Chapter 1
Maya threw the book she was reading across the room. It slapped pitifully on the door then sank to the floor. She had been in this room for weeks. She looked angrily at the fire then rose and went to the window. She looked down at the snow now only up to the outer seal of the first floor window below. Raymond would not let her out.
"You seem to be under some misconception that you deserve something," he had said calmly when she had voiced her displeasure at being left in the room. "Nasty little females do not engage with others. Perhaps some time alone will change your attitude." He had closed and locked the door. The room had a full bath and no TV. Nothing to entertain herself with. Except books. She had been reading everything he had in his library. Which apparently was extensive.
Raymond heard the soft slap of the book as he was making his rounds on the second floor for bedding and towels to take down to the laundry room in the basement. He rolled his eyes and then turned the key in the door. If she would be a little nicer he would be happy to let her out. But after her comments about him and his brother right after getting over her illness she did not deserve it. Ingrid had mentioned at breakfast that perhaps he was being too harsh. Maurice had laughed. "Dear Ingrid. The only way my brother could be too harsh would to be to take a wooden spoon to that spoiled, ungrateful ass of hers. She will survive I promise." Then returned to his meal.
Ingrid, Nora, Aastra looked at Raymond in horror. "It would not hurt her that bad." Raymond assured them. "We were treated to the same as pups when we stepped out of line." Raymond added. "Have I hurt her in any way?" He asked though he knew the answer. He had wanted to slap her for her comment. But then kiss her senseless. But he had to have the king's blessing. Without it they were just two wolves in a lodge. Meant to be.
"No." The three females replied. "But if you think this will curb her temper then you have another think coming." Nora put in. "She is spoiled and has no idea what it is to truly rule the kingdom. Especially at its current condition."
"And the condition being?" Raymond asked raising a dark eyebrow over silver grey eyes.
"Devastated." Aastra said shyly from her place next to Maurice at the private dining table off the kitchen. "But you guessed that already." She said her intelligent golden brown eyes met his.
"How bad and why?" Raymond asked gently. He had been wanting to ask for the last weeks but did not want to put the females on the spot or make them feel embarrassed.
"You saw the state of us when we arrived." Ingrid replied. "The few males we have took everything. Use us for whatever they need. It is horrible. We are sisters through our father." She explained. "Maya is the only true princess. We are the offspring," she paused gesturing to her sisters and then lowered her eyes. "I suppose the word you would use is 'bastard' daughters of the king."
Raymond sat silent. Digesting what the female was saying and not saying. So there were not enough males and those there were used their power for ill. Oh fucking hell. "Did you four come willingly or were you forced?" Raymond asked taking a sip of his coffee.
"Willingly. At least we did. Maya does not do anything she is told without a fight." Nora replied. "Of course the choice was come here or stay and become a part of some distant cousin's household." Raymond almost spit out his coffee through his nose and Maurice choked on his mouthful of waffle.
"How distant?" Raymond asked suspiciously. His eyes hardening. What the hell kingdom was this? Was the king insane to let that go?
"Two, three generations. There are no males our age. All of them that have been born had either died before the age of two or are still too young." Aastra put in her soft bell voice rising a little. Raymond sat back and exchanged a look with Maurice. He was in for hell if he went with Maya. Absolute hell. His mind already turning over what would be needed to get the kingdom even slightly in the right direction.
He shook off the conversation and opened the door to Maya's room. She was at the window. She looked so beautiful and get so deadly. Her tongue could kill in less time than it took him to unsheath his swords. He picked up the book on the floor and set it on the table next to the bed as he worked to strip the bed. He did this every day.
"Don't you have staff here for that if you make so much?" Maya asked.
"If I was mated." Raymond replied. "I would expect her to do it. Keeping anyone up here for long is difficult. I hire during the summer months. College kids not wanting to go home. They come up from Denver to learn the trade. Some of them are business majors." Raymond explained. "Maurice is also sought after to work under as he is the third best chef in Colorado and fourth in the U.S." Raymond said with pride. "We are working on getting him more stars but getting the right people to this remote place is difficult given the weather."
