by Mayburn, Ann
When at last they reached her father’s study and were ushered in, her shoulders dropped. The tension left her body while his powerful energy embraced her. When she was around him, it seemed ridiculous to think anything bad could ever happen to her. The silver of his horns gleamed in the sunlight pouring through the ceiling-high window at the far end of the room as he looked up from the book he’d been studying. Dressed in a pair of soft brown leather pants and black tunic embellished with silver dragon scales around the collar and cuffs, he shut the book and stood with a smile, holding open his arms.
Natalia gladly went to them and hugged him as hard as she could, the feeling of safety complete as he hugged her in return. His deep voice rumbled in his chest as he released her. “Thank you again, daughter, for returning my power to me.”
He gestured toward the chair across from his battered leather couch and she took a seat, sinking back into its comfort. The chair had been crafted by one of her father’s subjects and contained a special magic that relaxed whoever sat in it. She certainly appreciated the spell as her body unwound further until she sighed in pleasure. To her amusement, she noticed a half-eaten plate of cookies and a scattering of crumbs on the edge of the couch.
Asmodeus’s study had become one of her favorite places in the palace. It seemed like their own private world, where her father treated her as she’d always wished the mortal man she had grown up believing was her father had treated her. Books lined the walls from floor to ceiling, interspersed with display cases containing rare objects of power. Here and there were sexual devices, but she avoided looking at them. Knowing her father had probably used them on Galina made her feel uncomfortable.
In public, Galina always knelt at Asmodeus’s feet, but here in the privacy of his chambers the concubine curled up next to her master and he slowly stroked her hair. A shadow passed over the window as an enormous shape raced past, and Natalia wondered if it was one of the gargoyles guarding the castle chasing another bird. She’d spent one rare, lazy afternoon with Gregor watching the gargoyles frolic and play around the castle turrets, both of them fascinated by the display.
Asmodeus cleared his throat and she brought her gaze back to him with a flush.
“During my meeting with the ambassadors, it was requested we have a royal ball in your honor, and I agreed.”
“What?” She sat up from the chair, trying to shake off its effects so she could think clearly. “I thought you were meeting with them to try to avert an all-out war.”
Anger darkened his gaze and streaks of navy blue and crimson raced through the green of his irises. “That was the intention, but it was next to impossible to get Belal’s ambassador to even acknowledge we are on the brink of war. He dodged me at every turn—the slimy toad—with his allies backing him up every step of the way. They claim I’m showing them a grave insult by not allowing the unattached male demons from the courts of the other high princes the chance to see if you are a possible blood mate.”
Natalia’s heart lurched in her throat. “No, Father, Raum is my—”
“Raum is nothing more than my general until I give you both leave to bond!”
She shrank back in her chair, her father’s anger washing over her until her bones ached. Still, she fought to speak past the pain. “I love him.”
Abruptly his anger pulled back and Galina ran a soothing hand down his leg. “I know that.” He placed his hand over Galina’s and gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry, my concubine. I won’t force her into a political marriage.” He turned his attention back to Natalia, and she tried to hold his gaze without shivering. “I’m also aware this has to be a trap of some kind. Either they are aware of Natalia and Raum being a potential match and view it as being a threat, or they have some other goal.”
“But if their goal is to keep Raum and me apart, why don’t you let us bond?”
“Because doing so would give Belal the excuse he needs to claim insult and declare war. There are strict codes and protocols about royal blood mates.” Something she couldn’t name flashed through his gaze. “Besides, I think this will work to our advantage.”
“How so?” Galina asked, tucking her feet beneath her on the couch. “I’m assuming we would have the ball here. I, for one, don’t want every high-born demon from Belal’s court in our home.”
“I already thought of that and restricted it to one prince, high prince, or ruler of each house.”
Galina’s brow furrowed. “But there are only three unmated high princes, you and….”
“Exactly.”
Galina’s eyes went wide and she looked at Asmodeus with admiration and a hint of desire that made Natalia look away. “Well, that is rather clever of you.”
“Can someone please tell me what is going on?”
“It is my hope that Satan will attend the ball.”
Natalia gasped. “King Satan?”
“Yes. I will word the invitation so that he cannot ignore it.”
Galina curled her fingers through his dark hair. “I’m sure his arrival will greatly upset Belal.”
Natalia stood and began to pace around the room. “If I find any potential blood mates there, will I be forced to bond with them?”
“No. I gave you my word that you would be allowed to choose your own mate, and I meant it. But I also meant it when I said you needed time to think it over. I realize you love Raum and Raum loves you, but it is too soon. After the ball, we will discuss a timetable that we all can agree upon for your bonding.”
Frustrated, she spun on her heel to face him and tried to keep her voice level. “I could accept the wait if it was just about myself and Raum, but the longer I wait, the more Gregor grows to hate Raum.”
“Be that as it may—”
“No!” she yelled. The demonic side of her nature surged awake. It did not like the idea of her men being kept from her, even by her father. “You don’t understand. Gregor almost killed Raum today. He was a breath away from pushing Raum into a bubble of Chaos.”
