by Lila Jean
“And heirs?” The king said, leaning back in his chair. “A kingdom must have heirs.”
“Tina can control her pregnancies,” Zane reminded the king. “She has already said she will give each kingdom an heir.”
“But just one,” Tina said through clenched teeth as the healer worked on her. “That’s all you get, you hear me? Five kids are plenty.”
Everyone chuckled, and even Tina cracked a smile. “Fair enough,” Flynn said with a wink. “Just one.”
“I confess, that is fairly simple,” the king admitted. “Once you get everyone on board, of course.”
“True.” Flynn sank into his seat, grumbling a bit to himself. “That part is less simple.”
“The kings have never wanted peace,” Frederick said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “We wanted power.”
“And, in a sense, we’re taking that power away,” Zane said with a nod. “We realize what we’re up against.”
“Ah, but that King William.” Frederick shook his head, clicking his tongue in disappointment. “He’s gone mad.”
“What do you know?” Flynn set his hands together, looking at his father over the tips of his fingers.
“Too much.” The king rubbed his face, clearly exhausted. “King William is responsible for forcing Damara into this world.”
“We know,” Zane said, his voice even.
“Really?” The king raised an eyebrow, his expression more impressed than doubtful, and pursed his lips in thought. “Very well. Do you know his intentions? That’s been eating at me since our spies discovered what he’d done. I just don’t know why.”
“To create super soldiers,” Anthony said with a scowl, and the king flinched at the wolf shifter breaking his long silence as if he’d forgotten Anthony was there.
“Asshat,” Tina muttered under her breath, her nose wrinkling in disgust.
Anthony nodded. “He is. He wanted to give her magic to everyone in his army, to take over your kingdoms, to create a unified kingdom he controlled.” Anthony wrinkled his nose in disgust, glaring out the window as if his father were standing in front of it.
“That’s horrible,” Frederick gaped at Anthony in disbelief. “To treat a goddess like a broodmare …”
“Is unforgivable,” Anthony finished for him. “And I’ll die before I let him have her.”
“Hopefully, it won’t come to that,” the king said, standing, “but you have Olympus on your side should a war arise.” Frederick turned to Flynn and frowned, his pointed expression driving his point home. “And Flynn, there is a war coming. With the dignitaries turning up dead, everyone’s blaming each other. I just pray we find Rutherford before it’s too late.”
“It is,” Flynn said softly, rubbing his temples. “I’m sorry, Father.”
The king set his hand against the mantle, his head in his hands, sighing deeply as Flynn told the tale of his visit to Russia, of the woman who had tricked them and her ties to Noxxom Corporation.
As Flynn told the story, Zane’s phone buzzed. An alert popped up, just a teaser message, a notification of more to come that read simply, There’s trouble brewing in Aurous.
Zane frowned, his gaze flitting briefly to Killian, wondering what was happening in the kingdom of the eagle shifters. Killian looked at him with an expression of concern, but Zane shook his head subtly, a silent promise that he would tell Killian more later.
The day wore on, Flynn and King Frederick deep in their discussions, and when the healer was finally done tending to Tina, she was given some medication to help her sleep off the final effects of her injury. She dozed on the sofa, not wanting to leave her men, and Zane felt the rising need to go research Aurous, wondering when this meeting would finally end.
“I wish I’d been able to see Odin myself,” the king said softly as the sun set outside, casting orange rays through the room. “Just to know you swayed him, Flynn, is all the proof I need to know that you’re ready. Both of you,” he nodded to Tina’s sleeping form. “When this war is over, when William has surrendered or fallen, I will give you my crown.”
Flynn sat upright in his seat, a look of reverence on his face, but the king motioned for him to remain silent as he continued. “My one condition is that all five kingdoms agree to the One Queen, and when they do, I will abdicate the throne and leave you to rule in my place. In the meantime, I am still king, and I still make the law. Is that clear?”
“It is, Father.” Flynn stood and offered his hand, which the king shook heartily, a broad smile on his face. They simply looked at each other in silence, a proud father and an honored son.
