“Damn you,” he said, panting.
“Do you want to leave? Answer me honestly, do you?” she demanded.
He was furious—furious at Alchan and Luykas, furious with Nevyn and Varon, furious with her. He was furious with all of them. This was his last chance to ignore the erection in his pants, his chance to destroy the relationship they had been building.
Mave wasn’t expecting how he reached down, grabbed her under her ass, and dumped her on her back, leaving her staring up at him. He knelt between her legs and yanked off her bottoms. She grabbed his cock and angled it, letting him push in with a single thrust. The fury didn’t abate. He pounded into her, but she needed control. She threw her weight up and twisted, making him snarl as she claimed the top position and rode him.
Only then did the fight in him begin to leave. It was still fast and hard, this first time between them, but he didn’t growl, snap, or snarl. He relaxed and let her ride at her own pace, matching it.
She knew she had tamed him, given him someone he could respect, who could hold his metaphorical leash, maybe even someone he could love. She wanted him to love her, but for that moment, they were just fucking, and he belonged to her. She cared about him and made sure he knew that as she ran her hands over his chest. She rode him as she leaned over and kissed him, delighting in their moans as their lips met.
She drove herself to her own climax, knowing he would either follow or help her to a second. She gasped as she finished on him, listening to his groan as he came with her, filling her.
“Fuck,” he said with a small growl. “How did you…”
“I’ve learned a lot over the last two years,” she reminded him, biting his bottom lip before lifting herself up. She continued to straddle him, just a physical reminder of where he belonged—with her in this room. “And I don’t fight my instincts. Your body gave you away.”
“It did. What are we going to do about…them?” He seemed lost. “I thought I wanted to resign from the Company, but I don’t think you’ll let me do that.”
“No, I won’t. You and I are going to stay here tonight and let everyone else ask around and make sure Rain is happy where he is. If he’s happy, it’s not our business, Zayden. We’re going to respect it. Tell me something. What really makes you so angry with this? I know you want Rain to find love, and he might have. Is it Alchan?”
“How dangerous do you think being the king’s nemari is? He’s expected to step in front of the arrow. He’s expected to stop the knife to Alchan’s back. He’s the last line of defense. Consider how dangerous his life will be as Alchan’s lover, Mave. Consider that.”
“He turns into a wyvern, and he’s not afraid to use that. He’s a strong, capable warrior, even if he’s my size. You have to learn to let him make his own decisions. We’ll let others worry about politics and propriety. The only thing you need to be is proud. He’s come a long way since I met him.”
Zayden nodded slowly. “This is why…this is why I’ve been falling for you. Did you know that? You see me, and you know just what to say like a good female always does. Without even knowing it, you took the time to step in where so many have given up, and…”
“I see you,” she agreed, leaning down to kiss him again, knowing what he intended to say. “I see you as the father, the friend, and a lover. When you smile, I see a male in his prime, enjoying his life. And I see how wise you can be, even if you don’t always think to use what you know. Emotions make clear thinking hard. I know. I’ve been there, consumed by rage that wasn’t in my best interest. Tomorrow, we’re going to address the source of your anger. Tonight, you’re going to stay with me.”
“Of course, I’ll stay.”
She had him.
“How common is this?” she asked, moving on him to get comfortable. She smiled at his groan.
“I didn’t want our first time to be like this,” he mumbled. “I wanted it to be something else. I didn’t think we would find them doing what they were doing.”
“Zayden…” Mave noticed how he didn’t answer the question.
“I really like when a female puts me in my place, so it might happen often,” he conceded. “I love this. I love the power of the Andinna female. Mave, if I ever piss you off, I want this. I want to be knocked around and taken. I crave this.”
“Often…” She sighed. “Okay, I’ll remember that.”
“Mave—”
“Don’t worry,” she said with a small smile. “I loved this, too.” Her dominant nature thrived when she was given the chance to claim and own. She loved that he wanted a fight because she had loved it more than she ever thought she would. There was a roughness that should have scared her, but she was in control.
