“Completely unrelated. She was happy before she died.” Cyril took the parchment back and stuck it into his pocket.
“The king—” Cyril began.
“Gentlemen, I do not have patience for this,” Ari said. “Your point please, Lord Cyril.”
Looking pleased with himself, he said, “I propose you dissolve your marriage to Commander Rurik by royal decree and choose for yourself a proper husband of noble birth.”
Ari looked at her father. “Are you aware, Lord Cyril, that my father was a farmer and not of noble birth when the Chalice chose him for my mother?”
“What? I…” Cyril looked around, stunned.
“And you propose to insult my father?” she asked.
“Nae, nae,” Cyril insisted. “I meant no disrespect to the old king.”
“Lord Cyril,” Ari stood.
“Yea?”
“Leave,” Ari commanded.
“Excuse me?” The nobleman looked around the empty hall.
Ari felt a stirring by her side and paused to see Rurik standing beside her. His clothing looked impossibly perfect and she assumed that was partly due to the shifting.
“I don’t want you…” she started to speak, hesitating before looking up into Rurik’s eyes. When he was in falcon form it had been easier for her to ignore that he was there, right beside her as she tried to say what she needed to. But now, seeing him, she knew what she had to say was for her mate’s ears, not Lord Cyril’s. She didn’t care about Cyril or his politics. She didn’t want Lynus for a mate. She only wanted Rurik and it was time she told him, flat out, what she felt. If he rejected her, then at least she would know she tried. He looked away. Her heart beat wildly. She had to say it. “I don’t want you to leave, Rurik.”
His hot gaze turned back to hers, his eyes narrow slits as he studied her. “What did you say?”
“I don’t want you to leave me. Please, don’t leave me to rule alone,” she whispered, stepping closer to him. “I want…I want y…”
“Ari?” He started to lift his hand. It hovered by her cheek before falling away, not touching her.
“I want you to be king. I mean my king. I want you to be my king. I’ve tried, but I can’t think of a single thing to entice you into wanting the job. It’s not battles and I know you wanted to be in battle, but… Stay anyway. Rule with me.” Ari’s whole body trembled and she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Why didn’t he speak? She so wanted him to speak and yet at the same time she was terrified by what he might say. “Bring blood to the throne.”
“You wish for blood?” He laughed softly, a small smile curling the side of his mouth for a brief second, so brief she wondered if it was just hopeful wishing on her part.
“Nae, yea, I mean your blood, pure blood. I mean,” she took a deep breath, “love me.”
He took a step closer, tilting his head to the side. “Did you just say…?”
She nodded. “Yea. Love me, Rurik.”
“As my queen?” he asked, his expression guarded as if he was purposefully misunderstanding her.
“As my mate,” she said, only to backtrack. “Unless… Yea, as a queen.”
Finally, he touched her and she felt her entire being freeze in wonder. Leaning forward, he shook his head. Her heart dropped. “Foolish little feather, don’t you know? I’ve loved you since we were children.”
Ari gasped. “You’re just saying that. You could barely stand me as a child.”
“Then why did I write that note for you?”
“You? That note was from you?” She gasped in surprise. “But, you said…”
“I remember what I said, but you laughed at it. What else could I do?” His fingers ran over her cheek. “Why do you wish for me to love you, Ari? You have people to love you as a queen. I need to hear you say it.”
“Because I love you, Rurik. I always have. I’m sorry I laughed at your note. I was stupid, nervous, a young stupid nervous girl and I—”
His crushing lips cut her off as he seared her mouth with his, delving his tongue to conquer and explore her depths. Ari moaned, grabbing onto his arms for support as her knees buckled beneath her.
“Ah, Ari?”
She ignored the voice.
“Ari?”
Again, she ignored it. Rurik’s kiss felt so right. Her body stirred to his.
“Daughter!” her father yelled, finally getting her attention. She blinked, turning to look at him in stunned surprise. “You want to finish…” He motioned to a red-faced Lord Cyril.
