Six

Six

“Issi, wait!” Nadia called.

I didn’t stop running until I was halfway across the garden. The evening had faded, and there was no hint of the setting sun, only darkness and starlight. My chest rose and fell, and I turned my head toward the sky.

I had married the Blood King.

I was his wife.

I had never been so conflicted, so frustrated with the push and pull of my body. I felt in extremes—deep hatred and burning desire. There was no middle ground, no safe way to go about this. We would come together, and we would erupt.

Nadia finally caught up with me, breathless.

“By the goddess, you run fast!” she complained. Once she was recovered, she asked, “Are you all right?”

I could not answer, and Nadia must have taken that as a sign of shock.

“Of course you aren’t,” she said. “You just married a monster.”

I flinched, though her words were true.

She continued. “I cannot believe the vulgar—”

“Can we not talk about it, Nadia?” I knew well enough what Adrian had said. His words had burrowed deep under my skin. “Let’s just get this over with.”

I started toward the castle, and Nadia followed. “You will kill him, won’t you?”

I didn’t respond. It was not that I wouldn’t try; it was that I didn’t know if it would work.

I did not return to my room or my mother’s. Instead, Nadia led me to another suite in the east tower where guests usually stayed. Except that no one had come to the borders of Lara since the Blood King had begun his invasion, save for Adrian himself. Inside, the room smelled like dust. A large bed took up the far wall, the four posters decorated in swathes of dark velvet. A set of windows looked out over the woods and would offer a remarkable view of the sunrise tomorrow. A metal bath waited, full of steaming water.

Nadia helped me out of my gown, and before it could puddle at my feet, I turned to face her. I kept my hand over my chest, in part to hold the dress up but also to keep the blade I’d shoved between my breasts from falling to the ground.

“Can I be alone, Nadia?”

It was the second time I’d dismissed her, but this time, she didn’t hesitate.

“Of course. I’ll…check on you tomorrow.”

“Wait until I summon you,” I said. “Please.”

I did not know what tomorrow would bring, but I knew I’d want time to collect myself.

She stared, and after a moment, she took my face into her hands, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “If he hurts you…”

“He won’t hurt me,” I said and then thought, unless I hurt him. “I can take care of myself, Nadia.”

“But should you have to?” she asked.

“Perhaps you should ask your goddess,” I said.

It wasn’t a fair thing to say, but it was how I felt.

Nadia sighed, and I noticed the shadows beneath her eyes as she spoke, “I love you, sweet girl.”

“I love you,” I whispered, the words barely audible as she closed the door behind her.

Once she was gone, I released my dress, and as it fell to the floor, I pulled the blade from beneath my chemise and crossed the room to shove it behind the bed where the mattress met the frame. I only hoped I could reach it when I needed it.

When my weapon was in place, I discarded the shift and lowered myself into the bath, reveling in this time to myself, because I knew, at least for the next week, I would not be alone again. I pushed those thoughts away and instead focused on my bath—on the heat of the water, the steam that made me sweat, the vanilla-scented oil that pooled on the surface.

I stayed in the water until it was cold and then scrubbed my skin, probably too hard, trying to remove the still-lingering feel of Adrian’s touch. It was futile since I would see him soon, but I hoped that maybe I could erase the feeling of want, of need, of desire he had inspired inside me.

It didn’t work.

I left the bath still humming with an electric energy I needed to expend. I toweled off and slipped into nothing but a sheer red robe, not bothering to tie it. The point of this wasn’t to hide. I was putting myself on display—meat on a hook for the predator to taste—but it would also show Adrian I was unarmed, and hopefully he would let his guard down.

I walked the perimeter of the room. I could tell no one had used this space for quite some time. A thick layer of dust covered everything, and the only clean item in the room was the bedding. I stared at it for a while, unable to move from the spot where I was supposed to consummate my marriage, willing myself to feel disgusted rather than this strange stirring excitement, and when I could not manage, I moved to the window, just as the door behind me opened.

I’d half expected to see Killian and felt guilty for the dread that thought had given me. Instead, it was Adrian. As I turned to face him, he halted, unable to hide his surprise. I was sure he had not expected me to wait for him like this—in skin and red lace.

“You are not modest, my queen.”

“Have I need to be?”

Adrian closed the door, his boots thudding against the floor as he approached. He slipped out of his coat and tossed it on the bed. His tunic followed. I swallowed hard as I took in his bare chest—his shoulders were wide, his waist narrow, and his muscles sculpted with a precision only achieved through constant training. As much as I marveled at his body, I also marveled at his forwardness.