Truth be told, Zane was a little jealous. His father never had and never would be like this, but in the end, that didn’t matter. Only Tina did, and with one handshake, they had taken their first step toward making Tina’s life as the One Queen a reality.
13
Tina
The medicine Tina had been given had worn off around ten in the evening, and by then, she was feeling much better. The ugly, blistering burn had faded to little more than a patch of skin a few shades lighter than her arm, and just as Draven said, she had a cool scar now that the pain was gone.
Tina sat in a vanity that had been brought into Flynn’s room for her, the golden detail of the white-painted woodwork stunning and intricate. She admired the beautiful work of art as she brushed her hair, relishing in the vibrant energy of Olympus. She loved the fact that she could be here again, wondering if or when she would have the time to go visit Lillian and Rose. Even though she loved being here, she missed home, missed Epara, and longed to feel connected once more to her temple even though she knew Miranda would take care of it in the meantime.
“Ready for bed, Crown Princess of the demigods?” Flynn asked. He walked up behind her and kissing her on the top of the head as he smiled at her in the mirror.
“That’s unreal,” she said, smiling broadly. A flutter of excitement rushed through her with the realization that she, formerly nothing but a secretary, was now Crown Princess to the kingdom of the demigods. “I love my life.”
“And I love you,” he said, kissing her neck, his massive and muscular form bent over her as his warm hand wound around her waist. “I’m so grateful I found you.”
She kissed the side of his head and set down the hairbrush, her mind buzzing with joy, half-wondering if she would wake up in her own life again one of these days, lost to the humdrum of a dull life. If this were a dream, she hoped no one ever woke her. Her life just got better and better, well, except for the death threats. She would like those to stop eventually, though she was starting to get used to those too.
As Flynn yanked off his shirt, the rippling muscle distracting her and making her smile mischievously at his gorgeous abs, the screen on her phone sprang to life. She looked at it hopefully, wondering if there was finally a text from Amy, but there weren’t any notifications.
“Damn, just a fluke,” she said to herself. “I must have bumped it or something.”
“Something wrong?” Flynn asked.
“No, I guess not.” Tina sighed and opened Amy’s text chain anyway, scrolling up through her unanswered messages from the last few weeks, the only message from Amy a short note that said, Lie low. A nagging sensation tugged on the back of her mind, telling her that something was wrong, but this time it was her own intuition, not a warning from Damara.
Tina could tell the difference easily, and thus far, Damara didn’t seem alarmed by Amy’s disappearance. After all, Amy had said not long ago that she’d have to disappear, so Tina tried not to let herself worry. The werewolf heiress had a vast network of rich and influential people to protect her.
After plugging in her phone, Tina crawled into bed beside her prince and laid her head on his chest, smiling and closing her eyes as his warm skin pressed against her cheek. The feel of him distracted her from her worries, bringing her into the now with every rhythmic inhale.
“We’re so lucky, Flynn.” She ran her fingertips over the h
ard lines of his abdomen. “The six of us, I mean. We’re so damn lucky to have found each other.”
“We are.” He ran his hand through her hair and tenderly drew his finger over the barely visible scar on her arm, his touch soft and careful as if he would hurt her if he placed even one more ounce of pressure on her. “Are you ready for a life as a queen?”
“I was born ready,” she said, laughing. Flynn chuckled, and she nuzzled against him. “Seriously, though, I can’t wait for all this tension to end.” She closed her eyes, savoring his touch. “To just be a happy family.”
“Me, too,” Flynn said softly. “I want to take you through the promenade downtown, to disguise ourselves and slip through the crowds, be normal for a few hours.” He wrapped his arm around her and held her close. “To take you to German castles and on Mediterranean cruises, to show you the world without being under threat of death the whole time.”
“Sounds lovely,” she said with a chuckle. “I especially like the part where we’re not getting daily death threats.”
“Yes, a definite plus.”
