Nuss would be my forever protector and soon I would learn the lesson he had for me. Even with Tau's empathic connection, he was still guarding himself from me. But of them all, he knew and understood me the best. He was the one who had first-hand knowledge of how to access my magic. For that I would be ever grateful.
But it was Konig that I needed to bring back into the fold. While I didn't know or understood what happened to make him their enemy, I could sense the deep betrayal felt on both sides. I should wait until I'd bonded with Nuss, to try my first bid at repairing old wounds with love. But then I'd miss the opportunity to heal them sooner rather than later.
Konig was here now. He'd been with us half the night. If he was going to attack and hurt or kill anyone, it would have been easiest when we were otherwise busy. But he wasn't here to do that. He wanted in. To our lives and our hearts.
Because his was broken.
I was going to fix it.
Konig dropped down from his hiding place, where he'd watched the three of us consummate our bond and had joined in spilling his own seed just as Leb and Nuss had over on the shore. I felt him the instant I connected with Tau. But I'd known all along he was with us.
"Hello, princess. Have a good fucking?" Konig strode toward me as if on an afternoon stroll and he saw a pretty flower he wanted to pluck.
I opened my arms to him but Tau and Zucker jumped in front of me. Zucker had grabbed his daggers from his clothes, and he held them out pointing at Konig's head. "Stop right there, bastard. This is no place for a rat."
"Maybe not, but I think the mouse army would enjoy this warm oasis." Konig snapped his fingers and hundreds of mice swarmed up from around his feet, dropped from the ceiling, and popped out of every plant and flower.
"Konig, stop. We don't have to fight." I didn't yell, I didn't scream, I didn't even cringe at the sight of all the tiny animals. They were a part of him, and his own special gift and I was no longer afraid.
"Oh, but I'm afraid we do. You see, I am bound to follow the Mouse Queen's orders and she wants me to bring you to her." He spat when he talked of the queen.
The mice swirled around my feet, but never touched me. Zucker and Tau weren't so lucky. I don't know how, but the mice wrapped the two of them up in what had to be miles and miles of grass and vines so that they couldn't even move. The bindings covered their mouths and though they grunted and tried to shout, their words were distorted and muffled.
I grabbed and scratched at the cords, ripping, and tearing, but there was always another and another mouse to replace anything I tore away. Tau shook his head at me and the uselessness of trying to free them surged into my gut. I gave up and turned back to Konig ready to beg him to let them go. But when I saw the pain buried in his eyes, I changed plans.
"Then I unbind you. You don't belong to her, but you and I do belong to each other." I'd felt the link between us the first time I saw him. He felt it too.
Konig's eyes went dark and his whole face matched. "If only it was that simple. Even you with your magic and spirit cannot break this curse."
He strode toward me and for the first time, I was afraid of him. Had I been so mistaken? I was sure love would conquer all. But it wasn't even showing up for the fight. An angry, grim Konig advanced on me.
The temperature in the grotto dropped and the moisture in the air froze. Millions of snowflakes formed before my very eyes. A huge crack sounded and whirled around to look toward the source at the shore, Nuss had his sword shoved into the water's edge and a thick layer of ice ran across the warm lake toward the island.
The power of the Land of Snowflakes at work.
Leb had somehow called down a reindeer from outside and was riding on the back of one like knight in shining armor coming to my rescue. His axe was over head, and it looked as though he was going to hurl it at Konig.
This was all going so, so wrong.
I threw myself in front of Konig, my arms sprawled wide in defense, and Leb roared out at me. "Clara, don't, move."
Konig grabbed me around the waist, pulling my bum tight against his front. He lowered his face, scraping his scuff against my skin, and kissed my neck. "Yes, do as your Viking says. Don't move, or they'll all suffer. My army are here only to capture you, but they can be set to kill just as easily."
I froze as still as the air and ice. "I can't let you injure them, because I see you, my Mouse Prince, it would be the same as hurting me or yourself.
He scowled at me and snapped his fingers once again. The mice spewed forth from the island across the newly formed ice, building a bridge with their bodies up and over it. Konig shoved me toward the living bodies bridge. I shoved him right back. "What are you doing? This isn't right. We can defeat the mouse queen together."
"With your little band of rebels, princess? They've lied to you, just as they did to me. They only want what is best for themselves and their lands. You'll soon see." He grabbed one of Zucker's fallen daggers and pointed it at me this time. "Now, move."
Leb was almost here and Nuss was right behind him, sliding across the ice like he was on skates. I needed to stall for just a little bit of time. If the four of them could band together, we could capture Konig and make him see the light. "Can't I please get my clothes? I'm so cold."
"No, no. I'm thoroughly enjoying watching your tits and ass jiggle," Konig gave me a shove and I was forced to step onto the first writhing stair of the bridge made of mice. "Although not as much as I'll relish it when I'm fucking you and you're calling only my name as you come on my cock, just as you for did Leb and Zucker, and Tau."
I refused to think of his words as a threat. Mostly because I did want him to claim me in the same way the other had.
Leb leaped from the reindeer onto the island and Nuss was coming up under the bridge. I just needed to keep him talking a little longer. "You won't be able to do that if you give me to the Mouse Queen."
Konig spun and threw the dagger, not at Leb, but at Zucker. Leb dove in front of the blade, taking it in the shoulder to save his friend. Konig took advantage of that and rushed me, grabbing me by the arm and hauling me further up the bridge. "I'll turn you in to her, but not until I'm obligated to on the twelfth day of Christmas. Until then you're mine and I'll do with you what I like."
