Blood Crown

I stormed off down the hall, not caring where I was headed. I couldn’t believe that Ashera, the fucking queen, wanted to offer herself up as bait to the resistance and that her supposed mates were just going to stand by and let it happen. Weren’t they supposed to protect her?

Why do I care so much? Ashera was a trophy on my wall, another notch on my bedpost. Something to lord over the other kingdoms, that I, the prince of Juniya, had gotten the Queen of Shaytan to submit to me.

But something was nagging at me, a feeling I couldn’t quite shake. It left me unsettled, anxious as I roamed the great hallways of the castle. I didn’t know when my disgust for the little queen had shifted into something more. Respect. I was beginning to respect the hold Ashera had over her kingdom and her people. And for some unknown reason, she had sway over the men too. Maybe the whisper called out to them as well. The angel king, Jacobi, idiotic Ambrose, and Bat Fuck…Malachi. Fuck. I had a sour taste in my mouth imagining the way they fawned over her, eye-fucking her like no one else was in the room. But picturing Ashera as she rode Jacobi’s cock, making eye contact with her other mates — with me — had me growing hard. She was elegant and beautiful, wild and untamed. A woman full of contradictions, and one I wanted to stuff with my dick.

“Prince Caspian!” Heavy footsteps caught up to where I was, and I turned around to see, who else, King Jacobi and Malachi.

I sneered at my company. “What the hell do you want? If you’re here to convince me that sending your little mate in as bait is a good idea, there’s no point. Lucky for you, I don’t give a shit.”

“He’s lying,” Jacobi murmured to Malachi.

I shot him a deadly glare. “Would you please stop fucking doing that?” I turned to Malachi, seemingly the more levelheaded of the two at the moment. “Seriously, how do you even stand him?”

Malachi shrugged, clapping Jacobi on the shoulder. “He grows on you.”

I snorted. “Sure. And I often invite my slaves to share my dinner table when there’s too much food.”

Jacobi frowned. “You do?”

I looked at the angel king in disgust. “You’re kidding, right? Anyway, this little trip has been swell, and I’m glad I got to see all Shaytan has to offer. But seeing as you’re now about to sacrifice your queen, I’ve got to get home to Juniya to prepare for war.”

I turned on my heel, hoping I was walking in the direction of my room. Honestly, I had no idea. But before I could take a step, Malachi clasped my shoulder in his hand. “Look. I know what you must think of us, sending our mate into a situation like this.”

I scoffed. “Really? You know that I think you’re all sorry excuses for mates? She’ll die, you know. That’s not a possibility, that’s a fact. From what you told me, she only survived the last round with the resistance by the skin of her teeth.” A pang hit my heart, imagining the beautiful, golden queen with the glittering wings bound and broken. Alone. What the hell was wrong with me?

Malachi didn’t release my shoulder, and I turned around to face him. His expression was grim, and Jacobi had his arms crossed over his chest. It seemed that neither of them liked to be reminded of their mate’s time in captivity.

Probably because they had failed. It didn’t matter, because Ashera was no longer my problem. I didn’t need to speak with her again to know that. I would never hear that soul-piercing laugh, or the soft moans she made as she called out for her mates in the throes of release. I shook my head, giving Malachi the dirtiest sneer I could. “Look. It’s not my call. You made that quite clear. Let me go home.”

Malachi tipped his head to the side. “Look, I don’t like you Caspian. Even Ambrose was more amenable to me. But Ashera is right, and we need as many people on our side as possible if we’re going to take down the resistance.”

I rolled my eyes. “That’s what I’m saying. There’s not going to be a resistance, because Ashera is going to offer herself up on a silver platter, and then bang! No more Ashera, no more freedom, end of problem. You don’t need me.”

Jacobi took a step forward. “You don’t know Ashera. She can handle herself.”

I laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the empty hall. “I’m sure. The dick slayer will take down an entire resistance faction with her pretty wings and a sexy smile or two. Maybe flash that pussy you’re all so obsessed with. That’s how it usually works, right?”

