“I think the better question is whether my being here will be too disruptive.” The king said, stepping out from a side hallway to join them.
“Father?” Miriam stopped, emotion obviously overcoming her. “What are you doing here? I didn’t think—”
“That I would support my own daughter while she battled addiction?” King Bain said, cutting her off.
Miriam fought back her tears, looking from her father to Io. “Did you know about this?” she asked him.
Io grinned. “I was the one who asked him to come.”
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him before turning to her father. He pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head.
“Miri, I want to be here for you. I wasn’t before, and I regret that. But now….” The king looked up at Io. “You’ve got a worthy mate, Miri. He made me see how important it was for me to be here. I’m part of the problem, and that stops right now.” He pushed Miri away and fiercely met her gaze. “Right this minute, Miri. No more denying what is so obviously right before my eyes.”
Io gave them a moment to talk and wandered toward the conference room. He could hear the others in the group talking and milling around.
Within a couple of minutes, the king and Miriam joined him.
Io shook the king’s hand, noting the bodyguards filtering into the hall. “You have no idea how powerful your being here is.” He had already had this conversation with Miriam’s father once, but he couldn’t stop himself from reaffirming how pivotal the king’s decision was to join them.
“I agree, Io,” the king said. “I didn’t realize how bad the problem was, but if what you say about cobalt is true, and if the drecks are using it to weaken us….” He paused and looked at Miriam. “That alone should cause me to take pause and address the issue. But my reasons for being here tonight?” He took Miriam’s hand. “Those are personal. I’m here for my daughter.”
“Absolutely, Sire.”
King Bain gave him an impatient look. “I told you on the phone. Please call me Bain. You’re family now, Io. As much as I fought that before, I can fight it no longer. And for you to address me so formally grates my ears.”
Io tried not to smile. He liked this new side to Miriam’s father. He could tell Bain had to work at being congenial, but the fact that he did spoke volumes about how important he felt it was to mend the relationship with both him and his daughter, and he seemed willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.
“Of course, Sire. I mean Bain.”
“That’s better.”
Io turned his attention to Miriam. “You’re an inspiration, Miri. I think the group will take away a new sense of comfort knowing that even the king’s daughter can become an addict. You’re more important to these people than you know. So is your father.”
Miriam took a deep breath, fortifying herself as she clutched both his hand and her father’s. “Okay. I want to help. I want to do something right for a change.”
Just as Io did.
He pressed his free palm against her belly and felt the strengthening life force of his child growing inside her. “I love you.”
She let go of her father’s hand and covered Io’s with hers. “I love you, too.” She turned to her father. “And I love you. Thank you for being here.”
King Bain nodded, remaining stoic. “You’re my daughter. I will do anything for you.”
Miri smiled and met Io’s gaze again. He had searched a lifetime for her, and finally he had found her. She was the most exquisite female to walk the earth, as far as he was concerned.
After a quick, reassuring nuzzle and tender kiss, both of which made Bain fidget and look away, he pulled back and opened the door, and then followed her into the room. Six sets of curious eyes turned and greeted them, followed immediately by six mouths falling open as King Bain entered.
“Hi guys,” Io said, still holding Miriam’s hand as he grabbed an extra chair from the side and pulled it behind him toward the circle. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here in a few weeks. I was busy getting mated.” He put his arm around Miriam’s waist, presenting her. “Everybody, this is Miriam, my mate.” He beamed as he said it, meeting Miriam’s eye. “And this is her father, King Bain.”
Everyone in the group looked around at each other in awkward silence, unsure of what to do or say.
Bain cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Hello, my name is Bain, and I’m here to support my daughter, who is….” He took a deep breath, and Io could tell he was fighting to keep his composure. “She’s….” He looked at Miriam, who stepped toward him and took his hand.
“I’m a cobalt addict,” she said.
King Bain nodded and pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her and clearing the emotion from his throat. “Yes, she’s a cobalt addict. And I’m the reason why. So I’m here to support her to make sure this never happens again, and to lend my support to each of you.” Bain looked around the room. “I’m here to listen…and learn…and be strong for my daughter.”
Hope dawned on each face in the group. In the royal family’s tragedy, they saw salvation for themselves. They knew now that cobalt addiction didn’t just happen to those who weren’t privileged. It could happen to anybody, even someone as highly placed as the princess.