"When are we going to leave here?" She asked sick of being cooped up like an unruly child.
"I am not sure to be honest. I have a round of skiers expected in a few days. Excited for the fresh snow. I will be gone most of the time once they arrive. I would be inclined to let you out while I am gone if you promise to behave like a princess and not a spoiled, insufferable bitch." Raymond said as he gathered the bedding and took it to the cart outside. He dropped the bedding in the basket and brought back the fresh bedding.
"Then?" She asked. Her arms folded under her breasts. He struggled to keep his body in check. It had been too long since he made a run to Denver.
"Then what?" He retorted not in the mood to read her mind. He made the bed quickly. All four corners military style.
"When do we get off this mountain?" She asked impatiently.
"Good question." He replied and looked up from the corner to the bed as he spread the new down blanket on it. "I have no idea. The roads are not clear enough even for chains on the Hummer and I will not risk lives."
"And the skiers?" She asked. If the roads were not passable how were they getting here?
"Charter plane out of Denver. They booked not me. I have no affiliation with that useless dick." Raymond replied. "He beats his wife and children when he is not flying." Raymond explained. "I would not even let him land but he brings me clients and that keeps my bank accounts full so," he shrugged.
"Do you not fly?" Maya asked. How would she get him back to Norway if he did not like planes.
He barked a round of laughter. "I used to jump out of them." Raymond responded. "I never learned to actually control a plane. Different branch of the military."
"How old are you?" She asked. There were no streaks of grey in his braided black hair.
"Forty two. Old enough to know better and still young enough to keep doing what I love." Raymond replied. "You are what? Twelve?" He asked.
"Twenty eight." Maya replied indignantly. Her offended scowl made him chuckle.
"Old enough to know better. But still haven't learned shit." He nodded with a grin. "I will warn you now. I let you out and you do not mind your tongue around my brother I will not defend you. He is less patient than I am." Raymond said. "Heed that well." He walked out the door. Leaving it wide open as he walked toward the stairs.
She peeked around the door to watch him lift the hamper cart easily. The muscles in his back bunching nicely under his tight henley. He was a handsome, strong male. She caught the sigh that was ready to escape in her throat. No. She would not even think of that impossibility.
"If you reject him," Aastra said stepping next to her sister to watch Raymond carry the cart down the stairs. "Can I have him?"
"He is a brute and you are so timid." Maya knew she was speaking ill but did not care. Aastra needed a kind and gentle male. Not a strong and burly one.
"You are such a bitch." Nora said stepping from her room. "He is kind and gentle. If you would stop provoking, you would see that." Nora smiled at Aastra and stepped back into her room but did not close the door.
Maya huffed and turned back to her room and closed the door. Aastra shook her head sadly at the little princess. What she wanted and what she needed were two different things and the Moon knew it. That is why she chose Raymond. He was kind and gentle but had a heavy hand if crossed. Just what the kingdom needed. Just what Maya needed.
Ezra hung up the phone and laid his head on the desk in front of him. Willing the ache in his forehead to go away. For the last weeks he had been on and off the phone with the King of Norway trying to understand what his daughters were doing on American soil without an invitation. When he did finally reach the beast of a male it was just to get told not to call until the rituals were complete and his daughters were on their way home with their mates. The king however spat the word mate like a bad taste. This was making Ezra nervous. What did the king want? He sighed. Aaron stepped in from being outside with his son. Emilie had delivered the twins last week as the storm hit and she was nestled upstairs with her babies.
"That good, huh?" Aaron asked understandingly. "Want me to try?"
Ezra waved his hand at the phone. "You are better at this than I am with foreigners and this one takes the cake on asshole so have fun. I am going to go see my children and mate." He got up and stepped outside to take up where Aaron had left off. All the children were wrapped up tight against the cold in snowsuits of bright colors, pink, red, yellow, and teal. Even Isaac who looked too hot and uncomfortable though he was building a snowman with Edward and Gwen.
