Chained, page 27
Once we were out of earshot, I said, “Thanks for the vote of confidence in there.”
Viktor smirked, “Don’t mention it. Happy to help.”
“And you definitely needed help,” Endre added.
I rolled my eyes. “I would have gotten there eventually.”
“No, you wouldn’t have,” Endre laughed. He was right, but I couldn’t let him know that.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you have anything to worry about either. I know her father would have to give you permission to marry, but once he sees you two together I am sure he will allow it,” Endre reassured me.
Catching both their arms and glancing around us to ensure we were alone, I dropped my voice. “There is another way to ensure we stay together.”
Endre sucked in a breath, and Viktor’s sage eyes hardened. “If you say the words…”
“There’s no turning back. Yeah, I fucking know, Viktor. But I’m getting desperate, and you are my closest friends – brothers, really. I can’t lose her.”
Viktor blew out a breath after a glance at Endre. “Does she know?”
“She started asking questions during our time here.”
“So you’ve primed her?” Endre narrowed his eyes at me.
“In a sense. She didn’t fall one way or the other, but with the right encouragement or information, she could. We should have her talk to Kriztof,” I whispered.
“She’s too young,” Endre hissed.
“But she’s not stupid or cruel, and she’d listen to our fathers’ advice. The realm would be better off with her,” Viktor argued in a hushed tone. “Kazimir would be king, and I trust him to lead us in the right direction. He hasn’t led us astray yet. He has my loyalty.”
Endre shifted from foot to foot as Viktor stared him down, daring him to disagree. “You know I’m loyal to both of you – and Izidora. But I don’t want to push her too hard too fast. You’ve seen what happened before.”
“She’s so much stronger than that now, Endre. While we’ve been here, she’s thrown herself into training and learning at all hours of the day. Let’s get her on the throne and make everyone happy, yeah?” I grasped him by the shoulder, and he nodded his agreement.
“This stays between us,” Viktor warned, his tone laced with the threat he did not need to supply with voice. If anyone discovered our plan, we were dead.
I embraced the males, arms over their shoulders, and corralled them down the hall to where I knew Izidora waited, that faint tug between us always pulling me to her.
As we approached the doors to my room, I said, “Let me go in first.”
“If you’re not back in one minute to let us in, I’m calling Cazius to listen at the door with me,” Viktor joked, all tension from moments before banished.
Endre groaned. “You are as bad as Kriztof.”
I left them bickering and slipped through the door, hoping Izidora was dressed. An oversize robe wrapped around her slight frame as she sat in front of the mirror in the bathroom, brushing out her long hair. The front of the robe hung open, revealing the shape of her breasts while her legs peeked out from under a scandalously high slit. Heat flooded my groin, and I closed my eyes, gulping in a breath and trying to regain control.
“Why are your eyes closed?” she trilled, her voice light and sweet and everything.
“We have something important to tell you, and Endre and Viktor are waiting outside the bedroom door. If I look any longer I won’t be able to let them in,” I croaked.
She snickered, and I opened my eyes as she shucked off the robe, giving me a perfect view of her backside as she walked to the closet. My mouth watered as she sashayed her hips before disappearing into the fabric beyond. Returning to the other room, I opened the door for Endre and Viktor.
“A few more seconds and I would have shouted for Cazius,” Viktor laughed, shouldering past me into my room and flopping on the gray couch closest to the fire. I suppressed a smile, the memory of what I had done to Izidora there flashing before my eyes. If he knew, he would relocate his ass. Endre stepped past me, his peridot eyes still holding some hardness, but his support was there. We settled in, waiting for Izidora to appear, and when she did, clothed, she sat on my lap, regarding the three of us with hawk-like eyes.
“So?” She arched a brow, waiting for someone to tell her the news.
“We received a raven from Zekari and Kirigin,” I started.
“Are they alright? Did they make it to Vaenor? Are they coming back now?” she asked in a rush.
