Albedo sent five guards in first before dragging me through the portal. A blast of wind blew over my sensitive skin, teasing the loose strands of my hair while breezing through the mesh in my dress like a warm caress.
The brush of air ended too quickly, replaced by Dahlquist’s ginormous throne room. Sunlight streamed in through the stained glass above, bathing the room in colored light and warmth.
Lyklor stood in front of us with ten guards at his back, as though he’d anticipated Albedo would bring as many. He wore a gold crown atop his gorgeous golden head. He also had on the smoking-hot red jacket with the wide collar that looked like something from the human world, and a smoldering smirk on his lips. Oh, those lips. I’d never kissed them. I wanted to now. I wanted to trace them with my tongue and so much more.
My body quivered with anticipation.
Before I could take a step forward, Albedo shoved me at Lyklor. I landed against his chest where he caught me in a firm grip. The contact made me flare with heat and desire. I threw my arms around his neck and moaned his name, my lids half closed. “Lyklor.” I ground against him.
“As promised,” Albedo said coolly.
Lyklor’s smile fell, and his eyes widened. “What’s wrong with her?” he demanded.
“Just a little lust dust, compliments of Isadore.”
“This was not part of our bargain.” Lyklor had such a sexy growl. It made me want to rub against him harder.
“She’s been difficult. You’ll thank me later.”
“Mmm,” I hummed. “And so will I.” I skimmed his chest with my fingers and ran my hand down Lyklor’s length, grinning with delight when I felt the twitch in his trousers.
Lyklor swatted my hand away. “Melarue, stop it,” he said, sounding frantic.
I chuckled huskily, laughing harder at the absurd sound rising from my throat.
Albedo huffed. “You know she can’t. Not until you take care of her needs. Don’t make her suffer any longer than she has to, unless you want her to.”
“Don’t make Mel suffer,” I pleaded. I replaced my pout with a wicked smile, pressing my pelvis against Lyklor’s erection. “Your tongue might be able to lie, but your cock cannot. You want me. Here I am.” I rubbed against him.
“Fuck.” Lyklor groaned.
Albedo made a grumbling sound. “I delivered the elf. Now give me my crown.”
Lyklor glanced over his shoulder. I liked that he didn’t fight me off or try to push me away like Ryo had with the harpies. Ugh, I wouldn’t let them ruin my mood.
I rubbed the bulge in Lyklor’s pants harder and faster. If I had to burn, so should he.
He groaned and pulled me behind him. “Change of plans. I’m not handing over Dahlquist. I’m taking Ravensburg back for my sister.”
Albedo hissed. “You insolent little liar.”
“Don’t look so surprised, Albedo,” Lyklor said in a taunting, laughing tone. “After all these years, you should know better.”
Sky above, he was sexy. I grabbed his ass. Nice, firm, and Mel-approved.
The flagstones shook in their foundation as guards poured in through the surrounding doors.
Isadore gave a shriek of outrage. Albedo pulled out his sword. I jumped onto Lyklor’s back, wrapped my legs around his torso, and licked his ear. “Oh goodie, can we fuck now?”
Chapter Nineteen
Melarue
Lust must have made me hallucinate as well.
Among the Dahlquist guards, I could have sworn I caught sight of Keerla, Devdan, and . . . Sana? What was she doing here?
Lyklor dropped to the ground as Albedo swung at him with his sword. My arms and legs loosened on impact. I jumped up, flaring like a torch when I snarled at Albedo. “Don’t touch my male!” I pushed out my hands and watched in fascination as a large fireball spun toward Albedo. He leapt aside just in time to avoid the sparks that detonated. The Ravensburg guard behind him wasn’t as lucky. He screamed as fire consumed him. My eyes widened and my nostrils flared. Wicked. I felt even hornier than I had before.
I spun around and grabbed hold of Lyklor as he got to his feet. I molded myself to his side, vowing not to let go until he’d given in to my needs.
“Mel!” The sound of Aerith’s voice tunneled through my mind, unlocking the buried chest of hope and happiness I’d thought gone forever. Everything would be okay, just as soon as I got my arousal under control.
