Alira #2
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth as I hear his trousers hit the floor. His beautiful face appears over me, light filtering in from the sole window in his apothecary. His glasses are still on, and it moves something deep in my heart. Perhaps I can see more of this side of him one day.
“I pray for more days like this,” he murmurs, pressing kisses against my neck.
“We have all the time in the world,” I reply, curious at the hesitation that seems to keep him for a moment.
“You’re right.” He smiles at me, and I don’t get to enjoy the sight of it for very long before he’s filling me up and making my eyes roll to the back of my head.
Gods. I’ve never been fucked on a desk before, and I’m afraid this might become a habit. There’s something about being half clothed and the risk of being caught that adds a sense of intensity to the fervent thrusts and greedy kisses.
Kalel has one hand tightly gripping my waist while the other is propping up my neck and threading my hair as our tongues dance. Each thrust gets more urgent than the last. His cock thickens, and I know he’s about to come undone.
He pumps his hips into me a few more times before going still, making sure to keep his knot from entering me. Gods, at least he knows we don’t have time for a knot to unswell.
I writhe in his hold as he comes deep inside me. Hot liquid spills down my ass, and my cheeks burn at the thought of our mixed juices getting all over his desk. Kalel leans forward and kisses the embarrassment from my lips.
“You’re lucky we’re on a time constraint. I could be in here all day stuffing you full,” he says languidly, brushing his lips across my neck before pulling back and grinning wickedly at me.
“If you don’t take those glasses off, I might just say to hell with our plans.”
He lifts his brow at me and laughs. “I forgot I was wearing them. You like them that much?” Kalel withdraws from me before he takes off the glasses and slides them into his pocket.
I nod as I’m about to slide off the desk, but before I can, Kalel gives me a wry look and presses his hand to my chest to keep me in place.
“Don’t want to spill while we are out and about, do you?” he says as he uncorks one of his apothecary bottles and pushes the glass ball stopper inside me, plugging me up.
My lips part at the lewdness of it and how the stopper feels being pushed so far up. Kalel leaves his fingers there for a moment, making sure that it stays, and then he dots my cheek with a few kisses before placing my undergarments back where they should be.
My face burns and my chest flutters. “Kalel, I can’t go to lunch with that…”
He helps me off the desk and sets me down gently, a wide grin that steals my heart. “Of course you can. I’ll help you take it out tonight so we can finish.” He winks at me.
I swallow the nerves and excitement that rise within me.
The clock on the top shelf of his bookcase dings and catches my attention. Oh Neptune, we’ll be late!
Kalel reads my hastiness in the way I straighten out my dress. We have a reservation at one of the most enchanting cafés in the kingdom, and I don’t plan on being late just because we decided to fool around.
“I won’t be letting you finish anything if we’re late to lunch!” I give him a playful glare.
“We’ll see about that,” he says with a hunger in his gaze.
Kalel turns back to his dark oak desk and grabs a small vial. The glass is an amber brown and has a cork stopper in place. “I almost forgot, I had a bit of time and was able to make this for you.” He passes me the vial.
I hold it delicately in my palm. “What is it?” I glance back up at him.
He sets his hand on my shoulder gently. “It’s a heat inhibitor—that way you won’t have flare-ups as often, and it should ease your pain too.”
It’s been a difficult few months being around Kalel, with my curse of Venus making my heat kick in more than it ever has before. Our bodies react to one another whether we like it or not.
My eyes widen a fraction, and I clutch the vial tightly.
“That’s so thoughtful. Thank you.” I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around him.
His ashy scent fills my senses, and for a few silly moments, I think everything can only look up from this point on. My life here with him will be lovely.
“It’s quite a simple concoction too. So if you get low, just let me know and I’ll make more. That way I know it’s you who wants me and not just your heat controlling all your thoughts,” he jests and presses a kiss on top of my head.
I smile as he touches my neck softly with two fingers as he walks by to open the door. His eyes drink me in, hunger still evident in his stare. The sultry expression he has makes my cheeks warm, and my core aches for his teeth in me again already.
Gods, this man.
When we were still at each other’s throats on our way to Devicit, he only drank my blood once a day, other than when he wanted to punish me.
