Kitty hoped her new relationship with Melchior helped in some way. She didn’t see how it could hurt.
Chapter Twelve
Chigaru slammed the bedroom door. Kitty startled and whirled. She started to ask his problem when his dark expression stopped the words. It seemed as though Chigaru was still upset about how he’d found Kitty and Melchior that morning.
Oh well. Kitty gave a mental shrug. She’d been expecting this and had prepared for it. She hoped her past life would leave Kitty to it.
“You need to explain what Serenity and I witnessed earlier this day.”
“And you need to use a different tone when you talk to me.” Kitty crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one side as she regarded him.
Chigaru heaved a loud breath and clenched his teeth.
Kitty didn’t give him a chance to rephrase his statement. “Did you enjoy your little sleepover last night? Just like old times, right? You and Serenity all comfy and cozy in bed together.”
He grumbled something she didn’t catch before he said, “Serenity did not sleep here last night.”
“Oh? And after I left you two alone? What a shame.”
“Kitty, you…” He blew out another breath. “Were you being intimate with Melchior as a way of retaliating for last night?”
“Is that what you think of me?”
“Do not answer my question with a question.”
“Stop being an asshole and I won’t.”
Chigaru blinked a few times in surprise. His anger seemed to dissipate into confusion. “Kristar, please.”
“Please what? Step aside so you and Serenity can be all lovey-dovey with my permission? Turn a blind eye to your infatuation with another man’s wife? What? What do you want me to do? Let’s get this out in the open so we can be done with this. Tell me where I stand because I’m sick of having this argument.”
“This is not what I thought it would be. I was not prepared for this…this…jealousy. I envied Melchior when he claimed Serenity’s heart. I felt ire toward him but that emotion didn’t come close to the irrational anger I feel whenever you touch another male, smile at another male, turn your gaze to any male who isn’t me.”
Kitty’s breath caught and a slow smile curved her lips. “Oh, Chi, do you mean it?”
“I can only speak truth, Kristar.” He met her gaze and nodded.
With a happy cry, Kitty ran to Chigaru and hopped on him so she hugged his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. “You are such an annoying man, but I still love you.”
Chigaru circled his arm around her waist and held her close. “I love you as well, Kristar.”
“More than Serenity?” Kitty asked a loaded question but couldn’t stop herself. She had to know. She needed to hear Chigaru say it so she could come to terms with always being second, even though he was her soul mate and husband.
“Yes, more than Serenity.”
Kitty’s arms and legs went slack and she dropped to the floor. Her expression had to be one of disbelief. She hadn’t heard him right. “What?”
“Serenity is in my heart. I believe she always will be, as I am in hers. You are my true mate, Kristar. You are part of my soul, my heart, my breath. We share an existence. I cannot love anyone more than I love you.”
“You smooth talker, you.” She pressed close to him and kissed his chin. “You are so getting laid tonight.”
“As loath as I am to bring it up again—”
“It was nothing, Chi. I was comforting him. Poor Melchior needed a hug so I gave him one. End of story.”
“I didn’t like seeing you on his lap.”
“You’ll get over it.”
“With the proper distraction, I’m sure I will.”
Kitty grinned at him. She grasped his horns and pulled herself up to his eye level. “What kind of distraction did you have in mind?”
“I leave that to your imagination.”
“My imagination can be pretty dirty, you know.”
“I’m well aware.” He squeezed her behind.
She dropped to the ground. “Bed.”
Chigaru walked past her, removing his loincloth, and went to the bed. He walked to the middle and then lay on his back with his arm behind his head.
Kitty looked over her man with hunger. She licked her lips as she crawled onto the bed. Her destination was between his legs, which she edged apart. Gripping his thighs, she ducked her head so she could run her tongue up his length.
Chigaru’s hips jutted beneath her and he sucked in a quick breath.
She grinned at him and did it again, enjoying the way his arousal bobbed against her lips. “Mine,” she said in a rumbling purr.
