CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
The ceilings were high, just like the auditorium where the ritual took place.
The floor was stone, as were the walls, and there was an enormous, white marble table in the center of the room. It was long and oval, surrounded by twelve marble chairs. Ten basilisks sat along the table—the Senecas on one side, and the Drakons on the other. They all wore their human forms, and they were all naked.
At the head of the table sat Bastian.
It was jarring to see him for the first time since the ritual. Tem had a sudden memory of how he’d felt inside her—how she’d strained to take him. Her cheeks flushed at the thought.
What of your mother? Tem asked, desperate for a distraction. Where is the queen?
My mother is dead.
Caspen said it so simply—as if he were reporting the weather. Tem couldn’t believe they’d never talked about it—that he’d never mentioned this deeply significant fact. What were the chances that the two princes in her life were motherless?
Caspen took the seat at the other head of the table, directly opposite his father. There was no additional chair for Tem. Instead, Caspen pulled her between his legs, his knees on either side of hers. She was grateful for the contact; his proximity made her feel less nervous, and she leaned back against his chest.
When everyone had settled, Bastian cleared his throat.
“We shall begin by congratulating my son on his engagement.”
Rowe made a scoffing sound. The king turned his blackened eyes to him.
“Do you have something you wish to say, Rowe?”
Rowe only sneered.
“Speak,” Caspen growled. “Or lose your tongue.”
Rowe’s response was cold:
“Let us not waste time with pleasantries, shall we? We all know why we are here.”
“Rowe is correct,” Bastian continued as if the interruption was of no consequence to him. “There have been…tensions as of late,” his eyes slid first to Caspen, then to Rowe. “Today we hope to ease those tensions.”
The Drakons and the Senecas glared at each other from opposite sides of the table. Tem couldn’t imagine a world where the tension in this room was eased. Caspen pressed a kiss to her temple.
Be patient. We have barely begun.
Bastian steepled his fingers.
“I understand that many of you are no longer content beneath the Drakon rule. But we must honor the circumstances that granted us power. Otherwise we forsake Kora, and we forsake ourselves.”
There was a testy silence in which everyone looked at Caspen. Every basilisk in this room knew exactly which circumstances had granted the Drakons power.
“And why should the Drakons keep their power?” said Rowe, his jaw tight. “What have they done to earn it?”
Tem thought Caspen might say something in his defense. Instead, his hand went between her legs. A low hiss filled the room the moment he touched her. All the basilisks were staring at them—staring at Tem. It was then that she understood her role in this meeting. Caspen had said her presence contributed to his power. He was exercising that power now—drawing on their connection to bend the council to his will.
Tem couldn’t complain. What he was doing felt like heaven, and she allowed herself to lean into him, savoring the way he touched her. Caspen shifted his grip, pulling her legs open to display her. His fingers dipped slowly in and out, spreading her wetness until she was dripping onto the marble chair.
The hissing intensified.
Rowe’s eyes were fixated on Tem, who held his gaze.She could see the direct effect her bond with Caspen was having on him—his eyes were black, his hands clamped tightly on the edge of the table. He looked like a man who didn’t want to yield, but had no other choice.
Pride surged through Tem.
What now? she asked.
Caspen was impeachable, his hard features like slate in the warm darkness.His lips brushed her neck.
Now we begin.
Bastian was looking at his son with something akin to pride, and Tem knew his plan was working. If Caspen wasn’t turning her on right now, she’d feel indignant about being used. But his fingers were lulling her into a trance she had no desire to break, and she barely heard Bastian as he said:
“I propose we put the royals in their place.”
A disbelieving murmur swept across the table. Surely there had been talk of rebellion before—of reclaiming what the basilisks deemed to be rightfully theirs. But now that the king was the one sanctioning it, the proposition held legitimate weight.
“And how shall we put them in their place?” Rowe asked.
Bastian’s answer was simple:
“We crest them.”
Tem heard several incredulous sounds.
