And the damn room always smelled like cats. Yeah, yeah, feline King’s compound and all that, but it made me want to check myself for shedding fur like after visiting someone’s house who had a bunch of tabbies. But that was ridiculous, since these were feline shifters, big ass wild cats, not little house cats.
But maybe there were tabby shifters? I mean, there were dog ones after all. The crazy things my mind wandered to when stressed. Great.
In between calls, when I saw Torr was about to burst, we went to the training room or had
alone
time. Working with the Royal Guard was great. They actually taught me as much as I taught them. Honestly I think it was stuff they knew, but they considered
out of bounds
in fair play.
Once someone gave them permission to use whatever force and tactics necessary because we were going to war and this was a fight for all paranormal survival, it was like the gloves came off. I got that. We all needed to hear that something’s okay to do time and again.
The alone time was great—Torr was a passionate and adventurous lover. But he wasn’t opening up to me beyond that. He had sex with his lover, who I honestly thought could have been faceless as long as he enjoyed their body, and then I went back to being Hadley, bodyguard and liaison to the owls his court was going to be with at the stronghold.
And I didn’t see that changing, which was disheartening because I was pretty sure I’d
given
him
my heart. I could try and excuse it as stress all I wanted, but at the end of the day, I believed people turned to the ones they cared for when tragedy hit—not kept them at arm’s length as if it was just sex.
For instance, the crystals were missing. The PP guard, Try, an ancient and fearsome elf warrior who had organized the overthrow of our leaders, had taken the crystals for safekeeping until they could be given to the new leaders. But somehow they vanished in route to Torr, and it was a big mess, lots of accusations flying around, and the elf might end up losing his life over the whole thing after being interrogated.
But Torr didn’t turn to me… He consulted Samantha. Yeah, she was his advisor. I understood that, though I was pretty sure we
both
could have helped him. And it added to the jealousy I felt for her given I’d learned over half the court and feline leaders wanted her to be the King’s consort.
And jealousy was an ugly,
ugly
emotion that festered and was corrosive. Still, I couldn’t help but like the woman. She was loyal, fierce, completely dedicated to Torr and all felines. It kept me up at night wondering if she was the right move for him.
Wasn’t love stepping aside when you were in the way of what was best for the person in your heart? It made me feel that one day it would come down to some type of choice between Samantha and me—and I wouldn’t be the one Torr chose.
We’d just finished another bicker-fest call the night of my fifth day at the feline court. Everyone was on edge, scared about the crystals, and worried about where they would be going as their new home. So anyone could understand the tension and issues, but living that day in and day out had everyone on edge—especially Torr.
When it was all over and we were alone in the room, I didn’t expect him to start chuckling though. “You can come out, Emrys. Now that I have a firm lock on your scent cloaking yourself won’t work.”
“I met with all the heirs and approve of them being the next leaders,” he informed Torr as he appeared. He held up one of the elders’ crystals and extended it to Torr. “I believe this is yours.”
“Of
course
you took them.” Torr shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “On top of everything else, there’s an elf who’s in serious shit because he recovered them from the overthrow of the PP and then they were gone. Could you warn people next time?”
“I couldn’t call anyone without alerting the humans.” Emrys smirked at Torr then. “Quit stalling. And take the crystal so we might move on to my plan of finding the new leaders and get this off your plate.”
Torr gave a quick nod and then dipped his head so Emrys could slip the chain attached to the crystal over his neck. The second the crystal came in contact with Torr, it pulsed with power and flashed bright enough that I couldn’t see a damn thing.
“Wow,” Torr breathed with a cracking voice. “There aren’t words for what that felt like.”
“Are you all right?” I asked, blinking to try and get my vision back so I could see where he was.
“Yeah, I’m good,” he purred loudly. “Holy shit, that was awesome. I
so
want to do that again.”
“Of course you do, young Torrance,” Emrys chuckled. “That’s the same reaction all the heirs gave. Just give yourself a moment, relax, and absorb your new powers. It can be disjointing. And I hear you’ll get an echo of that each time you use the crystal depending on the power you call.”
“Okie dokie,” Torr giggled. He came into focus then, and I saw he was curled up in his chair, looking sated, rode hard, and put up wet.
It was a good look on him, and I couldn’t help my body’s reaction to him. Fuck the power or crystal, I just wanted Torr.
“Hello, young warrior,” Emrys murmured, suddenly right by me. “You look well.”
“Thank you but I’m not that young,” I chuckled as I turned to face him. He moved closer and I took a step back. We repeated the dance until my butt hit the conference table and I had nowhere else to go.
“A few hundred years is nothing when you’ve lived thousands and thousands.” He eyed me over like his next treat as he moved his hand to my heart. “You liked that release of power? You felt it. Owls are very tactile and in tune with the power around them. Your heart’s racing.”
I cleared my throat and ignored the need to push him away since we were standing in front of my lover. “Yeah, I mean, I felt it and it energized me.”
“Yes, a powerful release can do that,” he teased as his hand started rubbing my pec. “I’ve been around quite a few lately without any release of my own. I think you’re the one to rectify that.”
I blinked up into the eyes of the most powerful caster in the world, maybe the most powerful paranormal. Was he flirting with me?
7
“Unless you have any objections, Torrance,” Emrys hedged, both of us looking at Torr to see his reaction. The King flinched and sat up in his seat instead of lounging in it.
“No, of course not. Hadley is free to do as he wants as my guard.”
“That’s not what I asked,” Emrys pushed, and I saw something dancing in his eyes. What was he up to?
“Emrys, you could fuck him right here if Hadley’s agreeable and it wouldn’t matter to me in the slightest,” Torr calmly stated, probably seeing the challenge.
