The Beast's Beloved (Ballads of Cadarnle Book 2)

by Amber Burns

  “I promise to be gentle while taking your maidenhood, my love,” Dresdyn murmured. “It will be uncomfortable at first, but I give you my word that any discomfort you feel will be fleeting.”

  “I trust you, Dresdyn,” Klaryssa whispered with a radiant smile. “I trust you with my life.”

  Dresdyn tenderly cupped Klaryssa’s cheek before kissing her forehead. “And I will never betray that trust,” he murmured fervently. “Never, for as long as I live.”

  After a few moments, Klaryssa’s smile became a little coy. “Could I possibly see you sit on the throne?” she asked.

  “Right now?” Dresdyn asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Klaryssa nodded. “Yes, please.”

  Dresdyn gave a small shrug of his shoulders. “Alright,” he said before drawing away and climbing up the stairs of the dais. Upon reaching the throne, he turned and then sat with his hands resting upon the heads of the wolves carved into the armrests. He then silently raised an eyebrow in question.

  Klaryssa slowly exhaled, and her heart fluttered at the sight of her mate. “It suits you,” she said with a smile.

  “Does it, indeed?” Dresdyn asked with a smirk.

  Klaryssa nodded. “You truly look like the leader you are, and you exude a masterful energy,” she said as her cheeks turned pink.

  Dresdyn’s smirk turned into a wolfish grin, and his eyes shifted from blue to amber. “Do you desire to please your master?” he asked huskily.

  “More than anything,” Klaryssa whispered, knowing that Dresdyn would have no difficulty hearing her. The way her love looked at her in that moment caused wetness to pool between her legs as an all too familiar ache settled in her womb.

  “And just how do you propose to do that?” Dresdyn asked with an underlying growl when the smell of Klaryssa’s arousal wafted into his nose.

  Without either saying a word or allowing her gaze to waver from Dresdyn’s, Klaryssa climbed the stairs of the dais until she reached the top. It was then that she slowly knelt before her future husband and positioned herself between his legs, and her hands rested upon his thighs. She could feel the tension in Dresdyn’s muscles. They were taught and ready to spring, and Klaryssa knew it was all because of her. It emboldened her like nothing else, even as she smiled demurely up at her love.

  “May I?” she asked in a whisper as her hands slowly slid up Dresdyn’s thighs until they rested upon his belt.

  Dresdyn slowly nodded. “Yes, you may,” he growled while gazing at Klaryssa in stark hunger before growling again when his mate slowly licked her lips while unbuckling his belt and then busying her fingers with the fastenings on the front of his trousers. He could hear Klaryssa’s heart pounding excitedly in her chest as she carefully eased his very hard and throbbing manhood free of his trousers. He groaned low in his throat, and his eyes fluttered closed as his beloved began to slowly stroke him.

  Klaryssa smiled as she watched Dresdyn revel in her gentle attentions, and as she continued to stroke his impressive length, her free hand tenderly cupped her love’s sac as she kissed and nuzzled the bell-shaped head. Her pulse quickened when Dresdyn shuddered in response to her using her tongue to tease the slit at the top of his manhood, and she could not stop herself from taking just the head into her mouth after swirling her tongue around it. She moaned when Dresdyn gripped her hair with one hand, and when she slowly slid it out of her mouth, she smiled adoringly up at her man.

  “Just think,” she whispered before pressing soft kisses all over the mushroomed head of Dresdyn’s length. “This time tomorrow, it won’t be my mouth that envelops you,” she purred before taking Dresdyn into her mouth once more, and taking in as much of him as she possibly could. The rest, she stroked and gently squeezed with her hand.

  “Believe me, my sweet and precious doe,” Dresdyn growled while opening his eyes so he could watch his beloved paying homage to his manhood with her sweet, little mouth. “I am already counting the hours.” As it was, it was taking all of Dresdyn’s self-control to not simply pull Klaryssa onto his lap and fuck her senseless. “I want nothing more than to bury my cock to the hilt inside of you,” he husked. “I want to fill you with my seed and put my baby in your belly,” he managed before his eyes closed, and his head fell back with a groan as Klaryssa swirled her tongue around his aching member.

