by Reid, Stacy
Yes….
The hungry hiss of her demon beast had her heart lurching. “In my kingdom, only the wealthy can afford such a privilege. Is it not the same for Nuria?”
A soft grunt slipped from him. “Tell me about your family,” he commanded.
“My mother perished, but my father lives. I also have two sisters,” she recited the information Bylan had provided. In truth both her parents lived, and she had a younger sister. Distaste filled her. She did not enjoy telling a lie to her mate. It’s for his protection.
“And what about you?” she asked.
He shifted to face her, and the raw beauty of him sucked the breath from her lungs.
“I have a sister and a brother.”
So, he had an heir if he was murdered. A snarl rumbled from her beast at the assessment. “And what of your queen?”
“I have no queen.”
“The city whispers of the lost allegiance with Boreas.”
She trod on dangerous ground. The burn of his power slid against her skin in a pained caress.
“The princess was a mean to an end.”
She’d not expected him to make such an admission. “You held no affections for her?”
Emerald eyes ensnared her. “No. Though I found myself admiring the method she used to extricate herself from my clutches.”
“What would have possessed you to claim a queen you did not love?”
“Duty.”
And Tehdra understood.
His scent was an irresistible beacon, and she leaned in close and inhaled. Faster than she tracked, he moved behind her. Her beast purred in approval. His hard cock branded her buttocks as he pressed into her.
He cupped her breast, then trailed his fingers with pressure over her hard straining nipple, then gently pinched.
“I am tempted sink my cock into your tightness right here. I can already taste your wetness…sweet and warm.” His voice held promises she couldn’t begin to interpret. Cream slicked from her channel, the proof of her weakness.
Take…
Her beast’s voice, familiar and insidious, slid through her mind.
She arched, her breasts were unconfined beneath the loose caftan, granting him the access he needed. One of his hands ran up the back of her thighs as she trembled beneath his touch. It was then Tehdra realized she would never be able to keep from his bed. She would guard her heart, but it would be impossible to banish the raw hunger twisting through her. She wanted to feel his tongue sliding through her sex, savor his kisses... He made her crave.
“Then, why don’t you?”
He stiffened. “I desire you too much. Since meeting you, my thoughts have been filled with spreading your pussy and fucking you hard and deep. I want to ride you until you’re screaming out in agony because it’s so pleasurable it hurts.” His voice was rough and dark. “But I will not be controlled by lust.”
Her flesh was sensitized, and she ached for him to fulfill his fantasies. While his restraint frustrated her, she understood. The iron control he possessed would make him resent the need she elicited. A smile curved her lips. He hungered for her as she did him. "Then I will anticipate the days until you claim me."
“We dined within the hour,” he said gruffly at her nape.
With a nod, she slipped from his tempting embrace.
She would grant the king her body...but ruthlessly protect her heart and soul.
4
Ajali liked the sinuous way Tehdra sauntered. There was a deadly grace to her movements. He’d always enjoyed the varied pleasure his concubines provided, and even now he craved the hot bliss of lust-pounding sex. And he wanted it with Tehdra. But with her, there was another element he couldn’t quite identify, and it had held him back when he wanted to do nothing but pry her legs open and sink his cock inside her. He’d sent word to his King blades to have her investigated. He would be a fool to ignore the danger.
As if she could sense his regard, she turned her head in his direction and smiled. His gut clenched. Hunger rose, sharp and wicked, and even the heat buried inside of him pulsated. He cursed silently and savagely. He yearned for her… The only thing he had ever craved in the last few hundred years was the protection of his kingdom. He did not need softer companions, of a distraction from his sole purpose. It had been the reason he had not sought his kala—his queen. Nothing must divert him from the fight to come. The hari Tehdra was supposed to be a lure for the enemy…not for him.
What was it about her?
