by Meg Xuemei X
He dipped his gaze lower and dwelled on my female parts, his grey eyes glowing silver with thick lust. He looked like he wanted to tear my gown off so he could look at my nakedness without barrier.
His gaze was heavy, like a touch on my skin. I wondered how he achieved that. It probably had something to do with his angel power. I shivered under its weight. My heart pounded in anticipation and fear, and my mouth dried as I secretly craved for him to land on me and caress my body.
My will held me in bed and commanded me not to give him a hint of invitation.
“I mean you no harm, Princess,” he whispered again, his deep, musical voice coaxing. “As I said, I only want to see you and talk to you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And you have to come wake me up in the middle of the night in my private chamber to talk to me?”
“Would you rather have an audience when the subject concerns only you and me and no others?” he asked. “In the daytime, guards and spies follow you and surround you wherever you go.”
“You’re one of them,” I said.
“I’m one of them, but I’m not exactly one of them.”
“I don’t see any difference,” I said, letting contempt enter my voice. But my instinct had singled him out and separated him from other angels. That was one of the reasons that I hadn’t shouted for guards or introduced him to my chakram.
But I didn’t want him to know that. I kept a blank mask while conflicting emotions and thoughts twirled inside of me like wild wind. At the center of it was my shameful desire for this angel.
“My brother has become an issue,” he said. “We need to resolve it.”
It was no secret that the High Prince of Angels and the King of Angels loathed each other. Was the prince thinking of taking the throne from his brother? Earth royal bloodlines in every dynasty fought for power all the time. A few centuries ago, the Mysthian royal house had split as well. It would happen again when I took the throne from my emperor father since he wasn’t fit to lead anymore. He had ceased being the protector of the realm, of his people, and of me, when he’d chosen to save his own skin and throw me to the murderers and trespassers.
A riot from angels’ house would benefit my cause greatly. But why would the High Prince of Angels confess to me about such deadly plot? The hair on my neck stood up. I decided not to trust the prince under any circumstances.
In a cold calculation, my gaze locked on his piercing grey eyes. “Are you planning to overthrow your brother’s rule?” I asked neutrally.
If he admitted to it, then he was seeking my alliance, and I’d lay out my terms.
I’d do anything to destroy the angels.
Part of me knew he didn’t need my affiliation. He was powerful and arrogant enough to carry out his own design.
One corner of his mouth curled up in an amused smirk. “You want that badly, don’t you? Your kingdom would benefit from our fight.”
“Why should I care, High Prince?” I leaned on my side, my elbow supporting my face. This posture was meant to distract him and make him lay down his guard.
He let out an audible breath, and the silver light in his eyes flickered brighter.
It was working like a charm.
“You declared that you wanted to solve the issue, which is your brother,” I said, in the silvery, hypnotic voice I used whenever I wanted to ensnare an opponent. “I was only following your logic. Who among your house is on the throne concerns me no more than hearing a leafhopper calling to the grass. But if you want me to choose, I prefer you over your brother.”
“That’s heartwarming to hear, Princess,” he said. “But no, I’m not going to dethrone Agro and cause a civil war.” He looked at me with the interest of a hawk on a fat rabbit. “I’m not dumb or courageous enough to bring the Lord of All Angels and his army to Earth. I’d be crushed by his mighty force.”
Another hopeful bubble just burst.
Had this bastard come to play me?
But if the Lord of All Angels brought his army to Earth before I could seal the portal, all Mysthians would be wiped out.
The high prince flashed a grin that showed his white, even teeth. And I thought that angels had fangs. “I see,” he said brightly, “you don’t want to be crushed along with me.”
“What is the issue with your brother that you wish to resolve then?” I said, fuming. “I don’t think you come to seek my support since you obviously have a very high opinion of yourself.”
“My high opinion of myself is based on facts,” he said, his face turning serious. “You do realize my brother is a snake, don’t you? It won’t do you any good to keep exciting him. You’ll end up badly bitten.”
Wow, he’d taken such pain sneaking into my private chamber to wake me up and warn me not to flirt with his brother. I didn’t know if I should applaud him or slap him.
I slid into a chair and dragged the blanket to wrap around me from my neck to my knees. Since he’d chosen not to go to war with his brother, there was no need for me to entice him or reward him with the sight of my half-naked form. The prince stared at me with a strong disapproval for decently covering myself.
“The king said the same thing about you, Prince,” I said. Disappointment turned my voice sour and unkind. “He called you vermin as well. And for your information, I wasn’t encouraging the king. I’m his future queen. It’s only proper that the king and I show each other deep affection, especially in public. Who are you to tell me how to behave toward my future husband?”
His face hardened to glacial wall. “Husband?” he repeated.
“You do realize I was promised to him, not to you, don’t you, Prince Seth?” I asked. “And do you realize it’s more than inappropriate for you to break into my chamber in the middle of the night and risk my virtue?”
“If you rouse him further, he’ll take you before the wedding night, female!”
“And how bad can that be? I’m his anyway.”
He said through his clenched teeth, “If he loses control, you won’t survive. He has no brake. You won’t even see the coming of your wedding!”