“You have done this before,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

I wasn’t sure why I hesitated, but he smiled, rueful, dark, almost like he was promising I’d think of no one else beyond this night.

“Don’t worry. I shall not annul the marriage, but I will look forward to a good fucking.”

I narrowed my eyes, and he held out his hand.

“Come.”

I did not move, his command anchoring me.

“Before we fuck, I have questions.”

He let his hand fall to his side. “I do not wish to talk,” he said, eyes darkening.

I scowled. “Am I to lie back and be silent?”

His lips quirked. “I’d rather hoped you’d be just as vicious as you are in battle.”

“I draw blood in battle. Is that what you want?”

“If you make that a promise, I’ll let you ask your questions.”

“You read minds?”

He answered by telling me what I was thinking. “Only when you are very…passionate. Like right now, you hate my smirk. Earlier, you wondered what my skin would feel like against yours, what I would feel like inside you.”

I clenched my teeth and quickly turned my thoughts toward my next question.

“Yesterday in the woods, you drew words from my mouth against my will.”

“Is that a question?”

“I wasn’t finished,” I said, taking a step closer. “If you ever do that again, I will cut off your balls and shove them down your throat. That is a promise.”

His infuriating smirk never left his face. “Anything else before we begin, my queen?”

I had more questions, especially about his magic, but asking those would mean admitting to the insatiable desire I’d felt for him the past day, and while I knew he was probably well aware, I could pretend it wasn’t real so long as the words never left my mouth.

“That was not magic,” he said, answering my thoughts.

“What do you mean it wasn’t magic? I would never—”

“Desire a monster?” he asked, then tilted his head. “Tell me how many times you touched yourself and imagined it was me.”

I reached to shove against his chest, but he caught my hands.

“You mock me,” I snapped.

“I am only asking you to confront your desire for me. Will it help if I admit to mine?”

My eyes lowered to where his flesh bulged. I didn’t need him to admit to it; I could see it.

He reached out and his fingers brushed my lips. My hand clamped down on his wrist.

“I will keep my promise to you,” he said, holding my gaze, and after a moment, I guided his hand down my throat to my chest where, against my better judgment, I wanted his touch. Then his mouth collided with mine and both hands kneaded my breasts through the lace robe. The fabric created a rough friction that teased as his fingers rubbed my nipples. I drew my arm around his neck as his tongue plied my mouth, tasting of wine.

I wondered absently if he had fed before coming here and had only drank wine to hide the taste, but I could not continue with that thought as Adrian lifted me off my feet and guided my legs around his waist. One hand splayed across my back, the other gripped my ass, and he ground into me, sending waves of pleasure coursing through my body. I felt volatile in his hands, and I wanted to explode.

He guided us to the bed, and as I sank into the covers, Adrian’s mouth moved from mine to my neck. His teeth grazed my skin, and I went rigid.

“I won’t feed,” he whispered, breathless. “Though you are sweet.”

He kissed down my body, between my breasts, along my stomach. His body parted my legs, brushing my clit as he sat back on his heels and looked down at me. He did not wait, did not tease. His fingers just parted my hot flesh, and it was more than I could have ever imagined. I arched my back, and as I did, my hands disappeared under the pillows. Briefly, I remembered that I should not be enjoying this.

Above me, Adrian hissed and then descended, mouth closing over my clit. A sound I’d never heard, a feeling I’d never felt erupted from the bottom of my stomach. I hated him for this as much as I wanted it. Instead of reaching for my blade, I pushed against the headboard, pressing into his mouth. One hand reached for his wrist, and I pulled him deeper inside me, his fingers curling. The pressure crested, and when I came, I was overcome by the need for his cock.

The frustration divided me—part of me wanted this, but I hated that part of myself. Adrian was my enemy, and his mouth had just driven me to climax, a mouth that took blood from others. A monster who only had me beneath him now because he’d threatened to go to war with my kingdom unless I married him.

Adrian kissed up my body once more—tongue gliding, teeth scraping, and as his face leveled with mine, I reached for my blade and shoved it into his side.

He snarled. It was a sound I didn’t expect him to make. He was quick to rear back and plucked the dagger from his flesh. Blood gushed from the wound, and he looked at me, eyes full of anger and lust. He turned his attention to the blade and snarled again, tossing it across the room. It clattered as it hit the stone floor.

