Still, looking at the maps was always useful. They confirmed, almost justified, the decision that Dragan had made. And so, when he leaned forward, palms placed either side of the fabric, the anger on his face was real, and the king saw that.
Because much had changed on these maps since he had last looked at them.
Much.
Where before, the northern line had been bashing against one of the major cities north-east from the capital, it was now completely below it. Worse, that brought it painfully close to the king’s energy barrier. That barrier extended all the way around the capital, and had been put in place in the very early days of the war. Dragan remembered being very impressed with it, and had assumed back then that the natives had more technology at their disposal to fight the rebels. They hadn’t of course, the energy barrier was as good as it got. Still, how long, he wondered, would it take Maylor to breach it? From what his strategists had said a prolonged assault would weaken it bit by bit until the whole thing collapsed. And now that Maylor was close that attack would start soon enough.
Or at least it would have if not for Dragan’s plan.
“These maps are wrong.”
Those words came from William. He had been quiet from the moment they had entered the room and he’d realized others were present. Dragan had noticed that over the past days. When his people were close by William assumed what Dragan could only guess he considered to be a kingly countenance. And then when it was just the two of them…
He tilted his head slightly and looked across at the male who, and Dragan still couldn’t believe it, had turned into one of the most exciting lovers he’d ever experienced. Oh, Dragan had known the king was something special. That much had been obvious from the first, and it wasn’t just about how attractive he was. But never in his wildest dreams had Dragan expected the sort of response the king had given him.
That very first time…he inhaled sharply as the memory beat at him. It was beyond what he could have imagined. Slipping into the king’s tight, wet sheath, feeling him clench as he shot his seed deep inside… And then, the second time, that next night, when they returned from island tour, if possible it had been even better. Equally as frantic, yes, but equally as satisfying. And all the days since then…each more precious than the last. Dragan had not tired of it.
Not at all.
He was beginning to think he would never tire of pleasuring, or being pleasured, by the king. More than that, and this was something that Dragan had considered in depth these past days, his feelings for the king were developing quickly. Where before he’d thought himself simply smitten he knew that was no longer the case. He had real feelings for William. Deep feelings. And they were only increasing, would only continue to do so.
And that meant that at some point, and some point soon, there would be a choice to make. To let the king go, to return to the mainland alone, or to declare himself, and to see what that declaration brought.
Right now, Dragan had no idea which he would choose.
“Wrong?”
William shifted slightly and caught his eye. He stood stiff, arms crossed, a frown on his lips. To Dragan he looked exquisite.
“This line here,” William said pointing to Maylor’s position. “It should be further back.”
“No,” Ulie, one of the strategists said. “It was correct when it left the mainland.”
“And when was that?”
“Just before you arrived.”
William shook his head. “If that is the case Maylor has advanced far more than I have been led to believe.”
“When did you last receive an update?” Dragan asked.
“Before I sailed here,” William said. “Not long enough for these changes.”
“And who sent you that update?” Dragan asked.
“I have a number of spies north of the border,” William replied. “They risk their very lives to bring me this information. My update should have been the same as yours considering the timelines.”
He looked from Dragan to the strategists. They were all frowning now, and Dragan knew what they were thinking. They didn’t speak though, and he wondered if that was out of respect to him or to the embattled king. Dragan had not been sure what his people’s reception was likely to be towards the king. He knew the humans who were under his care would welcome him. That they admired him. That they hoped he would win the war for them. But he did not know what the others would think. Over the past days Dragan had been surprised by just how welcoming they were to the king. He suspected some, especially those in his own household, knew what was happening between them, though to them it would be nothing worth talking about, it was simply sex. But the others, those who didn’t know the deal he had struck with the king, were well within their rights to be wary.
Only they weren’t.
They were pleased that the king had come to see them. Many probably assumed that Dragan had invited him because the plan was soon to reach its climax, and they welcomed that. Perhaps it was because so many of his people were now in relationships with humans themselves? Here, on the islands, their species were mixing. For Dragan, and for his people, that was a good thing.
“What is it?” William demanded. “Tell me.”
“Your people beyond the barrier,” Dragan began. “It is possible that they have been compromised.”
“No,” William said, and there was absolute conviction in his voice. “They are loyal to the crown.”
“They are loyal to whoever feeds and protects them,” Dragan said. “And right now that is Maylor.” He paused. “Once he has been removed they will turn back to you. Your actions then will decide their loyalty in the future.”
“My actions?” William shook his head. “I cannot believe that any of my people would help the rebels.”
“It has been a long war,” Dragan said. “And such wars take their toll on people.”
“I do not believe that,” William snapped.
