by Aubrey Ross
She was open and helpless, all he had to do was ram his cock… Her core quivered, anticipating just such a claiming.
“Does your mother know where you are?”
“I’m not sure where I am.” He eased his chest away, gazing boldly at her breasts. “Please put me down. I explained the misunderstanding.”
“When is your awakening?”
Heat suffused her face and her pussy swelled at the intimate question. He had no right to ask her such a thing. Sexual awakenings were never spoken of in mixed company.
“That is between my mother and me.”
“Has your training begun? Who is your sexual mentor? I’d like to test his skill.” His hand cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing her nipple.
“Next year.” She gasped. “I’ll not be awakened until next year.”
His forehead furrowed as he gazed at her hardened peak with obvious interest. “Why? Clearly you’re ready now.”
She arched into his touch, thrilled by the mastery with which he teased her. “Explain that to my mother.”
His fingers brushed her thigh, diving inward until he found her slick pussy folds. “Have you ever touched yourself? Stroked your clit until your body shattered?”
Biting her bottom lip to keep from crying out, she shook her head. He traced her slit, sliding through the moisture gathered there. “Nothing is softer than a passion-soaked pussy.”
He swept her into his arms and moved to the low stone ledge protruding from the back wall of the cavern. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her gaze assessing his features. With his silky black hair and incandescent blue eyes, he was actually quite striking—when he wasn’t scowling.
Her mother frequently hinted that she should consider only the clan leaders for her potential mate, implying such a match was destined for Verrine. Lilith would never be more specific.
No one was more powerful than the leader of Shadow Clan.
Well, his brother Balam was, but the Prime Leader had never so much as glanced her way.
Arioch laughed easily and often. He took an active interest in the members of his clan. Her father, Jetrel, liked and respected him. Jetrel spoke frequently of Arioch’s outrageous antics as well as his shrewd policies.
Arranging her across his lap, Arioch supported her back with one arm, leaving the other free to play. She shouldn’t allow this. Regardless of who he was this was forbidden. After her sexual mentor deemed her education complete she’d be free to practice her skills with any demon she found attractive. The only thing prohibited was actual penetration. Unfortunately, her awakening had yet to begin.
“My lord. We should not. I…”
His mouth covered hers, ending her protest. Sliding and caressing, he used only his lips at first. Verrine had kissed her share of boys. Generally giggles and periods of awkward silence followed the clumsy attempts.
There was nothing clumsy about Arioch’s kiss. His fingers spread against her cheek, his thumb curved under her chin. “Part your lips. Let me taste you.”
It never occurred to her to object. She opened for him and groaned as his warm, wet tongue sank into the interior of her mouth. He tasted exotic, indefinable. She didn’t know the flavor coating his tongue, but it pleased her, urged her to explore his mouth.
He chuckled. “You learn quickly, little one.”
Carefully lowering her to the stone ledge, he lay beside her, arching over her. She circled his neck with her arms, raking her fingers through his damp hair. Excitement thrummed through her, but honor required that she try one last time. “Please, my lord. Don’t defile me. I know I intruded on you, but it was—”
He laid two fingers across her lips, his gaze intent upon her face. “You will be a virgin when you leave this chamber. That is all I promise.”
Heat curled through her belly. How could she pretend to be upset when her entire body longed for his touch? Who better to awaken her sexually than Arioch? Surely her mother wouldn’t begrudge her this.
His gaze swept slowly down her body, pausing at predictable intervals, before returning to her face. “You are even more desirable than your mother. I wouldn’t have believed that possible.”
“You have…known my mother?”
“Not in the way you mean. She’s an extraordinary woman, but we have never fucked.”
Embarrassed by the blunt word, she glanced away. “I see.”
He chuckled. “Do you?”
“You wanted her, but she was mated to my father.”
“The situation was more complicated than that, and it has no bearing on what we’re about to do.” He stroked along her ribs, teasing the outer swell of her breast. “Raise your arms above your head and spread your legs for me.”
