The King

THIRTY-SIX

Beth had no choice but to give herself up to her body’s roaring demands. And the only respite she got? Every time Wrath released into her, there was a brief reprieve—before the grinding need started its ascent once again.

“Take my vein,” Wrath said roughly. “Take it…”

She didn’t even know whether she was on her back or her belly, what room she was in, what time it was. But the instant his throat came up to her mouth, she was crystal clear on the bite: Her fangs punched out and she used them hard, cranking down on Wrath’s flesh, breaking the surface and going deep, freeing up the other thing she needed from him.

Oh, the power of him. As her mouth was filled, she was struck once again by the incredible impact his blood had on her. With her strength flagging even as the needing raged on, and her body aching everywhere as if she’d been through a baler, she was nonetheless fortified from the very first draw, better able to continue—even though it wasn’t like she had a choice.

As she had to release his vein to suck some air in, she couldn’t believe she had volunteered for this. She must have been crazy, some stupid-ass romantic vision of having a baaaaaaaaby getting in the way of twelve kinds of reality.

Relocking on Wrath’s throat, he somehow managed to keep pumping even as she stayed on his vein, his erection going in and out, the deep digs and sharp removals resonating throughout her torso, her head rocking up and down, her hips absorbing his weight. Slick with sweat, their bodies moved together with such seamless communion, she didn’t know where hers left off and his began.

A sudden change in tempo told her he was gearing up for another orgasm, and she needed it from—

Wrath reared his head back, and her fangs ripped his neck, but he didn’t seem to care.

Didn’t seem to even notice.

Jesus, he was magnificent: Through the haze of the sex, she watched him strain, his lips curling back, his own fangs getting exposed, his hair flowing away from its widow’s peak as his sightless, pale green eyes flared wide and then squeezed shut.

And then it was her turn, her core grabbing at his arousal, greedy for what he ejaculated into her, the pleasure so acute that it was a kind of agony.

Just as the contractions were beginning to slow, she braced herself for the next wave, preparing for yet another next round of the bone-crushing urge to take over …

When it didn’t immediately come, she looked around, as if the needing were a third party that just might have left the—

Oh, wow. They were still in the bathroom. On the floor.

Wrath collapsed against her, his head falling so far, so hard that she heard his forehead knock against the marble.

As the respite grew longer, she probably should have started to go cold, but the inferno in her body kept both of them plenty warm—

A whirring sound from over the tub brought her head around. The shutters were going down for the day, the panels locking into place at the sills.

So this had been going on for … eight hours? Nine?

There were no sounds from downstairs, but then the Brothers had probably all been affected by her hormones. The females as well.

Wrath lifted himself up, his muscles straining, his arms trembling. “How are you?”

Beth opened her mouth to answer, but only a croak came out.

“You’re going to want my vein still,” he said, brushing a strand of hair back from her face. “You need it.”

“What about—” As her voice cracked, she cleared her throat. “What about you?”

He looked gaunt, his cheeks hollowed out as if he’d lost twenty-five pounds—but he shook his head. “My only concern is you.”

The image of him grew wavy as tears speared.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “Oh, God … I’m so sorry.”

“About what?”

“This … whole thing.”

He shook his head. “This would have happened sooner or later.”

“But I—”

Wrath dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her softly. “No more of that. We go forward from tonight. Whatever happens … we fucking deal, okay?”

There was no time for her to reply. Abruptly, the needing geared up once again, that tide rising, the heat uncoiling in her sex and driving right into her heart.

“Oh, God,” she moaned, “I thought it was over.”

“Not yet.” He didn’t seem surprised at all. “We’re not finished…”

iAm was standing over the stove down in the kitchen when he sensed his brother’s appearance. He didn’t even need to turn around from the pot of stew he’d thrown together: the air in the room changed—and not in a good way.

Trez was also not alone. And he knew that not because he caught Selena’s scent … but because he caught his brother’s.

iAm cursed under his breath as he stirred. The motherfucker had bonded.

Fantastic.

Hell, iAm had had some hope that, with all the hormones flooding the household, whatever sex those two had gotten down with had been the result of someone else’s needing.

Great theory. Except Shadows were immune to that kind of shit.

“You weren’t supposed to be the one who serviced him,” iAm muttered as he put more sea salt into the mix.

“Watch your tone.”

iAm pivoted around and glared at the dumb-ass. “I have an idea. How about you—for once—make a good decision about a female. Then I won’t have to get pissy.”

The Chosen standing beside Trez kicked her chin up. “If you want to blame someone, do not address him. I chose to go unto him even though you asked for another.”

iAm turned back to his pot. “Great. Congratulations and welcome to the family.”

