The Enemy's Triumph

by Kristen Banet

  “Does he?” Luykas asked gently, moving to sit beside her. She reached out and took his hand.

  “But we’ll talk about that after something else.”

  “Ah…” he sighed and left the chest. In one smooth movement, he went to his knees before her and lowered his head onto her knees. She felt like she was on a throne for a moment. It was uncomfortable, holding such a position of power over him. It didn’t suit her, and she hoped it never did. There was dominance, and there was submission, but this felt more like the life she had led in Elliar and not like her life with her own kind. Without thinking, she moved her legs and forced him to look up at her.

  “Don’t lower your head like that, please. We just need to talk.”

  “I shoved my tail into my mouth, and I knew it the moment I said it. Did I think I was right? Yes. I have been using my connection to Nyria to gain information since, but Alchan has been with me, along with Rain, so I can do it safely. But believing I was right doesn’t excuse how I treated you in that meeting. I was stupid and not thinking, frustrated with everything. Then I wasn’t sure if you would want me to come back. No female deserves to be treated like that because her male is frustrated with the rules she put down. I don’t belong in your mayara if I’m going to do that to you.”

  “You’ll always belong,” she promised softly. “But next time, come home and grovel faster.”

  “I will,” he whispered, leaning back down. “I’ve missed you, but…”

  “We need to get better at this,” she said, nearly chuckling. “I love you. Come home. If you do it again, you can have one week to put your head back together and let me get over the anger, but you’ll come home. Is that clear? There’s too much going on for me to be without you for so long.”

  “Of course, love.” He kissed her thigh. Mave bit her lip to keep from making any noise as he continued to leave a trail of kisses up her leg to her lower abdomen, sinking his face against her stomach. Even with clothing on, they could both feel the hum of base sexual attraction and their own bruised hearts—bruised by him and by their own natures.

  We’ll always be a challenge, but that’s why I love him.

  He looked up, and she saw the love in his eyes. They weren’t perfect pieces of a whole, but they were two pieces who wanted to be together in spite of it.

  “Now, about Zayden,” he said, moving to sit beside her again.

  “Zayden,” she said like a dropped stone in water. Plunk. Zayden.

  “Nice smile?” he pressed. She could hear the raised eyebrows in his voice, able to envision the look without turning to see his face.

  “Wonderful smile,” she whispered, looking down at her hands. “Today, I flirted with him. He’s so…wonderful with me during training. Once I took it out of the public and made sure we could work together in private, he’s come alive. He’s a different male. I really…I really like the male he is with me. He laughs and smiles, and he’s confident. It’s like he’s five hundred years younger and boyish. I…” She took a deep breath. “I’m really attracted to it. And that’s not all of it.” She waved her hand toward the door of her room. “He takes care of our home. He’s helpful and kind, but also funny and grouchy with you males, and it’s so fun to watch.”

  “You know what to do if you want him in the mayara, love,” Luykas reminded her. “We think he likes you. Mat would know more, but Zayden has always been really good at these things. When he was with Summer and Rain was young, he was a male the Company was proud to call one of our own. He was a little more like Kian, but without the permanent goofy behavior. Relaxed. He smiled more often.” Luykas sighed. “Then Summer passed away.”

  “I don’t know if I want to invite him yet,” she said evenly. “But I wanted to talk to him, and today, we flirted, and we had a small crash…and I think he’s attracted to me, too, but he walked away, not letting me talk to him about it. It stung a little, then I got thinking about you when I saw you, then I got thinking about everything else. It’s been a little lonely, Luykas.”

  “I’m home. I promise,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her cheek slowly. It was a sensual thing, a promise of more if she wanted it to be. “You can always keep feeling out things with Zayden without me, Mat, or anyone else getting involved if that’s what you want.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I want.” That seemed like a good thing to do because he was different from her other males. Mat had come easily, natural. Bryn came next, in the same way. Luykas was a challenge, but there had been secrets between them and dark ones at that. Neither of them had been ready, but she had been glad to be blood bonded with him.

