Claim the Wolf King: The Wickedest Witch Prequel: A Post-Apocalyptic Shifter Romance
Page 20
He groaned in frustration.
His interest would fade quicker than I knew?
I sat straight and taut as I sneered, my nerves on edge.
I’d expected to feel repulsed, but the repulsion never came. Every time his dick brushed me, a shiver of pleasure ran through me. I fantasized holding it and rubbing it between my bare thighs.
Stupid! I snapped myself out of it.
“For Earth’s sake,” I hissed, “just leave it be. I can suffer you a little longer.”
“It should be down by now,” he said in anger. “I don’t understand why it likes you so much. You aren’t even my type. I prefer refined, sophisticated females.”
I didn’t react since I was getting bored of counting how many times he’d insulted me.
“A female like the First Witch,” he added.
I snickered. Only if he knew.
“But I assure you, wolf girl,” he said. “It reacts but won’t act. You’re safe with me.”
“Let’s start with you stopping molesting me,” I said.
“I wasn’t molesting you,” he grated. “Today is an accident. It won’t happen again.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” I said.
He endeavored to get it down, and when he kept failing, a string of curses flew out of him. While he was distracted, I decided to fish for information.
If the Oracle pointed the Dragonian in my direction, she had to know that I wasn’t just the wolf girl, but she didn’t reveal more than that. It seemed she was leaving the decision up to me to tell the Dragonian who I was.
Why? Why had she betrayed me and protected me at the same time?
“What does the First Witch look like?” I asked a side question to disarm him first.
“A rare beauty, of course,” he said.
“Did the Oracle describe her physique for you?” I asked.
“You’ll lead me to her.”
“You do know that I’ve never met her either, right?” I said. “You might have a better chance finding her on your own.”
Ventus snorted and my heart tightened. The beast not only knew I was a witch, but that I was the First Witch. How did he know? Would he sell me out? When worse came to the worst, I would just touch them both and be done with them.
I pretended I hadn’t heard the guardian’s mocking laugh. He couldn’t speak anyway. Even if he managed to get the message to his master, the brute would have an extremely hard time to believe the First Witch was right under his nose.
“The Oracle said to stick to you and you would eventually lead me to her,” the ringleader said. “She’s never been wrong. She said I needed to find the wolf girl first, and I found you.”
“I’m not really a wolf,” I said.
“You’re the only one hanging with a wolf pack,” he said. “That makes you the wolf girl. You can communicate with them.”
“If I were the wolf girl,” I said, “I would have known where the First Witch is, but I’m as clueless as you are. I’ve never heard of her in my life. If I were you, I wouldn’t let the blind lead the blind. You should go back to the Oracle and ask for your money back.”
“She accepted no money.”
“Then what did you offer her?”
He ignored the question. “She’s the one who told Commander North Darken about the Sky Power and helped him win the war against the Angels.”
“If you want a more accurate version of the history, it’s this: Earth Goddess Rhea sent Empress Rose—she was a Fey princess back then—to find the Sky Power, which turned out to be the Angel High Prince—her mate—and together they vanquished King Agro’s army, with the Dragonians, their sidekicks, fighting on the sideline.”
The ringleader growled. “The Dragonians fought at the frontline. I fought right outside the Mysthian walls and seas. One third of our men perished so Earth can have peace today!”
I snorted. “Peace?”
After the Mysthian Fey and the Dragonians had driven out the Angels from our planet, earthlings fought even more fiercely among themselves for territories and dominance.
“At least we removed the Angel plague,” he grated. “Without Commander Darken instructing the Fey Empress to find the Sky Power first, she would never have succeeded.”
I yawned. “Say whatever you want as long as you’re happy.”
“What do you know about true history?” he said in disdain. I’d hit a sore spot and would rub it in more and harder. “Did you not grow up with the beasts? You probably don’t even know how to read.”
I laughed, letting him know his insult amused me. “You got me. And I can’t count my ten toes.”
The wolves raised me, yet I learned the way of civilization well. During my transition to adulthood, I’d accumulated enough knowledge through a death kiss or a touch. I felt no guilt. Those predators had brought their own bitter ends to themselves by trying to do things to me that any sheltered girl couldn’t even imagine.
“Ares,” Ventus snapped his head and spoke, “you’ll treat Freyja with tenderness and respect.”
I jumped. The Dragonian ringleader held my waist to steady me.
“I’ve been treating her with tenderness and respect,” the Dragonian said. “I even asked her opinions, but all she’s done is insult me.”
“Then you don’t know anything about women,” said Ventus.
The brute murmured that he knew plenty about women.
“Not all women are alike,” Ventus said, “particularly a special one.”
“You can talk?” I accused the beast.
“Of course I can talk,” Ventus said. “I told you I’m a genetically advanced being, didn’t I?”
I thought our mind-talk was special, I said.
Yes, but I have a voice as well, Ventus said. I like to use it now and then.
What now? I bit my bottom lip, panic spreading in my mind.
Business as usual, Ventus said.
Why did you tell him my name? I demanded, reevaluating the situation.
Your name is hardly a secret, Witchling, Ventus said. I don’t like him keeping calling you Wolf Girl.
Don’t call me that, I almost screamed in his head, very much afraid that his master would get a whiff of it.
Don’t call you what, witch or wolf? the guardian asked, feigning innocence as he glided out of layers of clouds.