Dragan sighed. He turned to his strategists who were watching the exchange with blank faces. If they were surprised by the king’s refusal to accept a possible traitor they said nothing. After all, to them, to their plan, traitors were extremely useful…
“These are helpful,” he said waving a hand towards the maps. “Tell me, how go the preparations?”
The strategists were grateful for the change in conversation. They launched straight into a discussion regarding the ship and its readiness. By the time they were through Dragan nodded in satisfaction.
“We’ll let you get back to the prep,” Dragan said. “And thank you again.”
A moment later and the strategists were gone. They were once again alone. Dragan did not hesitate. He walked straight over to William and pulled him into his arms. “This worries you?” he asked.
William pushed against his embrace. “Of course it does,” he snapped. “My own people turning against me? It’s an impossible thought.”
“People do things during war time that they would never do during peace. It can be fixed. It will be fixed. When Maylor is gone all this will begin to heal.”
“I want it over with,” William said. “Five years of this? Five years of waking up every day desperately looking for a way to make things right? It is enough.”
“I know,” Dragan said. “I know.”
He tightened his grip around the king and laid a hand on the back of his head. Once there he rubbed it in gentle, circular motions. The king’s reaction was not quite what he expected.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Comforting you,” Dragan said.
The king pulled back. “Do not.”
Dragan frowned. Because the king pulled away every single time after they fucked. Each time pulling his clothes back on and retreating back to his quarters. Dragan knew it was because the king needed time to get used to the passion that had exploded between them. To start admitting to the need that Dragan had stoked inside of him. But he did not like it. Not at all. And now, with his feelings cha
nging…
“My embrace makes you nervous,” he said, and it was not a question.
“Not nervous,” William said. “It makes me uncomfortable.”
“I have been inside you,” Dragan said. “Your lips have been wrapped around my cock and mine around yours.”
William scowled. “I am aware of that.”
“But my arms around you? That is uncomfortable?”
The king shrugged and Dragan sighed. It occurred to him then that the only time the king could be described as even remotely affectionate was when they fucked. And so…
“On your knees, my king,” he said.
The king narrowed his eyes. “Do not order me about.”
“Or what?” Dragan asked.
William scowled. A moment later and he did as Dragan asked, sinking to his knees and looking up with those big, beautiful eyes. Of course Dragan’s cock thickened. How could it not? The king’s mouth was right there, and he knew now just how good it felt to fuck it.
“Eager aren’t you?” he said slowly.
“This is what you have asked of me,” William replied. “I am simply fulfilling our bargain.”
“Of course,” Dragan said. “It’s all about the bargain. The bargain that doesn’t even exist anymore! And this is fine. You’ll let me fuck you until you scream from your orgasm. But embraces are not allowed.”
“Do not try and make this something that it is not,” William said.
Dragan undid his pants and let his cock spring free. “What is it, William?” he asked.
The king licked his lips in a blatant display of anticipation but then looked towards the door. Perhaps he was worried someone would come in? Catch them in the act? Dragan remained silent. He had no intention of reassuring the king on that point.
Finally William spoke, and his words were not ones that Dragan wanted to hear. “It’s sex. Just sex.”
Dragan pushed his hips forward until his cock-head was pressed against the king’s lips. He could feel William’s breath shivering against it, and he couldn’t wait to bury it right where it belonged.
“Just sex?”
“People do it all the time,” William said. “Yours. Mine. They all do.”
“But not my virgin king,” Dragan said. “You don’t…or at least you didn’t.”
The king closed his eyes. “The bargain…”
“Was null and void,” Dragan said. “As you well know. This, what is happening between us now, is because you want it to.”
“No…”
“Yes. And you’re a fool if you think it is just sex,” he growled. “A fool. It has never been just that. Not from the moment we met, and it never will be.”
And on those words Dragan buried his cock in the king’s mouth. Ah, it felt good. The king’s tongue licked along the underside of his shaft, and his lips created a tantalizing suction around the head. Dragan closed his eyes and thrust in slowly, enjoying every single sensation. It was almost enough to take his mind off the king’s behavior…almost…
He pulled out.
“Up on the table. Wrap your arms around me.”
“The table?”
“Yes,” Dragan said. He reached out and pulled the king’s pants down to his ankles, then, in one smooth move, he sat him up on the table edge. The king looked behind him, to the door again, and shivered.
“I—”
“No one will interrupt us,” Dragan said. “No one.”
He bent down and removed the king’s pants, throwing them over his shoulder as he did so. Then, cock in hand, he removed the small vial of cream from his pocket. He’d taken to carrying it around with him these last days. Just in case.
“Let’s get you nice and ready,” he said.
The king closed his eyes, and then, to Dragan’s delight, he lifted his knees up so that his ass was nice and open.
