Fifteen

EVE

The urge to curl up in a corner and die had lessened significantly, but the wetness between my legs was irritating. I wanted to ask Alihandro if there was somewhere I could freshen up, or if he could at least slow down, but he impatiently kept his pace down the hallway, even grabbing my wrist and tugging me after him.

"I can walk!" I protested, but could not break his grip.

We burst back into the main room, everyone's attention swinging to us. A threesome in the corner paused; the two girls on top of a red-haired fae craned their necks around to stare at me. Nostrils flared and heads tipped up as if everyone could sniff what had just taken place.

That was ludicrous, though.

I forced my feet to keep moving, trying hard to ignore the dozen couples that lined the couches and small cushions along the walls and strewn about.

They all know what you just did.

I tried to find the will to care, but couldn't. I was mildly embarrassed that everyone might know my business, but I wasn't ashamed of the act itself.

I'd needed it, and I'd wanted it.

Alihandro came to a halt suddenly, and I ran into his back. He half-turned and guided me to stand in front of him. He felt so warm and nice against me.…

Snap out of it!

"Oh, Alihandro."

I glanced up to see Shyllon shaking his head at us, sitting at a small table with his lover on his knee. It was a tired, almost whispered sigh.

The dirty-blond fae in question opened his mouth to speak, eyes glittering with malice. Shyllon focused on him. "Calten, would you mind gathering some refreshments? Enough for all of us."

Stopped in his tracks, Calten stood and huffed, shuffling off to gods-knew-where.

Shyllon ran a hand through his beard, gesturing to the chair next to him. "Please, sit."

Alihandro gave me a pointed look, and I sat in the chair next to Shyllon, crossing my arms over my chest. He took the one across from me.

Before anyone could speak, Calten returned with bread and a wooden board of cheeses, meats, and olives.

Shyllon said, "You can join—"

"I have work to do," Calten insisted, cutting over Shyllon and strolling away, a glare directed right at me.

A smirk curled at the corner of Shyllon's mouth, even as my mouth went dry and Alihandro rolled his eyes.

"Brat. He does it on purpose. He's looking forward to his punishment later," Shyllon explained, which didn't really explain anything at all to me. But I understood the look of desire in his eyes, and the amusement that coated his voice.

Maybe it was a fae thing.

Those silver eyes snapped to mine, and my breathing stilled. Even if he wasn't interested in me, being the sole focus of his gaze left my mouth dry. Just as quickly, he turned and glared at Alihandro.

"That's heavy-handed," he commented wryly, popping an olive into his mouth. He made a gesture toward me with his fingers, addressing me. "Eat, Princess."

What was heavy-handed? The meat and cheese was more distracting than Shyllon's comments, and I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything at the little welcome picnic for the humans, after all. I reached for a piece of what looked like sliced ham, cut and arranged around a small wooden spear to look like a flower.

"Heavy handed?" Alihandro chuckled. "Heavy handed is what would have happened to her at the pleasure house and probably within a day. Everyone knows your preferences. Your desperate ploy was pathetic, and you're lucky Cassus has nothing left to lose. At least now it's believable."

The meat was still warm in my hand, juice running down the pads of my fingers. It smelled divine as I raised it to my lips. It tasted sweeter somehow, coming from Alihandro.

"Believable?" Shyllon chuckled. "Every fae in this room smelled what's between her thighs. There's probably a message on its way to our father right now. You really want to fight this battle now?"

My hand fell down to the table, the meat tumbling across the tablecloth, forgotten.

"What did you say?" I managed, my voice an octave higher than normal. "Did you … you said … Everyone can smell me?"

I'd expected the looks, but not the … sniffing?

It all made a bit more sense now. That was why Alihandro had dragged me straight here, and not allowed me to clean up. It was a macho power move on his part.

Had he done it only for that reason, and not because he wanted me?

My lips thinned.

Alihandro hooked an arm around my waist and pulled me into his lap as he sat down in the cushions next to Shyllon, who glared and let out a growl toward everyone in the room and their penetrating stares.

I hated how much I loved it, how much my core throbbed with need and how a primal side of me purred with contentment at such a blatant display of ownership.