Her eyes widened and she nervously licked her lips. “You said you wouldn’t defile me.”
“I said you would leave here a virgin. There is much we can do without disturbing your shield.”
Warm and smooth beneath her back, the stone ledge provided support, but no cushioning. Each movement accented her nudity, her vulnerability. Arioch would take what he wanted, with or without her consent. There was no point in resisting.
“Why are you not mated?” She continued to study his face. His full lips and wide, thick-lashed eyes prevented him from looking sinister. Unless he wanted to, she amended, with a mental smile. “Surely many females have offered themselves to you. Why have you not—”
“Keep talking and I’ll put my cock in your mouth. I didn’t detain you for conversation.”
She raised her arms above her head and opened her legs, closely watching his reaction. If he expected her to beg and plead, he would be disappointed. Even his crude threat appealed to her. He had a fabulous cock, thick and long, the head bright blue. The thought of it sliding in and out of her mouth made her insides melt.
Her parents were unashamed of their sexuality. They had never intentionally fucked in front of her, but numerous times she’d caught glimpses of their vigorous couplings as she hurried from a room.
“Your breasts are lovely. High and full, yet not overly large. Ages will pass before they sag.”
She chuckled. “Are you going to inventory each body part?”
“Yes. I think I will.” He took her nipple and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. “This little beauty is spectacular. Such a rich shade of blue. Are you sensitive here? When I pull on it, do you feel the sensations echo in your cunt?”
“I don’t know,” she said calmly. “Why don’t you try?”
Growling low in his throat, he rolled and tugged, moving from one nipple to the other until both tightened into hard, distinct peaks.
“No. The sensations remained in my breasts.” She tried to sound casual, but already her pulse pounded and her body ached.
“Well, let’s see if we can do better.” Bending over her, he sucked one tip deeply into his mouth. The hot, wet suction released the tandem sensation he’d described. Each forceful pull on her nipple triggered a spasm in her core.
She arched, pressing her thighs together as tension mounted.
Sliding his hand across her abdomen, he cupped her smooth mound. “Open for me, little one. Let me feel your passion flow.” He insinuated his hand between her thighs, lightly petting without spreading his fingers.
Shocking sensations confused her emotions. Fear mixed with pleasure until she wasn’t sure if it was the pleasure itself she feared. His simple rubbing sent tingling heat spiraling through her pussy and deep into her belly. Even her breasts felt swollen and sensitive and he was no longer touching her there.
Perhaps she wasn’t ready for this.
Perhaps she…
His hand splayed. His middle finger slipped between her feminine folds.
“Oh yes! Your cream is hot and plentiful. You must feel this.”
Guiding her hand to her sex, he moved his fingers over hers. Hot and incredibly soft, she caressed herself for the first time. She trembled. He had to be feeling this too, how wet she was, swollen
and ready to be filled by his hard cock.
He moved her fingers to an exquisitely sensitive knot at the top of her core. She gasped, her body jerked.
“Yes. Rub your clit. I want to feel you come against my fingers.”
She stroked herself, shaking while he teased her opening.
“You promised not to—”
“I’ll not go inside. Keep rubbing!”
Her body accepted the steady press of his fingers, but how much better would it feel once her shield was breeched and he could thrust them up inside her?
She rubbed her clit faster and moaned. Tighter and tighter the pressure wound. She rubbed harder then clenched his hand with her thighs as pleasure rippled through her body.
Stunned, trembling with aftershocks, she relaxed against the ledge. Before she realized his intent, he slipped from the ledge and knelt on the smooth stone floor. He lifted her leg and hooked it over his shoulder, bending her other knee until it pressed against the wall.
“Your passion smells so sweet. I must partake.”
He ran his tongue from her anus to her clit in one long sweep. Verrine cried out, instinctively tangling her fingers in his long hair. Before she could pull his face away, he repeated the stroke, pausing this time to rim her guarded opening.
