Chapter Five #3
An hour or so had passed. I wasn’t really tracking the time, but the air was cooler and the sun sat lower in the sky. We’d managed to look through almost every trader’s goods, some for longer than others, depending on what caught my eye, and I’d even been persuaded to buy a few things. Cair had arranged for the bigger items to be sent back to the palace, while the others—books and more cakes—were stowed away in my pack. I’d even picked up something for the twins: a constellation pin for Josyah and a little bug carving for Reyna.
They’d warmed up to me since I’d moved into the palace. Sy especially seemed to enjoy sneaking into the library when he was supposed to be doing lessons, to tell me all about the stars or ask me about human traditions. Rey was harder to crack, and though she’d silently joined me in the garden once or twice, showing interest in the creepy crawlies, she still seemed a little standoffish, but we’d get there.
The gift was absolutely not a plan to win over her affections, no siree .
It was safe to say, I was all shopped out, close to that stage where my skin felt too tight and smiling was a chore, but there was just one stall left at the very far end of the settlement. We’d somehow missed it between meeting Ivar and having lunch. I’d debated leaving without knowing what it sold, but that felt kinda rude, so we headed on over, hands still entwined.
As we approached, the first thing I noticed was that the stall was chaotic, but somehow still neat. There was no rhyme or reason to the items displayed, from handcrafted birdhouses to crocheted monster stuffies, but they were all lined up perfectly and in their own little sections. It made me smile. Organized chaos was a concept I knew all too well, and I was already glad we hadn’t skipped coming here.
The sign above the shop door read Everything and Anything, and from what I could see, that statement tracked. There were even swords, the blades hidden inside their scabbards, but the hilts visible… and they kind of looked like dicks?
I knew it was time for us to find somewhere to stay for the night before it got dark, but I was fascinated and wanted a peek at what else the shop had first. I turned to Cair. “I’ll just have a quick look inside, then we can go, yeah?”
“Whatever you wish, pet. Take as long as you need.”
With a grateful smile I slipped in through the tall yet narrow doorway, my eyes widening at what greeted me on the other side. Stuff. Shelves upon shelves of stuff . It was a maximalist’s wet dream. An antique store, a thrift shop, and a dragon’s hoard, all rolled into one. Similar to outside, each pile of mess was contained in its individual section, with a clear path snaking through them all. I fucking loved it. There was something familiar about these types of places. They made me feel comforted and emotionally regulated, as odd as that may have sounded. I was curious by nature, and being surrounded by a wild assortment of things had my dopamine levels shooting through the roof.
I was happy.
I started at the rack closest to the door, skimming through the selection of novelty coffee mugs, some molded into the shapes of animals while others were painted with intricate designs. I didn’t dare touch anything breakable, knowing how clumsy I was, but anything more durable I would pick up and inspect, before moving leisurely on to the next section. There were backpacks in one corner, paintings in another, and nothing short of a crane could’ve prised me away from the selection of potted plants.
It really was a bizarre place, and given the chance, I would’ve spent days combing through every last square inch.
I couldn’t have taken a guess at how long we were in there, but with only a few shelves left to browse, I suddenly became aware of the unfaltering shadow blanketing mine on the floor. I peered over my shoulder at Cair, who was looming barely one step behind, not looking at anything except me.
Guilt welled in my belly. “Are… are you bored?”
He reeled back, seemingly offended that I’d even suggest such a thing. “Of course not! How could I be bored watching my mate find such joy in simple trinkets?”
From anyone else, that would have probably landed as an insult, but Cair did seem genuinely smitten with my behavior. I turned back to face the rack of crystals I’d been examining, hiding my blush. “That may be, but isn’t there anything you want to look at? Don’t you need anything?”
I caught his shrug from the corner of my eye. “Wing moisturizer wouldn’t go amiss, especially now that they are exposed to the elements more often—they need the extra care. But I am in no hurry. I am content to wait until your curiosity has been sated.”
“You’ll be waiting a while,” I said with a slight snort. “Why don’t you go and grab what you need, and I’ll finish up looking here?”
Cair hesitated—unsure about leaving me alone, no doubt—but having him hovering over my every step made me feel rushed, even if it wasn’t his intention. He was protective, and I loved him for it, but a few minutes to browse alone would also be welcome.
“I don’t?—”
“I’ll be fine,” I cut in, twisting around to place my hands on his chest. “I promise to stay in the shop until you come back. I won’t wander.”
He studied me, his jaw clenching and unclenching. It took a pleasing look and an eyelash flutter before he finally relented. “Alright.” He sighed, though it had an amused edge to it. “There was a stall not far from here that sold what I need. I’ll be very quick.”
