Page 5 of Queen Takes Queen
But cold nomore.
RIK
Evidently not even alphas were abovejealousy.
Forehead braced against the bathroom door, I fought my need to be with my queen. She needed this time alone with Xin. With each ofus.
She needed. Iprovided.
Even if that meant I was not the one holding hernow.
I’d never seen a queen like Shara before. She loved each of us. Really and truly loved us. She wanted to touch us. All of us. She wanted to sleep with us, make love, sleep again, feed, dance, party, eat, laugh, everything. I loved it. I loved her. I lovedthem.
All of them. I wanted their happiness as much as I wanted hers. But I’d sworn my life to fulfillingherevery need. Nottheirs.
It would be easier if she didn’t love us each so much. Easier for me. Not easier forher.
Xin was right. The more I loved her, and the more she loved me, the more I wanted to be alone with her, too. A selfish need, and something I must guard against to ensure my queen received everything she wanted and more. My jealousy would only hurt her, and it would be too easy as alpha to drive them away fromher.
I’d seen it happen many times before. Alphas had to be close to their queen at all times, yes. Alphas gained the most power from their queen; they fed her the most, and fedfromher the most. They needed to be the strongest because they were the last line in herdefense.
But that power easily went to an alpha’s head. Power to choose who to send on guard duty. Who to allow into her bed. Who would be allowed to feed her first. Ultimately the queen had final say, absolutely. But it was an alpha’s job to keep her Blood in line and deal with any discipline and hierarchy issues without drawing it to herattention.
The larger her court, the easier it would be for these kinds of abuses. And it was abuse in my mind, a huge abuse of power. My queen would be stronger because all of her Blood were strong. Because we all fed from her nearly daily. We all shared in her pleasure and her magic openly. She was well-fed and terrifyinglystrong.
Which made us all a nightmare for anyone who even thought to harmher.
I would ensure each of her Blood had time with her alone, as Xin did now. They needed it. She neededit.
I lifted my head, sensing the change in her bond. The subtle tug on me that signaled she wanted me with her. I opened the door and paused at the side of thebed.
Xin lay sprawled on top of her, still panting, unable to move. She’d used him well and hard, breaking through the reserve that had been ingrained in him from his former queen at such an early age. Not an easyfeat.
But my queen was up for anychallenge.
I hid nothing from her. She felt how hard it had been for me to stay in the bathroom while she fucked another man. Even a man I’d shared her bed with several times before. It was different when it was just him. When I had to stand there and feel her pleasure in our bond and know I had no part in giving it toher.
She met my gaze and held out her hand.:Thank you,: she said softly, touching only my bond.:You’re an incredible alpha, and I love you more everyday.:
I settled into bed beside her and lifted her hand to my mouth, pressing a kiss to her palm.:You’re an incredible queen, and I love you more than lifeitself.:
“Sorry.” Xin lifted his head a little, sweat dripping down his forehead, but quickly dropped his face back against Shara’s throat. “Alpha.”
I draped an arm over his back and pulled them both into my embrace. “No need for apologies, Xin. You gave our queen exactly what she asked for. You’ll never hear me discipline you forthat.”
“You may change your mind,” he panted. “If I’m no use to younow.”
“What are you talking about?” Shara’s voice sharpened. “Why would you no longer be of use tous?”
Xin shifted off to her other side, but didn’t withdraw completely. “No offense, my queen, but you brokeme.”
He didn’t mean to upset or hurt her, but I felt the surge of heartache in her bond and I very nearly thumped him on the head for it. “I give you a boon and you’re a dickhead aboutit.”
He blinked, which in Daire or Mehen would have been a very vocal, very loud retort. “Iam?”
“You are,” I saidagreeably.
“I’ve only ever been a killer. A silent, deadly, and most importantly, emotionless, blade.” He ducked his head. “I don’t know that I can assassinate your targets now, my queen, if I can’t find that stillnessagain.”
