Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms Book 2)

by Amelia Hutchins

  “You keep your fucking teeth away from my throat, woman,” he snarled coldly, staring down at me. I gave him a worried look as my throat bobbed against the elbow that held me down. “That’s a line that you and I won’t be fucking crossing.”

  “You really don’t like your neck kissed, do you?” I asked, sure that my expression conveyed my confusion.

  “Just stay the fuck away from it with your teeth, Aria.”

  His eyes searched mine before he exhaled, leaning back. Pushing my legs apart, Knox angled his body between them, staring at me. His dark head shook as he leaned over, kissing the racing pulse against my throat, nipping against it. I purred, unable to prevent the sound from coming out.

  My hands found his silken flesh, pumping it against my core. I used him, rubbing his thickened cock against my clit while he held its base tightly. His neck muscles tensed as I continued stroking him, whimpering louder every time his cock landed against my clit.

  Knox took control, and my hands moved to my breast, pinching my nipples as my hips lifted, rubbing my pussy against his cock that continued teasing me. His tip slid against my opening as he purred loudly, pushing the head against it teasingly, but never forcing himself into my body.

  Knox lifted, staring at where his hand held his cock against me as he increased the pressure, rubbing it against my clit until I was moaning loudly. His fist worked his cock feverishly, and my legs lifted, dropping wide open as he groaned, closing his eyes, then opening them again to hold mine while his body tensed.

  Curling his lips into a pained smile, Knox grunted, and his cock pulsed against my opening, painting my body with his arousal. His fingers slid through his release, pushing his essence into my body until I shook violently.

  I went mindless the instant his come entered my body, growling and purring, screaming his name as orgasms ripped me apart painfully.

  Knox purred loudly, pushing his fingers further into my pussy to get his scent deep within me. My body tensed, and I clenched tightly, sucking his fingers off as the orgasm continued to course through me, causing him to moan as he watched me come undone.

  It was a primal need that ripped through me, shoving all human nature to the back of my mind while the animal within me demanded he give me what I needed.

  Knox continued rubbing his scent against my sex. I drifted back to earth, exhaustion sliding through me. My mouth opened as a needy sound escaped, like some feral creature’s wail, echoing through the tent.

  “Sounds like he fucked that whore good, huh? Stupid slut will know her place is on her knees, serving us before the sun rises in the morning. That’s how you break those evil bitches. Feed the cunt, and the mind follows,” a guard grunted, and another snorted his agreement.

  I couldn’t stop my body, not even when angry tears flooded my eyes. I continued rocking my hips, pushing Knox’s cock against my opening even as he pulled back to prevent me from taking him wholly within my body. I fought hard to regain control of my mind, forcing the red haze of need to the backseat. I urged the human within me, back to the surface.

  “Damn, he’s still making that whore come hard. Do you hear her? Fucking beautiful noises; the sounds of a beaten-down witch learning her place beneath us,” he chuckled. “No better sound in the world than that.”

  “Stop moving, or this is going to take an entirely different path than you want, Aria,” Knox warned. I pushed against him and then paused as cheers sounded from outside, spiking my anger. “I’m about to lose control, and you’ve already lost yours, so stop fucking moving.” Knox tossed an irritated look toward the front of the tent.

  People outside were celebrating Knox conquering me. I felt my heart shattering inside my chest, and pain tightening within it. My anger spiked, and embarrassment flooded through me, pinking my cheeks.

  I’d been lost in the pleasure Knox had given me, swept away in the sea of his heated gaze and kisses until I’d crashed against the rocks, only to be left adrift without realizing what had happened.

  Knox studied me as I rolled onto my side. Pulling my legs up against my stomach, I listened to the men outside as they continued to speak about whore witches and virile kings. Tears rolled from my eyes as anger erupted within me, causing a sob to build in my chest.

  “What the fuck is your problem, woman?” Knox asked as if he couldn’t hear the men outside the tent.