“The royals will attempt to resist us,” another basilisk said. “We cannot hope to crest them all.”
Bastian pointed at Tem.
“She can.”
“And what is so special about her? ” Rowe snapped.
Bastian laced his fingers together.
“She is a Hybreed.”
Instant chaos.
Several basilisks cried out in disbelief, while others smacked the stone table in protest. Rowe’s voice carried over it all:
“If the Drakons knew of the existence of a Hybreed and they hid it— that is treason .”
“I did not know,” Bastian insisted, his hands raised. “Not until the ritual.”
“ He knew,” Rowe pointed at Caspen. “He had to have known. He has been fucking her for weeks .”
“My son’s business is his own,” Bastian said. “I take no responsibility for his actions.”
Tem found that ironic.
“This is absurd,” a woman basilisk on the Seneca side insisted. “You play us for fools.”
Bastian shook his head.
“I am merely championing our liberation.”
“And let me guess,” the woman continued. “As the liberators of our people, the Drakons would remain in power.”
Bastian leaned back in his chair.
“One would assume the Senecas will yield to those of us who are bold enough to defeat the royals.”
It was a classic basilisk answer—evasive and ineffective. The council would not be swayed.
“Prove it,” Rowe snarled. “Prove she is a Hybreed.”
Tem didn’t wait for anyone’s permission. She was already feeling for the corridor to Rowe’s mind, gently opening the mental door that led to his consciousness. The moment she made contact, Rowe whipped his head around to stare at her, his mouth slack with shock. Tem whispered two words softly into his mind:
Hello Rowe.
Rowe recoiled in disgust, slamming a barrier between them so fast that she flinched.
“ Impossible, ” he growled.
Behind her, Tem felt Caspen’s amusement.
What did you say to him?
I just said hello.
Caspen’s amusement only increased. His fingers were still inside her, and his cock had been hard for a while now. Tem could feel it against her back, and want?ed nothing more than to turn around and mount him.
Not yet, Tem.
Tem squirmed in his arms. She was turned on to the point of distraction; she wanted to have sex right now. But Caspen held her in place as Bastian said:
“I assure you, it is not impossible. And neither is our freedom.”
“ Your freedom,” Rowe insisted. “Meaning the Drakons.”
“Our freedom is also yours. We have a Hybreed,” Bastian spread his fingers wide. “And we plan to use her. She is a resource for us all.”
“ If the prince chooses her,” Rowe spat. “And if she even agrees to be used.”
“He will choose her,” Caspen snapped. “My students are always chosen.”
Rowe turned to him, his eyes narrowing.
Tem remembered that Caspen had a reputation to uphold—a legacy to defend.
“And she will not be used ,” Caspen continued, his voice dangerously low. “She is not your tool of destruction. She is my future queen. I decide what happens to her.”
“Actually,” Tem said quietly, “ I decide what happens to me.”
Everyone at the table turned to look at her.
Bastian cleared his throat. Caspen’s grip on her tightened protectively.
“Of course,” the king said evenly. “You have a say in this, Temperance. Is there something you wish to add?”
There were plenty of things Tem wished to add. But only one thing came to mind right now:
“Why should I do this for you? Why should I enslave innocent people?”
Bastian leaned forward.
“The royals are hardly innocent.”
His words reminded her of the ones Caspen had said—how he didn’t consider human lives a loss. Tem thought of Lilly’s young children, who had no fault in the war against the basilisks. Were they to answer for the sins of their ancestors?
“Perhaps the king is not innocent. But the rest of the royals would be collateral damage.”
“There will be far more damage if you do not perform the crest. ”
Tem frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Bastian shrugged with practiced ease.
“The crest is an elegant solution to our problem. It involves no loss of life, no bloodshed. My people can regain power peacefully. If you refuse, we will be forced to carry out a…less elegant solution.”
“You mean war.”
“Yes,” Bastian said simply. “Is that what you want?”
War was the last thing Tem wanted. But she didn’t want to crest anyone either.
“I want peace.”
