Empress Hiding Read online

  Yet even as they focused on their steps, both Chiyoto and Runa sensed the mixed breed that had spoken with Togo earlier – the one who had given of himself for their nourishment – in the evening following them cautiously at a distance; however, there was no ill-will or malicious intent in his steps, and he did not approach.

  Chiyoto smiled to herself as she removed her tinted glasses from the waistband of her jodhpurs – it must have been his contribution to their sustenance that provided Runa’s satiation. It had been a decade or more since they had obtained even part-crimson nutrition, and the difference was certainly noticeable.

  “I promise, my beautiful one,” Chiyoto whispered almost inaudibly to anyone in the immediate vicinity as she slipped her glasses on her face, “We will be sure to sate you with pure Crim …”

  Suddenly, a hand tightened firmly on Chiyoto’s arm and yanked her unexpectedly from the walkway into the small space between two structures that allowed room for air purifiers and other such necessary equipment.

  Chiyoto found herself looking up into the emerald eyes of the gorgeous male that had captured her attentions on their run in the Commons Area – and that had captured her thoughts and heart ever since. He was beyond larger than life as he stood before her and angled his head downward to look back into her face.

  And she was captivated.

  Completely.

  Before she could breathe or even find thought processes to decide what words to speak, her olfactory was thoroughly overcome with his deep fresh-water and, for lack of a better term, “extremely strong male” scent of strength, and that golden aura that he radiated encompassed them both. In fact, his essence was so powerful and so fully surrounded her and infiltrated all that she was that she was totally unprepared for his reaching up and removing her glasses.

  The magnificent male’s unexpected actions physically knocked Chiyoto off-balance even as Runa tried to find a footing amidst Chiyoto’s almost childlike yet almost completely over-whelming infatuation. Chiyoto reached forward for the nearest place on which to brace herself from a stumble or fall, her hands swiftly colliding with the male’s rock-hard abdomen and quickly grasping his shirt for balance.

  The handsome male’s attention was immediately drawn to her hands on him, but Chiyoto quickly withdrew them as an obvious blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. She nervously rubbed her hands down the outside of her tightly-fitted jodhpurs.

  “I …,”

  It was all the farther Chiyoto got in her unbidden apology for her hands when the male demanded of her, “We would know your name, female.”

  It was neither a gentle nor a polite demand, and his face was as hard as the simstone wall behind him.

  And it was enough to completely turn Runa’s mood to one of unbridled hostility toward the Crimson male.

  But Chiyoto sensed nothing antagonistic from the male only unease and curiosity so, she quietly implored her Runa to remain calm for the moment and to please stop interrupting as she was having enough trouble thinking straight with his scent so much a part of her right now.

  Chiyoto felt Runa back down but still hold out a sensory web around the male to detect any spike in emotion or physical threat – that was probably the best she would get from her protective altare this close to such a large and definitely predatory Crimson male specimen.

  However, it seemed Chiyoto’s delayed response must have agitated the male because he started to repeat his demand.

  “I said,” he leaned it just a bit closer to her face, “We would know …”

  His nearness sent a completely unfamiliar warmth to her strictly feminine parts. She could feel the tops of her breasts pull tightly as they scraped roughly now on the soft silken material of her loose-fitting top. And her body’s reaction brought a teasing smile of mischief to her lips as she interrupted her handsome male stranger.

  “And we would know yours, beyfendi,” she nervously bit her lower lip to suppress her childish delight as she continued to look directly into his beckoning eyes and rub her hands on her jodhpurs, “If you would be so generous as to share it with us.”

  When his initial reaction of complete surprise melted into a satisfied grin, the transformation took both her breath and her senses away.

  He was simply the most perfect male the Makers could have ever created.

  And Runa sat back with her head in her hands as Chiyoto’s emotions ran like fire through her veins – she knew now that her Chiyoto had a very serious crush on this male – a crush that was not going away any time soon.

  Chapter 5

  Just as soon as the enticing female was in front of him, Rafal felt his beast roar in victory and begin to claw at his insides to be let out to taste her. Never before had a female captured his beast’s attentions – Rafal’s sexual encounters had simply been to satisfy his own personal drives and not that of his beast. In fact, up until this very moment, Rafal had concluded that his beast had no sexual drives as not even the most talented of the court prostitutes – their beasts as well as themselves highly trained and specialized – had ever interested it in the least. But now he warred internally with the strong animal. Rafal could sense the innocence that defined this female – not just in physical immaculateness but in aura as well, and he was determined not to spook her.

  He let his eyes graze over her perfect proportions as he fought with his beast – her above average yet perfect breasts and her substantial and, yes, inviting hip span. He let her peppermint and musk infiltrate all that he was until he could tell it was having a calming effect on them both. Rafal took a deep breath and realized he had lost his patience with the presence of the glasses on her face – before he could even stop his hand from doing so, he had reached up and snatched them from her beautiful face.

  And Rafal caught his own breath as he found himself mesmerized by the almost translucent pink color of her eyes. Suddenly, her hands firmly contacted with his mid-section, and he felt her grasp his shirt – his beast roared again and Rafal had to strangle his own reaction to her boldness as he managed to rip his gaze from her radiating face to glance down at her hands.