Jacobi had his arm at my throat, pressing me against a pillar. “I’m really fucking sick of you insulting my queen. When I say she can handle herself, I mean it.” He released me, and I dropped to the floor, rubbing the tender skin of my throat.

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to see this for myself, even if it was to be a sure failure. My magic pooled inside of me, eager for a challenge. I could picture the little queen on her knees in front of me, my magic swirling and shifting around her to keep her in place. Ultimate submission. I looked into the angel’s wary gaze. “Prove it.”

* * *

Ashera

Ambrose and I were tangled up on the floor, enjoying the bliss of the feeding we had just shared when Malachi and Jacobi walked back in the room followed by an irritated-looking Caspian. I was beginning to wonder if that was just his default expression.

Ambrose groaned. “What the hell is the fae fuck doing back here?”

Caspian huffed. “This fae fuck is here to save your sorry ass.”

I placed a hand on Ambrose’s chest, feeling him still against my touch. “It’s okay, Ambrose.” I stood, pulling my dress back over my shoulders. I felt four sets of eyes run appreciatively over my body, Caspian’s included. “Caspian. What do you need from me to earn your trust?”

“Reinstate slavery.” His smile was cruel, a mere twist of the lips.

“Anything but that.”

He shrugged easily. “Worth a shot.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked closer to me, and I could feel elemental magic flooding the room. “Your mates tell me you’re quite the warrior.”

I tipped my head to the side, taking stock of the fae in front of me. The magic had reached Ambrose where he still laid on the floor, and he growled in warning. “One could say that.”

“Well then, dick slayer, I want proof,” he whispered. His bold gaze locked onto mine. I could feel the tendrils of air magic stroking my legs.

Caspian wanted a fight. I was going to give it to him. I wasn’t dressed for battle, but a warrior was always prepared. I smiled at him, feeling full from the energy I had just absorbed from Ambrose. I wasn’t worried. There was enough sexual tension in the room that I could easily feed again if I needed to. I smiled at my prey. “Then what are you waiting for?”

Caspian snapped his whips of air around my ankles, but I easily jumped back out of their reach. He tried, again and again, to tangle me in his snares, not realizing I could read the energy in the room, knowing when he was going to strike before it happened. I grinned at him. My men chuckled behind me. Did he really think it was going to be that easy? “Is that all you’ve got?”

His eyes flashed with annoyance, and with a snap of his fingers, the large wooden coffee table came flying at me. I put my hand on the edge as it came near me, flipping myself easily over to the other side of it. “More than just an air fae, eh?” His persistence was kind of cute.

Caspian pressed his lips together, gaze darkening. “You have no idea.” A flick of his wrist brought the thick vines just outside the window crashing through the glass toward me. I leaped over the back of the couch, the end of my dress catching on the edge of the sharp vines and ripping. I stood chest to chest with Caspian, glaring. “This was one of my favorite dresses.”

Caspian traced the outline of my lips with a soft finger. “So sorry.”

Ambrose groaned and heaved himself off the floor — which now looked more like a war zone at this point. “Are you seriously going to let this continue?” he muttered to one of the others.

Malachi chuckled. “Looks like she’s got it under control. Besides, she’s hot when she’s fighting.”

Caspian turned back to me. “This has been fun and all, but I want to see some real power now.”

“Oh, believe me,” I whispered, leaning in as if I was going to kiss him. He moved closer, our lips almost touching. I could hear the annoyed growls of my mates behind me, but I couldn’t stop myself from teasing Caspian. It just felt so good. Too good. “You couldn’t handle that.”

I pushed myself away from him, ripping off the torn part of my dress so it wouldn’t get caught on anything else. “Now what else do you have in store for me?”