“Freyja?” the ringleader asked. The way he said my name made me flush. It held a certain intimacy. Other than my mother, my wolves, and the perished villagers who had also called me the abomination, no one knew my real name. But now this Dragonian knew it as well.
“So, Freyja,” he said in a voice like rich molasses, “did you grow up with the wolves? How did you end up being their alpha? Did you have to kill their former alpha?”
Ventus shook his head. “Very smooth, Ares.”
“I was praising her,” Ares protested. “I can see how she became a wolf alpha. She’s talented with a dagger.” He then turned to address me. “You would have gotten me if I were any slower, like anyone else. I’ve forgiven you for throwing those vicious angelic daggers at me. How did you acquire them in the first place?” He sighed at my unrelenting silence. “Well, I see, you won’t share your secrets. Never mind then. I just want you to know I’m not one who holds a grudge. I move forward, as should you. You’re better off with us than with the wolves. You might not be able to see it now, but you will, and I’ll accept your gratitude in the end.”
I controlled my urge to take off my gloves to touch and shut him up forever.
His hardness was still jabbed into my lower back.
At this point, we were both pretending that it didn’t exist. His arousal seemed even more pronounced after our unpleasant exchange.
My contemptuous silence had no effect on him, for he opened his mouth again. “Who are your parents, Freyja? Do you even know? Einarr said you’re a half-advanced human. What’s the other half?”
“Ares,” I purred, and felt his erection grow harder. Perhaps he fo
und my voice bewitching. He’d been aroused because of my roaring. “What do you want with the First Witch,” I asked in a low, husky voice, “supposing you find her?”
“We’ll find her,” he said. “But what I want with her has nothing to do with you. Your job is to take me to her.”
Hmm, this one could keep a tight lip even when aroused.
“I told you I had no idea who she is and where she is,” I said.
“We’ll stop at the next northern city and then the next,” he said. “We’ll sweep over each land, collect intel, and give you something to work on. You’ll figure it out.”
I arched an eyebrow. “You’ll put such faith in me?”
“No, I put my faith in the Oracle,” he said.
A jerk.
“Are we going to charge into the cities?” I asked. I hoped he would do just that and meet a hostile army. And in the chaos, I’d slip away.
“Of course not,” he said. “Who do you think we are? A band of untrained bandits without good strategies?”
“So you’re actually a band of trained bandits and professional criminals,” I said.
“We’ll disguise ourselves when entering any city controlled by other species,” he said, disregarding my snide comments. “And you’ll behave yourself. I can tolerate your sarcasm and rudeness to a degree, but not your betrayal. If you put us in jeopardy, you’ll either fall under my sword or I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”
Threats after insults. What was new?
“I’d prefer bare hands then,” I said.
Ventus laughed and Ares shook his head. He’d had enough of me, as I had of him.
I suddenly had an idea. “Since the Oracle told you to rely on my inner compass to find you the witch, my instinct says we should find a lake now.”
“What does a lake have to do with my witch?” he asked.
His witch? He probably thought the whole universe was his.
“I was about to bathe before you interrupted me,” I said. “I need a bath before we continue on your journey.”
“You stink a little, but I can take it,” he said. “We don’t have time for you to bathe.”
“Then make time,” I hissed. “It’s hot and I’m sweaty. In this state, neither my mind nor my instinct works.”
“Hot? That’s your excuse?” he asked incredulously. “The air is so chilly. If you’re so warm, you should lose some of your clothes instead of wrapping yourself like sticky rice inside layers of banana leaves.”
“Even with my clothes wrapped around me like banana leaves,” I wiggled my body so my back rubbed his cock hard, “I still got this pricking into me. You think I would be safer wearing less?”
The Dragonian drew a sharp breath.
Unexpected pleasure slithered up my spine even with the thick clothing between us. If only his cock could rub on my bare skin.
Warmth instantly pooled between my thighs and my mound was slick with desire.
This was outrageous!
“Don’t move like that, wolf girl!” he warned in a rough voice. His hands slid up and down my waist as if he couldn’t decide whether he should move them up to cup my breasts, or down to palm the flesh between my legs.
They balled into fists, then dropped from my body.
“Fine, you win!” he grated. “You’ll get your bath. I need a break from you anyway.”
“Ventus,” Ares shouted. “Find a lake, or a river, or a stream for the wolf girl.”
“I have a name,” I purred. “Ventus said it’s not polite to call me something else.”
Ventus chuckled in a huff, “I also said it’d be an interesting journey. So it begins.”
Get THE DRAGONIAN’S WITCH on Amazon
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THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 4: ANGEL'S GLORY
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 5: ANGEL'S FURY
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 6: ANGEL'S MATE
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 7: ANGEL'S WAR
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 8: ANGEL'S HOME
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About the Author
Meg Xuemei X is an award-winning author of steamy paranormal and sci-fi romance. She finds it dreamingly delightful to be around drop-dead gorgeous alpha males who are forever tormented by her feisty heroines, formidable alien angels, wild shifters, haughty fey, dark vampires, and cunning witches.
She’s visited the universe of The Empress of Mysth, The First Witch, and Dark Chemistry. Next she’ll boldly go to the badland of The Wickedest Witch. At this moment, in her southern California abode, she’s packing as many forbidden weapons as she can carry. Her favorite one is a magical whip.
She is always happy to hear from readers and welcome new friends on Facebook.
Email: megxuemei@gmail.com
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