Chapter 75
Chapter
Seventy-Five
I tug at one seawater-soaked strap that crosses his chest. “Would it be inappropriate of me to take my Fellian husband’s knot into my mouth and suck on it until he comes?”
Nemeth’s breath grows ragged. “I…I haven’t bathed.”
I pretend to look around his quarters. “I thought I saw a bathing pool around here. I’m happy to bathe you first.” Personally, I’ve swallowed enough seawater in the last few weeks that I don’t care if his skin tastes like salt and sweat. I don’t care about anything except touching him. He could drag his dick through mud in the next moment and I’d still want to lick him clean, I want him so badly.
He groans and jumps to his feet. Before I can ask where he’s going, he shadow-teleports over to the circle and kicks the stone carving into it. A moment later, he’s back at my side, pulling me into his arms and then teleporting us both to the bathing pool. With a hungry growl, he rips at the front of my dress.
That makes me squeak in distress. “It’s my last gown?—”
“I’ll get you new ones,” he promises, tearing the worn fabric away. My breasts spill out, bouncing in the cool air.
I gasp, but I’m aroused at his ferocity. I love this side of Nemeth. I love that he’s here. I love that he came for me, that he’s just as hungry to touch me as I am to touch him.
He captures one breast in his hand, dropping to a crouch and nuzzling at the tip of the other. I whimper, heat sizzling through me as he rips the rest of my dress off even as he tongues my nipple, teasing the other with his thumb. “I thought I was going to suck on your knot?—”
“Patience,” Nemeth growls. “I need to claim you first.”
I bite back a whimper, because I need that, too. Gods, do I need that. He gets to his feet and flips me around onto my belly, pushing me over the edge of the pool. I scramble to hold onto something as he kicks my feet apart, because I know what’s coming next and I’m so damned ready for it I could scream. Big hands grip my hips, hauling me up slightly, and in the next moment, the tip of him brushes against my entrance.
That’s the only warning I get before he plunges deep.
With a cry, I shudder and brace myself against the steps to the pool. He thrusts into me again, surging our joined bodies forward, and his knot—rock hard and insistent—presses against my entrance. Nemeth pounds into me, growling. “Take my knot. Take it, Candra.”
He’s never been so fierce. So relentless as he hammers into me, pressing against my core as if he can somehow work his knot in with sheer determination. Gods, it’s so sexy. I love that he’s using me. “Make me come,” I pant. “Then you can knot me.”
Nemeth pumps into me again, and his big hand slides between my thighs. He spanks my pussy, stretched tight around him, and I squeal in surprise at the sensation. That should not have felt nearly as good as it did, but when he does it a second time, I clench up in a burst of pleasure.
“You’re mine, aren’t you?” he demands. “My mate. My bride.”
He spanks my pussy again, then massages my clit with his thick fingers. I come, choking on my breath at the sheer force of my climax, and with a roar, he presses his knot into my slickened heat, claiming me as his. I pant through the tight sensation, more pleasure prickling up and down my spine as he comes, our bodies locked together. He clutches me in place, holding me tight, and I try to catch my breath, curls of pleasure drifting through my body. I’m dimly aware of the absolute stretch of his cock inside me, of his knot pulsing just within my channel, and the pleasure keeps flowing, pulsing in time with our heartbeats.
“So much for a bath,” I manage.
“Oh, we’ve just begun,” my mate purrs, rubbing a big hand down my spine. “I can bathe you while knotted inside you, my pretty human.”
I whimper, because that sounds both obscenely delicious and like far too much. Nemeth is determined, though. He tugs me upright, our bodies still locked tight, and when I flail, he wraps a big arm around my waist, holding me anchored in front of him. With that, he spreads his wings for balance and climbs into the pool.
And I moan as the heat of the water soaks into my bones. “It’s warm. Gods, this is amazing.”
“Here I thought you were tired of water,” Nemeth murmurs, sinking our joined bodies deeper into the bath.
“I am absolutely sick to death of the sea,” I point out. “A nice clean hot bath is a completely different thing.” I lean back against his broad chest contentedly…or at least, as contented as one can be when currently knotted by their Fellian lover. Every twitch of his body ripples through mine, making my cunt clench tight around his thick knot. A repeat of our furious lovemaking is notfar from my thoughts.
Nemeth must be thinking the same sorts of things because he cups one hand, dribbling water over my breasts, and then begins to wash them as if they’re the dirtiest part of me. I moan when he drags his thumbs deliberately over my nipples, causing me to squirm atop his cock. “Unfair,” I pant. “I can’t get away from you.”
“That’s why this is the best time to do this.” His hand slides lower to my belly, caressing it. “How do you feel?”
I know the question is more than how I feel. He’s asking how the baby is, too. “I think everything is fine.”
“Does anyone suspect…” He brushes his fingers over my stomach again.