Caspian’s eyes darkened, and his breathing grew heavy. He tipped his head, and the roaring fire shot out in a fireball toward where I stood. I dodged the flames easily, and the fireball hit my desk, sending it into flames. I looked in shock at my desk, blazing away, and then I turned towards a shelf of books, snatching the small knife I had stashed there. I stalked over to Caspian, who hurriedly started shooting books my way. I stabbed and slashed at various pages, narrowing my eyes on the fae. I was angry now, and I wanted to show him who he was dealing with.

Ambrose whistled. “He’s in for it now boys.”

I whipped my head toward him. “Shut up and get some water to put out the fire.” Ambrose hurried out of the room. Turning my attention back to Caspian, he shot me a heated look. “You break my coffee table. Fine. You smash my window, whatever.” I paused to knock another book out of the way. “Rip my dress? Great. But you fucking thought you could set my desk on fire, and get away with it?”

Caspian narrowed his eyes at me. “The desk? That’s what did it for you?”

“I really fucking liked that desk!” I roared, staring up into his dark gaze. I pressed my small blade into his neck. “You wanted to feel my power? You’ll feel my fucking power.” I started to absorb the energy from Caspian, both from where we touched and where we weren’t. His eyes widened as he felt me consuming his magic. I wouldn’t take all of it — I needed him after all. Just enough for him to understand who I was. The desk fire roared behind us as we stood locked in a stalemate of wills.

I stared at Caspian, waiting for him to acknowledge me, my power. But something shifted in his gaze, something dark and primal. Possessive. His mouth dropped open softly. I was about to call him out on being weak when I felt it snap into place.

I dropped my knife on the floor, taking a step back. “No. This isn’t happening. Not with you.”

Caspian snarled. “You think I want this?”

I huffed. “You’d be fucking lucky to have me.”

He stepped closer to me, the air between us rushing out as the fire crawled closer. Where was Ambrose with the water? “You’d be lucky to have me, dick slayer.”

“Watch your mouth,” I snapped. Caspian. Really? What were the gods possibly thinking? But I couldn’t deny my soul, and the succubus inside of me was clawing for Caspian, desperate to be close. To be whole.

I sighed. “Alright. This is how this is going to go.”

Caspian shook his head. “No. I’ll be the one to decide how this is going to go.” He took another step closer and brushed his lips against mine. He slid his hand down my neck like I was made of glass. I sighed into his mouth, clutching him closer to me as he ground his erection against my leg. Is this seriously happening? “You’ve been torturing me since that night in my room, Ashera.”

The door swung open, and I heard Ambrose’s angry voice. “Are you fucking kidding me? I just went out to get some fucking water.” The fire hissed as he put it out. Then his heavy footsteps came up behind me. “I told you not to fucking touch her.” Ambrose pulled me away from Caspian, and it was like a trance had been broken.

Caspian sneered at me, and I glared back even as my succubus called to him. This was not what I needed right now, not when I had this resistance to worry about. Ambrose clutched me to him as if I would run away, and Caspian straightened his shirt. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll help you take down the resistance and then I’m leaving. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

He pushed past me and Ambrose, walking around Malachi and Jacobi who stood guard at the door. Malachi raised an eyebrow toward me, and when I gave him a quick nod, he let Caspian walk out the room, slamming the door behind him.

I sighed heavily, picking up the remains of the trashed room, and righting the coffee table. My mates watched me with concern. The desk was another matter entirely. Caspian was another matter entirely. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to accept the mate bond, but I knew the consequences of rejecting it. I flopped down onto the couch, and Jacobi sat down next to me, rubbing my shoulders reassuringly. “What’s wrong, love?”

I groaned. “Caspian. Caspian is wrong.”

Ambrose knelt in front of me, placing his hands on my bare thighs. “Don’t worry about Caspian. You heard him. He’s going to help us, and then he’ll fuck off back to Juniya and his stupid tomato plants.”

“Well, that’s the problem.” I stroked Ambrose’s dark hair reassuringly, knowing he wasn’t going to like what I was going to say next. “I don’t think Caspian should leave.”

Malachi joined our small group, sitting on the arm of the sofa so our bodies touched. “He’s leaving.”