“Yes, they made it safely. They saw no Iron Fae on their journey. And we are going to them. Tomorrow, actually.” I rubbed circles over her back, anticipating the tightness that would wind up her body as our timeline shortened.
“So soon? Don’t we need to prepare?” She paled, a hint of fear opening behind her aquamarine eyes as she allowed me into that walled off part of her.
“It won’t take us long to pack the things we need, and I am sure Ali will spend all night baking if you want treats for the road,” I reassured her, though there was not much I could do, and that alone killed me. I wanted to ferry her away into the night so she never had to experience the hurt that waited for her unless she said yes to the proposal the three of us would shortly make.
My words did not soothe her. “Did they say anything about my father’s mood?”
Viktor glanced at me, and I silently conveyed that we could broach the subject through this line of questioning. “Zekari and Kirigin said he is throwing you a massive feast and inviting every noble house in the Night Realm. It will be held in a few week’s time,” Viktor explained, sitting up and opening his posture to appear non-threatening.
Izidora’s chest rose and fell rapidly beneath the overflowing tunic that covered her breasts. Plucking her face between my fingers, I spun her head gently so she looked only at me. “We have to ask you something… and I want you to answer honestly, Izidora. We’re still loyal no matter what you say, understand?”
She nodded, her body completely tensed beneath my palms.
“Do you want to be queen? Not eventually, not in a few decades, but now. Because if you do, we will make it happen, and you will be safe with us by your side. You will have the tremendous responsibility of ruling the realm, but you will have the support needed to get through, and you will be free to make the choices you want to make for yourself.”
My eyes flicked to Endre and Viktor, the former pushing his hair out of his eyes, the latter studying the female in front of me with intense scrutiny. The rise and fall of Izidora’s chest grew rapid, her breasts heaving despite the loose tunic she wore. My hand dropped from her face, allowing her space to breathe, and I yanked her to my chest, smoothing her hair and rubbing her back as she succumbed to the panic. Gently rocking back and forth with her wrapped in my arms, I soothed her. “Breathe, beautiful. Follow my breath.”
But it was no use. Tears soaked my tunic as her breath hitched higher, short gasps all she could manage as her emotions overwhelmed her. I let her crumble as I crushed her against me, showing her that she was not alone, that she was supported, that she was safe. No one uttered a word as she broke apart, instead giving her the space she needed to process and feel. We remained motionless for many moments before her breathing evened out and I relaxed my grip on her. My hands found the wetness on her cheeks and wiped away every last drop with the tender care she deserved.
“It’s just all so much and so soon,” she whispered.
Endre leveled his gaze with her, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his elbows as he spoke. “And we are here for you every step of the way. You are not alone.”
“You are stronger than you think, Princess. There are not many Fae who could go through what you’ve been through and be the person you are today. Remember that,” Viktor added.
She nodded weakly, lids dropping as she gulped down a shaky breath.
“I was going to wait until we were at Este Castle to tell you this, but Vadim’s family will meet us there. His sister is only a few years older than you and just as headstrong as you are. We thought she would be a good friend for you to have.” I smoothed a few stray hairs out of her face, and she opened her eyes, smiling through another sheen of tears.
“That is a great gift. Thank you, Kazimir,” she croaked, her voice thick and raw after her breakdown.
“So you will have more than us to help you, if you want it.” I left the door open for her to answer the question that had just sent her into a mess of panic.
Her head swiveled between the three of us, as if the answer lay in one of our eyes. She wanted validation in her choice, and thinking of what we would gain by being together, I showed her what she searched for with a small dip of my chin.
“If my father is truly as cruel as you say he is, then I want it. I don’t want others to suffer like I did, under the oppression of fear and unable to express their truest selves for fear of retaliation.”
Her words landed like a fallen tree, the crack of the splitting trunk ringing with a finality that would end in either success or our deaths.
“That decision does not leave the four of us, understood?” Viktor rubbed his palms across his pants before brushing back his already perfectly styled hair.
