by Marian Tee
He saw Estrella stumble back the moment he spoke in her mind, and Lysander whitened, realizing too late he had ended up hearing something he wasn't supposed to hear...and he just had to let her fucking know it, too, like some asshole who enjoyed twisting the knife to make people bleed more.
SHIT.
"I didn't mean to---" He tried to reach for her hands, but she yanked them out of reach in a seemingly instinctive gesture, and Lysander froze. She had never refused his touch before, and that she was doing so now---
Estrella nearly wept with relief when the door behind Lysander suddenly opened, and the twins along with the kingdom's chief spymaster came out. "Fina." She rushed to her friend but then she saw the strangely discomfited expression on the older woman's face---
"Your Highness."
Oh no. She knew that look, and she stumbled to a stop. Fina believed the same thing, too.
"I need a word with you, Fina," Estrella heard Lysander say.
And now, they were probably going to talk about her.
The other woman bowed stiffly to Estrella but swiftly turned and walked away before Estrella could say anything. She watched Fina catch up with the prince and realized it was her first time to see the two in each other's company.
And...they looked good together. Probably better than she and Lysander did, because Fina was everything she was not. Smarter and more experienced, a person who had earned Lysander's respect...someone who could rule the Faes far better than an inexperienced and unskilled outsider.
The prince didn't appear inclined to talk right away, and Fina was thankful for that. She had no idea what had gone down between him and the princess, but she wasn't going to take any chances. She had to be careful and cunning like she always was, play it by the ear and hopefully have Lysander unknowingly clue her in.
It was only when they were at the very edge of the property when the prince suddenly turned to her and asked abruptly, "Is it possible that Estrella could've misread the situation? That in her inexperience she might have indeed believe she had won the battle at Miller Mine and not you?"
"The princess is a great many things, Your Highness," she couldn't help saying sarcastically, "but I have never figured her to be an idi---"
Anger flashed in the prince's eyes as he cut her off, saying icily, "Take care with your words, Fina. I accord you the respect you deserve as my former mentor, but that can only go so far."
Shit. She had obviously miscalculated that one terribly, and Fina quickly backtracked. "I'm sorry, Your Highness." Her voice trembled convincingly with unshed tears. "It's only...I had a feeling this would happen. After all..." She thought of something completely random to say and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "The twins..." She made her voice break off like it was suddenly hard to speak, made her eyes well up like she was just a tiny push away from bursting into tears.
And then she waited.
Lysander's head jerked up. "The twins?"
She kept waiting and let the silence grow tense and uncomfortable, knowing from experience that if she waited long enough...
"It's alright." The prince's tone was stiff.
People always talked, and even Lysander wasn't an exception.
"I can guess they've told you about my ability to read Estrella's mind. I should've told you myself since you had every right to know as our spymaster."
The need to speak and explain was more a human characteristic than failing really, and because of it, Fina was now silently panicking. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Lysander could read Estrella's mind? She had to do something, say something - anything - to discredit the princess, make it seem that even her thoughts were a lie.
But...dammit...was that even possible?
"I used to buy it," Lysander said tightly," every time she acted like she forgot I could listen to her thoughts, but now..." The prince shook his head in a gesture of self-contempt."I was such a fucking a fool to have fallen for it. No one just forgets that another person is able to read her mind."
If Fina had been the type to believe in God, she would've been sending prayers up to the heavens by now. That was exactly what she needed to hear, and she didn't even hesitate for a single second to exploit it.
"You have nothing to blame yourself for, Your Highness." Fina opted to speak with quiet pragmatism, wanting the prince to believe she was still completely neutral in the subject. "You only knew the princess when she was young, and people grow up. People change."
Lysander's fists clenched. He knew Fina was only speaking the truth, but the beast inside him still resisted against the idea. It believed that Estrella was still their Star, and stars were always meant to shine against the darkness.
17
He mustn't know I'm hurt, mustn't think I'm jealous of his bond with the spymaster. He mustn't know how desperately afraid I am he'd replace me. Estrella repeated the thoughts over and over in her mind as she had her shower, and they continued even when she was already at her dresser and making rare use of the makeup her sisters regularly send her.
Not wanting to look pathetic was one thing, but mostly she just didn't want her failings to affect Lysander today of all days.
She took a critical look of herself in the mirror and quickly applied another round of concealer. She wanted all traceable signs of her tears - which she had shed bucketloads of - completely gone. Estrella had waited the entire night, often coming out of the balcony in case the beast had found shelter in the darkness. But when dawn broke, and there was still no signs of Lysander, she had no choice but to accept...he just wasn't coming back.
And it terrified her.
Lysander had once told her that the beast in him required not just her constant presence but actual contact.
So for him to stay away, despite this...
Don't think about that.
