Moonlight Crown_A Fantasy Reverse Harem Page 3

  “Is it possible to be the Queen here and not live here?” She asked.

  The men looked at each other and Tac shook his head.

  “You are either the Queen here or not at all,” he said before he walked passed Dru and down the stairway.

  She instantly regretted asking it. Of course, she would have to stay here. This was the home of the Queen, but she couldn’t. She had to decide to get back to her home. This wasn’t her mistake. This wasn’t her responsibility. She felt like she was arguing with part of herself.

  #

  They stopped in the stables and got the horses ready for the long ride. Cole was getting supplies from the kitchen and left Dru with the other three men. Fin and Tac chatted among themselves leaving Dru and Ian alone on the other side of the stable. The smell of hay and horses brought a smile to Dru’s face. She’d never been around a lot of animals. She’d had a gerbil once, but it died within a month. Dru just figured with city living, she wasn’t equipped to have an animal that needed constant supervision.

  “I didn’t want to hurt anyone,” she said.

  “Of course not. I don’t think you would purposely hurt us, even if we are different from you,” Ian said.

  “You’re not that different,” Dru said.

  “You’d be surprised. There was a time when Fae and Man lived together in harmony.” His face fell. “That was a long time ago.”

  “What happened?”

  “No one really knows. It was like they shifted their thoughts and we were caught in the middle.” He turned towards Dru. “Man has always wanted power. They create their own suffering for it. The Fae was different.”

  “Was?” Dru raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

  “Fae and humans have been consummating for a long time. Our bloodlines have joined in so many ways it’s hard to know who is Fae and who is human,” he said.

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Dru said. “I’m obviously human and you’re obviously Fae.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t look at things like that.”

  “How do you look at them?” Dru stepped closer to him.

  He closed the space between them. “I see who you are, Dru.”

  “Who am I?” She teased without thinking.

  He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him. “You’re the Fae Queen.” His lips were so close to hers, she would close the space between them and taste a Fae warrior’s kiss.

  A clearing throat behind them brought her back to reality. She stepped away and Ian just smiled.

  “If you two don’t mind, we need to be going,” Tac said. His tone was less than impressed with Ian and his come ons.

  Ian simply smiled and raised his eyebrows at Dru.

  “Wait, what about Cole,” Dru said.

  “I’m here,” he said right on cue. He attached two leather bags to the back of his saddle and pulled himself onto it. He reached for Dru’s hand and pulled her to the front of him on the saddle as well.

  She settled in the best she could against Cole. It felt odd to her to be this close to a man she barely knew, but she didn’t have a choice.

  “How long are we going to stay at this outpost?” She asked.

  “Until they are ready for your coronation,” Cole answered. His husky voice vibrated through her back.

  She shook her head. “No, I need to talk to the council before that. I have to explain all this to them.”

  “Explain what?”

  “You know what. I’m the wrong choice for this. I’m not even a Fae,” Dru said. She was tired of repeating herself. It was like they weren’t hearing her. Maybe they just didn’t want to hear her.

  “You’ve been told over and over, they don’t make mistakes.” Cole said. “I’ll arrange for you to see them the day of your coronation.”

  “Before it,” she added.

  “Yes, yes.” Cole gave the horse a slight kick and it set off into a trot.

  The others settled in around them and Dru relaxed into Cole’s body. She could feel every muscle in his body. The way they tightened when he pulled the reins just right and when he gave the horse a small kick to get it going. She could feel the way their bodies moved together when the horse set off on his trot. She couldn’t help but want those arms around her and she wasn’t sure why. She felt as though she’d known Cole forever. Like he was hers no matter what. Maybe it was the Fae world playing tricks on her or maybe she was really having feelings for a Fae warrior.

  #

  Dru watched as the sun fell over the mountains and the air started to cool. The forest was beautiful in the twilight hour. The trees seemed to sleep with the sun and the cool earth was damp with the moisture in the air. She smiled and stretched. Her muscles were sore from riding and she was exhausted.

  Cole seemed to sense her needs and stopped his horse.

  “There is a border crossing up ahead. We can stay there for the night,” he said.

  “Are you sure you want to be that far in the open?” Tac said, riding up beside him. “We’re in some dangerous territory.”

  “This whole area is dangerous. It’s not Shara,” Cole snapped. “I thought we had the best Fae warrior in the kingdom to protect us.”

  Tac grumbled and rode back to the others. Cole laughed and Dru shook her head. These men had a real bond and they would do anything to keep themselves safe and hopefully her in the process.

  They turned to the left and rode down a darker part of the forest. Dru felt a chill and rubbed her arms in response. Cole pulled his cloak over her and rubbed her arm.

  “This part of the forest is well hidden,” he said.

  “It feels wrong,” Dru said without thinking.

  “That’s the spell work. It keeps the darkness out because it thinks it already occupies it,” Cole said. “It lets up when we get to the wards.”

  “Wards?” Dru said.

  “They are magick barriers that keep things out we don’t want in.”