“Understood,” Izidora echoed.
“It’s not that we don’t trust the others, but rather that the less involved, the safer for everyone,” I clarified.
“So, what’s next?” she asked, that spark of white fire flaring in her eyes.
I grinned wickedly. “We put you on the throne.”
The four of us concocted a damn good plan, one that would look like a natural progression from the outside, while we would know the true intent. As Endre and Viktor rose to leave, Endre pulled Izidora in for a hug, his peridot eyes telling me to chill as he addressed her. “What sweets do you want for the road? Kriztof went to tell Ali we’d be leaving, but I’ll make sure she knows what you want to eat.”
“Definitely cookies and cinnamon rolls,” she grinned, then thought a moment longer. “We should just bring her with us.”
We shared a laugh, all wishing the same thing. Endre and Viktor departed, promising to tell Ali to fire up the oven and bake enough of each to last Izidora a month at Este Castle.
“What clothes do you want to bring?” I asked her after they left, hoisting her over my shoulder and carrying her to the closet, her tiny fists pounding into my back as bubbly giggles left her lips.
After returning her to her feet, her fingers trailed along the row of dresses hanging and flowing across the floor. “How much can I bring? All the dresses Ali made me are so beautiful.”
“Bring them all. It’s not a terribly long journey, and I’m sure we will need another packhorse anyway,” I winked.
She gently folded the decadent dresses into a neat pile, and I fetched more leather bags from deeper in the closet. A pile of her favorite pants, tunics, and tank tops waited beside the dresses by the time I’d gathered what clothes I wanted.
“When we get to Vaenor, I will take you to a store that can make clothes to magically accommodate your wings. They are very secretive about their process, but you’ll never have to worry about ripping your shirts,” I said. I hoped giving her things to look forward to would help ease her anxiety about this transition. “Or we can have a tailor make backless shirts that show off your beautiful body,” I suggested, my fingers painting her spine. “That would be my preferred choice.”
She bit her lower lip, trying to hide a mischievous smile. “And would you be able to control yourself if I wore those around the castle?”
“It would be one way of announcing you as mine,” I purred, my dick stirring at the thought. Her gaze drifted to my growing erection, and pink dusted her cheeks as I laid bare my desire for her.
“So you want the whole realm to know who I belong to, huh?” She sashayed toward me, swaying her hips like a cat stalking its prey.
I watched her hungrily, my hands snaking around her waist when she was close enough, pulling her soft flesh against my hard body. “My instincts are screaming at me to make you mine, to let everyone know not to touch you. They have been since I first saw you.” My confession and nip of her shoulder elicited a wanton gasp.
“Do you want me to proclaim you as mine? Is that why you want the throne for yourself?” My nose nuzzled the sensitive point beneath her ear.
“Yes,” she breathed, angling my face to the spot on her neck where her pulse fluttered.
My self control snapped like a rope stretched too tight for too long, and I sank my teeth into the spot, her life thrumming beneath my tongue as I soothed the bite.
“Kazimir…” she moaned, the sound nearly bringing me to my knees. Lifting her lithe body into the air, she wrapped her legs around my waist and I walked her to my bed. I threw her down once my knees hit the edge, ripped her leggings off, and dived in between her divine legs to taste her sweet center within the span of seconds, unable to control my lust.
She cried out as I latched onto her core, her thighs trembling and soaked already. My tongue licked her slit, stopping to circle over her clit and then repeating the motion until her hips bucked wildly underneath me as she tried to get friction where she wanted it. Spreading her legs wider with my hands, I opened her hips to give myself better access. My hands drifted up her torso, taking the tunic with them, revealing her bare breasts as the fabric disappeared over her head. I hummed my approval into her pussy, then rolled her hard nipples between my thumbs and forefingers. Her back arched off the bed in time with her breathy gasp, and I planted a hand on her stomach to hold her still, while my other fingers found her heat. Lapping at her like she dripped the finest wine, I slipped one finger in, then two, and pumped them in and out, swirling them around until I found that spongy spot on her inner wall. My digits rubbed roughly against it, setting her walls spasming around them.