  Klaryssa’s womb clenched with want at Dresdyn’s words, and she mewled with need while continuing to slide her love’s manhood in and out of her mouth.

  Dresdyn opened his eyes, and the amber orbs bored heatedly into Klaryssa’s. “Touch yourself,” he growled before smiling when his beloved let go of his sac in favor of hurriedly hiking up the skirt of her dress. When he saw that Klaryssa once again wore no undergarments, Dresdyn growled deeply in his chest, and his canines lengthened a bit as he watched his mate pleasure herself while she continued to suck his cock. “Yes, yes, good girl,” he praised huskily. His hand tightened in Klaryssa’s hair, and the knuckles of his free hand were white as they gripped the armrest. “I can hear how wet you are.”

  Klaryssa’s pleasured cry was muffled around Dresdyn’s pulsating manhood, and her fingers were coated completely in her juices in no time at all. Her thumb sought out the sensitive nub nestled within her folds and caressed it as she stroked her other fingers in an out of her wanting slit.

  “You wish your fingers were my cock, don’t you?” Dresdyn growled before smiling when Klaryssa mewled wantonly in agreement. “Won’t be much longer, my love,” he husked gutturally while thrusting into Klaryssa’s mouth. He was so close. “Won’t be much longer until I’m buried deep inside of you.” He threw his head back with a wordless shout of euphoria as he shot thick ropes of his hot seed down Klaryssa’s throat. He slowly opened his eyes and lowered his head so he could gaze down at his love as she eagerly swallowed his gift. “And it won’t be much longer until it’s your womb I fill with my seed,” he husked breathlessly.

  Dresdyn waited until Klaryssa slowly released his softening length before he rose shakily from the throne. He pulled Klaryssa to her feet and lifted her hand to his lips before sucking her fingers clean of her nectar. He growled deeply and kissed her hungrily before lifting her, turning around, and then placing her down onto the throne.

  “Dresdyn?” Klaryssa asked with a knowing smile as she watched Dresdyn sink to his knees only to push up the skirt of her gown and spread her legs. She shivered as her love shrugged her knees onto his strong shoulders, and she mewled when Dresdyn leaned in and nuzzled into her wet folds before drawing a long, languid lick up her slit and around her pearl. “Oh, Dresdyn,” she whimpered as her beloved tightly gripped her hips and held them in place as he delved his tongue deeply into her. “Dresdyn!” she cried breathlessly as her back arched.

  Dresdyn drew his tongue slowly free with a lurid slurp. “The way you smell and taste is intoxicating, my love,” he growled as he released Klaryssa’s right hip so he could slide two fingers into her wanting warmth. He hooked his fingers just enough so he could find the cluster of nerves that he knew would deliver unspeakable pleasure to his beloved. He knew he found it when his maiden arched her back hard and bit her bottom lip to stifle her scream of delight.

  “Dres...dyn!” Klaryssa gasped before wordlessly crying out when her beloved gently gripped her pearl between his teeth and flicked it with his tongue. Her left hand moved down to grip Dresdyn’s dark hair tightly while her right hand squeezed her breast through the bodice of her gown. Her clothing suddenly felt very heavy!

  The sound of Klaryssa’s release was music to Dresdyn’s ears, but he did not relent in his ministrations. Rather, he released her pearl and withdrew his fingers in favor of licking them clean and then delving his tongue deeply into Klaryssa’s warmth once more as his thumb stroked and caressed her nub. He growled deeply as his tongue became coated in Klaryssa’s sweet nectar, and it did not take long until her quivering body stiffened as another orgasm ripped through her. This time, Klaryssa was not completely able to stifle the sound
of her release, and Dresdyn could hear her weeping in unadulterated bliss.