“I understand your position,” Bastian said. “But the situation is bigger than yourself.”
He spoke carefully, and Tem knew he was trying to control her. If she refused to perform the crest —if she denied the king in front of his council—the Drakons would lose the upper hand.
Tem didn’t want to put Caspen at a disadvantage. But she wasn’t willing to sacrifice Leo’s family for him either.
“Give me a reason,” Tem said.
Bastian raised an eyebrow.
“A reason?”
“Tell me how the crest will benefit me.”
The king considered her for a long moment, and the basilisks on both sides of the table shifted uneasily. Tem knew that everyone in this room wanted the royals gone. They wanted it more than they wanted power for themselves. And Tem was the catalyst.
When Bastian spoke, his voice filled the room:
“The crest will free your father.”
It was the one thing he could have said to give her pause.
Tem’s father was the perfect example of the royals’ cruelty—of their greed . She may be able to justify some things Leo’s family had done, but never that. Never the bloodletting. It was unforgivable and unconscionable and evil. But did the royals deserve to be crested for it? Did they deserve to lose their free will? It didn’t seem right.
But Tem refused to sanction open war.
She pictured Jonathan and Christopher, petrified in the town square. There would be more deaths— countless deaths—unless Tem put a stop to it herself. The future of the entire kingdom was at stake. Gabriel, her mother—every human who played no part in the basilisk war, yet would be caught up in it anyway. If the crest would save innocent lives, it was worth it.
Tem, Caspen said softly in her mind, and she knew he’d heard her thoughts. You should think this through.
Tem ignored him. She’d thought it through enough. It was time to act.
“Fine,” she said. “I will crest the royals.”
We should discuss—
“On one condition.”
Bastian splayed his hands open.
“Please. Enlighten us.”
Even Caspen fell silent as the room awaited her condition. Tem cleared her throat before saying:
“The human prince will not be harmed.”
There was immediate uproar. The basilisks cried out in unanimous fury, with Rowe’s voice ringing the loudest:
“It would appear that the plaything has fallen in love with her playmate,” he jeered.
There were sounds of agreement, and Tem tried to ignore the unmistakable wave of disapproval coming from Caspen’s mind. She didn’t care if he didn’t like it. She wasn’t done yet.
Tem raised her voice:
“And neither will his sister or her children.”
The uproar increased. It wasn’t until Bastian pounded his fist on the table so hard it cracked the marble that everyone finally quieted down.
“That is more than one condition, Temperance,” he said darkly.
“Those are my terms.”
“This is not a negotiation.”
“Isn’t it? I’m a Hybreed. You need what I can provide.”
“Be careful how you speak to your king.”
But Tem was done being reprimanded.
“Be careful how you speak to me, ” she snapped.
The entire council went quiet. Behind her, Caspen drew in a careful breath, and for a moment, his fingers stilled. Tem paused, ready for him to say something in her mind. But he didn’t. He seemed to be waiting to see what she would do.
So she said:
“I suggest you consider my conditions. If you find them unfavorable, you’re welcome to wait centuries for another Hybreed to show up. I hate to imagine what additional damage the royals could cause during that time.”
There was a long, tense silence.
Bastian was regarding her with something close to hatred. Tem knew she had crossed a line—pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable, or even safe. But she was no stranger to kings looking at her with open animosity. Maximus had prepared her for this.
“Very well,” Bastian said finally, his gaze leaving Tem’s and traveling around the room. “You heard her. The Hybreed is willing to aid in our cause.”
The table was silent. Bastian continued:
“It is time to regain our rightful place in this kingdom. It is time to free our brothers and sisters. It is time to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. And it is time to remember our common enemy.”
Rowe stood.
“That enemy is in the room with us ,” he screamed.
Caspen let out a sharp hiss. Unlike the aroused, sensual hiss he made during sex, this hiss was harsh, and clearly meant as a reprimand.
Rowe hissed right back, and at the sound, Caspen stood too, pushing Tem to the side so he was leaning over the table at Rowe.