“Fuck me, please,” she begged, her moans desperate as I drew her to the edge. She was going to come several times before I was finished with her, a reminder who she belonged to before we departed for Vaenor . I sucked greedily on those sensitive nerves at the apex of her thighs while stroking her with two fingers, faster and faster, matching my movements to her rapid breaths. Slipping a third inside her, she whimpered, riding my hand and face.
“Tell me you are mine,” I snarled from between her thighs, only releasing her for a moment to voice my command.
“I’m yours,” she gasped breathlessly, her walls clenching around my fingers.
“Good girl. Now come for me.”
Her mewls were as decadent as the come that flooded my tongue, and seeing the sheets curled in her small hands as her orgasm ripped through her was the cherry on top. Her whole body convulsed, and she screamed my name as she exploded on my fingers.
Before she came down from her high, I pulled them out and brought them to her plump lips. “Taste yourself,” I ordered.
Her bright blue eyes flared as she sucked them into her mouth, obediently cleaning them off and releasing them with a pop. Wild need tore through me at the sound, and my shirt and pants went flying. Our naked bodies were flush a moment later, and I kissed her deeply, sucking her tongue into my mouth before releasing it to nip her lower lip. No matter where my mouth was on her, she tasted divine. My hands palmed her breasts, so soft and full beneath my grasping digits. Her nipples were sharp, but my teeth were sharper, and I grazed them over the sensitive buds before soothing them with my flattened tongue.
She groaned, threading her fingers in my hair and holding me in place above them. Continuing to graze and lick around them, I fisted myself, trying to relieve some of the pressure building in my balls. Her body was so tight beneath me, and it only served to build this unending tension in my chest.
I had her where I wanted, and I wasn’t letting go. My future queen’s sparkling aquamarine eyes held my gaze, and the world around me fell away as she hypnotized me with her blue depths. She smiled wickedly, then reached between us to stroke me, knocking my hand away and pumping my shaft with her tiny fist that could scarcely get a grip. Her thumb smeared beads of wetness around the head, and I claimed her mouth, stealing her air as I ground into her hand.
“Fuck, Izidora…” I groaned, wanting to be inside her wet heat. “Tell me you’re mine again.”
“I am yours,” she promised, her voice breathy and lustful.
That was all it took to unleash the frenzy inside me, and I lined myself at her entrance, tapping her clit once, twice, then seating myself fully with one powerful thrust. Without giving her time to adjust to my girth, I slammed my hips into hers again, then relentlessly pounded her into the bed. Her nails found purchase on my back as she moaned my name, scratching lines so deep I was surprised they didn’t bleed. It only encouraged my onslaught, and wetness pooled underneath us, a mixture of arousal and sweat gathering below our thighs. I was a male possessed by a demon that forced me to protect what was mine at all costs.
My wings snapped from my back along with a roar, and I pulled out of her soaking center, lifting and flipping her so that she was on all fours in front of me. Her peachy ass graced the air, her puckered hole winking at me. Biting the juicy fruit, I marked her skin with bruises and indentions, my fingers rubbing circles over her clit as I worked on my claim. Once I was satisfied, I thrust back into her wet heat, my wings flaring protectively around us. Tracing around to her front, my fingers dipped between her thighs, finding that nub again and applying pressure. The moan that escaped her was primal, and her glittering white wings burst from her back unbidden. She pressed back into me, whimpering as I placed more friction over that bundle of nerves while I brutally drove into her, over, and over, and over, slapping resounding around the room as my thighs met her ass.
Her breath was erratic as she approached the peak of her pleasure. I used my free hand to stroke her wings in the sensitive spots I knew would make her come.
“Fuck, Kazimir, don’t stop,” she begged, mewling under all the sensation I gave her.