What was wrong with me? I'd never liked this sort of thing before.…

Heads immediately turned away, their grunts and groans too loud and exuberant to be entirely truthful.

"I bought you for the next month to save you from what awaited you in the pleasure house—a long, long line of noble customers from father's court with a grudge against humans and nothing to stop them from taking it out on their figurehead." He nodded at Alihandro, whose hand still curled around my waist, keeping me in place.

"Wait, a month—" I choked out.

"—but with my proclivities well known, they would see it for what it truly was. Hence, my brother here had to—literally—take matters into his own hands. Now I can claim it was a gift for him."

Alihandro grumbled. "As he has all the money. I, however, inherited the good looks."

Shyllon rolled his eyes. "Yes, because it was such a sacrifice on your part."

Alihandro smirked, his grip on my waist tightening.

Ok, so at least he had wanted me. That was something.

Money … power … and a giant manor to host wild sex parties?

"I thought—I thought you were both guards," I managed weakly. What had princes been doing sludging around in armor doing grunt work with the other soldiers?

Alihandro grinned down at me, the tips of his fangs just visible under his lips.

"Oh yes, we are guards. Forced to serve in the trenches, as it is. Everyone in our family has to put in a few decades of menial labor. Keeps us in our place, apparently, and teaches us humility."

Shyllon grunted. "As if you have a single humble bone in your body." His eyes flicked to me. "It appeases the people to see us among them, so father insists. He's had trouble with his popularity lately, so we must serve."

I tried to shift in Alihandro's lap, but he held me firm. I hated how sticky it felt in between my legs, and a light sheen of sweat still covered me from what we'd done on the balcony.

"Stay put, Princess. We must put on a show."

My heart skipped a beat as he tilted my head back, exposing my throat to the room.

"Yes, a most … persuasive show," he growled into my ear, then trailed his fangs down one side of my throat while one hand squeezed at the base of my neck.

I suddenly didn't care about the wetness between my thighs. That's because a new dampness was quickly added to it. "What—"

Alihandro put a finger on my lips, then sensually trailed the pads of his fingers against the soft skin there. Feeling bold and like I had nothing to lose, I parted my lips and wrapped my tongue around his finger, drawing it into my mouth and sucking.

His hiss of surprise was worth it.

I bit down slightly on his hand, enough to show him I meant business. Alihandro tensed, but Shyllon chuckled. "She's not a fragile flower, brother. You might as well be honest."

The hand not in my mouth shot to my hair, tangling in my strands and yanking my head back. I let go of his fingers in shock and he used his now free hand to choke me.

"You aren't in charge here, Princess," he rumbled against my pulse. "You're in danger of being assassinated, but more than likely ‘accidentally' killed while forced to pleasure whoever bought your time at the pleasure house. Well, to be honest, it would likely be several people, since I'd heard quite a few males wanting to book you five or six at a time. So, let's not literally bite the only hand that's feeding you and trying to keep you alive, shall we?"

A flicker of fear went through me at that, and for a moment, I was back in the pleasure house surrounded by hostile fae and powerless.

I hated being powerless.

But this wasn't the pleasure house, and Alihandro wasn't like the other fae. The hand firmly pressing down on my windpipe wasn't intended to hurt, it was intended to control.

And I fucking loved it.

Heat coursed through my body. What was it with danger and psychotic men that got me hot and bothered?

I relaxed into the hand around my throat and let a smirk stretch my lips.

Alihandro's nostrils flared. "You dirty little—"

"The king is on his way up. Thought you ought to know."

I froze as Calten marched right up to Shyllon, made his announcement, then turned on his heel and walked away with his hip stuck out.

Or tried to.

With a sweep of his arms, Shyllon deposited the blond human on his lap, yanking his head back and exposing his throat.

"Is he now? Let's give him something to remember this evening by, and perhaps regret his choice to surprise us."

I watched with wide eyes as Shyllon kissed Calten hungrily. I'd never seen two men go at it before. It was intriguing.

Alihandro nipped at my earlobe, chuckling darkly. "Oh, the fun we'll have, Princess."

He attacked my lips with a bruising kiss, kneading my lips gently with his fangs as his tongue stroked inside my mouth. Next to me, Calten was making needy noises, hands and bodies gyrating all around me.

