Page 89 of The Crownless King
“None of you had any issues with the way we’ve rid the community of these pairings before,” Lucian protested.
The hot lash of his mate’s anger whipped through their bond. “There have been others before us?” Amaya asked.
Lucian turned his attention to her, a derisive look covering his face. “You are no more special than any of the others who don’t obey the laws that hold this society together.”
“Watch your tone when you talking to that one,” Levi snapped, sitting forward. He shook his head and rubbed his hands together, fed up with all this shit. “You know what? I triedto be nice, I tried to play the game the way y’all had it all set up, but fuck this shit.”
He nodded over to Lucas and his enforcer smiled, his fangs hanging low as he swiped his knife fully over the prisoner’s neck, killing him with the silver-coated blade. A gasp went up and Sebastian pulled out his gun, pointing it directly at Lucian.
His mate didn’t need any prodding from him. Amaya reached down and gripped his wrist, their combined power surging. She pulled the pendulum that held her heartstone from her pocket, holding it high. Before they could react, Amaya’s magic swelled and, in an instant, sucked the power from every member of the Collective.
Pride swelled in him. His queen was truly leaning into her power. It was no easy thing to control chaos, but with her mother’s and Raven’s help, Amaya was a keen student. She eagerly threw herself into learning just how far she could push her magic. This trick was but one in her arsenal. If they thought she would be his weakness, the Collective was sadly mistaken.
There was a panicked scream and someone moaned, the mournful sound marking their loss of control over their magic. His mate dangled her pendulum from her fingers, the taunting motion letting the Collective know that she’d funneled it all into her stone.
Levi chuckled darkly and stood. He looked them all in their eyes. “You were worried about what would happen if another Obayifo rose to power? Well, welcome to your worst nightmare. The Collective answers to me now.”
“Levi, we can discuss this,” Lucian sputtered out.
Levi leveled a look at the border mage. “It wasn’t enough for you that I just wanted the Bayi to have a fair voice in theCollective. You wanted to control and crush my vampires and those in the South that you felt were beneath you. That shit won’t fly no fucking more. If I find out that any of you are working against this council or me specifically, my mate taking your powers will be the least of your problems.” He sat back on his throne. “Give it back to them, baby doll.”
Amaya nodded and he felt the surge as she returned their powers. He waited to see if any of them would strike at him. When they didn’t, he settled back.
“From now on, we work for the people of the South, and if you can’t get with that shit, you will be replaced.” He smirked at Lucian. “Bas.”
Sebastian fired a single shot into the border mage’s forehead and the male hit the floor.
“The price for disloyalty is death,” Levi announced, and shocked silence greeted his statement.
Chapter thirty-three
Amaya’s heart raced as tense silence choked the air from the room. Levi’s anger heated their bond and a part of her wanted to soothe him, but the other part enjoyed the dark energy riding through her mate. She waited on someone to break the silence that had descended, but none of the Collective members murmured a single sound. Hell, they were stock still, all eyes on the border mage on the floor.
Levi waved his hand and the door to the throne room opened. Three people walked in, two males and a female between them. Amaya knew they were border mages as they were the only supernaturals that she knew who mated in a triads. All three glowed with power. The woman’s steps were regal as she sauntered to the front of the room. The two males towered over her, their bodies bulky and strong. They were protective of the woman, their touch gentle as they guided her through the Collective. The male to the right of the woman stepped forward, handsome with his salt and pepper hair in a low cut with deep waves.
“Nathanial Latham, you are now the leader of the border mages and will serve as such on the Collective. Do you accept?” Levi announced, his voice uncompromising.
The male lowered his head, his mates following suit. “I accept.”
Levi relaxed minutely at the male’s acceptance. “Now, that’s done. Are there any other objections, any other business we have to attend to? Any other members who would like to lose their positions?”
There wasn’t another sound made in the room. Levi smiled, his fangs glinting in the light. A shiver of need went through Amaya. An ache built low in her belly at the way his power crackled around him.
Levi leaned back in his throne, his posture that of a lazy lion. Powerful even in his repose. He grabbed Amaya’s hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing her wrist.
“I thank y’all for attending the ascension of the King of the South. I’ll see y’all next month.” He waved them away, his masked enforcers entering to clear the bodies and escort the Collective members from the room and the compound.
Amaya barely waited until the last body left the room before she straddled her mate’s lap, her body overheated. Levi’s arrogant words had her clit thumping against the seat of her panties. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You had two men killed in front of your mate, King,” she whispered against his lips.
He reached down between them and sliced through the seam of her pants. “Is that why you’re leaking for me?”
He bit her bottom lip and it fed the hunger building in Amaya. A needy moan was her answer to his question. They weren’t making it to their bedroom before she had to have him. She wanted him here, in this place where he had so easily wielded power. It would be a bit of a full circle moment. Here in this room was where her life had been torn from her control. Who could’ve predicted that she would be in the arms of the King of the Bayi willingly, and with full abandon?
“Need you,” she whispered, fighting to get into his pants.
“And you’ll have me, baby doll.” He leaned back so she could unzip him.
