Rise of the King (King of Prey)

by Mandy M. Roth

  She relaxed as he skimmed his hands over her stomach to the top of her panties. Tugging them down her legs, he offered a seductive look before tossing her panties aside and focusing on her sex. He pushed her legs open wide. Cool air skated over her sex, and her first instinct was to close her legs. Lazar was having none of that. He shook his finger at her with a sexy-as-sin grin upon his handsome face. Dipping his head, he exhaled, his lips found her clit, and she cried out the minute his tongue slid over the swollen bud. Pleasure trickled throughout her lower region. She felt wanton and wild. Exactly like he’d made her feel in her dreams.

  She moaned as his gifted tongue worked its magik on her cunt. She’d never felt so free, so liberated. She loved it. Loved the sensations he was providing her. Tipping her head, Sabrina dug her fingers into the sheets, tugging at them as her body tightened around Lazar. The pleasure danced up her inner thighs at first before slinking its way to her midriff. It focused there. Heat building. Pressure mounting. She thought she’d burst. Pulling harder at the sheets, she moaned and writhed beneath him, wiggling to the point he practically pinned her with his arms.

  He dipped a finger into her and her body immediately tried to push out the intrusion. Lazar seemed pleased. He dipped his finger in more, breaking through her virginal barrier. The pain was fast and fleeting. She rocked on his hand as his mouth continued to work her clit. Sabrina stared down at him. His blond hair was like a veil, covering his eyes. She pushed it away, her fingers skimming his forehead. How could a man be so sexy, so alluring and so tortured on the inside all at one time? She wanted to soothe away his worry. She wanted to right all the wrongs in his life. Mostly, she wanted to love him and be loved by him.

  Lazar lifted his head from her pussy and kissed her fingertips. His chin glistened with her cream. The emotions she felt for him crashed through her at the same moment his finger found her sweet spot. Her jaw dropped as a strangled cry of pleasure released from her. Her pussy clenched involuntarily around his finger, and her legs drew in, tightening on his shoulders.

  Lazar eased his finger from her body, and she nearly moaned at the loss of it. As he slid up and over her, she opened her legs more to him. He stroked his engorged cock and dipped his head, sucking on her nipple. He jerked on his shaft.

  Sabrina touched the sides of his face. “Please, Lazar. I need you in me.”

  “Sabrina of the Hawks and of the Falcons, do you accept me—all of me—from now until the end of time?”

  She stilled. “What?”

  He refused to give her what she wanted—him. “You must answer, ta’konima.”

  “W-what?”

  “Answer,” he said, mischief in his eyes.

  “Yes. Oh God, yes.”

  “Very good.”

  He moved from one nipple to the other, and she thought for sure her body would somehow burn up. That she would ignite and there would be nothing but ash left to show for what he’d done to her. The pleasures he’d given.

  He lined his cock head up with her core and took a deep breath. Lazar’s lips found hers. His kiss chased away her nerves. She opened her legs more for him, and he entered in one quick, long thrust. She moaned, and he ate away the sounds, his body affecting hers. They were one.

  She clawed at his arms as he pushed into her, slow at first. He kept time, pumping in and out, in and out. She panted into his mouth and moved her hips, wanting what he was giving to be harder and faster. His lips twitched against hers as he smiled slightly. He gave in to her unspoken plea. He thrust hard into her again and again until she no longer knew what was happening. She only knew that every ounce of her was tingling, waiting on the edge of exploding.

  He drilled her into the bed and into sweet oblivion. She thrashed at the sheets, not wanting to claw at Lazar’s arms any more than she already had. Soon the pleasure was too much. She broke the kiss and cried out as her orgasm washed over her, making her legs shake and her pussy clench around his cock.

  Lazar roared before pushing and holding deep within her. She felt his cock twitching as his seed emptied into her. She wrapped her legs tighter around him, wanting him to never leave her body.

  He kissed the tip of her nose.