Scalding pleasure washed through her again. This was even better than the teasing slide of his fingers and far superior to her own touch.
More. She wanted more! She wanted his tongue inside her, his mouth moving against her, his teeth lightly scraping her flesh.
I’ll give you all that and more!
She gasped as his deep voice sounded within her mind. Her tutor had tried to send his thoughts to her, but Verrine had never been able to decipher the signal. This was Arioch. The most powerful of all Shadow Clan demons. It was not surprising that he had heard her and responded effortlessly.
He flicked his tongue across her folds and circled her sensitive clit before delving slowly into the very heart of her pussy. He pushed against her shield, obviously distracted by the pleasures it prevented. A throaty moan escaped her. She was tempted to urge him on, beg him to rend it and fill her with his tongue and then his cock! Never had she ached as she ached now.
Gently parting her with his thumbs, he licked her clit, firmly, rhythmically. Her senses hummed, vibrating on the brink of another orgasm. Her core took on the cadence of his kiss. Each distinct pass of his tongue made her throb more intensely.
Now, sweet Verrine. Come for me, now.
Forceful spasms erupted, sweeping through her in wave after wave of blissful release.
A savage snarl echoed off the cavern walls. Arioch’s mouth still moved against her. How had he made the sound?
His body was jerked from between her thighs and flung across the chamber. She saw only a blur of green and heard Arioch’s snarled curse.
Scrambling up from the ledge she crossed her arms over her breasts, too terrified to interfere. Balam’s long fingers wrapped around his brother’s throat, pinning him to the cavern wall. Arioch’s feet dangled well off the floor and both hands clawed at Balam’s wrist.
“I may not be able to kill you, but I can torture you for eternity!”
What had triggered Balam’s rage? He’d never shown any interest in her, hardly noticed she was alive.
His hairless scalp gleamed with just the faintest tinge of green. Many Serpent Clan demons looked blatantly reptilian. Were it not for Balam’s vastly different coloring, his angular features and tall, broad-shouldered body would look identical to Arioch’s.
“You know she is meant for me.”
Even hearing the words, Verrine struggled to accept them. If this was about her, she must at least attempt to explain. Stomping down her fear, she hurried across the chamber and knelt behind the Prime Leader, bowing low to the floor. “Please, Sire, may I speak?”
He spun, releasing his brother. Arioch slumped against the wall.
“I found my brother’s face buried between your thighs. Your cries of pleasure echo even now within my mind. What would you say to me?”
Not daring to lift her gaze, she barely maneuvered the words past her dry lips. “He is not to blame.”
“You would accept responsibility for what I saw?”
“I was practicing non-corporeal transportation when I…happened upon him.”
Balam’s hand grasped the back of her hair, drawing her gradually to her feet. She didn’t resist, so the pressure remained steady, not hurtful. “Did you offer your body for his pleasure?” His obsidian gaze bore into hers. “Did you willingly spread your thighs?”
“What is going on here!”
Verrine wanted to die. She wanted the cavern floor to swallow her whole. What else could go wrong? Slowly turning her head, she found her father standing in the chamber entrance, his expression thunderous.
A whispering current passed over her body and a robe materialized around her, covering her nakedness. She glanced at Arioch. He stared at her father, but he had to have conjured the robe. Not even Jetrel could construct Shadow garments upon another person.
Balam released her hair and took two menacing steps toward Arioch. The Shadow Clan leader didn’t even flinch. A garment similar to hers now adorned his tall form.
“This is between my brother and me,” Balam told Jetrel, but his angry gaze never left Arioch.
“My daughter was standing naked within your grasp. I must disagree.”
“As soon as I make certain she was not defiled, you may take her with you.”
Arioch moved between Balam and Verrine. Her heart lurched within her breast. His willingness to defend her in the face of Balam’s rage filled her with warmth and tenderness. Was it possible that he cared for her?
