The Dread King: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (The Harbinger Book 3)

by Candace Wondrak

  She was his bellanon. He wanted her as his female.

  Dracyrus scowled downwards at the flowers, snarling as if they were alive and able to cower from him. No. They were only flowers, thick stems with no minds inside. The only reason they closed when something touched them was because nature demanded it. Did nature demand he would lose himself to the first Harbinger he could actually triumph over?

  He was intensely irate about it, yes, but he often went back to the dream. How she looked wearing the cloak. It was not hers; it wasn’t even his, and yet he wanted to give it to her, to let her wear it. It looked much better around her than it did clinging to his shoulders.

  That, that was certainly a first. In all of his years, in all the times and lives he’d lived, the countless of lives he had fought the Harbinger in, never had he once been willing to relinquish his cloak, because it was the last thing he had of hers, the last thing beside his memory, and after so many deaths and lives, even those were fragmented.

  Dracyrus was starting to forget what she looked like. How pitiful was that?

  Fists curling at his sides, he wanted to hit something. Normally, this would be when he thought about ending the Harbinger’s life—how he would do it. Strangulation, decapitation, various other dismemberments. But now, when he pictured the Harbinger, he imagined Faith’s face.

  Her pale, soft, squishy face.

  By all the fires of Furen, what was his problem? Why couldn’t he get her out of his head? His black eyes moved to the sky, staring up at the blue expanse of nothing above him. Why could he not stop thinking about how she looked on the bed, in that ridiculously white room, with her legs spread before him? It was madness. It was preposterous. It was against everything he wanted.

  And yet, it was precisely what he wanted. He wanted what he shouldn’t have, desired the one person fate would never let him have. Suddenly, it all made sense. Suddenly, everything clicked in his mind. The reason why Faith was the Harbinger, why she was indeed a she and not a he.

  It was all payback of the worst kind. Revenge of the sweetest in the eyes of that Fae bitch.

  This was what he deserved for what he did, wasn’t it? Dracyrus would never be happy. The possibility of finding a mate, finding love, was as empty as the night sky. He could never have what he wanted. After all this time, the Fae bitch had won.

  And now he knew how it felt.

  When he brought his gaze back down to the ground, he tried pushing out all thoughts of Faith. He’d find her soon enough. He’d end her shortly after. Then there would be no temptation, no lusting and most certainly no legs spread. He had once told her he’d make her beg for it before he ended her, but now he knew he could do no such thing, lest he waver in his resolve.

  He couldn’t. He had to kill her. He had to.

  But…he didn’t want to.

  He wanted to see her. He wanted to touch her. He wanted, evidently, many things he would never have.

  Dracyrus started going back toward the shack, stopping when he saw her. He would get something on this day, due to the connection he shared with her. He always did his best not to think about her, lest they show up to each other again. He did want the advantage of sneaking up on her, of finding her no matter where she ran to, but this was just as well.

  Because, wherever she was, she was naked.

  Faith was naked and underneath one of her companions.

  Dracyrus stopped, his eyes roaming over every part of her he could see. He saw the Human male above her, just as naked as she was, whispering something into her ear. She shivered in response. To feel her make the same movement under him…it would be indescribable. His hand cradled the space between her legs, and as Dracyrus watched, he found the Human male had a finger inside of her. He thrusted his hand, taking his finger in and out of her, causing her to wiggle and arch her back.

  She was beautiful, even if she was Human. Even if her skin could come apart by something as small as parchment rubbing against it the wrong way. Her skin held no scales; she was not tough. But it didn’t change how beautiful she was, especially in that moment.

  Dracyrus did not come from a jealous race. Dracon could not afford such a luxury. When the Human male withdrew his hand from her and replaced it with another part of his body, Dracyrus did not feel the pits of jealousy growing inside him. At least, not because he watched someone else mate with her. What he felt, if one could indeed call it jealousy or a cousin of it, was simply due to the mere fact he was not there with her. How badly he wanted to be.