  Zayden wasn’t them. He was a male who had already grieved the loss of a wife, and she instinctively knew to be careful of that, just as she would want someone to be careful with her if she had lost one of her husbands. It was the only explanation she could come up with for her hesitancy.

  “Okay,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss her softly. Their mouths met like ice and fire, an explosion of different sensations as they kissed. Feeling poured between them, but one stood out—it was like coming home.

  “I needed that,” he said once they separated. “Think I can convince you to stay in bed with me all day if we’re going to take the afternoon off?”

  “You can convince me,” she agreed, running a hand up his thigh to feel him pressing against his breeches, hoping to break free. There was so much more for them to talk about, but she wanted him home, and he’d obviously punished himself enough by staying away for so long, inadvertently punishing her as well. Now, it was time to bring him home and remind him why he belonged to her.

  She undid the laces of his breeches and heard the aching groan, felt it against her lips. Before she could do more, he pulled her hand away and started unwrapping her top. It fell away first.

  “Let me show you how much I missed you,” he murmured against her collarbone as he kissed her newly exposed flesh. “Let me show you how sorry I am for being—”

  “Luykas…”

  He captured her lips, and she fell into the kiss, letting him worship her with his mouth and hands. He lifted her from the chest and laid her gently in the middle of their bed, the array of pillows and skins that took over the floor of the entire room. There was so much space, but the look in his eyes made her feel like she was the only important thing in it. She had a feeling she could stand in a crowd, and he would make her feel that way.

  He kissed down her body and pulled down her breeches, his mouth claiming her core, his tongue entering her. She gasped and ran her hands through his hair before grabbing tightly to keep him there. He growled between her legs, but it wasn’t aggressive. It was the purely male sound of being satisfied. She threw a leg over one of his shoulders, and he buried himself further, lifting her ass to angle her better with his hands.

  Mave threw her head back, her world all about what her challenging, dominant husband was doing between her legs. Mat enjoyed this too, and she always welcomed the act, always pleased when they were willing to go to their proverbial knees just to please her.

  A finger slid in, and she moaned, closing her eyes to let the physical wash over her. Through the bond, she felt his worship, his apology, his love, and his pure pleasure at serving her like this. He loved her reactions and her pleasure.

  He brought her to climax faster than anyone else could, thanks to their bond. Their knowledge of each other’s bodies couldn’t be matched. He didn’t need to ask or experiment. At the moment, she knew what he wanted, and he knew what she wanted.

  As her climax ended, he kissed up her belly and chest. She kissed him, not paying attention to the taste. It was him, and he was back in her bed after their long absence from each other. He pushed his cock into her slowly and thrust with a steady, slow pace, trying to bring her back to the peak.

  “Luykas,” she moaned and dragged her nails over his biceps.

  “I love you,” he murmured.

  She felt all of it. He loved her for accepting what he was, for
tolerating his mistakes, for accepting him back when he felt confident enough to apologize to her in person. He loved that she didn’t make him feel ashamed for needing the space.

  He just loved her.

  She loved him just as much for just being him.

  It was leisurely, being with each other again. She rolled him on his back and rode him, staking her claim and reminding him where he belonged. He touched her body as if it was a precious work of art, admiring her every curve and line. He sat up and traced his tongue over her scars and tatua.

  When she climaxed the second time, he went with her, their chorus like music to her. They fell into the bedding again, smiling at each other. He had tears in his eyes, though.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I was so worried you wouldn’t want me back,” he said, swallowing. “So fucking scared if I came to you, you would turn me away.”

  “If you had come too early, I might have yelled at you, but I would never send you away,” she pledged. “You are who you are, not like other males. I see it every day in everything you do. You are a contradiction, Luykas Andini, but you are mine. You’ll always be mine.”

