Tortured Royals (Game of Psychos #3)

Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

~ Princess Blake ~

W e stay at the angel palace until word reaches Prince Andal about the deaths of the queen and princess. With Princess Mirelle’s claim to the throne no longer an issue, the oldest Prince is set to become the new king of Toralyn.

It’s hours before Prince Andal arrives, and Prince Callan stands facing his brother. The older prince remains silent while Prince Callan recounts recent events, the prince’s expression darkening the longer Prince Callan speaks.

“Do you think this one’s a psycho just like his mom and sister?” Shade whispers in my mind. She’s still salty at Prince Callan for forcing her away when she had tried to attack Princess Mirelle, though it’s obvious the archangel was trying to protect her.

I stare at Prince Callan, not sure how I should feel about him. The sting of his betrayal still hasn’t left me, and I think of my birds, their ashes scattered in the wind. There’s a cold space inside me, and even though I now know the truth about Prince Callan trying to free his sister, I’m not sure if I can forgive the archangel for betraying us. Not yet, anyway.

“Let’s hope not,” I reply to Shade. I don’t bother saying more than that. Only Prince Andal can choose what kind of king he wants to be.

“You should have told me what happened the last time you were here,” I tell Nate, still annoyed at the shifter for almost dying.

“It was Prince Callan’s secret to tell,” he defends. “And it’s not like I thought I was gonna get strung up.”

I wince as the image of him hanging in the cage flashes in my mind. “And do you have any other secrets that might take me by surprise?”

He rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Only that I don’t plan on returnin’ to Toralyn for a very, very long time.”

“That’s not a secret,” Dante drawls. “You’re merely stating what we’re all thinking.”

“We should have stayed at the hot springs,” Shade laments.

Reaching up, I scratch her neck. “We can do better than that. How about we go home?”

She perks up, and I watch as Prince Andal passes a silver flask to Prince Callan. Prince Callan pockets it, and then the pair are striding toward us.

“Prince Andal has just come from the battle in Danora City,” Prince Callan says when they stop in front of us. “The witches are proving to be much more organized and powerful than the angels expected, and he’s agreed to call on the united realms for assistance.”

Shade relaxes on my shoulder. “Finally.”

I keep scratching her neck, mostly to give myself something to do, and my crow laps up the attention. “That’s good news,” I say. At least, Dad will be happy. “And the coronation?”

“It will be held within the next two days,” Prince Andal replies, his face kind. Like Prince Callan, he has large golden wings, but his hair is a stark white in comparison to Prince Callan’s honey-colored locks. “I had hoped, my brother might stay for the ceremony.”

I shift uncomfortably.

Before I can comment, Prince Andal smiles. “But it seems he’s certain his Ahalian Touizda would wish to return home immediately.”

My heart pounds, surprise filtering through me.

Prince Callan’s gold-flecked gaze connects with mine. “That is, if you will still allow me to accompany you, princess?” His words are tentative, and there’s a hopeful plea in his voice.

I hesitate. A part of me feels like telling him to stay here. From the moment I met him, the archangel has been cold and determined not to let his guard down. But I think of how he’d killed his sister. Of how he’d freed Nate. Since then, he’s been quiet, and that cold edge has been missing from his eyes, replaced with something else. I can’t tell if it’s grief or simply relief. Likely, it’s a mixture of both. The archangel is hurting, and as much as he’s an asshole, he’s still my mate. My gaze drops to those gold-brushed lips before lifting back to his face.

“You’re my mate,” I tell him simply. “We can’t bond without you.”

He nods once.

Prince Andal gives me a polite smile. “Then I suppose, until the next time we meet.” He dips his head to me and my mates, and he says a final farewell to Prince Callan before striding away.

When Prince Andal is gone, Prince Callan turns to Nate. The pair of them haven’t spoken since the arena, and the shifter’s slitted eyes narrow on the prince.

“There’s no point bothering with excuses,” Prince Callan says. “But I remember you having a particular fondness for this.” He digs into his robes and holds out the flask I’d seen Prince Andal give him. “I hope you may one day forgive me, bond brother.”