  She had thrown everything off kilter. Faith was the reason he hadn’t gone to Furen to summon an army, to fight those who held the throne and demand their allegiance. Everything he did differently this time, he did differently because of her. Because of the connection they shared, because of how utterly and completely lost he was in his own feelings; he wanted her.

  Since he was not there, truly, it was all Dracyrus could do: watch.

  As Faith moaned, her eyes fluttering closed, her head jerked in the dirt with every thrust of her partner’s hips. Her chest heaved with the movement, yet another difference between Human females and Dracon females. Dracon females were so much harder, so much less soft. They had less to their bodies in comparison to Humans.

  Dracyrus wanted to touch her, have her, discover what she felt like with all that soft skin. Even though he knew it was wrong and it wasn’t his destiny, it did not stop him from watching with keen interest as the Human male arched his back, squeezed his eyes shut and stopped thrusting.

  That quickly, and the Human male was spent?

  The red-headed male withdrew from her, rolling to her side. Faith sat, looked around, stopping when she met eyes with Dracyrus. Once more, she could see him as well. Why hadn’t he ever felt so connected to another Harbinger? This was something so much greater than fate. This was bigger than destiny.

  Were they meant to fight it? To fight back against the powers that be, the Fae who had set them on this path ages ago?

  Her green eyes slowly traveled along him, and for a moment Dracyrus forgot he was in a field, far away from her. He felt as though he were next to her, as though he would be easily able to sweep her in his arms and show her how a true Dracon mated. The stamina of her Human male would be put to shame, certainly.

  Faith reached for someone—her Malus—laying him down on the ground. She crawled over him, never once breaking eye contact with Dracyrus. It was no surprise the Human male hadn’t filled her hunger. The entire act had last two minutes, at the most. Truly pitiful. If Dracyrus was there, he would gladly show her how long he could go. He would make that soft, pink area of hers sore, and he would relish the act of doing so.

  She didn’t hesitate once as she sat back and took him in. She did let out a breathy noise Dracyrus found oddly entrancing. What other sounds would she make when he was inside of her? He was larger all around than her current companions.

  As she rocked back and forth above her Malus, her mouth hung open just a bit. Dracyrus watched how her body moved, how her back seemed to arch effortlessly, the way her breasts bounced with every movement. He remembered those full lips on his, and he brought his fingers to his mouth, as if his own touch could recreate the sensation. It must have been something her kind did. Whatever it was called, he wanted to do it again.

  He wanted those lips of hers on him, and he wanted to bite her collarbone again and explain to her just what it meant. That she was his and he was devoted to her and her alone. She had to feel something for him, otherwise she would not have acted so in her dream, and she would not be staring straight at him as she mated with her Malus.

  No. Faith wanted him perhaps even more badly than he wanted her. It was written all over her face. A face Dracyrus once found hideous. And the sounds she made as she took her Malus in—to think, he also thought her voice annoying and grating. How she spoke incessantly in the waterworld of his mind, and now? Now everything was so different.

  Now he was dying to get to her, not to kill her, but to
have her in a way he’d never had a Harbinger before. Before his time as High King, he’d never claimed a bellanon, never joined a nethelell. There were other things on his mind than mating. He had other things, other Dracon to take care of.

  But now…now he wanted to. Dracyrus, the mighty Dread King, reborn time and time again, wanted to bow before Faith, the still-unimpressive Harbinger, his sworn enemy until the end of time itself. He wanted to beg her to let him join her, he wanted her to put a stake on him as she currently put into her Malus and her Human.

  Dracyrus wanted her, and as the vision of her faded from his view, when he was alone once more in the field behind the shack, he started off. He knew where she was. He could feel it. It was like she called out to him across the distance, aching for him. He had to reach her soon, otherwise…

  Otherwise he’d break.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Time was of no importance to Faith or her guys as they wrestled in the tent. Almost every position was tried, attempted by Finn, Light, and Jag. She was dripping from all the rigorous activity, so they could slide right in with no resistance. Not that she would ever resist them. Her body felt light, weightless and airy. She didn’t feel tired at all. It was as if she could keep going like this forever, and she wanted to.