I snort. “Please. I couldn’t even get them to believe that I was Princess Candra. You think anyone stopped to look at me closely?” I lean back against his chest, closing my eyes as he pours more water over me in the laziest, sexiest bath ever. “It’s weird, actually. I thought we’d have people throwing rocks at us the moment we showed up, but no one seems to believe me when I tell them who I am. They think Princess Candromeda Vestalin is still in the tower. But if that’s the case, wouldn’t they notice the weather? How awful things are? Surely the goddess’s wrath is a noticeable change.”
“Aye,” Nemeth says in a quiet voice, his fingers skimming down my arm. “I’m not sure I understand it myself. Darkfell is…different. Quiet. Empty. I don’t understand it. I hope my brother can give me answers.”
“You need to tell him to free my sister,” I say. “And Riza. And?—”
“One thing at a time,” Nemeth interrupts. “I know you are worried, but Ivornath does not like to be told what to do. I will have to be careful when dealing with him.” He drags a wet finger up and down my arm and then shifts his weight, seating me more heavily upon his knot. “I do not want to think about my brother right now. I want to think about pleasuring my beautiful mate so hard that she will never entertain the thought of leaving me.”
I nearly choke at that. Pleasure me so hard I won’t leave? Where by all the gods would I go? There’s nothing left. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”
Nemeth’s arms tighten around me and he holds me close. “I never planned this.”
Planned what? There’s such frustration in his voice. “Nemeth?—”
“I never imagined we’d come to Darkfell,” he tells me, one arm locking around my waist and the other skimming up my throat in a possessive gesture. His hips twitch under the water, pushing him deeper into me, and I suck in a breath. “I thought that when we left the tower, I would follow you. I’d follow you anywhere. You know that, don’t you, Candra?”
I whimper, because his cock is swelling inside me, his words a teasing whisper against my ear.
“My plan was always to return with you. To be yours.”
Is that what he’s worried about? I know Nemeth is a plotter. I know he likes to have everything thought out and figured in advance. “This isn’t your fault,” I breathe, biting my lip when he shudders and I feel every bit of it. “Fuck the plans. We’ll make new ones.”
“Just…never lose faith in me, Candra. Everything I do is for you. For us.” His arms harden around me, that hand gripping my throat just tight enough that I feel the prick of claws. It sends a shiver of arousal down my spine. Nemeth lets out a ragged breath that sounds curiously close to a sob. “I thought I’d lost you yesterday. I thought I lost you and there was nothing left for me…”
I reach behind me, caressing his jaw. “You’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”
And I wriggle against his cock in a very deliberate manner. He doesn’t need to dwell on the past, I decide. For now, we think of the future. And when he bends me over the edge of the tub again, his hand on my clit, I can’t think of anything at all.
I wake up some time later, my hair dry, my body clean, and I’m alone in the bed in Nemeth’s chambers. Yawning, I sit up and eye the statue sitting in the center of the teleportation circle. There’s a note on the bed, too, and I squint at it, sounding out the words because I really am shite at reading.
Have gone to speak to my brother. Stay here. There is a food tray in the antechamber. I will return soon.
Hmm.
I move around Nemeth’s home, eyeballing his belongings. It’s strange, because this place is absolutely not built for humans. The bed is large and circular and low, designed for wings and thick legs that bend backward. There’s a lavatory on this floor, along with the bathing pool, but other than that, I can go nowhere. I pick up a mushroom from the tray and eat it like a piece of fruit, moving to the ledge and eyeing the spread of rooms below. I know he spent most of his life at the Alabaster Citadel, preparing for a life inside the tower. Did he come home often? Was this a refuge for him or just another prison?
More than that, is he glad to be back?
I wander around his quarters for a bit longer, then dig into the tray. There’s a bitter cheese and some bread, and a handful of nuts, along with more mushrooms. I eat everything and avoid the wine carafe, drinking water instead. When Nemeth doesn’t return, I yawn and retreat back into the bed.
Nemeth must be meeting with his brothers. He’s rarely ever mentioned them to me. While I’d bring up Erynne regularly, he never talked of his family. At first I thought it was because he was deliberately hiding information from me, but I think he’s just not close to them. After all, I rarely speak of Meryliese.
Still, I hope they are being kind to him. I hope they don’t rage at him for leaving the tower.
I wish I was there. Nemeth is too polite, too kind. I’d let his brothers know what I truly think of them and the fact that they left us to starve in the tower.
Perhaps that’s why I’m here alone while he’s visiting them.
I doze throughout the afternoon, only to awaken again to a large body sliding into the bed next to me. I roll over to my side, and Nemeth tucks me against him, spooning my smaller form against him. He holds me tight for a long moment, then sighs heavily.
“It went that well, hmm?” I ask, tucking my arms against his.
“My brothers can be very stubborn.”
Not surprising, given that one is the king. “What did you talk about?”
