Happily Ever Crowned Read online

  A heady sensation settled over me, intoxicating in its lust.

  Adrik was helping me to heal in the only way I knew how—by taking back control of my own life.

  I knelt beside him on the bed, admiring the cut lines of his abdomen and how they tapered to a perfect V at his waist.

  Every inch of him was immaculately outlined, even the little dark hairs trailing down from his belly button. I bent to trace the path with my tongue, earning me a groan from the virile male beneath me.

  Mmm, I liked that sound very much.

  I wanted to hear it again.

  Straddling one muscular thigh, I leaned over to lick him once more, this time to the heart of his groin. The heat of his cock brushed my cheek, the allure of his perfection calling to my mouth. I took him deep, the way Necros always demanded.

  A chill swept across my skin at the thought, my neck tensing as I waited for a hand to clamp onto my scalp and force me further.

  “Valora,” Adrik said, my name resembling a curse on his tongue and pulling me expertly back to him when my mind threatened to drift. His muscles were tense, his jaw tightened in apparent agony, but he held himself still.

  I’m in control.

  This is my choice.

  Not his.

  I can do whatever I want.

  Each potent thought heated my blood all the more, eliciting a craving from deep within. Adrik was mine to explore, to touch, to fuck, to enjoy.

  He was the toy now.

  A very willing one, if the substance coating my tongue was any indication.

  And oh, he tasted different in the best way. I sucked him harder, desiring more, and moaned as he indulged me with another hint of his cum. So decadent, salty, and all Adrik.

  I released him from my mouth with a pop and crawled over him, kissing and licking and nipping his muscular flesh all the way up to his mouth. “Can I…?” I swallowed, uncertain of how to voice my cravings. But I wanted to know this was okay. To feel him come on my terms, not his.

  “You have my permission to do whatever you want, little bird,” he murmured, his voice rough and sexy and tantalizing my senses. I squeezed my thighs around his hips, a new yearning stirring between my legs.

  I’m on top.

  I’d never been in this position before, and I wanted—no, needed—to explore it.

  I moved slightly downward, feeling his stiff length between my damp folds, and groaned in both pain and yearning. Whatever Necros had done, it’d hurt. Badly.

  And now I wanted Adrik to heal me. But in my own way.

  He hissed as I shifted my hips, his abdomen clenching beneath me. The manner in which he bit his lip told me he was trying to hold back, to not reach out and take over.

  I couldn’t imagine how difficult this was for him, almost wanted to give in and let him claim me, except I needed this. Something he seemed to understand as I sat up and lifted myself to position him at my entrance.

  His eyes met mine, reminding me of smoldering obsidian. An intense hunger lurked there, one barely tempered that leaked into the harsh lines of his body.

  I slowly guided him inside, biting my lip to keep from crying out at the odd mixture of pleasure and pain.

  It hurt, my insides abused and aching, but still I took him, deeper and deeper, until I couldn’t take another inch.

  Adrik never broke eye contact, his arms still tucked behind his head even as a tear rolled down my cheek. We stayed like that for what felt like hours, staring at one another, absorbing the moment, his hard cock filling me to completion as I worked to accept the agony thriving throughout my core.

  Until, finally, I could move again.

  Slowly. Steadily. Purposefully.

  Each shift tingled more and more, pushing away the discomfort and yielding to pleasure. I hummed in appreciation, my limbs shaking beneath the onslaught of pain-filled ecstasy growing between my legs.

  Adrik’s lips parted, his breaths coming faster as I picked up speed, following the path oblivion had carved out for me and searching for the bliss I knew existed at the end.

  “Fly,” he whispered. “Fly for me.”

  Oh, I wanted to.

  I really, really wanted to.

  And I was so close. So very, very close.

  An inferno built deep in my soul, curling, churning, and threatening to take us both. The intensity of it scared me, sent me falling forward onto his slick chest, where I shuddered. His fingers threaded through my hair, combing out the tangled wet strands, making me think of our bath together. How he’d touched me. Healed me. Cared for me.

  My walls clenched down around him, reminding me of his cock still locked deep inside and the hunger that thrived between us like a live beast that required taming.

  No. Not taming.

  Release.

  I whimpered, unsure of what I needed. Confused by the dueling sentiments of lust and fear. My heart began to race as Adrik lifted, my nails clinging to his shoulders.

  No, no.

  He couldn’t take control now.

  Not yet.

  I wasn’t ready.

  “Valora,” he breathed, his lips against my cheek as he slowed his movements, stopping as he sat up completely, my thighs on either side of his. “Try this.”

  I couldn’t. Too afraid. Too bewildered by his guidance.

  “You’re still in charge,” he whispered, kissing my neck softly. “You move however fast or slow you want. But this position will help you. Trust me.”

  I shivered, those last two words a resounding promise to my very soul.

  Trust me.

  Could I? Could I trust him?

  We barely knew each other. Yet, I felt as if I knew him better than anyone else. Maybe it was the glimpse inside his head when his walls were completely down. I experienced so much with him. His memories. His desires. His goals.

  And most importantly, I saw his guilt for leaving me with Necros. Not at missing the opportunity to hurt the monster, but for allowing such cruelty to befall me. Even though he knew there wasn’t anything he could do.

  Because I’d felt his power inside. And while it rivaled Necros’s, it wasn’t enough. Not with the marital ties binding me to the King of Caluçon, and the history between us.

  I might not be at full strength yet—nowhere near it—but Necros could still potentially use me. And that little energy would be enough to defeat Adrik.

  Neither of us was ready.

  But we would be.

  Together.

  I kissed him, sealing the unspoken vow while allowing my hips freedom to move once more. He was right. This position intensified everything, brushed my swollen nub against his pelvis, and heightened the passion burning through my veins.

