Sold to Serve: The Dark Brothers Book 1

by Kyra Alessy

  There was a time, as a Brother, that he wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Hardship was simply the way of things, but he was finding that some of the realities of life weren’t sitting well with him anymore, and it wasn’t only since Kora had arrived. The change had been happening slowly since they’d left the Army – since his brief time in the Dark Realm, if he was honest with himself.

  He swallowed hard and rubbed a wet hand over his face. The time for those thoughts was in his nightmares, not now, he told himself, forcing the memories away.

  Kora. They’d have to talk to her soon. It was becoming evident that nothing they knew about her was real. His knowledge wasn’t lacking when it came to noble families. Her story about her mistress paying to have her learn to play the harp was ridiculous. And Mace had seen her face while she played, listened to the music she made. Her love for it shone out like a beacon. No, she was lying. And all three of them agreed that it was time they found out the truth about her and he had his suspicions despite them being utterly ridiculous.

  He put his thoughts to rest as he washed methodically. When he had finished, he gathered up his clothes and went to his room, dripping as he walked through the keep and uncaring of who saw him in his undressed state. When he got to the landing, he didn’t go straight to his own chamber; he called in at hers first – just to look in on her, he told himself. It wasn’t as if she’d know he was naked after all.

  He opened the door slowly. There was a candle burning on the table, which caused him to frown, but then perhaps Davas had left it when he’d brought her evening meal.

  She sat upright on the bed fully clothed, a pillow behind her. As soon as he stepped into the room, her eyes flicked directly to his.

  ‘You can see,’ he said lamely.

  ‘Yes,’ she said with an excited wisp of a smile. ‘Bright things mostly, or if something is very close. I can see the candle,’ she turned to it, ‘and you a little, but not very clearly.’

  He couldn’t help but grin in relief as he covered the distance to the bed in two long strides. He sat next to her and tilted her face to look into her dark eyes, which no longer looked anywhere near as inflamed as they had been even that morning. ‘How long?’

  ‘Just this evening.’ She looked away from him, her cheeks growing pink. ‘Where are your clothes?’

  He gave a strangled cough, feeling a sudden and bizarre embarrassment. He draped the clothes he carried over his knee.

  ‘Kade and I just returned. I was bathing,’ he explained.

  ‘Did you catch your bandits?’

  He gave a sigh. ‘No, but not for lack of trying.’

  Just then the door opened again. Kade sauntered in. ‘I thought I’d find you here,’ he said to Mace. His eyes trained on Kora and he smiled warmly at her. He approached slowly and caressed her cheek.

  Kora gave a small sigh at his touch, Mace noted.

  ‘I think my sight is beginning to return,’ she said breathlessly as Kade’s fingers trailed down her neck.

  ‘Good.’

  Mace watched Kade’s progress down Kora’s throat, his cock bobbing. ‘Shall we call Davas to look at her?’

  ‘Perhaps we should examine her ourselves. He can poke and prod her tomorrow,’ Kade murmured, not slowing his attentions.

  Mace nodded, watching Kora’s eyes flutter closed as one of Kade’s large hands kneaded her shoulder gently.

  Mace cocked a brow in question and Kade shrugged in return. She had had them both separately, but would she be amenable to them at the same time?

  ‘It might be too soon,’ Mace said quietly.

  ‘If it is, we wait,’ Kade said simply.

  Mace nodded and stroked her leg through her dress. Her eyes opened and darted between them both, widening.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she breathed.

  Chapter 13

  At first, Kora had been afraid they were going to begin prying into her past and making her tell them the truth about everything, but then Kade began to massage her opposite shoulder at her question and she saw a look pass between him and Mace. Perhaps they weren’t here for an interrogation …

  ‘Remember what I told you about Dark Brothers before?’ Kade murmured.

  ‘I think so. You – you share women sometimes,’ she said haltingly.

  ‘Yes. Would you enjoy that, Kora?’

  ‘I-I don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘I’ve never considered such a thing before.’