Nate takes the flask and unscrews the lid, lifting the opening to his nose. A lop-sided smile crawls onto his face, and he slams his hand onto Prince Callan’s shoulder. “Only you would bring me prison wine as an apology, brother.” The shifter laughs.

Prince Callan clears his throat. “That’s actually one of the finest wines in Toralyn. The grapes are grown in the vineyards on the floating hills in the north. A single bottle of wine costs a small fortune.”

Nate’s brows lift. “Well then, that explains why it doesn’t taste like piss. Apology accepted.”

I stare at the shifter, surprised that his forgiveness came that easily.

Nate shrugs. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been betrayed, nor is it the first time I’ve almost died. But it is the first time a prince has apologized to me.” Grinning, he takes a swig of his wine.

Prince Callan turns to me next, but he doesn’t have any gifts this time. Instead he kneels, bowing his head. “No apology could express my regret, but know that I will always fight to be worthy of you. You are my Ahalian Touizda, my mate, and it sickens me that I’ve already failed you. My blade is yours, Princess Blake, as am I.”

I squirm uneasily, because this isn’t the Prince Callan I’ve come to know. I don’t reply, because I have no idea how I’m supposed to answer to that. Not too long ago the prince had been cold and telling me to stay away from him, and now he’s claiming to be mine? My stomach clenches, as the fated mate connection sparks between us.

“Get up, prince,” Dante murmurs. “You’re making us all uncomfortable.”

Mason’s brows draw down. “His apology is admirable. Even if he has already proven himself to be a horrible mate.”

I scrub a hand over my face, because life with my mates continues to be complicated.

“Okay,” I tell my archangel mate awkwardly. “I…appreciate the thought. But can we go home now?”

Nate winks at Prince Callan, holding out his hand and helping the archangel up. I turn to Mason who passes me his portal ring.

“Yesss girl,” Shade squawks in my head. “Bring on the demon realm.”

“ I can’t believe we’re finally home,” Shade squawks in my head as I breathe in deep, taking in the musky and smoky scents of Seral.

The forest is dark, stars littering the sky overhead.

“Where are we?” Nate asks. His shoulder brushes a nearby tree, and a dozen pairs of tiny eyes appear in the darkness. “What the fuck?” he stumbles back into me, and I steady him.

“Careful now,” I whisper in his ear. “Someone might think you were afraid.”

“Of them?” He points to the small furry creatures clinging to the tree trunk, and he squares his broad shoulders. “They’re lucky if they don’t become a snack.”

Like they’ve understood him, the little creatures bare their pointed teeth and hiss. The shifter curses, taking another step back.

“Right, a snack,” I tell him sarcastically. “Relax, they’re not going to hurt you. They just like the tree bark.”

“And this is where you live?” Mason asks, curiously observing the creatures.

“We’re in the forest that grows beside Seral City,” Dante explains, scrubbing the back of one of the creatures with his fingers until its warning hiss turns into a low purr.

“The forest?” Alaric asks.

“We can’t head straight to the castle,” I explain. “Not until we know what the situation is there. So, we’re making a stop here first.”

Prince Callan doesn’t speak as he stays at the back of the group.

It’s a short walk through the trees, and then I stop before a darkened building. “I trained out here a lot when I was younger. When I was learning to control my power,” I explain. “And when I was older, I would come to this spot when I needed a moment to breathe, away from the castle. There are multiple rooms, and there should be enough supplies for us to last a while, though I don’t suspect we’ll be here long.”

I move to the front door, and the moment I touch the handle, a retina scanner zaps my eye, and there’s a click as the door unlocks. I swing it open, and the lights blink on, lighting the main living area as I walk inside. My mates follow me, and soon we’re all standing in the common room surrounded by plush couches. A red fire bursts to life in the fireplace, casting shadows on the decorative blades lining the walls, and on the far end of the room is an eating area and an open kitchen.

Nate whistles. “Nice hideout, gorgeous.”

