A King to Be Protected

by Brea Alepoú

  Titos pulled back from the kiss to gasp from the feeling. He moaned as Alfrik picked a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow, lifting him and lowering him with ease. Titos lost himself in the pleasure that surrounded him. His other keepers’ pleasure flooded the bonds. He could tell they were all close, and he was as well.

  He closed his eyes as he let himself feel it all, wrapping himself mentally in all their bonds. Moans and gasps filled the room as Titos touched them all.

  Titos felt his climax coming, and he opened his eyes.

  "You are all mine," Titos declared as he pulled them all over the edge.

  Blinding pleasure pulsed through the bond. It made his vision darken around the edges for a second. Hot liquid flooded his insides, and Titos felt so content he simply went limp on top of Alfrik, not wanting to move. He was moved anyway but still laid on top of Alfrik. His softening cock slipped from Titos’s entrance, making Titos groan. Seth was there, pulling Titos half on top of him.

  Whispered words that Titos didn't pay attention to before Mazki was next to him, Kail on his lower half, and Adom's hand on his back. Content, Titos rested with all of his keepers.

  Titos stretched, letting the water from the showerhead rinse away the soap. He looked around the shower. It still had more room, but he could tell the difference with just one added person. It brought a smile to his face having another keeper added.

  Seth: I’m glad you’re in a good mood.

  Titos turned to admire his beautiful alpha, smirking, and nodded. If someone had asked him a few weeks ago if he'd ever dreamed of being with someone—let alone five men—he would have laughed. Now, he wouldn't change it for the world.

  Fully cleaned, Titos walked out of the shower and headed toward their closet, which was magically filled with clothes once more.

  Liby knocked on the door before walking in.

  "Liby, who came in here?" Titos asked.

  "Gavin, sir. He placed all your clothing back in the closet for you," she answered.

  Titos nodded, pulling on a pair of bright blue jeans. He surprisingly didn't care if Liby saw his men, though it helped that he knew she had no interest in them whatsoever. Titos ran his fingers through his wet hair, the water making his hair fall straight from the weight.

  "Dinner is ready, and Ginger is back. She said that finalizing a name would be best. The twins are also awake and downstairs in the dining room," Liby said.

  For a second, Titos had forgotten about all his responsibilities, but they came crashing down, and the weight was firmly back on his shoulders. Seth's warm hand on his shoulder made him remember that he wouldn't be handling it alone.

  Titos smiled. "Are you being promoted to my secretary?" he joked, turning to grab a shirt. They had all left messages with Liby because none of his keepers were available, and he was otherwise occupied. He turned to see her shrug.

  "It does not bother me. As long as I am not needed while all of you are in bed, then I’m okay with a few added responsibilities," Liby said.

  Titos laughed. "No, I would never ask that of you."

  She nodded at him, but the way her shoulders relaxed told Titos she had been a little afraid he might just ask that of her. He opened his mouth to say he didn't sleep around like that, but with five men in his bed, he let it slide.

  Mazki: You only sleep with us; it's not the same.

  Kail: Another meeting?

  The whine in his voice carried throughout the bond, making Titos laugh. He slipped on some socks.

  Seth: Actually, you and Alfrik are going to patrol the area. Without a protection shield, anyone can come and go.

  Alfrik: Do we have any others that can help?

  Seth: I’ll send Chris and Philip out with you. We are limited on who to trust at this point. Even they might not be trustworthy. Mazki, I want you in the air outside with them.

  Mazki: Aww, I wanted to stay with Titos.

  A growl had Mazki’s hands up.

  Mazki: Fine.

  Mazki stood next to Titos, and he pecked him on the cheek before heading for the door, Alfrik and Kail following behind.

  That left Seth, Liby, Adom, and Titos in the room. Seth finished getting dressed in a shirt that should technically be too tight, but Titos got the distinct feeling it was meant to look that way. It showcased every muscle perfectly, and it had the effect of making Titos’s mouth water.