He groaned underneath her as she bit his jawline and wrapped a hand around his neck, feeling powerful. She felt him grow harder again and started riding, glad she had guessed he would like something that made him feel powerless. This time it was slower, but they both knew what it meant.
Zayden belonged to her.
37
Alchan
Alchan sat in his main room, staring at the fire as Rain moved around in a much more anxious manner than he could tolerate.
“Please sit,” Alchan said desperately, hoping it worked. He was too tired to force the younger male to stop moving but also too tired to deal with the anxious, fearful energy of his lover.
“What do you think is going to happen?” Rain asked.
“Mave is going to send someone to ask if you want to leave,” Alchan whispered, knowing it was the inevitable conclusion to this nightmare. “And most will expect you to say yes.”
“I don’t want to leave,” Rain said softly, coming around in front of him. “Alchan, you know that, right?”
“I do,” Alchan said gently, reaching out. He grabbed Rain’s hand and gently tugged. Rain was the one who decided to close the distance, though, sitting on his lap. Alchan wrapped his arms around Rain’s waist and sighed as he placed his forehead on the younger male’s back. “I don’t want you to go.”
“Then nothing changes,” Rain said with a certainty that made Alchan want to laugh.
“I made a mistake in the cavern, Rain. I rolled her. I forced Mave to submit. She’ll hate me until we take our last breaths. That changes everything. Beyond that, if we want to continue this relationship, we need to go public. There’s no way we’ll continue to keep this a secret from everyone if the entire Company knows.”
“Yes, there is. We all keep Luykas’ secret,” Rain countered.
“Luykas isn’t always beside his lover, wanting to touch but can’t. We’ve slipped once. We were discovered today. I’m not going to foolishly believe we can keep trying to do this and keep it a secret.” Alchan leaned back, pulling Rain with him, so Rain was practically lying on him as Alchan got comfortable on the cushion. “If your father knows, there’s no reason for me not to kiss you in front of the world.”
“Is that what you want?” Rain asked, looking down at him.
“Yes,” Alchan answered honestly. He wanted it more than he could breathe sometimes. He wanted to hold Rain close during meetings, someone to comfort him when he heard bad news. He wanted something even more than what they already had.
“I do, too,” Rain whispered, kissing Alchan’s neck before nuzzling in. “I never thought…”
“I didn’t either,” Alchan said softly, running his fingers through black hair. “But first, we need to see if I still have a royal guard, or if they consider this a deeper betrayal than an ill-conceived relationship.”
“They would never leave you,” Rain said passionately.
“Your father was a moment away from saying it, and let’s not pretend otherwise. If Mave hadn’t stepped in, he would have continued to grow angrier, and his reasons were sound. This was once considered very close to illegal under my grandmother. A noble or member of the royal family had too much power over a nemari to engage in a sexual relationship. He had the right to be furious.”
“But you never…” Rain sighed. “I understand, but we have to convince them that this isn’t like that. I came on to you. We have rules. You never force me into anything. And maybe if we’re public, we can try new things.”
Alchan nearly groaned—new things. There were several things Alchan enjoyed they hadn’t done yet because of their need for secrecy. The idea of a freefall meeting with Rain made him grow hard. Rain shifted and noticed, his face turning pink.
“We can’t think about that right now,” Rain whispered with a smile.
“You started it,” Alchan growled. “I can’t help that thing.” He slid a hand over Rain’s thigh and between his legs. “Seems like you can’t either,” he teased, nipping Rain’s ear.
There was a sharp knock at the door, and Alchan knew it was time to face one of his Champion’s males. It wouldn’t be Luykas. She wouldn’t be so foolish as to send him. So, now he had to see if it was Brynec, who could slip a knife through his ribs, or Matesh, who loved Rain like an uncle and would stand by Zayden and Mave’s side. He knew which one he preferred.
