Tortured Royals (Game of Psychos #3)

Chapter 28

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

~ Nate ~

“ W e need to know what’s in there,” Blake says, her words a frustrated hiss as she spars with Mason, her sword clanging as it collides with his.

After the war council, the generals disbanded, each leaving to organize their soldiers. King Dalton dismissed Blake along with the generals, and she took us to one of the training rooms near the barracks within the castle walls.

I study the weaponry in the space, intrigued by the sheer amount of forged steel that’s been strapped to the walls. I have to admit, King Dalton is quite the decorator. A sword with demon horns carved into the hilt and a single crimson jewel, remains on the wall in front of me. Before I’d met the princess, takin’ that sword off the king’s hands would have been a top priority. Now, I have no desire to steal it. For my entire life it was as if I’d been chasin’ something. Always trying to find the most precious artifacts, the most coveted possessions. Now, I wonder if what I’d been searchin’ for all along wasn’t a ‘thing.’ It had always been… her.

I turn as Blake ducks and spins, sweeping Mason’s legs out from under him, and maneuvering quickly until the tip of her blade is at his throat.

Mason grins. “Well done, my mate.”

“I was hardly even using my power,” She huffs. “You let me have that one.”

The centaur’s smile grows. “Let’s save our strength for the battle.”

My mate frowns, returning her sword to the rack against the wall. “I hate sitting here idly. At least, the generals are busy getting their soldiers in line.”

“No one knows when the witches will attack,” Dante says smoothly. “It could be days or weeks, yet.”

“Or never, if they know what’s good for them,” Alaric growls.

Blake lets out a heavy sigh. “I just don’t understand why Dad won’t tell us what’s in the vault. It’s what the witches want. He expects us to blindly defend something when we don’t even know what’s in there.”

“Could you not take us to the vault yourself, my mate?” Mason asks.

She shakes her head. “The vault has extra security. Only the king has access.”

A cold knot forms in my stomach. I think of when I’d first visited the castle and attended the royal ball. I was only there for one reason, and that was the treasure in the vault. I don’t let myself second-guess the next words out of my mouth.

“Years ago, I heard a rumor in Kanzepes,” I say, my gaze colliding with Blake’s.

Her body tenses as she takes in the expression on my face.

“It came from an intoxicated shifter I’d spoken to during one of my trips to the Bunny Burrows.”

“Ah geez, do you have to remind her that you loved that place? Not smooth dude. Not smooth,” Shade chirps, and I flinch at the hard look in Blake’s eyes.

“I stayed at the Bunny Burrows,” I hastily explain. “Not as a patron, but?—”

“Wait, are you about to tell us you were a worker bunny?” Shade squawks interrupting me.

I shoot the bird an annoyed look. “ Not as a worker bunny, or uh, worker jaguar, but it was a place to stay. Secretive. When you have as many enemies as I do, finding secure lodging starts to get tricky.”

“All right,” my mate says.

“That shifter,” I go on. “He talked about knowing the demon king had a treasure in his possession. Something he took from the witches during the war. A power so great, the demon king himself is afraid to use it.”

“Well, that makes sense. We already know it must be powerful,” Shade comments. “Blake could feel it.”

“Information you still could have told us earlier,” Dante points out dryly. “So why are you telling us this now, shifter?”

Their gazes bore into me, heat pounding against my skin.

“You were going to steal it, weren’t you?” Blake says, reading my face. “Let me guess, it’s why you were here for the ball?”

When I don’t answer, the others curse.

“Wow, Nine Lives, and I thought I was an asshole,” Prince Callan comments.

“You were an asshole,” Dante confirms.

My heart thuds as I watch my mate carefully.

“And I’m guessing there’s more to it than that?” she asks.

“Only that the shifter said, whomever gets their hands on the weapon won’t only control the witches. They could control all the realms as well.” I rub the back of my neck, and I give her a sheepish smile. “I would have told you earlier, but I guess I was afraid of what you’d think.”

Blake doesn’t look surprised, but there is a thread of disappointment in her gaze.

“I may have come here for the treasure,” I add quickly. “But it’s not why I returned. Whatever is within that vault is nothing to me now. You’re my mate, and all I care about. But I had to tell you. The implications of the power in that vault might be the reason the king is so reluctant to talk about it.”

I’m not sure what I expect my mate to do. Curse me? Fight me? She simply stands there, her brow creased. “And why did you want it?”

“The treasure?”

“Yes.”

I hesitate before admitting, “Things are bad in the beast realm. You think the demons have problems, but in Kanzepes only the strong survive.” I pause. “Or the most cunning.”

She stares at me. “…Or the ones who have help from someone strong?” she guesses.

I shrug. “Someone’s gotta look out for the little guys. A powerful weapon could change things. Even if it was only used for those in the beast realm.”

Prince Callan crosses his arms. “Are you telling us, all those items you stole...”

“I knew others who needed them more,” I reply with a mischievous grin.

“Oh, thank god,” Shade sighs. “For a minute there, I thought I was going to have to hate you, barbs be damned.”

“Please stop talking about his barbs,” my mate groans, but she grins at me, the light returning to her eyes.

Striding forward, she whacks me on the chest. Pain throbs beneath my breastbone at the hit, but I don’t care.

“You’re seriously lucky I like you,” she tells me.

“Only like?” I tease, my heart racing as relief near cripples me. My hands slide to her hips, and I swear, I would be content to hold her like this forever.

She bites her lip, hesitating. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shifter.” Her expression grows severe. “Keep things like that from me again, and next time I’ll have your balls.”

My hands slide to her ass, and I pull her tighter against me. “Please don’t, because pleasurin’ you is now my mission in life.”

She chuckles, though I see the uncertainty in her eyes. “The beast realm. You’ll have to tell me more about it sometime. All I know is what I’ve been taught. I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

“Another time, gorgeous. Let’s focus on our witch problem for now. And I swear, no more secrets.” I brush my lips against hers.

“Good,” she rasps, and she claims my lips, her hands winding around my neck.

My cock hardens as I long to satisfy my mate. My queen. My treasure.

She moans as I deepen the kiss, and the others crowd closer, drawn to us.

The scent of her arousal permeates the air, the sweet honey and cinnamon scent growing stronger. I groan, my mouth watering. Fuck I love tasting her. Touching her. Making her scream…

Squeezing her ass, I grind against her, letting her feel just how badly I want her, but a piercing, wailing sound blares through the training room, and she jerks back. Her gaze sharpens as she tips her head up to where a speaker is fastened to one corner of the room.

“The alarm,” Shade squeaks, panicked.

My mate’s eyes darken, her desire replaced with a hard resolve. “The witches are here.”