  She smiled up at him and then caressed his cheek.

  He closed his eyes and tipped his head into her palm. He sighed and then kissed her palm tenderly.

  Lazar stayed there above her, kissing her lazily. He never wanted to leave the haven of her body. Not now that she was his. He’d come in her. She’d agreed to his verbal claim as well. He’d forged the bond with her. She’d been different from the other women. So much more. He could never want another, not after having her.

  Sabrina smiled against his lips. “That was totally worth waiting so long for.”

  He snickered. “I’m pleased that you are pleased. And I agree, it was very, very, very good. We should do it again and soon.”

  She laughed softly, her hands skimming his back. “Okay, but only if you have your wings out next time. I want to touch them.”

  “Brina,” he said. “You understand what happened between us, don’t you?”

  “We had sex, man meat.”

  “Man meat?”

  Her lips twitched. “Never mind. Yes. I know what happened. We had sex.”

  He nodded. “More than that, though. Do you understand what it means?”

  She bit her lower lip. “I’m guessing a lot more than I think it does.”

  “Yes,” he said. “For our kind, what we did, what we shared, it’s a bonding ritual—what occurs between a mated pair.”

  He saw the confusion in her eyes.

  “Brina, you are mine now. In the eyes of our people, you are my wife. I know I’m not what you’d want. I have no title, nothing to give you. I will understand if you refuse to return to my realm with me and if you do not wish for me to remain here with you.”

  She looked at him for the longest time and then surprised him by kissing him gently. “Lazar, I don’t care about titles. And I don’t know about returning to your realm. It’s all so sudden. But I don’t want to be separated from you. I know that much.”

  “Good, because we will not be separated. Not now. Not ever.” He exhaled slowly. “Sabrina, Latravis will retaliate for the men he lost.”

  She bit her lower lip and nodded. “I know. But, Lazar, maybe, just maybe, we could sit down and talk with him. He’s not all bad, is he?”

  Lazar didn’t want to argue with her. He didn’t want to go into detail that the Hawks were now ready to launch a full-scale attack against the Falcons to remove Latravis from the throne and seat Lazar upon it. For now he just wanted to love his mate and allow her to live in ignorant bliss. The harsh realities of the war to come didn’t need to spoil their moment. They’d be living it soon enough.

  A knock sounded from the door below. Lazar sniffed the air.

  Sachin and the others had arrived. Sabrina would need to return to his realm, like it or not. He just hoped his young wife was willing. Abducting her would be no way to start off their lives together.

  “Who is here?” she asked.

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “Friends. The time has come to return to my homeland. You and Gardelle will come.”

  She didn’t argue. That was a good sign.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sabrina stared around in absolute wonder at the castle. Already it felt as if she’d fallen through the rabbit hole while being flown by Lazar to this place. This land that wasn’t anything like the one she’d spent her life growing up in. He’d called it a name. Something that started with an A, but all she got out of it was so not friggin’ Earth.

  She shivered. Lazar drew her back against his frame and rubbed her arms. “You are cold?” he asked.

  She shook her head. He’d assured she’d dressed warmly for the flight and had talked her through much of it before they actually took off. Her gaze wandered to the other birdmen. The ones who had arrived at her home, handled the dead bodies of the other bad men and car
ried Gardelle all the way to the castle they stood in now.

  The one with the deepest accent kept eyeing her. He had a twin who hadn’t said a word yet. “She is very tiny.”

  “She is, my lord,” said Lazar.

  My lord?

  Right. King. Yes. Lazar had called him the king before. She leaned back more into Lazar’s arms. “Do I have to bow or something?”

  The king chuckled. “If you dared try, I fear my wife would take vital pieces from me.”

  “Damn straight,” a woman with long dark hair said as she entered the throne room. She held herself with an air that said she was in a position of power but she wasn’t untouchable. In fact, she kept coming straight at Sabrina. The woman put her arms out and yanked Sabrina into a hug.

