9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“ I s everything okay?” Andrus called as I jogged past his stationed post at the entrance to Iris’s corridor and took a sharp left toward the stairs.

“Everything is fine,” I yelled over my shoulder, ignoring the odd looks that I was getting as I made my way toward my room.

My dick was so hard that it hurt, and I didn’t think I’d be able to focus clearly on anything until I’d come at least several times.

That interaction had been so… unexpected. I’d decided almost immediately that Iris was the one for me because of her sweetness and gentle nature, and of course, I thought she was pretty.

I hadn’t particularly expected any kind of sexual spark to be there—the most I’d hoped for was a comfortable friendship where I could bring her pleasure whenever she was willing.

But Iris had perfumed for me. She’d touched my chest, and her body had announced her desire almost immediately. My cock had been hard and aching since she’d squeezed my horns, but it had begun weeping precum at the smell of her desire.

And I’d stupidly promised Allerick I wouldn’t propose to her for a month. I hoped she wasn’t offended by me running away—all of my decision-making capabilities had been trickling down from my brain to my cock, and I had to get out of there before I lost hold of them completely.

I should have just asked her to marry me and gotten forgiveness from my brother later. Iris would have a mating mark on her already if I hadn’t felt a small smidge of guilt about going against my brother’s wishes.

The moment the door to my bedroom slammed shut behind me, I dropped my shadows and gripped the base of my cock, roughly massaging the beginning swell of my knot. Fuck, what would Iris’s soft, delicate hands have felt like here? Much better than my rough ones, carefully angled to keep my claws out of the way.

I stumbled over to my bed, collapsing on my back and quickly coating my hand with the lotion on the nightstand that I was growing increasingly familiar with. When was the last time I’d had sex with someone else? I couldn’t even remember. With my eyes closed, I could almost imagine Iris’s body on mine, her pussy clenching around my shaft instead of my hand.

Had she been seducing me on purpose? I couldn’t tell. She’d phrased her requests so sweetly, but her touch had been firm and intentional.

I rolled onto my stomach, gripping my cock tightly in my fist and ruthlessly fucking my hand—far more aggressively than I would ever dare to touch Iris’s soft, sweet body. She was so unselfconscious with her body language—my knot had ached from the moment she’d spread her thighs for me so I could kneel between them. There hadn’t been a single second of hesitation there.

Would she do the same if she was naked?

Would she have leaned back on that chair if I’d asked her and draped her legs over the sides so I could lick her cunt without my horns getting in the way? I felt certain all the way down to my bones that she would. That Iris would trust me entirely to make her feel good. I would do everything in my power to make sure she never regretted putting her trust in me when that moment came.

No. Iris would never regret giving me her trust. If she gave me the gift of her beautiful, eager submission in bed, then I would show her my gratitude for it every single day. I would worship her.

The pressure on my knot was unbearable within minutes, and I hurriedly rolled onto my back, coating my stomach in cum instead of my bedding.

It would be impossible for me to get intimate with Iris without the very real risk of me sinking my teeth into her neck, and I couldn’t do that until we’d properly spoken about it. Until I’d asked her. Ideally, until I’d proposed to her.

Stupid Allerick, ruining all my plans. This was going to be the longest month of my life.

The eyes of the court followed me curiously as I made my way into the dining hall with everyone else, heading for the table where the ex-Hunters usually sat for dinner. Meera was already helping Iris onto the bench seat, and I shot a pleasant but warning look at one of the Shades, who looked as though they would sit next to her, helping myself to that spot instead.

Iris was wearing a different outfit from the clothes she’d arrived in, which she’d also been wearing this morning. I wondered if someone had raided Verity’s supply for her, since the loose warm top and matching trousers she was wearing were both pale pink.

Tilly wriggled under the bench, her tail poking out into the walkway and nose between Iris’s feet. If anyone stood on Iris’s beast, I might have to make an example out of them. Hopefully, the court knew to watch where they walked.

I snuck one of the plainest pieces of roast meat off the platter in the center of the table and dropped it on the floor for her. Tilly immediately wriggled forward, practically inhaling it with a satisfied lick of her lips.

Well, that was easy. I could win over the dog, at least.

“Hello, Iris.”

“Hello again, Damen,” she replied immediately, perking up. There was an odd, fluttery sensation in my chest that she instantly recognized my voice.

“How are you?” I watched closely for any sign of awkwardness after this morning, but she didn’t appear to be feeling any. I was definitely feeling some, having spent most of the afternoon fantasizing about her while fucking my own hand.

“Very well, thank you. I’m excited to be having dinner here tonight. It was so kind of Meera to collect me—and she found me some clothes since I didn’t pack any.”

“Do you need more?” I asked, straightening. I could coordinate that somehow, couldn’t I? Perhaps I could nag Astrid into coordinating it, at the very least.

“We’re on top of it,” Tallulah assured me, apparently listening in from the opposite side of the table while carrying out a full conversation with one of the courtiers next to her. Her ability to multitask was truly unmatched.