  ‘We’ll stop if you don’t like it, but would you like to try?’ Mace asked, his hand trailing down her calf lightly. He delved under her skirt slowly, giving her ample time to resist him.

  She didn’t say anything, but both of their hands on her was doing strange things to her body. She was intrigued, more than intrigued, but two of them? How did two men share a woman?

  ‘You must say the words aloud,’ Kade murmured, bending down to her, his tongue darting out to lick the pulse at her neck.

  ‘Yes,’ she moaned. ‘I want to try.’ She closed her eyes in embarrassment. ‘But I don’t know how,’ she confessed. They must think her so provincial.

  They both chuckled.

  ‘Let us worry about that.’ Mace laughed. ‘First things first, though.’

  He deftly undid the dress’s silken bodice laces and pulled it apart gently as Kade eased the gown from her shoulders, kissing and nibbling the skin that was revealed at her back. She was pulled to her feet, the candle on the table flickering. She could just make out the Brothers in the dim light, but they were blurry. The dress was pulled away from her, leaving her naked before them both.

  Suddenly feeling anxious, she folded her arms over her breasts and shivered.

  ‘If you want us to stop, tell us,’ Kade whispered behind her, his hands caressing her arms. When she said nothing, he eased her arms up, stretching them to loop her fingers behind his neck. ‘Leave them there,’ he instructed, his breath tickling her shoulder. The order made her shiver anew, though for an entirely different reason.

  He kissed her neck, his hands sliding down to her breasts. He weighed them, pinching the hard peaks between his fingers gently, and she shifted with a gasp. Then he lifted them, offering them to his Brother. Her eyes widened further as she watched Mace watching her and Kade, taking in every movement.

  He leant forward, his gaze never leaving hers, and took a proffered nipple into his mouth. He bit it and sucked gently, his tongue lapping in gentle strokes that made her boneless. His hand plucked at the other one, rolling the tip in his fingers.

  She sagged against Kade with a whimper, knees trembling. Mace continued to play with her breasts and, with his other hand, cupped the apex of her thighs roughly, making her rise onto her toes with a cry. He gave her a dark smile that promised all manner of devilish delights.

  Delving between her legs, he began to rub that part of her that both Brothers seemed to know felt so pleasurable. His mouth left her breasts. He fell to his knees and began licking her core instead, taking one of her legs and resting it on his shoulder to open her wider for him. She squirmed and twisted at the sensation of his mouth on her most intimate part, and she felt Kade’s hold on her tighten, keeping her in position for Mace.

  The control he had over her physical body made her breath quicken and excited her to no end. Why did she enjoy this so? She’d always been fiercely independent, much to her father’s frustration. Ugh! She would not think of him; he would not ruin this! She turned away from her thoughts and focused on what was happening in front of her. Here. Now.

  Kade sat down on the bed, taking her with him and settling her on his lap, where she felt the large bulge in his breeches. He took her legs, bent at the knees, and spread them wide. She caressed his face behind her and turned her head to kiss him, passion bubbling over within her like a hot spring. Mace followed them, burying his face between her legs to lick and suck, one of his fingers suddenly thrusting into her channel.

  She bucked and twisted and Kade tutted, taking both her legs over one arm and using
the other to give her a hard smack on her arse. She yelped in pain, then noticed him pull a small bottle from his person and pour something onto his fingers.

  ‘What is that?’

  ‘Oil.’

  ‘What for?’

  He grinned slyly and lifted her slightly, slipping his hand between them. Then she felt his hand at her back passage, rubbing it and using the oil to ease in a finger to the first knuckle even as Mace continued his ministrations without faltering. She tensed, her head whipping around to look at him as she tried and failed to move her body away from his invasion. He looked amused.

  ‘No!’ she whispered in shock.

  ‘Don’t worry. I’m not going to put my cock there tonight. Don’t resist and you’ll enjoy it more.’

