Ensnared: An Eternal Guardians Novella Read online

  She was also talented, confident, and a force to be reckoned with. And he couldn’t wait to see what she did next or where she went from here.

  He stepped into her arms when she reached for him near the glow of the portal and slid his hands around her waist as he looked down at her. “Dream weavers don’t know a whole lot about reality, you know.”

  “You’ll learn.” She brushed her lips against his and smiled. “Actually, I’ve a feeling you’ll learn pretty quickly. Did I mention that my father is an Argonaut? A big one? And that I’m his only daughter?”

  His steps slowed, and he playfully pulled back on her waist. “On second thought...”

  She grinned and tugged him toward the portal. “Oh, and he’s immortal, just like you. He’s descended from Achilles’s line. You’re gonna love him. He, however, will probably take a while to warm up to you.”

  Ryder frowned, but didn’t stop her from drawing him forward. “Something tells me I would have been safer staying with Zeus. Are you sure you don’t want to weave a new reality for us?”

  She laughed. “Baby, you are my new reality. And I can’t wait to get you home so we can both start living it.”

  Home.

  That was a dream he’d all but given up on. As the portal popped and light flashed around them, he leaned down and kissed her, so very thankful she’d lured him out of the cosmos and into her fantasies.

  Reality was a thousand times better than any dream he could ever weave.

  And because of her, the dream he thought would never be real had finally come true.

  Epilogue

  A whisper-soft touch grazed the back of Zakara’s neck, making her smile where she lay softly dozing against her pillow. Warm early morning rays of sunlight slid over her and the big four-poster bed in her bedroom suite in the castle in Argolea. A very warm, very hard male body pressed up against her spine, and those tempting lips of his found a new spot to tickle and kiss on the side of her throat.

  “Mm...” She reached down and wrapped her hand around Ryder’s fingers, which were already sliding under the hem of the tank at her waist. “If either of my parents find you in here, they’re going to skin you alive.”

  “Your mother likes me, fantasía. And your father’s still out with the Argonauts on assignment. And for the record, you’re the one who lured me into this bed with you by shifting your dream into reality. I was innocently minding my own business in my room down the hall before you started all that weaving.”

  “Ha!” She quickly rolled and pushed him to his back so she could climb over him. Wrapping her hands around his wrists, she pinned his arms to the mattress and smiled down. “You’re the one who did the weaving and the luring. Though I did like that new thing you did in my dream with your tongue.”

  He chuckled, lifted his head, and captured her lips for a quick kiss. “I could tell. I’m pretty sure you’re going to enjoy it way more here in our reality.”

  She sighed and opened, letting go of his wrists so she could slide down and kiss him deeper. So she could feel him against her everywhere. She knew she was going to enjoy it more here. Though she loved when he found her in her dreams, something he enjoyed teasing her with when they were apart, the reality of his body against hers, of his lips consuming hers, of his heat and strength and familiar scent overwhelming her was a million times better than any fantasy. It was for him too.

  “Ah, fantasía,” he whispered against her mouth. His hands landed on her hips, then slid down to cup her ass and pull her against his growing erection. “If you keep that up, your father is most definitely going to find me here in this bed with you. And then I’ll be forced to tell him what a vixen his daughter is.”

  She laughed and drew back a breath from his lips. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  His heated gaze skipped over her features, then he grinned. A full blown mesmerizing smile that was so relaxed and happy, it made him ten thousand times more attractive then he already was. “No, I wouldn’t. I don’t want to give him any reason to cancel our binding ceremony tomorrow. After three long, agonizing months, I finally got you to say yes to being mine. I’m not about to let anyone get in the way of that.”

  She chuckled and kissed him again. “You are a persistent god, I will give you that.” She eased back once more, her smile fading. “Are you sure about this? We don’t have to be bound. You’ve barely had time to get settled in Argolea, and—”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” He lifted his head and pressed a kiss against her bare shoulder. “I want you. I’ve wanted you since the first moment you lured me into your dreams. And now that we’ve gotten to know each other better, I’m more than sure I want you forever.” He met her gaze with spellbinding eyes swirling like the cosmos. “I love you, fantasía. I want to spend my life with you. And I want that life to start now.”

  Her heart felt as if it filled to bursting. Never in her life had she expected this—him. Yes, she’d dreamt about that elusive happily ever after, but she’d never thought it could be real. Not for her.

  “I love you too,” she whispered. Sliding back down so they were pressed together, chest to chest, she skimmed her fingertips over the soft stubble on his jaw and pressed her lips against his once more. “I love you endlessly. I just wanted to be sure you weren’t having any second thoughts.”

  He opened at the first touch and drew her into a toe-curling kiss she felt everywhere. “No second thoughts,” he mumbled against her mouth. “Not about the binding ceremony. Though that is an odd word for what’s basically a wedding. And it gives me all kinds of ideas about the next dreamscape I’m going to weave for you. One where you’re wearing a sexy white negligee and veil, with your hands bound in front of you, and your luscious body bent over a spanking bench.”