  He quickly realized, however, as that beautiful face took on a bit of embarrassed blush in her quick withdrawal of her hands, that it was not boldness at all that had driven her grasp of him, she was simply over-whelmed by his presence. The revelation put Rafal Sadid firmly back in charge of his own senses.

  And his own controlling ways.

  Rafal realized that he needed her name – needed a means by which to make a claim to her …

  “We would know your name, female.”

  Rafal valiantly kept his beast out of his voice, although the beast did not make it easy. In fact, they both needed a name so badly right now, it was beginning to eat at the both of them for no apparent reason.

  They needed her name.

  But Rafal could tell he stood a very good chance of scaring her.

  And that was the very last thing he wanted right now.

  Because what the Crowned Prince of the Bohrean Empire really wanted – what both he and his beast wanted – was to rip the female’s shirt from her perfect breasts both he and his beast could clearly see harden as they leaned closer to her beautiful face to demand a name.

  “I said,” Rafal was about to lose the battle with his beast because his desire was becoming a beast in and of itself, “We would know …”

  But then her face lit with a smile that reached inside and even began to calm his beast. And when she spoke, the melodic notes of her speech – a speech that was far more proper than he had heard from someone younger than himself – reached their ears, he felt his entire face relax into a true smile of satisfaction.

  “And we would know yours, beyfendi, if you would be so generous as to share it with us.”

  Her words were not just proper words addressed to the Prime Magistrate, they were playful words –
teasing words – words that were meant to bring levity and familiarity to a situation – words that none had used with him since before his beast had presented for the first time.

  This most beautiful and desirable female was actually playing with him – the feared Prime Magistrate that made most cringe in fear! She even bit her bottom lip in her innocence as she rubbed her outer thighs in apprehension. The scrumptious female was genuinely flirting – not putting on a show, not trying to curry favor – but actually nervously flirting with him!

  And Rafal’s smile grew so big that he felt his facial muscles complain at use they had not seen in cycles while his beast actually purred with a satisfaction it had shown heretofore only at the bottom of their havuz in the rec area back in Capital City.

  Rafal confidently reached a hand toward her face as he spoke calmly and knowingly – he would have to be the mature one here as it was obvious this female – no matter her stunning beauty and alluring attributes – had no idea of what to do in this situation.

  But both Rafal and his beast looked so very forward to showing her – both here and back in his quarters and, perhaps, even in the hydro-spa. Rafal felt his beast growl in fierce agreement with his thoughts.

  “My name,” his palm met her cheek and he watched her eyes flutter and her breathing hitch – and he warmed with male satisfaction at his effect on her, “Is …”

  But he lost his words as the tingling that had been barely noticeable on his skin up until this point increased significantly at his hand’s contact with her face. An almost surreal warmth spread over his palm and began to radiate down his arm, and, suddenly, his somewhat calm beast was not so calm any more. The beast lunged forward inside of him – stridently urging Rafal to take this female right here, right now.

  Rafal tensed to rein in the beast’s advances almost feeling the claws and pinchers tear under his skin – what had gotten into it? Rafal breathed slowly and finished his sentence.

  “Rafal,” he stated almost hypnotically as she reached up and removed her scarf to release her full head of inked-black hair.

  But there was something wrong with the color of her hair – crazy thought? Yes. But that color was just not right – even though he could not comprehend his mind’s reasoning for such a conclusion. But his beast roared in protest at the revealed color and pushed Rafal’s hand further back on her face to the back of her neck. There, Rafal and his beast both felt the female’s hair was not just on her head, but was definitely more of mane that reached well below her collar.

  And his beast once again lunged in lust and conquest of the female – the beast had never, ever acted like this before this very moment. Rafal was having trouble controlling the cumbersome animal in addition to his own desires – it was even getting difficult to breathe normally and not let the beast’s growls of desire and need to possess seep into that breathing.

  Until she spoke again.

  “My name, Rafal, is Chiyoto.”

  He never thought his own name would have that kind of meaning to him – at least not the simple speaking of it. Every one around him – his officers, his courtiers, even Dalis – called him by his proper title – only his brother used his familiar name.

  And her speaking of it turned something tight deep inside of him – cranked it so tight that the wave of possessiveness that it released took him by surprise.

  But now, with her name and her scent, Rafal was fully ready to claim her if she and her beast showed even the slightest cooperation – he even let the beast’s growl seep into his voice as he leaned into her face and made his intentions clear.

  “We smelled you inside, but, by the Gods, out here you are the most beautiful female we have ever scented or touched, my Chiyoto,” Rafal spoke just in front of her face as he breathed deeply and enjoyed her body’s further reaction to them both – that reaction substantially increasing the muskiness of her scent, “And we sense that both you and your beast feel attracted to us as well.”

  Rafal felt her breathing hitch and a growl accompany her sagging stance with the enormity of the feedback her innocent psyche was having in response to him and his beast. And, once again, he reveled in his effects on her – she would have him here, he could sense it – could sense that she had no defenses against him.