A chill filled the air until the windows began to frost over. Natalia shivered and her breath came out in little puffs of mist. Asmodeus’s power filled the room until her skin burned from the cold. “I understand many things, far more than you do. Ignorance I can forgive. Arrogance I cannot.”
Her teeth chattered as she forced the words past her numb lips. “Forgive me, Father.”
The room thawed so abruptly the ice on the windows melted into a puddle at the bottom of the frame. Galina cleared her throat and traced her fingertips over the curve of one of Asmodeus’s horns. “My liege, I had an idea of how to help ease Natalia’s burden with her men.”
Asmodeus gave his concubine a hard look but the lines around his mouth deepened as he fought a smile. “Do you know the only time you address me as ‘my liege’ is when you want something you think I won’t give you?”
Galina chuckled and continued to trace the spirals of his ram’s horns. “Really, my liege? Well, in this case I think you’re wrong. I have something to ask you that will greatly strengthen Natalia’s power base, and by default, yours as well.”
Now Asmodeus almost looked weary and he glanced at Natalia. “Do you know what she is talking about?”
“No, but I’m interested to hear what she has to say.”
Galina practically sat on Asmodeus’s lap now, and Natalia would have looked away except there was nothing sexual about the way her father looked at his concubine. If anything, he looked as if he were ready to bolt. Galina licked her lips and said in a rush, “I wish to train Gregor as a warlock.”
Her father gripped the concubine’s wrists. “Absolutely not!”
She continued as if he’d never interrupted her, pointedly ignoring Natalia’s openmouthed stare. “Listen to me. He is slowly going mad with a lack of anything to do, other than be a pet, and he’ll drive Natalia insane as well. Gregor loves her with every drop of his soul. He would never use his powers against her.”
“I’m not worried about that,” A
smodeus snapped. “I’m worried about him using them against me. I’ve seen the potential in him as well, my concubine, and I’m well aware of how powerful he could become. Do you want someone like that, with his ties, in the heart of our world? He was raised and bred to destroy us.”
Galina shrugged, not an easy thing to do with her wrists still held shackled in his hands. “It wouldn’t be the first time your greatest enemy became your ally. Besides, right now Gregor is in constant danger with no way to defend himself. How many assassination attempts have there been on him? Ten? Twenty?”
Natalia leaped from her chair stalked across the room, her anger a wave of heat before her. “No one me about that!”
Asmodeus appeared chagrined. “I didn’t want to upset you. You’ve had so many changes thrust upon you—”
Something in her eyes must have clued him into how furious she was. “He is my concubine, my heart, mine to protect and love. How dare you keep this from me?”
Galina spoke up quickly. “You see, she loves him as much as you love me. And much like her father, Natalia will do anything to protect those she loves. Give your daughter a fighting chance by enabling Gregor to protect both her and himself.”
Fighting to remain calm, Natalia closed her eyes. “Who has been trying to kill him?”
Asmodeus’s voice came out harsh and tight. “Who hasn’t? Those who sought to hurt you have found an easier target in your concubine.”
She opened her eyes and locked gazes with her father. “Train him. Please.”
Galina stood and turned Natalia to face her, breaking her staring contest with Asmodeus. “You need to know that my coven uses sex for many of our spells. In order to learn our craft, he will have carnal relations with my witches and wizards.”
Natalia’s demonic nature bristled at the thought of sharing him and she immediately felt like a hypocrite. “It is his decision who he touches. I will not force him into anything.”
“Then you cripple him as well and training him will be a waste of time,” Asmodeus said from the couch. He’d regained his normal unflappable composure and watched her carefully.
Galina made a sound deep in her throat, close to a growl. “All we need is one person in my coven that he’d be willing to touch and be touched by. That will be enough to teach him the basics.”
Natalia sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Let me make the offer to him.”
Chapter Five
Natalia hesitated at the double doors leading to her suite of rooms. On either side, her personal guards studiously ignored her, and she tried not to stare at them. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the way royalty seemed to be able to not notice those serving them, as if they were nothing more than furniture. For a moment, she was tempted to ask them to remove their helmets and tell her about themselves, but she knew that was just another way of stalling her eventual confrontation with Gregor.
Besides, he knew she was here. She could feel him through their bond, his agitation and excitement mixing with anger and a tiny hint of fear. That fear had her opening the doors without any hesitation. Because of their connection, she was driven to soothe Gregor, to fix whatever had made him sad and afraid. Unfortunately, she was the cause of the majority of his problems.
She followed the psychic threads of their link, going through the large formal sitting area, down a hallway, and finally reaching her library. At the entrance to the room, she paused and took a moment to admire Gregor. He sat looking off into the distance in his favorite padded leather chair, facing the paneled windows. While she feared heights, he seemed to enjoy being able to see the intricate quilt of her father’s kingdom spread before them.