  “I’m tired,” I whispered thickly, hating that I’d been weak enough to get lost in the pleasure his body offered. “If it’s all the same to you, Your Majesty, your whore would like to sleep,” I hissed.

  Knox sighed heavily, before pulling me against him, adding another cuff to my wrist, attaching it to his.

  “Then sleep, witch,” he snapped harshly, and yet he hadn’t scooted away from me.

  “Stop touching me, and I could sleep, asshole,” I grumbled.

  Ignoring him, I struggled to get comfortable with my hands bound, and my body close to his. I hated that my body automatically sought his out for the comfort it offered. “Are these cuffs really necessary?” I asked after a moment of trying to adjust beside him.

  “They’re staying. Go to sleep,” he growled. The men grew louder outside the tent, and Knox rattled a warning, shutting them up immediately.

  Knox flipped me over without warning to face him. He stared into my angry eyes, before he placed my head into the crook of his arm, pulling the covers up and wrapping his other arm around me to hold me.

  “You could just put me back into the cage, now that you’ve tamed your dirty slut of a witch.” I stared coldly into his eyes as he searched my face before grunting.

  Knox left the bed abruptly, dragging me with him, pausing to hoist me over his shoulder. He took long, angry strides toward the front of the tent, smacking his hand hard against my ass to remind me that I was stark-ass naked.

  “Knox, stop!”

  “Changed your mind already? You sure you don’t prefer the fucking cage? You’re wearing my mark and my scent, so if sleeping beside me bothers you so much, you can sleep outside like the rabid little bitch you’re acting like,” he snapped, and the men outside the tent chuckled.

  “I hate you,” I seethed, purring low and even.

  I was certain the volume of my purr was a warning to him that I was about to attack. His hand landed against my flesh again with a smack, and I yelped. Sinking my nails into his ass cheek, I drew blood, dragging them up his back, causing him to cry out angrily.

  He slammed me onto the bed, holding me in place as he wrapped his hand around my throat. He leaned in, closing the distance until our lips brushed together as his angry eyes peered into mine.

  “Touch me like that again, and I’ll bend you over and let my men hear how you really purr for me, Aria. Now go to fucking sleep before I remind you why I’m the alpha by bowing your fucking spine in submission to me while I rattle.”

  “I don’t bow to you!” I shouted, but Knox rattled low and even until I did just that on the bed.

  My spine arched, lifting my ass. I rolled onto my stomach, taking him with me because of our bound hands. Knox landed on my back with my legs spread and my ass pushed against him, a growl of need bubbling up my throat, escaping past my lips.

  His rattle didn’t stop until I came undone without him fucking or touching me or forcing me to. Everything within me bowed, right down to my will as his rattle vibrated throughout me, establishing his absolute dominance.

  “I seriously hate you,” I whispered as tears silently flowed.

  “Oh, my sweet Aria, you do bow so pretty for me,” he taunted, pushing his fingers against my flesh, purring loudly with approval at my submission and response to him. “This lovely flesh knows who owns it, even if you don’t.”

  “I’m going to cut your cock off with a spoon and feed it to you one day, Knox.”

  “You’ll be doing many things to my cock, but that isn’t one of them, Little Lamb. Now, I’m going to sleep because some little bitch had me chasing her sexy ass all up and down the cou
ntryside, and then exhausted me by draining my balls. Go to sleep, or I’ll fuck you until you’re too exhausted to do anything else.”

  “Dick.”

  Chapter Forty

  I woke to an arm resting over my hipbone, and fingers tracing its curve while silently exploring. My mind grasped for who it was learning my curves, and a smile played on my lips.

  Heat curled in my belly, tightening it with the memories of Knox’s mouth against my sex, and a soft whispered sigh escaped my lips, followed by a breathy moan of his name. The sound of his heart thundering at the whisper made my smile deepen.

  Knox lifted his fingers from my hip, pushing the hair away from my face. I whimpered, not ready to give up the only decent sleep I’d had since entering this hellish place. My hands moved toward the source, brushing against his chest, before tucking my head deeper into the crook of his arm, placing a soft kiss against his heart.