“How was your afternoon?” I asked. A bold question because I desperately hoped she didn’t repeat it back to me. Oh, it was fine, thanks. I spent it wondering if you’d get on all fours on the bed for me and let me lick your pussy from behind.

I didn’t want Tallulah overhearing that conversation.

“It was very nice, thank you. I didn’t do much—I napped a little, actually.” Iris seemed embarrassed about that, though I couldn’t see why. I napped all the time. “But only because I didn’t sleep well last night. I don’t nap usually, I swear,” she added hastily.

“Why not? Naps are glorious. Everyone should take them. I had one myself this afternoon.” After several hours of masturbating .

“Well, that makes sense. I imagine you have a very busy schedule.”

Tallulah looked at me with one eyebrow raised as if I was the one who’d put that idea in Iris’s head. I hadn’t, had I? I was confident I’d never intentionally given her the impression that I was extremely busy.

To my surprise, one of the guards I hadn’t seen out of the in-between in years was making his way over to our table, and I loudly encouraged him to join us—partly to shame the courtiers who should have been shamed all on their own by their behavior.

Evrin had been born without horns—which was rare, but it happened. Unfortunately, there was still a lot of stigma attached to it, and many members of the court weren’t shy in the ways that they avoided him.

I made a show of standing up and clapping him on the back as a little “fuck you” to anyone watching who thought his lack of horns was contagious.

Evrin had handily taken the attention off me, which was nice of him, though I felt guilty about why everyone was staring. It was more unusual to see a Shade without horns than it was to see the prince sitting with the masses instead of at the high table.

Allerick and Ophelia hadn’t even noticed. As usual, their attention wouldn’t be diverted from each other. They were so obvious about their staring too—I was going to have to pull them aside later and remind them that they were the royal couple and should try to act with a modicum of collectedness in public.

“Sit, sit,” I insisted, quickly making the introductions, though apparently they weren’t necessary. Meera and Tallulah had met him before, and it appeared that Tallulah wasn’t a fan. Interesting.

“Patrolling the in-between sounds like a difficult job?” Meera said to Evrin, valiantly attempting to strike up a conversation while I snuck Tilly more meat. It was only right—I’d seen the bowl of dry, boring food she was subsisting off. A little fresh meat wouldn’t hurt.

“It’s not difficult so much as tedious,” Evrin replied.

Iris tilted her head toward him as he spoke, and I watched, enchanted by the gesture. “Why would it be difficult?”

“It’s just darkness as far as the eye can see. It’s considered somewhat oppressive.”

I’d been so busy staring at Iris that it took a moment for Evrin’s clumsy words to set in.

Shit. Of all the people to complain to about the dark being oppressive. I scrambled to come up with something appropriately charming to break the heavy silence, but Iris spoke before I had a chance.

“Endless darkness can be very tedious. I hope they’re not all glaring at you for pointing that out. Just because I’m always in the dark doesn’t mean others aren’t allowed to express their discomfort. It’s not a competition.”

“Of course not,” I agreed clumsily, not wanting to let the silence draw on. If I hadn’t been in love with Iris before, I definitely was now.

She’d been sweet, calm, assertive, and compassionate all at the same time. On a good day, I could maybe pull off one of those things.

Fortunately, the conversation moved into safer territory—with the exception of Evrin referencing our idiotic youth, which I didn’t think would impress Iris, and I swiftly moved the subject along.

The joy she felt at the very concept of friendship was a heady thing—it perfumed the air around us. It was as intoxicating as that hint of her desire had been, though in a different way.

“What did you do after your nap?” I asked Iris, wondering if she also spent it jerking off like I did. Probably not.

I didn’t even know why I was asking, in all honesty. I was usually fairly ambivalent when it came to asking questions about other peoples lives—presumably they did things, and I didn’t really see why I had to know about them. But with Iris, I was curious about every single second that I wasn’t in her company.

“I spent some time with Meera and Tallulah. They sort of caught me up on everything and how it all works. The king and queen are going to visit tomorrow,” she added in a hushed whisper. “Tallulah said I don’t need to be nervous about it and that they’re really nice.”

Was my brother really nice? He was sort of nice. Nicer to the ex-Hunters than he was to me, of course.

I should accompany them for that visit to make sure Iris was comfortable and Allerick wasn’t rude. It was really the only solution.

“Is the king your father?” Iris asked, making me almost choke on my wine.

“No, my brother.” I cleared my throat. “The previous king was my father. I’m the heir for now, presumably I won’t be forever.”

I watched to see if Iris would have any kind of reaction to that, but my prospects of ruling—or lack thereof—didn’t seem to interest her either way.

Tallulah cleared her throat loudly, and I glanced up to find her looking at me.

“ Stop staring at her, ” she mouthed, frowning.

“ I’m not ,” I mouthed back, though I wasn’t entirely confident that was true. There were definitely times when Iris seemed to feel me staring, and I always looked away then.

But the fact that I could admire her so openly for long stretches of time was a temptation, and I never really bothered to deny myself those.