A King to Be Protected

by Brea Alepoú

  “Why do we need so many rooms with couches?” Kail asked.

  Titos shrugged. He hadn’t really thought about all the sitting rooms they had in the large house.

  “Some hunters stay within the main house as well; it helps being comfortable. Plus, parties,” Mazki supplied.

  Ginger took the other couch, and she didn’t even glance at the pompous throne Titos was certain he would get rid of. It looked stiff and uncomfortable. He hadn’t been raised as a king, and although he was fine with fulfilling the role now, he didn’t want to sit in the chair. It felt like a step too far.

  Seth: You’re our master no matter where you sit.

  Mazki: Yeah, even on my face.

  The image that accompanied Mazki’s mental words had Titos squirming against Seth. Titos riding Mazki’s tongue as it plunged in and out of Titos’s hole. He barely held in a moan, and Seth’s hands tightened around him. Titos scooted back until he was firmly pressed against Seth’s chest. Titos knew he wasn’t the only one affected by the mental image Mazki shared. The unmistakable hardness of Seth’s dick pressed firmly against his lower back.

  Mazki moved a little on the floor. Titos glanced over at Adom who kept his eyes trained forward, but Titos could see the way his hands clenched tightly to each other. The only one not affected was Kail, since he didn’t see the image, but it didn’t escape his notice. He eyed them all warily and with a little longing in his brown eyes.

  Seth: He wants to be a part of us and be with you.

  Titos: I want him.

  Adom: He’s already yours.

  Mazki: He’s still new to everything, but even he knows that he wants you.

  Titos hoped they were right. He took a deep breath, turning his focus back on Ginger.

  Ginger pulled out some paperwork then got up, grabbed a small table in the corner, and brought it over. Titos watched her as she placed the table a little ways from Mazki but close enough that Titos could see all the papers she laid out. Document after document laid on the table until the wooden surface disappeared and all that was left was papers. The words blended together as Titos stared blankly at them.

  “All of these are the contracts of businesses. As the king, you get a portion of all business that's conducted within your territory,” Ginger informed him.

  “How big is my territory?” Titos asked. The words left his mouth but claiming a territory was foreign to him. He eyed the paperwork, already feeling a headache coming along just thinking about going through all of it

  Adom stood and picked up the first set of documents, silently going over them. Ginger watched him for a second before she looked back to Titos.

  “It's about the size of this town and a few others around here,” she said.

  Titos sat up. It wasn’t the largest territory, but there was no way he could protect all of it. “How many people?”

  Ginger shrugged. “There is a rough estimate of the number of edoli that inhabit this territory and the humans who know of them. There are more humans than edoli.”

  Titos sighed, rubbing his forehead. Suddenly, he wanted to go back to the small cabin where there was no territory or people to rule over. He felt a weight on his shoulders and nothing had even happened yet.

  Seth: You’re not alone. All of us are here with you.

  Adom and Mazki both agreed through the bond, and it eased some of the tension that sat like a rock in his stomach.

  “Some of the contracts will need to be looked over again,” Adom said.

  Titos turned and saw two more documents in his hand. Adom waved the paperwork before he placed them back on the table.

  “I’ll look them all over and have new ones ready for you by the end of the week,” Adom said.

  Ginger looked surprised, and she glanced at Titos for confirmation. Titos nodded, happy that Adom would take care of it. He had no doubt in his mind that Adom could handle it.

  Adom: I will not let you down.

  Mazki: Sexy and smart.

  Seth: Don’t even start.

  Titos laughed at their antics. Ginger eyed him, confusion on her face, but Titos wasn’t going to clue her in on their thoughts.

  “Is there anything else?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir, if you’re up to it, I have some of the higher-ranking hunters here. They are wanting to meet you and pledge loyalty.”

  Titos internally groaned but nodded. Ginger was up and out of the room in seconds.

  “What did I miss?” Kail asked.

  Titos turned to tell him not to worry about it, but didn’t get a chance.

  “I sent a mental image of me eating Titos’s ass,” Mazki answered.

