Chapter 15
The Terms
DELILAH
It was an odd morning, the sun rising slowly while rain trickled steadily.
The spatter against the stone roof gave the private lounge an ominous edge.
It sat just off the High Lord’s main-floor private quarters, chosen for discretion instead of the grand hall.
It was furnished with lush, comfortable couches, granite tables, a roaring fireplace, and a fully stocked bar.
I sat on the stone ledge beside the fire with a towel draped over my shoulders, catching the drips from my wet hair.
A fire sprite brought us coffee, but the three males opted for something stronger.
I held the mug with both hands, desperately trying to warm up, but my shivering made it impossible to keep the cup steady enough to drink.
Titus lounged on a couch across the room. Aurelius and Cercies sat in plush, armed chairs flanking me, with a coffee table between us. I shivered violently and tried again to take a sip. Titus watched me closely. No one spoke.
He leaned forward, uncorked the bottle of liquor, and poured himself a glass of amber liquid. He tossed it back casually and set the glass down.
Then he leaned into the couch, stretching one arm along the top of the cushions, his heated gaze assessing me with intent.
I was sure he was angry with me for trying to escape, but that did not seem to be what this was. The fire in his eyes burned for an entirely different reason, one I did not yet understand.
The damp towel magically lifted from my shoulders, floated into the air, and dropped to the floor.
“Delilah, why are you wearing a sex worker outfit? I had your wardrobe stocked with hundreds of gowns,” Titus asked mockingly, though his tone almost seemed playful.
“Have you ever tried to exercise in a gown, Titus? It was my only other option,” I replied crudely.
His second and third in command pressed their lips together to suppress their smirks.
Just then, a blanket floated toward me and wrapped around my shoulders, leaving only my face and hands visible.
It was unnaturally warm. He must have been heating it with his powers.
God, the warmth felt good. It spread deep into my body almost instantly, and knowing it was his magic made it feel even better for some reason.
“There. That’s a little less… distracting,” he said smoothly, stifling a grin on his flawless face.
This time, Aurelius and Cercies let out a small chuckle. They passed the bottle between them, taking mouthfuls of the mystery liquid and skipping the formality of glasses.
Unbelievable. I was sitting in a room with the three most powerful Fae males in the entire kingdom, and they were acting like a bunch of frat boys.
“Is this the part where I get gang raped?” I spat, narrowing my eyes at the High Lord’s stupid, smug, beautiful face.
“Oh, Guardians, no. Stop being dramatic. Besides, I think you might be a little sore from the other night. I did not think you would want me again so soon,” Titus taunted, wearing a wicked, seductive grin.
Aurelius nearly spit out his drink trying not to laugh. The General looked confused.
“What are you talking about? I would never willingly touch you!” I shot back.
“Do you not recall the homework I sent to your room? You put on quite a show,” he teased arrogantly.
My cheeks flared red. Aurelius was right. He was watching me. Outrage and embarrassment burned through my blood. I scrambled for the one thing I could say that might wound his oversized, stupid ego.
“I did not know you could see me through the fire. And besides, that was a toy, which I am sure is way bigger and feels way better than you, pervert!”
“Are you dense?” he replied, glowing with pride. “I had it made. It is a mold of me, meant to prepare you for the physical union. I was trying to be considerate of your… size difference.”
That was the most I had ever seen the High Lord smile, and of course it was because he loved boasting about himself and his stupidly large cock.
Understanding dawned on Cercies, who burst into a deep, belly laugh. The other two quickly joined him. Then the General added, “Sounds like you have a lot more fun up here in the castle than I do in Dragon’s Maw.”
“How unfortunate to be number three,” Aurelius sneered.
I saw it then. These three rulers, behind closed doors, were friends. Brothers, even. To the rest of the world, they were stern and cold, barely tolerating one another. Perhaps it was a mask they wore to protect each other from their enemies.
Yep. This was definitely the part where I was going to die.
From embarrassment.
I tucked my knees in and pulled the blanket over myself, trying to disappear into a sad little ball.
Their laughter faded, and that was when Titus, his face and tone unreadable, asked me, “So tell me, Delilah. Who are you really? Where did you come from?”
“What do you mean? You already know. I am Delilah, and I came from the mortal realm,” I replied peeking out shamefully from the blanket.