I turned to Malachi and grimaced. “That’s going to be a bit of a problem considering he’s my mate.”

Malachi and Jacobi exploded into a symphony of denials. “Absolutely not,” Malachi shouted.

I rolled my neck, waiting for them to calm down. Surprisingly, the only silent one was Ambrose. I tipped Ambrose’s face up to look at me, his serious, blood-red gaze meeting my own. “What are you thinking?” I asked him.

He was silent for a moment. “I don’t like Caspian any more than any of you. In fact, I might like him the least. He’s a selfish, spoiled, good-for-nothing prick. But I’m also aware that these two dickwads might have thought that about me not too long ago.”

Jacobi groaned, and Malachi muttered under his breath. “Look,” Ambrose continued. “I’m not saying we have to like the guy. I’m just saying that maybe…and I can’t believe I’m fucking saying this. But maybe it’s not something we can fight.”

I pushed them all off me, suddenly feeling smothered. “It’s not something that needs to be dealt with right now, so let’s focus on the important stuff. Like planning for Beltane. But right now, I’m hungry. Can we eat?”

I trailed behind them, lost in my thoughts as we made our way out to the hallway. A hand snaked out and grabbed my wrist, and I turned around to see Malachi pulling me against his chest. “Mal,” I breathed, giving him a smile. My heart always stuttered when I saw him, his dark horns so striking against his handsome face. I don’t know why I ever bothered to glamor my own horns, because I found them so attractive on Mal.

He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “I don’t like it, Sher. I don’t like him.” He sighed, pressing his nose into my neck and breathing deeply. I could feel his body trembling with repressed emotion, and I knew my assassin was struggling not to take out the issue himself.

“This doesn’t change what I feel for you, Mal,” I whispered against his hair.

He huffed quietly, stroking my back with gentle fingers. “I know that. But that doesn’t alter the fact that I don’t trust him. What if he hurts you?”

“He won’t. He’d have to be able to catch me first,” I teased, but Malachi just gave me a solemn look. “Oh, Mal. How did you survive the war without worrying yourself to death?”

“I nearly didn’t,” he responded darkly. “I was terrified I was going to lose you every second of every day. But who was I to tell you to back down, Sher? You were born for this. You were destined to lead.”

My heart swelled with his praise and the emotions behind it. I have loved this man for longer than I could remember. I raised his face back up so I could kiss him, and he eagerly kissed me back. With no hesitation, he began to slip his hand under my dress, and I laughed. “Really? Won’t the others be wondering where we are?”

“No,” he murmured against my lips. “They’ll know exactly where we are. They’ll just be jealous that they didn’t think of it first.” Sure enough, I could feel Ambrose’s and Jacobi’s desire barreling down our bond. No matter. They too would have their time. My incubus slid his fingers through my already soaked folds, groaning when he realized how wet I already was for him. “I need you, Sher.”

He dipped one finger inside my pussy, and I pushed against him, arching my hips into his hand. Mal groaned, adding an extra finger. “That’s right, my queen. Show me how much you love me. Give yourself over to me. Every breath…” He swirled his thumb around my clit, adding to the delicious pressure building. “Every moan…” A third finger slipped inside of me. I cried out, trying to force him to move faster, harder. With a grin, he complied. “Every single part of you… is mine.” I shattered around his hand, screaming out his name with my release.

Malachi took his fingers out of me, undoing his pants and turning me so I was pressed against the wall. “One more time, Sher. Only this time, we’ll do it together.” He eased his thick cock inside of me, and I shuddered at the incredible fullness as I took him in. Mal began to thrust, his pace desperate and hard. I clung to him, riding the waves of pleasure and pain — the contradiction that was Mal himself. Nothing else mattered in this moment, not the threats on my life, Caspian, or any other problems. The only thing in my world was Malachi and the way he was arching his hips to bring me crashing into another orgasm. He called out my name as he reached his release, resting his head against my neck.

He pressed a kiss into my skin. “Let’s see the fae fuck do that.”