He nodded. “Only yours.”
“As it should be.” She cupped him and took his full length into her mouth. Chigaru’s whole body vibrated and he groaned with pleasure. His groans turned to growling as she bobbed her head and sucked.
A dull ache started between her legs. She wanted him inside her, but not yet. First she wanted to drive him wild with need. She released his length so she could lick and nibble his inner thighs. Each time she switched legs, she brushed her tongue over his shaft and gave his tip a little nip.
“Kristar, please.”
She made a questioning noise but didn’t stop her motions. His begging sounded sweet to her ears. She wanted to hear more. She grasped his length in a tight grip and pumped while she moved her mouth high up his inner right thigh. That’s where she bit him hard.
Chigaru bucked and he shouted her name.
She switched sides and treated his left inner thigh the same. Chigaru’s arousal throbbed beneath her fingers and he panted. She released her grip and crawled over him so she could stare into his eyes. “Have I distracted you enough?”
“Almost,” he rasped, licking his lips.
“Almost?” She lowered her hips until his tip touched her opening. “How about now?”
“Better but not enough.”
She wiggled, escorting his arousal into her depths. “And now?” Her voice was breathy and she knew her teasing would soon end.
Chigaru held her chin so he could capture her lips. His thorough kiss had her moving her hips, slipping up and down his length, in response. She clawed at his chest as she increased her speed and both their satisfactions.
As had become his custom, Chigaru gripped the bed. Kitty didn’t want that. Part of her was bhresya now. It was time for Chigaru to stop holding back, thinking he would hurt her. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her thigh. When he pulled away, she repeated the motion, holding him there until he stopped fighting her.
“Kristar, I—”
“Won’t hurt me. Not now. And even if you do, I don’t care. I’ll heal.” She kissed him. “Be with me.”
His hold on her remained hesitant but he didn’t pull away again. Kitty figured that was as good as it would get until Chigaru started trusting himself.
She pushed to a sitting position so she could ride him properly. Back and forth, side to side, up and down, and in slow circles—Kitty moved in every way she could to bring them both more enjoyment. She sucked in a quick breath when Chigaru’s nails bit her skin. Before he could pull away, she slapped her hand on top of his, showing rather than telling him it was okay to keep going. It felt amazing.
She didn’t know if it was the bhresya in her or her bhresya inside her, but she felt no pain from his grip on her thigh. With her head thrown back and one hand braced on Chigaru’s chest, she drove them both closer to the edge.
Chigaru grunted and his hot liquid release filled her depths. His grip firmed and tightened so his nails broke her skin. Kitty shuddered and her climax shook loose. She whimpered as the desire to keep going and the need to finish collided with each other. She continued riding Chigaru, prolonging her orgasm, until the sensation grew beyond her ability to bear it.
Kitty collapsed onto Chigaru’s chest, breathing hard and laughing. She felt fantastic. From the way Chigaru’s hear
t thundered beneath her ear, she knew he had to feel the same.
“I love the way you exhaust me.” Chigaru kissed the top of her head and then let his head fall against the pillows.
“One part of you isn’t tired at all.” She rolled her hips, stirring his renewed, hard arousal inside her. “I would say you’re already up for round two.” She lifted her head and met his gaze. “What do you think?”
Chigaru lurched to a sitting position before he toppled her onto her back and loomed over her. “I think you spoke the truth.”
A commotion in the hall cut off Kitty’s coy reply. Chigaru shoved away from the bed and rushed out of the room. He grabbed his sword, bypassing his loincloth or any other covering. Kitty wrapped herself in a sheet and followed, but kept her pace slow in case it was an attack. She didn’t want to get in the way or put herself in danger. Both scenarios would distract Chigaru and get him hurt.
Haige and Ancraf held Melchior between them, pulling him out of the royal bedroom. Melchior was splattered with blood and straining against the men holding him to reenter his bedroom. Melchior roared, “Release me!”
