His Siren Prince (K!nktober #20)

Chapter 1 Azul

Azul

My breath stuttered as I lifted a trembling hand to my throat and moaned.

High on the dais on the moonlit beach that stretched out further than I could see, no-one could hear me. My hips curved on my throne, my womb already tingling.

He was the one. I could feel it.

I knew it the moment he bowed to us three weeks ago when he presented himself and his army before they rode off to defeat the Demon King. Commander Carrion of the Sun Nation was the future father of my children.

Even just thinking his name had a shiver running through me.

The last time I saw a human was eight years ago in the snowy north, and they only told tales about them in my country. They were so rare that some people thought they were extinct.

The Sapphire Shores was the most peaceful country on the large continent, and the Demon King targeted us because he wanted to command the power of our voices.

But Carrion wasn’t just any human; he served the ancient vampire rulers of the Sun Nation. There were rumors he was their pet, but one look in his fierce brown eyes, and it was obvious that no one could ever tame him.

Because the man kneeling before me in the white sand of our country's beaches, his cape and armor stained with blood, glared at the dais as if he was seconds away from charging us.

It was electrifying.

The sharp anger and heavy sorrow that beat from him were so powerful they stole my breath.

It didn’t matter that he was forty human years, that white streaks peppered his hair, and that I noticed he had difficulty moving in his armor.

Because I wanted the power he radiated to be passed on to my children.

With my fingers splayed over my gills, and my thumb pressed against the tender vein beside my throat, I pinched myself to hold back my desire to mount him right there in front of thousands of people.

I was just that horny. Even the way he tried to avoid looking at me made me hungry.

I shot up from my throne, startling my family. But my mother and sister recognized my expression instantly.

In my island country in the tropics, we sirens didn’t need clothes.

We wore long swathes of iridescent fabric that loosely concealed our bodies, which unfortunately meant I had to internally shout at my cock not to spring out from the seam in my stomach as my eyes danced over the Commander’s rugged beard and battle-worn hands.

I moved forward, descending the wide steps of the dais, my face practically gleaming as my feet sunk into soft sand, and I stepped closer to him. The nearer I grew, the tighter his hand clenched on the hilt of his sword.

A warm breeze fluttered around us, and the gentle moon-stained waves to my left matched the deep blue uniforms of our own soldiers.

All eight countries on our continent had sent armies to support us in the battle against the Demon King, but among all the knights that kneeled before us, the red cloaks and steel armor of the vampires of the Sun Nation stood out the brightest.

I paused halfway down the steps, making sure I stayed above him and the vampires that flanked him.

“The Demon King’s head was delivered last night,” I said, my voice curling around the words. “I was told we have you to thank for that.”

His head snapped up, and a tremor of lust and excitement rushed through me as his gaze hit me so sharply that my throat quivered.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” His graveled voice, filled with determination and pain, reached straight into my core.

He was exactly what I wanted. If my child could meet people with a gaze like that, we might lose our reputation as the easiest-going species apart from those spacey tree nymphs in the southern lands.

It wasn’t just because we were standing before a large crowd that I was speaking so formally. I wanted Carrion to think I was a serious prince, and not someone who preferred to run off to go drinking and dancing and let the rest of my family take care of the ‘ruling’ part.

It was the duty of the firstborn royal of the Sapphire Shores to bear heirs for our nation, but every species I’d mated with had either been boring in bed, or just didn’t have the right cock for it.

I'd been the crown prince for four years, and I’d sampled every species in the land except humans, but I still hadn't produced an heir.

And no wonder the vampires hid Carrion away until they had no choice but to send an army. Everyone was watching the wall of hardened muscle that was the human sweating in the humid night air under his thick armor with fascination.

“Is there anything we can reward you with for your valor?” I asked. We'd make the same offer to all the commanders. But Carrion was the one who slew the Demon King, and there was no greater honor in our country than a direct offer from the royal family.

I folded my arms, tapping my claws against my scales. I was going to stay far enough back that people couldn’t see how my gills fluttered more than the palm trees that lined the beach, but I needed to be closer to him.

The moment the armies returned, they were brought straight to us, and the cloying sweat of thousands of soldiers was hidden by the sweet night-blooming lilies that grew in the dunes and wafted out to the salt-laden ocean.

Carrion's head rose briefly, his eyes dancing from my face, across my chest, hovering on the vertical seam on my lower abdomen. My cock pulsed inside me at his gaze, which trailed down my legs, and back to the sand below him. It was like an invisible hand stroking me that instantly sent my body humming. There was no way I couldn’t move closer to him now.

“I could not dare to ask for anything from you, for I am but a knight doing his duty,” he replied, his rough voice curling through me.

Except he was so much more than that.

