Page 54 of Settle Down, Princess

“Give me that.”

I didn’t wait for his response because my attention was on Jessalyn.

I rested my hand on the back of her neck so that my fingers were sinking into her hair and brought her focus back to me.

“I’ve been punished,” she said. “I’m sorry for drugging you all. I shouldn’t have trusted Rion…” Her eyes went to slide sideways to look at the dead lad, but I wasn’t going to permit that, so I kept hold of her nape so that she could gaze only at me. “I didn’t realise you had no intention of handing me over to the king.” The details of that were still to be hammered out, but it was the only way forward. We’d been determined to ignore the fact that Creed would never allow his fated mate to be handed over like that, but now the reality couldn’t be avoided. “If I had, I’d never—”

“Princess, listen now. I need you to focus.”

If only she’d given us sleeping draughts in the stout, or hallucinogens, forcing us to chase after phantoms while she made her getaway. Instead she’d chosen to use the most potent mix of roseblood I’d ever tasted, and the red dragon would not be denied. I knew I could get her through this unhurt—much more than that: feeling unimaginable pleasures—if she just listened to me. Mistrust, anger, and fear all fought a war in her eyes, then she nodded quickly, giving me permission to proceed.

“What did you intend to happen, drugging us like this?”

“I wanted you distracted.” Her voice took on a pleading tone. “I thought you’d be busy chasing the serving girls, that you’d exhaust yourselves if you found some willing ones. Not this. I didn’t plan for any of this.”

“But you must realise that serving girls are never going to be any use to us. There’s only ever going to be one woman we’ll want.” It felt good to say that, to admit it, as my hand slid around to cradle her cheek. “We’ll never find satisfaction with anyone other than you.” I brushed my thumb across it. “And you’ll never find any except with us.”

“Are you going to hurt me?” she asked, eyes wide and breaking my heart just a little.

“Never. The only one who gets hurt is me.” She drew back slightly. “And not this time.”

But she couldn’t get far. The rope held her fast and so did Creed, who’d stepped between her legs. He dragged her back against him, a little too fast for my liking. That was the next danger we faced, and this time it wasn’t one we could slice and dice our way out of. Jessalyn had thought to unleash his beast on some poor unsuspecting serving girl, but Creed didn’t see any other women. Just her.

“You can’t fuck her.”

I injected every drop of venom that was in me into my voice, and Creed’s eyes turned more wolfish as they met mine over her shoulder.

“She’s mine!”

“And you’ll hurt her in ways you’ll never be able to come back from if you do.” That was the only bargaining chip I had, and I was playing it hard right now. “She’ll flinch away from your touch if you do.” If she didn’t anyway after this night. “She’ll associate your body with pain.” The beast and the man both watched me closely. “You’ll ruin the bond between you before it's even been established.”

“What do you suggest…?”

That was Creed, the soft-hearted bastard, pushing the wolf aside for just a second. In response, I pulled out the small pouch of roseblood I kept on me for relaxation purposes—a much more moderate blend than the one we’d been dosed with. I licked my thumb and forefinger, then plunged them into it. Jessalyn’s brow creased as she stared at it. The princess’ mind was sharp, though. She flicked her eyes up to meet mine, then opened her mouth, tilting her head back a little, too.

The thought of seeing her kneeling before me just like that was intoxicating, and the desire became stronger when she stuck her tongue out. It wasn’t hard to see what she was thinking, but I smiled and shook my head.

“Not like that this time, lass,” I said.

I liked to warn a girl, right up until she said she didn’t need it. What Jessalyn had done had required a response, one that had come in the form of pain courtesy of Arik’s hand.

And all that was missing was the pleasure.

She twitched on the rope when my fingers pinched down on her pearl. The sudden stimulation was no doubt intense, but I caught the moment when the roseblood started to permeate her skin.

“Ohh…”

That sigh of surrender was music to my ears. I looked eagerly to the day when I’d earn that from Jessalyn, but I’d take what I could get for now. I leaned forward, pressing my lips to her ear, feeling her body sway against mine, seeking sensation rather than jerking away from it.

“I’m sorry for this,” I said. “We should’ve talked, all of us, before now. If we had, we wouldn’t be in this mess, but…” She whined as I traced a roseblood stained finger around her entrance, then pushed it inside. “Part of me wonders if this is the way it was always supposed to be. That’s what wolf shifters believe, that every step fated mates take towards each other is one dictated by the gods themselves.”

I pulsed my finger back and forth, too slow to be of any real stimulation for her, merely glorying in the velvety wet suck of her cunt.

“If that’s true, I promise to burn a fatted calf on their altars in thanks for you, Jessalyn.”

Her only answers came in the form of breathy moans, each one louder than the other, right before Creed let out a growl.

“Mine now.”

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