Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

~ Princess Blake ~

“ I ’ll see you the entire time, my beloved,” King Celzar tells me as he leaves me standing outside a wide steel door. “Retrieve your power. Then tomorrow, we shall be wed.”

I smile tightly, hiding the fact that my heart is galloping in my chest. “Can’t wait.”

Before he leaves, King Celzar waves his hand, and my wings reappear, bursting from my back and tearing through the thin robe I’m wearing. A giddy grin erupts on my face, and I flap my wings twice before folding them behind my back.

“Better that they see you like this,” King Celzar says dispassionately, like he doesn’t care how happy he’s just made me. “There’ll be less questions that way.” I only have time to mumble a quick ‘thank you’ before he disappears into a neighboring room.

Facing the door, I let out a long breath through my nose. What if they’re not here? The nasty thought slithers through my mind, and I push it back. King Celzar might be cruel, but he hasn’t played mind games like Dad would have. No, they’re in there. My males. My mates.

I step inside and a guard closes the door, sealing me in. I don’t have time to react before a body crashes into me. Large fingers curl painfully around my throat and push me against the door, and I don’t try to fight. My mate’s scent slams into me, and the relief is near crippling, leaving me speechless. If anything, I’m glad for his hand on my neck, because in that instant my legs feel weak. For days, I’d tried to tell myself that it didn’t matter if we were apart. That my mates didn’t want me anyway. But now, as the warm and bitter scents of dark chocolate and mint fill the air around me, all I want to do is climb onto the assassin and remind him why the fuck he should never leave my side again. Because he’s mine, whether he believes it yet or not.

Furious gray eyes bore into me, but then Alaric blinks, his gaze softening with surprise and recognition. “Enchantress?” he rasps, his grip loosening. Slowly, his gaze lowers and as he realizes just what I’m wearing, or more so, what I’m not wearing, his eyes heat, his expression becoming feral. My lips part, my body responding to him—to his smell, his touch—and the magic binding us together. He leans down, his lips closing in on mine, and my heart races as I think of how good he’ll taste. As I think of how badly I need this. But just when our lips are about to touch, he’s ripped away from me.

And then my three other mates are closing in. Dante. Nate. Prince Callan.

They stalk closer like wolves surrounding their prey, and I grin as my body tightens, a potent mix of excitement, joy, and lust flooding me. Yes. I want them. More than I’ve wanted anything, but just as I get the overwhelming urge to jump on one of them, I remind myself of the king. Because he’s watching. I try to quell my rising desire and focus on calming my frantic heartbeat. I force myself to suck in a few more deep breaths in an effort to gain some control. Because I can’t let the king know what these males mean to me. I need him to think that they’re dispensable.

I work on shutting down my emotions, and a cold mask comes over my face, even as Dante cups my cheeks with his hands. The smile that forms on his face makes my heart squeeze. “Princess? Thank Lady Fate.” His midnight blue eyes bore into me, and the look of relief on his face almost has my mask cracking. Fuck. Before Dante can say another word, I glance at the long two-sided mirror that lines the right side of the room, hoping my warning is obvious.

Nate raises a brow, clearly not understanding my message. “And here I thought she’d be happy to see us,” the shifter complains. “Well, happy to see me, anyway,” he amends with a lop-sided grin.

I roll my eyes.

“Pay attention, Nine Lives,” Prince Callan says coldly, subtly glancing at the mirror, and it takes a moment before understanding shows on Nate’s face.

I stare at Prince Callan. If it’s possible, he looks grumpier than usual, but I guess that’s not surprising given his stay in the mines and the bruises marring his body. In fact, all of my mates are sporting injuries, even Dante. I keep my face passive, careful not to give away how much this bothers me. We were all blindsided, but at least we’re alive.

My mates move even closer, creating a wall so they’re blocking my view of the mirror, and I struggle to keep a clear head as their intoxicating scents surround me. Keep it together, Blake.

I wobble a little on my feet, and Dante steadies me by placing a hand on my shoulder. “You all right there, princess?” he asks, his devilish lips twitching up.

I’m tempted to knee him in the crotch, simply because I love it when I get to wipe that smug smile from his face, but instead I subconsciously lick my lips. I am definitely not all right.

“You’re naked,” I squeeze out. I really should have expected it given my own lack of clothing, but I hadn’t thought the king would be this practical.

“Seems we have something in common,” Dante drawls, blatantly admiring me and not at all helping me keep my control.

“Actually, I have a robe on,” I point out, indicating to the white gown that’s covering my naked body, though my arms are exposed, along with a fair amount of cleavage.

“That’s not a robe,” Alaric growls, his expression looking pained.

“King Celzar thought this would make the situation more efficient,” I say carefully, not sure whether the king can simply see into the room or if he has ears in here as well. When I’d mentioned the bonding ritual to the king, all I was thinking about was the fact that it would allow me to see my mates again, but now that I’m here, I wonder if I’ve made a mistake.