Aerith and Jhaeros ran over to Lyklor and me. Well, Aerith waddled. Every time we were reunited, she looked bigger than before. Was the baby due soon? Mmm, babies. Blessings. I wanted to have lots of Lyklor’s little Fae babies.
No, Mel. No!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
“Melarue,” Lyklor gritted out.
Oh, was I rubbing up and down him again? It felt good, so I continued.
Males grunted around us. A new portal opened, and more Ravensburg guards ran into the throne room, joining the fray of clashing steel, kicks, punches, and bellows.
Lyklor hauled me behind a pillar. Aerith and Jhaeros hastened after us. They were both decked out in armor and swords. No fair, I wanted a sword, but first I needed to shake off this all-consuming lust.
Aerith puffed as she rounded the pillar, stopping short as she took in the sight of me humping Lyklor’s leg. Her eyes bulged like her belly.
“What’s wrong with my sister?”
Lyklor grabbed my shoulders and tried to hold me away from him. “Albedo had her inhale lust dust.”
“What is that?” Aerith demanded. She sounded really angry.
“What do you think it is?” Lyklor didn’t sound happy either. I bet he’d feel a whole lot better if we ducked out of the melee and found a cozy little alcove together.
A Ravensburg guard rounded the pillar, sword lifted to strike. Jhaeros cut him down with one slice across his gut. The guard shrieked in pain, clutching his bleeding abdomen as he fell to the ground.
“Get him! Get Lyklor!” I heard Albedo shout.
Dude was seriously raining on my sex parade. How was I supposed to get it on with Lyklor if Albedo kept trying to kill him? I forced myself away from the hottie blond to take care of the problem impeding our progress.
“Someone hand me a sword,” I said with annoyance.
When no one obliged, I opted for fire instead. Stepping out from behind the pillar, I sent a blazing trail of flames into the fray.
The tunic on a Dahlquist guard caught fire. He screamed. Oops.
“Mel! Shit!” Jhaeros said.
“He’ll be okay, right?” I asked sheepishly.
Aerith’s nostrils flared. “Get her out of here,” she snapped at Lyklor.
I patted his bottom for encouragement.
“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” Lyklor hissed through clenched teeth.
I sent another blast of heat out blindly when I thought I caught sight of a maroon tunic. Guards scattered away.
“Now!” Aerith yelled.
“You need my help,” Lyklor argued.
Jhaeros grunted. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Lyklor, but your swordsmanship sucks. We’ll handle this.” He looked at Aerith, and she nodded, gripping the hilt of her sword.
“Get Mel to safety. That’s your one and only priority.” She spoke as though I wasn’t there, which was okay. I was sorta preoccupied with trying to get inside Lyklor’s pants.
Aerith pointed at a Dahlquist guard stationed at a nearby side door, his sword drawn, legs bent at the knees, ready for anyone who tried to run through.
“Don’t let anyone come after the king or my sister,” she ordered. “No one else leaves this room.” The guard nodded. “Now go!” Aerith yelled.
Lyklor grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door. I hurried along with him, escaping the madness within. The corridor seemed so peaceful in comparison—with the exception of Lyklor’s heavy steps leading me away from the throne room.
“A heavily pregnant female staying to fight while I flee,” he grumbled.
“
You can still use your sword,” I purred, slipping my hands to the front of his trousers.
Lyklor’s entire body jerked, and his eyes expanded as though he’d momentarily forgotten what I wanted. He took my arm gently and steered me around a corner. “I’m sorry Albedo did this to you,” he said, sounding pained. “Just give it time to, uh, work itself out of your system.”
I shook my head violently. Celibacy was not the answer. “Isadore said that if I don’t have sex soon, I’ll die.” I threw in a whimper.
“She did not.”
“Did too.”
“Liar.” Lyklor’s lips curved into a smile that looked as though it held back a laugh.
“Do you like my dress?” I asked, sliding my hands down my chest, belly, and thighs.
He followed my fingers with hungry eyes. “You know I prefer you in breeches.”
I stopped at a door and turned the handle.
“What are you doing?” Lyklor asked behind me.
