The Falcon Prince

Chapter 23

Where was he? Ria’s mother said Kristor hadn’t been staying in her old room. They hadn’t seen him at all. Ria walked to her shop’s large plate-glass window that looked out onto the street.

The usual traffic drove down the two-lane road. There were the same people that she saw every day strolling down the sidewalk, as they went about their daily routine. Some just walked for the exercise, mostly older people. The park wasn’t far.

Then there were the ones who didn’t care as much about exercising anymore and sat on one of the benches. They watched the day slowly pass, or met up with others to talk about days gone by.

But as Ria scanned the area, she didn’t even catch a glimpse of Kristor. Two days had passed, and nothing. Had he decided she was a lost cause, and gone back to New Symtaria?

A shiver of fear ran down her spine. What if the rogue Symtarians found her? What if they came after her? She had no way of protecting herself.

The bell above her door jangled and Carly came inside.

“I waved, but it was as if you didn’t even see me. You must have been really lost in thought.”

“Unfamiliar territory?” She smiled at her attempt at humor, but knew it was weak at best.

“What’s the matter?” Worry creased Carly’s brow.

Ria glanced toward Jeanie, who was filing papers at her desk, and gave an imperceptible shake of her head. Carly glanced at her watch.

“It’s lunchtime. I dropped by to see if you wanted to get something to eat. Do you have any appointments?”

She shook her head. “And Katie is coming in to take care of the afternoon ones.”

“Then get your purse.”

“I don’t want to leave Katie alone again.”

“Is she any good?”

“She’s great.”

“Are you the boss?”

“Okay, okay. Let’s go.” She grabbed her purse out of her office and they walked to the Dairy Queen. Ria couldn’t deal with Donald today, so they passed by his restaurant.

After placing their order, they found a booth in the back, away from the crowded front.

“Now, tell me what’s going on? You look as if you’ve gotten some really bad news. Whatever it is, we can work through it.”

“It’s Kristor.”

“Did you two have a fight? Whatever it was about, you can work it out.”

Ria’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think you liked him. I would’ve thought it would make you happy if he left and never came back.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want you leaving with him, and I’m still not sure I trust him completely, but the other night when we went out, I saw how much you both care about each other.” She shrugged. “And he certainly didn’t act like a criminal.”

The waitress brought their drinks and burgers and set the tray down between them. They waited until she’d left before resuming their conversation.

“And there’s something else, too,” Carly said.

“What?”

“Well, Neil likes him, and he’s a good judge of character. I trust his opinion.”

“Really?”

Carly picked the pickles off her burger, eating them one by one as she’d done for as long as Ria had known her.

“We’re going out again.” She sighed, a dreamy expression on her face. “He’s exactly what I’ve needed. He makes me feel so alive.” She blushed. “He thinks I’m beautiful.”

“You’ve always been beautiful.”

Carly shook her head. “Not before you took me shopping.” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you know my brothers thought it was just terrible that I’d changed the way I look?”

Ria didn’t doubt that for a second. “So what did you tell them?”

“That they were full of bull, and that when I see them dating frumpy women, I might go back to dressing like I used to. That shut them up quick enough.”

Ria chuckled. “Then the waxing was worth it?”

“Yeah, it was.”

They ate in silence for a while. Ria could tell there was something else on her friend’s mind. She clearly wanted to ask something, but it didn’t look like she would without a little prodding.

“Okay, what else do you want to know?”

Carly took a deep breath, setting her burger on the paper wrap. She opened her mouth, but then snapped it closed. “It’s nothing, really. Stupid, in fact.”

“What? Now you have to tell me.”

“Okay, but don’t get upset.”

“I promise. Now what?”

“Are you pregnant? Is that why Kristor left? It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, but I want you to know that if you are, I’m here for you. Anything you need, just name it.”

Silence.

Then Ria burst out laughing. She tried to smother it when people turned to stare. “Where in the world did you hear that?”

“My mother heard it from Wanda, who heard it from Becky. She heard it from Sandy, and I think she got it from Tilly, who said you admitted it in the ladies’ room at the mall when you were having morning sickness.”

“I’m not pregnant.”

Carly released a deep breath. “Good. Especially since Kristor skipped out—” Her face took on a rosy hue. “I mean, since he, uh. I’m sorry, Ria. I hoped to make you feel better, but I think I did the opposite.”

“You did make me feel better. You always do.” But she couldn’t help wondering about Kristor and where he was. What if his animal guide had been shot while soaring through the sky? No, she would not even go there. But where was he?

It doesn’t appear as if she’s too distraught that you’re not around, Labrinon said as he perched high on a building and watched Rianna and her friend, Carly, leave the eating establishment. Rianna smiles and laughs as if you were never in her life.

Kristor had to admit that Labrinon was right. He’d only thought Rianna cared about him. She would not suffer emotionally if he left. She would easily move on with her life.

