“But you can do as you wish with other women?” I demand on a growl.
“I am the Emperor and a man.”
The blood in my body, it boils. There is a crack of thunder in the distance. I ignore it as I stomp up to him. Lifting my hand, I don’t know why, but I am filled with the instant urge to slap the ever-loving shit out of him, but I am, and I do.
Except my hand doesn’t connect to his face the way that it should. Instead, something comes out of my palm. It’s a violet spark of color and it flashes in the air, showing me his face in an instant, right before his gigantic body flies backward, slamming against the wall.
Laurentia screams at the same time I hear the crack of thunder again outside in the distance.
I saw his face.
He is scarred, three distinctive lines down his face. It doesn’t make him any less beautiful. I didn’t think a scarred man could be handsome, but this one is. He is breathtaking. Head to toe, Tiberius is absolutely stunning.
He shouts, looking over to Laurentia. She looks from him to me, then back to him. He takes a step toward her and only then does she take off in a sprint. I have a feeling his booming shout just now was a warning for her to leave.
I also have a feeling that I’m in some serious shit. I don’t know what happened to me, how that violet spark came from my hand, but I am trembling and unable to move as I look between him and my hand.
I don’t have much time to contemplate what the actual shit is going on because he is on me. He growls, closing the distance between us, he reaches down, wrapping his hands around my waist before he picks me up.
I let out a cry as he throws me in the direction of the bed, thankfully, I land on the mattress with a bounce. He doesn’t allow me to scramble away like I try, he plants his knee in the bed and quickly wraps his hands around my hips to keep me still.
“Tiberius,” I breathe when his body is near.
His lips are directly above mine, hovering and I want nothing more than to slide my tongue across them. To taste him, to open myself to him. I don’t know why, I’m not sure what has me suddenly turned on and not so much angry. I can’t explain any of this and right now, I’m not sure that I care, either.
He grunts, then I hear him whisper my name against my lips. “Drucilla, melculum.”
My thighs spread instantly, without me even thinking it. My body wants him, needs him, craves him. His hands slowly drag the skirt of my gown up my body, then his fingers tug the ties of my little panties away.
He’s in his man-skirt, something that I notice only the guys who look like soldiers wear. Maybe he is a soldier. But can you be an emperor and a soldier simultaneously? I wonder this, but I don’t ask him, not just because his mouth is heavenly and delicious as he kisses up and down the column of my neck, but also because he would not understand me even if I asked.
Words completely disappear, they vanish when I feel the head of his cock against my entrance and he slams inside of me.
“Yes,” I hiss, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his shoulders, sinking my nails into his back.
TIBERIUS
My future bride, my empress, she holds magi. Pulling almost completely out of her, I slam back inside without a second thought. I take her, moving in and out of her with all of my raw strength, holding nothing back and knowing that she was made for me, therefore she can handle all of me.
I do not need to slip my hand between us and touch her hidden landica. I can feel her body climbing higher toward her release without any assistance from me. She whimpers, lifting her head and I read her silent need.
Dipping my chin, I touch my mouth to hers, sliding my tongue inside of her. I take both her mouth and her cunnus simultaneously, just as a man is meant to do—penetrate. Men are here on this earth to penetrate, and that is exactly what I do to my future empress.
Penetrate and impregnate. That is my mission when it comes to Drucilla. I feel her climbing higher, her vagina fluttering around me, and I know that she is closer. Grinding my pelvis against her, I let out a groan as soon as I feel her clamp down around me.
I bury myself deep inside of her and fill her with my seed, both of us finding our climax together, increasing her fertility. Her body is wrapped around me so tightly that I could not peel her from me even if I wanted to, though I find that I don’t quite want to do that.
“I saw your beautiful face, this is why you hide from me.” She speaks. But I do not understand her words.
I almost talk to her as well, but I decide against it, she would not understand me, just as I do not understand her. Instead, I touch my mouth to hers in a chaste kiss.
This woman is the only one I have given my most sacred gift to, my mouth. I don’t know why, but it came naturally and I knew that she was the one who deserved such a gift, a gift that only a wife is awarded.
“Your mouth is heaven. It is a gift from the gods, Drucilla.”
She cannot understand me, but her smile is all that I need. She understands enough, just as I understand enough of her. Eventually we will be able to communicate, but now this is all that we need.
Rolling to the side, I take her with me and stare at her violet eyes in the darkness. I cannot see the hue of her orbs, but I can imagine them perfectly. I took all of her in this evening. Her light hair, her violet eyes. The same shade of violet that shot from her hand in anger and catapulted me across the room.
My empress is powerful.
I do not speak to her again, instead I take her two more times before we sleep. I do not leave her. Not because I am comfortable with her seeing my face, but because I know she has already had a glimpse of me and she has exhibited powerful magic, I do not know the depths of this magic and I do not wish for her to be alone until I do know.
Magic in my land is not as commonly practiced as it is in Bunafi or Wolfjour Ail, however, it is done. I must find a venefica, someone who can tell me what her magi means and what exactly she will and can do with it.
Slipping from the bed once she’s asleep, I walk out of the room, looking for a puer, he is not far. Lifting my hand, I call him over to me.