  Titos whipped his head around to look at Mazki. He smiled, leaning his head back to stare up at Titos.

  “That explains why all of you looked like an orgy was going to break out,” Kail said.

  Titos cleared his throat. If Ginger hadn’t been in the room, that would’ve been the case.

  “Too bad I missed it. Guess I’ll have to wait to see it in person,” Kail said.

  Titos eyed Kail. The mischievous look Kail gave him had him wanting to say fuck it and have his way with him. His fingers itched to grip Kail’s long hair and press their lips together in a deep sensual kiss. Kail’s eyes went from mischievous to scorching hot as if he could read Titos’s mind and knew his intentions.

  The desire that built inside of Titos was almost unbearable. Titos moved without thinking, going toward Kail. He easily slid from Seth's arms and straddled Kail. Kail’s hands went to his waist, his deep brown eyes staring up at Titos with so much want that Titos felt it reflected in his own.

  Kail’s tongue swept against his lips—the very lips Titos craved to kiss. His breathing became labored from the tension of holding himself back from the very thing he wanted. Titos wanted so badly to take it, to take what he knew was his, but he waited. He needed to know it was Kail’s choice and not just Kail reacting to Titos’s desire.

  He looked into Kail’s eyes, silently pleading. Without any words, Kail stretched up as one of his hands traveled from Titos’s hip to the back of his head. His hand pressed against Titos’s head, a breath leaving him as their lips touched. Kail deepened the kiss, and Titos let him, their tongues tangling as Kail’s hand roamed all over Titos’s body, as if he couldn’t get enough.

  And it was glorious.

  The kiss they shared now was even better than the one they had shared before. It seemed even more desperate, as if Kail couldn’t get enough of Titos. A moan left one of them, but Titos didn’t know which and couldn’t have cared less. His hands shook as they went into Kail’s hair and tangled in the long strands. He pulled their lips tighter together.

  Titos slowly pulled back.

  “Your eyes are glowing,” Kail whispered.

  Titos didn’t know what to say; he just wanted to kiss him again. He glanced over to Seth, Mazki, and Adom. All of their hungry gazes were locked on Titos. It had every fiber of Titos tingling with need. He wanted all of them. It might be selfish, but Titos wanted all their hands on him at the same time and right at that moment.

  Seth was the first to move, getting closer, but he didn’t pick Titos up from off Kail. He leaned forward, and, instead of kissing Titos, he turned at the last second and kissed Kail. Titos moaned, watching the heated kiss between Seth and Kail, the easy way Seth took over the kiss and practically fucked Kail’s mouth.

  From the moans and groans leaving Kail, Titos got the feeling he liked it. That, and the hard length that was pressed against his ass. Titos wiggled against Kail’s clothed length, earning another moan from him. Seth’s ice blue eyes pierced through him as he stared at him just as Adom pressed behind Titos. He gently turned Titos’s head to the side, bending and kissing him. His beard rubbing against Titos’s face had goosebumps rising on his arms as he leaned back a little.

  “Oh, fuck,” Kail moaned.

  Titos pulled back from the kiss with Adom, wanting to see what was happening. Mazki sat next to Kail, hi
s lips pressed firmly against Kail’s neck there was already a marking. Titos growled in warning and everything stopped. Mazki looked up at Titos, moving back a little from Kail. Titos attacked before anyone knew better. He didn’t drink blood, but he still bit the other side of Kail’s neck—not hard enough to break skin but hard enough to leave a mark of his own. He sucked as hard as he could, trying to make the mark large. Kail squirmed under him and moaned, his hands flexing against Titos’s hips, not pushing him away.

  Titos pulled back slowly, pressing his tongue against the mark that was quickly going from red to purple.

  Titos: Mine.

  Mazki cast his eyes down, but before he could even move, Titos moved and pressed him firmly against the couch cushions, his body blanketing Mazki’s.

  Titos: Mine.

  Mazki: Yours.