Peeking inside, I saw it was a small parlor. A settee would do, but I had my mind set on a bed. I hurried up to the next door and peered inside. Bingo! Score. One of Dahlquist’s many guest chambers was all set up for us.
“Alone at last,” I said, yanking Lyklor inside with me. I slammed the door shut behind us. I could see the protest forming on Lyklor’s lips. I covered his mouth with my hand and leaned against him. “Truth. Lies. Save it. I know you want me.”
His eyes flared with need. He captured my wrist and peeled my hand from his face. “Ever since you snuck that stupid scone for me back at Ravensburg.”
I lifted my brows. “You didn’t even eat it.”
“Yeah, damn pride always getting in the way.” Lyklor shrugged.
“Is that what’s stopping you now?” I asked, pulling him over to the bed.
He groaned and closed his eyes, but he didn’t stop me. “This is me doing the right thing.”
“You’re too late.” The words snarled out of me.
Lyklor’s eyes popped open.
I’d been mated and forced out of my bond. I’d watched Ella die. It had all been for nothing. It was all too much.
“Melarue, I’m so sorry.” Lyklor ran a hand through his hair, smacking into the crown. He gave a start, like he’d forgotten it was there, then pulled it off his head and stared at it with a frown.
Fed up with his stalling, I yanked the crown from his fingers and tossed it aside. Lyklor’s head snapped up, blazing eyes back on me. I pushed him onto the bed and jumped on top, yanking at the fastening of his trousers. My skirt billowed around us, curtaining my hands as I undid him. Lyklor’s hands shot under my skirts, grabbing hold of my wrists.
“This isn’t the way I want you.”
“Oh no?” I challenged, jerking my hands out of his grasp. I slid my fingers up my chest and tore through the mesh. “How about now?”
Lyklor groaned and squeezed his eyes closed.
I pulled aside the ripped fabric, freeing my breasts completely. The teardrop gemstone nestled between my tits. “How do you like my rubies?” I asked.
Lyklor gaped at my chest, momentarily stunned. The blues of his irises brightened with appreciation and lust. With a groan, he tore his gaze away and jerked his head to the ceiling. “Sky above,” he mumbled.
“Touch them,” I said.
“Melarue—”
“Touch them, or I will.” I grabbed my boobs and squeezed.
Lyklor cursed.
I wiggled against him, instantly feeling his response.
“You’re killing me.” His words sounded pained.
I rubbed again. “Make it stop,” I rasped. “I feel like I’m about to combust.” I squeezed my eyes closed and moaned. “Make it stop,” I whispered. “Make it stop.” My nipples blistered with heat.
With a groan, Lyklor sat up and took one breast in his mouth. Cold metal touched the hard point of my nipple. His tongue ring circled one peak then the next.
“Ahhh,” I groaned, the ache stretching through my body like a cat in a patch of sunlight. “Not enough,” I mewled when he paused.
“I’m sorry.” Lyklor breathed his apology over my neck.
“More,” I demanded.
The ball of his tongue ring returned to its teasing strokes. Lyklor shifted beneath me as he pushed one boot free with the other, shucking the second one off with his foot. I dragged his trousers down and stroked the velvety skin covering his long, hard shaft. The tip glistened. Why was he being so difficult when he clearly wanted me?
“What about Ryo?” Lyklor demanded harshly.
His tone didn’t faze me. I worked my hand up and down his length. Were all the Elmrays this endowed?
“Didn’t Albedo tell you? He’s being pleasured by a couple of blue-haired harlots.” I pumped Lyklor faster.
“What? Why would he do that?” A mix of anger and confusion punctuated Lyklor’s words.
“Shh,” I said, placing a finger to his lips. “I don’t want to talk about that right now.” Or ever. “The mate claim was revoked, removed—vanished without a trace. I’m free to find pleasure with whomever I choose.”
“That’s the lust dust talking.”
“I’d still want you without it.” I gave his shaft another pump for emphasis, but Lyklor frowned.
“Would you?” His bright eyes burned below me.
I sighed in exasperation. “Yes, you, Lyklor Elmray, King of Dahlquist.” I wrinkled my nose. “Not that I’m into crowns, but I am into you. I have been since the moment I met your stubborn ass. Why do you think I risked coming back to Ravensburg?”