“Tell the pontifex maximus that I want to see him immediately. Do not delay,” I grunt.
The puer nods his head enthusiastically and turns away before running off to get the man that I desire. Instead of leaving Drucilla in my bed, alone, I close the door and wake her up. She moans and turns to me. Reaching for her gown, I toss it at her, jerking my chin so that she will get dressed.
It doesn’t take me long to put my clothing back on and she does the same. Bending down, I find her sandals and hand them to her. She puts them on, then stands, confusion written all over her face.
Taking her hand with mine, I tug her behind me as I make my way toward my office. When we arrive in my space, I light the candles to give us some light, my mutilated face forgotten by the activities of the evening, or at least at the back of my mind.
I guide her to a chair and release her hand, touching her shoulder with pressure so that she will take a seat.
She does.
Stepping out of the office, I call for another puer who is standing guard. “Tell Marcellus and the famulus that has been with your future empress all day to join me, immediately.”
He runs away and I make my way back into the room. Sinking down in my chair, I look across my desk at the woman who is my fated. She watches me and I realize that she is seeing me for the first time. I expect to see horror in her gaze, but it is not there, at least not staring back at me.
She smiles softly as she rises to her feet. Slowly, she makes her way toward me, then she lifts her hand and extends her fingers, tracing my scars. The jagged lines from a bear attack a few years ago. She didn’t realize who I was, we were in the middle of a battle and too close to her den and cubs. I did not blame her for protecting her young, I still do not, I just wished that she had not taken it out on my face.
“I usually only like beautiful men, completely unflawed in every way
, at least in looks. But I think I prefer this for you, for us. You are handsome, beautiful in your own way. I do not know why, maybe it is just the prophecy, but I couldn’t imagine you any other way, Tiberius.”
Her words are heartfelt and meaningful to her, I just don’t know what they are. Lifting my hand, I wrap my fingers around her wrist and focus my gaze on hers.
I try to give her what I can, looking directly at her, holding her eyes with my own. She smiles softly, and opens her mouth, but jumps backward when the door opens.
Looking toward the door, I grin at the sight of the pontifex maximus, he is here. Soon the others will arrive and we can find out just what is going on, magic and all.
Chapter Nine
DRUCILLA
The smallish room begins to fill with people, and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Laurentia enter. I am so freaking glad to see her. I start to make my way toward her when a strong hand wraps around my hip.
Shifting my head, I look over to Tiberius. He shakes his head once. He doesn’t want me to walk away from him and I don’t know if it’s a sexy possessive thing or it’s a chauvinist control thing, I’m not sure how to feel about it quite yet. I decide right now isn’t the moment to challenge him.
Tiberius clears his throat, then begins to speak. I understand none of his words, at all, instead, I shift my gaze between Marcellus and Laurentia in a silent plea for help. When Tiberius is finished talking, he jerks his chin toward Marcellus.
“Tiberius has instructed that I translate. He has asked the pontifex maximus here to tell us exactly what you are as he is our expert on magic and the gods, our priest.”
“What I am?” I whisper.
Marcellus nods his head, his gaze flicking from Tiberius to me, then back again as he relays my question. Tiberius speaks, then lifts his hand and kind of makes a motion, as if he’s bored and we need to move this along.
I growl in frustration and try to take a step away from him, but he doesn’t allow it, his fingers dig into my hip even harder, keeping me right where he wants me. Even if that’s not what I want.
Chauvinistic, that’s what this move is.
“Yes, Drucilla. What you are. You hold magic, as Tiberius explained, violet color flew from your hand, the same color that matches your eyes.”
Nodding, I lick my lips and stare at him. “It did. That’s never happened to me before, I’m not sure what is going on. I’m kind of terrified,” I admit.
Marcellus nods his head, then translates my words and at my confession of being scared, Tiberius squeezes my hip reassuringly. I like that, far more than I probably should. Then again, I like him far more than I should, of that I’m sure.
The pontifex maximus makes his way toward me. He’s a tiny old man, in fact, he’s kind of cute. Smiling at him as he approaches, I blink at him, watching as he doesn’t smile back. In fact, he doesn’t even flinch. He stares at me, looking deep into my eyes, then finally he has a reaction.
It’s not a reaction that I would really prefer.
He takes a step back, a gasp escaping his lips as his wide eyes turn to Tiberius.
“Venefica,” he hisses.
Then he starts to speak so quickly that even if I could understand him, I’m not sure I would be able to as his mouth is moving so quickly.
“What is happening?” I ask Marcellus on a whisper.
“You’re a witch. This should not be a surprise to you,” he states matter-of-factly. “What we want to know is what do you want with Tiberius?”
“I am not a witch,” I hiss. “I don’t know what happened, but whatever happened, it’s because of your world and this fucking prophecy,” I snap. “It has absolutely nothing to do with me.”
There is a moment of silence after Marcellus relays my words to Tiberius. A long moment of silence, of us staring at one another, and then the anxiety starts to creep in. It starts to physically choke me.
At that same time, I don’t miss the way the rumble fills the room from outside or the fact that everyone’s gaze swings to me when it does. Then there’s the moment where purple flashes in the night sky.