  “Liby and I will stay with you as you deal with everything,” Seth said.

  Titos looked at Adom as he finished putting on his blue shirt. He walked over to Titos and grabbed him by the waist, twisting him around and planting his lips against Titos’s. The gesture had Titos laughing and feeling happy.

  “I will see you later, master,” Adom said, heading toward the door.

  “What about dinner?” Titos asked.

  Adom smiled back at him but shook his head. “I need to look over the paperwork still along with the current financial standings. Once you’re done with Ginger, can you send her my way? She’s a great help with finding some of the problems that may occur later on, paperwork-wise.”

  If Titos didn’t feel how much Adom loved him, he might have been jealous of the time Adom and Ginger spent together. Adom moved and was pulling him in for another kiss. He pulled back a little, their foreheads still pressed together.

  “You are the only one for me.” His eyes flicked to Seth. “And your keepers.” He pressed his lips firmly against Titos’s once more before he reluctantly pulled back and left the room.

  “I guess it’s just us… And everyone else in the dining room,” Titos said.

  Twenty minutes into the dinner meeting and Titos’s brain hurt. He was done long before he even walked into the dining room, and now sitting down listening to all the crap he needed to do was a pain in the ass. Apparently, there were a lot of edoli in the territory whose child or brother or son had taken up arms against them.

  Ginger, unfortunately, was the one to inform a lot of people that their loved ones weren’t coming home. Titos groaned from listening to… He forgot the man's name who was complaining about his son's death and how it would impact his business.

  Titos felt cruel for thinking the words, but they had to see that if their relatives hadn't come to attack, they would be alive, and they wouldn't be struggling or grieving.

  "If you are going to be king of this territory, you should care about the edoli who are under your protection," the man grunted, his arms crossing over his chest as if he’d made a good point and was successful in chastising Titos.

  Seth growled next to him, and Liby pulled her sword halfway out of the hilt. The man paled at the threat. Titos looked at the line that went outside the doors of the dining room. He’d given up eating any of his food after the tenth person came in crying about how they’d lost someone.

  Titos looked to Ginger, and she rolled her eyes at the man. She was tired of the shit just as much as Titos was. He wanted to be different than other rulers. He wanted his people to feel heard, to feel as if they were more than numbers and a steady cash flow. Although Titos was in no hurry to gain more money. He sighed.

  Titos: It’s fine.

  He sent the message to Seth and Liby. They both went back to relaxed stances next to him. Titos stared at the man for a second longer before he made up his mind.

  "Everyone that is here to talk to me, please come in," Titos said.

  Edoli and humans filled the room. There were a lot of people, not as many as the night he introduced himself, but close enough.

  Titos cleared his throat and stood from his chair. He moved in front of all the people. "I understand all of you wish to complain to me about the deaths and how they have affected you." His eyes traveled around the group and some whispered to each other. "Here's the thing—yes, they are dead, and yes, I had them all killed, but I will not apologize for it."

  The room erupted with shouts of anger, and some even moved as if they were going to charge at Titos. The fierce growl of his alpha keeper had everyo
ne backing up. Fear clearly shown in their eyes. Titos wasn't seeing much of a choice with how he was going to have to rule. They didn't seem to want to listen to Titos when he spoke unless he held fear above their heads. He rubbed his temples, trying to think of another way.

  Mazki: Fear and a show of strength is all they will understand.

  Seth: You are supposed to be focusing on the sky.

  Mazki: Yes, alpha.

  Titos could feel the teasing between the two but shut them out as he focused on the problem at hand. If looks could kill, then the man in front who glared harshly at Titos would have succeeded.

  "What is on your mind?" Titos asked.

  The man spat out, "If it wasn't for your keepers, you would have been put out of the territory already. We have survived years without a king or queen, then you come here and now my son is dead." The anger in his voice spoke the truth of his words.

  Titos took a few steps forward until he was practically breathing the same air as the man. "We can't live our lives on ‘if’ now can we?" Titos asked.

