Chapter 16
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Frost thinks it will take us a few days to reach Elara’s court, since he’s carrying extra weight.
We all feel the time constraints, so we fly from dawn to dusk, and then he rests while Corbin and I hunt to feed us.
Eversor keeps his eyes on Elara at all times, and it’s clear something is going on, which worries me.
He isn’t friendly. He doesn’t even look at us.
When she glances at him, I swear I see a challenge in her eyes, so when she slips away on the second night, I follow her so he doesn’t. I’m worried he will hurt her. It’s dangerous to trust a man like that, and Elara has been through so much.
She’s lying on the grass when I approach and stand above her, blocking the moon. “I knew you’d follow.”
I recline with one arm under my head. “Did you?” I ask.
“You have questions,” she replies as she plucks a flower and holds it up, watching it blow in the wind. As usual, her scent wraps around me, hardening my cock and sending desire through me, but I ignore it as best as I can.
“Rethia.” I trail off as she looks at me. The moon shines on her beautiful face, and it steals my breath, leaving me speechless. Despite what I want to ask, I say something else instead. “I know how you feel.”
“What do you mean?” she whispers.
“Succubi are not the only ones whose powers attract the wrong type of people,” I admit, and her eyes widen as I smile bitterly, my eyes on the moon.
She is far more beautiful, but my story is not one of happiness, and I can’t seem to speak it as I stare at one such as her.
“I know you suspected when I spoke of my last court, but it’s why I left.
It’s why I vowed never to be another toy, and why I asked to be a king and nothing less. ”
“Someone used you?” she asks, sounding unsure and hesitant.
“That’s a nice way of putting it.” I lift my hand, catching the moon and holding it. “We are born to be the most beautiful predators, and it attracts prey, but sometimes that prey is not as weak as we think. Sometimes the strongest thing about us is also the worst.
“When I was younger, desire was easy. They were my puppets, but one day, someone from a different court visited, and she saw me. They traded me to her like cattle, and I became her plaything until desire became my worst nightmare. My body, despite what I am, stopped reacting. It’s like she killed that part of me, controlling me like a doll.
I was her favourite toy.” Dropping my hand, I curl my fingers into the grass, fighting off my memories.
“I did what I must to survive, just like you did, so yes, Elara, I understand you. I know how you feel.” Turning my head, I see tears in her eyes, and I blink.
Reaching up, I capture one on my thumb before it falls and press it to my lips, sucking it clean. “Why are you crying?”
“For you,” she murmurs. “For what you endured.”
“For me?” I frown, not understanding. “Even I didn’t cry for myself.”
“Then I will cry for you, for both of us.” She covers my hand on my chest. “Just because we were born beautiful does not mean we are nothing but beauty. You are far more than your skin, Ami.” My shortened name makes me shiver as I place my hand on hers, desperate for her soft touch.
“We both are. We deserved better from our own people. They may call us all monsters, but the truth is, they are the monsters. I’m so proud of you for escaping, for getting away, and I promise I will never let anyone enslave you like that again.
You will be at my side as a king and have everything you could ever wish for.
I will never let anyone use or hurt you like that. ”
Pain flashes in her eyes, and her tears keep falling. Something about this beautiful, strong creature crying for me makes my eyes burn.
I didn’t cry the first time she raped me.
I didn’t cry the second time or the third.
The fortieth or the hundredth.
I didn’t cry when she passed me around in punishment.
I didn’t cry when a man I trusted as a friend accepted her orders and took me.
I didn’t cry when my own people handed me over.
I didn’t cry when I was free.
Right here, though, under the full moon, I cry for this captivating woman who feels my pain as her own.
I cry for what we have both lost. We didn’t deserve it.
We should have been allowed to grow up safe and protected.
We should have been allowed to be children and make mistakes.
We should have been allowed a great many things, and one is the ownership over our own bodies.
“We are strong for what we have survived, but I never wanted to be strong. I just wanted to be safe. Battles are supposed to make you better, stronger, but they just made me angrier and jaded. I didn’t need to be stronger. I just wanted to be happy,” I say as a tear trails down my cheek.
She kisses it away, and my eyes close in bliss, that softness covering the cracks others created.