He hesitates, then presses his mouth against the back of my head, breathing in my scent. “They were surprised I left the tower. They said they sent a delegation with food but they must not have made it.”
“Dragon shite,” I mutter, rolling over to look at him. “Do you buy that?”
He thinks for a moment. “No.”
I study his face. He seems as if he’s aged in the last day. Nemeth’s expression is worn and tired, as if the weight of the world is suddenly upon his shoulders. For what feels like the millionth time, I wish we were back in our tower, alone and oblivious to the world outside. “Did you tell them that I’m here with you?”
Nemeth’s mouth twists slightly. “I did. They do not believe you’re my mate. A Fellian should never marry one of our ancient enemies.” His voice is bitter. “They called me a fool and said I was lying.”
I sit up and take his hand in mine, turning over his palm to display the bite mark tattooed there. “They said this was a lie?”
“They said it didn’t count.”
“Did you tell them about the baby?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want to tell them any more than I have to. I don’t trust them, Candra. I know they’re my brothers and I know we must try to get along so we have a safe place, but I just want to grab our things and leave this place.” His expression is hard. “Tonight.”
Leave? I stare at him. “And go where?”
Nemeth shrugs. “Get supplies and return to our tower. Stay there for the rest of the seven years and wait out the goddess’s anger. Perhaps she will be appeased if we return.”
I shake my head at him. “And my sister? My people? What am I supposed to do? I can’t leave them behind. I can’t abandon them to slavery and just run off as if I don’t know what’s happening here.” I lean in. “Nemeth, is what they say about the humans true? That they’re forcing them to have sex with Fellians? The women? I can’t leave them.”
“Candra—”
“No,” I tell him firmly. “I don’t care about the war. I don’t care about who won or who lost. I want to see my sister and her children. I want to see Riza and my nurse. I want to know if my people are all right. I can’t bury my head in the sand and pretend everything is fine and go back to the tower, Nemeth.”
He sighs, the sound heavy and defeated, and sits up. His hand scrubs down his face, and he looks so, so tired. I feel guilty for pushing him, but I don’t know what else to do. “The women of Lios have been enslaved, yes. I have not heard if they are serving sexually, but they were brought here as spoils of war.”
“Well we need to free them, then.”
“How am I to do that?” Nemeth shakes his head at me. “My brother does not believe me when I say I have a human wife. They believe I should put a collar on your throat and enslave you, too. That it’s what Liosians deserve after picking a war. That it’s what they deserve because?—”
He cuts off abruptly, his jaw clenching.
“Because of what?” I prompt.
“Nothing,” he mutters. “I am forbidden to speak of it.”
“Forbidden by who?” When he doesn’t look me in the eye, I bend forward, trying to shove my face in his sights. “Forbidden by who, Nemeth? I’m your wife. I’m your partner. What’s going on?”
But he only shakes his head again. “I cannot say, Candra. Please leave it at that.”
I stare at him as he gets out of bed and heads across the room to pick up a book. He’s changed his clothing, I realize. Gone is the simple leather kilt, replaced by something far more ornate and gilded, a symbol of the First House slung around his neck in a thick decorative chain.
Who is this man that I married? “How can you side with them? Over slavery ?”
“Do you mean, how can I condone my people for claiming women left behind by the men who came to murder us? Those women did not stop their bloodthirsty husbands when they headed off to war to kill the Fellian people. But that is acceptable because we are the enemy, yes?” Nemeth’s voice grows hard. “Candra, you are my mate and the thing I love most in this world, but your people attacked mine. Demanding that my brothers release their war prizes will not go over well. I must pick and choose my battles, and right now I am most concerned with us staying alive .”
Alive? I stare at him, uncomprehending. “You truly think they would kill you? They’re your brothers.”
His jaw clenches and he looks away. “All I know is that they did not send us food. They did not believe in our mating. They will not give you status amongst our people. I have done everything they asked and—” His mouth snaps shut. “No more.”
“What did they ask you to do?” I whisper.
“To spy inside the tower of course. To report back.” He rubs a hand on his jaw. “I am tired of the throne controlling my life, Candra. When I say they cannot be trusted, I am not overreacting or exaggerating. They are my brothers but…I feel as if I do not know them.”
There’s such despair in his eyes that I feel like an absolute arse for my demands. He’s trying as hard as he can to make this work. I know he is. I move forward and cup his face in my hands.
“All I have is you,” Nemeth says, voice hoarse. “You may think I have my home and my family, but my home is you. My family is you, Candra. You’re everything, and I’m navigating this the best I can because I want nothing more than to keep you safe.”
I reach up and stroke his horns, because I know they’re sensitive. It’s the touch of a lover, one that I hope distracts him a little from the worries he carries. “I love you, Nemeth. We’re a team. And if it takes me wearing a collar in order to talk to your brothers, then that is what I shall do. It’s a trinket. It means nothing to me.”
Nemeth doesn’t look reassured, though. If anything, he looks more worried.