  He covered the man's mouth just as he was about to talk, using the strength of his bear shifter. He felt the heat in his hands as claws grew were his fingernails were. Muffled screams could be heard around the room, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. It made Titos sick to his stomach, but he didn't let it show. He stood there, stoic, feeling the skin under his hand sizzle as he burned the man's face.

  Titos let go as the man's legs gave out, and he dropped to the ground. Titos stared at him on the floor without emotion. "I am king here, and there are no ifs about it," he declared.

  His eyes caught every person in attendance. There was fear, but more than that, there was respect. Titos hated that side of edoli; they only respected strength. No matter if Titos wanted to rule differently, they would only bow to power, so he would give them power. A cloth was handed to him by Ginger, and Titos wiped his hand of the burnt flesh of the man. He gave him one more glance before he walked past him, back in front of everyone.

  "If there is anyone else who believes in this if theory, step forward. I would love to hear your thoughts," Titos said.

  The room was silent. Those who were close and could see what had happened to the man bowed their heads, and everyone else could smell it. The was no mistaking what would happen.

  Seth: It needed to be done.

  Titos said nothing back. He understood it did, but he fought with himself not to get the man help. He was king, and he needed to act like one, even if it meant becoming someone he never wanted to be.

  "All who pledge their loyalty to King Titos, take a knee," Seth said.

  Slowly, they lowered themselves to one knee until no one stood. Even the edoli whose face had been burned was on his knees, shaking but bowing to Titos. He felt nothing. He should be ecstatic, but there was nothing. The room of people were his people now, and he needed to protect them. That was all.

  "Everyone who has lost someone, you will be compensated for it. Ginger wi—" He stopped himself, looking at Ginger and remembering Adom needed her, and she looked exhausted. "Who here has worked as a secretary?"

  Three sets of hands rose, and Titos chose randomly, picking the guy with bleached blond hair. He walked over to Titos, and he looked to be about eighteen.

  "Name?" Titos asked.

  "Theo, sir."

  Titos nodded and looked to Ginger. "Theo here will be your personal secretary now." To Theo, he pointed to Ginger. "She is very important, and you are not only responsible for helping her but also protecting her, do you understand?"

  Theo nodded vigorously. There was a smile on his face as he moved toward Ginger.

  "Theo will be taking names for Ginger." Titos turned to head back to his seat, done with the whole thing. "And don't complain to him; he is just to get your information. If I hear anything about you whining, then the compensations will be taken away."

  Seth pulled the chair back out and Titos sat.

  Titos: How the hell do I tell them all to leave?

  Mazki: Tell them they are dismissed.

  Kail: Or say get the fuck out.

  Seth: Both of you are slacking.

  Kail: No, we’re still looking around.

  Instead, Titos stood and headed for the door. "Ginger, you are needed upstairs. Theo, you are just to get their names and how many people they lost. We have access to everything else."

  "Umm, yes, Your Majesty," Theo rushed to say.

  Titos nodded and headed for the door. Once clear, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was overbearing being in the room.

  "You handled that well," Liby said.

  Titos rolled his eyes. "I burnt a guy’s face off."

  She shrugged, seeming unfazed by it. For her being mostly human, she had a stronger edoli mentality than Titos did.

  "If you didn't do it, I would have easily cut his head off. This way he gets to live," she said.

  Titos turned toward the doors of the library, and Liby moved in front of him, Seth positioning himself behind Liby. They entered the room, Liby checking the coast was clear, and Seth sticking close by, but even without a threat near, Seth would stick to Titos like glue. Titos moved to the couch, sitting down and grabbing one of the many throw pillows, hugging it to his chest. He still felt bad about what he'd done, but there was no going back. He needed to show them he wasn't weak.

  Titos: Adom, did you guys find a map of the place?

  They still had no idea how Armest had escaped and that bothered Titos. There were still so many questions he needed to ask.

  Adom: None so far. There is no information on the house itself.

  Titos could feel the frustration and confusion from Adom's bond. Titos touched the bond, soothing Adom.

