11. THE BOY WITHOUT A SCENT 2
Chapter eleven
THE BOY WITHOUT A SCENT 2
"How does it feel being faced with this without the mated bond?" Ottai's voice carried a weight of genuine concern.
It was agonizing. Grand King Daemonikai's frame was rigid, his movements nearly mechanical as he fought the overwhelming arousal. His steps unsteady, his senses overwhelmed. "I am fine.”
"Well, I am not," Zaiper drawled, his voice thick with unmasked hunger. "I need to bury myself deep inside a slave, or ten, right now." He stalked off, leaving Daemonikai and Ottai alone.
"How do you really feel?" Ottai asked softly.
"It has been thousands of years. I had forgotten how hard and intense this used to feel,” Daemonikai admitted, his voice strained.
"Yeah," Ottai agreed. "I do not feel it as strongly because I am mated, but I feel enough to know how difficult it is for unbonded males. Vladya is fortunate to be out of the fortress tonight.”
"He is."
"I am taking Morina the first chance I get," Ottai growled, his voice heavy with desire. "Need to be deep inside her, wrapped in her scent and surrounded by her." He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening as he realized the implications of his words. A flicker of guilt crossed his features. "I am so sorry, I—"
Daemonikai waved away his apology, shoving the grief rising deep down. "It's okay, Ottai.” He offered a faint smile. “Go and be with your bondmate."
"You cannot go to bed like this, and you know it. Suppressing it is nearly impossible, and you will only end up with brain-splitting headaches. It will help you sleep better," Ottai insisted.
Again, Daemonikai's thoughts drifted to the betrothed princess. He gritted his teeth.
Why did he keep thinking about the human girl? It was uncharacteristic of him.
But Ottai was right. He had been highly exposed to the female’s heat scent tonight. There was no sleeping it off, no suppressing it.
"Pick out some of our females and lose yourself in them. Evie would not have wanted you to suffer. You know that," the fourth ruler added softly.
Daemonikai released a sigh, the headache already beginning to throb behind his eyes. "Send one of your men into town to call Alviara, would you?"
"Of course," Ottai said, relieved.
Daemonikai entered his residence, agitation radiating from him like heat from a furnace. His skin felt tight, his own body conspiring against him.
His eyes fell upon the boy standing in the corner, and his steps faltered. In the chaos of the evening, Daemonikai had momentarily forgotten about him.
There it was again, that unsettling lack of scent.
In his long life, he had encountered individuals from various species who had no scent. It was unusual, but not unheard of.
Yet, there was something peculiarly disturbing about this boy's lack of scent that unsettled him deeply. The distraction had been enough to disrupt his focus during dinner, prompting him to ask the boy to remain behind.
What was it about this boy that troubled him so?
"Your Grace," the boy greeted with a respectful bow.
The sound washed over Daemonikai like a cool breeze. A surprising ointment to his agitated body.
His inner beast stirred, ears perked with interest. Something about the boy's tone... it sounded familiar. The boy reminded him of Princess Galilea.
Daemonikai's legs moved before he could think. In a flash, he had the boy pinned against the wall, his nose buried in the crook of his neck.
He inhaled deeply, the boy letting out a startled gasp.
Nothing. There was no scent.
Daemonikai's frustration morphed into a growl, his agitation mounting. He tilted the boy's head aside and rubbed his nose against his skin, searching for any trace of a scent.
A soft whimper escaped the boy. The faint smell of fear filling Daemonikai's nostrils snapped him back to his senses.
He released the boy, stepping back. "I apologize. I'm not always so... uncontrolled," he muttered, pressing a hand to his temple.
The boy's chest heaved with ragged breaths, his eyes wide and glassy. He caught the faintest smell of musk. A familiar one too, tugging at the edges of his memory. Where had he caught this scent before?
"Why do you seem familiar to me?" he demanded, his voice a low growl. "And I do not mean your features alone. I despise closeness and invasion of my personal space, especially from strangers, and more so from humans. Yet, you do not trigger my defenses. Why?"