“I was finished,” Ari glared down at the man.
“But…” Lord Cyril stared at her, his mouth working but no sound coming out.
“I said get out,” Ari ordered.
“You heard my queen,” Rurik barked. Instantly the man rushed from the hall.
Ari laughed. “I should be upset that he didn’t listen to me when I commanded it.”
“Don’t worry,” Rurik said. “I’ll teach you how to scare people.”
“Mm.” She wrinkled her nose before leaning forward for his kisses once more. Rurik loved her. The knowledge poured over her, giving her more pleasure than she ever dreamed possible. “No need. You can scare them for me.”
He stepped forward, walking her with him toward the edge, but she wasn’t scared. Looking deep into his eyes, she trusted him with more than her life. She trusted him with her heart.
“I love you,” she said. “I’ve wanted to say that for a long time.”
“I love you,” he answered, leaning as if to kiss her.
She pulled back. “Fly us to our royal chambers this time, okay?”
He nodded, laughing softly as he turned directions and walked her the other way.
“Come on, Gryger,” her father said. “Let’s leave these two alone.”
“Where would you like to go, highness?”
“Old highness,” the old king corrected. “I’m thinking to the country. There has to be a woman or two out there that doesn’t know I was king.”
Ari giggled, not taking her eyes off Rurik. He leapt, hooking a leg around hers to hold her close as he carried her through the air toward their new room.
Rurik landed by a low canopied bed. She smiled, glad it was closer to the floor than the mating platform had been in her old chambers. Paintings of Falconian men hovering above their women as they took to the sky decorated the top panels of the room. The deep colors were brilliant in their rich tones. Dark wood from the black trees that grew in the nearby forest had been used to carve the canopy and matching panels along the wall. Some of the panels would lead to secret rooms within the palace but she wasn’t sure which ones. The wood was polished to a black gleam, reflecting the soft light that came from the high palace windows. An archway led to a similar dressing room.
The air smelled sweet and welcoming, having been scented by the palace servants. Soft material met her hands as he laid her down on the bed. The coverlet was new, as was the rest of the bedding.
“I’m sorry for all that was done between us,” she said.
“As am I, but we were children.” Rurik kissed the corner of her mouth and moaned softly. He ran his hand over her side to touch a breast through the material of her dress. “And you have grown into a fine woman, Ari.”
She giggled in pleasure. “And you make a very fine figure of a king, Rurik.”
He kissed her again, this time deep and long. His tongue edged along her lips, begging entrance into her mouth. She sighed, taking him in as his fingers explored her body. She wanted him and it wasn’t long before she was aroused and wiggling for more.
“What about those women on your lap? Are you sorry for them?” Ari asked, breathing deeply. She closed her eyes as he pulled at her skirt.
“What women?” he groaned, kissing her neck.
“At the mating… Oh, that feels really nice.” She parted her thighs, allowing his fingers access to her slick folds. His thumb pressed into her clit, rubbing in small circles.
“There are
no other women but you, Ari,” he said.
Ari laughed. “That’s the perfect answer.”
“It’s also very true.”
Rurik continued to kiss her neck as he worked his hand against her sex. Ari grabbed onto his shoulders, pulling at his shirt but unable to get it off.
“Undress for me,” she ordered, eager to see and feel him once more.
He quickly obeyed. She watched him, squirming restlessly on the bed. As he reached for his pants, she hurriedly pulled at her own gown. Naked, she tossed the dress aside and lay back down. He was glorious, with his dark hair and eyes, his impressive wings spread out behind him. With a wickedly playful gleam in his eyes, he reached behind him and pulled out a feather. Angling it toward her, he grinned as he brought it to her leg. The light tickling caress made her jolt as it worked its way up her inner thigh. He stroked it over her sex and circled her breasts in tantalizingly flawless sweeps across the nipples.