  He lowered his fingers, touching the raised peak of my nipple before he leaned over, kissing my forehead as my eyes opened. Knox pulled back, peering into my sleepy gaze with something dark passing through his expression.

  We stared at one another, neither willing to break the spell or peace of the morning with words. I swallowed, the smile on my lips vanishing. I felt his cock growing hard against my belly. I peered down, finding my leg draped over his hip, and our bodies tangled together. At the sight of his cock, I licked my lips, recalling the way I’d lost control last night.

  A blush flooded my cheeks, and my eyes lifted back to his. Knox rolled over, and I blinked, noting that he’d removed the cuff before I’d awoken to him exploring my body. I rolled onto my back, lifting my knees to close them against the tension flowing through my midriff. He groaned, inhaling deeply as he rubbed his eyes and sat up.

  I studied his stiff posture as he leaned over the edge of the bed to push his messy hair away from his face. He slowly stood and moved to the table, grabbing a glass of something, and tossing it back. Knox rested his hands on the table’s edge, showing off his impressive backside. His back still held visible claw marks, even if the scratches had scabbed.

  I smiled with victory, sitting up to pull the covers around me. My hair was a lost cause, and the white fur of the blanket tickled my flesh, causing my lips to tip into a sleepy smile. I yawned, stretching my arms while dispelling the sleepiness from my bones.

  Knox turned around, opening his mouth to say something, but paused, staring. He slid his gaze over me, swallowing hard as if he forgot whatever he was preparing to say. Leaning back against the table, he studied me as a soft smile played on his lips.

  “Good morning,” I whispered past the dryness in my mouth.

  “Morning, Aria,” he said breathlessly. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he groaned, picking up the discarded sweatpants and pulling them on to hide the scratches I’d left on his ass. “You’ve slept most the day away, so now we can’t move camp until tomorrow morning.”

  “You could have woken me,” I replied, narrowing my eyes on his hungry gaze.

  “When’s the last time you slept more than a couple hours?” he countered crossly.

  I snorted, giving him a pointed look as my brow lifted with laughter dancing in my eyes. “A Neanderthal, who wanted to do rather bad, bad things to me, was chasing me around the Nine Realms. I didn’t get much time to sleep on the run, and when I did, it was with one eye open. He was rather relentless and quite the hunter.”

  Knox’s features softened as he smiled, slowly shaking his head as he rested his hands on his hips.

  Staring at me briefly, he reached into the chest at the foot of the bed and pulled out a dress, tossing it in my direction. I caught it, dropping the blanket, realizing my mistake as a playful smile flitted over his lips.

  “Get dressed. You’ll be sitting with the other witches as I meet with one of my dignitaries. Best behavior today, Aria,” he warned. I slid to the edge of the bed, staring at the cuffs encasing my wrists.

  “Do you intend to free me of the cuffs? How do you expect me to get this dress on exactly?” I held up the garment, and he looked at it, before moving back to the chest, pulling out a white spaghetti-strap dress that looked like it belonged on anyone else but me.

  He handed it to me and took a seat in the chair, staring at my bare thighs. I lifted from the bed and stretched before stepping into the dress and pulling it up.

  Knox’s loud purr caught me off-guard, forcing my attention to him as my body echoed the same sound without thought. I blushed, glaring at him as he rattled, canting his head as mine once more repeated the noise he made.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?” I whispered, fighting with the straps that tied onto my shoulders, which wasn’t easy since he had bound my hands.

  “I am,” he admitted, lowering his head as a boyish grin played on his mouth.

  He stood, slowly walked to stand behind me, snorting as he moved my hands away from the ties. His fingers captured the laces, tying them tightly. His breath fanned my shoulder as he lowered his mouth, brushing his lips over his mark, reassuring himself it was still there.