  She jerked back and pressed her fingers against his ribs, making him squirm beneath her. “Oh, you’d better not, dream weaver.”

  He laughed as she tickled him, but she wasn’t quick enough to climb off him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and flipped her to her back before she could get away.

  Sinking his teeth into her throat, he gently bit down, then sucked the spot until she moaned. “Mm, I love twisting your fantasies.”

  She knew he did. He loved pushing her—sexually and emotionally. And she loved him for it. Loved everything he did for and to her. Her hands landed against his sides, and she sighed as he kissed his way up her neck.

  He drew back and gazed down at her. “But I love being here in the real world with you more. And I can’t wait to be your pantreménos.”

  Husband.

  Her whole body warmed at the word, and any worry she had about her parents finding him in her room this early faded from her mind. She lifted her head and skimmed her lips against his, aching to feel him everywhere. “I can’t wait for that either. I don’t want to wait. Show me what kind of pantreménos you’re going to be. Show me right now.”

  He groaned and sank into her, kissing her deeply and with every bit of passion she felt in her own soul for him. She licked into his mouth, savoring the taste of him against her tongue, and slid her hands down his muscular spine to the waistband at his hips. But before she could even push the sweats down so she could feel him right where she ached for him most, a knock sounded at the door, followed by her mother’s familiar voice calling, “Zakara? Are you awake?”

  Ryder stilled and quietly drew back from her lips, staring down at her in the early morning light. “Busted,” he whispered. “You were right. Quick, alter this reality before your father shows up and kills me.”

  She couldn’t stop herself from grinning. “You’re on your own with that one, ómorfos.” She kissed him quickly, then dropped her head back down to the pillow and called, “Yes, I’m awake. I’ll be right out.”

  He frowned and moved off her, and as she pushed to her feet and shook out the legs of her pajama bottoms, she said, “Try not to look so delightfully rumpled. That won’t help matters.” Fluffing her hair out, she shot a look at the bulge behind
his sweats. “And don’t come out until that thing’s long gone. If my father sees that, he will skin you, impending binding or not. None of my perception altering abilities will be able to help you in that situation.”

  “Ha ha, very funny.” He tipped his head and waved his hand. “Go already so I can. You make me freakin’ hard every time you tease me.”

  She was still grinning when she tugged the door open and slipped into the living room, pulling it closed behind her. Thankfully, her father was nowhere to be seen. Only her mother stood near the stone fireplace, studying a picture Kara had recently framed of her and Ryder.

  “I like this.” Callia skimmed her finger over the white frame surrounding the picture of the two of them smiling in the sunshine, water shimmering at their backs, jagged snow-capped mountains in the distance. “When did you take it?”

  “Last week. Up at the lake.”

  The “lake” was the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the northern reaches of Argolea. Where she’d taken Ryder to show him her parents’ cabin—a cabin that was eerily similar to the one where they’d spent an amazing night together. It was also where he’d asked her to bind his life to hers.

  “I thought so.” Her mother smiled. “Did he like it up there?”

  Now that her parents knew she could alter perceptions, they weren’t so concerned about her out and about in the wilds on her own. Even if some of Zeus’s Sirens found a way to sneak into their realm, Zeus himself couldn’t get here, and they and her parents knew she could take care of herself—heck, she’d proven that to everyone. But they still worried. Which, she figured, was exactly what parents were supposed to do. And instead of making her feel confined now, that knowledge made her heart swell.

  “He loved it. We’re planning to go back for a few days after the binding ceremony.”

  “I think that’s a great idea. You two deserve some peace and quiet after everything you’ve been through.” Her mother stepped toward her. “Before everything gets crazy with all the pre-binding festivities, I just wanted you to know how happy I am for you. And proud. You might not have my healing gift, but your gift is just as important. And I’m thrilled you and Ryder are using your gifts for the good of others. I knew one day you’d find what you were meant to do with your life.”

  Pride swept through Kara. Her mother wasn’t talking about her being Ryder’s wife. She was talking about the new clinic she and Ryder were opening after they got back from their vacation. It had actually been her idea, and she had no idea if it was going to work, but she knew there were others in their realm struggling with hopes and dreams and just what their purpose was in this world. No, she wasn’t a healer, but she understood depression and anxiety, what it felt like not to fit in, and just what altering perceptions could do for a person’s self-esteem. And Ryder was an expert on dreams and their interpretations. He was the one who was really going to help their patients. She still had a lot to learn about mental health, but for the first time in her life, she was excited about that learning. And she was looking forward to finally having a purpose.

  “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

  Her mother wrapped her arms around Kara’s shoulders and hugged her. “I’m always proud of you, Kara. No matter what.”

  Kara closed her eyes and hugged her mother back, so very thankful for her family. They weren’t a burden as she’d once thought. They were a blessing. A blessing she would never take for granted again.

  “Now.” Gripping her shoulders, her mother eased back and looked down at her. “We have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow. Which means Ryder needs to get himself out of your room so we can do them.”

  Kara chuckled, not the least bit worried that her mother knew he was in there. “Got it.”

