by Ophelia Bell
Belah sucked in a breath at the charge of energy that shot through her from his touch. He was filled with magic now, more potent than anything she’d experienced. His very aura swirled with all the blessings he carried from the immortal races who had given their gifts to him. All Belah wished to do was taste a sample of this new power he held, but she would rather wait for them to experience each other wholesale as man and wife, rather than sneak tiny pieces.
Before she could push his adventuring fingers away, he stopped abruptly and stared down, tugging the fabric of her gown aside. Following his gaze, she saw the wide band that encircled her thigh had been exposed. That was not what caught his gaze, however. He knew she wore the bands he’d given her today, but he didn’t know about the item she had attached to it.
He stared down at the small dagger that rested in its sheath at the top of her thigh. Bright blue stones had been set in the hilt in a perfect representation of a winged serpent, and the leather sheath had a similar pattern embossed in it.
“It is my gift to you, my love,” she said softly. “I planned to give it to you when we were alone. It… it has my magic in its blade.”
Nikhil’s mouth fell open slightly and he licked his lips. His gaze rose to meet hers, heat and hunger flashing deep within. He swallowed hard.
“It will cut you?”
The eagerness in his voice made Belah’s piercings tingle and a fresh wave of heat flooded between her thighs.
“Yes.”
With a shaky hand he touched the hilt and pulled it partway out of the small scabbard. The marbled metal gleamed in the sunlight, but also seemed to glow with an inner light. Belah had overseen the painstaking process of crafting the fine little blade, but the final step she had done alone. Her own dragon fire was what made the metal glow, making it the only thing that could pierce her skin. A more personalized gift could not exist.
Slowly, he returned the knife to its home. His hand moved to the back of her neck and with eyes blazing with fierce lust, he took her mouth. His kiss was hard and hungry. Belah made a soft sound of reproach—they were in public, in full view of all her people, being paraded around so her subjects could see their empress and her new consort together for the first time. But when Nikhil’s hand pressed down against the band that encircled her thigh, the spikes dug in and all other thoughts left her mind but the exquisite and sorely missed pain only he could inflict on her. While he pressed with the heel of his hand, his long fingers stroked higher and Belah spread her thighs for him, moaning into his kiss.
Tingling heat almost seared her throbbing clit when his fingers grazed it. He pushed two fingers deep into her flooded channel and growled low in his chest.
“Fuck, I need you now, ‘Iilahatan.” He pulled back, panting heavily. He pulled his hand away from her and gazed down at his dripping fingers.
In a daze, Belah could only nod, too elated by his long-needed touch to care that they were currently the biggest spectacle in the city even if they just sat quietly side-by-side. She let him pull her into his lap and with a frustrated untangling of their robes, she managed to straddle his hips.
Only raw, hungry need gripped her now, as she reached between them to find his cock. His shaft was buried beneath his own robes and the belt he wore wouldn’t easily come loose. Finally, she extended a sharp talon and sliced cleanly through the front of his robe and reached inside, tugging him free. Gold paint still coated every inch of his glorious length, except for the underside where his juices had begun to weep from the tip and flow down, washing the tiny metallic flecks along with it.
Nikhil gripped both her thighs and squeezed around the bands, his grip urging her closer, the pain making her even hotter. She positioned him at her entrance and then gripped his face between her hands, gazing down into his blazing eyes.
The thick head of his cock pressed into her the tiniest amount and they both gasped. The sensation was both familiar and brand new. Something about the magic he exuded now made every bit of skin-to-skin contact between them even more exquisite than it had been the last time they’d made love months ago. The little pulses of pain she received whenever he squeezed her thighs just served to punctuate the pleasure when he began to thrust up into her.
There were so many things going through her mind that she wished to say—to tell him how happy he made her, how excited she was for the long life they would share. Instead of words, she pressed her mouth to his again and kissed him. He devoured her in turn while his hands roamed higher. He pulled savagely at the sides of her gown. The fabric tore, baring her breasts to him. The gown slid down her arms, leaving her back bare to the onlookers who now cheered even louder than before when Nikhil bent his head to take the tip of one breast into his mouth.
Belah undulated atop him, reveling in the thick, hot weight of his rigid cock that she had missed so much as it thrust up into her. When they broke away for breath, she glanced behind her, for the first time aware of the magnitude of their public display, then past Nikhil’s head to where the throngs of people extended down the street their litter was traveling along.
The four men carrying the supports of the rear of the litter grinned up at her, not even fazed by the extra effort it must take them to carry a litter rocking from the couple fucking atop it. She arched her back and thrust her chest out, moaning when Nikhil responded by switching to her other breast. Around them, the crowds cheered louder. Their excitement saturated the air, amplifying her arousal and encouraging her to fuck even harder.
With each thrust, the jeweled scarab between Belah’s thighs rubbed harder against Nikhil, sending fresh thrills through her in a rhythm that matched perfectly with his thrusts and the steady, painful throb of the spikes that dug into the flesh of her thighs.