The boy swallowed hard and shook his head, unable to speak.
Daemonikai did not expect any responses. Even his own words sounded absurd to him. He retreated another step, putting more space between them.
"What is your name?" Dameonikai asked, his voice softer now.
"Emeriel, Your Grace," the boy answered, his voice barely audible. "My name is Emeriel."
Emeriel . Even the boy's name was a soothing. What was happening to him?
First, an undeniable attraction to a betrothed princess, and now, a male?
In five millennia of existence, Daemonikai had never once been tempted by a male, regardless of species. Urekai were known to swing both ways, but he had always been strictly drawn to females. Until now.
The boy's mere presence made him more aroused. His erection strained painfully against his pants, demanding relief. His hands itched to touch the boy, to bend him over and—
A growl rumbled in his chest, snapping him back to reality.
Daemonikai was not about to explore new urges at this stage of his life. He was too old for such youthful experiments. Far too set in his ways. He should dismiss the boy and be done with it.
"Follow me," he turned towards the door. Even though the boy was scentless and human, Daemonikai could not bring himself to let him go. Not yet.
The boy should be kept far away, especially on a night like this. But something about those sparkling blue eyes and his delicate, almost ethereal features made him want to stick the boy to his side. It was messed up.
In his bedchamber, Daemonikai entered, but the boy hesitated at the threshold, his eyes wide with apprehension.
"Come in."
Emeriel obeyed, stepping into the dimly lit room. A wave of satisfaction washed over Daemonikai at the sight of the boy within his territory.
His presence here, in Daemonikai’s private space, calmed some of the raging restlessness within him.
With a fluid grace that belied his inner unrest, Daemonikai shed his outer robes, reducing his attire to a single, sheer robe clinging to his powerful frame. He then reclined on the expansive bed, his gaze pinned intently on Emeriel.
The boy's cheeks flushed pink, his eyes darting nervously around the room, deliberately avoiding Daemonikai's steady stare.
Even the boy's air of innocence and elegance appealed to him.
"Take a seat there," Daemonikai nodded toward a set of plush, upholstered chairs near a large window. "I am expecting company. Until she arrives, you will stay."
"As you wish, Your Grace," the boy murmured, obediently moving to the indicated chair and sitting down, his posture rigid and formal.
Daemonikai lay on his side, propped up by one elbow, watching Emeriel with a scrutinizing expression.
The boy squirmed, shifting uncomfortably in the chair.
What am I doing? Daemonikai questioned as he lay back against the pillows. He should be alone, jerking himself off for a quick release while he waited for Alviara. That would dull the ache and make the hunger bearable.
Instead, he lay here with a throbbing headache, consumed by the presence of a human boy who did nothing more than merely exist within his sight.
Mistress Alviara entered the bedchamber gracefully upon receiving permission. She dipped into a deep curtsy, her voice smooth as silk. "Long live Your Grace."
"Rise," the grand king’s tone was a velvet rasp.
As she straightened, Alviara took in the sight of the ultimate ruler rising from the bed. He was as breathtakingly handsome as ever, his aloof demeanor radiating power and dominance.
Alviara was the owner and manager of one of Urai's most renowned pleasure houses and had seen countless males over her thousands of years in business. They simply did not faze her anymore.
She loved sex, had built her life around it, but very few males impressed her anymore. The grand king was one of them.
"I was overjoyed to hear of your return, Your Grace," she purred, her tone professional and respectful. Alviara was many things, but foolish was not one of them. "Would you like me to undress now?"
"Undress and get on the bed," King Dameonikai instructed, his voice devoid of emotion. A beat of silence, then a command that sent a jolt through Alviara. "You may leave now."
Huh?
Alviara's eyes darted, and that was when she noticed the figure seated on one of the plush chairs.
A small, delicate human boy. Very pretty, too.