“What are you talking about?” Prince Callan asks.

“Efficient,” I repeat. “For us to complete the bonding ritual.”

Shock flashes on Prince Callan’s face before his expression hardens. Perfect. Of all of them, I’m counting on Prince Callan and Alaric to really sell this.

Alaric’s nostrils flare. “What have you gotten us into, demon?”

I’m aware the king is probably growing impatient, so I speak up loudly. “Me? We all know this is Lady Fate’s doing. Luckily for you, all we need to do is seal the bond, and I’ll be on my way. I won’t need anything else from you.”

“Seal the bond?” Alaric growls, looking like he wants to wrap his hand around my throat again.

“Yes,” I say with a tight smile. “That way I can have my power, and you’ll never have to see me again. I think you’ve made it obvious you don’t want me, and as long as I have my power, I’ll have no use for you.”

“ Your power?” Nate repeats, his lips twitching.

“Yup,” I say with a nod.

Everyone knows that when fated mates bond, the female gains the most, unlocking the power within her, but the males also gain increased abilities. Everyone knows it, that is, except the Perstalians and King Celzar. At least, I don’t think he does. As far as King Celzar knows, the whole bonding thing is merely a way for me to level up. I failed to mention that my mates and I would also solidify a bond that would tie us for eternity.

“So…” Dante says slowly, “you want us to bond so you can have your power, and then you want nothing more from us? We can leave the prison?”

I honestly have no idea about that last part. When I was convincing the king, my focus was on getting the five of us together. After that, my plan got a little hazy.

Noise blares from a little speaker in the left corner of the room, the king’s voice ringing out. “Bond with my betrothed, and I’ll free you from the mines. You can return to the surface where you can unite with your people.”

It’s obviously a blatant lie, and I’m sure my guys can sense it, too. There’s no way King Celzar is going to allow the others to go back to the surface and blab the location of The Haven.

“Betrothed?” Alaric growls low, his gray eyes shooting to me. “So it’s true?”

I give him a sheepish smile remembering how Shade had said they’d made a mysterious friend in the prison who was divulging information to them. Clearly, he must have told them about the wedding. “Yep. Looks like I’m going to become queen of this place,” I explain casually like I’m not basically telling my mates I’m rejecting them and getting hitched with someone else.

Alaric and Prince Callan scowl, while Dante and Nate give me questioning looks.

“Like I said,” I say loudly. “None of you want me, so I may as well unlock my power, and you can be free to do whatever you want back on the surface.”

My mates are still blocking the view of the mirror, and Dante smirks as he steps forward, loosening the knot that’s holding my gown together at the front. His hand slides between the opening of my robe, and he grips my bare waist, leaning in close. “You’re lucky I didn’t try to fuck you the moment you came through that door, princess. He’s not going to believe we don’t want you,” he whispers. “I know you, Blake, and you won’t so easily give up on the demons. So, what’s the real plan?” He moves his hand down, and I shiver as his fingers glide between my legs. He slides a single finger along my center, and I press my lips tightly together to stop my gasp. My mates press in closer, and the room starts to spin again.

“I don’t know,” I admit quietly, even as Dante pulls my robe back enough to press a kiss to my shoulder. “The king is power-hungry, and this is the only way I could think of to get him to bring me to you,” I whisper, hoping King Celzar can’t hear me. “The way I see it, our best option is to fake the bonding ritual, and when the king enters the room, we act quickly to try and take him out, knowing that we might completely fail and doom ourselves in the process.”

Dante’s expression grows thoughtful, and he swipes his finger along my center again, undoubtedly simply because he enjoys torturing me. I curse, but I don’t ask him to stop, because it feels too damn good. “That sounds like a terrible plan, princess,” my demon drawls.

“We can’t bond. It might give the king the power he wants. And this plan has got to be better than you sending Shade blindly into the tunnels,” I whisper. “Which, by the way, if anything bad happens to her, I’ll make you all personally suffer.”

Nate winces. “You know about that, huh?”

I nod. “Now, are we faking it or not?” I ask quietly, and my heart thunders.

“We put on a show for the king,” Prince Callan agrees slowly, though his voice is hard and clinical.

“And we hope your little bird friend pulls through for us in time,” Alaric growls low.

“But do you really think you can fake it, princess?” Dante whispers with a seductive smile. “What does the king think bonding involves? Going by our lack of clothing, I’d say it’s not far from the truth.”

It’s becoming hard to breathe, and I reach down, forcing Dante’s hand to stop moving. “Only that it involves physical intimacy with my mates,” I squeeze out.

Nate grins. “Shouldn’t be too hard to make him think it’s real.”

Prince Callan and Alaric look less enthusiastic about this, but neither of them complain.