The men didn’t listen to him. They tightened their holds and Lidan stepped forward to block Melchior’s path.
Kitty didn’t understand the scene at all. What had happened? Had the royal couple been attacked within the palace walls? Was such an attack possible?
She didn’t hear anything resembling the sounds of battle and the Hell Hounds were in the hall restraining Melchior instead of fighting an unknown assailant. Kitty edged closer, ready to retreat to her room if there was danger.
Haige, Lidan, and Ancraf were too busy with Melchior to pay Kitty any heed. She peeked around the doorjamb. She looked at Chigaru first. He knelt with his head bowed, leaning heavily against his sword. His shoulders shook, from anger or sadness she couldn’t tell.
Serenity’s state caused his display. She lay on the shredded remains of her bed not moving and covered in blood. Nym and another woman were on either side of Serenity with their glowing hands hovering above her limp body.
Kitty blinked several times. With each up and down motion of her eyelids, the scene made more and more sense. Melchior’s bloodied hands and splattered body, his state of undress, Serenity’s nudity and the destruction of the bed—they’d been having sex. Bhresya sex.
Melchior had tried and the result was what he’d feared.
“What’s wrong with you?” Kitty whispered the question and barely heard it.
Neither Melchior nor the Hell Hounds reacted to her question. Melchior continued struggling and demanding they set him free.
Kitty stalked over to the group and shoved Lidan aside. The man stumbled away a few steps, probably because he hadn’t expected an assault from behind. He started to say something but Kitty glared him into silence. She turned her anger on Melchior.
Balling her left hand into a fist, she put her full strength behind her swing and punched him. She wasn’t left handed but that arm had changed the most, which made it stronger.
Melchior’s head snapped to the side. The shock of the blow seemed to bring him to his senses. He stopped struggling and dropped to his knees. “Sorry. I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“Sorry!” Kitty screamed the word at him. “What the hell is wrong with you? That…that…” She gestured to the bedroom. “Were you trying to kill her? Was that your goal?”
“Never. I didn’t want to hurt—”
“But you did. She isn’t a bhresya. She isn’t like me either. She’s human and you know that.”
He nodded, bowing in on himself.
“You…you…” Kitty couldn’t think of an expletive or insult strong enough to describe what she felt. It was taking all her willpower not to hit him again. She pointed down the hall. “Go to my room and clean up. I’m going to check on Serenity.”
Haige and Ancraf helped Melchior to his feet and guided him away. Kitty glanced across the hall at Nilam’s door. It was closed. Erezion should be in there with her. Kitty hoped he’d kept Nilam from seeing anything. Hearing was another matter, but Kitty would worry about that later.
She entered the room and walked over to Chigaru. Crouching beside him, Kitty asked, “How is she?”
Chigaru didn’t change his position when he said in a rough voice, “Alive.”
Kitty heard a wealth of anger in that one word. She didn’t need to see Chigaru’s tight grip on his sword and the tension in his shoulders to know he was holding himself back. He probably wanted to beat Melchior. All the Hell Hounds probably did. From the way Melchior was acting, he might take it and ask for more.
A sigh left Kitty as she pushed to her feet and walked to the bed. Nym’s and the mage’s hands stopped glowing and they sat back. Kitty, not wanting to startle them, whispered, “Her wounds?”
Nym said, “Many but healed. I put her in a resting sleep. She won’t wake until morning. She passed out from the pain and blood loss but was in no danger of…of…” She pulled in a shaky breath and clenched her teeth. “I should have entered when I first smelled her blood. I knew what they were about and thought I shouldn’t interfere. If I had come in sooner…” She trailed off.
Helpless to do anything, Kitty stayed silent. Partial fault for this belonged to her. She’d given Melchior an either-or scenario that had led to this outcome. If she hadn’t insisted on talking to him earlier, would he and Serenity be in this situation now?
She hugged her arms and offered a silent apology of her own, though it didn’t feel like enough. Option A hadn’t worked. Next came Option B. Kitty knew what she had to do.