The massive doors to the private dining area opened, and Uriah strolled in, followed by his wife, Lady Shae. His brother flicked a quick but thorough appraisal over Tehdra. It irritated Ajali that Uriah’s eyes lingered on the swell of her curves and a spark of appreciation filled his gaze before he lowered his lids. Lady Shae hesitated, surprise suffusing her features. She planted a smile on her face and greeted Ajali. Then she turned her curiosity-filled stare to the concubine at his table, who unflinchingly returned their gazes.
“Hari Tehdra.”
Obsidian eyes slowly shifted to him. “King Ajali?”
He smiled at the challenge in her tone. “Meet my brother, High Duke Uriah, and his wife, Lady Shae.”
Tehdra rose from the table and executed an elegant curtsey. Did she not realize her head did not lower, and she displayed no deference? Nothing about her indicated she came from a lower family.
Ajali’s interest mounted with rapidity.
Everyone sat and started to eat from the platters of roasted meats, pies and fruits artistically displayed on the large table.
The first step in appearing besotted was underway. Lady Shae was influential with the other ladies of the high court. By tomorrow, the castle would be rife with gossip that the king had a commoner dined at his table, and he’d been unable to tear his gaze away.
He grunted softly, for his inability to shift his regard from Tehdra was not false.
A heavy groan echoed through the room, and the door opened once more. Lady Sascha sauntered in as if he'd extended an invitation.
“I am sorry I am late, my king,” she said with saccharine sweetness and a curtsy.
Uriah’s displeasure was pronounced.
His wife smiled softly at him. “I invited Lady Sascha to dine with us tonight, my love.”
Anger darkened Uriah’s hazel eyes. She returned his gaze unflinchingly.
Uriah sent Ajali a swift glance of apology. Lady Shae knew as his hari, Lady Sascha was not allowed in his private wing unless Ajali commanded it.
“Dine with us, Lady Sascha,” he said drily.
She gave him a radiant smile and slid gracefully into the winged back chair closest to Ajali. Her blond curls hung to her hips in all its glory, and her blue eyes only showed heated. She dressed in a caftan that displayed all her charms, and she was beautiful yet, he was not enticed. He considered Tehdra, and desire rushed through him once more. She looked so cool and remote, waiting to be thawed, yet he knew she burned hot, and his cock flexed in remembrance.
“The court is alive with talk that you added a black-haired temptress to your harem. Your Serangite is distressed and is awaiting an audience with you,” Lady Sascha said slyly with a pointed glare at Tehdra.
“The hari Tehdra is not the only black-haired female in the harem,” Uriah said, amusement coloring his tone. “It would be silly in its extremity to banish all females on such a meager description. If Ruxia desires a greater response, she must provide a more thorough picture. For all we know someone could have disguised themselves in their assassination attempt.”
Lady Sascha’s lips flattened at being thwarted.
Ajali could not act on the information Ruxia had given him. When she’d initially told him of the vision, his brother and high chancellors had worked tirelessly to achieve another outcome. They had banished over one hundred women from his harem and had proceeded to rid the castle of all women with dark-colored hair. He’d halted their frantic actions. They needed more information before they could act. Ruxi
a could not even tell them of where her vision unfolded. What would they do then? Find a method of removing all such women from his sight even when he visited the other realms?
Ajali was not afraid of his death, much to the disconcertion of his council and his brother. It was foolish to worry about the inevitable. The fall of his people, his kingdom, however, was untenable. Nothing was more important than to sustain the legacy his mother and father had given their lives for. The legacy he had been called a tyrant for when he’d fought to protect it. Ajali was greatly concerned about the war to remove him from his throne, but he was adept at searching out treachery. He was a King—the most dangerous position to hold in any kingdom. Death stalked Kings’ footsteps as those who wanted to rule and subjugate, plotted without ceasing. His people spied and worked against him. Mevia wanted him off the throne, and that was a curiosity. The kingdoms had been at peace for more than one hundred years. Prosperity reigned, and the kingdoms flourished. Yet, whispers of war abound, and he knew they were much more than rumors. His spies reported that Avindar and Mevia were preparing secretly for war—massive amounts of food had been harvested and put in hidden storage, strategic armies trained in each kingdom and weapons of all kinds were being stockpiled. To what end, he had yet to uncover.