Rain jumped up from his lap, leaving him bereft of the physicality he enjoyed. Alchan didn’t bother grabbing anything to cover his erection. He was wearing pants, and they would have to do.
Mat walked back in the room with Rain, and Alchan gave a sigh of relief. It was the one who was easier to deal with. Mat wouldn’t try to kill him.
“I was sent by Mave. If you send me away, my orders are to go back to her, and she’ll come with her swords,” Mat said without preamble.
“Then have a seat,” Alchan said, feeling annoyed that he was the king, but Mave was running the situation.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard it,” Mat said with some annoyance. “Really, you two? Even if you had worries about Zayden, you could have told her, me, or any of us near him to help lessen the damage done when Zayden did find out. With that said, I’m required to ask a few questions. Rain, are you, in any way, being forced into this relationship by Alchan Andini, King of the Andinna?”
“No.”
“Alchan, have you given Rain proper recourse to leave this relationship if he so desires?”
“Yes,” Alchan answered, staring into the fire.
“Is it true that Varon knew about this?”
“Yes,” they both answered.
“Luykas and Nevyn as well?”
“Yes,” Alchan growled, turning on him. “Are we going to divide the Company in two over this?”
“No,” Mat said softly, finally coming to sit down. “But not everyone is on the same page, and we need to be. If you two want this, I’m not going to say anything. Alchan, you know what was done to Rain while he and I were slaves in the Empire, right?”
“I know,” Alchan answered, staring at the male’s eyes, realizing this male wasn’t a threat. “You saved him from it with your female. For that, I thank you. I never thought this would ever come about. It wasn’t my intention to ever be in a relationship with Rain, but I…I’ve fallen in love with him, and I’ll kill every single Andinna who tries to take him away from me. Is that clear?”
“Yes,” Mat whispered. “I’m not here to take him. I’m here to make sure he wants to be here.”
“I do,” Rain said, speaking up again. “Mat…where’s my father?”
“Mave is handling him the way he wants to be handled. You can see both of them in the morning.”
Before anyone could continue, there was a sudden flurry of people storming into Alchan’s home—Nevyn, Varon, and Luykas, followed by Kian and Bryn—all talking over each other.
“Oh, fuck,” Alchan groaned. “One at a time!”
“You need to go public,” Nevyn said sharply. “Considering you’ve now fucked up keeping this a secret twice—”
“Rain and I have already spoken about it, and we will,” Alchan growled, cutting off one of his best warriors. He wasn’t in the mood to be told what to do. He was tolerating it to a point, so the warriors he commanded would respect him for another day, but he wasn’t in the mood.
“Varon is willing to give Amonora’s Blessing. If either of you is willing…”
Yes. Ah, please, yes. Let me tie my life with his. He’s the only one who has ever wanted me, and if that will keep him with me until we’re old and grey, then yes.
Alchan looked at Rain, whose eyes went wide.
“That’s formal protection of the priesthood to defend a relationship that might look poorly in the eyes of the Andinna,” Rain said, looking around. “Right?”
“Yes,” Alchan said gently. “I would be willing to accept it. Rain? It’s your decision. It would formalize us. We would be considered a married pair, and you would be my consort, I think.”
“Yes, he would, and you can take others, due to your station,” Nevyn said, sitting down next to Matesh. “We would do it right now and push it out as if you had it done in private without thinking about public opinion.”
“I want…” Rain frowned. “Alchan, I can’t do it without…”
He wants Mave and Zayden here. I would never ask him to do something like that without them.
“Then we’ll hold off until after the mission,” Alchan said softly. “Whenever you feel comfortable and only if it’s what you want.”
Rain nodded. That was all they got out of the younger male, who walked out, probably overwhelmed by so many people finally knowing this secret and the very real relationship they had. Alchan wanted to follow him, but couldn’t, knowing all eyes were on him to clean up this mess.