His brother materialized over to him, spun him around and grabbed him by the throat. “Apologize to her—”

iAm leaned into the iron grip, baring his fangs. “Fuck you, Trez.”

“You want a piece?” his brother growled. “You want a fucking—”

“Do it. I fucking dare you—”

“Don’t push me—”

“I’m trying to save your ass! You fucking—”

As the pair of them escalated toward an implosion to rival Wrath’s from the night before, the Chosen walked over and spoke evenly.

“He told me,” she cut in. “Everything. And it strikes me that the two of you are alone in this situation. So mayhap Last Meal instead of fisticuffs, shall we.”

iAm turned his head at the same time Trez did.

As the pair of them faced off at the totally calm and controlled Chosen, Trez did the unheard-of—and dropped his hand. Stepped off. Crossed his arms over his chest.

He was still furious to the core, but the call to heel was obeyed with such ease, you had to wonder if maybe the bonding bullshit might not be useful—to a point.

iAm glared at his brother. “I don’t know what to say to you.”

“Selena, will you give us a sec?”

The Chosen nodded. “Mayhap I’ll just return up north. And give you two plenty of space.”

Trez frowned. “You don’t have to go.”

Selena’s eyes went back and forth. “Actually, I think I do. You know where I’ll be—and please. Do not tear each other asunder. It will only make all of this worse.”

iAm braced himself for a gag-worthy display of good-byeing, but the female further impressed him by bowing slightly and taking off. No muss, no fuss.

Shit, he could almost like her. If he weren’t so angry at his idiot brother—

“I want to meet with s’Ex. Today.”

iAm crossed his own arms and leaned back against the stove. “Because you think you’re going to talk sense into him? I already got real with the bastard—and he’s more than ready to do his job.”

“Can you reach him?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell him to meet me at noon at our apartment.”

“That’s the deadline for you to show at the s’Hisbe.” When his brother didn’t reply, iAm lifted his brows. “You aren’t turning yourself in, are you?”

“Set up the meeting.”

iAm cursed long and low. Yeah, he wanted to kick his brother’s ass—but absolutely, positively didn’t want anyone else to. “Trez.”

“Do it.”

“Not unless you tell me where you’re at.”

“I thought you wanted me to go back.”

“So that’s what you’re doing? Tell me something, you planning on bringing your Chosen with you—make a happy little family or some shit?”

“She’s not mine.”

“Have you told your hormones that?”

Trez slashed his hand through the air. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“And that’s your fucking problem.”

“Just call the executioner. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

As Trez turned on his heel, iAm spoke sharply. “I can’t let you go back there.”

Trez stopped. Looked over his shoulder.

“What,” iAm groused.

“I just … I don’t know. I guess I didn’t expect that.”

Time to go back to the sauce. Stew. What the fuck was he making again?

Popping the lid off, he remanned his spoon and stirred slowly. He’d handmade everything from the chicken stock to the spice satchels that were floating on the surface of the fragrant mélange.

“iAm?”

“I don’t care if they die.” He watched slices of carrots and squares of onions surface in the thick base. “I know I’m supposed to, because they’re my parents, but I’ve thought about it and I’m sorry—if they can be selfish, so can I. My family is you and me, and I will choose us over anyone.”

“God … I think I needed you to say that.”

He shot another glare over. “You doubted it? Like, ever?”

Trez went across and parked it on one of the stools at the counter. “There are limits.”

iAm had to laugh. “You don’t say.”

Going to the cabinets on the left, he took out two deep-bellied bowls, then sprang one of the drawers and got some soup spoons. Ladling the stew in, he served his brother first.

Trez tried some and moaned. “This is amazing.”

When iAm gave the shit a taste, he had to agree, but he kept that to himself. Pride was an unattractive trait, even if it was well-placed.

“What are you going to do about the Chosen?” iAm asked.

Trez’s shrug was just a liiiiiittle too nonchalant. “Nothing.”

“Not sure it’s going to work out like that for you.”

Trez stared into the stew. “She’s just one more reason to stay on the outside. Not that I needed it.”

“She says you told her everything. That right?”

It was a long while before Trez nodded slowly. “Yeah. Pretty much.”

“What exactly did you keep to yourself.”

Those black eyes lifted after a while. “Seconds?”

iAm snagged the now-empty bowl and brought it over for a redo.

“I didn’t tell her how bad it’s going to get,” Trez said softly as more stew was delivered.

“So you lied.”

There was another long silence. “Yeah. I did.”

Because after the queen was done eliminating their parents? The tribe was going to come after iAm. He was the next rung on the ladder of coercion because they couldn’t touch Trez, after all. He had to be in one piece.

iAm found himself nodding. “Probably a good move.”