Though the frenzied excitement of the crowd became a blanket around them, she was still more than acutely aware of Nikhil’s wild, pent-up need for her. He fucked her as savagely as he could in this position, yet she could sense the restraint. This was merely foreplay for him, but would be enough to tide him over until they could finally be alone much later. He squeezed her thighs ever tighter, escalating her pain and pleasure for a moment before relaxing his hold and slowing his thrusts.
“They’re enjoying the show, aren’t they, little beast? And it looks like you enjoy giving it to them, too. Let’s make it last until we get to the end, shall we?”
Panting, Belah nodded. She ached to come, but could hold back if he could. The look in his eyes told her that what he truly desired was to use his gift on her, and that only then would he truly be satisfied when he finally found his release. His body was close to climax now, though, so she relaxed onto his lap and kissed him, simply enjoying the way he filled her for a few moments and catching her breath.
After a few more blocks down the street, passing more wild, excited citizens, Nikhil gave her thigh another little squeeze and they began again. They fucked like that for what seemed like hours, and may well have been. When the richness of their surroundings signaled their close proximity to the palace, she began fucking him in earnest, and he responded in kind. No longer did he lave her breasts with teasing attention of lips and tongue—now he used his teeth, biting the supple flesh over and over until once again the world fell away and Belah knew nothing but the delicious mix of pain and pleasure that sent her flying every time he gave it to her.
Nikhil’s grunts of pleasure and harder thrusts signaled how near he was to his own climax, and Belah clutched him, her thighs gripping tightly. The glow of his aura surrounded them both in a bubble so bright and vibrant, nothing outside registered. Her world became a pinpoint of focus on the sound of his cry when he finally came with a violent thrust inside her. A split second afterward, the magical energy that accompanied his orgasm flooded into her and pushed her past her own point of no return. She arched back and sang up to the skies, her exaltation strong enough to drown out the sounds of cheering that still came from o
utside the palace walls.
It wasn’t until their tremors had subsided that she realized they had arrived. The litter had stopped and now rested on the ground at the top of the palace steps.
Nikhil’s face and body were coated in sweat, dark tendrils of his hair escaped its binding and was plastered to his neck. The gold paint had rubbed off his chest and shoulders in places, and Belah looked down at herself to see it had been transferred onto her breasts, hands, and arms.
Sudden cheers erupted around them both when Belah rose to stand on shaky legs, Nikhil’s hand gripped in hers to steady her. He rose easily beside her, his cock now stowed beneath the folds of his skirt. They looked around at the litter bearers and the palace staff who had come to greet them for the banquet.
Everyone beamed brightly at them, not the least bit scandalized to see that their empress had consummated her marriage to her consort before even reaching their bed.
Chapter Nineteen
Belah and Nikhil departed the wedding banquet late in the evening to raucous cheers from the crowd. Many of the guests hadn’t witnessed the spectacle of their lovemaking all the way through the streets of the city, and the attendees could talk of little else.
The hours at the party had dragged, in spite of Nikhil’s occasional teasing touches. Belah still wore the spiked bands around her thighs, which he took advantage of beneath the table, but neither of them were inclined to put on another show. They would have to wait.
Every so often one of the guards had come to their table to whisper in Nikhil’s ear. Nikhil smiled and nodded then gave Belah a sly, hungry glance. It was apparent he had some surprise planned and her body tingled in anticipation.
Now they were finally free of the party, walking hand-in-hand down the corridor to their chamber.
When they reached the doorway to her study—the room that had once been Nikhil’s recovery room—he pulled her back.
“Take off your clothes,” he said softly, rounding her to stand and face her.
“We’re almost at the room…” she began, but he cut her off with a kiss that left her breathless when he finally pulled away.
Dark eyes stared down at her, his expression intense and determined, yet filled with love. He eyed her from head to toe before lifting his hands to the clasp at her shoulder that held the gown together.
As he undressed her, the burdens of the day fell away. With each item of her wedding finery that fell to the floor, another piece of Belah the Empress disappeared. Bit by bit, he took away that persona that she had worn in public, reminding her that when they were alone together, she was only his precious little beast.
Once naked, he urged her to her knees and she went willingly, bowing her head. From above, he gripped the top of her headdress and lifted it off.
He stood silent and unmoving for a moment after dropping the headdress to the floor among the pile of her clothing. With the lightest touch, one bold hand brushed over the length of one of her horns. Belah shivered and let out a ragged sigh at the pleasure that simple touch incited.
“You had these beneath your headdress all along?” he asked. “So you were my beast today, too, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
His other hand came up and he gripped both of her horns in warm, gentle fists. He pushed her head back, forcing her to look up at him.
“It is and will always be my honor to be your master, little beast. Now stand.”
She did as she was told, shaking slightly now with anticipation of the night ahead. To her surprise, Nikhil knelt before her. With deft fingers, he unbuckled the bands about her thighs. From one, he retrieved his gift, attaching the small dagger to his own belt before rising again to take her hand and pull her behind him down the corridor again, naked save for the indentations his gifts had left on her thighs.