“It’s not a hideout,” I reply.

My mates all stare at me, but I ignore them.

Lifting my hand, I point to an archway that leads to a wide hallway. “Down there you’ll find the washrooms and the bedrooms.”

Nate goes to flop onto one of the couches, but Dante’s tail snaps out slapping him on the ass.

“Ow, what the fuck was that for?” the shifter says, rubbing his ass cheek, and looking more intrigued than irritated.

“I highly doubt the princess wants your blood and sweat all over her furniture, shifter.” Dante peers pointedly at the hallway. “Washroom now, asshole.”

Nate rubs the back of his neck, and he looks at me sheepishly. “Yeah, right. Sorry ’bout that.”

I bite my lip as I fight to hold back my laughter. Truthfully, the blood and the sweat does it for me, but Dante has a point about the furniture.

My demon winks at me, and when he starts toward the hallway, Nate rolls his shoulders and follows.

Mason smiles walking after them. “Join us, our mate. The water will be cold without you.”

The idea of my mates all being in the washroom together makes my thighs tremble, but when I turn back, Prince Callan is still standing there, watching me silently.

“Uh yeah, so I’m just gonna go check out that washroom as well,” Shade mumbles in my head, hopping from one foot to the other on my shoulder.

“Shade,” I warn, because she might be my friend, but that still doesn’t mean I’m down with sharing.

“Relax,” she says with a giggle. “ I’m going to go nap in one of the bedrooms so you guys can have some space.” As she lifts from my shoulder, she adds, “ Tell Callan that he’s going to have to kiss your feet before I forgive him. I don’t care how sexy he is.”

“He was worried about his sister,” I say wearily. “He made a promise to her.”

“Yeah, but he still didn’t have to be such an asshat,” Shade counters.

When my friend is gone, I turn my attention back to the archangel. Before I can say a word, he drops to his knees, and for a moment, I think he might just be about to kiss my feet like Shade suggested, but he remains kneeling and he stares at the floor, not giving me eye contact.

“What are you doing?” I ask, because he’s making me uncomfortable again. It was bad enough the first time he did it. I’m used to the demons bowing to me, but Prince Callan is my mate.

“Tell me what you want me to do, Blake. Name it,” he says, his voice a low rasp. “I don’t have any excuses. Only regrets.”

I release a breath through my nose. Demons hardly ever apologize, so this is strange for me. In his weird way, Prince Callan is doing it for a second time.

When I don’t answer, he goes on, “You helped me and the angels, and I am grateful. I have not been a good Ahalian Touizda. If you wish to bond with me to get your power, and then reject me, that is your right. I will suffer it.”

“Reject you?” I sigh. Truthfully, the thought had crossed my mind. To let him back in after his betrayal goes against the second rule of being a demon royal: Never show mercy. But I’m quickly learning that the rules I grew up with don’t exactly apply to my mates.

Pain shines in Prince Callan’s eyes when he peers up at me, and his chest rises and falls as he lets out a breath. “I pushed you away, even when I should have known better.”

He’s not wrong, but then I think of him taking his sister’s life. A sister he’d fought for over and over again. He wasn’t trying to deceive us, he had just been choosing his family and was trying to save his sister. And now everything he’d believed about his sister turned out to be a lie. The betrayal he must feel is undoubtedly much deeper than what I’m experiencing, and the idea of leaving him to go through that alone makes me feel sick.

“You have been an asshole,” I say slowly, licking my lips as I think of what to say. “And there definitely are a few things you can do to make it up to me, but…” my expression becomes more serious, “I’m not going to reject you.”

He looks confused. “Why?”

“Because I’m starting to realize why Lady Fate matched us all.”

“And why would that be?”

I shrug. “Because who else would she match with such broken individuals?”

The hint of a smile touches his golden lips. “Only an extremely tolerant and insanely beautiful she-demon?”