“I’ll be here,” I assured him again. “Take as long as you need.” He seemed to read between the lines as he smiled knowingly and, without a hint of offense, kissed my forehead before striding out of the shop, leaving me to my own devices. I was under no illusions that he wouldn’t speed through his errand despite my encouragement. He’d be out there guarding the shop by the time I was done, and for all that I appreciated the space, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I carried on walking through the shop, stopping to inspect the rows and rows of vases as I passed. It was funny, because in any other store, the most logical item to expect in the next section would be some other type of decorative homeware, but no. It was clothes. Well, on closer inspection, it was lingerie , to be exact. There was a table display with several sets laid out on top. A torso mannequin wearing a seductive black bodysuit stood to the left, while a wooden clothing rail was positioned to the right. I drifted closer, reaching out to trail my fingers over the different fabrics. There were webs of lace, drapes of satin, and strips of latex. I picked up the piece at the end—a corset of red leather, embellished with buckles, and accompanied by a collar of the same material. The diamond lettering on the front read KITTEN.
My face grew warm.
“Wow, this place really does have everything and anything,” I mumbled, putting the corset down. It was a beautiful piece, and well-crafted, but leather was definitely a step too far out of my comfort zone.
“That color would look absolutely stunning on you.”
I whirled around, caught completely off guard by the shopkeeper—a super tall, red-headed naga—who stood three feet behind me. She cringed in embarrassment.
“I didn’t mean to startle you, Your Highness,” she said, her voice a soothing purr. “It was only that I saw you looking, and couldn’t help but offer my compliments.”
My heart hammered in my throat, but sensing I wasn’t in any immediate danger, I cleared my throat and tried to play it off. “Oh… I, um… I don’t think it’s really my thing.”
“Nonsense! Everyone deserves to wear sexy underthings at least once in their lifetime.” She sashayed closer, her tail coiling behind her, and I had no option but to crane my neck to meet her eyes. She winked. “I’d wager that prince of yours would agree.”
“I don’t know…” I combed my fingers through the hair on my nape. Would Cair be into that kind of thing? I’d never asked him or even given it much thought, to be honest. I had no complaints in the sex department, so spicing things up with toys or lingerie rarely occurred to me. Alex had brought it up before and I’d balked at the idea. Mostly because he’d suggested it as a way to get Cair to throw caution to the wind and finally admit he wanted me, and I hadn’t wanted to look utterly desperate, but maybe it wouldn’t be so terrifying now that we were actually together?
I needed convincing.
“You think so?” I asked, and the shopkeeper grinned.
“Absolutely! The way he looks at you… Gah , he’d be foaming at the mouth seeing you in something like that.”
I hummed, considering. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s a little too… bold? I’ve never bought anything like this before.”
“Hm, yes, something softer, more delicate , would suit your disposition much better.” She clicked her forked tongue and tapped her talon-like nails against the table as she seemingly lost herself in thought. I debated telling her that it didn’t matter, but then she snapped her fingers, apparently having arrived at a conclusion. “I may have just the thing!”
Excitedly, she rifled through the rack to the left of the corset display, murmuring a series of curt noes before letting out a triumphant “Ah-ha.” She held up her find: a light blue babydoll nightdress. It was sheer where it flared out from the tie under the bust, and the hems were lined with decorative lace.
It was pretty.
Beautiful, in fact.
“This goes with your eyes,” the shopkeeper said. “It also has a matching thong, and if your prince doesn’t fall to his knees at the sight of these, then he needs his brain readjusting.”
She was good at her job, I’d give her that, but even if she was only blowing smoke up my ass for the sake of a sale, it didn’t deter my interest now that it had been piqued. The set was adorable, and not too out there, even if the thong made me nervous. Alex always said pale blue was my color, so it was almost like it was meant to be.
My heart beat a little faster. I’d never been particularly adventurous in bed. Sure, I liked being bitten until I bled, told what to do a little, and I’d recently discovered I liked my hands being restrained, but coming up with new things to try wasn’t in my wheelhouse.
Well, except sex positions, but those only came to me because of the books I read.
It would definitely be a surprise for Cair, but would it be one he’d appreciate? What was I saying? Cair was horny for anything I did, and he’d never dream of ridiculing me, so there was every chance he’d see me dressed up and go absolutely feral—a thought that had my belly heating. Would I still feel the rough grip of his hands through the fabric? Would his fangs pierce the layers and mark my skin?
Would he call me pretty as he bounced me on his cock and made me beg to come?
“Alright, I’ll take it!”