“Oh, my sweet, you will regret that.”

He gripped my face, leaning close. I glared, waiting for his retaliation—for the bite that would end my mortal life. My attack had done nothing. But instead of turning me, he left the bed.

“What are you doing?” I asked, sitting up.

“I find it a little hard to continue where we left off, considering you just tried to kill me,” he said. “I’ll wait until you’re ravenous once more, and if you’re lucky, I’ll fuck you then.”

I scoffed. “As if I would ask you to return to my bed.”

Adrian drew his fingers into his mouth, tasting my come as he smirked. “I think you will, Sparrow.”

The moonlight scattered across his back as he retreated, and for the first time, I saw raised welts crisscrossed over his shoulders and down his back. They were scars, long healed, at least outwardly, and I wondered what horrible thing he’d done to receive such a horrific punishment.

I woke in a cold sweat, the space between my thighs aching. I squeezed them together and then gave in with a frustrated cry, parting them and drawing my knees up. If Adrian were near, I’d stab him again for this, for this unending ache that had driven me to pleasure myself—and fail—three times in the last two days. I let myself circle my clit and parted my flesh, but the attempt to find release was in vain. Frustrated, I sat up and found Adrian watching me from across the room. He sat, reclined, eyes full of things I’d never seen. The moonlight hit him—a sliver over his face and his chest. He’d changed and was now wearing what looked like a robe. He looked predatory and sexual, and I knew I had to have him.

I stood from the bed and shed the robe. He said nothing as I approached. I expected him to let me do what I wished, with the way he was looking at me. But as I moved to straddle him, he caught me around the waist and stood.

“Oh no, my sweet,” he said and turned me so my back was flush against his chest, his arousal settled against my ass. “You will not have the control here.”

His tongue touched my jaw and then my neck, where he sucked the skin into his mouth until it stung before he pushed me toward the bed.

He kept one of my hands secured behind my back, and the other I used for purchase against the footboard where he bent me over. His knee dipped between my thighs, widening my stance, as he guided the crown of his cock against my opening. My breath escaped in a shuddering gasp.

“Can you handle this?” His words were laced with barely restrained lust, and though all his movements up to this point had been rough, his question offered a strange sort of comfort. I knew if I said no, he would release me.

And I should have said no, except that as I spoke, I knew it was the surest I’d ever been.

“Yes.”

The word turned into a guttural moan as Adrian filled me in one brutal thrust. He paused to release my arm, only to bury his fingers in my hair. With both my hands free, I gripped the footboard as his hips moved, driving into me. The bed knocked against the wall. It was a sound that worked in tandem with the ragged cries coming from my throat.

“Yes,” Adrian hissed. His hand tightened in my hair, the other moved to my neck, and he guided me so that my back was bowed, my shoulder blades meeting his chest. In this position, he could not thrust, but he ground his hips into me, eliciting a new sensation that had every nerve ending in my body on fire.

“Scream my name, Sparrow, so that your commander may hear how loud I make you come,” he said against my ear, and then his teeth scraped my skin, once again trailing a path down the column of my neck to my shoulder, where he licked and sucked until I was certain I would bruise.

This was his claim to me, and right now, I could not even hate it because this pleasure…it was exquisite.

He released me, and I just had time to reinstate my hold on the bed before he drove into me harder. My breath escaped me in a strange sound—a guttural moan that could only communicate the pressure building in my core, the tension tightening every muscle—until my body burst, leaving me weak and shaken. I did not realize what was happening until Adrian lifted me into his arms and carried me on to the bed.

Compared to the ferocity with which we’d just come together, his movements were gentle as he settled me atop the covers. My body relaxed, despite my enemy’s hold. Too exhausted to fight or to speak, I just held his gaze, still clouded with desire and a strange warmth that seemed misplaced given what it had taken to get to this point.

Adrian hovered over me, his face inches from mine.

“How are you?” he asked.

I did not know how to answer. I felt like a traitor to my people.

So I stayed quiet, and Adrian asked a different question.

“Are you hurt?”

I shook my head.

He stared at me a moment longer. I expected him to leave then, but instead, he brought his hand to my face, his fingers brushing lightly over my cheek before he pressed a kiss between my breasts, down my stomach, until he hovered between my thighs. From that place, he stared at my whole body, as if I were the only thing he had ever wanted—a prize he had desperately sought and finally claimed.