I snort. “I meant all of us. For a long time, Shade has been the only one I’ve really felt close to,” I admit. “My father only cares about making me stronger, more powerful, and prepared for life as a demon royal. I’m sure that’s his way of showing his affection, but it’s not until I met the rest of you that I realized…” I take a deep breath, “that there’s more to family than blood.”

Prince Callan watches my face, and my cheeks flush.

“So, I guess, this is my way of saying that despite your crappy attitude, somehow, I still…care,” I blurt, suddenly feeling silly. “But I swear, you betray us again, and you’ll learn the meaning of true regret.”

The look on Prince Callan’s face chases away my embarrassment and makes my heart squeeze. He stares at me like I’m the most perfect being he’s ever laid eyes on, and he can’t believe I’m in front of him. Tears make his eyes glassy, but he blinks them away.

He’s on his feet in an instant, and I’m in his arms before I realize what’s happening. He presses a kiss to the side of my head. “I swear to you, Princess Blake, I’ll spend my life proving that I’m worthy of you. Of us.” His lips drag lower, and he kisses just below my jaw. “And I will never stop showing you, how much I have wanted you from the first moment I laid eyes on you.”

A brisk wind whips around us, making the flames dance in the fireplace, and teasing my hair.

I can hardly breathe when there’s a shout from down the hallway. “Hey! Stop makin’ it breezy in here,” Nate calls out.

Laughter bursts from me, and Prince Callan smiles. There’s still darkness shadowing his eyes, but it’s a real smile, and my heart flutters at the sight of it. It’s weird being in the prince’s arms, but at the same time, it feels so natural, like our bodies have known each other for a long time. His scent of crisp apple and bergamot smells stronger than usual, and as he carries me down the hallway toward the others, he holds me possessively like he never intends to let me go.

I’m still not entirely used to being carried, but I can tell he needs this, so I don’t protest.

When we enter the washroom, the other three are in the massive pool that stretches across the back wall. They’re all naked, but they stand on opposite sides, like they’re purposely keeping their distance from one another. Prince Callan places me on my feet, and my heart races as he starts undressing me, peeling off my layers slowly while my mates watch intently.

When I’m naked, Prince Callan strips off, tossing his clothes to the side, then he lifts me again and carries me into the pool. The water is warm as it licks against my skin, and when we reach the middle of the pool, I expect Prince Callan to release me, but he only kneels down and holds me there.

I turn my head toward him, and his lips go to mine. For the first time, he kisses me like he’s not holding back. It’s a punishing, desperate kiss that leaves me gasping for air. And when our lips finally break apart, he kisses a trail down my neck, one of his hands finding one of my wings. His fingers trail along the sensitive membrane, and I whimper, still not used to the sensation.

Nate prowls toward me, the pair of them focusing solely on me. My shifter’s chest starts rumbling as he moves closer, and then I’m between them. Prince Callan lowers me, and my arms wrap around Nate’s neck as I kiss him. His hands press into my back as he devours my mouth, and then he lets me go, letting me kiss Prince Callan again as he comes up from behind. His hard cock prods at my ass, and my eyes shoot wide as I think of how his barbs would feel there.

“Don’t get any ideas,” I warn him, because as good as his barbs feel, that isn’t something I’m willing to try. Not yet, anyway.

Nate chuckles and kisses my shoulder, his teeth dragging against my skin and making me shiver. “Oh, I have so many ideas, gorgeous,” he rumbles, and he bites down, his teeth sinking in. I let out a small cry, but the noise is swallowed when Prince Callan captures my mouth with his. His hand pushes my legs apart, and his fingers slide to my center. Teasing, testing, and making me squirm.

Reaching around, Nate squeezes my breasts, rubbing his thumbs over my hardened nipples, and I moan as Prince Callan massages my clit, the pair of them working me into a shivering mess. Prince Callan pushes the tips of his fingers into me, and I buck my hips, wanting more.

Instead of giving me what I want, the prince pulls back, teasing my clit again, and I squirm in their hold.

Nate chuckles. “Knew he’d be fun when he finally came around,” he purrs in my ear. Before he knows what’s happening, I turn my head, biting Nate’s lower lip. “And yet, if one of you doesn’t fuck me soon, you’ll be kicked out of this pool,” I tell him sweetly.