  His finger continued to slip in and out of her gently and she found he was right; as she relaxed into the feeling, it was more pleasant. His finger began to go deeper and she bit back a cry. Mace’s one finger became two as his tongue danced over her bud over and over again. His fingers began to hasten, deepening and stretching her, and Kade suddenly added another digit as well. It was too much! She arched with a cry as she was suddenly consumed by sheer, pulsating light. Her legs shook as her insides were pulled taut by pleasurable wave after pleasurable wave, her hips undulating of their own accord.

  Their hands left her and she was moved so that she was lying on the bed on her back, her head hanging from the edge. Mace knelt between her legs. He eased himself into her slowly this time, groaning as his cock stretched her. He gripped her legs and put them around his waist as he began to thrust into her leisurely.

  Kade caressed her face and she saw that he’d freed himself as well. Her mouth formed an O when she realised where he meant to put it, but she didn’t defy him. In truth she was enthralled. She watched him, wishing his face wasn’t so hazy so that she could see his reactions as she took him into her mouth, sucking on his cock and using her tongue as Mace had just done to her.

  Kade gave a groan and gripped her hair, using it to keep her in place as he gradually thrust deeper. He took her mouth in the same fashion as Mace, slowly and easily, playing with her breasts as he pushed into her. He made her eyes water, but he wasn’t rough with her, only firm, and she found that though he might push her, she enjoyed it immensely. She liked the power he was exerting over her, but she also felt strong in her own right. She began to run her tongue along his length as it moved in and out of her mouth in a slow, languid rhythm and was rewarded by his growl of enjoyment.

  And, all at once, the ripples of pleasure broke over her again, her cries muffled by Kade as her legs wrapped around Mace, urging him closer and deeper into her. He followed with the groan of his own release, gripping her hips hard as he spent himself inside her. Kade began to thrust deeply into her mouth. Throwing his head back, he gave a sudden roar, his cock spilling rivulets down her throat. Not sure what else to do, she swallowed his seed and he pulled himself from her mouth, caressing her face and using his thumbs to wipe her wet cheeks. They both kissed her and then silently tucked her between them. She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes, feeling, for the first time in her life, completely secure.

  In the night, she woke and for a horrible moment thought that she was completely blind once more, but then she noticed the candle burning very low and heaved a sigh of relief. She wondered what had woken her. On one side of her, Kade slept deeply. She watched his blurred features for a moment as she hadn’t yet dared to in the day, easing closer to where her eyes worked better. His soft, dark mane of hair was plaited away from his face, and she could see that the scar that marred his complexion travelled down the side of his neck faintly and under his shirt. She hadn’t seen him without clothes, but she had felt the scar and knew it ran down at least to his chest, though she hadn’t yet explored further. She wondered if he was perhaps self-conscious about it and vowed that she would pay particular attention to his burns next time to ensure he knew that their existence made no odds to her.

  As she reached up to touch his face gently, Mace groaned behind her. She turned slowly and found him lying on his back, eyes gleaming in the flicker of the lone candle, and staring at the ceiling. She squinted up, but there was nothing there that she could make out.

  ‘Mace?’ she asked softly.

  No response. He must be dreaming. His face contorted in pain as she looked on and his body jolted, his mouth opening as if to scream, but no sound came forth. He closed his eyes but began to thrash his arms and legs, struggling, all the while muttering the same word, ‘No … No … No … No … No …’

  She shook him. ‘Mace. Mace. Wake up. Mace!’

  He shot out of the bed with a gasp and was in a fighting stance immediately, frantically inspecting the room as if he expected his enemies to lurk in the shadows.

  ‘Mace?’ she said softly from the bed.

  When he caught sight of her, he visibly relaxed, the tension leaving him immediately.

  ‘I’m sorry … I have dreams sometimes.’

  ‘I know.’ She grimaced. ‘You had one that night …’ She trailed off.

  ‘I’m sorry. I should have warned you. Was that when you left?’

  ‘No.’ She smiled ruefully. ‘I cuddled and cooed at you like a babe until you were calm.’

  He shook his head in disbelief. ‘After what I had done?’