  When Dresdyn finally drew away, it was slowly, and he reverently kissed Klaryssa’s sopping slit. He gently eased his beloved’s legs off his shoulders and then lowered her skirt back down before standing and fastening up his trousers. Once he had finished, he gently pulled Klaryssa to her feet and held her trembling body close. “I love you,” Dresdyn growled against Klaryssa’s lips before kissing her deeply.

  “And I love you,” Klaryssa whimpered once she was able. Still trembling, she nestled into Dresdyn’s embrace for fear of not being able to hold herself up. “Dynol’s mercy,” she whimpered. “Tomorrow night can’t get here fast enough. I need you, Dresdyn. I need you inside of me.”

  “The feeling is mutual, my love,” Dresdyn growled. “Believe me.”

  “Dresdyn, I want you to promise me something,” Klaryssa said as the corners of her mouth turned up into a small smile.

  “Anything, my love,” Dresdyn murmured while nuzzling into Klaryssa’s hair.

  “Once we’re finally mated, I want you to have your way with me on the throne,” Klaryssa purred before rising up on tiptoe to lightly nip Dresdyn’s neck.

  Dresdyn grinned and growled low into Klaryssa’s ear. “Oh, my insatiable, little doe, you can count on it.”

  15

  “This news you’ve given us is most troubling, My Thane,” Pack Leader Goryn said.

  “Gnolls have somehow gained the ability to turn invisible?” another pack leader asked from within the group.

  “How could this possibly be?” Pack Leader Morris asked.

  “Leave it to the twisted mongrels to find a new way to cheat,” Pack Leader Goryn growled.

  Sitting upon his throne with the pack leaders pacing back and forth at the bottom of the dais, the only thing that kept him from reliving in his mind the erotic events that occurred in the very same throne the night before, was the dire subject he had presented to the pack leaders during the clan’s conclave. As it was, it was only his desire to implement a plan of action that kept him distracted from thinking about his impending hunt of Klaryssa following their presentation as a mated pair.

  “I am very much aware of the troubling nature of this news,” Dresdyn interjected in a calm voice. “Let us not forget that I was there when it happened. I saw the beasts appear from nowhere, and I saw them target my mate specifically. It was only when they were engaged by Kelder, Olaf, and myself all at once that the gnolls finally switched their focus away from Klaryssa.”

  One of the pack leaders who had remained silent up to that moment spoke at last. “I smelled them during our approach, but I could not see them. I thought I was going mad, but now I know the truth,” he said before growling as his eyes shifted from brown to gold. “Those mongrels are nothing if not cunning. After countless years of attacking us, they have now decided to attack where it will do the most damage.”

  Dresdyn looked to the older man with greying hair and nodded while smoothing a hand over his freshly trimmed beard. Gone was the full and unruly beard he had before, and in its place was a much shorter and neater goatee. Dresdyn hoped Klaryssa would like it. “I was thinking the same thing, Ulfryk,” he said darkly. “After all this time, they have finally realized that the only way to truly destroy us as a people, is to attack our mates.”

  “Well, the solution to that is simple enough,” a pack leader with long red hair said while crossing his arms over his chest. “Mates are not allowed to leave their respective Keeps unless under heavy guard.”

  “Not a bad temporary solution, Gideon,” Dresdyn replied. “In fact, I’m sure that all of us have already thought of it,” he said only to be answered with grunts and nods of agreement. “What we need is a long-term solution, and we won’t be able to have one until we get to the bottom of how they are able to become invisible on so grand a scale.” He looked to his right where the clan shaman stood with his lips pursed together in thought.

  Ragnyr, the shaman, was an older man with long, silver hair and a full beard. Unlike with the gnolls who believed in having multiple shamans in order to add to the strength of their twisted race, the wolf shifters preferred to have a single shaman and an apprentice. Unfortunately for Ragnyr, his apprentice had recently been killed, so he was now desperate to find someone new to train. Being the shaman for the entire clan, he traveled from Keep to Keep to provide guidance and aid as needed. He had delivered babies, healed the sick, and seen to the souls of the departed. He was a powerful mage as well as the clan’s spiritual leader.