  Mazki’s head went to the side, exposing his neck. Titos didn’t hesitate to do the same to his skin, biting down hard and marking what was his, Mazki’s pale skin easily taking the mark. Titos felt hot all over, admiring his work.

  Adom knelt next to them on the couch, his head to the side, waiting for his mark. Titos didn’t make him wait long. He moved over and easily bit down on the spot that showed the beat of Adom’s heart. Adom groaned from the bite, so Titos bit a little harder, wanting to hear more. He slowly pulled back, a smile stretching his mouth.

  His eyes went to Seth, his strong alpha, who patiently sat there waiting. He didn’t rush, but Titos could feel through the bond the desperation within Seth. He wanted the mark just as badly. Although they all knew the mark would fade quickly, their healing abilities not allowing the marks to last more than a few hours, if that.

  Seth: You can mark us as much as you want.

  Titos raised an eyebrow at Seth. He sent a mental image of all of them marked up—scratches from his fingernails, bite marks wherever his mouth could reach. Seth growled his approval. Mazki thrust his hips up just as Adom closed his eyes, a shiver working through him. Titos smiled at the responses he got from his men. He moved and marked Seth.

  There was a knock and a clearing of a throat that caught Titos’s attention. He glanced over Seth’s large frame at a red-faced Ginger as she kept her head down and waiting by the entrance.

  Seth: She has someone with her.

  Titos sighed. He’d forgotten all about meeting the hunters and other edoli of the territory. He pulled back from Seth slightly.

  Titos: Let’s get this over with.

  Mazki: Damn, just when it was getting hot.

  They all got back in the positions they were in before Titos had lost his fight with his libido. Except now, he sat against Seth and, not only did they have to go through meet and greets, they were all hard. Titos smiled at Kail as he scooted closer and rested his hand on Titos and Seth.

  “Come on in, Ginger,” Titos said.

  Ginger led two men into the room. They looked similar. One was shorter than the other, but that was the only difference Titos could pinpoint.

  “Your Majesty, I present to you Lonzo and Jameson. They are the highest ranked hunters and brothers,” Ginger introduced.

  Titos examined them, his eyes traveling up and down. Their faces were turned up as if they were in the presence of dog shit. The bond flooded with disapproval from all of his keepers. Titos took a peak at Kail and even he showed his displeasure with their newest guests. Titos didn’t think it was just because they had interrupted their fun either.

  He let his power loose to surround them, and his marking didn’t do anything. His little wind magic seemed to graze over them. There was no warning about them that he could tell, but still they came in with an attitude that Titos wasn’t sure how to deal with.

  “Hello,” Titos said.

  Awkward silence filled the room. Titos wasn’t sure what else he needed to say. He’d met them—what more needed to happen? He didn’t want either one to join his keepers, and he didn’t know how capable they were as hunters, even though Ginger had said they were the top. He stared at them, and they stood stock still. He wondered if he should offer them a seat.

  Seth: Would you like to test them?

  Titos: Good idea.

  “Ginger says you two are the strongest of the hunters, so you won’t mind proving it,” Titos said.

  Both brothers looked at each other before looking over Titos’s keepers. The looks Mazki and Kail got had Titos wanting to kick the brothers out of his home. They dared to look down on his keepers.

  “Yes, that would be no problem,” Jameson, the tallest of the two, said.

  It didn’t escape Titos’s notice that neither one had bowed to him or referred to him as king. Titos glanced over to Ginger, and her face was scrunched up in disdain. She glared at the brothers, clearly not pleased with how they were acting.

  “Mazki, would you mind?” Titos said.

  Jameson looked around. “You would like for us to prove it here?”

  Titos shrugged. “Mazki, I would like to keep the furniture nice. However, that fugly chair can be destroyed.”

  Mazki laughed and stood. “Yes, master.”

  Lonzo stood in front of his brother. “I’ll handle this.” He sounded so confident.

  Seth: No fire.

  Mazki: You really want me to spare these dipshits?

  Seth: No, but Titos likes this room.

  “What do we get if we beat one of your keepers?” Jameson asked. He looked relaxed, complete confidence in his brother.