  “It’s so good to have another woman here. We’re so far from evening the numbers,” she said. “You could choke on the testosterone around this joint.”

  Sabrina just stood there, letting the woman hug her.

  “This is Rayna, the queen,” Lazar said softly.

  “Queen, smeen,” the woman mocked. “I’m just Rayna. I see you’ve met Kabril, Aeson, Sachin and Rosi—or Iorgos when he gets his way. Word to the wise, don’t give him his way.”

  One of the men groaned. She guessed that might be Rosi.

  Sabrina stared at the other men. She couldn’t point out who was who if someone paid her.

  Rayna laughed and hooked her arm through Sabrina’s. “I’ll make them all wear nametags if it will help.”

  “Oh, could you?” she blurted.

  The queen laughed more.

  Sabrina blushed. “You’re not what I expected a bird queen to be.”

  Rayna lifted her brows. “Sweetie, I’m human. I couldn’t shift if my life depended on it, and I wouldn’t want to. I leave the heavy lifting to the boys here. I suggest you do the same. They like it. Makes ’em feel manly and all.”

  Sabrina liked the woman instantly. She reminded her of Lisa.

  A pang of guilt came over her. She’d never see Lisa again.

  Rayna leaned and put her lips to Sabrina’s ear. “Give them time to get a handle on what is happening with the Falcons and then we can take some trips home, okay?”

  She gasped. “You read minds?”

  “Pfft, no. You’re not the first woman they’ve yanked from the flip side. You won’t be the last. Come on, I’ll introduce you to Paige and Shelby. They will love you.”

  She looked back at Lazar, and he nodded to her. “Go with Rayna, ta’konima. She can take you to see where Gardelle is being treated by the healers.”

  She followed the queen.

  Lazar waited until the women were gone and focused on the king and the others. “The attack was brutal. Gardelle was wounded gravely.”

  Sachin nodded. “He will heal. It will take time.”

  “There is a human woman I believe he will want guarded while he heals,” Lazar added. “Her name is Lisa. She is close friends with my mate and I believe important to Gardelle in ways he is not yet willing to admit.”

  Kabril snapped his fingers and other guards appeared. “Arrange for flight to the human realm. You will watch over a human there from afar. I will get the details to you soon.”

  They nodded and headed off.

  “Thank you,” said Lazar.

  “It is the least one king could do for a fellow king,” he said, his gaze even. “Lazar, a great battle will come upon us soon.”

  “I know. It is my fight, my lord. I will go and rally those still loyal to me and…”

  Kabril lifted a hand, silencing him. “You are one of us now, whether or not you see it. We stand together. We remove Latravis from the throne as one, and we help to seat you upon it together. Understood?”

  Sachin snorted. “Way to give him a lot of choice.”

  Kabril shrugged. “We’re all stubborn. Doesn’t matter what bird form we shift into.”

  Lazar smiled, feeling at home for the first time in a long time. The fight would be long and hard, but the time had come. It had to be done. With Kabril’s help, Lazar could assure Sabrina was safe while he did what must be done—kill his brother.

  THE END

  King of Prey Series

  King of Prey

  A View to a Kill

  Master of the Hunt

  Rise of the King

  Prince of Pleasure

  Prince of Flight

  About the Author, Mandy M. Roth

  Mandy M. Roth grew up fascinated by creatures that go bump in the night. From the very beginning, she showed signs of creativity. At age five, she had her first piece of artwork published. Writing came into play early in her life as well. Over the years, the two mediums merged and led her to work in marketing. Combining her creativity with her passion for horror has left her banging on the keyboard into the wee hours of the night. Mandy lives with her husband and three children on the shores of Lake Erie, where she is currently starting work on her Master’s Degree. She was nominated for Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Paranormal Erotic.