  He brushed his fingers through my hair and turned me around to face him as his eyes slid over my body, resting on my face. He swallowed, causing his throat to bob and a blush to fill my cheeks under his examination.

  “Am I to your liking?” I teased, and he bit into his bottom lip before a sexy grin reached all the way to his eyes.

  “You’re very beautiful, woman. Especially this morning with your hair matted from last night’s pleasure, and your full lips swollen from all the kissing and playing. However, the intensity burning in your eyes from finding release has my balls tightening to see if they sparkle even more once I fuck you.”

  I swallowed, and he smirked, leaning his head back as if he were counting to gather his control. I inhaled deeply, finding my scent mixed with his musky aroma, covering his body. It made me smile as a rattle of desire escaped my lips. His head lowered, and our eyes locked as a knowing smile spread across his face.

  “I smell good on you, woman,” Knox laughed, but something worrisome was etching his tone as his throat bobbed.

  His attention moved to the chest’s lid, and I frowned at the look burning in his eyes, sending a chill racing through me. Knox clenched his jaw, and his eyes lifted to mine with indifference, as if everything else had been for show. His teeth caught his bottom lip as he ran a hand over his mouth and shook his head.

  Silently, Knox withdrew a shirt and pants from the chest, staring at it a moment longer before he closed the lid. He didn’t bother turning around, forcing me to do so, offering him some sense of modesty. It was more than he had given me, but just because he was an asshole, it didn’t mean I had to be one too.

  The clang of his sword and scabbard drew my attention, as did the sounds of women talking in low voices, speaking of lovers, and how to ease their aching muscles.

  Food burned somewhere within the encampment, and I heard a child cry in the distance. I looked up through the hole in the tent at the brilliant blue sky.

  “Come, witch.” Knox’s voice caused me to jump, spinning around to find he’d snuck up close enough that when I turned, my nose touched his chest.

  “You do know that I am not a dog, right?” I countered, following his quick pace that took us outside and a few steps away from the tent.

  “If I tell you to sit, you’ll fucking sit. If I say jump, you will ask me how high I wish for you to jump, woman. You’re my fucking prisoner, not my guest.”

  “Yeah, how about you hold your breath while you wait for that to happen,” I offered angrily, and he swung around, causing me to run into his chest.

  I was about to argue more when a scream ripped through the camp, focusing my attention on a woman being dragged between the tents by her hair. A man shook her as tears streamed down her face, and I noted other women pulled behind her in the same fashion.

  My heart leaped into my throat, and I turned to see Knox watching the scene with no emotion on his
face or in his eyes.

  Stepping back, my stomach plummeted to the ground, and I frowned. I watched silently as soldiers brought children and women in dirty dresses into the camp by force, exhaustion marring their faces.

  Men in blue armor followed the procession, slapping each other on the back as they pointed out one woman or another.

  Knox swore beneath his breath, shouting orders in a foreign language as Greer appeared from thin air, no longer dressed in his butler ensemble, but wearing a light, form-fitting armor.

  “Peasant,” Greer chuckled, leaning over to kiss my cheeks before pulling back with a bright smile. “You look like shit.”

  “And you still smell like week-old roadkill. I guess some things never change,” I grunted, turning back to the crying, terrified children corralled into a circle in the middle of the camp like livestock.

  “Take Aria to Bekkah, and don’t let her out of your sight,” Knox snorted, giving me a warning look before walking off toward the men entering camp. “Make sure my girls play nice together,” he said as an afterthought over his shoulder.

  My girls?

  My throat tightened, and I snorted as Greer shook his head at my reaction. “What is that about?” I asked, and Greer lifted a brow.

  “That isn’t your concern. Come with me,” he said in a firm tone.

  “They’re hurting children!”

  “Leave it alone, Peasant. It will all get sorted out, eventually.”

  I followed Greer’s stiff back to a group of witches casting magic. Most worked basic spells that even a child should know by their age. Some were younger than twelve, and each one held Knox’s insignia on their wrists and wore silver chains with spelled lockets around their necks.