"I am sensing that we cannot do it now." His eyes darkened, but this time frustration and a hint of fury mingled in his desire, danger tinged the edge of his voice. "Why?"
"Because of our differences."
The crack of his hand on the table made her jump. "So you are just going to let that get in the way?"
Alethi had never been frightened before of anyone angry, but her insides trembled at his, though she showed no outward appearance of it but a wince. Something gentle flashed in his eyes in a moment, quickly gone.
"I need to fix this." He voice sounded steadier than she expected. "You must understand, Arun."
"Is it not common knowledge that the Royal Line is part elf?"
"It is. But they still cannot accept someone who is full elfin. I know it does not make sense, but we have to wait."
Arun growled and before she knew it, he captured her mouth in a bruising kiss. Her whole body shuddered at the outward manifestation of his desire and frustration. He tore himself from her, growling. "Then I will give you a taste of what you are forestalling. Make you feel what you are denying us both."
"What—" She whimpered, his hand quickly moving under her skirts pressing into her core through her drawers.
"You feel how wet you are?" his sexy growl caressed her ear, "That is how much you want this."
His finger moved slightly over her, teasing her with slow light flicks of his finger. She gasped, throwing her head back. "Arun…do not…"
"Stop?" He nipped at her ear. "Not to worry, my dear. I intend to make you come."
His finger increased pressure on a point that made her squirm even as his hand refused to move. She closed her eyes and whimpered, pleading. Her hips moved on its own seeking the pleasure his finger denied her. "Arun…we cannot…"
"I assure you, you will still be whole. For now, I want you to scream my name when you come, love," he whispered in her ear with a shaky voice. "Scream your desire for me." He moved past her drawers and circled around the same point, lightly. Teasingly.
She writhed, pushing her hips toward him, wordlessly demanding pleasure. She knew she should desist. Knew that she should push her away, but she could not. She would not. She was lost in the sea of passion he had brought her to.
He held her hips steady and his finger moved ever so gently around her pleasure point. She bit her lips trying to keep a rein on herself, but she could not. She needed him.
"What do you want, love?"
She shook her head. He increased his pace slightly and she moaned, her fingers digging into his shoulders as if letting go would be the death of her.
"What do you want, love?" He asked again, his voice ragged with lust.
"Undo me…" her voice quivered. "I cannot stand this any longer. Please!"
"Beg more, my dear. Look at me and beg me."
Alethi opened her eyes staring at his beautiful features. Her heart and soul screamed for him as her body cried out for his ministrations. It was impossible not to give in.
"Please Arun…end my torment. I beg you! Please!"
She gasped as one of his fingers delved inside her. Arun moaned slowly moving his finger in and out. "Hot, wet and oh, so tight. Perfect. So perfect for fucking."
Alethi shuddered at his words. They were quite dirty, she knew, but he made her seem so desirable when he was the one who would inspire desire more than she did. She bit her lower lip as another finger joined the first and his thumb danced quick tiny circles around her core. She tensed as if she would explode. All her muscles were tight and taut, her body thrashing knowing what it wanted but not what to do.
"Come, love. I know you're there."
She screamed his name as her body released all that he built up within her. She could feel every wave of her release wrack her body violently, as if shaking the remnants of her tightness. Groan after groan escaped her as she leaned onto Arun and he stroke her head to comfort her. Somehow, she felt there was something missing in all she went through. It was an amazing experience, but she knew there was an empty void she needed to fill.
"That is but a taste, my dear." He kissed her forehead and carried her. "Next time I will not be so merciful."
Alethi's mouth opened to protest but only a whimper came out eliciting a low, sultry chuckle from him. She settled into him instead, resting her head on his sturdy chest. She felt too weak and tired to move and she felt lightheaded. When he carried her, she made no protest as they headed into her room deciding to take in not only the scent of his desire, but also the essence of Arun, himself.
Without any trace of Arun's prior ferocity, he tucked her in her bed gently and kissed her on the forehead. "Good night, my dear."
"Stay with me."
Arun took a deep breath and shook his head. She could feel him clutching at the sheets, containing himself. "It is best I do not or I will break your purity. I will be fine, love. Not to worry."
Alethi's eyes fluttered, trying to keep herself awake, but failing, letting sleep wash over her.
Chapter Seventeen
Perfect. It was the bloody perfect move! Arun took a precious experience from Alethi. She did not give it. He took it. How was that for a comforting gesture after what she put herself through! The least he could be thankful for was that he was still alive and he was still in her inner circle of counsel.
What he did get as punishment was the sleepless night he had. Truly, who could sleep with nothing but sex in their minds and the urge to hump virtually anything so strong? The moment he confined himself to the tops of the tower, he wanted nothing more than to go back into her chambers and wake her up with a delicious surprise. He could not believe he had been able to hold out, much less take the punishment he was giving to himself.
He shook himself and dedicated himself to the task at hand. Human politics was giving him a headache. Everyone was playing a game and no one could be trusted. Allies could come and go in a blink and loyalties belong to the one with the most hold on power. Lying, cheating and treachery were as normal as breathing. Everything happened in a blur and power shifts ebb and swell constantly.