"Ezra." Theresa said with concern. "Is everything alright?" She always could tell when he was getting a headache. He kissed her and picked up a cookie from the tray on the table next to her.
"Just a minor headache, my love." Ezra replied. "Nothing Mother's cookies can't fix." He stuffed the cookie in his mouth and stepped toward the three making the snowman.
"Dada." Edward said and held out his arms to be picked up. Gwen smiling brightly, doing the same with a soft word of her own. He held both his children close to him as he admired their handiwork. Mostly Isaac's. He was coming along well. They had been talking to Aaron and Emilie about sending him to Nathan during the summers for training.
"Mighty fine work." Ezra said to Isaac. "How is your mother?" He needed something to take his mind off the goings on in the study.
"She is doing well," Isaac replied nonchalantly. Something was eating at the boy.
"Miss having her all to yourself?" Ezra asked knowing the answer.
"Yes. Though, I know that makes me selfish." Isaac said ashamed. "Dad expects more from me now that I am a big brother."
"Aaron expects only what you can give. Have you talked to him?" Ezra asked with a glance in Theresa's direction. She had put a two year limit on having another child and it was almost up.
"Talk to me about what?" Aaron asked as he stepped from the house. Isaac blushed and dropped his eyes. Aaron smiled. "You wanna go for a walk. It has been awhile since we had time to ourselves. Just us guys." Isaac looked up hopefully. "It's a full moon if you wanna throw a stick." Aaron joked. Isaac laughed and nodded. Then took Aaron's hand. To Ezra. "The king is on the line and more amiable. I told him that since the four were here we could just keep the crown princess and mate her how you see fit. He is much more agreeable to terms." Aaron winked. Then led his son out of the gardens.
Ezra grinned after them. What in the hell would he do without the male? Ezra did not put his children down but let them pick up a cookie and get a kiss from their mother as he took them inside with him. He hit the button carefully to resume the call. "Ready to talk now?" He asked.
"Fine. What do you want?" The King of Norway answered. And Ezra kissed his children's cheeks, one and then the other. "Information to start. Why here?" He asked going straight to the heart of things.
The king on the other end sighed and described the conditions. Ezra was appalled and had to sit down. After the king was done. "Maya needs a male who can keep her in line and rule my kingdom the way I want it done."
"Sounds to me like you need a serious rethink on how you want it done. Your males are out of control and if your mortality rate is that high then you need some serious infrastructure." Ezra said into the phone as the children drew pictures on his calendar in wide circles with the pens on his desk. He grinned and complimented them on their drawing.
"What?" The king asked outraged.
"Calm your ass. I was talking to my children." Ezra sighed. "I will not put up with any of the males I send or their mates being mistreated. I will keep tabs." Ezra said. "Whoever ends up with Maya is going to be a warrior and have the knowledge needed to run your kingdom. So either deal with the fact that there will be changes so that your wolves prosper or I will send the females home without a chance to make your dream come true."
Theresa stepped into the room and took the children and kissed him. Then took the children up for their nap and to see if Emilie needed anything. But mostly to see the two newborn pups. Molly and Michael. The long pause on the other end was comfortable for Ezra. He needed time to start drawing up his contract.
"Very well, King Ezra. You win." The king replied. Ezra grinned. Because this sad excuse for a male could not afford to lose.
"Good then I will draw up the contract. I will not be able to get any males up here for a few weeks. Month at the latest." Ezra said. "We had a nasty storm that piled snow too high for any vehicle to pass."
"One puny storm?" The king scoffed.
"Turn on the weather channel and watch Colorado for the rest of winter. The Rocky Mountains do not fuck around with snow. Better yet look at damn map. The roads are treacherous even in good weather." Ezra ground out. Wondering why he was justifying his words to this prick.
"I want to talk to Maya." The king skipped over Ezra's comment.
"Fine. I will give you the number for where she is at right now. The females go stuck on the mountain just north of us as the storm hit." Ezra replied. He rattled off the number to Raymond's lodge in his address dial on his desk. "Call me back when you have a chance to speak to your daughter. I will have the contract written up." Ezra did not wait and hung up.
