Page 23 of Consort

I undo the tie and grit my teeth as the silk slips over my shoulders. A scratchy purr escapes from her throat as she sits up to assess me. The thirst for revenge I thought died with Mitah ignites in me again. The heat consumes everything inside me.

It wants out. It wants blood.

How long will I be able to bear this? Maybe I should strike now while she’s distracted. She’d never expect someone to be so foolish.

As if she could hear my thoughts, she sheds her own robe so quickly it seems to just disappear. It’s a jolt back to reality, highlighting the power imbalance between us. Attacking now would be a huge mistake. There’s no getting out of this duty if I want to get out of this room alive.

I feign interest as she reclines before me and spreads her legs. The queen is indeed beautiful. But I know what her guts look like. She’s manipulative, sadistic, and cold. I can see through this perfect shell, down to her wrinkles and rubbery skin. I hear the age in her rusty voice and sense the evil flowing through her veins.

And it’s making it difficult for me to become aroused.

She smiles as I appear to thoroughly admire her form. Really, I’m just trying to get my body to cooperate. But even if I manage to get my cock to rise, how do I begin? She’s clearly particular about things.

“How shall I pleasure you, my queen?” I ask, hoping for some guidance since I can’t seem to spark my imagination.

“Pleasure is pleasure, Durin,” she says, watching my hands rest reluctantly on my thighs instead of touching her.

I think back to my few intimate encounters over the years. There’s not much to draw inspiration from. They simply filled aneed for release. I’m completely out of my element here. What good is a consort who’s unable to perform?

By some mercy, a rush of arousal builds in my abdomen. It shoots down my unimpressed cock, causing it to spring to life. The queen growls at the sight and wraps me in a tight cocoon of her dark magic.

The lust consumes me, and I’m suddenly raging for release. But the queen’s magic is suffocating. I feel trapped and defensive. And I haven’t forgotten my anger or my hatred for her. How am I to perform in this warring state of rage and arousal?

Just as I fear my face will betray me, I sense a familiar presence. A false feeling, almost like a glamour. The same feeling I had when I knelt before the queen’s throne and again when I was commanded to kill the mixed fae.

This arousal is not my own. The empath is still outside the door, driving me forward. I’m immediately worried that he may have sensed my disgust, but I think I’m more disgusted that this might be a regular task for him.

I don’t like my emotions being messed with. In this case, however, I welcome the loss of control. I paint on a grin that isn’t my own and bury my face between the queen’s legs, lapping at her stream like it’s a gift from Faerie itself.

She keeps her magic wound tightly around me, a blunt reminder of her power. But I move freely under her control. The false desire performs my duty for me, thoroughly satisfying the queen like she expects.

I’ll deal with the shame and repulsion later. I’m sure the duties of my primary role will be bad enough to distract me from this sickening memory.

Chapter 9

Rue

The grass in front of the hut is so soft, with no snapping plants or spiked leaves of any kind. I’m sprawled out across it, enjoying the sun as it moves over the opening in the thick canopy above us. I’ve spent each afternoon like this since we got here a few days ago.

The days leading up to our escape were so tense, and running was terrifying. Having some time to relax and breathe has already given me a strong sense of security here. I never expected we’d find a permanent place so quickly. Or one so safe. I’m settled and happy. And I don’t miss our pack at all.

I finally feel like venturing out, so I decide to get up and look around a bit. After stepping through the thicket, I search for fruits or nuts to bring back with me. There’s a ballberry bush right outside the hidden entrance. It gives me hope of more edible plants able to thrive in this unforgiving ground.

I had to sneak out while my mother was napping. She’d never let me wander out here alone. But I’m not a juvenile anymore, and I can contribute. I smile, excited to see the look on her face when I return with food.

She’d panic if I got lost out here, so I pay close attention to my surroundings as I go. I decide to save the berries for last and wander farther from the hut. After scanning the plants for awhile, I finally spot something bright yellow peeking through the branches of a small tree. I hurry over to see what it is.

Before I can reach it, the swampy, metallic scent of innot venom halts me in my tracks.

I search for the black, scaley creature, but it already caught sight of me first. In the bushes to my right, I’m met with rows of giant, unblinking silver eyes.

Innots are violent and unpredictable predators. They stand on four powerful legs, about the size of an Alpha wolf, but covered in rigid scales instead of soft fur. Their massive heads are adorned with all those shining eyes and a short, flat snout, filled with sharp, twisted teeth. Long, pointed ears rise up from the top of their heads like horns, making them even more terrifying to look at.

I have no hope of avoiding it. It’s already seen me with all its eyes, including the ones trailing down its long, spikey tail. Venom oozes out of deep gashes between its scales, making every inch of its body lethal. One touch, and I’m fucked.

Instinct kicks in. I know my only chance of surviving this is to run. I turn and take off into the forest. There’s no time to watch where I’m going. I can’t risk slowing down to look back and see if it’s following me. I just run.

Time slows down. It feels like I run for ages. Branches and spiked leaves slap me in the face as I pass, making my face burn almost as much as my lungs. I manage to keep my footing until I stumble across the root of a large dryad tree.

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