  Titos: We’ll figure it out.

  Titos needed to believe it—if not for his own sanity, then for every person that was now his responsibility.

  "Liby, I wouldn't suppose you know of any magic users?" Titos asked.

  He expected for her to say no, but she stood there, stone still like a statue. If it wasn't for the small blood link they had, he might have thought she’d died.

  "I do," she squeezed out.

  Titos looked to Seth, but he looked just as confused as Titos felt.

  "Okay…" Titos said. She said nothing and continued to stand there. Titos watched her for a moment longer before he spoke again. "Would you mind contacting them?"

  Liby looked about ready to bolt. Titos watched as unease had her shoulders rising and her face pinching in an uncomfortable gesture.

  "If that is your command," she said.

  Titos was lost, and he didn't get what the heck she was talking about. "Liby, you okay?"

  She pulled a cell phone out and dialed, placing the phone on speaker so they could here. It started to ring, but Liby stared at the phone as if it was possessed. Titos was about to ask her again if she was okay when the phone stopped ringing and a soft voice came over the line.

  "Hello? Liberiana, are you there? I can practically feel your cold eyes glaring at the phone." There was a pause before the voice huffed out a sigh. "Is there a reason you called?"

  Titos: Liberiana?

  Seth: I'm guessing it's Liby's real name.

  Liby stared at the phone for a moment longer, and she looked as if she’d rather be doing anything but talking on the phone. To think Liby was afraid of a voice over the phone but could easily chop someone's head off without being asked.

  "Fine. If you're going to be scaredy-cat, I'm hanging up."

  "Wait, Kyo," Liby said.

  Kyo didn't hang up. Liby looked awkward, not like her usually poised self whatsoever.

  "My king would like to hire your services," Liby said.

  Kyo was quiet for a while. "You don't have a king, last I checked."

  "I do now, and we are in need of a magic user," Liby said.

  There was another pause. Whatever was happening between the two, Titos felt as if he and Seth were intruding a bit.

  "S
o you call your ex to come and help because your king asked you to?" Kyo asked.

  Titos was shocked to say the least.

  "Yes," Liby said.

  "Are you fucking him?" Kyo asked.

  "No!" Titos and Liby shouted in unison.

  Titos internally groaned, forgetting that Kyo hadn't known they were listening to the conversation.

  "My fee isn't cheap," Kyo said.

  "Any price will be fine," Titos said.

  Titos: Any price is good, right?

  Adom: Yes, even with the compensation you promised, you are in good standing.

  "Fine, I'll be there tomorrow," Ky said just before the beeping of the call ending.

  Liby stared at the phone for a second longer, as if expecting it to explode. She put it away, and it was as if the phone call hadn't happened. She was back to her composed self.

  "Ex?" Titos asked.

  Liby looked away, shrugging.

  "Is she going to cause us any problems?" Seth asked.

  Liby turned back, her face serious. "No, Kyo may think little of me, but she would never mess up on a job."

  "Fair enough," Titos said, not worried. He trusted her. He got comfortable on the couch, pulling Seth down so he could snuggle against him.

  "We should go to bed," Seth offered.

  Titos shook his head. "Everyone is working, so I'll wait. I’d rather sleep with everyone in bed."

  "Until the barrier is up, I'm afraid we will need to have everyone stay working," Seth said.

  Titos sighed. "Then it looks like I'm sleeping here."

  "But the bed is mo—"

  "Staying here, Seth. The bed doesn't feel right without all of you," Titos said.

  Seth said no more on the matter as he pulled Titos against him, Titos’s head resting against Seth's chest. He laid there, listening to his alpha’s strong heartbeat, letting it lull him.

  Kail walked around with Alfrik a few steps behind him. Kail’s eyes scanned the area but saw nothing. Anywhere he looked, Alfrik would check right behind him. It was starting to get on his nerves. He tried not to think much of it, but after another hour of the same shit, he was about ready to punch the guy in the face.