She might not recognize the words, but Lottie knew a declaration of intent when she heard one being made and the cheer that came when Jax stopped talking told her the entire room had just been informed of his plans for her. Somehow, the crowd’s enthusiastic response was not comforting. As the noise died down and general conversation was struck up once more, Lottie was aware of Jax hovering above her.
“You may get up now, Charlotte.”
She pushed herself back onto her knees and then struggled to get to her feet. She wasn’t the most graceful person to begin with and the chains binding her wrists and ankles made it difficult to get up. If strong arms hadn’t caught her, she would have fallen. Grateful to have been saved from landing flat on her face, she turned to thank her savior and found Daen standing there, his expression blank. Before she could even get a word out, he released her from his grip, then walked away. She wanted nothing more than to go after him but as she started wistfully at his retreating back, but Jax cleared his throat and took hold of her arm, leading her toward the throne. He turned her around to face the people and, as he took his seat, pushed her down to the floor so she ended up on her knees between his feet. It was a humiliating position that made her look like his little human pet. Well, if he thought she was going to roll over and purr for him, he was in for disappointment.
Silently fuming as different men came up to speak to Jax and brazenly check out her breasts, which were on full display through the gauzy fabric of her dress, Lottie scanned the room. Within seconds she found Ren, the distinctive sound of his laughter drawing her eye to him. The most jovial of the brothers, he had a relaxed air about him and she wondered if the man he was talking to was a close friend. She really didn’t know much about her mates’ lives here on Bylanthia. Perhaps she never would.
She looked around and saw Marc with a group of warriors whose gesticulations suggested they were recounting their exploits in battle. Daen was nowhere to be seen and Lottie wondered where he’d gotten to. Despite her concern for him, however, her gaze soon drifted to the wood-framed bench at the end of the platform.
“You’ve spotted it, then?” Jax asked.
“It’s hard to miss. What’s it doing there?”
“You’re an intelligent woman, you tell me.”
Lottie wasn’t sure she wanted to speak the words out loud, but she could feel Jax’s eyes boring into the back of her head. She turned to face him, her lips set in a scowl.
“It’s for a claiming ceremony,” she said, her mouth twisting in distaste.
Jax inclined his head to confirm it.
“Although in this case, reclaiming would be more appropriate.”
“You intend to reclaim me in front of all these people?” Lottie asked.
“Not all of them, just a select few.”
Lottie snorted. As if that made it any better. If they were going to fuck her in front of an audience, it hardly mattered if there were ten spectators or ten thousand.
“And it will not just be me,” Jax continued, “but my brothers as well.”
For a moment she wondered whether that included Daen. It might almost be worth the humiliation she would endure to have him touching her again. She shook off that thought. Nothing could make what Jax was proposing any more palatable to her.
“You expect me to consent to this?” she asked, knowing quite well Bylanthian men didn’t usually wait for their intended mates to agree to anything. When Jax and the others first approached her, they’d given her a choice rarely extended by men of their race—be theirs and accept their dominance or reject them and be left in peace. She had made her decision and even though things hadn’t been great since Taar-Breck, she’d never regretted it until now.
“You cannot refuse us, Charlotte. If you disobey you will be thrashed before we tie you down and fuck you. Too much depends on the success of the ceremony to let your finer feelings get in the way.”
Lottie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was he suggesting she was being prissy? Not liking the idea of being ravaged before an audience of men who wanted to see her shamed was not a sign she was a prude. Even women with exhibitionist tendencies would be reluctant to submit to that.
“So I have no choice in the matter?”
“No, you don’t,” Jax admitted, an unexpected note of sorrow in his voice, “and neither do I.”
Leaving her wondering what he meant by that, what forces were compelling him to perform the claiming ceremony, Jax got to his feet and stepped around her. Lottie watched as he raised his arms to silence the crowd and his brothers headed toward the front of the room. She began to tremble violently. The ceremony was about to begin.
Chapter Eleven
Lottie was shaking from head to foot and her eyes darted around the room as though she was trying to figure out an escape route. Jax hated seeing the fear taking hold of his fiery little human, but in a way, he was glad of it. He needed the assembled crowd to see she was afraid. Her future depended on it.
Although Jax had retaken the throne, his position was far from secure and already there were rumors of further rebellion brewing in the southern hemisphere. Many of his people had ideas that were rooted firmly in the past. They saw him as a progressive who wanted to create a more equal society and give women new freedoms to participate in making the decisions that affected their lives. His critics pointed to his relationship with Lottie as proof he was becoming too soft on women. She wasn’t as submissive as Bylanthian females were groomed to be and, besides that, humans were not trusted. His people believed them to be manipulative, dangerous, and there was concern that Lottie had gained too much influence over him and his brothers.
After she’d shamed them with her false accusations, there were those who thought he should be punishing her much more severely. People had spoken of branding her flesh and having her lying tongue cut out. Putting her through the ordeal of a claiming ceremony seemed benevolent in comparison and it was a necessary step to appease those who would gladly see her whipped to within an inch of her life. He hoped she would understand that whatever they did to her now, it was so they could enjoy a future together. He did not want to have to choose between his kingdom and Lottie. Despite the anger he still felt toward her, it would not be easy to give her up.