  Titos tilted his head to the side. “What would you like?”

  The brothers made eye contact briefly before Lonzo spoke. “To command the hunters and both of us become keepers.”

  Titos was surprised by the request. He’d been sure the disapproving looks they’d given him had meant they didn’t respect him as a king.

  Seth: They believe they will be able to overpower you.

  Titos sat up, studying the brothers a little closer. “Never mind, Mazki.”

  Mazki turned to look at him but didn’t question him, sitting back down. Both brothers looked confused.

  Titos stood and stretched his small frame, making sure to play up the small and weak part. “Instead of one my keepers, you can fight me.”

  Lonzo and Jameson both gawked at him as if they hadn’t expected it. “You’re going to allow this?” Lonzo asked Seth.

  “You dare question my master? Your king?” Seth said with an edge to his tone that screamed danger.

  Lonzo broke out into a smile, as if he’d won the lottery. “Fine with me. But if I beat you, then you take your group and get out of this territory.”

  The hostility in his tone had Titos examining Lonzo once more. “Just five seconds ago you wanted to be one of my keepers, and now you want me out.”

  “The number of keepers you have is decent, but any edoli could tell how weak you are,” Jameson supplied.

  A growl came from behind Titos, and he could feel all of his keepers’ anger. Lonzo’s eyes looked past Titos for a second, but he didn’t look all that worried.

  “At first, I thought they may control you, so it would be easy to get in and continue to run this territory, but they actually treat you like a king,” Lonzo said, shaking his head like he couldn’t understand.

  Mazki: Please let me burn him to ashes.

  Adom: No, they deserve to be torn to pieces.

  Seth: Agreed.

  Titos turned around and smiled at his keepers. Kail sat there, his teeth clenched tightly. Titos moved toward him, his hand touching Kail’s chin. Kail’s brown eyes focused on him, and he bent over, kissing Kail lightly, pressing their lips together. He pulled back and smiled at Kail, before turning back around to focus back on the asswipe brothers.

  Titos walked past them and around the couch. He pushed some of the other chairs and a cart full of liquor to the side.

  Seth: I can do that.

  Titos: No, stay sitting all of you. Make sure Kail doesn’t move either.

  Titos could feel how they all wanted to argue with
him, but he knew they would obey. It was insane how much things had changed for him.

  He pushed the last of the chairs to the side, creating a small clearing. Clapping his hands together, he regarded the brothers. “Shall we get started?”

  Jameson sat in the throne-like chair, the one Titos didn’t like, but it wasn’t meant for Jameson.

  “Both of you,” Titos said.

  Lonzo stopped in his tracks, looking back at his brother. Neither one moved.

  “I don’t have all day. I would like to go back to being with my keepers,” Titos said, tapping his foot impatiently.

  Lonzo turned back to face him, one of his eyebrows lifted up. “You want to take us both on at the same time?”

  Titos sighed. “I feel sorry for this territory if you two have been the ones running it.” He turned to look at Ginger who snickered a little. “They aren’t the brightest, are they?”

  Titos stood there, goading the two meat heads that had come in the room with their dicks swinging. They were assholes, to say the least. Kail hated them on sight. He’d met plenty of jerks like them on the street, and he’d even worked with some. They were the type to talk a big game and then bitch out at the end. Kail watched as Jameson got up from the chair that wasn’t meant for him and walked over to Titos.

  Kail wanted to get up and beat the shit out of both of them. It wasn’t that he was worried about Titos. Shit, he’d seen how good Titos was with a blade. Even in the dark, he’d been controlled and deadly.

  Kail didn’t think that he would have to do anything, but the way the two brothers smiled and walked over to meet Titos grated on Kail’s nerves. He looked to the others, and they were all watching with tense expressions.

  Seth glanced over at Kail, his ice blue eyes piercing Kail to the spot. Without having a connection, he knew Seth was telling him to stay put. Kail knew it was a matter of showing them who was in charge, which was clearly Titos, but he had to fight his instincts to go and knock each of their lights out for even daring to step up to Titos.