“We will make a safe place for others like us, so no one ever has to endure what we did.” As our watery eyes meet, we lean in, and I press my forehead to hers, my hand coming up to cradle her head.
Her own grips the nape of my neck, holding me as our eyes close as we soak in the warmth of someone willing to fight and protect the other.
I don’t know how long we lie like this before my desire catches my attention, and I pull away before she senses it.
It’s something I’ve buried for days, not wanting her to feel obligated.
Unlike her, I cannot feed on pain. I tried the other night, but it isn’t as strong for me as lust. I turn away, but she pulls me back, searching my face.
“I’m okay,” I murmur, trying to turn away again so she can’t see the truth in my gaze.
“You need to feed,” she concludes, voicing something I was not going to tell her.
“I will be fine,” I assure her. “I can get you home.”
“We aren’t too far from the city.” She sits up. “There must be someone there for you to feed from.”
“I swear I can get you home and help you—”
“Forget that. I know how weak you will feel. Our powers will flare, and I don’t want you to have to deal with unwanted feeding because your body decided it for you,” she snaps.
“Let me help you. Ami, you should not suffer for it. Yes, I need you to be strong, but I also don’t want you to have to worry about your powers drawing people to you.
We both know it will be depleted, and neither of us want that.
It should be your choice. My people can wait for you to feed. ”
I purse my lips and incline my head. She’s right, I need to feed, and I don’t want my powers to choose for me. “We should tell the others.”
She nods then offers me her hand, helping me to my feet before we hurry to the others. “Bellami needs to feed, so we are going to head to the city.”
“It’s risky,” Corbin starts.
“A necessity,” she interrupts. “I wasn’t asking permission. We are going. Are you coming?”
Frost grumbles but changes back, stretching with a wince, He looks exhausted, and she notices. “Frost, stay here with Eversor. Corbin and Luan can come with Bellami and me.”
“I am not leaving you, mate,” Frost interjects, even as Eversor scoffs.
“If you go, then I go.”
“No,” she snaps, crossing her arms. “Frost needs to rest, and I don’t trust you around that many people. Stay here or I break all these bonds.” She looks at me. “Let’s go.” She marches off into the trees.
I shrug and head after her. I hear Corbin promising them he will keep her safe, and then he jogs to catch up with a silent Luan.
It doesn’t take us long to reach the city, and we head straight to the club district.
We don’t exactly look the part, but with our powers, it doesn’t matter.
We find the nicest looking one and charm our way in.
The bass washes through me, as does the scent of lust, anger, and jealousy.
I hate the familiar feelings, yet my powers reach out anyway, greedily sucking it up, but it won’t be enough.
I’ve gone too long without properly feeding.
Corbin winces, his enhanced senses assaulted by the cacophony of sounds around us, but he doesn’t complain as he and Luan watch our backs.
The club is just like every other establishment I have fed in, filled with writhing bodies all trying to make their lives mean something. Human desperation fills the air, along with liquor and terrible music.
Sighing, I head to a booth and glare at the males sitting there. “Move,” I demand. They go to argue before seeing Corbin, then they scramble away as I slide in. I pick up the bottle of alcohol in the middle of the table and sniff before taking a sip as I look out at the club.
Elara slides in next to me, glancing around, her nose wrinkled. “How do you want to do this?”
“Usually I would feed from here, but I’m empty. I have waited too long,” I admit as I down another mouthful to try and numb myself for what I have to do. Let’s hope the buzz will help ease the way.
She frowns as I down half the bottle and lean back, letting it drop to the table as I scan the club. We have already drawn hungry eyes. It’s our beauty, our powers, not something we can help. Elara is oblivious as she reaches over, covering my hand. “Are you okay with that?”
“I have to be. This is who we are.” I squeeze her hand and pull back, not wanting to upset her with my touch.
A hopeful female flutters closer, and I watch my prey as she moves past Corbin, eyeing me hungrily. She moves closer with each pass, hoping to get my attention.
Crooking my finger, I summon her. She scrambles across the booth until she’s between Elara and me, leaning into me. “I’m Sophie.”
“I don’t care,” I say cruelly as I drag her closer. She whimpers when my hand touches her skin, exposed by her tiny dress. My powers invade her and enhance her need until she’s desperate.