The tension was killing me. He was so close and far away at the same time.

Whether we were surrounded by thousands or no one, I felt like he would still give me those hurried looks.

Curiosity curled through me as he shuffled, his armor clinking as he tried to hide the way he swallowed, and the corner of my lips quirked.

He was definitely feeling it, too.

“Then, let us at least entertain you,” I said.

His body tensed before he replied. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I must return to my queen.”

It was probably unprincely of me to grab him by the ear and tell him he wasn’t going anywhere until he put a baby inside me.

His head stayed bowed, and I liked the spike of jealousy that jabbed me as he spoke about her. I could hear how much he admired her, and I wanted him to treat me the same way.

“You’ll dishonor us if you do not let us thank you in some way,” I replied with a lilt of amusement. He stilled as I stepped in close enough that I could see a line of dried blood that stained the back of his neck, and I couldn’t tell if it was his or someone else’s.

My forked tongue traced my lips as he lifted his head again, his chest expanding as he realized he had no choice.

“Then, the greatest gift you could give us would be something to honor the Sun Nation and our queen,” he said.

The lines of age on his face, and the warm shade of his tanned skin made me want to explore them.

With his battle experience, he could pass on things to our child that would ensure we’d be ready if another Demon King rose again.

“Very well. Once you celebrate with us, we shall present you with a gift unlike any other.” Such as spending the night breeding the crown prince. Maybe I’d need to prepare my ass if the size of his hands were anything to go by.

If he got me pregnant, he would be eligible to become my consort, and granted royal status in our nation. Though it could also be seen as betraying his country.

But it would mean I could have a human all to myself, with no sneaky vampire queens to get in my way.

“Then I thank you, Your Majesty,” he said tactfully. “But I pray you allow my soldiers to bathe and change their clothes. We have not rested since we left your shores three weeks ago.”

Another hurried glance before he bowed his head again. It was like he couldn’t stop himself from looking.

“Of course, Commander,” I said smoothly. “You may do as you wish. We can at least provide rooms and food so you can recover before you depart. And we shall celebrate tonight.”

And I would tell my attendants to prepare one of the fertility chambers for a ceremony. If he was stripping so he could dip in me, I wanted the conditions to be perfect.

Maybe I would need to encourage him with a glass or two of wine before I made my move. Though he didn’t look like the kind of man to let go and enjoy himself.

“You are too kind,” he responded with another glance, clearly unhappy about being kept from his precious queen.

“Then, we shall see you all tonight.” I clapped my hands twice and servants emerged from behind the dais.

“Take care of these men, my dears. You know what to do.” They nodded as they filed among the soldiers.

Those who were wounded in battle and survived the journey across the sea had already been taken to the healers, and the attendants gathered the others up in groups.

As a peaceful nation, we didn’t have many army barracks, but our sprawling palace had thousands of rooms for guests for our endless festivals and celebrations. There'd be plenty of space for everyone.

Throughout the hustle and bustle, no one came near Carrion. They knew I'd throw a hissy fit if they interrupted us, and I wanted to test to see how long he’d stay kneeling in the hot sand.

But he didn’t move. And fortunately for him, I was a pretty impatient prince. Watching the back of his head was boring when he wasn’t even throwing me glances.

My sister hurried over, probably because she recognized my expression. I was getting ready to tap Carrion with my foot to see if he was still awake because the only part of him moving was his back as he slowly inhaled and exhaled.

“Your Majesty,” she murmured, laying her hand on mine. Carrion briefly flinched at her voice, but it wasn’t enough to make him move.

She gave me a warning look because she knew I was about to tease him. But it sort of bordered on cruel if I forced his weaker, human body to stay bent for so long.

As my sister stepped away, I kneeled down, loving his sharp intake of breath. There was no one around, and I could try to steal a kiss, if he let me.

I leaned forward so that the sharp spines of my ear brushed his cheek.

“It doesn't matter how much you try to hide it, Commander,” I hummed. “I can give you what you want.”

“Your Majesty,” he hissed, and I nearly moaned. It looked like we were thinking exactly the same thing.

“I could have you whipped for scolding a prince of another nation.”

But he lifted his head, meeting my eyes with a look that dared me to try. We stayed like that as the gentle sound of the waves lapped against the sand and our breaths shuddered in time with it.

I surrendered first, and my face split into a grin as I shot up.

“Enjoy the entertainment, Commander,” I purred. “I’ve specially prepared it for you.”

Hopefully, the usual seductive atmosphere of our banquets would make him so horny that he wouldn't resist me when I made my move.

I stepped back from him, and I didn’t miss the way his gaze traced my calves before it snapped back onto the sand.

If I planned it properly, it was going to be such a fun night indeed.