King Bain bowed his head, deferring to Miriam as he backed away and took a seat in the background, giving her the floor. His message was clear: This was her time to shine. It was her time to let her voice be heard.
“Hi, my name is Miriam,” she said, twisting her fingers nervously. She looked over her shoulder at Io as he sat down, watching her with more love than he’d ever felt. She continued, her voice growing stronger. “My name is Miriam. And, uh…and I’m a cobalt addict.”
To the members of the group, who sat enthralled as Miriam spoke, she recounted how she had begun to use cobalt as a means of escape, as well as to draw the attention of her father. She continued until she came to her first overdose, where she turned and looked at Io.
“When I overdosed the first time is when I met Io. When I overdosed the second time is when he saved me.” Fond admiration spread a sort of joy over her features as she looked at him, then she turned back to the group. “It’s funny really, because if I hadn’t become an addict, I never would have met him. Isn’t it strange how something so awful and painful can lead to the one thing that can bring salvation?” A few of the group members nodded, and Miriam continued on. “I used to ask myself why. Why did I have to almost die? Why did I have to go through this hell just to find him?” She pointed at Io. “And him.” She looked at her father. “But there is no good answer. Sometimes things just are. Sometimes we have to walk through the fire to find water. Sometimes we have to be completely torn down so we can reinvent ourselves into who we’re meant to be.”
Miriam held the group in her grasp.
Io stood and joined her, staying silent as she finished.
“I don’t know how or why, but cobalt gave me my mate, and they both gave me back my father, and now I have to put my past behind me so I can move into my future…with him…and with our family.” She placed her hand on her belly. “My life is more important than to waste it on cobalt. I know that now. And each of you is more important, too. Each of you has a purpose. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.”
Io couldn’t have felt more in love than in that moment. Miriam had connected with the group. He could see it in their eyes. Hope shone on their faces. Hope that they had more to look forward to than the pain they had known through their addiction, and possibly even before.
Io thought back to something Miriam had said earlier, about
how he had saved her. As he watched the members of the group come up one-by-one and hug her and shake the king’s hand, he realized that even though he might have saved her, she had done the same for him. Miriam had given him purpose again, and she had helped him to complete his transformation from reckless playboy to a responsible adult.
Miriam was his obsession, and he was hers.
Who would have thought Io would ever settle down? But then, he was a rebel like that. Good thing for him that Miriam was, too.
About the Author
I have always loved to write. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing, reading, or dreaming up stories to keep me entertained in boring situations. I would lie in bed at night and conjure up all kinds of worlds and stories. My mind never turned off and was always filled with daydreams and fantasies, and I often wrote them down. When I was in junior high, my stories turned to more romance, and I filled notebooks with fictional romantic escapades my friends and I took with our favorite band, Duran Duran. I always got John or Simon. LOL. At any rate, my friends ended up unofficially voting me as Most Likely to Become a Romance Novelist. Ha ha, right? But here I am, doing just that, writing romance novels. Prophetic, right?
BOOKS BY DONYA LYNNE
All the King’s Men (AKM) Series (in order of publish date)
Rise of the Fallen (Book One)
Heart of the Warrior (Book Two)
Micah’s Calling (Novella Supplement to Rise of the Fallen)
Rebel Obsession (Book Four)
Non-Series Related Work
The Arms of Winter
Novella Published by Silver Publishing
Anthologies
Evernight – Romance in a World of Darkness
Published by XOXO Publishing
Short Story: Moonlit Hearts
Winter Heat - Erotic Stories to Warm Your Life
Short Story: Snowed In Truth or Dare
Next Up
Return of the Assassin (AKM Book Five)
Learning to Walk (stand-alone contemporary M/M romance)
One Night (stand-alone contemporary M/F romance)
Two anthologies of short erotic romance stories
Connect With Donya Lynne
Email: donya@donyalynne.com
Twitter: @DonyaLynne
Fan Page: www.facebook.com/DonyaLynne
Blog: www.donyalynne.blogspot.com
Email Micah Black at micah@donyalynne.com
Email Traceon at traceon@donyalynne.com
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
CHAPTER SIXTY
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
EPILOGUE