All of those worried Arun. Alethi was not as powerful in the eyes of the nobles and the only reason she was not yet deposed was because of the flimsy shield of her blood and the people's trust in her. If they found out she was not her father's natural daughter…
"If Lady Shanel is still the head of house Nadar, then I could possibly do something about that…" he said as the silence opened up the opportunity for him.
Leanne, the new baronet and absolved criminal who took some of Niraya's lands, looked at him incredulously. "Lady Shanel is quite…sadistic, my lord. Misery is her fuel. It's what makes her move politically. If we want her on our side, we have to promise her some sort of schadenfreude."
"How much did she enjoy watching Niraya's sentence?" he asked Alethi. "She was standing next to you, was she not?"
"Gods help me if I could even notice her." Alethi pursed her lips. "I could barely think on keeping myself from getting sick."
"I am not sure, myself, but her head never turned away from the carnage unlike the rest of the nobles." Orrin supplied.
"And you say that she is a woman with…appetites?" At Leanne's nod, an idea formed in Arun's head. If it worked, she would be in Alethi's pocket along with half of their enemies. "Silas, if you could arrange for Shanel and I to meet at sunset on the square where Niraya was sentenced, I would be grateful."
"Then I need to get going. With your leave, your highness?" Silas waited for Alethi's permission.
Alethi's lips pursed for a moment, but quickly banished it. "Perhaps we should all leave. We all have our tasks ahead of us and clearly we are being pressed for time. May the gods be with you in your endeavors."
The room emptied save for Alethi and Arun, sitting at opposite ends of the table. The table where she first came by his hand. Where he saw the passionate woman behind the virtuous one. But now was not the time for such thoughts. He needed to discuss something else with h
er.
"My queen—"
She waved him off. "Please, Arun. We are alone. Do not act as if you are my subject. It makes me feel isolated."
Arun smiled. At least he was sure he was forgiven his fault the night before. "Do you not approve of me meeting with Shanel?"
"Of course not!"
"Oh?" Arun lifted his eyebrow. "Alethi, at times you are a great liar, but in this, you cannot fool me."
Alethi sighed, defeated. "I just…Shanel's reputation precedes her." She looked away, letting the light and the shadows play on her adorable features. The jaw she tightened, rendering him helpless. "She might be old, but she has never lost her touch."
It was all Aun could do to keep himself from chuckling. Instead, a wide grin settled on his face. "You do not trust me?" By the gods, she was jealous!
Her head whipped back to him suddenly. "I do! It is her I do not trust. She is a scoundrel. A fox! She had designs on my father and he would have given in if not for Niraya's own designs. I…"
The grin on Arun's face disappeared. He knew her fears. "I belong only to you, Alethi. I will have no other. By your leave?" he stood for his leave-taking to spare her the agony of reacting to what he said. Her nod was enough of a dismissal and he left.
Arun would gently open Alethi's closed emotions. Years of rejecting men because they wanted nothing from her but riches and power had made her guarded and he would tear those defenses down one by one. It was why he wanted to meet with Shanel personally. Certainly, Silas and Leanne would be able to convince Shanel to support Alethi, but it would not help him with his plans to get Alethi and him that much closer. It was a mad plan, but he knew he was not going to lose Alethi. Not if he played it right.
The descending sun cast a bloody tinge in the square as Shanel arrived without her retainers. Arun praised the former housebreaker silently. He was a grifter of sorts himself if he was able to convince her to go alone. And her alone was more than perfect for him.
"Lady Shanel," he inclined his head.
"Prince Arun," she mirrored him, treating him as her equal. That was good. It would be easier than if she treated him higher or lower. Of course, he did not fail to notice the sudden hitch in her breath and the slight widening in her eyes. She could smell his mating scent distinctly. Good.
"Forgive me for wanting to meet you at this hour. Have I interrupted you with anything?"
"No, not at all." She waved her hand, her eyes transfixed on his face. Good.
"I thank you for your hospitality, then, my lady." He sighed, shoulders slumping. "I am afraid I need your help." He shook his head. "But of course, I cannot jump into that. I have brought you out here from your comfortable home. The least I could do is be hospitable myself." He muttered a spell and the earth rose to provide for them comfortable seating. "My lady?"
Shanel looked delighted at the little magic Arun showed her and she seated herself. "My, these are more comfortable than they look! I heard that elves do very little magic outside their circles."
Arun nodded, though it was only true because rarely went outside elfin lands. He would not say that, of course. "I am afraid, it is a special privilege." He paused, letting it sink in to the woman before proceeding. "I admit, it was a shame I did not see Niraya's sentence." Also not true. "We much believe in honor and justice, and hers was once long overdue."
"Of course! The woman is a great affront to this country. Such an insult for her to presume that we would all follow her in war against your kin. The gods had sentenced her as she deserved."