“Watch yourself,” he said, his voice a spear in the dark.
“Look at you,” Rowe’s eyes were hardened steel as they traced over Caspen’s erection. “Turned on by a blunt.”
Caspen went immediately still. His black eyes narrowed to slits.
“If you value your life, you will not say that word again.”
Rowe smirked.
“Is it not true? You chose a mate who is part human—a mate who is weak . And now you want us to—”
Caspen moved so fast that Tem didn’t even have time to blink before his hand was wrapped around Rowe’s throat.
“ There is nothing weak about my mate .”
Several basilisks leaped forward in an attempt to pull Rowe and Caspen apart. The enormous marble table scraped against the floor as bodies crashed into each other in a disorderly tangle. Tem knew Caspen was powerful right now. So when he finally released Rowe it was because he chose to, not because the hands gripping his shoulders had any real impact.
Caspen yanked Tem back into his lap, his breath ragged in her ear. When everyone was finally reseated, ugly purple marks were forming on Rowe’s throat right where Caspen had choked him. Another second, and Rowe would have been dead.
The council was absolutely quiet. What felt like a full minute ticked by before Bastian said:
“Let us put it to a vote. All those in favor of cresting the royals?”
Eight hands went in the air. Rowe sat defiantly still. Caspen, Bastian, and Tem didn’t vote.
“The majority has it.”
Is it over? Tem asked.
Nearly.
The king continued:
“All those in favor of the conditions our Hybreed has imposed?”
No hands went in the air.
A flicker of anger crossed Bastian’s face. His eyes went to his son’s, and Tem felt Caspen nod.
It is time, Tem.
For what?
In reply, Caspen’s hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her onto his cock. He thrust into her quickly, holding her just above his lap so he was in complete control. Tem had been wet for so long that she needed no foreplay—the entire evening had already been foreplay, and she was more than ready to take him.
She came so fast that she gasped.
Caspen finished a moment later, letting out a low groan as he lifted her off his cock, showing the council proof of their union.
The entire thing couldn’t have lasted more than thirty seconds. But the change in the room was undeniable, just like when Caspen had fingered her earlier. Only this time, he’d garnered far more power from their connection. Tem felt it in the air—a palpable energy that radiated off his body in shimmering waves, drawing everyone in—drawing her in.
Bastian asked the same question again:
“All those in favor of the conditions our Hybreed has imposed?”
Every hand went up.
“Then it is done.”
Now it is over.
To Tem’s utter surprise, the king bowed his head at her. Then he stood, turned, and left the room. The rest of the basilisks stood too, and Tem watched as they formed a single file line in front of her. She glanced around at Caspen.
What are they doing?
They are acknowledging my authority.
By staring at me?
You are the source of my authority. Our connection is what swayed them today.
There was an electric moment of silence. Then the first basilisk knelt before her. Caspen’s hand shot forward, palm out, stopping the basilisk from coming any closer.
What’s happening now? Tem asked.
They wish to honor you.
Honor me how?
There is a tradition in which each member of the council kisses you.
Are you serious?
It is similar to the human tradition of kissing the ring.
Tem almost laughed at that. It wasn’t similar at all . But she supposed she understood it in concept.
They want to kiss me while you watch? Tem asked incredulously.
Yes. But Tem…the kiss would not be on the mouth.
Then where would it be?
Caspen didn’t say a word. Instead, his fingers went once more between her legs.
“Are you serious? ” Tem said out loud. Caspen’s hand immediately retreated.
It is meant as a sign of respect. You do not have to accept.
But will it help you if I do?
Yes. It will.
Then I accept.
Caspen hesitated only a moment before positioning her between his legs, their knees aligned in parallel V ’s. He pulled her thighs open, offering her to the basilisk kneeling in front of them.
The basilisk leaned in.