She touched his naked thigh, loving the feel of his flesh on her palm. He was hot, firm yet smooth. Lids lowered over her eyes as she looked at him—strong muscles forming the perfect man. Ari fisted her hand over his shaft, stroking the hard length. Rurik dropped the feather on her chest and instantly drew his hand down to her pussy.
Ari licked her lips and wiggled lower on the bed. Opening her mouth, she angled it toward his cock. Rurik gasped as he got her meaning, but didn’t hesitate as he came above her, straddling her head with his thighs. His thick shaft was close to her mouth and she eagerly drew it to her lips, darting her tongue out over the tip to lightly lick him.
With a small sound of pleasure escaping her, she spread her thighs wide. Rurik latched onto her clit, sucking vigorously as he made love to her with his mouth. His tight body flexed above her but he was careful not to smother her with his weight as he rocked his hips back and forth, urging her to take the tip more fully into her mouth.
She kissed him gently, twirling her tongue around the ridge, before sucking him deeper. His groans became louder. She pulled back, using her hands to guide him where she wanted him as she nibbled her teeth up and down the sides before latching onto him once more.
Her mind warred with itself, torn between the pleasure of his lips and concentrating on giving as good as she got. He was too large to take comfortably in her mouth, so she used her hands to help stroke the extra length.
Rurik jerked. Ari gasped as he flipped her over, taking her with him as he maneuvered onto his back. The position made it a little easier to breathe and move. He kept her flush to his mouth even as he rocked his hips up toward hers. It was empowering, giving and receiving gratification at the same time.
He grabbed her hips, moving her body against him. Rurik moaned, softly begging her to stop before he exploded in her mouth. Ari greedily refused to let up, wanting to taste all of him. Her lips rolled faster, sucking harder.
“Ari,” he growled, pushing her hips up and away. She fell over to the side and he was over her before she could catch her breath. His tight body pressed her into the soft mattress.
Spreading her legs, he brought his cock to the apex of her thighs, nudging her open wider with his hips. Rurik closed his eyes and groaned as he thrust forward, burying his cock deep inside her in one confident push. She cried out at the tight fit, the sound joined by his muffled groans.
Rurik smoothed his face between her breasts, massaging both mounds enthusiastically as he began to rock back and forth inside her. He played with her nipples, as if fascinated by them, rubbing at the hard peaks only to take them deep into his sucking mouth.
Ari drew her legs up along his sides, allowing for deeper thrusts. It felt good, the way he moved his hips, working them along hers, thrusting within her as he continued to drown her breasts in kisses.
Rurik pulled back, leaning up on his hands as the pace quickened. He kept moving, hooking his arms beneath her legs to pull them over his shoulders. Closing his eyes tight, it was as if he was savouring each stroke of their flesh.
The man definitely knew how to move and each rhythmic push was punctuated by the graceful flap of his wings as he propelled himself forward.
“Yea, oh, yea,” she moaned, arching up into him for more. “Just like that. Yea. Yea!”
Ari tensed, her body building into a climax. He didn’t stop thrusting as he reached for the pearl hidden in her slick folds. Her body jerked, tensing on its own accord as she was taken over by the force of her release. Rurik’s fingers continued to stimulate her, even as her clit became so sensitive she thought she’d explode if he kept touching her there.
He slowed his pace and she came down for the briefest of seconds, before he was building her right back up again. It hit her hard, just as good as the first. She tensed, crying out his name in pure ecstasy. “Rurik!”
Suddenly, he grunted, stiffening as he came deep inside her. Ari’s body went numb and her limbs fell to the side. Rurik fell next to her, breathing as heavily as she. Her heart hammered in her chest. Weakly, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, liking the feel of his body next to hers. He was safe and she felt small and protected next to her commander mate.
“I can’t feel my body,” she whispered.
Rurik chuckled in manly satisfaction, running his hand lightly over her hip. As the back of his fingers glanced near her sex, she jerked in sensitivity. “It feels just fine to me, my queen.”
“Mm,” she moaned. Even now her body tried to stir him to passion. “Are you going to regret living here at the palace, away from the battlefield?”
