Page 2 of Queen Takes More
She lifted another finger. “You ridiculed a fellow Blood’s need, when not one of us have ever ridiculed anyone because of a kink or desire.” Another finger. “You interfered in a private moment with Nevarre when I didn’t invite you to join us. Shall I go on?”
Miserable, I hung my head, fully contrite. “No, my queen. I’m ashamed of my behavior.”
“Yet you still don’t know why you behaved like a spoiled brat, do you?”
Her tone indicated it wasn’t an actual question, but I shook my head anyway.
In all the months I’d served her, I’d only felt so awful one other time. When I’d considered hurting the cobra queen to save Rik. I’d paid dearly for that mistake and I thought I’d learned my lesson.
“Look at me, Daire.”
My warcat rolled and wrestled inside me. Claws shredded my liver and his tail lashed my ribcage. It took me several tries to finally lift my head and meet her gaze.
Braced for anger, or worse, disappointment, the hint of wicked amusement in her eyes made my heart skip a beat.
“If you wanted me to punish you, all you had to do was ask.”
SHARA
Daire’s mouth fell open, his beautiful eyes heating like molten chocolate. And yeah, I was tempted to bend down and snag that delectable full lip between my teeth.
I knew he was into pain and punishment. That was one reason he loved to have one of my guys fuck him. They were bigger and meaner and stronger than I could ever be, at least in the physical department.
I’d never actually punished him before. I’d never deliberately hurt him… just because he wanted it. BecauseIwanted it. My subconscious mind must have been playing out scenarios, though, because I immediately had all kinds of ideas to try.
But I was actually very tired, drained and weary at a soul level. I ached all over, like I’d been run over by stampeding elephants, even though the confrontation with Marne Ceresa had been mostly verbal sparring. It’d still been mentally exhausting, and a tension headache threatened to crawl up the back of my head and spread pain to my temples.
I needed to recover some of my own energy first before I’d be up for any kind of punishment scene.
“Please, my queen. Please do your worst to me.”
I settled back against Rik, drawing in his heat and strength against my back. I hadn’t even changed out of the formal presentation gown yet. I needed to take it off and put it away before we damaged it, but I didn’t want to get up. Not yet. Besides, the formal gown added another layer to this scene playing out. I’d never dressed up in royal clothes for my Bloods’ enjoyment. Usually we were too busy taking my clothesoff.
But sitting in my favorite chair with Rik wrapped around me, dressed in a glorious, expensive gown, with my crown on my head…
Yeah. I was a fucking queen. And Daire needed to be reminded of it.
Truth be told, so did I.
Meeting Marne had shaken me ways I hadn’t even fully reconciled in my head yet. I’d walked away from it unscathed, at least on the outside, but…
She’d rattled my confidence.
At the time, I’d been so clear with what I needed to do. What better way could I get my revenge on the Dauphine than by leaking her location to her greatest enemy? Not just her location, but also the method in which she hid herself. It was the kind of move a Triune queen would make.
The kind of move neither of them would ever expect from an upstart, impetuously young queen full of herself and her heritage.
I’d known dealing with the Triune queens would be a different kind of game than any of the other queens I’d met so far. But it still felt anticlimactic in some ways. No one had died. I hadn’t destroyed Rome or brought down fire on the Dauphine’s head.
Not yet.
Honestly, maybe never. As much as I hated the Dauphine for what she’d done to Mom, as soon as I even thought about blasting her, I felt a heaviness in my heart. An iron weight crushed my chest. Dread churned my stomach. The hairs prickled on my scalp, my nerves zinging with anxiety.
Not confidence. Certainly no assurance from Isis that I should proceed.
I won, I reminded myself firmly.I upheld the Great Mother’s will. We’re too few and precious at this point.
A sweet, high chime rang in my head. Confirmation from the goddess.