Time seemed to slow as he pressed a soft, reverent kiss to her clitoris. Then he looked Tem in the eye, nodded respectfully, and stood. The second basilisk stepped forward, kneeled, and did the same. Each member of the council followed suit, one after the other, men and women alike. As the line went on, Tem became wetter and wetter. Finally, only one basilisk remained.
Tem’s heart pounded as Rowe knelt in front of her.
Hedipped his head, holding her gaze. It was only when he was an inch away that he finally closed his eyes and lowered his head to her center. Rowe did what the others did not. The basilisks before him had merely pressed their lips against her, touching her for only a fraction of a moment. But Rowe’s tongue dipped inside her—curiously, as if he wanted to taste her—and Tem couldn’t hide the way her breath hitched with pleasure. As soon as it happened, Rowe drew away in disgust.
“She liked that,” Caspen said. “Do it again.”
Surprise, then embarrassment, then eager anticipation surged through Tem. She had liked that: the tiny flick of Rowe’s tongue, the subtle pressure of his teeth. The rest of the council hadn’t done anything to distinguish themselves. Only Rowe’s kiss had given her a glimpse of true pleasure, and Caspen was in her mind, so he knew it too.
For a long moment, Rowe didn’t move. Then slowly, he lowered his mouth. He brushed his tongue against her, one soft flick like before, and she nearly came apart right then.
“Again,” Caspen commanded.
This time Rowe dipped his head and kissed her—right there— right where Caspen kissed her nearly every night. He swirled his tongue expertly over her clitoris, drawing a desperate gasp from Tem that she couldn’t control. She closed her eyes and surrendered to the sensation. It felt so good. Rowe’s mouth was a wicked devil, pushing Tem to the brink of a cliff she never asked to climb. He gripped her thighs, pulling her against him, making it so she didn’t have a moment to breathe beneath his relentless tongue.
Caspen’s cock was hard against the base of her spine.
Rowe kept going. He licked her, sucked her, stroked her until she was whimpering beneath his lips, her legs spread open without a single thought besides the undeniable need to feel as much of this as she possibly could.
There was no council; there was no meeting. There was only Tem’s pleasure, and what she was willing to surrender to get it.
“Make her finish,” Caspen growled.
He was in her mind, his power growing with every flick of Rowe’s tongue—the deep hum of magic crackling louder with each minute Tem inched closer to coming.Tem couldn’t believe this was happening. But she wasn’t about to stop it—not when it felt this good and especially not when everything in her wanted Rowe to continue.
She was mere seconds from finishing when Caspen’s hand darted suddenly around her, grabbing the back of Rowe’s neck and holding his head down—ensuring he stayed between her legs as she climaxed. The last thing she saw was Caspen’s fingers interlaced in Rowe’s thick black hair before her eyes slammed shut and she cried out, shuddering in release.
Only when the last wave of Tem’s orgasm had passed did Caspen relinquish Rowe from his grip with a dismissive shove.
“Stand,” he barked.
Rowe stood. With a jolt, Tem realized he was hard, his cock standing just as surely as he did.
“Look at you,” Caspen said, his voice sharper than a knife’s edge. “Turned on by a blunt.”
Tem still didn’t know what that word meant. But she knew she had never seen Caspen so angry, and despite the warm afterglow seeping through her, she felt suddenly afraid.
“Finish,” Caspen commanded Rowe, his voice lethally quiet. “We both know you want to.”
There was such danger in his tone that Tem found herself holding her breath. When Rowe didn’t respond, Caspen straightened.
“Finish,” he growled. “ Now .”
Rowe did not want to yield. The strain from resisting Caspen’s order was evident on his face.His body was rigid, his muscles tensed to the point of exertion.
But Caspen was the future king. He had won the favor of the council and his power was the strongest it had ever been—even now, Tem could feel it vibrating off of him, clouding her vision with stars.
Finally, as if compelled by an otherworldly force—and perhaps that’s what Caspen’s power was—Rowe’s hand went slowly to his cock. He wrapped his fingers around the base and began to pump. He finished pathetically fast; it took three strokes before his head arched back with a tortured grunt. He palmed most of his cum, but Tem saw a single drop fleck onto his foot. She stared at it as Caspen said:
“Refer to her by anything other than her name again and you will no longer have a cock to stroke. Do I make myself clear?”