Something changed in his expression. Surprise, followed by a radiant glow and lips that parted as he stared at me, unblinking. It was the “love dove” look. I nearly laughed because it looked so out of place on Lyklor. Normally, I’d be terrified, but in that moment, my heart melted. I couldn’t even entirely blame the lust dust.
I stood on my knees, positioning myself over Lyklor. His slick tip pressed at my opening. The need inside me spiraled up like a tornado.
“I’m sorry,” he said, but the resistance had dissolved from his voice.
“Stop apologizing,” I growled, wrapping my arms around his neck.
Lyklor hissed as he grabbed my hips, joining us in one upward push.
He lifted me in his arms, stood, and stumbled to the wall, pressing my back against it as though it was the only thing holding us up as he drove inside me. Our hips connected and undulated to a shared rhythm that swelled up my pelvis to my breasts. I hooked my ankles around his back, clinging to his muscled abs. My skirts tangled over our thighs as we pulsed faster. An inferno raged inside me, heating my skin as though it would melt away. I sobbed as the intensity of my need scorched me until bursting apart like a dam offering the relief I desperately needed to squelch the flames. My body sagged against him, freed from the blaze.
Lyklor buried himself inside me with a guttural moan, his release filling me with the truest warmth I’d felt since Albedo killed Ella.
Our bodies remained joined, pressed against the wall as we regained control of our breathing.
I clung to him. When he tried to disentangle himself from me, I held on tighter, burrowing my face into his shoulder. Lyklor pulled us away from the wall and rubbed my back gently before attempting to break free. I squeezed my legs around him like a manacle made of flesh and bone.
“Seriously, Mel?”
The sound of his chuckle was like balm against my heart.
I lifted my head off his shoulder and grinned. “You called me Mel.”
“That’s your name, isn’t it?” Lyklor’s eyes shone with mirth. I liked the look on him a whole lot better than the guilt-ridden creases that had wrinkled the skin around his eyes and forehead earlier.
“With you it’s usually Mel-a-rue.”
“Well, Melarue, it’s time I returned to the fray.”
“No,” I said urgently.
“No?” His eyebrows furrowed.
“Don’t leave me.”
Lyklor’s smile vanished. His entire body sagged, loosening his hold on me. I held tight to his neck with my arms and to his torso with my legs.
“You’re the one who is going to leave me, Mel.”
I didn’t like the way he said my name this time, all sad and heartbroken.
“Aerith tasked you with my protection,” I reminded him. His frown made me press on. “Albedo doesn’t stand a chance against her. Just please—don’t go,” I said softly.
I knew I was being selfish. If I’d been in my right mind, I would have gagged to hear myself begging to stay in bed with a male while my sister battled for the throne. But while the burn had smoldered, the need raged on, and I needed Lyklor like I’d never needed anyone.
Lyklor stared into my eyes for several heartbeats before nodding solemnly. He carried me to the bed and nestled in while I held on to him. Once we were settled comfortably, he held me in his arms. I drifted into the first peaceful slumber I’d known in weeks. When I stirred a short time later, it roused him. He hardened inside me and, without any barriers to hold us back, Lyklor rolled on top of me and rocked. He lifted himself off the bed onto his wrists, using his entire body to bring us together again and again.
“Sky above, you’re wet,” he groaned.
I grabbed his taut shoulders and moved with him, needing more. He moved steadily, as though nothing was more important than claiming my body with his own. He didn’t stop until I tightened around him and shattered apart—only then did he let go. The red haze began to clear, replaced by fatigue that dragged me under before I could make him stay. Just before fading off, I felt the weight of the ruby leave my neck and heard it clink on top of the nightstand.
Things would have been easier if I’d never woken up.
Chapter Twenty
Aerith
The clang of swords striking and sliding together pierced my eardrums. Dahlquist guards continued to surge into the throne room while Ravensburg guards rushed in through the portal, ten at a time.
It was too soon to restore the castle’s wards. I was waiting on one more player to make his appearance. Putting all the wards in place would take too long even if we were ready to shut down all portaling into Dahlquist.
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