  Her cheeks heated. ‘My motives were selfish. I was afraid that the guards would come and you’d let them … use me.’

  ‘Oh, Kora.’ He rubbed a hand over his face. ‘I’m sorry. I know I threatened it, but I’d never ever have done such a thing. Please believe me.’

  ‘It’s in the past. Let’s not speak of it again.’ She smiled tightly and patted the coverlet next to her. ‘I have bad dreams too.’

  He came back to bed and kissed her, letting her rest her head on his chest as Kade snored quietly next to them. ‘What are yours?’ he asked, his voice low.

  She closed her eyes. ’Sometimes I’m being stolen from my bed to be sold in the market. You’re never there. Only the other man who wanted me that day. The one with the green tunic, remember?’

  She felt him nod.

  ‘Other times the monster is chasing me over the hillside or I fall in the well and there’s something in there with me that I can’t escape. It’s silly, but they feel so real sometimes. It’s terrifying.’ She shivered. ‘And you?’

  It was a long time before he spoke. ‘It was before we left the Army,’ he began quietly. ‘We were to travel through the breach to Kade’s home realm. But as we were going through the passageway connecting our worlds, something happened. I found out later that the tunnel collapsed. When I woke, I was alone. I was in a dungeon in a dark realm.’

  She put her arm around his middle. ‘Go on.’

  ‘All of my nightmares are of that place. Part of my mind seems trapped there. Sometimes I think I’ll never escape.’

  ‘What happened there?’ she asked, feeling useless because she couldn’t help him.

  ‘Many things I can’t begin to speak of,’ he said. ‘Worse things than even a man like me could ever imagine. I was tortured in so many ways for so long. I broke so many times.’

  Kora’s chest ached for him. ‘How did you get away?’ she asked, wishing she could take this pain from him.

  ‘I don’t know. I woke up in a village near to a portal in this world. I was near death. It took me a long time to get well. I returned to the Army and learned that the bridge between our world and Kade’s had been destroyed. He can never go back to his home. I shouldn’t have been able to return from there either. Yet here I am.’

  Kora stared at him for a while in silence, unable to imagine what he must have gone through. ‘I’m glad you were able to come back,’ she said finally.

  Mace closed his eyes with a sigh, pulling her to him in the darkness as they fell back to sleep.

  In the morning, she was still in Mace’s arms with Kade at her back. She smiled drowsily, opened her eyes and was met with t
he ceiling. Not just light and shadow, but actual stone with colour and depth. Wide awake in an instant, she let out a little squeal of joy. Both men jerked up, Kade falling to the floor with a thud and a groan.

  ‘What is it?’ Mace yawned.

  ‘I can see!’ she cried, tears coming to her eyes. ‘My sight has come back.’

  Mace grinned and hugged her to him. Kade picked himself up and copied him.

  ‘Is it the same as it was before?’

  She looked around the room. ‘It’s a bit blurry, but I can see all the colours and the textures and the sky …’ She couldn’t stop smiling as she relaxed between them.

  Kade entwined his fingers with hers, kissing her cheek.

  She smiled as she looked up at him a little self-consciously, remembering where he’d had his fingers the night before. Catching sight of the bottle of oil he’d produced last night, her brow furrowed.

  ‘Do you carry that around with you?’ she asked, pointing to the little brown bottle. ‘Or did you bring it by design?’

  He smiled cheekily. ‘No, it was in my chamber.’

  ‘Oh. Do you do this with women quite frequently?’ she asked, feeling a small pang that she didn’t want to examine too closely.

  He shrugged. ‘No, not for a long while. I keep it because Lucian and I sometimes … spend time together.’

  ‘Oh!’ She tried and failed not to appear surprised. Her uncle enjoyed the company of other men sometimes, but … She wrinkled her nose. ‘Lucian? Really?’

  Kade gave her a pointed look that made her think that she’d offended him, but when he spoke, there was no anger in his tone. ‘There’s more to him than meets the eye,’ he explained calmly. ‘Like the two of us, he has his moments, but he’s not all bad.’ He kissed her again.