Page 41 of Queen of Ashes and Scars
I gape at the admission, at a loss for words. Sebastian Chastain being a relationship anarchist shouldn’t surprise me in the least, but somehow, I always figured the kid was all roar and no action. And I definitely never heard him utter a sincere apology before.
“We can change the way things are done for good. I’m talking about marrying women off to selfish pricks and denying them happiness. I’m talking about the countless servants your fiend of a younger brotherrapedjust because he could, because he knew the truth about Victor and my father and used it to buy himself immunity. We don’t have to be like them. Why should we be encouraged to fuck every warm human in the room but be prohibited from doing the same with a vampire we love? How does that make sense?”
Arielle stares at him with longing, surprise, and a tinge of excitement. She didn’t put him up to this. Not in the least.
I’m not sure he knows exactly what he’s signing up for, but I keep an open mind. “So you’re proposing to tell everyone that she’s cheating on you?”
“That we’re together. The three of us.”
He does a swirly motion with his finger, and I press my lips together not to laugh.
Making sure to look as unfazed and unimpressed as possible, I ask, “How would that work?”
“Are you asking what side of the bed I’d want? Or if I snore? I prefer the middle, and I don’t snore, but I do talk in my sleep.” He pauses for a long time, letting me absorb the ridiculousness of my question before adding, “Our queen needs me for my name and you for your raw, brute strength…your nice ass is only a bonus.”
Somehow, him talking a load of crap does relax me. It shouldn’t surprise me, either. I’ve always taken great pleasure in following his antics, and a genuine laugh escapes me. “Alright, alright. I’m showing my age, aren’t I?”
“You’re being a tiny bit of a bore, yes. We have to start somewhere, and the three of us together is actually perfect. A Delacroix queen with both a Beaumontanda Chastain devoted to her? It might be the perfect political play. The people that could have been tempted to follow your brother’s lead will get confused, and my dad will not advocate for his grandkids if they’re illegitimate. Not when he could havemeon the throne. I’m his blood. That’s all he cares about.” Sebastian extends his hand. “Are you in or out, Beaumont?”
I shake it with confidence. If the kid is ready to take on the entire court and their useless traditions, I’m not going to stand in his way. If we’re both ready to work it out for her, I might even get excited about this…relationship? Throuple Threesome? Reverse harem?
His gaze flicks over to our queen, his expression switching from fierce to predatory. “She’s wet as fuck. Can you smell her?”
The corner of my mouth curls up, and I follow his feral gaze. “Yes.”
Arielle’s chest heaves harder with each breath, her nipples perfectly visible through the front of her dress.
“Just the thought of us both touching her...”
Blood pumps in my veins, the beast inside me awakened by Sebastian’s filthy voice as he stalks closer to Arielle. Vampires hunt best in pairs. Earlier, I felt compelled to protect the queen, but her arousal acts as a powerful pheromone. Just like that, I’m a hunter again.
“What are you doing? We don’t have time—”
Sebastian unfastens his belt and passes it to me. “Tie her up. Hands behind her back.”
That’s an order I’m happy to comply with. Hell, I’m getting way on board with his view of our newly-defined relationship. If he fucks half as fiercely as he lives… I blur over to Arielle and run my hands down her arms, bringing her wrists to her back and tying them together with the leather belt. The free end of the leather falls at her feet, the old-fashioned belt longer than the modern ones.
“You get both of us—and Leo as a bonus. You have to give us something in return,” Sebastian whispers hungrily.
“You.Allof you,” I clarify, knowing exactly how he feels.
“Get on your knees, my queen. Show us your appreciation.”
A spark of anger shines in her eyes, but I stroke her ass and feel her shudder, so I know Sebastian hit a nerve. She’s into this.
Chapter20
Negotiations
ARIELLE
“Get on your knees, my queen. Show us your appreciation.”
I’m a volcano inside. The conversation between Sebastian and Alec melted my brain, and I made sure not to interrupt them as they discussed how they would both be mine.
That was hot as hell—the hottest thing I’ve ever heard, and so I fall to my knees between them, about ready to give in to anything.
I’m their queen, but from their dangerous looks, I can tell any promise of obedience at court will not apply to our bedroom, and my soul rises to the occasion, yearning to submit to them and see just how good it can feel.