  “Oh,” she said, as though she understood everything being told to her. She didn’t, but they didn’t need to know that.

  The cold air seemed to nip at Dru’s face. It threatened to drain all the warmth from her body if she let it. She closed her eyes and pulled herself together. No matter what everything seemed, she had no doubt these men would keep her alive. They had their own reasons for it, but they would keep her safe.

  She felt the heavy air pull from her body and the feeling of being in the wrong place pass. Dru opened her eyes and glanced at her surroundings. There was a small house with old wood doors and walls. It was creaky and old, but would do nicely for the night. There was a fireplace to the left of the door and an old cot in the far corner. The moonlight pushed through the slats of wood and created a vivid pattern of lines and circles on the floor. Dru smiled at the beauty of it. There was something to this place, to the kingdom she was standing in. It had a beauty she had never seen before in its flowers and its simple moonlight.

  Cole dismounted from the horse and held his hands up for Dru to do the same. She lost her footing and fell into Cole’s arms. The two just stayed still for a moment before he placed her on her feet on the ground and stepped away.

  “You should stay in there and we’ll stay out here to keep watch,” Cole said without looking at her.

  “I think we should all stay together, “Dru insisted.

  “This is how we are doing it,” Cole said with authority.

  Dru sighed and walked into the tiny building. It was basic and reminded her of her first year in college. The freshmen always got the worst dorms. She smiled at the memory, but it quickly faded. All those things were gone. She was alone and there was no one that was going to help her get it back. They wanted her to be their queen. She didn’t even know how to start.

  Dru crawled into the small bed and closed her eyes. She was to exhaust to think about it right now. All she wanted was some sleep and to figure it out in the morning.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Ian

  Ian watched
the woman walk away defeated. A part of him wanted to keep her company on this cold night. He knew Cole would never approve of him bedding the future Queen, but he often didn’t listen to what Cole said when it came to his own feelings. He had great instincts and knew how to use them.

  “This is an eventful journey,” Ian said without thinking.

  “This is our job,” Cole countered.

  “Please, you think I can’t see it, but there is more to that woman than either of us understand,” Ian said, taking a seat on the grass next to him. He glanced at Fin in the distance making sure the surroundings were safe,

  “You are more connected to the earth under us than anyone else. What do you think of her?” Cole asked.

  “She’s different.”

  “That doesn’t have anything to do with the fact you would love to bed her, does it?” Tac said from behind him.

  “I’ll admit, she is enticing, but as Cole keeps reminding us, this is a mission and nothing more,” Ian said without moving.

  “Right,” Tac said with a huff.

  “She is innocent and we are asking her to risk her life for our people. I don’t know how I feel about that,” Cole said.

  “I knew you had feelings for her,” Ian said with a laugh. “You want to protect her.”

  Cole gave him a hard look. “I’m going to bed. You three can rotate watch this time.”

  Ian laughed and walked to Fin.

  “See anything?”

  “No, everything is quiet,” he said.

  “Good. The last thing we need is to be attacked out here.”

  “Do you think this is a good idea?” Fin said without looking at him.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Taking an unskilled girl into enemy territory,” Fin said turning to him. “There is only us four in the way of the darkness taking and killing her.”

  “You’re worried,” Ian said without thinking.

  “Not for myself. I’ve had a good life, but the people back home, they don’t deserve to die like that.”

  “Have faith, Fin. We are all right where we need to be.”

  “How do you know?” Fin countered.

  “I just do,” Ian said, patting the large Fae on the shoulder. He walked away towards the little shack. He could at least check on Dru if he couldn’t stay with her.

  He cracked the door slightly and peeked his head through. She was already asleep. Her small frame curled up on the cot. He smiled at her contentment. She looked so safe and content in this moment. He didn’t want to disrupt her.

  Ian closed the door and walked back to where Cole was sleeping and shook his head. While Ian couldn’t’ see the future, he had a feeling that Dru was going to be the thing they all needed and she might just help the Fae kingdom conquer the darkness forever.

  Now, to just get Cole to see it.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Dru

  She ran her fingers over the black mane. It was rough, like feathers torn apart. Her hand rested on his neck just behind his head and she smiled. This was a great animal. The dark horse didn’t move under her touch, but watched her carefully. Cole’s horse was like him, cautious, but also kind and aware of everything.

  He brought his head up and studied her with his dark eyes. Dru felt at ease around him. Like she could just jump on and ride the horse anywhere she wanted to go. She ran her hand down his neck.

  “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” She realized she was talking to a horse and made a face.

  Dru moved to the next horse, a yellow Palomino and touched the top of his head. He gladly excepted her touch and she ran her hand down his nose. The horse’s playful eyes followed her and she knew this was Ian’s horse. He was a little smaller than the others, but he looked as though he could outrun them all id he wanted.

  She glanced at Fin’s horse, a black and white paint. He was beautiful, but steady in his gaze. He watched her as though he was worried she would take him for herself. She paused and moved passed him to the last horse.