He’d acted decisively when his oracle had informed him that war would revisit Amagarie. The outcome of his kingdom depended on his every decision. The Borean Mountains had been integral to his success, and he had moved with cunning to secure an Alliance with their nation. The laws that governed Nuria only allowed for a queen of similar ranking, the highest on the aristocracy ladder.
Uriah was already married to Lady Shae; a High Duchess of Aria and his sister Xian could not wed the Princess. It was a pity the Borean lieges did not have a son with whom he could blood-oath his sister. They only had Princess Saieke.
Never in Amagarie’s history had royalty married royalty. Never had they had an Allegiance—a joint heirship of thrones. The Borean king had agreed to Ajali’s proposal. The rumors of war had then solidified into something tangible. He had seen knowledge of war and death in the Borean king’s eyes.
The allegiance had fallen through due to the princess becoming the mate of a Darkan. Ajali had not contemplated trying to take her from him. The bloodshed that would have flowed in the streets of both kingdoms was not worth it. He wanted to avoid battling at all cost. The last Great War had ravaged the seven kingdoms, and the depth of cruelty that he had lowered himself to protect his people when his father and mother had fallen was not something he ever wanted to revisit. He would conspire and assassinate to avoid war instead of reviving the tyrant.
“What house are you from?” Lady Shae asked of Tehdra.
He drank deeply from his chalice as he waited for her reply. When it came, his gut tightened.
“I am from the house of Kabul, the third daughter of master Thorne.”
Her voice scraped against his skin with its sensuality, low and smooth, throaty yet feminine.
“What is he the master of?” Lady Sascha asked with a tinkling laugh. “I am not familiar with that house, and I know most of the upper lords’ houses from Aria.” A small pause and then, “You are from Aria, are you not?”
Tehdra inhaled subtly, and pleasure lighted her eyes. If Ajali had not been watching her so closely he would have missed her reaction. For the briefest of moments cruelty settled on her features like a second skin, then it disappeared.
He was beyond intrigued.
* * *
Envy and anger pulsed beneath the countess’ veneer of civility. Pleasure hummed through Tehdra as she fed on the other woman’s negative emotions. Strangely, she could feel distaste from Lady Shae as well. The two viewed Tehdra as a usurper.
She swallowed the piece of meat she had been chewing. “My father is a master of glass. He is the best in the village and provides many of his works to our king. His work is known throughout the kingdom, hence the title of master.”
There was a sharp intake of breath, and Lady Sascha’s anger spiked.
“A lower house daughter as a hari?”
Tehdra did not deign to answer.
The doors to the dining hall flung open, and energy blasted through the room in the form of a petite and beautiful young woman. Her skin was dark and smooth, but the vivid green of her eyes gave away her connection to Ajali. She rushed to his side and kissed his cheek, doing the same to Uriah. It was strange that Uriah did not possess their eyes; his eyes were a soft hazel with a mixture of pale green.
“I am late,” she said, laughing. “Forgive me, Ajali.”
“Forgiven,” he said with an indulgent smile. “What kept you this time?”
“I was learning to control Azriel, thank you again, kalija, for such a wonderful gift.” She kissed his jaw and then sat down.
Her gaze ran across the table and rested on Tehdra, then traveled to her attire and jewelry.
“Haris at our table, Kalija?” She asked with raised imperious brows.
“Tehdra, I present my sister, Princess Xian.”
Tehdra stood and curtsied, and the princess nodded.
The princess greeted Ladies Shae and Sascha with welcoming smiles, never removing her gaze from Tehdra.
“The castle is alive with talk of your beauty. I see they have not exaggerated.”
“I thank you,” Tehdra said.
The princess smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. “It is curious that my brother—”
“You are to be a trainer to the hari Tehdra,” Ajali said, rendering his sister silent.
Tehdra frowned and lowered her fork. What was this?
“Trainer?” the princess and Lady Sascha demanded in unison.