Then I remembered who I had between my thighs—the Blood King, a conqueror whose true desire was to bring Cordova to its knees.

As my thoughts turned unfavorable, he parted my flesh and his mouth closed over my clit. He drew it against the tip of his tongue, sucking lightly before releasing to lick. He followed that pattern, slow and controlled, and I lost my grip on the anger and hatred while I writhed.

I could not decide where my hands should go—over my head or in his hair. My heels could not find a safe place to anchor, slipping on the bedding the tighter my muscles grew, and when his fingers speared my flesh, I wanted to arch off the bed, but he held me in place, devouring.

Once again, I found myself unable to control the sound or volume of my voice as I focused on the illicit sensation of his long fingers curling inside me, the vibrating pulse of his tongue against my clit. My breath caught, and suddenly my lungs froze. My chest wouldn’t heave as every part of my body tightened.

I came harder than before, in a fit of desperate gasps and quivering muscles, and it was only then that Adrian released me to climb up my body. His lips hovered over mine as he spoke.

“Sweet,” he said and dipped his tongue into my mouth so I could taste myself. I understood that as much as this had been about pleasure, it was more about power. Adrian had proven my unrelenting need for his body, and I wondered who in the castle was bearing witness to my shame, to how loud he had made me come. I did not doubt that curious staff and even court members lingered down the hall listening, though I was certain they’d expected a different outcome—a beheaded king rather than a pleased one.

My fury at myself and him was sudden, and it gave me renewed strength. As he shifted to lie on his back, I followed, straddling him; his engorged cock sat between my thighs, still wet from my release.

“You have not come,” I said.

He smiled. “This was about you.”

“Do you not believe in my ability to pleasure you?”

“Oh, Sparrow. You do please me.”

“And yet your cock is full,” I pointed out and rolled against him.

Adrian drew in a breath, and his fingers gripped my thighs.

“Would you like to come?” I asked. I could take him again, and he would cry my name just as loud, an even exchange.

“I would,” he said, his eyes boring into mine.

“Where?” I whispered and bent to press a kiss to his chest. It was intimate, but he had done the same to me. “Inside me? Or in my mouth?”

My question was met with silence, and when I looked at Adrian, he was staring at me like he couldn’t believe what I just asked him. But the corner of his mouth lifted, and he answered, “Take me into your mouth.”

I shifted off him and took his hands, guiding him into a seated position at the edge of the bed before kneeling between his thighs. I watched him as my fingers closed around his hard length, applying pressure from the base of his shaft to the crown, where my thumb lingered, teasing and massaging as his come beaded at the tip.

“What do you like?” I asked, my voice breathy.

“Show me what you are capable of, Sparrow.”

So I tasted him, licking him as he had done me, before my mouth closed over his cock. He groaned, and his hands threaded through my hair. I let him, while I alternated between swirling my tongue over his length and balls and pressing kisses to his thighs. Then I pulled away to wet my palms with as much saliva as I could manage before wrapping both my hands around the base of his cock. As I stroked him, I paid attention to the head, lavishing it with my tongue and hollowing my cheeks. It was a give and take that left Adrian groaning and his hands tightening in my hair, fingers scraping my scalp. The muscles of his legs bulged against my body.

“Fuck!” Adrian’s curse was a hiss, and I looked up to find his head thrown back, his throat working, his breaths ragged and quick. Then his eyes returned to mine as he gritted out, “Yes.”

I held his gaze, willing him to think of this moment, to never forget it. From this day forward, he would never be rid of me. He would never escape the need that had plagued me since our encounter in the woods. I would haunt him, filling his cock until he was ready to burst with no outlet save my body.

The thought made me smile around his length, and I moaned, closing my eyes. I didn’t think it was possible for his hands to grip me tighter, but they did, and my eyes watered at his hold, but I continued until he released into my mouth. As I swallowed, I rose to my feet and gripped his face, bringing my lips to his, parting his mouth with my tongue. He tasted me hungrily, hands guiding me to straddle him once again.

When I drew back, I stared into the Blood King’s eyes—my husband and enemy.

“I knew I liked your mouth,” he said, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip. I bit down hard, and he chuckled before twisting and pinning me to the bed once more. As I stared up at his hungry eyes, my legs parted, welcoming whatever he would bring, because as much as we were fighting for dominance, he’d given me the one thing I’d been searching for.

Pleasure.