The shopkeeper beamed at me before her keen eyes raked over my body as if mentally memorizing my shape. She nodded to herself, then returned her gaze to mine. “Perfect! I’ll grab your size from the back. Meet me over by the counter in just a moment.”
With that, she moved gracefully toward the curtain behind the till, but before ducking through, she paused and turned back to me, her face lit up. “Oh! I almost forgot, we have a brand-new range of spiked anal beads in stock. Can I interest you in a sapphire set to match your lingerie? I’ll give you a twenty percent discount.”
I blinked.
I blinked again.
“Um, n-no. I think the…” I swallowed thickly, pointing to the nightgown. “That will do for now. Thanks.”
“Of course,” she said, and dipped out of the room.
I stood there for a second, rooted to the spot with my cheeks flaming, staring absently after her in slight mortification. I was no prude, not really, but the idea of anything “spiked” going near my asshole made me want to die a little.
No judgment, but what the fuck ?
I gave a full-body shiver before making my way up to the counter and fishing out my coin purse. Hopefully she’d return quickly and without any more offers so I could leave and never have that image in my head again.
Any mentions of pear of anguish butt plugs, and I might just faint.
* * *
With my purchase neatly wrapped and safely stowed in my pack—sans any torture devices—I left the shop. Cair was outside as I had predicted, propped against the shop wall, casually scoping out the area and looking as handsome as ever.
His dark eyes flicked over to me as soon as he sensed my approach. “Was there nothing of interest, my heart?”
“There was, actually,” I said, barely suppressing my smile or the blush warming my cheeks. “I got something for you. Well, for me , but…” I waved a hand. “You’ll see what I mean when I show you.”
I brushed off my shirt sleeves to distract myself from devising a script in my head for how I wanted things to play out later. After a moment too long with no reveal or explanation, Cair asked, “Am I to guess?”
“No, you’ll have to wait. Until we’re, um, alone .”
He tilted his head, noticeably intrigued. His eyes dropped to my bag before returning to me. “Alone?”
I nodded, and under that hot, assessing gaze, the same one I imagined staring back at me as I undressed, I began to regret my life choices. Not because I thought the whole thing was a mistake—those feelings would come later—but because now that I’d given them air time, I wouldn’t be able to ignore the sexy scenarios whirring through my head. I’d be boiling inside with a mix of apprehension and horniness until tonight, and that would be a bit inconvenient.
Trying not to get a hard-on in the middle of a busy market was going to prove a challenge, but surprising absolutely no one, it wouldn’t be the first time since meeting my mate that I’d unintentionally edged myself in public.
First time surrounded by a crowd of monsters with super senses, though.
Gotta remember to tick that off the bucket list.
A small smirk tugged at Cair’s lips, and I only hated his knowing smugness the tiniest bit. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Bastard .
“Can we go?” I said, maybe a little too eagerly, but I didn’t care. I wanted to keep the embarrassment to a minimum, and besides, he knew my nature better than he knew his own. He could sense my every feeling and emotion, so there was no point denying my impatience. We were done here anyway, and the sun was beginning to set. It made sense to go find a quiet little inn somewhere that had a vacancy and get my brains fucked out.
I was only surprised Cair hadn’t hoisted us into the air with the same notion.
“As you wish.” He held out his hand for me to take, but instead of guiding me to the village gates as I’d expected— hoped —he stopped at a stall that sold quills and leather-bound notebooks. One we’d already browsed. He even hemmed and hawed over the pieces as if he actually needed them, prolonging my suffering.
Again, bastard .
I rolled my eyes and faced away, scanning the path ahead and taking mental note of how many monsters I’d have to weave through now that my skin was starting to feel a little too warm and sensitive. That was how my gaze caught on the cloaked figure, loitering not far from where we’d just been, red eyes focused right on us.
On me .
They were tall and lean, their face framed by the edge of a hood, showing how the ghostly gray skin on their face had sunk between the bones. A species I hadn’t yet encountered.
My brow furrowed under the weight of their stare, and I opened my mouth to ask Cair if he knew them, but the creature smiled, showing no fangs or forked tongue, before disappearing into the crowd like a blur of smoke. It was odd, and a small chill rolled down my spine, but after spending the day being greeted and fawned over by the Fae people, it probably wasn’t a total reach to say they were just another curious being hoping for a look at the prince and his half-human mate.
Or they were one of the creatures Rathe had arranged to watch over us from the shadows…
I shrugged and made a conscious effort to ignore it, focusing on the image of Cair kneeling at my feet as he peeled blue silken panties down my thighs with his teeth.