  He pulled her close, and she held him, knowing her job as the leader of the family was to comfort the males when they needed to feel vulnerable. Andinna were required to be strong outside the doors of their home. They were warriors, and they battled fiercely against each other and the enemy. But in their home, females found sanctuary surrounded by males who would do anything for them. Males found a place to relax, secure in their place in a female’s life. Home was never a battlefield. It couldn’t be.

  Luykas didn’t cry, but he held her with a tightness that worried her. He’d been truly shaken and had said nothing about it, told no one, not Mat or even Bryn before their rogue left.

  “Luykas?”

  “When you stormed off that night, I was certain you were going to send Mat or Bryn to tell me to never come home,” he whispered. “I don’t like what I am when it makes it hard for me to be here with you or do what I am supposed to.”

  “I would never send someone to tell you that. And now you’re home. Let’s find something to eat and get back to normal. How does that sound?” As much as lying in bed all day and night appealed to her, food was a necessity.

  He pulled away first and picked out new, clean clothing for her, laying a bundle beside her for when she wanted to get up. Then he dressed, kissed her, and left the room.

  Right after he was gone, Mat walked in with an eyebrow up.

  “Is he okay?” her first husband asked. “Are you?”

  “We will be,” she promised, smiling. “He’s home, so that’s good.” She extended a hand, a silent plea for his help getting to her feet.

  Mat smiled in return and helped her to her feet. They shared a soft kiss, and he helped her dress.

  “What are you doing home?”

  “Late lunch,” he answered. “Also heard Luykas had come this way. I’ve been out there for…well, I think most of the bedroom activities. I didn’t want to interrupt. He needed the alone time with you. I have a feeling he needs it more than Bryn and I do. That might be something we need to work on.”

  “Agreed.” She hadn’t yet considered that, but maybe it would help them achieve balance in her strange family.

  She sat down at the table and watched as Mat went into the kitchen to help Luykas cook something. As they were finishing, Zayden walked in, and she felt her cheeks heat at the sight of him. He didn’t seem perturbed by her but went into the kitchen and grumbled at her husbands about making something ‘mediocre’ for their female.

  Aside from Bryn’s absence, it felt like home.

  23

  Rainev

  Rain looked over the notes he had made over the last several weeks. There were hundreds. Today marked the end of the biggest project he had ever taken on. Alchan had fought against it, but Rain had wanted it. He hadn’t wanted it to fall into Mave’s or Luykas’ hands or anyone else’s.

  “It’s finally done,” he said out loud with a sigh. He didn’t spend nearly any time in his own room unless he was working on this. He lifted the papers, feeling good about himself, glad he could suffer through the last several weeks. Walking into the main room of his shared home with Alchan, he found both his king and Luykas sitting there, talking over a hand-drawn map of the mountains.

  “What do we know?” he dared to ask, walking closer to see the map better.

  “Bryn is watching the forces closer to us, so we’re trying to figure out what to do about the other half of Lothen’s army,” Alchan answered, looking up. “What’s all that?”

  Luykas turned as well. It was good to see the other mutt looking better. He’d reconnected with Mave only a few days before and seemed lighter. It had been a pain to see the king’s brother moping around when it was an easy thing to solve just by going to his wife and begging forgiveness.

  “I’ve finished the investigation,” Rain announced proudly. “As much as it pains me to say, it looks like none of the gladiators are going to file any formal charges against each other, nor are they going to talk about what others might have possibly done that might let us stomp out problem behaviors before they occur.”

  “What else?” Alchan leaned back in his chair, and Rain’s mouth went dry. Alchan had that effect on him when he looked like this—tousled, relaxed, bare-chested, and beautiful.

  “They are working well with their unit captains, and they’re picking up the necessary skills faster than others, for the most part. Like every group, there’s those who shine, and those who don’t—just the nature of the beast. They tend to shine more than not. They’re rusty with traditional fighting methods, but nothing too serious.”