  Tac’s horse preferred to be off on his own, much like Tac seemed to. He was white with a black mane. A beautiful horse in his own way, but very big. Dru wondered how such a horse could keep up with the others when they needed to move quickly. Maybe they didn’t need to. Maybe the horse was so large nothing would bother it. She wasn’t sure, but there was something about that horse that told her everything she needed to know about Tac.

  “They are magnificent, aren’t they?” Ian’s voice said from behind her.

  “Yes,” she answered. “They all have their own way of doing things.”

  “Much like us,” Ian said. “Would you be so kind as to ride with me today.” Ian held his hand out and Dru excepted.

  “Of course,” she answered. “How far are we from this outpost,” She asked once she was on the Palomino.

  Ian gracefully mounted the horse behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He grabbed the reins and bent his head down to her ear.

  “We have another full day’s ride before we get there,” he whispered. “Are you okay with that?” His breath was hot on her skin and made her not want to think or move. The hardness of his body behind her felt good even with the clothing that separated them.

  She closed her eyes. Get control of yourself.

  When she opened her eyes, they were already on the move.

  Before long the forest gave way to rolling hills. Dru watched the birds as they flew overhead and the sun crested above them. They’d been riding a long while before Cole finally allowed them to stop.

  “We are only staying for a moment. The horses need a rest and water,” Cole said. He glanced at Dru before moving his gaze to Ian. “Ian and I will find some food. Fin, you’re in charge of Dru.”

  “You do realize I am a grown woman who can oversee herself, right?” Dru said.

  Cole glanced at her and back to Fin. “You’re in charge.”

  She threw her hands into the air and shook her head. “I think I went back to the stone ages.”

  “He just wants to make sure you’re safe,” Fin said.

  “Right, because that’s his duty,” Dru said mockingly.

  “There’s a lot more to it than that,” Tac said.

  Dru’s gaze snapped up at his notion to speak to her. He met her gaze and dropped his own.

  “I’m just saying you don’t know everything about us.”

  “Like what?” She pressed. “Look, if I’m supposed to trust you, then you have to tell me things.”

  He glanced at Fin who shrugged his shoulders. “It’s public record anyway,” he said.

  “Cole has been a guard at the castle for a long time,” Tac said simply.

  “So, he was there when the Royals were murdered,” Dru finished.

  “Something like that,” Tac said before turning his back to her and walking away.

  “Thanks,” Dru said sarcastically. She turned to Fin who caught her gaze.

  “Don’t look at me. If you want to know about Cole, you’re going to have to ask him,” he said, putting the last of the logs in a pile for a fire.

  “Are we staying here tonight?”

  “Good a place as any,” Fin said. “The horses need more than a small rest. Cole will realize it when he gets back.”

  “You all seem to know each other very well,” she said.

  “We’ve done this a time or two.”

  “You have all been the guard for the royals?” Dru sat on a rock not far from Fin.

  He glanced at her and bit his lip. “We fought in the wars together.”

  “I see,” Dru said. “When were these wars?”

  “They were a long time ago. There was a short time of peace. We thought everything was going to turn out okay.” He hesitated.

  “Then the darkness attacked you and killed what was left of the royals,” Dru finished.

  Fin nodded.

  She figured there was more to it than that, but he wasn’t going to tell her anything yet. She knew if she wanted to understa
nd this place better, she was going to have to earn their trust and that wasn’t going to be an easy thing.

  Cole was walking towards them when she glanced up. He was carrying four small rabbits and looked a lot more tired than he was letting on.

  “We’re going to stay here. The horses need more rest and Dru probably does as well,” Cole said, looking at her before Fin.

  “I’m fine,” Dru lied. “Don’t stop for me.”

  The men all looked at her and then to Cole. “The horses need time too. If we overwork them, no one is going anywhere.”

  “I’m fine with staying here as long as someone stays with the Queen,” Ian said from beside him. Cole’s gaze snapped to him and Ian smiled. “Someone has to make sure she is good and safe.”

  “I supposed you think you’re just the man for the job,” Cole said.

  Ian shrugged.

  “Tac, you’ll stay with Dru tonight,” Cole said while not removing his gaze from Ian.

  “That will go over well,” Ian said under his breath.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Tac

  He grumbled to himself as he walked towards the human woman. She was sitting by the lake alone and Tac knew Cole would be pissed if he let her sit there without him.

  “What are you doing so far from camp?” Tac said, watching the human.

  “I need some time alone,” she said.

  “You can’t be alone.”

  She turned her blue eyes on him. He felt himself lose his thoughts for a moment. She was amazingly beautiful, but she was a human. Her fair hair fell slightly in her face. He wanted to push it over her ear for her, but had to force himself to remember he didn’t like her.

  “I have lost everything. You can give me a moment to sit here and be alone,” she said. Tears filled her eyes and Tac felt himself soften just a little.

  “You haven’t lost anything. You said yourself this is a mistake and you want to tell the council that,” Tac said. He didn’t dare move any closer. She looked too much like her and it was killing him.