It was like a knife to my heart hearing that. It took everything I had not to flinch, but I did it, ignoring the tears burning in the backs of my eyes.
“Are you agreeable, Hadley? Would you like my cock in your ass as I show you what a caster of my power is capable of?”
I nodded and shot Torr a glance. “Who doesn’t like a fat cock in their ass to enjoy?” He looked away and I knew I was being a bitch, but he’d hurt me.
Badly
.
“Good, very good,” Emrys cooed as he leaned me back onto the table. “I have a few things to show Torrance so he can make the decisions I need during our activities. Why don’t you show me how exciting you will be when I plunder you?”
I didn’t get a chance to ask what he meant before he waved his hand and set my body ablaze. My back bowed on the table as I cried out in pleasure. Whatever spell he’d used was fan-fucking-tastic. It seemed like someone was eating out my ass, sucking my cock, and lavishing attention all over my body at the same time. I started yanking off my clothes as I heard them talking in the background.
“The other four heirs gave me a list of their top three candidates for each elder seat,” Emrys explained and I heard some papers hitting the table. “It will narrow down my search of who is next with the crystals. I would ask that you pick your top three, adding anyone not on the lists already, and notate insights to the others recommended.”
“Yes, of course. That’s a very wise plan.” Torr cleared his throat as his tone went up an octave. “And the heirs have strongholds ready?”
“They already had castles that I simply updated in areas, extended for more people, and improved upon. Honestly, it will be easier to start from scratch instead of such specific and rigorously detailed changes.”
“Good, good.”
“So fucking good,” I moaned, lost in the moment and not really paying attention too much to the conversation around me.
“If you could handle that while I take the sexy man on the table a few times, I’d appreciate it. I need to be on my way but he’s too delectable to pass up and I’ve been needing so long.”
“Yes, fuck me
please
,” I begged. “Why am I not coming? I should have already come with what you’re making me feel!”
“I enjoy watching you like this too much,” Emrys chuckled. “Spread your legs farther apart. I want to see the action close up.” I moved my heels next to my ass as best as I could, opening myself to him in every way. “He is a thing of beauty, is he not, Torrance?”
“I can appreciate an attractive man even if he’s not my type, yes,” Torr muttered. I heard his chair creak as he shuffled some papers.
“You’re saying
this bounty
holds
no
interest for you?”
“No, Emrys. There’s never been a gay feline King. Why are you harping on this? Fuck him as you want, as he wants, and let me check over the list.” A deaf person could have heard the anger in Torr’s voice.
“Who told you that lie?”
“Please, Emrys. Let me come and then you can talk,” I whimpered. “I think my nuts are going to fall off.
Please
!”
“Of course, sexy owl.” He ran his finger over my hole and set me off like Fourth of July. I screamed to the heavens, catching myself before letting out the name on my tongue.
I found it was bad form to say a different name than the man pleasing you.
When it was over, I made the mistake of rolling my head to the side as I swallowed lungfuls of air. Torr stared at me with such lust and desire—and some anger—it made me shiver.
“What lie were you referring to before the climax of your
show
?” Torr asked Emrys, his eyes never leaving my debauched body.
“That there’s never been a gay feline king,” he chuckled as he yanked me to the edge of the table. I was still gasping for air when he pulled me up and licked his lips. “And that was just the appetizer. I have much more planned for my sexy owl conquest.”
“By all means. If the salad and main course are still to come, I’m all for it.” I smiled at him, trying to still ignore the pain in my heart. Emrys must have seen something or heard it with his powers because he moved his hand over my heart again and rubbed it.
“That’s not a lie, Emrys. There’s never been a gay feline King,” Torr argued, stacking the pages he was looking at in a way that clicked against the wood I was sitting on. That massive table that was always so hard and cold. It made me wonder how much the table had absorbed of the tough decisions made in that room.
“And your father, the truthful, wonderful, non-manipulative man he was, told you that?” Emrys challenged as he flipped me over, chest down on the table. I moaned as suddenly it felt as if my hole was slicked up and stretched perfectly. “Show me you liked what I’ve given you, Hadley. Offer me up the prize I wanted.”
Kinky fucker.
I moved my legs about shoulder width apart, pushed my ass up as high as I could while reaching back and spreading my cheeks for him.
“Beautiful,” he praised as I heard his zipper go down. As he pushed inside me, I realized it was going to be the biggest cock that had ever fucked me. I wouldn’t be able to keep my upper body off the table. So I laid down fully, turning my head to the side so I didn’t crack my chin on the wood when he started pounding into me.
I should have turned the other way but I couldn’t help it. Emrys unleashed Pandora’s Box and I wanted to see the fallout. I met Torr’s eyes as Emrys bottomed out inside me. It was hard to name all the emotions I was seeing. Desire, of course. Anger, sure, sure. Interest? Did he want to see me get fucked?
And there was pain. Now
why
was there pain though?
“Your grandfather had a male consort and two female ones, but the man shared his bed every night,” Emrys informed Torr, breaking the spell of our stare. “Felines tend to swing both ways, young Torrance, without any judgment. Your father was a bigot and hated that his mother had been one of the single women who partook in
The Rite of Linage
and not simply won your grandfather’s heart.”
“How do you know all of this?” I asked, moaning when he started moving. “I mean, you were alive then but that seems intimate knowledge.”
“Oh, the King and his consort liked to play,” Emrys chuckled. “I was in their bed a few different times while I stayed at court. Passionate, adventurous man.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to my ear, barely breathing his next words. “Do you not find the same with your Torr? Isn’t it those sides of him that you gave your heart to?”