She returned to Chigaru’s side and brushed her fingers over one of his horns. He twitched and his shoulders sagged as he let go of his tension. Kitty said, “I’ll deal with him. You stay here.”
He lifted his gaze to hers. “What will you do?”
“What I should have done from the beginning instead of offering advice on a subject I have no business talking about.” She patted his horn and walked away.
Four sets of worried gazes greeted her when she entered her room. She said, “Serenity is fine. She’s sleeping now.”
All four men nodded in unison with similar sighs of relief.
Kitty walked to the dresser and pulled out one of Chigaru’s loincloths then offered it to Lidan. “Take this to Chi, please. Thanks.”
Lidan’s lips twitched in a muted grin and he nodded as he took the loincloth and left.
To the others, Kitty said, “Melchior and I need to talk alone, please.”
Haige said in a rough tone while glaring at Melchior’s back, “Talking is not what Melchior needs.”
Ancraf nodded.
Kitty looked at both men in turn. “Are you hearing yourselves? He’s your king.”
“Serenity is our queen. Our loyalty is to her first.”
“And you think beating her husband will make her happy?”
Haige growled under his breath and then turned away. He and Ancraf exited the room without further prompting. Kitty closed the door after them before she faced Melchior.
He stood staring at his now clean hands.
Kitty said, “Stop it.”
Melchior glanced her way.
“You heard me. I said stop it. You did it. It’s done. She’s fine. Get over it.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“I know.” Kitty shed her sheet. She ignored Melchior’s surprised expression in favor of getting dressed. She didn’t plan to do a reading while clothed in a sheet. A bath would be nice, but she didn’t want to take the time.
Before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, to rationalize away her guilt, she wanted to do this. She faced Melchior and said, “I’m going to find your second wife.”
“I do not want a second wife.”
“And you’ve officially lost all rights of refusal. Serenity isn’t me, but you aren’t Chigaru, either. Even in his most passionate moment, he never lost control like that. You were right not to trust yourself a
nd I was wrong to talk you into thinking you could.”
“Kitty—”
“Look, Melchior, this isn’t something I offer lightly. I hate, with a burning passion I hate, doing this. But, because of my part in this mess, I will do it. Take the gift.”
“She demands it but Serenity doesn’t know how a second wife will affect our relationship.”
“There’s only one way to find out.” Kitty walked forward and held her hand out to him.
Melchior stared at it in confusion. “What?”
“We’re going to your study. I want you to call your advisors to help with this and they aren’t meeting in my bedroom. Let’s go.”
With a resigned sigh, Melchior grasped her hand. They walked out of the room with Kitty ahead of him. She had to tighten her grip and pull him along when they exited and Melchior glanced down the hall in the direction of his room.
Ancraf and Haige stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking his path. The Hell Hounds had closed ranks.
Kitty tugged at Melchior. “Come on. They won’t let you see her, so don’t even try. You’ve got something else to do.”
“Yes.” Melchior’s voice was dejected.
She squeezed his hand, offering the only comfort she could. Nothing would be resolved until Serenity woke.
In Melchior’s study, he rounded his desk and tapped a tiny bell. A light tinkling noise filled the room and then faded away. Kitty started to ask the purpose of the bell when two of Melchior’s advisors rushed into the room—one wearing blue and the other yellow. They were disheveled and pulling on their robes. Both men bowed quickly and said in unison, “You called for us, your majesty?”
Before Melchior could answer, three more joined the group, appearing as hurried as the first two. One wore red, another red and yellow, and the final man wore all three colors. They greeted Melchior and then waited in rapt attention.
Kitty stood off to the side with her arms crossed, waiting to see how Melchior would explain the sudden summons.
He sat on his chair, laced his fingers together, and presented a calm demeanor. “I have decided to take a second wife.” He held up one hand before his advisors could say anything. “I know you all have suggestions and candidates. I reject them all.”
Kristar (Bookstrand Publishing Romance) Page 22