  Finn was behind her, hands rough on her hips as he rocked them back and forth. Light and Jag were sprawled before her, watching with hazy-eyed interest. After so many rounds, it was starting to get tough for them to keep their erections, but they somehow managed.

  “You feel so good,” Finn muttered, his voice as light as Faith felt. She smiled. He loved his dirty talk, and quite surprisingly she loved it, too. “I love being inside of you.”

  Faith closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of him gliding in and out of her, loving the sound of the wetness smacking, feeling his balls hit her with each thrust. No matter how many times she did the dirty with her men, she was still hungry for more. When she decided to open her eyes, she half expected to see another person—a Dracon—here but not here.

  He was in a field of yellow and orange flowers. Flowers that looked very familiar to Faith when she saw them as Finn was fingering for the first time. He wasn’t with her, but she wanted him to be. God, she wanted him here. She wanted Dracyrus inside of her. Who cared if she couldn’t walk for a while after? It’d be so worth it.

  But he wasn’t here. He was off, who knew where, probably trying to find her and kill her.

  She giggled. If he barged in here, would she leap up to stop him or let Finn finish with her? Probably the second. Faith didn’t think she could pull herself away from him even if she tried. He was super strong, after all.

  When Finn was spent, Faith turned to kiss him, to smother out all thoughts of the one horned man who wasn’t here. He kissed her back, murmuring into her mouth, “What about Cam?”

  Cam?

  Camden?

  Oh, no. After all that, how could Faith completely forget about the other member of their party? Sure, it’d been a while since she saw him, but who could forget Cam? He was broody and pensive in the way that made all high school girls swoon, and he looked damned good with his skin and hair painted grey. Like a smoky demon. Her demon. Her demon who, apparently, she’d forgotten all about, until Finn brought him up.

  Guilt washed over her. How could she forget Cam? It was awful, really. The worst. She was bad at this.

  “You should go get him,” Finn spoke, slurring his words a bit as he kissed her neck. “Bring him here, to us.” He licked her jaw, nibbled her earlobe, as if trying to convince her to fetch him. In reality, she needed no convincing. She wanted Cam here, too.

  She pulled away from him, glancing to Light and Jag. “I’m going to get Cam.” They both just gave her nods, and she laughed at their laziness. Both pairs of legs were spread, like they wanted more of her, but she’d worn them out. “When I come back,” she paused, licking her lips as seductively as she could, “you better be ready.”

  Jag’s ears perked up, which only made her laugh more as she stumbled to the tent’s entrance flap, smacking it with a fist as she walked out. A black night sky greeted her, and for a moment, she stared at it confusedly as the wind nipped at her bare body. She shivered, moving through the tents with feet that didn’t listen to her direction half the time. Was walking always so hard? She didn’t recall it being like this.

  Oddly enough, she didn’t come across any Malus, though there were a few campfires still burning. Maybe it was so late it was past their bedtime. Faith felt herself grinning. Bedtimes. When was the last time she had a bedtime?

  Eventually, she found the edge of the camp, and she kept going until she stood a good ways away from the nearest tent. Would it be that easy to sneak Cam inside the camp? Her blurry mind hoped so. Just as she was about to shout for Cam, she froze.

  In the distance, maybe a mile away, nestled in the rolling plains of grass, was…a temple? At least, she thought it was a temple. It stood with peaks three stories tall, and from the distance, it looked to be as large as any city block back home. All stone and impressive masonry, in perfect condition, given it sat in the middle of nowhere. It seemed to glow with an otherworldly light.

  Wait a minute. The temple wasn’t there before, was it?