That’s when I notice that Tiberius’ grip gets even tighter at the same time Marcellus slowly approaches me. The pontifex maximus starts to murmur something and anxiety fills me instantly.
“Tiberius,” I breathe, turning my head to look at him.
He doesn’t look back at me though. Instead, he keeps his jaw clenched hard and stares straight ahead. Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong. Then I hear it, a howling. Laurentia gasps, but the howling only grows louder.
My heart jumps to my throat at the same time Tiberius shouts. My entire body is trembling with fear, I wasn’t even this scared when I appeared here out of nowhere, when Tiberius snatched me up and put me on his horse.
Nothing that has happened the past couple of days has been as scary as this exact moment.
“Tiberius?” I whisper.
“Turba lupi,” Tiberius grinds out.
I don’t know what that means. I start to tremble. Then he growls something else and I swing my gaze to Laurentia. Her eyes widen and her face instantly loses color. She looks sick, really sick. I want to ask her what is going on, but then Tiberius’ voice booms and everyone starts to move around.
Everyone but him, me, Laurentia, and the pontifex maximus. “You have called the wolves, Drucilla,” Laurentia translates as soon as Tiberius begins to speak.
“What?” I screech.
“The wolves,” Laurentia whispers. “You have called them. You have powers beyond compare. He has sent the men to ensure that the people are safe and that the wolves cannot find their way inside of the domum.”
“I didn’t call them,” I mutter.
Tiberius turns me around to face him, then he rises to his feet, dipping his chin to look down at me. His scarred face is directly in front of mine and it takes everything that I have not to reach up and touch him. I want to. I want to feel every part of him, especially now that I can truly see him in the candlelight.
He’s nothing I ever wanted and everything that I ache and lust for. He’s not perfect. He’s not pleasing to the eye. He is rough, scarred, his eyes hold pain and depths that I doubt I will ever be able to understand. And yet, I am falling for him.
“You did,” Laurentia whispers. “If you did not realize it, that is something we must figure out. This type of magic, it is not normal for a woman to yield and it is strong.”
“What do I do now?” I ask.
Tiberius jerks his chin up, then shifts his gaze from mine to the pontifex maximus. He shouts something and then I feel the man’s fingers wrap around my bicep.
“Tiberius?” I ask.
He turns away from me, almost as if he is shunning me. I don’t reach out for him, my pride being far too great for something like that. Instead, I clear my throat and shift my gaze to the old man.
He tugs me, and I go, my chin in the air and a silent curse. Though, I’m not sure why I’m so upset. I am not in a relationship with Tiberius, we don’t even know how to communicate with one another and up until this evening, I didn’t even know what he looked like.
Though, right now, I feel unexplainably—sad.
TIBERIUS
“Go with her, be at her side,” I growl toward the famulus. She dips her chin, then quickly runs after Drucilla and the pontifex maximus.
Marcellus and Brutus arrive a moment later. “She commands the wolves,” Brutus announces.
“How do you know?” I ask.
We can speak to animals. I command the bears, and we as men can all speak with our horses. But nobody can speak with the wolves, not that I have ever known, and for it to be a woman, it does not seem possible.
Women do not hold such powers, not with animals. Not that I have ever seen or heard.
“As soon as she was taken, they started to whine. They are now circling the domum, no doubt trying to find their concubina.”
Instead of sitting, I walk over to the wind
ow and look down below. Brutus did not lie, the wolves are indeed agitated and circling, searching.
“What do we do?” I ask as soon as the door opens. I know who enters without even needing to turn around, it is the pontifex maximus.
The room is quiet for a moment, then he begins to speak, his voice frail and trembling. “She is strong, Emperor. Very strong. Though, I believe her when she says that she does not realize this about herself. She is strong, but she is not in control.”
“The ancient prophecy of the gods, what do you know about this?” I ask as I turn around to finally face him.
I watch as his face pales before my eyes. He knows of this mysterious prophecy that the beast told me of. I’m not sure what he knows of this, but it seems as though it is possibly not positive, that this could be detrimental.
“I know that it is the children that will inherit this earth,” he says, as though this concept is new. It is not. It has always been the children who inherit the earth, it will always be this way.
He clears his throat. “It is said that there will be four sisters. Four sisters will be born. They are not of this world. Four sisters who are born of the same mother and father, yet do not share the same appearance. They are the only ones of their kind in the entire universe. Across our world and all others.
“Four sisters will marry and love the fiercest warriors from all four corners of our world. Once all four relationships are consummated, the events foretold in the prophecy will be set in motion, becoming unstoppable.
“If the four sisters come together once their fate has been sealed, they will absorb all of the powers this world holds. Four sisters will be the most powerful creatures in this world. It is not known if this will be used for good or evil.
“The future is uncertain and unknown if these sisters gather together in our world. Only the fates know what the final outcome will be. If this prophecy is not fulfilled, then there is no hope for humanity. The world will be wrought with wars, fires, famine, and disease. It will be a great culling.”
Bride of the Emperor (The Prophecy of Sisters Book 4) Page 7