“What do you mean, kalija?” Xian asked, a frown splitting her beautiful face.
“Tehdra is unskilled in the fighting arts, and I wish for you to undertake taijiu training with her starting in the morn,” he said smoothly.
“You jest! My duties are not that of a trainer, and I have Azriel to master.”
“And yet I require you to undertake her training,” he said.
Jealousy wafted to her. Tehdra flicked her gaze to Lady Sascha. Her face was impassive, but the envy and ire that bled from her were dark and spicy, carrying a tinge of bitterness.
“Why do you keep a hari that is unskilled and not suited for your harem?” Lady Shae asked.
“Lady Shae,” Uriah snapped, cold anger riding his voice. “You will not question your king.”
Defiance flashed in her eyes. “I am only asking what we are all wondering, my lord. It is known that Ajali does not keep untrained haris.”
“Uriah, please do not snap at your lady,” Princess Xian murmured. A hint of unease drifted across her face. “This was the first thing I wondered when kalija made his request. I can see from his closed-off expression that he will not discuss it."
She waved at Tehdra dismissively. “Very well, kalija, I will train your hari Tehdra in Taijiu. But I will not be responsible for marring her pretty, pale skin.”
Ajali chuckled and tugged at the braids that hung past her hips.
Tehdra liked that he smiled so easily, yet he was a predator.
The slight tension that had invaded the dining room dissipated. She still felt the low hum of jealousy from Lady Sascha, and Tehdra devoured her meal with gusto as she was ignored by all as they bantered and ate.
Lady Sascha talked with Shae and Xian animatedly, and it was apparent to Tehdra that haris were not disdained despite the reaction she got from his sister. She found it puzzling that Lady Sascha was a hari; she was a countess of the realm, powerful and rich in her own right. She and her brother were from the house of Assia, loyal aristocrats to the house of Haddin. Why had she placed herself in his harem?
Once again, the doors opened, and a warrior glided in without making a sound. He smelled like death. Viciousness hummed to life in her as she noted the lethal way he moved towards Ajali.
“News from Acheron,” the unkn
own warrior whispered.
A spark of heat rushed from Ajali only to be quickly contained. He met Uriah’s eyes, and some message seemed to flow between them before it was veiled.
“Ladies, if you will excuse us,” Ajali said and flashed from the room without waiting for acknowledgment.
Subtle tension invaded Xian limbs. She made as if to leave and then hesitated.
“Is all well, Xian?” Shae asked, looking at the door in bemusement.
The smile that curved Xian lips did not reach her eyes. “I had entertainment planned after dinner.”
Tehdra tasted the fear that filtered from her. She hid it well; her expression did not betray her feelings.
“Let’s adjourn to the drawing room. No need to spoil our entertainment because the men left,” the princess said in a jovial tone that was false to Tehdra, and apparently to her alone.
Lady Sascha and Lady Shae laughed, and the conversation picked up as if there were no lull.
Three pairs of eyes bore into her as she pushed back her chair. “If you will excuse my presence, I will not join you for the evening entertainments.”
The princess nodded, and Tehdra walked away. At the exit Xian’s voice reached her, cold and remote.
“Be sure to be at the battlement arena first thing in the morn, hari.”
Darkness stirred, and pleasure rippled through her. Tehdra lifted her brow as she glided from the room.
Distrust.
Its flavor was so biting her teeth had almost chattered. She would only have a few days at most to uncover the Darkans that spied for the enemy at Castle Shelah and remove them. Ajali also distrusted her because she had failed to research all that a hari had to offer.
I have not failed. Ajali had not fallen, and she still resided within his castle walls. She would disappear and leave the city if her position became precarious. Then find a way to exist in the shadows without alerting the warriors who were witches.
She flowed through the castle trying to trace Ajali’s steps, dancing with the shadows and darkness to ferret out information. There was no pulse of fear, and other negative emotions for her darkness to follow. She inhaled the shadows inside her with relish, yet there were no flavors of death and pain.