“I’ll take one for the team,” Dante says with a sensual smile that makes my insides melt. “The rest can make a show of busying themselves.” He runs his other hand over the silky collar of the robe I’m wearing. “With this, we can make it look like more than it is.”

“Or I could actually make Blake feel somethin’” Nate suggests hopefully, moving even closer. “Without all four of us gettin’ involved, the bond won’t be sealed.”

Holy Lady Fate. I seriously overestimated my willpower.

“She’s more comfortable with me,” Dante argues. “Besides, I’m a demon. If she’s only going to fuck one of us, it makes sense that the main bonding partner would be one of her own kind.”

Nate grumbles something under his breath.

“ Pretend to fuck,” I clarify, but I don’t know if Dante is listening. As much as I want my mates, I haven’t forgotten about what happened to Kai, the last lover I’d been with, and now isn’t the right time to test out whether my vagina will accidentally kill any one of my mates.

There’s a buzzing from somewhere overhead, and King Celzar’s voice rings out. “I have places to be, my beloved. Seal the bond or I shall assume this was simply a ploy for you to see your friends. You do not want to disappoint me.”

Honestly, I’m not sure if the king is going to believe our act, but we have to do something. “Okay, if we’re doing this, we have to do it now,” I whisper.

“The robe stays on,” Alaric growls, and I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I’m not scared of having an audience. I’m sure it’s not just the king behind the two-way mirror that lines the wall. For all I know, there could be a dozen guards eagerly watching on, but none of that matters. Demons don’t really care about nudity or public shows of affection as long as it’s not putting us in a vulnerable situation.

“It stays on,” I agree to appease the assassin.

“All right then. Ready, princess?” Dante asks me quietly.

I force a smile. “It’s not like any of us have a choice.”

His grin turns wolfish. “I don’t care who it’s for, as long as I get to do this,” he murmurs into my ear, and then his lips are on mine. Merciful. Lady. Fate. The male tastes like the best damn spiced apricots I’ve ever eaten, tangy and sweet with a hint of spice, and I can’t get enough. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, and sparks of pleasure shoot through my body. A moan slips out of me, and while I’m quick to cut off the noise, it’s like a siren call drawing my other mates even closer to me. Dante claims me like a demon possessed, and his hand slides behind my head, tangling in my hair as he utterly consumes me.

I hadn’t planned for this. Hadn’t planned for the way I’d feel when I had them with me. Around me. I’d intended to make this appear forced. I try to stop myself from showing just how badly I need my mates, but a rumbling starts in Nate’s chest, and I lose myself.

“More,” I gasp when Dante finally breaks the kiss, his eyes completely black as he pulls me toward the bed, licking and sucking on my neck the entire way. His legs hit the end of the mattress, and I press on the demon’s chest, pushing him onto the bed. He falls onto his back, and his lips curl as I climb on, straddling his hips. Holding myself up, I rock above him, hoping that my robe is hiding enough for the king to think this is believable. My thighs tremble as I fight against my desire, but I don’t let myself drop down onto Dante’s cock.

Nate comes up behind me, his teeth grazing my shoulder as he plays with my breasts, and I fight to keep control. Because none of this is about me, or about us. It’s all a show, I tell myself. Just make it convincing for the king. But my body doesn’t believe it’s a show. She wants her mates, and my muscles strain from the effort of holding myself back. Think of Kai, I tell myself. You don’t want that to happen to them, do you? Besides, Prince Callan and Alaric don’t want to bond anyway. At the thought of my reluctant mates, I turn my head to where the giant and my archangel stand beside the bed, both with their backs to the mirror like they’re hoping to block the king’s view of me.

Did they not get the message about making this look real?

“Bond with me,” I call out to them. “Give me the power that was predestined to become mine and obtain your freedom in return.” My words sound stilted and wrong to my own ears, but I hope the king finds it convincing. There’s a war raging in Prince Callan and Alaric’s eyes as they battle their own desires, but they move closer to the edge of the bed. Prince Callan’s eyes are hooded as he kneels on the mattress, and I don’t think when I reach out, grabbing his massive length in my hand. To my surprise, he doesn’t pull away. He only stares at me, half with uncertainty and half with desire as I stroke him in time to my rocking, imagining he isn’t just in my hand. I don’t stop to think about the fact that the last time I saw him, the archangel looked like he wanted nothing to do with me. All I can focus on is my mates, and the demon between my thighs.

I can’t stop myself. Desperate for more friction, I drop down, my core clenching as Dante’s cock slides against my center. Nate pinches and teases my nipples with his fingers as his lips press against my neck, and sensations fire through my body. More. I need more.