“Varon, go check on him?” Alchan asked softly, looking up at the priest. Varon nodded and walked out, as well. He looked at the rest of the males around him, needing to ask the most important question. “Are we going to be okay?”
“Do you love him?” Mat asked.
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Luykas and Mave. Yes. The answer will always be yes.”
“Then we’re going to be okay. I’m mostly upset because this was kept secret from us. I understand the reasons why, but we’re the Company and of all the things…” Mat sighed, looking up at the others. Kian and Bryn both nodded in agreement. Nevyn shrugged.
“I always knew, but I can imagine why they’re all pissed,” the warrior said before the room was too silent for too long. “Now, we just need to worry about Mave and Zayden.”
“Mave will be okay,” Mat said, unconcerned. In a way, Alchan trusted his judgment regarding her more than he trusted his brother’s. Luykas might have the blood bond, but Mat knew Mave better than anyone from experience. He saw her when she had been in the dark hell that had been her life. He was the one who stood by her every step of the way, his loyalty unfailing.
“Good. And Zayden?” That was where Alchan felt guilty. Zayden had been his loyal warrior for a thousand years. Just in Kerit, they had fought together and nearly died together. And the entire time, Alchan had been in bed with his adult son.
“Mave is handling him,” Mat said, repeating his earlier words.
The next day came quickly, and Alchan was up before Rain, preparing breakfast when a knock came to his door. He knew it would have come eventually, but he hadn’t wanted it to be so early in the morning. He didn’t bother answering, looking up from what he was doing to see Mave and Zayden walk in.
“Good morning,” he greeted. “I spoke to everyone else last night, so did Rain.” They had talked well into the night, everyone making sure of the same things Mat had. Was it consensual? Was Alchan abusing his power? Was there any reason they needed to leave with Rain?
In the end, both he and Rain had convinced them all none of it was necessary. They had both been apologetic for the secrets, but they weren’t sorry for what had grown between them.
Alchan had only ever been truly claimed by one person outside of his family, and Rain was continuing to stand by him. He would die for that. For the first time, he had something very personal to fight for that wasn’t only his duty as a brother, a prince, or a king.
Now,
he looked at the only two people who could take it away from him. Not without a fight, but he knew they were capable of winning that fight.
“Is Rain still asleep?” Mave asked, finding a seat at his table.
“He is. We were up late, and I wanted him to have the rest. Before either of you tear me apart, just let me reiterate that I’m in love with him. There is no changing that. There was no plan for it to happen. It was unexpected, but it’s here now, and I’m willing to fight to keep him.”
“I’m not here to take him,” Mave said softly. She looked at Zayden, who flushed.
“We’re here to apologize for walking in on you yesterday. My son is an adult, and so long as he’s happy, that’s all I need. The love of a king is probably the most dangerous love, but it’s also one of the fiercest. I don’t know what else I would have picked for my son, but it’s greater than I think I ever had hoped for him.” Zayden groaned, looking back at Mave. “Happy, Mave?”
“I am.” She smiled. “Zayden is my newest male. Be patient with him. We’re going to train him out of his bad attitude one day.”
Alchan nearly smiled, but it faltered as he remembered what else he had done in the cavern, trying to protect his relationship with Rain.
“I rolled you,” he said quietly, picking up his coffee and putting it in front of her. “Sister, I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be,” she said quickly. “You always knew you could, didn’t you?”
“I did,” he admitted softly. “But you were so dominant and gave a good fight every time. I enjoyed not being so alone at the top. I wasn’t thinking when I did it yesterday. I just wanted to protect him from being taken from me.”
“I know,” she said softly, looking up at him. Their eyes met, but neither of them wavered. “I put it together on my own. You’re my king, and if that means it was finally time to establish the official ranking, then it was time. I’m not as fragile as I once was, and this won’t destroy my confidence in myself. Don’t expect me to lower my eyes often, though.”
The Enemy's Triumph Page 42