He watched through the eyes of the hawk as she hugged her friend good-bye, then got in her car and drove toward her house without a care, without a worry.

Leave. Now. I don’t wish to watch her any longer, Kristor said.

What will you do?

Just go back to the craft.

Kristor closed his eyes as Labrinon caught the air currents that would take them back. But closing his eyes didn’t stop the anger from building inside him. How could Rianna not care about what they had shared? It was as though she had tossed their whole relationship away.

Did she not realize he would probably go crazy without his lifemate? Did she not care that she would destroy him?

Labrinon glided into the craft, landing on one of the chairs. The change began. Kristor welcomed the burning sensation, the pain that accompanied shifting. And when he was back to himself, he dressed, his movements stiff as he tried to contain his anger. Then he climbed on his motorcycle and went to Rianna’s house. He would confront her.

Her car was parked in the driveway. He pulled in beside it and turned the key off. She didn’t even come to the door in greeting. Had she already dismissed him? How could she so easily wipe him from her mind when all he could do was think about her? Every waking moment he’d been consumed with thoughts of her. And when he’d slept, his dreams had been filled with visions of Rianna.

As Kristor climbed the steps and walked across her porch, he understood why some men were driven crazy without their lifemate. He thought he might already be halfway there.

He opened the door and went inside. Rianna still didn’t rush to greet him. His frown darkened as he strode to the kitchen. Empty. He listened. Heard water running. It stopped.

He turned on his heel and marched to the bedroom. He was halfway across the room when the bathroom door opened. Rianna looked up, slapping her hand to her chest. It was all Kristor could do to take a breath. She stood there with a towel on her head and one wrapped around her body.

“Kristor?” Tears filled her eyes.

Oh, no, he hadn’t meant to make her cry. He’d expected anything except tears.

She launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. “Where have you been? I’ve been so afraid something happened to you. That you were hurt or dead. That you might have left without saying good-bye. I’ve missed you so much.”

His anger evaporated. All that mattered was that she did care. He had a feeling she’d only let him win a few skirmishes. Rianna had won the battle. But if he took her back by force, would he lose everything?

“Kiss me,” she said against his neck, the warmth of her breath igniting the flames inside him.

He lowered his lips to hers, tasted her once more. By the gods, he’d missed holding her close, loving her. He caressed her tongue with his, gently stroking, when all he wanted to do was throw her onto the bed and plunge inside her heat. He held back, though it took a supreme effort on his part.

He ended the kiss, buried his head in her neck, and breathed in the fruity aroma of her hair. His hands slid down her back, tugging at the towel until it came loose. He stepped back and gazed upon her beauty.

Full breasts, a tiny waist, gently curving hips, and a flat stomach, but the thatch of dark curls covered what he most wanted. He wanted to feel her legs wrap around him and pull him in deeper before much more time passed.

“I want you,” he said.

“I want you, too.”

He jerked his T-shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. He shoved the button through his jeans, then jerked the zipper down, before shoving them and his briefs to the floor.

“I don’t know how much longer I can wait,” he warned, then almost lost it when he saw she was looking at his erection, not his face.

“Me either,” she said, then dragged her eyes upward as he kicked his clothes away. “You shouldn’t have stayed away. Why did you?”

“Because I’m a man, and a warrior, and we often do stupid things when we’re around women.”

He picked her up, then laid her on the bed, joining her. She parted her legs, but he would do nothing to hurt her. He slipped two fingers inside her and discovered she was already damp with need. The pressure inside him built. He moved between her legs, slipped inside and, for a moment, didn’t move. He wanted to savor everything about her. The way her body automatically tightened around him, enclosing him in the liquid fire that was her body. He almost lost it when she wrapped her legs around his waist, sucking him deeper inside her heat.

“More,” she whispered.

He growled, rose above her, then plunged deeper.

“Yes, harder.”

He watched her face in the throes of her passion. The way she bit her bottom lip, strained toward that first quiver that would overtake her body.

She rose to meet each thrust, her breath coming out in little pants. Straining, drawing nearer.

“More,” she cried out.

He plunged deeper, faster, harder.

Her body tightened. She gasped. A tear slid from the corner of her eye.

The fire built inside him. He drew almost all the way out of her body, then sank back inside. Fire licked at his erection as her heat stroked down his length, then back up.

And then he came. Explosions of light went off around him as intense pleasure filled his mind and body. He sank into her softness with a moan of deep satisfaction before rolling to his side, taking her with him, pulling her against him.

“Don’t ever leave me again,” she murmured.

He barely heard her words. Didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure it was a promise he could keep. At least, not without causing her pain.

They clung to each other, as though they knew their future was uncertain at best. Would they even have one together?

She sighed, her breathing even. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes as the familiar burning pain gripped him. He used to welcome the shift after sex so he wouldn’t have to answer a lot of questions. But now he only wanted to feel Ria’s body pressed against his, grasping every moment as if it might be their last.