Estrella clenched and unclenched her fists until her fingers finally stopped shaking and she could apply one final coat of lipstick without having to worry about turning herself into the cosplay version of Harley Quinn. The fate of her marriage could wait, and in any case, after everything he had gone through for his race...it was only his decision that mattered.
Whatever he thought was best, she thought painfully, even if meant having to destroy their mating bond herself.
L'Alliance comprised of seventy-seven known races, and with each race given four ruling seats. This totaled 308 seats in all, and their combined votes counted for 40% of the final tally. The other 40% was from the Blood Oval, of which there were 10 nominated seats. The remaining 20% came from the votes of the general population of preters.
For today's special assembly, arranged specifically to determine Lysander's possible inclusion in L'Alliance, the meeting, which was generally held within the cathedral, had been moved to the outdoor colosseum.
The vast structure consisted several levels of cavea, with wooden benches making up the outermost levels while the innermost levels reserved for ruling seats were more lavish, with velvet cushions and red carpet laid over the marble steps. Closest to the arena and offering the best views was the centermost cuneus, reserved for the ten prestigious members of the Blood Oval.
And all of them were here to witness Lysander Allard's powers firsthand, now that his soul had fused with that of a legendary ancient beast.
"Showtime in twenty minutes, Your Highness," the stage director informed him.
The words would've been laughable if not for the assortment of weapons that hung casually on the other man's belt: a hundred-year-old dagger, tucked next to a pair of double-action Berettas...and a hand grenade.
So...no. Despite the cliched words, the presence of those weapons made it clear that the man meant business, as Lysander did. If the L'Alliance believed he was a threat, then he would be dealt with accordingly.
Thunderous cheers and applause suddenly broke out from the opposite side of the dugout tunnel, and as more soldiers realized that their princess had finally arrived, the sound grew increasingly deafening.
&nbs
p; Her popularity was unquestionable, and while this had once been a source of pride, now it only made him feel like punching something. Every time a soldier came up to Lysander, it was usually to rave about their beloved princess, and always stories of her bravery at the Miller Mine battle would come up. They were practically worshipping his mate as a goddess, and what made it worse was how they were doing it right in front of Fina of all people.
"I'm sorry for this," he muttered under his breath.
"It truly doesn't bother me, Your Highness." But her voice caught at the end, and Lysander could only clench his fists against his sides.
The subtle interaction between the two didn't escape Misty's notice, and she couldn't help gnashing her teeth on her sister-in-law's behalf, with the way the other woman stood so unnecessarily close to the prince. Domenico had told her that Fina was Lysander's former mentor and one whose quick wits had been responsible for saving the prince during the war.
But even so...
I just don't feel good about her, Misty thought uneasily. While the woman didn't feel evil, there was still something about her that Misty didn't quite trust.
And when Domenico's baby sister finally arrived, flanked on each side by her two handsome political advisers, Misty saw the way Estrella's gaze flitted towards where Fina stood remarkably close to her husband. And then the younger woman looked away just as quickly, and Misty realized her sister-in-law was harboring the same thoughts as well.
When the princess and the twins finally reached them, Fina automatically stepped back, seeing the way the Fournier brothers were staring at her. Bastards, she thought hatefully. They were looking at her like she was some undeserving leech by the prince's side, and she could do nothing about it...for now.
But they'd see. Soon, everyone would see that it was her, and not some stupid royal dog, that deserved to be Lysander Allard's true princess.
Meanwhile, Alain and Aluin subtly carved out a private space for the royal couple and effectively place as much as distance as possible between the spy and their prince. With a few issued commands, they managed to have the princess and Lysander alone, and it was thus that Estrella finally had a chance to speak to her husband.
"I'm sorry I'm a little late." The words sounded awkward even to her own ears, but at least they were safe, and she focused on them so that Lysander wouldn't be able to see the pain underneath it. She wasn't sure if it was going to work, but there wasn't any harm in trying.
Lysander didn't answer right away. He had been trying to read his wife's thoughts and found himself blocked out of her mind for the very first time. Which meant she had only been pretending, Lysander thought bitterly, all those instances she supposedly forgot he could read her mind.
Not once did it occur to him that the only reason one could forget about such a thing was because Estrella's trust in him had been so absolute and implicit she hadn't even any need to hide anything.
But now that trust was broken.
He's still angry with me, Estrella realized painfully. His voice was so much stiffer than usual, his manner aloof. She was close to tears when their gazes accidentally clashed, and she saw that his eyes...
It was no longer haunted. Instead, his violet eyes...
Estrella's own eyes widened.
Lysander breathed hard. Shit. Fuck. Shit. One moment he was struggling to get past his disillusionment, and then the next thing he knew he was having to fight off against a tremendous wave of lust that was making his body tremble and bristle at the same time.