A door slammed open and the other partygoers gasped and parted like wheat in the maelstrom wind, but Alihandro distracted me by shoving his breeches down his hips and pushing my face toward his jutting cock. Judging by the noises coming from my right, Calten was already busy doing something similar to Shyllon.

And I wanted to see.

I twisted my head to the side, my hair falling over Alihandro's hips as I watched Shyllon cock slide in and out of Calten's mouth. My lips parted slightly as my breathing hitched. It—

"Ah. I see now." The king's tone was disappointed and held a hint of disgust.

I jerked, but Alihandro's hands gripped my hair and held me still against him, my mouth at his crotch. Even though his cock was out and at attention, he hadn't forced me to do anything with it.

Not that you'd know that at a glance.

"She's been here less than two days and already the complaints are deafening," Fennis complained, arms crossing over his chest. His tunic was silver today and with gold threads. No creases marred his attire.

I tried to relax, and as a reward, Alihandro gently stroked my scalp with his fingers, releasing his death grip on my hair.

"So ignore them. You do so for the indiscretions of all your other sons, and daughters." Shyllon answered flippantly. The wet sounds continued, and I blushed from my head to my toes as I realized he was calmly talking to his king while another man sucked him off.

Wait. Sons? As in more than just Alihandro and Shyllon? How many princes and princesses were there?

There was a low growl. "And as you know, I recently took care of that recent issue. Let me see her."

Alihandro picked me up and spun me around in his lap, my back up against his chest as I blinked warily up at the king. His eyes narrowed, taking in my flushed face and my red, swollen lips. I cringed as he leaned in and sniffed me.

"I see."

"Do you?" Shyllon countered cheerfully. "You know, I owed Alihandro a birthday present. This one was far too tempting." He stroked his beard as if in deep thought.

The king looked the same as when I'd last seen him, albeit far more irritated. His simple gold tunic fit perfectly over black breeches and boots. A muscle twitched in his jaw, his face still sharp enough that I bet it could cut through stone.

"Do you have any idea how long the waiting list is for her? After her fame during the games, every male fae with a spare bit of coin has been saving up for their chance."

Alihandro's fingers dug into my hip bone, but he smirked. "Weren't you just saying the other week that I should use the privileges of my birth more often?"

The king's hand flexed. "Not when it will cause civil unrest and grumbling among the lords. We have enough of that as it is."

Shyllon gently tapped Calten on the back of his head to pause him in his task, and the blond man gave a grin and slunk down to sit primly at Shyllon's side.

Alihandro smirked. "Sounds like a you problem."

"And the grumbling among the ladies who are watching their husbands circle a human girl like dogs? Surely that would be worse if you let their husbands give into their more base urges," Shyllon suggested lightly, though there was an edge of venom to his voice. "We all know who we can and cannot afford to anger among the nobles."

The king's pointed ears were red, the only sign his anger was getting the better of him. His smile was vicious, rings glittering on his fingers where he twisted them.

"I will pass along the girl's new activities to her mate. He's been asking about her incessantly this entire time, prattling my ear off. Obsessed, the poor thing is. Keep a close watch on her."

The king turned on his heel and left as quickly as he'd come, but I'd frozen in horror.

Ellis. He'd been talking about Ellis.

I thought we were both being put to work. He said we'd be treated like anyone else! But he was at the king's side? Ellis was worried about me, and here I was canoodling with other males!

Unless he was also canoodling with others as well.

Shyllon tilted his head to the side. "Jealous, my dear?"

Everyone in the room was still paying close attention to us, but I was on the verge of a psychotic break.

Say something. Anything.

"I just wondered where Ellis had got off to," I mumbled instead.

I didn't feel guilty per say, but I was more disturbed that I hadn't considered him doing the same with any fae females.

My eyes drifted to the large plate of cheeses, and my hand rose to snatch one. If I shoved my face full of food, I couldn't say something stupid. I couldn't cry while chewing, could I?

Shyllon snatched my wrist faster than I could track, shaking it roughly until the cube of cheese fell on the floor.

"Not that one," he grit out, deadly serious. He took a moment to breathe, his face relaxing. "Calten, please fetch one of the other trays."