“You look so fucking good,” Dragan sighed. “Just made for my cock.”
He lubed them both up nicely, tested William with a finger or two, and then slipped inside. Slipped home. That was what it was beginning to feel like.
“Ahhh…you feel so good,” he said.
William let out a small moan.
“Couldn’t possibly feel better.”
Another moan.
“Tell me you like it,” Dragan added. “Tell me.”
“I like it,” William whispered. “You know I do.”
“You like your lover’s cock?”
“Yes,” William gasped. “Yes.”
“You like it in your tight little ass?”
“Yes!”
Dragan inhaled a satisfied breath at those words, wrapped his extra digits around William’s cock, and then set a steady rhythm. He moved in and out of William, his cock tingling with each thrust, his balls aching with unspent seed. William groaned and panted in time with him, his head thrown back, his body shuddering from the force of their fucking.
It didn’t take long for Dragan’s orgasm to build. In truth, he’d been on a knife edge from the moment he and William had set out for the strategy room. This desire he had for the king. It was almost shocking.
He wanted him constantly.
“Going to come soon,” he whispered.
The king snapped his eyes open and locked them on Dragan. “Not yet…not yet…”
“You’re not ready? Dragan asked.
“I need…”
“I know what you need.”
Dragan slipped a palm under each of William’ ass cheeks, pulled him as far to the edge of the table as possible, and then, as William looked into his eyes, he rocked him back and forth onto his cock.
William’s eyes widened. He gasped. “Oh…”
“Oh,” Dragan said, satisfaction laced along the sound. “Oh.”
And then eye to eye, they slow fucked on the edge of the table until both of their orgasms built, and when Dragan came this time it was not like the first night, or even last night, or even all of the others. There he had rutted until the pleasure was too much to deny. But this time, eye to eye with his king, he slow fucked until the pleasure was all consuming, and when he came he knew that his words had been true.
This was not just sex and the sooner his king realized that, the better.
Chapter Thirteen
William sat, wrapped up in his winter furs, looking out on the valley below him. He had been making his way back from the dock, deep in the middle of preparations for their impending departure, when he’d been sized with a sudden urge to stop and look down at the main town.
That had been quite some time ago now.
His driver, a pretty female called Jarnay, had been happy to agree and happy to leave him to it. She had chatted the whole way back, telling about her husband, who happened to be human, and the worries they had about conceiving a child. To William’s knowledge no such conception had yet happened, and many thought that there was some incompatibility between the species that would not allow it. Still, he had tried to reassure her, which had led to her thanking ‘her king’. That had made William uncomfortable. He’d been on the islands now for almost two weeks and in truth he had never felt less like a king. Here there was none of the bullshit that happened on the mainland. People worked together for the good of the whole, and William had decided, if they did manage to win the war, that there were more than a few lessons he could take from Dragan on how best to rule.
Dragan…
He shook his head as the image of his lover came to mind, because there was no escaping the fact anymore. They had fucked constantly since that first night and not once had William refused. He simply couldn’t, no matter how tired or how sore, he wanted Dragan with something like the same level of desire that Dragan wanted him.
They wanted each other.
They could not keep their hands to themselves.
And William was worried.
He had known when he’d agreed to the bargain that it might be a little weird, but he had never imagined how his own feelings might develop as a result
of it. Of course, it didn’t help that this past week, ever since they had fucked in the strategy room, Dragan had become more and more affectionate. No longer did he allow William to retreat to his quarters after they fucked. Instead, he insisted on holding him, on them sleeping in the same bed, of them talking, exchanging their likes and dislikes, describing their early lives. They were exploring each other. Getting to know one another. Building bridges between them. And William tried to resist, tried to hold himself aloof from it all, but he was failing miserably.
He liked being held by Dragan.
He liked waking up wrapped in strong arms.
He liked hearing about Dragan’s journey through the stars.
He liked all of it…
But then what? That was the question he kept asking himself now. Because Dragan was already coming to his rescue where the war was concerned. How much more was William supposed to rely on him for?
For his sexual pleasure?
For his emotional support?
It would, he had realized, be so easy to do that. To let it happen. Dragan was strong, capable, comforting. When William was around him he felt stronger as a result. Being held in Dragan’s arms did not make him feel vulnerable. It made him feel like anything was possible. And the pleasure…
He closed his eyes. It was unlike anything William could ever have imagined. Being fucked by Dragan was one of the most exciting, fulfilling things William had ever experienced. Dragan, naked and hard, was the most exquisite sight. William loved his blue skin, loved the way it looked against the paleness of his own. More than that though, he loved the things the lord’s lips did to him, the way his hands made him tingle.
He loved it all.
And what did that mean?
What would happen in the end?
The Claiming of a Virgin King Page 9