My throat went dry. I knew the prince was right. I shouldn’t have purred like a feline in heat when the king had had his cold lips on my neck. I’d done so to rile up the prince, but I might have accelerated my own doom in the process.
“Why does it matter to you if I live or not, Prince?” I asked icily.
“It matters to me,” he said, “because I want you. I want you so badly that I’m willing to risk everything to make a pact with you.”
“That was an atrocious thing to say, Prince. We’ll both die from the mere suggestion of it if anyone hears us.”
“No one can hear us,” he said. “And I was telling you that I’m willing to risk anything to have you.”
You arrogant son of a bitch! As if you could just decide anything. As if you could also decide for me.
“Why should I risk my neck for what you want?” I asked coolly.
“I’ll save you from the horrible fate of marrying my brother. He’s a sadist and a pervert. You aren’t Victoria. Even if you prevail after the wedding night and become his queen, you’ll beg for death instead of enduring his sickening treatment in bed. You’ve heard what he told his mistress in his study. The reality will be worse than his promise.”
“How are you going to spare me from him?” I asked.
“I have a hideout,” he said. “He’ll never find you. You’ll be free from him.”
But not free from you.
I studied the prince. A naïve girl who was hot for the prince might jump onto his boat and sail to the unknown horizon with him. But he forgot who I was.
I was the proud Princess of Mysth. My people’s survival depended on me, and I’d bleed my last drop of blood for them. This angel believed that I would abandon everyone to save my own skin. What kind of coward and worthless ruler did he think I was?
But how could I expect more from the prince of the most selfish, self-serving, and brutal specie
s? Angels would do anything to preserve themselves. They had no concept of sacrifice, higher purpose, or honor. It was no surprise that the high prince thought I was just like him, like any of his kind.
However, there was no need for him to know how I truly felt. No need to let him know I didn’t need his rescue. Whatever his proposal was, I would turn it against him and his race.
“What do you want from me,” I asked, “in return for keeping me safe?”
He stared directly and heatedly into my eyes. “One fuck,” he said.
Chapter 30
PRINCE SETH
The Princess of Mysth looked indignant and half-crazed after I repeated that I wanted to fuck her.
I’d been honest and straightforward. I told her what I wanted, and I came for what I wanted. Now I savored every inch of her with my eyes and showed her what I desired.
When I told her the king was a nuisance, she’d thought I wanted to start a civil war against my brother. The light of hope had shone in her eyes, no matter how well she tried to conceal it.
I was sure now that the princess hadn’t come to Atlantis for peace. She’d come to create chaos. If she thought I’d be her means to achieve that, she’d bite her own pretty tail.
I laid out the facts plainly to help free her of the plague of her delusion.
There was no survival space for the Mysthians if they chose to fight. The races that had refused to succumb to us were either made extinct or slaves. The princess’s marriage to the King of Angels on Earth would only preserve Mysth temporarily.
The fey princess had been brewing the wrong, dangerous idea. Her alienating the angel nobles wouldn’t further her cause. The hundreds of stunningly beautiful courtiers she’d brought to assist to fight another kind of war against the angels would all be wasted in the end.
No matter how hard she kicked and screamed, she wouldn’t find a way out of Atlantis.
Without my help, she couldn’t escape. If she did, Agro or I would find her.
I was her only way out, so she should jump at my offer while it lasted and be grateful.
“Sleep with me once, and you can have your freedom and avoid a horrific fate,” I told her. “It won’t be hard. The intercourse won’t be a chore for you. It will be intense and enjoyable for us both.”
She just glared at me.
But I’d scented her arousal. The knowledge that she was wet for me made my cock harder than I could remember it ever being before. It was harder than a rock now in my trousers.
I’d never forced a female. I would never force her. I was civilized and reasonable, and my proposal was for mutual benefit—I’d sate the boiling lust that had been tormenting me every minute of the day.
And she’d live.
Chapter 31
PRINCESS ROSE
I blinked, believing I’d misheard him. “Pardon me?”
“Sleep with me once, and you’ll be free of me and my brother. For one night’s satisfaction, I’ll guarantee you safe passage.”
Blood rushed to my face, then drained. This asshole thought I would not only abandon my people to keep my head on my neck, but also whore myself to stay alive? Fury burned white hot in me. When it ran cold, it brought out the worst in me.
As he just helped renew my sizzling hatred for the angels, a merciless, cold idea formed in my mind. This bastard would never get what he wanted. I would have fun screwing him over. While he was hot for me, I would infinitely dangle the carrot in front of this big, muscular donkey with the golden wings.
When I had the ultimate weapon to strike his kind, the prince wouldn’t know what hit him while he was still looking forward to that one fuck. Well, he could go fuck himself!
Yet my mind wondered about how it would feel to be fucked by him.
I bit my inner cheek and drew blood to punish myself for that shameful, wanton thought.
Despite the hate in my heart, my body wanted this angel.
“And you think I’ll just accept your indecent proposal?” I drawled.
He arched a brow. “Why not?”