The beast inside him was prowling, snarling. Apparently, one night was too damn long for it, and it was now starving mad. Cold sweat began to bead his forehead, and Lysander breathed harshly. He tried to fight against the need to take her, and the beast retaliated by clawing at its soul. Hard. Enough to make him remember the agonies he had suffered all those years they had been in battle---
Estrella suddenly grabbed his hand. "Your Highness, I need to speak to you in private. Now."
The twins heard this, and it was then they realized several things.
Lysander hadn't slept in the princess' bed last night. Lysander had told them he needed to fuck the princess to stay calm. And if the prince were to come out to the arena with a goddamn beast that was not calm...
The twins cursed under their breaths even as they swiftly sprung into action, forcing a path out of the crowd while they scanned their surroundings for the appropriate venue.
"There!" Aluin jerked his direction towards an unlabeled dressing room a few feet away, and Alain nodded in understanding. He motioned for the royal couple to follow behind him, and after making sure the room was safe and unoccupied, he stepped back to let Estrella and the prince pass.
Aluin pulled the door shut right after and then the twins crossed their arms over their chest and stared stoically at the crowd. The message was clear and simple: anyone who wanted to get to the couple would have to get past them first.
18
Estrella had been so adamant at getting Lysander in a private room that she hadn't been able to quite plan ahead. And so by the time they faced each other, alone behind a locked door, she found herself gaping and panicking, mouth opening and closing.
Her husband arched a brow. "I'm assuming you've a reason for bringing me here in such a fashion."
"You k-know why," she stammered. It was impossible for him not to, especially with that now very-noticeable bulge underneath his pants.
"I'm afraid I don't."
His bland tone had her blinking. Was it possible that he really didn't know? She could feel her cheeks heating up as she awkwardly gestured towards his erection. "I'm talking about that. I don't think it's wise for you to go out there without...well, doing s-something about it?"
Her hands moved the entire time his wife was talking, almost as if she was flapping about just to get her mind off the fact that she was practically pressuring a man to have sex with her. It was amusing as hell, and try as he might, he couldn't keep his lips from twitching.
This, at least, was the one thing about her that he knew she hadn't faked. Couldn't even if she wanted to. He had more than enough experience to know whether a woman was genuinely attracted to him or not.
And Estrella?
She might be feeling awkward and embarrassed right now, but there was also no mistaking the way her breasts had swollen in size in the past two minutes, no mistaking the way she couldn't stop wetting her lips every time her eyes drifted to his erection. She wanted him alright...and goddammit, but he wanted her, too.
Despite everything he knew of her...
It just wasn't the beast in him that craved.
"You have to be more specific." When he finally spoke, his voice was thick with need, and his eyes were now filled with blatant lust as they devoured his wife's already trembling body. "You have to choose how I take you. Remember?"
Estrella could feel her mouth drying. Now that he mentioned it...oh, she so did. She remembered how his monstrously oversized cock could take her in three lovely ways.
Vagina. Mouth. Ass.
All she had to do was choose, but...
Lysander saw Estrella swallow hard, almost as if she was preparing herself---
And then her gaze lifted to his, and she whispered, "It depends."
"Depends?" The answer bemused him.
"How much you can take with the amount of time we have left?"
It took him a moment to realize Estrella had just made her first sexually provocative joke with him, and Lysander threw his head back with a laugh.
The sound had Estrella's knees knocking hard against each other in relief. Oh, thank God. She had been terrified that Lysander wouldn't even crack a smile, but no. Her eyes smarted. This beautiful man whose wicked laugh had her toes curling...this was the Lysander she had come to know and love. This was the old and new Lysander combined, and not the hurtfully icy one that had stayed away from her bed even if it meant risking Ammon's fury and having the beast destroy him from within.
And when their eyes met---
Ma belle etoile.
A sob tore out of her throat as she threw herself at him.
His arms snapped around her.
And then they were groping each other, trying to release pertinent body parts without accidentally ripping any clothes---
AAAAAH!
Estrella let out a moan as his massive cock finally slid home into her already quivering pussy.
He laid her on the back of a table, and her legs locked automatically around his waist.
Their coupling was fast and breathtakingly torrid, and throughout it, his hands remained twined with hers, and his eyes...not once did it drift away.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
God.
He made her feel so, so beautiful when he was like this, and it was almost like before, and she could almost pretend everything was alright.
Almost.
But even as pleasure began to twist inside of her, and her body began to tighten and writhe, she couldn't quite forget...
Even as she started coming, her inner muscles tightening, even as she heard him reach his own orgasm with a growl, and he was hauling her closer and pounding into her faster and harder like he needed her pussy drowning in his cum---
Even then...she couldn't quite stop feeling scared that this would all end.
So much so that when she felt him start to pull away, the words were out before she could stop them.
"I love you."
And then she was crying, heartbreakingly silent sobs that had the beast inside him howling.
He stared down at her.
FUCK.
And he knew...
It was impossible to hate her. Impossible to stay away. Just fucking impossible.
Because---
It is the same for me, my Star.