He laughed and kissed her nose. His mouth lingered, warm and inviting, and she lifted her chin until their lips met, drinking in her demigod, loving the way he smelled like a storm on the sea, fresh and fierce. Lost in his kiss, she felt so connected to him, so grateful for his companionship and love. With her strong leader at her side, lighting the way through the darkness, she knew she and her princes could move mountains. His triumph today had proven they could, in fact, sway the kings, and Tina wanted to celebrate their success in a delightfully devious way.
His strong hands slowly sank to her hips, and as their kiss deepened, he gently rolled her onto her back. With one hand propping himself upright overtop of her, the other tenderly held her face, his tongue exploring her mouth, his powerful body slowly taking control as she willingly gave herself over to him.
As she kissed him, lost in his love, he tugged gently on the skirts of her nightgown, slowly pulling the thick fabric above her knees, lifting it until her hips were exposed. He set his knees between her thighs and tenderly pried them apart, his strong body controlling hers effortlessly. Leisurely, his hand traced her inner thigh before grabbing her, pinning her to the bed as his mouth explored hers, a soft moan escaping her lips now and then as he explored her body.
His mouth left hers, her skin cold as he pulled away, but he leaned back onto his heels and reached his hands to her hips, tugging slowly on her panties as he slid it down her legs, never breaking eye contact, his intense expression as spellbinding as his warm touch. When he’d freed her from her underwear, he ran his hands once more up her thighs, kissing her legs as his mouth trailed toward her wet entrance, and her eyes fluttered closed in eager anticipation.
When his tongue brushed her sensitive folds, she shivered with delight, happily lost in the moment, drawn in with his masterful mouth as she wrapped her legs around him. Though he started slowly, each kiss against her entrance became rougher, each flick of his tongue deeper, until he finally drove two of his thick fingers into her entrance. She arched her back, moaning in pleasure as he played with her, driving her toward the brink without so much as unbuttoning his pants. Each thrust of his fingers inside of her, each gentle flick of his thumb against her sensitive bud drove her closer and closer to orgasm, but it remained only just out of reach.
She lost track of how long he toyed with her. When he was finally done, she was so very close to climax that she moaned in disappointment when he pulled his fingers out of her, at least until she opened her eyes to find him hastily tugging off his pants. In moments, his hard erection saluted her, ready to please her and drive her over the edge. In one fluid thrust, he shoved his cock into her, her entrance already slick with need as she took him inside of her, his dick stretching her to the brim as he filled her entirely. She leaned her forehead against his chest, her skin tingling wherever they touched, his hips pressed hard against hers as he took her for his own.
Tina wrapped her legs around him, her heels pressing against his ass as she urged him forward, deeper, onward, desperate for more. He obliged her, withdrawing only far enough to thrust into her repeatedly, driving her closer to climax as he rode her. He kept one hand on her hip as he pulled her toward him, using all his considerable strength to drive himself deeper, ride her harder, plow into her with everything he had.
An orgasm built in her navel, slowly at first but quickly rising to a crescendo as he dominated her, and she arched her back, moaning as she came around his cock, her fingers pulling gently on her hair as she rode the sweet aftershocks of her orgasm, eyes fluttering with satisfaction. Moments later, Flynn came inside of her, the warm rush of his own orgasm filling her to the brim. She curled her toes, relishing in the sensation, and tightened her legs around him.
He collapsed on top of her, his forehead against hers, the two of them breathing heavily, his hot breath rushing over her neck as he nuzzled her, holding her close. She played with the ends of his hair, cradling him, holding him tightly, so deeply in love with her demigod and grateful to have found him.
“This war will end,” he promised, his voice gentle and certain in her ear. “It will end, I promise, and we’ll be one happy family, just like you wanted.”
“I know,” she said, kissing his neck. “I trust you.”
14
Tina
Tina lay naked in Flynn’s arms, deep asleep when the door burst open and banged hard against the wall, jolting her awake.
She bolted upright, unconsciously grabbing the sheets to cover herself. She stared at the door to the hallway in surprise as Flynn wrapped his arm around her, only to find Killian standing in the doorway. He looked ready for murder, to cave a head in or strangle the life from someone.
