Page 60 of Prince of Demons
“Shh. I’m gonna make you feel as good as you made me last night,” she purred, before returning to the button and zip.
“Georgia. Stop.” Large hands closed around hers, hindering her attempts at opening his pants.
She froze, darting her eyes up to meet his in abject confusion. The expression in his dark gaze shocked the horniness from her brain more effectively than a bucket of ice water: cold. Detached. No shred of the warm need she’d felt in his kiss only seconds ago. Nor the aching tenderness she’d seen last night.
“I have told you time and again: I am not your mate, nor will I ever be. You have been branded now, and you are responding favorably to sexual contact—there is no need to waste time on further physical connection between us.” He pushed away from the kitchen counter, turning his back on her. “I will arrange for your courting, starting tomorrow. I expect you to pick a mate from among my men before the end of the week.”
30
Kirigan
“And these European lords… you’re certain they were too young to wield the power you experienced?”
Lord Aran huffed an unamused snort. “Yes, Kirigan. I’m certain. It was Eidelsward, out of Switzerland, and Rihncurr from… one of the Nordic countries. I forget which. Both less than a century old. From powerful families, to be sure, but it should have taken me less than a day to beat them back to the Old World. Instead, I was on my knees, minutes from obliteration, when your son came to save my ass. However humiliating it was to need rescue from your kid, who’s barely out of fucking diapers, I am grateful. Your bloodline proves strong. I suspect our old monarchs would have been uncomfortable with your family, even if your son hadn’t taken control of the Americas.”
Kirigan bent his head in acknowledgement of the compliment, then turned his gaze to the bay below. Lord Aran’s home was an imposing estate atop a high cliff overlooking the Atlantic—chosen for its strategic location more than its beauty. “My sons are a source of much pride.”
“Deservedly.” He chuckled dryly. “My only complaint is the mate your eldest picked. Our new queen is a boon to our cause, no doubt, but that… light of hers… It’s caused quite some furor in many of our homes. My own Yiyun has become… discontent. Questions our way of life and has even taken to refusing me access to her body now and then. All because she sees our queen wield power, she’s somehow gotten it in her head she should have access to agency as well. I hear from my mated men that this phenomenon isn’t entirely uncommon.”
“And when she refuses you, you don’t force her?” Kirigan gave the other lord a curious look.
Aran grimaced. “No. I can’t stand it when she gets angry with me. I tried giving her a firm hand early on. She… didn’t take too kindly to it.” He sighed, rubbing two fingers over his brow. “I know I should put her in her place, that it’s the best thing for her, but…”
“Do you love her?”
Aran blinked. “What kind of question is that?” he rumbled, his tone turning defensive.
Kirigan exhaled softly and turned his attention back to the crashing waves below. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. Love or not, if you break her spirit, you’ll suffer tenfold the damage you inflict on her. Mate bonds are… tricky… that way. If I were you, Aran, I would find a way to bring her the light she covets. A powerful woman brings far more pleasure than a broken one."
“The lords you fought. When exactly did you feel their assault lessen?”
“Moments before Prince Kesh reached me. No doubt they were distracted by his arrival.” If Aran was unbalanced by the change in topic, he didn’t show it. Likely, he was only too relieved to change the conversation from his discontented mate.
“And did you notice anything… odd at that time?”
Aran chuffed a mirthless laugh. “Odd? Outside my life force ebbing away? No, Kirigan. I was somewhat preoccupied with not dying, while also attempting to limit human casualties. As much as that was possible. We had just enough warning before the battle to glamour most of the village where the enemy landed, but some slipped through the cracks, and there was damage to several buildings. It was a pain in the ass to build the coverup after, with most of our magic reserves entirely depleted.”
Kirigan frowned. “Some slipped through the cracks?”
“Some of my men reported seeing a human woman and child in the middle of the battlefield towards the end.”
“Were they killed?”
Aran chuffed another breath. “Apparently not. Reportedly the prince’s Second broke off mid-fight to pull them away.”
“Odd.”
“I suppose. In the grand scheme of things, a man pumped up on testosterone seeing a pretty face and getting distracted doesn’t really register against the current scale of the clusterfuck we’ve got going on with the Europeans.”
The darkness clawed at the back of Kirigan’s skull. Something about that explanation was… off. He didn’t share his misgivings with the other lord. “Thank you for your recount of the events, Lord Aran. Your staunch defense of our borders has proven invaluable in this instance, and will undoubtedly do so again before the war is over. The king will not forget your loyalty. And neither will I.”
A pleased look crossed Aran’s features. However much of a toll the attack had taken on his resources, he was an old demon known for his acumen on the battlefield as well as in politics. Having shown his loyalty to the new king in a significant way, early on in Kain’s reign, would be a boon to him and his heirs for centuries to come. “The European crown prince defiled our most sacred law by attempting to claim another lord’s mate. So far as I’m concerned, their entire continent can burn. Anything else I can do to support the king, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
The large field next to the sleepy fishing village still bore marks from the battle. Scorch marks carved grooves deep into the earth, and most of the grass had been singed by magic and trampled by boots. Several buildings from the village itself had been leveled to the ground, though the humans had removed most of the rubble by now. A freak power grid explosion was the explanation that had been magically enforced on the population.
Humans were easily manipulated.
Kirigan glanced at the video feed on his phone. His daughter-in-law was curled up on the sofa, once again nursing his grandson. Smiling. A couple of taps, and the feed showed Kain in the conference room with three of his top commanders. It had been harder to get around his son’s vigilance than it had Selma’s, but neither of them had noticed the hidden video cameras covering every inch of the estate. Despite their being installed for Selma’s safety, Kirigan had no doubt both would have objections, should they ever discover how closely he watched her. So he made sure they didn’t.
