Page 5 of Queen Takes More
Pleasure pumped through me, looping through our bonds and slamming back into me magnified by my Bloods’ feeding. Lost in sensation, I tried to do a mental count and see who was left. Who wasn’t touching or feeding on me—or participating in Daire’s punishment.
Okeanos. My newest Blood. I reached for him through the fledgling bond. He came closer at once, taking my left hand in his. He didn’t say words. He didn’t have to. I could feel his heart and soul brushing mine.
He didn’t want to intrude. He didn’t know his place yet.
:This is your place,:I whispered in his mind, curling my fingers in his hair.:With me. With us. Any way that you’d like.:
He kissed the fragile, tender skin of my wrist, but he didn’t feed. Again, I sensed a mental hesitation. As if he didn’t have the right. Gently, I sank deeper into his mind as if floating on my back in my grotto. Lazily stroking my fingers through the endless dark water that flowed inside him.
Deep, dark and cold. Resigned, he waited for the chains. He waited for me to imprison him in the grotto beneath my heart tree. Evidently, even his mother had kept him imprisoned, fearful of his power as a king kraken.
My heart broke for him all over again. He’d never known freedom. Family. Belonging. Safety.
And yeah, a large part of him yearned for solitude. The peace and quiet of his deep secret place, rather than this loud and boisterous group of Blood. Even walking on two legs with the drying sting of air on his skin was an uncomfortable sensation.
He needed time. Both for his skin to adjust to being out of the water… and to having people in his life who cared about him and wanted to include him in daily interactions.
:Please, feed, my kraken. I want to deepen our bond, and you barely had a taste of me in Rome.:
His lips trembled against my skin, his heart flooding with emotion. Shock and elation and fear all swirling together. He wasn’t afraid of me… but of adjusting to a new life with me, and then losing me when I banished him to a prison cell at the bottom of the ocean.
Like everyone else had done to him his entire life.
I wrapped my fingers around his nape, gripping firmly.:I will never imprison you. Do you understand me? This queen never lies. I never break my word. What I love, I take, and what I take, I keep for all time. You are mine, Okeanos. Mine. I will never lock you away from me. You’re safe now.:
:Safe,:he repeated softly, rolling the word around in his head.:I don’t really know what that means.:
:I’ll show you.:
DAIRE
With one last heavy thrust, Guillaume came inside me in a hot flood I could almost taste. Even spent, it took him a few moments to pull out of me.
Leaving me empty and aching on the floor at my queen’s feet.
He gave my ass a friendly slap and then made his way to Shara, dropping back to his knees and wedging himself in between Llewellyn and Itztli so he could sink his fangs into her.
Ezra left me too, shoving in beside Tlacel so he could feed from her thigh.
On my belly, I scooted closer to her. Desperate to get my mouth on her. Even her pinky toe. I’d take it. I’d take anything that she gave to me. I was too low to reach her. No matter how hard I strained, I couldn’t get my shaking legs beneath me. Not without the use of my arms.
Her desire crested again, scorching heat to lay waste to the entire earth.
And I could do nothing but lie on the floor and weep. With regret. Pain. And yes, relief. Because she’d given me exactly what I needed.
Even if I didn’t like it.
Panting, I rolled over onto my side so I could at least look up at her, though her other Blood blocked most of my view. She lay on her back, fully suspended among the many hands eager to cradle her. I couldn’t see for sure, but it was easy to guess that Rik was holding her head, leaving the rest of her Blood to support her body. She moved and rocked, body surfing on her Bloods’ hands.
It was so fucking beautiful. Even if all I could do was watch and ache to touch her.
Finally Rik stood and gathered her closer against his chest. “Nevarre, bring up her gown, crown and shoes.”
“Of course, alpha.”
“G, organize the guard shifts. I want at least one winged Blood in the air every hour of the day and night, and at least three roaming the grounds outside the grove. We won’t be surprised by another of the Dauphine’s tricks.”
Shara’s arm hung down limply, her head lolling slightly as Rik carried her past me. She’d fallen asleep or passed out. All her Blood—except me—had fed on her. If they’d drained her…