“I like the freedom of fighting,” he admitted, “but I love you, Ari. Wherever you are, that is my place.”
“But what if you come to regret palace life?”
“Then you’ll have to make sure it stays interesting.” He kissed her shoulder, as he rested his hand against the mound of her sex. Lightly, he wiggled his fingers, tapping them against her slit.
“I’m sure I can come up with something,” she teased, mimicking his movements by moving her hand to rest along his inner thigh, right below his shaft. “I know the decision is officially mine, but I’d like to defer the placement of your men to you. I’d like for you to pick your successor.”
His eyes met hers and he looked so proud she couldn’t help but kiss him.
“Thank you,” he said, nodding once.
“There is something I want you to do, since we’re on the subject of soldiers,” Ari said.
“What’s that?”
“My cousin. I’d like for her to join the Fifth.”
“Her?” Rurik repeated in obvious surprise.
“Vara, my cousin,” Ari said.
“A woman in the Fifth? It hasn’t been done in a long time.”
“So? It’s been a while since a pure blood has been on the throne. I think it’s time we shook this planet up.” Ari smiled.
“When you look at me like that, how can I refuse? It’ll be my last standing order with the men. Vara will get her chance, but she’ll have to prove herself just like any other soldier.”
Ari nodded in pleasure. “Oh, she will. I’ve seen her fight.”
“Now, enough talk of battles, unless you’d like to discuss this soldier right here.” Rurik grabbed her hand and slid it up his thigh to his shaft. He kept his hand around hers, moving it up and down over the growing length. It hardened in her hand and he groaned in satisfaction.
“So many wasted years,” she mused. “If only we hadn’t been so stubborn. We might have come together sooner.”
Rurik rolled onto his back, lifting her so she sat on his stomach. He rubbed her thighs. “Nothing could come of us before. I think fate knew that.”
“Why’s that? Why would fate deny us the last years?”
“I had to make myself worthy to be your king and you had to prove to yourself and your people that you could rule. If we would’ve gotten together back then, it would’ve made these long years harder to bear. Carrying the faint hope that we might someday be was hard enough. If I�
�d have known you’d be mine, I would’ve died from the agony of waiting.”
She smiled as she leaned over to kiss him. “For a soldier, you’ve got a most romantic view of things. I like it.”
“For a queen, you’ve got…” He stopped, grinning.
“What?” she laughed. “Can’t think of anything?”
“…the most amazing breasts I’ve ever seen,” he finished, pulling her forward so his face was buried between the large mounds. Taking them in hand, he smothered his face. “Mm, I murphm memm. I murphm mu oo.”
Ari laughed, understanding him perfectly. “I love you, too, Rurik. I love you, too.”
The End
Rise of the King (King of Prey)
By
Mandy M. Roth
Rise of the King (King of Prey) © Copyright 2012 - 2014 by Mandy M. Roth
Fated Mates: Box Set Electronic Printing June 2014
First Electronic Printing November 2012, The Raven Books
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
All books copyrighted to the author and may not be resold or given away without written permission from the author, Mandy M. Roth.
This novel is a work of fiction. Any and all characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places is merely coincidence. Novel intended for adults only. Must be 18 years or older to read.
King of Prey Series
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King of Prey
A View to a Kill
Master of the Hunt
Rise of the King
Prince of Pleasure
Prince of Flight
About Rise of the King
Book four in the King of Prey series.
Warrior, bastard, outcast, traitor to his kind, these are all labels Lazar has worn for the past several years, since he took a stand against the actions of a mad king. He’s defended the Kingdom of the Hawks even though the blood of the Falcons runs through his veins. He’s bedded their women, drank their mead and protected their king. None of that makes him one of them. An empty pit has been in his stomach for years, believing his true mate perished long ago. When he learns she’s alive, he has to not only win her over, but also make her understand men who can shift into birds aren’t the things of nightmares. They’re real, and he’s one of them.
Shifter Fated Mates: Boxed Set Page 6