The deep auburn tones of his hair caught the light streaming through the window, and she longed to run her fingers through the rough silk. During his time in Hell, he’d been outdoors frequently and the slight tan to his skin seemed darker, especially in contrast to the unearthly pale tones of demons. Around his neck lay a gold collar made of links interspaced with dragon skin. A small swirling pattern of diamonds and sapphires made up the centerpiece of the choker. This, her personal mark, identified Gregor as belonging to her. Compared to some of the other collars she’d seen, it was simple but it suited her.
Gregor tilted his head slightly to the side, his rough features catching the light and throwing his profile into deep shadows. “I missed you last night. Though I’m not surprised you went to him instead of me.”
She flushed as the accusation hung in the air, his jealousy surging through their link and hurting her heart. Leaning against the doorway, she crossed her arms over her chest and watched him carefully. “I wasn’t with Raum last night.”
A small amount of tension went out of his shoulders. “Then you were with Eline.”
“No.”
He surged from the chair, knocking it over in his haste. Anger and disgust curled his handsome features as he gripped his hands into fists at his sides. “Another! How many men do you plan—?”
“Enough!” The word exploded from her, carrying a hint of the demonic power that still slept in her soul. It echoed through the room as if she’d screamed inside of a rock cavern. Taking a deep breath, she said in a much softer tone, “I wasn’t with another man.”
Gregor took a step forward, then another as his nostrils flared. Finally, he stood right next to her and placed his face against the curve of her neck, inhaling her scent. His voice came out in a grating rumble next to her skin as he said, “I don’t smell either of them on you. The scent is almost…sweet.”
She stepped past him into the library and started to straighten the chair he’d turned over. Before she could do more than touch it, he was at her side and lifting it for her. Without another word, he took a seat in the chair and pulled her into his lap, pressing his face against her chest. “I missed you. Who was she?”
“The Queen of the Succubi.”
He laughed softly then harder, until she was glad he’d sat down or he would have fallen over with her in his arms. “Really? Next time can I watch?”
Stiffening, she started to push away from him but he hauled her back onto his lap, his lips and teeth finding her nipples through the silk of her gown with uncanny ease. She tried to focus through his nips, to ignore the growing hardness of his erection pressing against her bottom. “I—we need to discuss something. I need you to be serious. Please.”
The amusement left his dark gaze like water pouring out of a glass. Weariness replaced it and her heart ached that she was the cause of it. He ran his thumb over her cheek and even now she shivered at the pleasure his touch brought. “I’m listening, my mistress.”
There was no doubt about the bitterness of his tone but she forced herself to continue to hold his gaze. Now that she had him in front of her, she struggled for the right words to say. “I have done you a grave injustice, and I would like to apologize.”
Gregor’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. “Go on.”
She frowned at him, but continued in an even tone. “It has been brought to my attention that you have nothing to do with your days other than awaiting my pleasure.”
“Concubines live to serve,” he said with a sardonic smile sharp enough to cut glass. “Who am I to complain to my mistress about such trivial things, especially when there are thousands of men and women dying to be in my place.” He gripped the gold around his neck tight. “To wear your collar.”
He wanted to fight. She could feel it. All that tension, all that anger built up in him and she was his only outlet. As she examined him, she realized she’d gone about the situation the wrong way. She was his mistress and needed to act like it. Moving off his lap, she stood and pointed to the ground in front of the chair. “On your knees.”
He blinked at her and settled back into the chair with a lazy smile. Before he could even draw a breath, she fisted her hand in his hair and hauled him out of the chair to the ground. While she was nowhere near as strong as a true demon, she certainly had more strength than the averag
e human. Gregor hissed but remained on his knees as she released her hold. Calmly, she took a seat in the recently vacated chair, the leather still warm from his body.
“Take you clothes off. I want you naked.”
He fought her command, every muscle in his body stiff with anger. She continued to watch him, aware of his hard cock now pressing fully against his trousers. While she wanted to get this discussion over with, she couldn’t help but wish he would continue to defy her so she could punish him. The demonic part of her soul purred with pleasure at the thought of bringing Gregor to the heights of bliss and making him beg for release.
He quickly stood and stripped off his clothes, tossing them into the corner before facing her again, his hands behind his back as she’d taught him. She let the silence grow between them, giving his body a leisurely inspection from the top of his head to the tops of his feet. Built like a brawler, he had heavy muscles made for fighting instead of the defined grace of a demon’s physique. She liked them, enjoyed his rough beauty. The thought of another woman, even one of Galina’s witches touching him, sent an uncomfortable pulse of jealousy and anger through her. With sudden clarity, she realized this must be how Gregor felt whenever she was with Raum—or Eline.
His cock twitched. She found her gaze drawn to his hard length and wanted to run her mouth over the softness of the skin between his legs, to rub her cheek against the roughness of his pubic hair as she slowly licked his sack. Something in her body language must have given her desires away because his erection swelled further. “Gregor, I want you to train to become a wizard.”
“What?”
She cleared her throat and tore her gaze away from his swollen member. “Galina has agreed to train you with her coven as a wizard. To teach you magic so that you can defend yourself against further attacks.”