"And as you needed." Shanel looked at him curiously, but before she could say anything, he added, "You should have been the queen. Not her. I am sure, you would have taken care of the king better." He allowed himself to smile a little at her shock. "I know it was intrusive, but we did have spies in Dosalam when our ties were…none too well. And I must say, you have taken her affront much more regally than the queen Niraya had become." He touched the back of her hand in a comforting gesture. "And if it does not offend you, Lady Shanel, I would like to hear of how she died. I have never encountered the traitor's death."
"Oh it does not! I assure you." A wide smile was on her face in an instant. "I shall spare you the details of my tale. I am sure that your curiosity about a torturous death does not go deep into passion."
"I thank you for your kindness."
"You see, the traitor's death suspends the traitor overhead by their wrists," she pointed at the stone arch with a pair of short chains and three spikes above where the head and the shoulders would be. "Underneath would be the iron horse. It should ride like a horse with a triangular body, only it would cut a person if he sat. Not sharp enough to cut through bone, mind. Niraya was suspended between those spikes and the iron horse and the only way for her to escape them was to bend herself just right.
"Oh, the woman made a show of being brave when she was dragged out but as soon as the queen drove the iron spikes into her ankles to hold the lead weights, she was reduced to a screaming helpless girl. Blood flowed from her head, her shoulders, her wrists, her ankles, between her legs…why, she even started coughing up blood as the moments progressed. Well, I must say I should have done the deed instead of the child queen. The poor girl was ready to swoon!"
"But you were there for her. The whole time, being her strength." He touched her arm as if to encourage her briefly but meaningfully. "We elves admire humans with strength. It is why I feel I could trust you."
"What is it that bothers you that you need to trust a human?"
"Alethi is a young queen. A woman full of ideals and ambition, but naïve, as you know."
"Why, Prince Arun, you talk about your lover as if it is her you do not trust."
Wily. He expected that. Humans were a very dangerous lot. If he made a misstep in this exchange it would be over for him. He had one shot and her pointing out that she knew of his relations with him, meant that she did not trust him and that she had material for blackmail.
"I do trust her. Just not her naivete. I know you are against her, but the fact remains that she needs someone who can guide her. She needs someone with whom an eighth of the real power rests."
"A quarter?" she sounded indignant. "I have more than a third of the nobles, I daresay I have more than a quarter!"
He nodded. "True, but you do not have the trust of the people, the army and the rebels. It is in them where much of the power lies. Alethi has them, making her have half of the power in the land. Should you wish to destroy her and take her place, you have to be very heroic in saving them from certain death or Alethi would have to be very oppressive against them. I'm quite sure if that happens, you will be queen. But you and I both know that heroics could endanger your life and position and Alethi is much too kind to be oppressive. You are not getting any younger, but there is a chance that you would rise so much higher than you do now."
"House Avenda has never put us anywhere near positions of true power and they never will."
"They never had me for an adviser." He touched her wrist again briefly.
She hesitated a while, then said, "What do you have in mind?"
"To put you in the Office of Trades."
Arun watched as her features changed, thinking. Holding the office meant she could influence the laws, the treasury, the people and even outside diplomacy. It was one of the most powerful positions in Dosalam. But of course, Silas already has the whole trade in the palm of his hand. His was the true power and he was sure the man was good enough to twist him.
"You can do this?"
"As you said, I am her lover. This is for her own good. If I have to make agree in bed, I will."
"Just her lover, then?" both her eyes and her words held other meanings.
He stood and bent over her ear and hear her let out breath. "Just her lover." He smiled seeing her tremble slightly before moving away. "I am afraid I need to cut this meeting short. She is expecting me tonight. I will make her scream your instatement if I must. She is quite delightful in he
r modesty."
The woman did not even have the sense to blush. "Perhaps one day you can show me why."
"Perhaps." Never.
-------------
Arun sat in silence waiting for Alethi to speak. He had been in her room for quite some time and she was still not quite finished pacing. He settled himself with looking at her nicely-shaped body and how she perfectly fit in his.
She finally turned to him, her face in conflicting emotions. "I did not like it. I did not like it at all!" Did. So she did not mean the instatement of Shanel into office. He expected her to watch from her window and she did. Perfect.
"It is the only way we could get her loyalty—"
"I do not mean that!"
Arun continued feigning innocence. "What do you mean, then?"
"The way you dealt with her!" She finally burst out. "The way you kept on touching her and leaning close to her. As if…as if you would share yourself!" She opened her mouth to say more but she closed it, her face red as she turned away.
He stood and stood half an arm's length from her. "Are you jealous love?" He did not need to ask, but he did. After all, from all indications, him telling her about their final conversation was what made her pace.
She turned at him, surprised that he had already closed the distance, but she did not step back. Instead, she lowered her head to keep from looking at him. "Yes…" she whispered.
He held her chin up with the crook of his finger. "Every promise I gave her was empty. From controlling Dosalam to fulfilling her fanstasies. I promised you I would give you everything and I will. But I also promise that there would be no intimacy between me and another woman or she-elf. I am your slave, Alethi, and if you see fit to punish me for what I have done, I will take it. But I ask you one thing, please trust me."
Alethi bit her lower lip and Arun held himself back from taking her softness between his own teeth.
"Alright, but I will punish you for this."
Game of Temptation Page 10