  Rafal chuckled as he self-assuredly awaited his Chiyoto’s response even as he contemplated the sexual position in which he would break her virgin’s wall. Sensations began to spring forth from the warmth emanating from where he held her neck, and he felt himself grow hard with anticipation.

  Oh, yes, she was now his Chiyoto for she would never again leave his presence – neither he nor his beast would allow it. Besides, Rafal felt both her willingness for him and her inability to refuse him now.

  But all was as it should be as he took another step bringing their bodies closer together – a mate should have no defenses against her male – that is how it should be.

  As he breathed her in and awaited her most-assuredly positive response, he grinned in triumph at his own thoughts even as his beast unexpectedly calmed.

  — “They had all been mistaken” --

  His beast completely stilled in response to Rafal’s thought.

  — “Yes, every damned last one of them had been incorrect or even lying! His sire had once again lied to him” --

  Rafal’s beast stirred uncomfortably inside of him as those thoughts ran through his elated mind.

  By the Gods! The prophecies had all been wrong – all the augers and priests could go to the realm of godsfall because this gorgeous and dangerous Crimson female was meant to be his. His Chiyoto would learn to accept all that he was because in her innocence, he, Rafal Sadid, would train her to accept him – she would be his Somdech and Khitam could siktir git about setting him up with a consort. Another female could never do to him both physically and emotionally what his Chiyoto was doing to his body even before he claimed her for the first time …

  And, as that magnificent female – his Chiyoto – reached an obviously trembling hand toward his face, Rafal himself was ready to roar in triumph.

  But his beast had become so eerily hushed and unmoving since his internal mocking of the prophecies had begun that a gnawing uncertainty arose inside of him. In fact, Rafal’s beast was so withdrawn, that he actually heard and felt it whimper.

  Rafal could practically see the beast shaking his head in dismay – they were actually on the verge of taking a female the beast had insisted upon, and his beast was backing down!

  And it was enough to make the victorious ruler-to-be internally question what had transpired to cause such, but he was too focused on his Chiyote to care – because more melodious words had begun to timidly fall from her full-lipped and seductive mouth …

  As his palm met her cheek, she was suddenly far too warm to allow the scarf to remain around her thick mane – she was smothering in the heat that her own body radiated. And, even though she tried not to make a big thing about its removal, she accomplished the feat as quickly as possible – she felt as though her body temperature was literally rising even though there was really no logical explanation for such.

  Even Runa was calm – for Runa, that is – at the moment.

  But just hearing his name: Rafal! What a strong and fitting name for such a strong presence – a strong leader … Chiyoto grinned to herself.

  Her handsome Prince.

  And Chiyoto felt and heard her Runa roar again in protest at Chiyoto’s emotions falling so desperately for this Crimson male.

  But when this Rafal’s hand touched their face and slid along it to the back of their neck, Runa sat back in confusion and even shock. There was something inexplicably familiar about the beast she sensed through that touch, although an impenetrable veil separated them on their plane: she was Blood-born and he was not. That veil would only be lifted when Chiyoto and she bid Junko and Shizu farewell.

&
nbsp; Runa sensed her Chiyoto wanted to curl up next to this Rafal and be held close to him – to feel his strong arms around her – to know the warmth that she sensed emanating from him even at this proximity. Chiyoto breathed heavily with Rafal’s hand on her neck as she felt her eyelids grow heavy, her body try to actually acquiesce to an invisible pull toward him.

  “My name, Rafal, is Chiyoto.”

  And Chiyoto was delighted at his reaction to her simple statement of her name for him – Rafal must have really liked it to have such a positive response. In fact, Chiyoto could sense nothing but approval and desire for her. This magnificently handsome male – the most handsome male on which Chiyoto had ever laid eyes – one who scented purely of freshwater and strength – was attracted to her!

  And, as Runa noted almost dejectedly, the young heiress swooned even further … if such were realistically possible.

  “We smelled you inside, but, by the Gods, out here you are the most beautiful female we have ever scented or touched, my Chiyoto,” She could have reached out and bitten him – oh, yes, that was what she wanted to do as a warm, completely unfamiliar moisture began to pool between her legs – a moisture that he must have scented as well because his breathing rumbled and his nostrils flared, “And we sense that both you and your beast feel attracted to us as well.”

  A growl was born in her throat, and Chiyoto was not sure if it was her growl of desire or Runa’s growl of warning that sounded forth. But whichever it was, Chiyoto smiled ever-so-slightly – she knew of what he spoke, but she also felt Runa’s feigned hurt and true displeasure at having been referred to as “a beast” so, she reached up to gently correct the error.

  Chiyoto knew that, unlike in ages past, most present-day Crimsons did not acknowledge their animal alter-beings as thinking creatures – simply referring to them as their “beasts”. Blood-bornes, on the other hand, spent most of their lifetimes developing a relationship with their alter-beings – even naming them based on their own personality traits – it seemed the only logical choice as the two lives were irrevocably tied to one another. Because one could not exist without the other, a closely-knit relationship seemed the best choice – rather than living in conflict with a large part of oneself for an entire lifetime.