I narrowed my eyes. Did he really expect that every female would open her legs for him just because he asked nicely?
“You’re hot for me, too, Princess.” He grinned smugly, wickedly. “Don’t try to deny it. I can scent you. I’ve scented your arousal.”
Even so, my will is stronger, asshole. I’m going to cost you dearly and give you nothing back. And you can fuck yourself in hell.
Despite all, I blushed at his bluntness and hated that it was so easy for me to flush before him.
“I’m a direct male,” he said. “I go for what I want. I’m not like other males who usually give nothing back. You won’t regret that one fuck either. You’ll enjoy it as much as I do. I’ll make sure to pleasure you greatly before I take my satisfaction.”
“It sounds appealing,” I said, “but I’m not that desperate.”
He studied me. “If you have any demand within reason, I’ll meet it.”
He was that desperate.
“I’ll control the timeframe,” I said. “I’ll decide when and where we’ll … have intercourse.”
His eyes glowed silver as pure male lust burned through every layer. “You like to watch me burn, don’t you?” His voice was husky.
“If you don’t like my terms, you can walk. Anytime.”
“Fine,” he said. “But your timeframe needs a limit. You’ll sleep with me no later than a week before your wedding night. I’ll need a week to get you out of Atlantis.”
“And you’ll promise not to molest me without my permission before the day I let you use my body.”
He opened his mouth as if wanting to scold me for my crude expression, then he shut it. The pot should not call the kettle black.
“I won’t touch you without your invitation,” he said darkly. “I made this compromise, and now I want you to make a small one as well. Remove that eyesore blanket.”
I might need to give him a little incentive.
“Look but don’t touch,” I said.
“You have my word. Now remove it.”
I let the blanket slide off me, and brought up a foot to the edge of the chair.
I knew through my thin gown, he could vaguely see my plump folds slightly open in desire. Just as I’d predicted, his savagely hungry gaze fixed on my sex.
He inhaled sharply, and his male scent of pure lust hit my nostrils.
My pulse quickened, and I struggled to keep it in check.
How good was his control this time? I could test him. If he completely lost his head to his lust and became a liability to me, I’d push him off the cliff earlier than he would expect.
This was a dangerous game for me, but what wasn’t while I walked amid the angels every day? Still, self-doubt ate at me. Could I really outmaneuver the High Prince of Angels? According to the intelligence from my courtiers, the prince was an enigma even among his kind. He was heartless and difficult to understand. He didn’t play by rules. How could I figure out this unpredictable creature, considering I had only nineteen years of life experience and he was one of the most ancient, powerful immortals?
Have faith in yourself, a voice seemed to comfort me.
I couldn’t afford to constantly doubt myself. I was young, but I had a quick mind. I also held his unquenchable lust in my hands. I would learn to navigate him. I would turn my own attraction into a stepping stone. I would use my lust to fan his. I just needed to be cautious and smart enough not to let the flame scorch me.
I arched an eyebrow and closed my legs.
The prince finally remembered his manners and returned his lustful gaze to my face. Strangely, I wasn’t turned off by his unhinged desire. Instead, my body warmed and purred at his primal male need.
Involuntarily, I glanced at his groin, at the huge bulge pressing against his trousers.
“You haven’t had a female for so long,” I said, pondering. “Do you still know how to do it properly?” As soon as the dumb question was out, I reg
retted it.
“If you’re worried I’m rusty, why don’t we give it a test drive right now?” he said, a wicked light dancing in his eyes. “Pick any position and any place you prefer. I can have you in bed, on that chair, or have you bend over the chest and thrust into you from behind. I’ll be gentle and passionate at the same time.”
My breath became shallow at the seductive, crude picture he put in my head.
I composed myself. “Nice try. Think I’m an easy mark, don’t you?”
His lips curled up, despite the lust covering every inch of his handsome face. Hadn’t they said that he was a glacier that had no feelings and no mercy? This angel hadn’t been cold toward me. Probably his desire for me burned like hell fire and melted some chunks of ice in him. But suppose—of course it wouldn’t happen, but suppose —he got that one fuck from me, would his flame of lust turn to ash or ice?
“This thing is like flying,” the prince said cozily. “Once you know how to fly, you never forget.”
“Sure, we all know how to fly,” I said drily. What a self-centered jerk! Hadn’t he realized he was talking to one who didn’t have wings? How could I know once you knew how to fly, you never forgot?
“You don’t need to worry about flying,” he added. “I can always carry you.”
“No, thanks,” I said and thumbed at the door. “Now I need to go back to sleep.”
He gave me a lenient smile. “Before I leave, I need a boon.”
Nothing good would come of his demand, but curiosity got the best of me. “Like what?” I hissed.
“I want you to touch my cock with your hand in order to seal our arrangement.”
I snorted. “Oh really?”
My look of pure scorn didn’t make him blink. I guessed that my blushing might have reduced the effect of my potent glare.
“A favor, then,” he said.
“No.”
“Please, Rose,” he said in his best potential lover’s voice. “A touch, and I’ll know it’s worth risking everything for you. Now put your hand around my dick.”