Rowe nodded, his eyes still glazed over with orgasm, his chest covered in sweat.
“Say it,” Caspen ordered. “Say her name.”
Rowe blinked, his eyes focusing on Tem.
“Temperance.”
There was no mistaking the hot thread of hate in his voice.
“Good. Now get out.”
Rowe didn’t need telling twice.
The moment he was gone, Tem looked back at Caspen.
“You made him angry,” she whispered.
“ He made me angry.”
Caspen’s tone was so forceful that Tem swallowed the rest of her thought, which was that Rowe was not a good enemy to have right now, especially when they needed his support. Humiliating him in front of the council could bring nothing but trouble. But before she could worry about it, Caspen spoke again:
“Everyone out,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers.
Tem didn’t even hear the rest of the council leave.
She only felt Caspen’s hands on her waist as he lifted her, turned her in midair, and pulled her straight down onto his cock.
She gasped at the sudden fullness ,her hips moving against their own accord, her body craving him just as surely as he craved her. Tem grasped his shoulders, using them to steady her as she took exactly what she needed from him. When their lips met, Caspen groaned, and Tem knew he liked her best when she was just like this: naked on his lap. He squeezed her ass. Then her throat.
Tem didn’t stop riding him. She needed what came next—needed to feel that ultimate release. Smoke was rising from Caspen’s torso but she no longer feared it. Something in her called to it—something in her wanted more . Sex with Caspen felt different now that they were engaged, now that she knew who she really was.
Come for me, Tem. I need to see you come.
Tem was already coming. She threw her head back as her orgasm hit her, blossoming in her center and spreading up her spine. An overwhelming wave of approval washed over her, and she knew it was Caspen’s. He loved seeing her this way—messy and sexy and free—coming for him exactly when he told her to. And Tem loved being this way for him.
Now she understood how she could share her body with another, but only belong to him. How they were fated—beyond comprehension, beyond logic, beyond reason—their very matter intertwined in an impenetrable thread. They would not be broken. Ever.
Between the orgasm Rowe had given her and the one she’d just had, Tem felt as if she were made of sunlight.
Caspen pulled her off his cock and set her on the edge of the table, his face between her thighs. For a singular moment, he simply looked up at her, and Tem was reminded immediately of the first time they met, when she’d touched herself in the warm darkness of the cave, and he’d touched himself in return. She’d been so naive then.
Caspen lowered his mouth.
It was one thing for Rowe to taste her. It was quite another for Caspen to slip his tongue inside her, to show her without a shadow of a doubt that she was his— that they belonged to each other. His tongue traced slow circles around her clitoris, just enough to make her arch her back, but not enough to make her come again. When his fingers entered her she moaned, grabbing the back of his head and holding him against her. He licked her willingly, deliciously, the way every girl wanted to be licked—like she was the ultimate prize and the man between her legs was so lucky to have won her. He licked away all of her wetness from the orgasm she’d just had, and by the time he was finished, she was wet again from what he was doing now. The marble table was hard beneath her ass. But it didn’t matter. What he was doing felt so good that Tem could have stayed here all night. Just when she was moments away again, he stood, slid his cock inside her, and thrust until they finished together.
Tem rested there, her legs wrapped around him, their chests pressed together, their hearts beating in unison.
That was some council meeting.
Caspen laughed, the sound vibrating against her.
They are not usually so eventful.
I should hope not.
He kissed her cheek.
“You must be tired,” he whispered. “We should sleep.”
Tem nodded.
Caspen lifted her off the table before setting her on the cold stone floor. He took her hand, and they wound through the passageways together. When they reached his room, they collapsed onto his bed, folded in each other’s arms. The last thing Tem heard before she fell asleep was Caspen’s voice in her mind:
Thank you.