“Prepare her,” he instructed Marra, who’d been standing by.
He took a seat on the throne and Marc and Ren came to stand next to him.
“Where is our brother?” he asked when Daen didn’t join them.
“He has left the room,” Marc replied.
Jax grunted disapprovingly. If Daen didn’t want to take part in the ceremony so be it, but he should be here to show a united front. Jax was going to have to do something about his youngest brother soon. This brooding couldn’t be allowed to continue, not if it was going to prove harmful to his rule. He was tempted to send Ren after their brother but decided against it. Forcing Daen to be here when he didn’t want to be would only widen the rift already opening between them.
A sudden shriek drew his attention back to Lottie. A moment ago, she’d seemed composed. Yes, she’d been frightened about what was going to happen to her, but she was ready to comply. Now she was struggling furiously against Marra, who was trying to drag her to the bench. Despite being shackled hand and foot, Lottie was putting up a hell of a fight and managed to break free from the Bylanthian woman. Although Marra had a good twelve inches and at least fifty pounds on Lottie, their mate managed to strike her hard across the side of the head, knocking her off her feet.
Jax had suspected, as compliant as she’d been over the last day or so, that Lottie would not calmly submit to being claimed in such a public forum. What she didn’t realize was that there was no way he would allow all these people to see the agony and ecstasy on her face as he and his brothers fucked her. Still, he had to admit her resistance was heating his blood and the crowd was clearly loving the show she was providing for them.
“Looks like our little mate needs a firmer hand,”
Jax said to Marc.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
His brother grinned broadly and moved quickly toward Lottie. She lashed out at him as he approached, but he grabbed hold of the chain linking the cuffs around her wrists and raised her up so she was standing on tiptoe. Her face contorted with fury as she twisted from side to side, trying to get free. Against Marra, that might have worked, but Lottie was no match for Marc. He spun her around and marched her to the spanking bench, pushing her down firmly over the padded surface. Pulling her arms up over her head, he looped the chain over a hook at the top of the bench and dragged her backwards. With the chain now taut, there was no way she could work herself free. He drew one foot out to the side and cuffed her ankle to the leg of the wooden frame before doing the same with the other, so she was spread open for them.
Jax watched as she tested her bonds and then slumped against the bench when she realized she was held firm. He didn’t know what was going through her head, but Lottie was a pragmatist. She would not continue to fight once she knew it was futile. Instead, she would use her energies to calm herself and prepare for what was to come. Either that or she’d imagine the countless ways she might cut his balls off. It didn’t matter. All that was important right now was that she was restrained and ready for them.
Marc turned to him and held out the ceremonial dagger he’d had in his belt. Jax rose to take the knife and positioned himself behind Lottie. She tried to turn to see what he was doing, but he knew her view was limited. She had no idea what was about to happen.
“Hold still, Charlotte. I have no wish to cut your beautiful skin.”
Her shoulders tensed but she remained perfectly still as he ran the blade under her dress, cutting it open from neck to hemline in one swift movement. He cut down each of the arms, watching carefully for any flinching from Lottie that might cause him to accidentally injure her. Good girl that she was, she didn’t move a muscle. In fact, he was pretty sure she didn’t even breathe the entire time. As he tore the tattered fabric out from under her, she gasped, sending a jolt of lust straight to his cock. Jax swallowed hard as he reached for the gold metal that shielded her pussy from view. At his touch, the chastity belt loosened its grip on her skin and he pulled it out from under her. Lottie was left utterly exposed and he could see every part of her. Luckily, the little metal button inside the device had done its job by teasing her clit and Lottie was soaking wet. It was a kindness she probably had no idea he’d bestowed on her. The ritual demanded that their mate be taken without preparation and so he was pleased the device had done what he could not. He had no desire to force his cock into her channel if she was not ready for him. A Bylanthian woman would scarcely cope with that; a much smaller human would be ripped apart.
Jax quickly divested himself of his clothing and his brothers did the same. They turned to the crowd so their masculine prowess could be affirmed. It was another part of this foolish, outdated ritual, designed to prove that the males were properly equipped to claim their female.
“Let those who are not chosen to witness the ceremony leave now,” Jax commanded.
People began to shuffle from the hall but not before they’d been sure to come to get a closer look at Lottie, spread out on the bench. A muscle ticked in Jax’s jaw and he was glad Lottie had her head turned away, so she didn’t have to see the way they leered at her. When only the nine people he had personally selected to stay in the room remained, Jax addressed them.
“You have been chosen in accordance with the laws of Bylanthia to bear witness to our claiming of the human, Charlotte Calder, as our mate.” His voice echoed through the room now that it was almost empty. “Be seated. We are about to begin.”
