Chapter 14 The Lair #2
“You may own my soul, but you will never own me. I will never be yours.” I twisted my nail further into his skin, pulling a precious bead of blood from the Serpent King.
His gaze dropped to watch the fresh line of crimson trickle down his chest, only to disappear beneath his shirt.
When he looked up at me through his lashes, delight was the last thing I expected to see.
“Don’t tease me with a good time, my Queen.
” He wrapped his large hand around mine, forcing my nail deeper into his skin, making more blood trickle from the fresh wound.
“Pleasure and pain are a beautiful combination, wouldn’t you agree?
” His wicked smile made something long dead inside me flare just as I felt my cheeks warm.
Damn this man.
I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me blush. I desperately needed to regain control.
I leaned closer, tipping my head up to whisper, “You are nothing more than a monster.”
Somehow, his smile widened, revealing his elongated canines. Flashes of them digging into my flesh, right above my lips, pierced through my mind.
He leaned in, his breath brushing against my ear. “You know you can call me Alaric.”
My heart lurched at the name I forced myself to forget every day, only to be haunted by each night as I slept.
“Enough!” Landon’s growl caused me to take a step back so I could glance over my shoulder.
His eyes burned into me, no doubt noticing the newfound color sprouting across my cheeks.
Then, his eyes shifted to where the Serpent King held onto my hand—where my nail dug deep into his chest. I inhaled, quickly being greeted by an overly sweet and fruity smell.
My bodyguard was jealous.
His eyes continued to scorch into the spot where the king held me, but, when I tugged my hand back, his grip tightened. I peered up at the king, only to find his attention elsewhere.
He was smiling at my bodyguard, as if he were winning in the pointless battle over me. His gaze dropped to mine as he raised his free hand to stroke my cheek. The action was not soft and romantic, instead it was a clear display of possession.
His next words were loud enough for both of us to hear. “You are mine, whether you accept that fact or not.” His fingers trailed down my cheek, all the way down to wrap around my hand wound tightly at my side. He lifted my tense hand and brought it toward his lips.
Was he about to do what I thought he was going to do?
No, he wouldn’t be that foolish. We didn’t know what caused the ground to shake beneath our feet on the night of our bargain, but we guessed as much that it had something to do with when our lips touched. For shortly after we kissed, the world as I knew it changed forever.
Would the Serpent King truly dare to kiss me in any sort of capacity just to get under my bodyguard’s skin?
My heart nearly stilled when he pressed his lips against my hand, his eyes trained on Landon all the while. My bodyguard’s growl filled the quiet space, the only sound besides my thundering heart—which I hoped no one else could hear.
I held my breath, waiting for the ground to quake, for the world to end . . .
But nothing happened.
Interesting.
When the Serpent King’s gaze shifted to me, his lips spread into a bloodthirsty smile against my skin, and I knew at that moment he indeed heard the effect his actions had on me.
Stupid, fucking traitorous heart.
If I could live without the organ, I’d have carved it from my own chest ages ago.
As the king dropped my hand and straightened to his full height, I hated how I missed the way his cool lips soothed my flushed skin.
I made a show of wiping away his kiss on my pants, wishing the motion could also make me forget about the hunger that flashed in the king’s eyes the moment his lips met my skin.
“I shall help you investigate more about this lapse in your emotions, but I will only speak with you.” The king gave Landon a pointed look, his lips twitching with amusement upon seeing my bodyguard tense.
Landon stepped toward the king, but I twisted and planted my hand firmly against his chest to halt him. He was so foolish thinking he could challenge the Serpent King. My bodyguard’s nostrils flared as he slowly glanced at where I touched him.
I internally groaned at the fact that I, of all people, was stuck playing mediator.
Typically, I’d revel at being between two gorgeous men. However, being between my bodyguard, who I casually slept with, and the immortal man who owned my soul, was a bit too complicated for my liking.
The Serpent King’s dark laugh made me have to suppress a shiver. “Oh, what fun I’m going to have with you two.”
Before Landon could mutter something stupid, I raised my chin at the king. “I agree to speak with you alone.”
“Seera,” Landon said through gritted teeth, the reek of panic intertwining with anger floating toward me.
His chest started to rise beneath my hand, so I gently rubbed my thumb across his shirt in an effort to calm him from making this situation even harder for me.
It must have worked, for his breathing evened out, and I could finally drop my hand now that I wasn’t worried he’d leap at the king and strangle him . . . or at least attempt to.
A small sigh escaped me as I turned to face the tall menace, but he didn’t meet my gaze. Instead, his eyes were glued to my hand resting at my side—the one I just caressed Landon with.
His hands were curled into fists at his side, his knuckles turning white from how hard he clenched them. When he raised his gaze to my face, his usually bright green eyes were darker, as if an inky storm was brewing within him.
“Have dinner with me tonight.” His tone wasn’t sharp enough to strictly be a command, yet it wasn’t soft enough to entirely be a question.
I frowned, glancing at my blood-soaked fighting leathers.
“I still have some gowns in your old chambers.” The king’s words made my head snap up to look at him. “You can freshen up and wear one of those.”
I couldn’t stop myself from gaping at him at his casual mention that I still had a room here, let alone clothing, but I quickly snapped my mouth shut.
As the memories of our past threatened to drown me in a fresh current of despair, I barely could force out a small nod in response.
The king stared at me for a moment longer, then turned on his heel as he began to work his hands into a spiraling motion. Gold dust shimmered between his palms, reminding me of all the times I saw him do this motion in the time I lived in Morotis.
He was conjuring a portal.
“After you, my Queen.” The Serpent King said my title mockingly while looking at my bodyguard.
Eventually, his focus returned to me as he gestured toward the glowing portal. It looked like a wall of golden sparkling dust dancing in front of me, but before I could even take one step forward, quick footsteps sounded.
Landon blocked my way. “I will go first, to ensure it is safe.”
I sighed at the same time the Serpent King chuckled at Landon’s bravado, but he didn’t fight his request. Instead, he extended his hand with a grand flourish for my bodyguard to enter first. Landon didn’t hesitate as he stepped through the golden portal.
As much as he annoyed me at times, his lack of hesitation to do anything for me also made me want to reward him later—in the currency of bending over to allow him to fuck me senseless.
My relationship with my bodyguard was complicated, to say the least.
I jumped as the king’s voice pulled me from my dirty thoughts. “Now that your guard dog is gone, let’s try this again.” He nodded at the portal, clearly irked at how long this whole ordeal was taking. “After you, my Queen.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to hide any signs of hesitation.
The last time I traveled through a portal was seventy-five years ago, and it ended in me viciously throwing up the moment the horrid contraption spit me out.
The fact I heaved right on the Serpent King’s shoes was humiliating back then, but I honestly wouldn’t mind fucking up his overly shiny dress shoes right about now, especially after his possessive claims over me.
That thought steadied me as I marched up to the shimmering portal and stepped through into the golden light. The Serpent King’s magic enveloped me, working to transport me deeper into his lands.
Secretly, I enjoyed the way his magic embraced me, almost like a paramour.
The king mentioned prior how my magic sang to him, and I would never admit this aloud but . . .
His magic also sang to me.