She shook away the naïve thought. He was saving his own ass! They’d been caught misbehaving, it was as simple as that.
“She is a virgin still. I barely touched her.”
“You had no right to look upon her much less—”
“What happened here!” Jetrel shouted. “Verrine, explain.”
With one last lingering glance at Arioch, she crossed to her father. “I was working with my tutor on non-corporeal transportation. When I passed through this chamber I unintentionally solidified. I surprised your clan leader and he…”
You needn’t protect me, little one. I’m not afraid of Balam.
“He took full advantage of the opportunity,” Jetrel said stiffly. His gaze moved between the brothers and his daughter.
“He took nothing that was not freely given.”
Balam roared, his furious bellow shaking the room. “It has not been easy keeping my distance from her. She has been ready for the past three seasons. I sensed her curiosity, the stirring of her desires. But I waited. I honored the pact. I will not be robbed of her awakening!”
“What pact?” She turned to her father, trepidation shaking her soul. “Am I promised to the Prime Leader?”
“This is not how you were meant to find out. We had intended—”
“Our intentions are irrelevant, thanks to my brother! She will be my mate. She will honor the pact or everyone will suffer!”
Chapter Twelve
“How far did it go?” Lilith tried to keep her tone calm, nonconfrontational, but palpable tension gripped the Realm of Darkness.
“What difference does it make?” Verrine refused to meet her gaze. “How could you promise me to Balam without telling me? How could you let me believe I’d have a choice?”
“Do you have feelings for Arioch or were you just—”
“What I feel, what I think, is irrelevant! You made a pact with the Prime Leader. You bartered me away like…”
Lilith pulled Verrine into her arms as the first sob shook her daughter’s shoulders. For nearly twenty years Lilith had dreaded this day.
Watching Verrine grow to adulthood had been one of the most amazing experiences of Lilith’s life. She treasured every stage, every phase of Verrine’s transition from child to woman. The
final step remained, and it could be postponed no longer.
“He wants to awaken you himself. He’s so captivated by you that he is unwilling to allow anyone else to touch you.”
Verrine eased away from Lilith and met her gaze directly. She had Jetrel’s eyes, a brighter, truer blue than her own. Verrine’s hair mixed blue and black evenly, another trait she inherited from her father. But her delicate features and stubborn nature came directly from Lilith.
“Why did you keep this from me?” Verrine asked, her tone tight, disappointed. “If I had known, I never would have let Arioch touch me.”
A derisive snort escaped Lilith. She focused on Arioch’s rash behavior, not wanting to analyze the possible truth in Verrine’s statement. “No one lets Arioch do anything. He knew of the pact and it didn’t stop him from… Did he defile you, Verrine? If he did, it’s better that we tell Balam now than allow him to find out during your awakening.”
“He did not defile me.” She crossed the chamber and sat on her bed. “Balam never gave any indication that he knew I was alive. He has had countless opportunities to talk to me. I don’t understand why he ignored me so completely if he is as captivated as you say.”
“He hasn’t ignored you. His gaze follows you constantly when your attention is directed elsewhere. He’s a creature of actions not words. He saw no point in engaging you until he was free to woo you.”
“You should have told me.”
Lilith accepted the criticism with a nod. Anger was easily dismissed, but Verrine’s disappointment cut Lilith like a blade. “You were supposed to be awakened on your twentieth birthday. I had intended to tell you about the pact this year. You would have had plenty of time to adjust to the idea before he claimed you.”
“Adjust to the idea. That phrase says it all. I’ve never had any say in this, have I? I will be Balam’s mate regardless of my feelings in the matter.”
“What are your feelings in the matter?”
Both women looked at the chamber’s entrance. Jetrel stood there, one broad shoulder leaning against the archway.
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought of Balam as anything but king. He is Prime Leader. I owe him my respect. He can be incredibly cruel. But his power is intoxicating.”