  “And your father’s waiting outside in the hall for you.”

  “He’s back from his mission?” Kara’s eyes widened. He’d been out with the Argonauts for the last seven days. She knew her mother had informed him about the binding, but she hadn’t had a chance to tell him herself. “Why didn’t he come in?”

  Her mother dropped her hands and rolled her eyes. “Because he’s old fashioned. He’d rather go on thinking you’re his baby girl, not a grown woman.”

  Meaning he didn’t want to find her in bed with Ryder. “I’ll always be his baby girl.”

  “I know.” Her mother’s face softened. “Go tell him that. I’ll kick your man out so we can get started. The sooner he learns the women rule this family, the better.”

  Kara’s lips curled in a smile as she moved toward the main door. “I agree. He has no idea what he’s about to get into.”

  Callia grinned. “No, he doesn’t. Lucky man.”

  Kara was still smiling when she stepped into the wide marble corridor of the castle and spotted her father pacing near several Grecian columns, his broad shoulders filling out the dark shirt he wore, his blond hair, just like hers, catching the light, making him look more angelic than warrior.

  His feet stilled the second he heard her, and he turned to look her way. And the second his silvery eyes met hers, it was as if no time had passed. She was five years old again, running across the lawn toward him as he walked up their drive after a full day running missions with the Argonauts. She used to watch for him from the windows of their house outside Tiyrns every day. Couldn’t wait ‘til he got home. Couldn’t imagine life without him. He’d been her first love. The only man at the center of her world for a very long time. And she suddenly wanted him to know he would always have a place there. Her binding with Ryder would never change that.

  “Pampas.” She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly as he held her. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

  “I’m glad too.” His arms felt like steel bands around her. “I missed you.”

  She’d missed him too. She always did when he was gone. This time more than ever. Her eyes grew misty. “You’re not upset, are you? About the binding? About it happening so fast? We wanted to tell you sooner, but...”

  “Of course not.” He drew back and looked down at her. “All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. And if he makes you happy, then I’m glad, baby girl.”

  “He does. Very much.”

  “Good.” He brushed a tear from her cheek she hadn’t known had slipped free. “And I already knew. Ryder asked me for my blessing before I left.”

  “He did?”

  Zander nodded. “He’s not so bad, your dream weaver. I’m getting used to him. Slowly.”

  Kara chuckled and glanced down at his thick, dark shirt, knowing he was teasing. But there was a thread of truth in his words. It was hard for him to let go. And part of her didn’t want him to. “I think he’s still a little scared of you.”

  “As well he should be. I am an Argonaut who can’t be killed.”

  She smirked.

  “And if he ever gets out of line I’ve got a long list of Argonauts on my side who’ll show him the proper way.”

  She couldn’t help herself, she laughed. “Trust me, if he ever steps out of line, I’ll be the first one to show him the proper way.”

  Zander’s lips curled. “I know you will. Just as I know you can take care of yourself. You are my daughter, after all.”

  She gazed up at him, completely bewildered that she’d ever thought her parents were disappointed in her. “I’ll always be your daughter, pampas. Nothing and no one can ever change that. Not time, not the future, not even my love for Ryder.”

  “I know you will, chará.” He smiled. “And you will always have a place with us, no matter where life takes you. This is your home, Zakara.”

  She pressed her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes as she hugged him close. He was right. This was her home. He was her home. And her home was finally complete now that she’d found Ryder.

  She no longer yearned to escape into her dreams. Everything she would ever need was right here, waiting for her in the real world.

  * * * *

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights and Elisabeth
Naughton Hunted, Ravaged, Unchained, and Surrender

  Eternal Guardians Lexicon

  Argolea. Realm established by Zeus for the blessed heroes and their descendants

  Argonauts. Eternal guardian warriors who protect Argolea. In every generation, one from the original seven bloodlines (Heracles, Achilles, Jason, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon) is chosen to continue the guardian tradition.

  binding. Marriage

  chará. Term of endearment; my joy

  Cosmic Deities. Minor gods who dwell in the cosmos.

  Fates. Three goddesses who control the thread of life for all mortals from birth until death

  Horae. Three goddesses of balance controlling life and order

  matéras. Mother

  Misos. Half-human/half-Argolean race that lives hidden among humans.

  Olympians. Current ruling gods of the Greek pantheon, led by Zeus; meddle in human life.

  omorfos. Handsome

  Oneiroi. Realm of dreams in the center of the cosmos

  oraios. Beautiful

  pampas. Daddy

  pantreménos. Husband.

  Siren Order. Zeus’s elite band of personal warriors. Commanded by Athena

  skata. Swearword

  Titans. The ruling gods before the Olympians

  Sign up for the 1001 Dark Nights Newsletter

  and be entered to win a Tiffany Key necklace.

  There's a contest every month!

  Click here to subscribe.

  As a bonus, all subscribers can download FIVE FREE exclusive books!

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Six

  Click here for more information.

  DRAGON CLAIMED by Donna Grant

  A Dark Kings Novella