The scent of fresh-cut wood hit her nostrils several yards before they reached the door to their chamber. Belah’s curiosity overwhelmed her. What had he done in the few hours since they’d arrived? He had never left her side, but all those surreptitious whispers with the guards must have something to do with what she would find inside when he opened the door. All she could sense from him was the power of his excitement to use her gift. That excitement amplified her own ten-fold.
Outside the door, he paused and turned to her, regarding her silently for a moment.
“Stay,” he said, and moved to stand behind her. A second later, a cloth covered her eyes and he secured it at the back of her head. All her other senses heightened with that simple change, to the point she could easily hear his heart beating heavy in his chest. The scent of his male musk grew stronger, and the very brush of his fingertip down her spine made the rest of her body ache for his touch.
Before her, the door opened and the scent of cut wood surrounded her along with the other familiar scents from the room. Nikhil didn’t lead her toward where the scent originated, however. Instead, he took her into the bathroom and made her stand at the edge of where she knew her wide, sunken tub to be. He left her standing alone and even though she itched to take off the blindfold and look around to see what waited in the other room, she knew better. More than anything, she wanted to experience his gift to her exactly the way he intended to bestow it.
She could hear the sounds of him undressing and a few moments later he returned and led her slowly down the steps into the warm water of her bath. The tub itself was deep enough for the water to reach her waist while standing, and Nikhil whispered for her to “stay” again once he stopped them in the middle of the tub. He moved away again and returned, bearing the scent of her soap.
Slowly he began to wash her, beginning by tilting her back in his arms and submerging her for a moment before standing her up again. He washed her hair with gentle massaging motions, making sure to give her horns more attention too, which caused the already prominent ache between her thighs to grow. Working his way down, he lathered her breasts with both large hands, cupping and kneading them. He tugged at her jeweled rings for a second, toying almost idly. Without a word, he moved both hands to one breast and Belah could feel him worrying at the ring that pierced that nipple. Suddenly the ring itself slid out of her flesh and the weight of the scarab disappeared. She let out a little sound of startlement.
“Shh. I want you completely bare before we start.”
“But the piercing will heal.”
“Then I shall pierce you again after. It isn’t something I would ever tire of.”
His fingers tugged at her other nipple’s ornament until that, too disappeared. He massaged her now bare nipples between soapy fingers, squeezing and tugging enough to cause her clit to throb and her core to grow even hotter than the bathwater. She was panting and whimpering with need when he slid his hands down her torso and urged her thighs wider beneath the water. He didn’t immediately remove the piercing there, though, instead choosing to torment her further by teasing the fingers of both hands between her folds, parting her and sliding back and forth under the pretense of washing her.
When he finally removed the scarab, Belah was close to begging him to fuck her. His fingers returned to her clit, now so bare the sensation was wholly new and foreign when he stroked. With one hand at her throat he pulled her back against him.
“This is only a small taste of what I have in store for you tonight, little beast,” he said. His hand squeezed her throat while his fingers rubbed between her thighs. He knew exactly how much pressure to exert in both places to drive her mad, and before she knew it, she was plummeting semi-conscious into that glorious abyss.
She came back to herself only a moment later, cradled in Nikhil’s lap at the edge of the tub, the blindfold gone. He had her wrapped in soft linens to dry her off, his large hands gently rubbing the cloth over her skin.
Belah gazed up at him with a sleepy smile and noticed that his skin now had a strange bluish glow to it that she had never seen before. Si
tting up, she looked more closely, wondering if it was a hallucination or some strange manifestation of the power he had absorbed from her.
“How do you feel?” she asked, brushing her fingers over his cheek.
“More alive than I have ever felt. Like I never need to sleep again. If you were to ask me to conquer the entire world today, I believe I could do it. Do you know what they did to me?”
“It was my other gift to you, but a selfish one. The other gods imbued you with blessings to extend your life, so that I don’t need to mark you. I am not privy to the exact extent of power you were given by the other races, or exactly what the blessings do, but my own brothers and sisters each gave you a gift of their very essence.”
“And your gift… the blade… you mean for me to do more with it than give you pain.”
“I don’t wish to master you by marking you, Nikhil. But…”
“You wish your master to mark you, don’t you, little beast?” His eyes flashed with sudden understanding. “Of course! You crave being branded by me permanently.”
Nikhil’s entire body tensed around her and his aura swelled. He lifted her in his arms and stood her up, turning her to face him rather than the archway that led to the bedroom.
“No peeking,” he said with a sly smile, producing a dry length of silk and securing it around her head to obscure her sight again. “You will see soon enough what I have planned.”
Turning her, he pushed her forward. She knew the room well enough to stride confidently through, even blind, but he pulled her to a stop abruptly when she was about halfway in. Lifting her up again, he set her down atop a piece of furniture that hadn’t previously been in the center of the room. This was the source of the cut-wood scent, she realized, and now that she was on it, she let her hands slide over the soft, cushioned surface. The smell and texture of fine silk surprised her and made her wonder to what lengths he had gone in such a short time to create whatever this was, or if this was something he had planned all along.