Chapter Ten
Osmund
I wake to Adelaide’s mouth around my cock. Oh Goddess, if I have to die soon, please let it happen while my dick is in my mate’s warm wet mouth.
I peel my eyes open and stare at her. She’s truly perfect, her bare ass up in the air, curls tossed over her back, the markings on her arm moving rhythmically as her hand strokes my cock.
I consider for a moment how Bryn—or maybe better, En with this strap-on I’ve heard about—should be taking Adi from behind right now, making her squeal around my dick, but the two of them have been off in Glario for four days now. I feel a pang at the holes in my chest where their bonds belong, but the bonds are locked down.
I let my mate worship my cock for a while, languishing under her touch. Soon, however, I need to touch her in return. I sit up halfway and my arm snakes out, wrapping under Adi as I easily pull her body to me, rotating her as I grumble, “I need that sweet little pussy, baby.”
She moans on my cock as I settle her legs on either side of my head and I spend a moment stroking her gorgeous pale thighs. I flatten my tongue and give her a good long lick before shoving my tongue inside her. Her hips rock involuntarily as I lap her up. I lick at her lazily as she sucks my cock like she’s trying to steal my soul.
It doesn’t take her skilled mouth long before I’m gently thrusting up into her in need. Shortly after, my muscles tighten. A little sound of desire escapes from her and that’s the end of my control. I shoot for her, spurting down her throat as my body tenses and my focus narrows to my powerful mate. She swallows every drop, making pleased noises.
“Good girl. That’s it, baby,” I mumble from under her, knowing she enjoys the praise as much as I enjoy giving it—and almost as much as I enjoy meeting her desires.
I focus on her clit, lips around her and my tongue running up it in long strokes. I feel her sit up, getting off her hands. And now her gorgeous ass is rocking, riding my face.
Nope, I decide, this is how I want to die. Fucking smother me, baby. I place my hands on her hips and hold on for dear life. She’s taking what she wants here and I love it.
Soon she is whimpering, making her little high-pitched noises that tell me she’s about to explode. Suddenly, she does, hips freezing as pleasure overtakes her. As her orgasm slowly crests, I go back to lapping at her. She’s still as she groans and I feel her cunt clench.
She rolls off me, laying on her side, panting.
“Poor mate, so empty.” I grin. “Want me to fix that?” I smile.
“Yes. But after tea with Seren.”
I groan but don’t argue. Being mated to an important Fae means we don’t get to lay in bed and chase our pleasure all day every day.
“Come on, love.” Adi tosses on a gorgeous little teal dress with tiny straps. She looks delectable. A spike of desire shocks through me. I just had her but I want her again already.
“Baby, tell me I can bend you over, toss that dress up, and eat you from behind later.”
She just winks at me and dances out of my grasp with a little giggle as I reach for her again. I’m grinning as I climb out of bed.
I dress quickly while she braids her hair, and we leave the rooms.
The hallways are quiet. It’s fairly early for the spoiled partying-hard Court to be up and about. We pass a few servants and Adi smiles and greets them all by name. I see an annwn hound, Colm, who I’ve been sparring with here and there. He carries an armful of bedding, headed for the laundry, no doubt.
“Still on for next week?” he barks genially.
I nod. “Of course. You’re getting good with a dagger. We gotta keep at it.”
He smiles and nods without slowing. My mood darkens, wondering if he would stop to chat if he wasn’t worried about getting in trouble.
We enter the hallway where most of the royals are housed. I wonder if Adi’s rooms had been placed elsewhere as a sign of dishonor or if she requested the space from these jerks. We pass Albon’s rooms and I hear high-pitched giggles. Urien’s room has multiple masculine moans wafting outward. Living up to Adi's teasing nickname of “fuckbois,” I think as I smile to myself.
Adi knocks on Seren’s door gently. The queen’s guards stare forwards aloofly. Adi has been spending more time with her grandmother since Eira’s death. Seren has seemed aimless since. I suppose that even though she caused the deaths, she is still grieving her long-time lover and her granddaughter.
I ponder that: what the loss of my child’s child would do to me, even if they had been stabbing me in the back. Or the loss of a lover, even if they were sticking their dick in someone else. I feel a flare of anger at the thought of Bryn fucking someone else besides the ladies. I shake my head to dispel the thoughts.
The death of Eira and Captain Declan went over like a fart in Temple. The royal houses were shocked that the queen would kill both her captain and her granddaughter, even for the rather heinous crime. They had the sense not to say anything publicly, not that the broken queen would have noticed in her current state.
The houses that had been aligned with Eira are rudderless, according to Maudey’s intel. They had tossed their hats in with the “pure-blooded” heir, and even if they had never been openly against Adelaide, they surely suspected that Adi knew about their mutiny. They are struggling with organization now that their champion is dead. But we imagine that if we give them too much time, they’ll right themselves and organize properly. And we can’t have that.