The boy rose, dipping his head in a silent farewell before slipping out of the room. But not before Alviara caught a glimpse of his face and the look of hurt etched onto his soft features.
Huh. Curiosity sparked in her eyes.
Alviara undressed with practiced grace, revealing her naked form to the grand king's gaze. His eyes swept over her with a detached disinterest that she didn't take personally. She looked great, and she knew it.
King Daemonikai simply had eyes for only one female, his grand queen. Alviara would never have shared their bed were it not for Queen Evielyn.
"You're here because I want to try something different. I have never had a threesome before, and I wish to know what that is like," the queen had confided over a thousand years ago, throwing hesitant glances at her bondmate, who had looked clearly disinterested but willing to indulge his queen.
That had been Alviara's first night with the royal couple. Every few centuries, the queen would summon her, and she would join them in bed. It was never a big deal; Alviara was always up for it.
But the king had never summoned her personally… until now.
The call was nothing personal though, Alviara knew that. The news of the maid who had gone into full heat had reached her ears.
For an unbonded male, especially one who had been mated for so long, it must have been challenging.
Alviara settled onto the bed, parting her thighs invitingly. "All yours," she murmured, her voice a silken caress.
But the grand king made no move to join her.
He remained rooted to the spot, his naked body a tantalizing display of beauty, masculinity, and raw power.
She moaned as her eyes fell upon his impressive length. The king was a big male everywhere .
The sheer size of his hardness sent a jolt of desire through her body. Her core wet, throbbing with anticipation. Her senses alive with the promise of pleasure.
"Your Grace?" she coaxed, leaning forward and extending a hand towards him. "I know you are hungry. I can sate your hunger, you know I can. Take me."
His emerald eyes flickered towards her outstretched hand, but he made no move to accept it. Nor did he take a step closer.
Confusion clouded Alviara's features. Why was he hesitating?
The storm of lust in his eyes spoke of deep sexual hunger. His body was taut with barely suppressed desire, and he looked savage with want. So, why was he not taking what he so clearly wanted?
Well, she was not the most sought-after courtesan in Urai for nothing.
Alviara rose to her hands and knees, her backside raised in a seductive arch. She reached back and parted her cheeks open for his gaze, offering herself in complete submission to him and his inner beast.
He snarled, finally moving. Only not towards the bed.
The grand king began to pace. Restlessly.
Tension radiated from his rigid shoulders, his expression darker than a storm with each stride.
For the first time in a very, very long time, a cold tendril of fear snaked down Alviara's spine. This was nowhere near the reaction she had expected.
What was going on here?
He's not yours.
He is not yours.
You have no claims to him.
You'd better not cry.
Emeriel's hands clenched her garments so tightly her knuckles turned white. She slammed her door shut and collapsed onto the bed, curling into a fetal position as tears came. Unbidden. Uncontrollable.
Her heart ached with a sharp, persistent throb. So what if there's another woman in his bed? He does not know about you, and he is not yours. Get a hold of yourself.
But the words were empty platitudes. A sob tore from her throat, hot tears spilling onto the pillow. Her hands trembled as she wiped them away.
She had been content just by being near him. Even sitting silently under those intense, watchful eyes, she had felt so complete.
His mere presence filled a void inside her so well it was frightening. Then, that Urekai maid had to go into heat. Now, King Daemonikai was forced to sate his body.
On her way back to her room, Emeriel had witnessed guards coupling like animals with whoever they could find. Urekai maids were pinned against walls, human slaves taken without finesse.
The Southern Wing had turned into a chaotic breeding ground.
She wiped away another traitorous tear, trying to banish the image of the grand king entwined with that beautiful, elegant Urekai visitor.
The thought of him bending the female over, taking her body with his—
Another sob escaped her lips.
The door creaked open, revealing a stoic soldier. Then, in a tone that brooked no argument, he said, “The grand king summons you to his residence, Slave. Do not keep him waiting."