  Mandy has topped the Amazon bestselling charts more than once and has a loyal and steady following. She does cover art under the brush name Natalie Winters and is very involved with helping authors learn to market their books. In 2009 she and fellow author Michelle M. Pillow started their own self-publishing endeavor named The Raven Books. It spawned from the name of a nightclub in Mandy’s wildly popular Daughter of Darkness Series. In July 2010 they opened The Raven Books to third party distribution and by Dec 2011 had sold WELL over 150,000 ebooks.

  Mandy writes for The Raven Books, Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Harlequin Spice, Pocket Books and Random House/Virgin/Black Lace.

  To learn more about Mandy, please visit www.mandyroth.com or send an email to mandy@mandyroth.com.

  For latest news about Mandy’s newest releases subscribe to her announcement list in Yahoo! groups. http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/Mandy_M_Roth

  Thank you for reading this book by Mandy M. Roth

  The Raven Books’ Complimentary Material

  The following material is free of charge. It will never affect the price of your book.

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  Mating Behavior

  Mandy M. Roth

  Paranormal Shifter Romance

  Wolf shifter Alan has a problem—he wants his best friend Katie in the worst sort of way, but Katie's human and for a shifter male to choose a human for a mate is a death sentence—for both of them.

  Katie is so in love with her best bud, Alan, that she can’t see straight. Problem is, Alan doesn’t seem to see her that way. All she wants is for him to tear her clothes off and have at her but, sweet, reserved Alan would never… or would he?

  Extended First Chapter Excerpt

  Alan Becker stared over the orange glow of the campfire at the angel before him. She was tired, as he expected she might be when he’d called for a break. With his supernatural strength, Alan’s endurance was off the charts in comparison to that of a human. Katie had no idea he wasn’t like her. Hiding the fact he’d not broken a sweat or gotten the least bit winded on the hike thus far had been hard enough. The angel, who now looked to be on the verge of nodding off, was pushed beyond her limits. It damn near tore his heart out to see it. Katie hadn’t complained once so far on the trip and that made it all the worse. It was his place to take care of her.

  They’d stopped long enough to eat and for her to warm up. As much as he disliked the idea of starting even the smallest of fires, which they would sit by for an hour or two at best, Katie needed a break from the hike.

  Her unruly, dark brown hair naturally went to blonde surrounding her face, falling from her knit cap. Katie didn’t seem to notice or care as she tucked her knees to her chest and rested her chin upon them. If Alan didn’t know first-hand how cold Katie got, he would have thought the thick mittens and sweater she wore were overkill considering just how mild the March weather was.
He’d been shedding layers most of the day and even now, as the sun hid on the other side of the mountain causing the temperature to drop, he was hot. Hot because of what he truly was—more than human but not quite a complete animal—and hot because of who he was with, Katie.

  He grit his teeth as his cock dug painfully at the confines of his jeans. It seemed to be in a permanent state of arousal around Katie. The girl needed only to exist to make his heart flutter and his pulse speed. The urge to leap forth, do a partial shift and claim her as his own reached levels Alan wasn’t sure he could sustain without a meltdown. He swallowed back a lump in his throat, positive his tongue was swelling at almost the same rate his cock was.

  Damn her for looking so tempting.

  In truth Katie was layered up to the point her sexy, petite frame was unrecognizable, but he could see those big brown eyes reflecting pools of firelight back at him. The very thought of those eyes staring up at him as Katie took his cock in her mouth had Alan biting back a moan. She was passionate about everything in her life and he had little doubt she’d be a pistol in the bedroom as well. He could almost feel her nails digging into his back as he rode her into oblivion.

  He clenched his fist, trying to wash the erotic images from his head before he lost control of himself. “Hungry?”

  I know I am and it’s not for food.

  She nodded. “A little. How much further do we have to go?”

  The weary tone of her voice sobered him instantly. “Depending on how long we rest here for,” he ran a hand over his scratchy chin, “I’d say we should be to our campsite a little before nightfall. Unless you want to go straight to the cabin?”