  Faith’s legs drew her toward the temple-looking place, but a swift presence nearly knocked her over by appearing between her and her destination. She swayed back, but firm hands gripped her elbows, holding her upright. She stood gazing up into the cloudy amber eyes of Cam, though she could hardly see him in the darkness. The only reason she could see at all was the residual light from all the dwindling fires in the camp and the glowing temple.

  “What are you doing out here?” Cam asked quietly, his voice softening when he realized she was utterly nude, as naked as a newborn child, though a lot less innocent.

  “Do you see that?” Faith asked, pointing toward the temple.

  Cam glanced over his shoulder, not letting her elbows go. “I see nothing but you,” he answered her as his intense stare returned to her naked form. “Why…why do you come to me like this?” He released her right wrist, trailing his hand along the side of her body, tracing the curve of her hip. Inhaling loudly, he added, “I can smell them all on you.” Both his hands went to her face, holding her cheeks as he forced her to look up at him. “Your pupils are extremely dilated, Faith. What is going on?”

  What did that have to do with anything? Ugh. Men.

  “I came to get you,” she told him. “To bring you to the others.” Mostly to bring him to her, but Finn seemed to want him there, too. They were friends.

  Cam shook his head gently, his hands falling from her face to her shoulders, then down to her waist, touching her gingerly as if he thought he’d break her. “I cannot go inside the camp. They will try to kill me. Ulen are not welcome here.”

  Faith stuck out her bottom lip. “But we miss you, and I need you.” And, if she was honest, she was tired of Cam being so distant. She wanted him to feel as close to her as the others. She wanted him to kiss her, to do everything to her.

  He gave her a sad smile, and her heart broke a little. “You don’t need me.”

  “I do,” she said, leaning against him, throwing her arms around his neck even though he was super tall. Okay, so she put her hands on his shoulders. Same thing. “I need you. You’re Cam. You’re different, you’re smart, you know what I’m thinking before I even think it. You’re thoughtful and kind.”

  “But…” He turned his head to the side, squeezing his eyes shut. “I am not like you, not like the others.”

  “I don’t care that you’re an Ulen. I trust you, Cam. I trust you with all my heart,” she whispered. “And I want you. If you won’t come into camp, take me here.”

  For some bizarre reason, Cam didn’t jump on it. He continued to gaze down steadily at her as he said, “What has gotten into you?”

  It wasn’t a denial of her, but it wasn’t the gung-ho reaction Faith wanted. Her lips drew int
o a pout. “Don’t you want me?”

  “Of course I do, but when you’re in your right mind—”

  Faith tuned out his words, murmuring, “Take me, Cam. Please, I’m begging you…” To further instill her point, she dropped to her knees before him, causing her head to be level with his groin. “I want you.”

  For a moment, Cam simply stared down at her, then he slowly knelt before her as he muttered, “You are something else, Faith.” He swept a hand over her shoulder, moving away the mess of hair there. He took his lips to her ear as he whispered, “Do not hate me in the morning for this.”

  “I won’t,” she promised, turning her face, grazing her lips with his. A coolness radiated off him, all sharp angles and looks. Cam was different from the others in more ways than one. He was the most dangerous, and right now, the sexiest.

  They stared at each other for only a second before their mouths collided. The heat that crept through her because of the rush of kissing Cam for the first time flooded all her senses, sweeping over her like a tidal wave. Yes, yes, this was how it should be, Faith thought, pulling him down over her as she laid back, bare on the grass. The grass tickled her backside, scratching her skin, but all she could feel was the heat in her belly and Cam’s cool touch.

  His sharp teeth nicked her lip, and she pulled back. He whispered, “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, feeling the blood drops with her tongue.

  For a split-second, his amber eyes flashed red, but they were gone in an instant. He wouldn’t lose himself over a tiny injury like that. Faith trusted him wholeheartedly. She did not expect him to kiss her again, to run his tongue along her lips and gather the small bit of blood, tasting a part of her no one else had.