Page 40 of When Kings Rise

I want to touch myself, but I also know the complications of my actions.

Wolf, as if noticing my hesitation, rises to his feet; the woman instantly pulls her legs together, and her annoying hair falls down around her face. Wolf gathers her hair again, and I’m surprised at how thoughtful he’s being for me. He scoops it back in a low ponytail and uses his fingers as a tie.While looking at me, he unzips his pants, and his large cock springs free. He’s still looking at me when he directs the woman’s head to his cock by pulling her hair. She looks up at him with large eyes, but he isn’t paying her attention. No, he’s paying me attention.

“Circle your mouth and suck.” He instructs her she reaches up, and I notice the shake in her hand as she places the tip of his cock in her mouth.

“Open wider,” he commands, and she does.

He groans. “Watch those teeth; no man wants to feel your teeth.” His words are gritted, and as he teaches the woman how to give him a blowjob, I grow wetter. The sounds of the woman’s saliva and the sucking sounds along his cock has me squirming in my seat. I’ve never watched porn, never mind watching someone perform a sexual act in front of me. Not to this degree, anyway. With Selene and Niamh on our first night at the Hands of Kings’ mansion, that was brief. Not like this at all.

Wolf continues to watch me, and his features morph into an ecstasy that I want a part in. He pushes his cock further down the woman’s throat, and she’s gagging, but he doesn’t stop. His hand loosens around her hand and spreads out on the back of her head, restricting her from pulling away from his cock. With each ragged breath from him and each choking noise from her, I become braver.

I let my hand fall between my legs and gain access easily to my core beneath my short dress. I’m swollen with need and touch myself.

Wolf smiles. “Good girl. You can be my student, one I will never touch, but you can watch and learn.”

The idea makes me wetter. I could learn and enjoy myself. The woman’s face is puce as Wolf’s movements grow frantic while he fucks her mouth with no mercy. My own fingers move quicker over my swollen bud. I want to come, but some part of me doesn’t want this to end. The woman’s hand reaches up and touches Wolf’s torso as if she’s getting ready to push him away, but something makes her drop her hands.

Wolf’s groans fill the room, and when he slams into the woman’s mouth, spit and his cum pours out of the corners, but he doesn’t remove his cock. It’s too much for me, and I come, sitting in the chair as the woman slaps his stomach, finally losing control as she tries to break free. Tears pour down her face. But Wolf isn't letting her go. Not even close.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Niamh

AS THE HAND of Kings' car pulls up to my family's stately home, the silence of the night wraps around me like a cloak. I expect anger, worry, perhaps a lecture waiting at the doorstep. But there's none. Instead, when my father shuffles to the door, wrapped in his bathrobe, his face lights up with a smile so warm it feels out of place in the cool night air.

“Ah, Niamh, you're back,” he says, his voice laced with a giddiness that makes my stomach churn. I know immediately what he's thinking—his assumptions about Diarmuid and me, about what my absence signifies. I bite my lip, wondering how his expression might change if he knew the truth. That my night had been spent in an entirely different company than what he'd approve of.

“Goodnight, Dad,” I manage, stepping past him before the questions start.

“Oh, goodnight, love.” His cheeriness makes my shoulders tip closer to my chest. No father should be happy when their daughter comes home so late, but the fact that he isn’t asking questions makes me climb the stairs quickly.

As I make my way to my room, the sight of Ella's door catches my eye. My heart aches with the need to see her. My hand hovers over the wood, longing to feel the warmth of her presence, to hear her sleepy voice tell me everything is okay. But I stop. She's been run ragged by Mom's insistence on perfection between school and ballet, and she deserves her rest. With a heavy heart, I retreat.

Once inside my room, the mirror catches my reflection. Selene's choice in the dress I'm still wearing shines under the moonlight filtering through the windows. She has an eye for fashion that could make anyone feel beautiful, even when their world is quietly crumbling. I promise myself to thank her, to let her know her efforts didn't go unnoticed.

But as I peel off the layers of silk and lace, my thoughts drift back to Ella. Panic rises within me, a familiar, unwelcome guest. My father's assumptions about Diarmuid couldn't be further from the truth. Amira, with her perfect timing and sharper instincts, had swept in before I had the chance. Not that I was playing the same game. My stakes are different; they're personal. They're Ella. She needs me to be strong to succeed where it truly matters.

My mind races, and the sudden ring of my old phone slices through the silence of my room like a beacon in the dark. I race to the bedside table and glance at the screen. It's Selene. My heart skips a beat, part hope, part dread. What does she want? Could this be about Amira? Or something else entirely?

I brace myself and answer. Having a backup phone with my original number was my mother’s doing. She insists we always have a backup. I keep it charged but barely use the older model.

“Ay, Niamh! I’m sorry to disturb you. I just want to know the name of that guy you met in the woods. Not just the name. The number. I need the number,” she rushes out, her words tumbling over each other.

My brow furrows in confusion, the fatigue from the night's events making it hard to keep up. “Selene? I don’t understand. Why—” I begin, but she cuts me off, her urgency palpable even through the phone.

“—we agreed to help this woman and we are. We need to. Someone is looking for her,” she explains, her voice a mix of determination and worry.

“Selene, it’s getting late,” I protest weakly, hoping to push this conversation to morningso I don’t wake up Ella; I walk to my bedroom door and make sure it’s closed tight.

But Selene is relentless. “Text him, then. Tell him we will be there tomorrow morning,” she insists, leaving no room for argument.

I sigh, running a hand through my hair, the events of the night catching up to me all at once. With a nod to myself, even though she can't see it, I agree. “Okay, Selene. I'll do it now. We'll sort this out.”

I end the call, the room falls silent once more, and I scoop the card out of my dress pocket. I still need to replace my new phone, another thing I’ll add to my list of things to do. I quickly type out a message to Rian. Despite the exhaustion tugging at my limbs, a sense of purpose steadies my heart. We had made a promise to help and help we would.

The morning light creeps through my curtains, painting my room with the soft hues of dawn. I wake with a flutter of excitement in my chest, a rare feeling these days, spurred by the thought of spending a few precious moments with Ella before the day fully begins. But as I pass by her room, my heart sinks. Her bed is neatly made, empty, the lingering scent of her perfume the only sign she was ever there. She must have left early for class, another reminder of the space growing between us.

I return to my room and get dressed quickly. Rian had agreed to meet me and Selene this morning at his apartment. After slipping on a pair of jeans and a cream-colored sweater, I tie my sandy hair up with a hair tie and wash up in the bathroom before I enter the kitchen. Breakfast is a quiet affair, my thoughts still lingering on Ella and the day ahead. I break the silence. “I have to go off this morning,” I say, breaking a croissant in half.

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