He took another pull from the bottle, passed it along, then leaned forward, clasping his hands together. He narrowed his eyes, digging his gaze deep into my soul. “Do you have a surname? What of your parents?”
“Raye,” I responded. “Delilah Raye is my full name. I do not know who my father is, other than that he got my mother pregnant at a young age. She had nowhere to go except her grandparents’ farm.
After she became pregnant, she suffered multiple psychotic episodes and was institutionalized.
When I was born, I was sent to my great-grandparents’ farm, and I lived there until they became too old to care for me. ”
He leaned back slightly, then rested his elbows on his knees again, hands clasped, nodding slowly as he tried to piece together whatever puzzle was forming in his mind.
“Did you have a profession or trade?” he asked.
Why did he want to know this?
I nodded. “Yes. Unlike your kingdom, in my world, females can hold positions higher than maid or sex worker. After I aged out of foster care, I went to college and became a veterinarian for horses. I
K. ROSé
loved it, but I only practiced for a brief time. I became too ill to work,” I replied, my tone etched with sadness.
“An equine mender?” Aurelius asked. I nodded again. “I suppose so, yes.”
“That would explain her comfort with large creatures,”
Aurelius continued, “but it does not explain why the
dragons submit to her.”
“It does not,” Titus interrupted firmly.
“I have witnessed it as well. Veyraxxies bowed his head to
her, then helped her mount him. I have never seen anything like it,” Cercies added.
“What is going on? Why do you want to know all of this?
What does it all mean?" I asked frantically.
Titus turned his dangerous gaze to me. “I am trying to understand how a powerless mortal summoned a dragon in the keep and rode it bareback through a storm.”
Aurelius added, “Only the most powerful Fae males can even
approach a dragon and survive, let alone ride one. How were you able to summon Zephyros?”
I glanced down at my hand. “I really do not know,” I replied
honestly. “It was a guess, I suppose. I held out my hand and called to her in my mind.”
The three of them exchanged looks, their expressions
unreadable. “We should have her blood tested for magic,”
Cercies suggested.
“I already did. She has none. When she arrived here, she was injured. Gleeda collected a sample that day. Whatever power she possesses is unknown to our realm and therefore cannot be tested. Seeing as she has proven herself capable, I would like her to practice riding with you, Aurelius, in the afternoon and continue training with you, Cercies, in the morning,” Titus commanded.
“Excuse me?” I snapped. “I am not doing anything for you. The deal is off! You lied to me. You said I only had to sleep with you one time to seal a mate bond. You failed to disclose that once a month your friends could have me too if they wanted.”
“I did not lie about anything,” he replied coolly.
“I provided you with all the information about our laws. You chose not to read them. You chose to get drunk on Faerie wine and come repeatedly on a clone of my cock. You sealed your own fate, princess. You already agreed. There is no backing out now. Even if I have to force you, you will retrieve the dagger and become my mate, which by law makes you their mate as well for one day out of the month.”
Aurelius spoke next. “When Titus marks you, if the council finds out, they will expect us to fulfill our monthly duty.
We want to keep this mission a secret from the council, their beliefs are…
archaic." Then he glared at the General, his eyes sharp enough to throw daggers.
And continued, "we were not planning on claiming any rights to your body.”
“We weren’t?” Cercies asked, as if he were only now catching up to the plan. He looked at me, and I could tell he felt guilty, especially after what had happened at Dragons Maw. He cleared his throat.
“We weren’t,” he said, clearing his throat and shifting his tone. He smiled then, and a dimple appeared on his tan cheek, beneath his scar, that made me feel a little less cold.
God, I love a man in dimples.
"But if you wanted us to... well, that's something else entirely isn't it." The General practically purred.
I crossed my arms and looked at all three of them.
“The law also states that you both are supposed to be celibate, and I highly doubt that is the case. I find it interesting that the laws seem a lot more flexible for the males in this kingdom.” I pointed out.
They said nothing in reply they just smirked with their stupid beautiful faces and defined strong jaws.
My mind was outraged, but for reasons I could not explain, my body did not share the same reaction. A flash of heat rose to my cheeks. My heart banged aggressively against my chest. I clamped my thighs together, trying to conceal my traitorous body’s response.