Ebony Rising (The Raven Queen's Harem 2)

The call kept me from taking a shower and I have little doubt he smells the sex on me. I brace myself for…something. Jealousy? No, the guardians aren’t jealous. They’ve encouraged my sexual experimentation. They know better than anyone that I must have an outlet. Desire? I roll my eyes. If Dylan truly desires me I wouldn’t know. Since the true intention of me being in the house was revealed, to fight back the Darkness, he’s kept his distance. Maybe I’m bracing myself for nothing other than his judgment. His eyes are laced with opinion. Even so, he places the book on the table next to his and keeps whatever is running through his mind to himself.

“Maybe I can come back tomorrow for a make-up session.” I offer. “It’s Tuesday and other than my writing time in the morning, I just have a meeting with Professor Christensen and Anita.”

He seems to consider this. “You received your runes today?”

“Yes.” I push up my sleeve but there’s nothing to see. “Fully spelled.”

“And you had an intensive training session with Clinton this morning?”

I nod, thinking of Clinton’s mouth against mine. “Quite vigorous.”

He sighs and rubs his forehead. “I did hope to go over the Raven Wars with you this afternoon.”

“The Raven Wars?”

“The two-hundred-year battle that started with the Morrigan’s betrayal by Cu. There are lessons to be learned in the history.”

Despite my exhaustion, my interest is piqued. “Good, then let’s meet tomorrow. I’m eager to get to work.” I meet his

steely eyes. “Unless you have other plans?”

I wait to see if he tells me where he and the others go on occasion. It’s not like they’re not allowed. They can leave. Predictably though, Dylan doesn’t even blink. “One o’clock sharp.”

I smile. “Perfect.”

I turn to leave but hear Dylan call my name. “Make sure you take a shower before dinner,” he says, swallowing thickly. “You smell like sex and I’m not sure the others can take it.”

I nod and quickly leave the room. As stoic as Dylan tries to be, the tight feeling in my belly tells me that the others aren’t the only ones that can’t handle the smell of sex on me for long.

Chapter 6

Dylan

I release a groan and drop my head into my hands when Morgan walks out of the room. After a moment, I stand and grab a pre-dinner drink. There’s no doubt I need something to settle my nerves. Being in the house with the Queen as she releases her energy on the others is testing my resolve. What once was a thick rope tying me to the Morrigan is now a thin thread pulled taut by want and desire.

I gulp the warm, amber liquid in one swallow and place the book I’d been reading on my study table. Even though I sounded pissed when I spoke to Morgan, I wasn’t. I’m not. Unlike the others, I’ve kept my connection with her strictly professional. Even Bunny broke down today, pleasuring her so thoroughly her orgasm ricocheted through the house like a boomerang.

My turn is coming. It’s part of my duty and allegiance to being her guardian. She must test each one of us to see if we’re not only compatible but actually her mate. The fate of society depends on it. The Darkness knows no bounds and the energy she contains is unparalleled.

The clock chimes behind me, alerting me to the fact it’s time to prepare for dinner, where once again I’ll be faced with Morgan and her alluring temptations.

I plan to hold her off as long as I can. Not because I don’t want her. I do.

That’s the problem. I want her too much.

Chapter 7

Morgan

She blinks, and from her position and the hard surface under her back she knows she’s back on the table. She feels the whisper of a paintbrush on her toes. She glances at the ceiling and it’s not the vaulted beams of the attic but the square mahogany tiles of the dining room. With a look upward, she spots Bunny and smiles.

“What are we doing here?” she asks. “Did the runes not work?”

Her voice comes out muffled, like she’s underwater. Bunny stands above her head, speaking but she can’t hear what he’s saying. A raven caws in the distance and he smiles, but it doesn’t reach his coppery eyes. She opens her mouth but a figure catches her eye and she looks to the side.

It’s Sam with his handsome, charming smile. A knotted bun of hair sits atop his head, making his cheekbones even more dramatic.

He holds a thin paintbrush dipped in gold and paints her left breast with delicate precision.