Not far from us, Mason and Dante watch me with heated stares, their hands below the water.

I’m about to suggest swapping with them, when Prince Callan lifts me up higher, his hands gripping under my thighs. He positions me so I can feel the slide of his hard cock as he teases up and down my center. Nate is behind me, and he grips Prince Callan’s cock guiding it.

“Do you want this, gorgeous?” Nate purrs in my ear. “Do you want this cock inside you? Makin’ you scream?”

My mouth falls open as he angles Prince Callan’s cock, and the head pushes into my pussy before he stops.

I whimper, and my legs shake as need drives me crazy.

“Yes,” I gasp, and I’m starting to feel tempted to take matters into my own hands, when Prince Callan’s hooded gaze goes to my face.

“Then I’ll make you scream always,” he promises me, and he slams his cock inside me. I cry out at the sheer size of him as he fills me, stretching me, and then he’s bouncing me on his cock. My wings flare out as he moves me at a steady pace, and I can’t seem to catch my breath.

Gasping, I let go of his shoulders, reaching out and stroking the membrane of his folded wings. A tortured sound gurgles in his throat, and he thrusts faster, his cock burying so deep my cries grow louder.

“Mmm,” Nate muses from the side, watching with keen interest. “She is perfect, isn’t she?”

“Her wings,” Prince Callan tells him, like he’s reminding the shifter not to neglect them. Nate’s answering grin is feral.

“I can’t take much more,” I rasp, because I’m already feeling too much, but then Nate’s teeth clamp onto the membrane of my right wing, and I scream as the orgasm tears through me.

“Mine,” Prince Callan pants, still thrusting into me as the pleasure consumes me, tattoos lighting up on my skin as I find my release. “You were always mine, Blake. My…everything.” The emotion in his voice makes my heart crack, and he groans as he spills into me.

The orgasm has barely ended when Dante and Mason are there, crowding around as well. When I stop shuddering, Nate spins me, pulling me onto his cock instead, and Dante takes me from behind. Soon I’m screaming again, the feeling of both of them filling me driving me crazy. Nate’s barbs push inside me, pressing against the inside of my walls, and I’m a quivering, shaking mess by the time I come again.

When I climb off Nate, Mason pulls me into his arms, and he kisses my temple gently. “If you’ve had enough, my mate…”

But I could never have enough of any of them. When Mason takes me, he moves slowly at first, giving me time before he makes me orgasm again, dragging out the pleasure for as long as possible. When I stop shuddering, I sag against his muscled chest, my breaths labored as I peer at my mates. They’re still crowding me like they can’t get enough. They take turns cleaning me while still covering me with kisses.

Wait… My brows lower when I sink back into the water. “Where’s Alaric?” I’d been so distracted that I hadn’t noticed the assassin was missing.

“You didn’t know? He never came into the buildin’,” Nate answers. “Guessin’ he’s still in the forest.”

“What?” I stand and internally chastise myself for not noticing. “I have to go get him.”

“He might need to cool off, my mate,” Mason says with concern. “The assassin seemed quite unhappy while we were in Toralyn.”

“He’s always grumpy,” I counter.

“This seems like something more,” Mason says.

I don’t give myself time to think about it. I wade from the water, lifting from the pool and finding a clean pair of clothes in a nearby cupboard. Luckily, I always have it stocked, and I yank a large shirt over my head that reaches to my thighs.

“I’ll go with you, princess,” Dante says, moving to the edge of the pool.

I shake my head. “No. I need to work whatever this is out with him.”

“Then we should definitely come with you, my mate,” Mason tries to insist, but I arch a brow at him.

“I think I can handle it. You guys enjoy the bath. Feel free to explore the rooms when you’re ready.”

Dante nods, though the others still look concerned.

“It’s fine,” I reassure them again. “This is my home, remember?”

No one says anything more as I stride through the house toward the front door. Time to go get my giant.