  And right now, he was the clan’s only hope for answers.

  “Shaman Ragnyr?” Dresdyn asked. “Do you have any light to shed on the subject? Is there a spell of invisibility that the gnolls could have stumbled across?”

  “Yes, such spells exist,” Ragnyr answered with a nod. “But I have never heard of it being performed on so grand a scale before.” He thoughtfully stroked his beard. “To maintain such a spell for so long and over multiple participants at the same time would require a great deal of power.” He held up a finger. “It could be something as simple as all of the gnoll shamans combining their power to achieve the goal.” He slowly exhaled and held up a second finger. “Or, it could be something more sinister.”

  “Such as?” Ulfryk asked.

  Ragnyr looked to Dresdyn. “The incident with the elves and their mask. Are we certain that it was the only artifact that was unearthed?”

  “As far as I know, yes,” Dresdyn answered before raising an eyebrow and looking at the elder quizzically. “Why do you ask? Our people had no such artifacts like the elven mask that was nearly the end of all.” He furrowed his brow. “Did we?” He raised both eyebrows. “Do we?”

  Ragnyr shook his head. “No, nothing like that. But, our people nevertheless had and still have our own artifacts of power,” he answered. “Rings, talismans, diadems, that sort of thing. Those that were not bestowed upon shamans, were gifted to mates whose innate powers were more active and potent than others. Every Keep has at least one.”

  “We have two rings,” Gideon said.

  “We have a ring and a talisman,” Ulfryk said before the other pack leaders murmured their own replies.

  Dresdyn sighed. “My Keep also has two...a ring, and a cuff that once belonged to my mother.” He had been planning on allowing Klaryssa to pick which artifact she wanted once they were officially mated.

  Ragnyr gave a small nod. “My point is that the artifacts were and are meant to act as a focus. In the case of mates, the artifact is meant to help her focus her untrained gift so that it can be of use without causing harm. In the case of a shaman, or his apprentice, the artifact is meant to amplify their power so they can better serve the clan. These artifacts have been handed down through the generations, and have always found their home upon the person who was destined for them.” He slowly exhaled and crossed his arms over his chest. “However, not all of these artifacts have been accounted for.”

  A hush fell over the room.

  Dresdyn leaned on the armrest of the throne. “Are you suggesting that the gnolls may have found one of the missing artifacts?”

  “It is a very strong possibility, My Thane,” Ragnyr replied with a small nod. “It certainly makes more sense than their various packs suddenly working together.”

  “I agree,” Ulfryk said with a nod. “They may have originally been like us before they were cursed by the Great Wolf, but none of that remains within them any longer.”

  “Ulfryk is right,” Gideon replied. “All those mongrels care about is power, just like the ancestors who got them cursed in the first place. It’s not in their nature to work together with other packs.” He sighed. “If you ask me, it’s a miracle they haven’t wiped each other out.”

  “Perhaps they would have if they didn’t breed like fucking rabbits,” Ulfryk grumbled while crossing his arms over his broad chest.

  Dresdyn sighed heavily and leaned forward on the throne with his elbows atop his
knees, and his head bowed in thought. “Alright,” he said after several moments. He raised his head and leaned back in his throne. “So, our immediate task is to determine which gnoll pack has an artifact, and then relieve them of it with great haste and prejudice.”

  “Agreed,” the pack leaders replied in unison.

  “Our mates must remain protected at all cost,” Ulfryk added emphatically. “We all know what will happen if they get taken from us.”

  “It will be our end,” Gideon remarked.

  “And it will leave a large breach in Cadarnle’s defenses,” Dresdyn added before rising to his feet. “Here is the plan,” he said while regarding each pack leader in turn. “As Gideon suggested earlier, mates will be forbidden from leaving their respective Keeps, and I will even take the suggestion one step further, and decree that until the artifact is found and returned to its rightful people, there will be no more clan gatherings. Mates and children are too vulnerable during travel, and the risk of losing them is simply too great to our people.”