“Killian, what is it?” she asked urgently. “What’s wrong?”
“Tell me right now if you knew,” he snapped, glaring at Flynn, his eyes red and puffy. “Tell me right this minute, and don’t you dare fucking lie to me.”
“Killian, calm down,” Zane said, one hand on the eagle shifter’s shoulder. Killian tried to nudge him off, but no one could overcome Zane’s enhanced strength, and the tiger shifter was able to hold Killian at bay. “Those are just rumors, and no one knows who did it.”
“Rumors? Who did what?” Tina asked, standing, intentionally letting the sheets slide off of her, her naked body now exposed to the cool night. It achieved the desired effect, shifting the mood in the room as Zane, Killian, and Flynn each glanced at her, distracted by her curves. “Talk to me, Killian.”
The subtle gesture from Tina seemed to have chipped away slightly at Killian’s anger, and his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, but his glare returned to Flynn. “My father was assassinated last night in his bed.” Killian spat on the floor. “In his bed, Flynn! The spy chatter says the demigods are involved, and if that’s true …” Killian ran his hands through his hair, his voice catching as he planted the seed of a doomsday scenario in Tina’s mind. “Please, tell me it wasn’t a demigod.” Killian’s jaw tensed as he stared at Flynn. “Tell me you didn’t know about this.”
The weight of his words hit Tina hard, as the significance of a royal assassination shook up their entire game plan and changed the players on the board, not necessarily for the better. Yes, King James had tried to kill her, and yes, he had advocated her murder since the beginning, so a big part of her was grateful he was gone, but this was Killian’s father. This was a man who, however horrible to her, had been an important figure in her lover’s life, a man who had influenced who Killian had become, who had raised and supported him through so much.
And to top it all off, Killian had never had the chance to say goodbye. Their final words had been insults as they fought over Tina’s right to live, and they had parted as enemies. Even though Killian wasn’t in the wrong, he would never get the chance to mend his relationship with his father. Someone had stolen it from him.
“Tell me you didn’t do this,” Killian seeth
ed, his voice a dangerous whisper. Beside him, Zane typed furiously on his phone, no doubt searching for the answers that could keep this encounter from snowballing out of control.
“I didn’t,” Flynn said, his voice deep and commanding. “You know I didn’t. I would never do that, not to you, not to someone you care about.”
“Did your father?” Killian glared daggers at the demigod prince beside Tina. “When you spoke with him, did you demand to know what clandestine operations he might be running?”
“That didn’t occur to me,” Flynn admitted, lowering his gaze is shame. “But he bowed to me, Killian. He’s not going to turn around and murder a king.”
“You should have asked.” Killian took a menacing step forward. “You should have known.”
“My father’s not a king killer.” Flynn squared his shoulders, meeting Killian’s glare head-on. “He’s many things, but that’s beneath him.”
“Guys, stop.” Tina raised a hand toward Killian, the other still holding the sheets over her naked chest as she put herself between her two princes. “Be civil. Killian, you can’t make allegations without proof.” Her gaze softened as he met her eye. “You’re grieving, I understand, but you can’t blame Flynn or Olympus for this, not right now. You need evidence.”
Killian’s jaw tensed, and a strange expression of blended rage and remorse crossed his face as his gaze drifted to the floor.
“Wait,” Zane said, looking up from his phone. “Wait, I think the demigods lead is a red herring.”
“What?” Killian asked, spinning on his heel.
“Look.” Zane turned his phone toward the eagle prince. “The times on these reports are all wrong. According to this, the original entry was about an eagle citizen who was spotted fleeing the palace around the time your father, uh …” Zane cleared his throat and pressed on without finishing his statement. “After an official report of our whereabouts was released through the spy chatter, whoever did this tried to fudge the records, likely to cause a rift while you’re here.” Zane clicked his tongue in disappointment. “They were trying to be clever, but whoever tried to blame the demigods is intentionally trying to stir the pot.”