“Fuck, Blake,” Dante curses, his voice tortured as I slide against his cock, enjoying every bump and ridge. I know I should lift up again, but I only rock my hips harder, enjoying the feel of him beneath me. I don’t care that the king is watching. Really, I wouldn’t care if the whole damn kingdom was watching, these are my mates, and everything in me tells me that this is right. I need their skin on mine as badly as I need…

“Princess,” Dante says the word as a breathy warning. “Stop.”

But I can’t. They had been taken from me, and I need this.

Dante curses again, and I moan as I stroke Prince Callan’s hard cock. When I look up, the archangel is staring at me with an intense gaze, like he wants to pluck me from Dante and steal me away, but he doesn’t. I’m distracted by the archangel, and I don’t notice Dante reaching his hand down between my legs. He aims himself, and the next time I rock my hips, his cock slides in, pushing in deep. I gasp at the sensation of him filling me, stretching me so much that a whimper falls from my mouth. The sting of pain is chased away as pleasure makes my entire body come alive. Fuck. We should stop. The memory of Kai clings to the edges of my mind, a warning I promised myself I wouldn’t forget, but the pleasure chases it away.

Alaric is still standing, but his chest heaves, and his temple pulses as his gaze drops, watching as Dante slides in and out of me, the robe pulled back enough to give him a nice view. His hand lowers to his cock, and then he’s stroking himself in time to the rest of our movements. The assassin growls a curse, and the rumbling sound in Nate’s chest grows louder, almost frantic. Shit. Stop, Blake. You need to— This isn’t part of the plan. I try to remind myself of Kai, of the risk involved, but as Dante’s hands move to either side of my hips, I can’t stop myself from enjoying the way he makes my body feel. Tingles rush through me as the pleasure builds.

Nate’s teeth clamp onto my shoulder, and I throw my head back, my nails clawing down Dante’s chest.

“Have your power,” Alaric growls, his voice hoarse, though he’s obviously the only one of us still level-headed enough to keep this ruse going. I rock my hips faster, needing more as the pleasure blooms inside me, delicious and all-consuming. But just as I think I’m about to tip over the edge, I gasp as fear makes my body lock up. I can’t do this. Not now. Not when I could lose one of my mates forever. Dante’s hands still on my sides like he knows what’s going through my head. His cock is still deep inside me, and I pant, trying to control my emotions. Seconds pass, and I force myself to remember why we’re in this mess. To convince the king. Pushing my worries from my mind, I stretch my arms out dramatically, and make a show of staring at my palms like they now contain the secrets of all the realms. “Finally!” I exclaim, my voice maniacal. “I feel it. The power.”

Dante breathes heavily beneath me, his eyes hooded, but a small smirk graces his lips. I take that to assume that my act was believable, but it’s hard to tell. It takes all of my willpower to lift off my demon and move away from my mates, and I stand facing the mirror. A smile creeps across my face. “I’m ready my king. The power we both desire is now mine.”

The king doesn’t speak, but my mates move behind me, lifting to their feet. I start toward the door, but I stop when I hear shouting. There’s a brief moment of silence, and then another scream comes to us from the tunnel.

“Fuck it, I don’t even care if he sees,” Nate says as he moves in front of me, blocking my path to the door and taking up a defensive stance. My other mates do the same, all four of them forming a wall between me and the door.

Clenching my jaw, I scan the room, looking for a weapon. Why are there so many damn cushions? Aside from smothering someone to death, they’re pretty useless. I’m still searching when the door flies open. I drop into a crouch, ready to attack, but a familiar prickling sensation touches my mind. “Hold on girl! We’re here!” Shade’s voice fills my head, and my mouth pops open.

“Shade?” Relief crashes into me. “What are you doing out there?”

“Saving your ass, of course,” she tells me. “Now get out here already.”

I peer at the tall, muscular male standing in the doorway. He’s covered in dirt and blood, his torn clothes hanging off him and his dark hair is a mess of matted knots, but he has the most vibrant glittering blue eyes I’ve ever seen. He looks a little different now, but I still recognize him as the male I saw when I was in the water, the male who’d been on the battlefield surrounded by witches. Celzar’s brother. But unlike in the picture, the sorrow is gone from his eyes, replaced with a fierce determination.

“Looks like your bird friend came through for us,” the stranger says to my mates, and the deep timbre of his voice has goosebumps rising on my skin.

“Coming through!” Shade shouts in my head, and my attention is pulled from the male as a black blur flies past him, diving straight for me.

Before she reaches me, Shade extends her wings wider, slowing her descent until she lands on my shoulder. She tilts her head to the side, observing my naked mates. “Looks like I missed out on one hell of a party,” she teases, and I grin, reaching up to stroke her feathers.

“I missed you,” I tell her with a smile.

“I’m serious, Blake,” she replies. “I fully expect you to explain this.”

I chuckle, but I find myself staring again at the stranger in the doorway again. “This way,” he orders, indicating with his head to the tunnel beyond, and as my mates start to move, I go with them.