A guard opens the door and ushers us in. Seren is waiting in her reception room for us, sitting at her large dining table with a delicate tea serving set in the center. I can smell the cinnamon in the fruity tea the Queen favors from here.
She greets us blandly. “Granddaughter. Osmund.” She looks worn, thinner than normal. I suppose killing a family member could kill your appetite. She passes us plates of shortbread as Adi pours tea for us all.
Adi sits, teacup cradled in her hand. “How are things with the banshee faction? Have they agreed to the new border zone?”
Seren looks down at her cup for a long moment before glancing up listlessly. “Oh, it’s fine. Going fine.”
Adi’s gaze catches mine, sadness written across her face. I give a tiny shrug helplessly. What the hell do I know? Females are utterly mysterious. I don’t even understand how to comfort Adi unless it involves snuggling her soft body against mine and letting her skin soak in my love as I play with her hair.
I wrack my brain for a topic. “Queen Seren, have you been planning a new themed dinner?” I sound like an idiot. I grimace at Adi but she nods encouragingly.
Before Seren can respond, a knock sounds on the outer door. My eyes snap to the entry as I tense. A guard escorts Olwyn in.
I feel a flare of annoyance from Adi as we both take in Olwyn, who’s dressed elaborately in a silver gown that feels better suited to an evening event than morning tea with family.
Seren looks up tiredly. “Oh, I invited Olwyn. Hope you don’t mind, dear.”
I’m unimpressed but say nothing, of course. We haven’t figured out Olwyn’s motivations for partnering with the EA nor why she would want Alys dead. Nor have we, obviously, dealt with her just yet. Bryn wants her dead yesterday, but Adi is wavering, wanting to know why.
Olwyn ignores us and she sweeps her long dress to the side as she sits across from the queen. Her white-blond hair is piled up on her head in a fashionable, but again overdone, way. Her blue eyes rest on me for a moment before flicking away. I can feel her dismissal and it only makes me grin. Yes, spoiled princess, please do underestimate me.
However, when her eyes settle on Adelaide, I feel anger flare inside me at the way Olwyn inspects her as if she were something disgusting on the bottom of her shoe. Adi’s eyes flick to me and she raises an eyebrow at my anger dancing along the bond.
Olwyn takes a sip of tea. “Grandmother. You’re looking well. Have you started interviewing for a new captain?” Her words drip with double meaning.
Damn, what a bitch. She looks at me, gaze inquiring, then her eyes flick up and down me in a lecherous way. It makes me want to shower. I look away, to my mate, who has hate clear in her eyes.
Seren clears her throat to speak and Olwyn turns back to her. “I have, granddaughter, at the urging of my advisors.”
“Yet to find one who...fits?”
I look down at the table as my hands fist.
Seren blinks, her spine straightening. I think she’s finally figured out this cunt is taunting her. “I have not, Olwyn. And what of your time in FEC5? How did you find that?”
Oh shit. I forgot about that. While the court rumor mill thinks Adi was responsible, my mate had naught to do with that. That was all on the queen; she removed Olwyn and Avilion, probably for reasons.
Olwyn’s eyes glitter. “It was cold.”
The queen chuckles. “Yes, your mother’s temper needed time to cool off.”
I see hate flash behind Olwyn’s eyes and she answers quietly, “Yes, Mother indeed cooled off.”
Seren’s gaze turns hard and calculating. “Granddaughter, you never did tell me the details of the accident that befell my eldest daughter and former heir.”
Olwyn’s smile is chilly. “No, I didn’t, actually.”
My magic dances just below the surface of my skin; something is coming, I can tell, though I don’t know how. My hand reaches for Adi’s under the table as I slowly ease my chair back, ready for...whatever I’ll need to protect my mate from.
Seren sets her teacup down delicately and her eyes flash with the life she used to have. “You will tell me, Olwyn,” Seren says quietly, command filling her tone, “as I would like to know the cause of my child’s death. And why my contact in that court has suddenly, oddly , become...unavailable.”
Olwyn grins, her smile bloodthirsty, and I get ready to pounce. Not upon Olwyn, but upon my mate, to keep her safe.
Olwyn throws her teacup as her other hand extends. Time slows for me and I see the glow of magic around her. I jump, angling for Adelaide. Adi yells just as I crash us both to the floor. I roll so I’m protecting her body with mine and time seems to flow properly again, just as I see orange light flash over us. The light sears across my back like a hot iron. I use my magic to try to cool the air around it but I’m too distracted by keeping Adi safe.
Guards rush in, swords drawn, and heat glows again in the edge of my vision. I scoop up Adi and run for the door, pushing through more Queen’s Guard who are entering the fray. I look over my shoulder as I rush out and see charred bodies, including one where Seren was sitting.