But now it’s two or three times a day that he wants to feed.
I’ve grown to look forward to it because it almost always ends with him inside me just like today.
My heart races at the thought of the stopper deep inside me, and at how it feels with each step I take.
Wouldn’t be the worst thing if he had a small snack while we’re out today. And another one later this evening in bed.
Kalel’s horse is already prepped and ready for us by the time we reach the stables.
The stableboy, Ustel, is one of the kindest demons in the kingdom.
He has short, shabby brown hair that sort of reminds me of a horse’s mane and dark-brown eyes that never hold animosity toward anyone.
His suspenders are always down around his knees, and I’ve never seen him in one of his long-sleeved shirts without some sort of stain or tear in it.
“Hi, Alira,” Ustel greets me casually with a friendly smile.
Kalel speaks with all his staff in this manner, and it’s just one more thing that has led my heart to fall into a deeper hole with his. He treats others with such compassion—something that isn’t utilized enough in Alzhor, or in the other palaces here in Devicit, for that matter.
All of Kalel’s staff seem happy to be here, and it creates a warm, inviting environment that I wish to never part with.
“How is Ember’s left hoof today, Ustel?” I chirp back, excited that it’s him working the stables this morning and not his apprentice. Ustel is around my age, I think. It’s hard to tell who ages slower or faster among all the different demons, but he looks like he’s in his thirties.
Ustel stretches his arms over his head and lets out a long yawn that makes me yawn in return. Kalel is immune to the power of yawns, so he just cracks a wry smirk at both of us.
“Ember’s already back in the fields running around, thanks to you.” Ustel grins and hikes his thumb over his back, pointing to the farthest grazing field where I quickly locate the dark-brown mare.
I let out a breath of relief. “Oh, good, I was worried that her infection might worsen, but I’m so glad to hear that she’s already feeling better.
” A sliver of pride runs through my veins that I’m actually able to contribute to something around here other than sharpening swords and helping train some new knights at the training grounds.
It’s not hard to imagine why I’m not welcome on the training grounds, but fighting is all I’ve ever known. Without it, a sense of uselessness has replaced my sense of belonging.
After being practically kicked out of the training grounds more than once, I took to studying in Kalel’s apothecary room, learning about many medicinal herbs and concoctions had started to take root in the empty parts of me.
“Who’s the potion master now?” Kalel teases as he lifts me easily onto his stallion.
“Spare me. Healing an infection is the least of what potions can do,” I chide back, and we both break out into a laugh.
Ustel crosses his arms and smiles at us as Kalel hops up behind me and pulls me close against his chest. It’s a warm embrace, and I wish moments like these would last forever.
“You two are the epitome of the saying ‘get a room,’” Ustel shouts as our horse starts trotting and taking us toward the inner kingdom. The sound of the hooves on the cobblestones and the warm morning air greet us as we set off.
Kalel’s chest rumbles with his amusement. “He’s never been so wily around others. Most of my staff, actually. I’m glad to see that they are so comfortable around you.”
It wasn’t always like this, though. For the first couple of weeks, there were many times when they would stop talking when I entered a room or only speak to me in clipped responses. It took time and trust to become friends with them. The more I opened up, the more they did too.
“I only wish Tessa were as easy to befriend as they are,” I say with a lick of humor.
But there’s truth in it. Tessa is friendly enough toward me, but she’s reserved.
Distrustful. It makes sense; she’s the second-in-command behind Kalel, and it’s the knightly thing to do for her kingdom to be distrustful of the unknown.
I can’t say I wouldn’t be inclined to be the same way if our situations were reversed.
But a part of me can’t help but wonder why sometimes it feels like she’s waiting for me to betray Kalel.
She seemed more kind and understanding on the journey to Devicit than she is now.
After the night of the wedding, it’s like something changed that I’m not aware of.
Or maybe she has orders to keep her distance? I’ve pondered on it frequently.
“Don’t worry about her. She’s always been that way.
Did I tell you that she refused to listen to my command for two entire years when I first outranked her?
She didn’t think I was capable of being the commander because she had been in the army for much longer.
” Kalel sounds reminiscent as he talks about his early years in the army.