striding from the gardens.

“What’s he doing?”

“Getting rid of the guards before Nox sees them next to you,” I murmur, chuckling when she shakes her head and rolls her eyes, but I don't miss the small smirk that dances on her lips. She may pretend to find Nox’s overwhelming behavior annoying where she’s concerned, but I’m sure she likes it. It’s built into her Demonic DNA to want to be cared for by her mates as much as it is to protect them with her own life. It's an equal give and take to love and care for one's mate. She might not feel as strongly as we do because she is half-human, but it will be there to some degree.

“Wait up!” Creed calls out, and I frown as he tugs Mi Sol from my arms almost making her trip on the decorative cobblestones. “Shit, sorry, Lemon Drop,” he mutters, slipping a purple flower that he snagged from Mom’s favorite flower patch behind her ear, “I want a snuggle before Nox goes all territorial over her cute ass. Mom and Dad are just up there,” he says, slinging his arm around our girl and tugging her close, nuzzling into her neck and humming in approval when she giggles in response.

“Uh, do I.. like bow when I meet them?” Meyer suddenly asks, her smile falling from her beautiful face as nerves set in. Creed chuckles and shakes his head.

“For normal Demons, yes. They’re the Queen and King, after all. But since you’re the Crown Princess of Versipellis, you won’t bow unless we are at a formal occasion like at court, for example. However, this is a private moment in our home, with no one around. Formalities are not required.”

I have to smother my laugh at Meyer's panicked expression the moment Creed reminds her precisely who she is now that she is mated to Nox. I have to raise my hand and fake a yawn to hide my amusement.

“No bowing, love. Just be yourself, and they will eventually love you as much as we do,” I reassure her, linking our fingers and praying to the Gods that my words are not a lie.