  “Some of them tried to cause problems for Emerian and Trevan,” Luykas reminded them. “Are you sure—”

  “If you and Mave hadn’t stepped in and stopped the potential fight, yes, we could do something about it, but tensions are high, and we all know those two are a vulnerable little unit in the valley. Trevan’s Elvasi, and that’s kindling. We just can’t let it spark,” Rain countered before Luykas could turn the small incident into a major problem. “I have no problem with Mave or you keeping them close, but there’s an inherent risk we have to account for. It could have been anyone. Some of the males who were part of the incident weren’t gladiators. They were ours from Olost and other freed slaves. There hasn’t been an incident since. Trevan is ignored when he escorts Dave. Emerian stays out of sight. For now, that’s the best we can ask for.”

  Rain puffed his chest with pride as Alchan began to chuckle, and Luykas only raised his eyebrows, unable to disguise his shock.

  “Well then, now that’s all handled.” Alchan reached out and grabbed Rain’s waist, pulling him closer. “Are you sure there’s no one…”

  “I’m positive. I looked every gladiator in the eye and didn’t recognize a single one, and I remember every face from that day. Others had made obscene comments, and a couple of them apologized for it, but there was no one who…” Rain didn’t finish. There was no one Alchan needed to kill. None of those gladiators had survived. “And obscene comments are normal.”

  “No, they aren’t,” Alchan murmured, leaning into Rain’s stomach. Rain looked at Luykas, then back at his king and lover.

  “You make obscene comments,” Rain pointed out softly. Alchan growled against him, and Rain bit his bottom lip to stop a moan as teeth grazed his hip.

  “Can you two wait until I leave?” Luykas asked, sounding a strange combination of amused, annoyed, and ill. “Shit. Just because I know, doesn’t mean I want to see all of this.”

  “Sor—”

  “Don’t ever apologize,” Alchan snarled, not moving. “Not to him, not to me, not to any of them.”

  Rain’s heart began to pound, looking down at the top of Alchan’s head, the long horns angling up, nearly grazing Rain’s chest.

  “Okay,” Rain whispered. “But Luykas has the right to come for a m
eeting and not see this.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” Alchan whispered. “Because this isn’t the war room. This is our home, and I’ll be damned if I hide here.”

  “I thought we had a deal about the rooms?” Rain regretted saying it as Alchan released him and leaned back in his chair, his amber eyes narrowed but also amused.

  “And conveniently, he remembers he’s the one who gets to draw the line,” Alchan muttered, looking toward his brother. “Everyone always thinks the dominant Andinna is in control.”

  “You did this,” Luykas grumbled. “Can we get back to this? If there’s no action to take against the gladiators, then they’re warriors like all the others. I’ll let Mave know tonight at dinner about the final judgment from the investigation. She’s been quiet about it, but I think she’ll be glad to hear it.”

  “I need to speak to Kenav later about it. He knew we would be investigating any major crimes, so he should be pleased with the results.” Alchan suddenly seemed tired. Rain took his chance and wrapped an arm around his lover’s shoulder.

  “Are you okay?” Rain asked softly.

  “He’s my cousin, and I don’t like him, that’s all.” Alchan reached up to pat Rain’s hand. After a moment, he squeezed it. “He’s been making demands for more supplies, and he wants an official position in the rebellion leadership. Typical noble Andinna behavior. A little dominant, the right bloodlines, and suddenly an Andinna thinks they can have the position they crave.”

  “What is he asking for?” Luykas asked, frowning. “And why didn’t you tell me he was bothering you for things of that nature?”

  “He wants to be an official advisor if not a general with troop positioning power,” Alchan answered with a groan. “But he’s had a thousand years off from the roles, and I’m not sure he’s ready to take them back.”

  “He does good work with the unit captains and the gladiators. He’s helped settle more accidental disputes than caused them,” Rain said, feeling guilty. Kenav, while an asshole, had given Rain no reason to hate him since he came off the ship. “I’d let him test the waters. He may be glad to be in something he’s comfortable with and excel.”