Calten stood slowly.

"And don't even think about rolling your eyes at me—" Shyllon added quickly.

Calten grinned, shooting Shyllon a look. "Never, sir."

My stomach growled loudly as Calten fetched a different tray of cheeses and meats from across the room, offering it to me with an exaggerated bow.

I eyed it warily. Why was this one preferable to the other?

Fae were odd. I grabbed a handful of cheese and stuffed it into my mouth before anyone could say otherwise. Nutty flavor exploded on my tongue and I couldn't help my groan. It was so good!

I grabbed three slices of thick meat and wolfed it down. It was like venison, but with a more smoky flavor. More slices found their way into my hand. I'd eat the whole thing if they let me.

"Easy, now. There's plenty more. Just make sure I inspect all of your food before you eat it," Shyllon cautioned.

"For poison," Alihandro offered smoothly, even as my mouth opened to ask why.

A piece of bread slipped between my fingers. I used the time to pick it up off the ground to compose myself.

"Poison seems a bit … subtle for the fae from what I've seen," I said.

Alihandro and Shyllon winced while Calten chuckled. "I think you'll be fine here, Princess," he remarked.

Was his tone mocking or not? I couldn't tell.

I stayed silent, needing to get a feel for exactly where things stood. Fate had apparently destined me to always be stuck between men and their power struggles, no matter which world I trod between.

Alihandro plucked a choice bit of meat from the forbidden plate they had smacked me away from. I watched him eat it with no ill effects.

"You have had a rough day. Do you wish to retire?" Shyllon asked, sitting up from his cushions.

Peace and quiet sounded amazing.

"Yes, actually," I managed.

Alihandro stood, then offered me a hand. Intrigued at the sudden show of civility and chivalry, I accepted. With my other hand, I reached back and snatched what was left of the platter, gathering it to my chest. It was coming with me.

Alihandro grinned at me, addressing the entire room.

"Night all!" He dragged me past a bunch of smiling and laughing faces, with more than a few inappropriate innuendos thrown our way. My face burned red as he led me down the same hallway that led to the balcony, but then stopped in front of two large, wooden doors on the right.

He pushed the doors open to reveal a large suite. "Home, sweet home."

I barely could take in the navy blue and gold color scheme before he dumped me headfirst on the bed. I somehow managed to hang onto the platter, a few cubes of cheese spilling onto the silk sheets.

"Sweet dreams, Princess. Don't go wandering unless you want to end up playing with someone else. Shyllon keeps the more aggressive fae out, but you never know. You're quite the prize." A frown marred his lips.

I blinked, confused. "Where are you going?"

He grasped the edge of one of the bed pillars, his fingers stroking the smooth wood finish. "This is my room in Shyllon's manor, but as you can see, I don't really live here."

Glancing around, it made sense. The room was pristine, and hardly looked like anyone lived in it, least of all Alihandro.

"I usually keep to my bunk near the other soldiers' quarters. See you around." He strode toward the door and I shot up from the bed, indignant.

"Wait!" I called out.

He paused, his face tense. As he turned back to face me, he attempted to flatten his expression out into a mask of indifference.

"Princess, let me be clear. You are here at great risk to Prince Shyllon and me. I need you alive and whole for what is coming, not the broken shell that you would likely become after being passed around at the pleasure house to every fae with two coins to rub together. Shyllon owes me a favor and has agreed to put you up, knowing he's Father's favorite and able to withstand the scrutiny. Do you understand?"

No. Not at all.

His tone made it clear I was supposed to, though. So, I said nothing.

Alihandro nodded, convinced that I now understood whatever it was he'd tried to get across to me. He paused at the door one last time.

"Oh, and feel free to bathe."

He left.

Feel free to bathe.

Yeah, because the purpose had been served, hadn't it? All those fae had smelled him on me … or rather in me, and they'd tell everyone else I belonged to him. It was supposed to keep me safe.

Instead, I felt dirty and used.

I didn't regret it—Alihandro had comforted me when I needed it, and it had snapped me out of my self-pity. I wouldn't feel bad about the act itself.

I just hated once again being a pawn for the men around me.

My hands balled into fists in the soft silk sheets.

They wouldn't know what hit them.