* * *
If her heart beat any faster, it was going to explode. Lottie forced herself to breathe slowly and deeply to calm herself, but it was no use. She’d never felt so intensely vulnerable in her life and it was not going to be easy to relax. She tried to tell herself her fears were unfounded. After all, she knew these men intimately. They were already her mates and she’d been fucked by each one of them more times than she could count. Although they could be rough at times, they’d never harmed her. She was safe in their hands. She knew all that and yet still she was terrified by the idea of strangers watching as her men took her. What if they decided to make an example of her for what she’d done to them on Taar-Breck? What if having an audience spurred Jax and his brothers on to do things they wouldn’t normally dream of? She was helpless to resist whatever they chose to do to her.
She glanced over her shoulder as Jax positioned himself between her legs. The head of his cock nudged at her entrance and a tear slid from the corner of her eye. This was really happening. She pulled at the chain on her wrists and whimpered helplessly. Just as she was about to start crying, Jax winked, sending the silent message that all was going to be okay.
“Draw the screen across!” he commanded.
Lottie turned her head to see a thin white curtain being drawn across the room, to hide the dais and the bench she was tied to. She couldn’t see the people who’d gathered to watch her humiliation anymore. With the lights shining on the platform, she imagined they’d see what her mates were doing to her in silhouette only. They wouldn’t be able to see her face or any intimate parts of her body. Confusion swamped her but an answer to the question she didn’t ask came when Ren crouched next to her and wiped the tear from her cheek.
“We are the only ones who will see your beautiful face when we fuck you,” he said softly.
Relief or even gratitude should have been her first reaction but instead it was fury that rose up in Lottie. They’d scared the crap out of her, leading her to believe a bunch of strangers would be watching her every response as she writhed helplessly on this bench while they claimed her.
“You bastards!” she spat as she struggled to push herself up.
A hand cracked down hard across her bottom and she yelped, more in surprise than pain. Then Jax’s cock impaled her with a single, brutal thrust. There was no time to adjust to the incredible fullness as he yanked her back against him and drove into her like a man possessed. She was shoved along the bench as he fucked the breath right out of her lungs. His fingers dug painfully into her hips and that would leave a lasting mark. Lottie opened and closed her fists, grasping at the air, desperate for something to cling onto. Behind her, Jax grunted as he powered into her bound and helpless body. His flesh slapped against hers repeatedly until, suddenly, he pulled out to release a hot spurt of semen across her lower back.
If the goal had been to stun her into submission, he’d accomplished what he set out to do. Lottie sagged against the cool leather surface of the bench and drew in huge gulps of air. Her pulse raced. That was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. The intensity of being fucked in such a raw, animalistic manner was mind-blowing. Jax had used her to slake his own desires, paying no attention to what she needed, yet the heat between her legs had increased. Lottie’s clitoris pulsed, and she rocked her hips trying fruitlessly to catch hold of her burgeoning desire and take herself over the edge.
As Jax stepped aside, Marc took his place. He tangled a fist in Lottie’s hair and yanked her head back so her body was bowed. The stretch strained her arms and she groaned. Meeting Marc’s eyes, she held his dark stare. Her heart skipped as she acknowledged her vulnerability. Bound at wrist and ankle, she could do nothing to stop him doing whatever he wanted to her. Considering his size and incredible strength, that should have scared her but instead it sent a thrill rippling through her.
With uncharacteristically slow movements, he pushed his cock a little way inside of her and then slid back. The hard, zigzag ridges on his shaft tormented her pussy, sending little pulses of electricity through her soft, wet flesh. His unhurried pace threatened to drive Lottie mad. As good as each stroke felt, she needed more.
“Marc,” she whimpered, “please.”
“Please, what?” he asked in an infuriatingly unruffled tone. Did an
ything ever affect this man?
“More,” she gasped as he buried himself to the hilt inside her. “I need more.”
The palm of his hand struck the left side of her bottom and she shrieked as heat flared across her flesh, igniting a new fire at her core. Marc gripped her hair even tighter and he began to pump his hips. Low, guttural sounds came from his throat, a sign his control was slipping. Lottie cried out frantically as pressure began to build at her core. The stiff peaks of her nipples rubbed painfully against the bench and pleasurable sensations wound their way to her feminine bud, which throbbed with need. Gripped by unquenchable desire, her shoulders shook as Marc fucked her ruthlessly, his cock striking hard against her cervix with every thrust.
“Such a good girl taking all of me,” Marc ground out, his voice strained as he came closer to his peak.
“Oh, god, I need to come,” Lottie wailed. “Please, Marc, let me come.”
His answer was to pull out of her. Lottie groaned as she felt his seed spill on the back of her thighs. Leaving her wanting, he let go of her hair. Her head dropped to the padded surface of the bench and she cried out in despair.
“Sorry, but this is for our pleasure, not yours.” Marc didn’t sound in the least bit apologetic, the arrogant bastard. “Your turn to claim our mate, brother.”
The loosening of the restraints that bound her ankles surprised Lottie. Her legs were freed, and she was flipped onto her back. She was dragged down so her bottom hung over the edge of the bench. With her arms still tightly bound above her head, she was unable to reach for Ren as he moved into position. She raised her hips eagerly as he ran the tip of his cock along her feminine seam. She squeaked in surprise as Marc and Jax stepped up and each grabbed an ankle before pulling her legs up toward her head and holding them wide apart.
Tamed by Her Mates Page 11