  “Adrik,” I breathed, picking up the pace and finding the rhythm I needed. Pushing that hot boundary, seeking the rapture I felt building beyond. I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him to me as our mouths hovered over one another, panting, licking, and nipping.

  He seemed to be losing his fight not to take over, his hands gently grasping my hips to encourage me onward.

  I allowed it, needing his touch to ground me, to remind me it was Adrik inside me and no one else.

  This was my choice.

  My desire leading us both.

  I sat on top. I took him into my body. I set the limits. Me.

  A volcano erupted in my core, shooting me to the stars on a scream that shook my very spirit. It was so intense. So unexpected. So amazing. I truly flew, just as Adrik had desired, and I took him over the edge with me into a whirlpool of sensation. He groaned against my neck, his body shuddering beneath mine as his seed warmed my insides.

  Time seemed to still.

  My inhales and exhales an echo around us.

  He remained taut beneath me, his palms soft as he stroked up and down my sides. A warming touch meant to soothe, to memorize, to cherish.

  I kissed his cheek, his jaw, and then his lips, and sighed as he returned the embrace. His tongue was my new addic
tion. This feeling my new favorite sensation. I hugged him close, my breasts to his chest, startled to realize the shirt still clung to my curves.

  The experience seemed almost more intimate now, knowing that he’d allowed me to remain covered while our bodies met in an erotic dance below.

  Everything had been for me.

  To heal my spirit.

  To teach me to trust.

  To open my eyes to a way of existence I never could have anticipated.

  And I only wanted more.

  My hips began to move, guided by my newfound resolve. Adrik shuddered in response, his hand stilling against my ribs. He’d not even gone under the fabric to feel me, yet his touch burned my skin, branding my flesh as his. I pulled back to meet his gaze before removing the barrier between us. Black pools of admiration fell to my breasts, his palms returning to my sides, lightly grazing upward.

  “You’re healing beautifully, Valora,” he said, his tone a deep, masculine purr that caused my thighs to clench.

  “Because of you.” The sultry quality of my voice shocked me. So improper and not like the woman I was raised to be, which made it all the more welcome.

  I pressed my lips to his, indulging myself and taking advantage of his willingness to kiss me back. His touch grew bolder, sliding over my back, his fingers teasing the hairs at my nape and trailing a light caress down my spine.

  This wasn’t the way I expected to recover, but I wouldn’t have chosen any other way. Not as his hips met mine in a slow thrust. Not as his tongue slid deep into my mouth. Not as his hands explored my breasts. Not as my body began to overheat all over again.

  I didn’t regret a second.

  Memorized each one as if this were a dream that might shatter in the next moment.

  Screamed his name as I came once again.

  And cried softly against his shoulder as the emotions of the last few days came bearing down upon me.

  He held me through it all. Acting as my foundation. And for the night, I allowed it. In the morning, everything would be different.

  But for now, I succumbed to the desire to feel comforted. To be cared for, adored, and protected.

  As I fell into my dreams, I imagined an alternate life where this was my reality. My every day. My being. Knowing full well that when I finally awoke, the nightmare would truly begin. For Adrik had chipped at the barrier securing my heart, and a sliver of him had been allowed inside. Just enough to cause superficial damage.

  If I wasn’t careful, the results of whatever this was that brewed between us could lead to catastrophe. And the worst part was, I’d welcome it. Because at least then I would know what it meant to truly feel something other than exquisite pain.

  I folded my arms, unamused. “Again.”

  Valora growled, the sound sexy as fuck, and stirred a cluster of embers in the air. Sweat beaded across her brow in a sign of exertion, but nothing more than a faint flicker graced her beautiful skin.

  I shook my head. “You’re thinking too much.”

  “I’m thinking about killing you,” she snarled.

  I smirked. “Then do it.” We’d been at this for days, trying to provoke her power to come out and play so she could learn how to tame it. Yet, it seemed regardless of what I said to her, I couldn’t piss her off enough to want to kill me.

  I supposed that served as a positive sign in regard to our relationship.

  But I couldn’t train her if I didn’t know the extent of energy we were dealing with.

  “We’re running out of time, Valora,” I said, glancing at the skylights over the old library. “Necros will want to fuck you again soon.” He’d dropped her off a week ago, having sent guards only twice to see if she’d regained consciousness. Both times, I’d claimed she’d been hardly coherent and feigned disappointment in her performance.

  I’d wondered each time if they’d checked on me in person because of the faulty cameras, but they never said a word. And during a recent shadow visit to the security lounge, I found that the feeds weren’t even being recorded.

  It seemed Necros trusted me.

  Or maybe he just didn’t care what happened to Valora so long as she remained breathing.

  A flicker of light sailed over my shoulder, smoldering to ash before it hit anything of import, and Valora cursed, falling to her knees. “I hate this.”

  “Oh, good. A pity party,” I drawled, walking over to lean against the bookshelf. “Okay, little bird. Show me your tears. I’m ready to feign some sympathy for you.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to piss me off?”

  Yes. “Are you trying to fail?” I countered. “Because that’s what you’re doing. And we both know you’re stronger than this.”

  “We don’t know anything,” she countered, standing once again. “That’s the problem. I don’t know how to do this.”

  I pushed away from the shelving unit and stalked toward her. “Then let’s spar instead.” I’d taught her a few moves over the last several days. Mostly ways to defend herself and incapacitate an attacker. She was, surprisingly, a quick study, her movements agile and lithe, as if she were born to fight. But a week paled in comparison to my experience, as well as everyone else’s in this palace. Which was why I needed her powers to come out and play.

  Valora braced her feet in the stance I’d shown her, bending her legs at the knees. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

  “Oh?” I circled her with my hands behind my back, purposely keeping a nonthreatening pose. “You like our little sparring matches, do you?”

  “Gives me a chance to hit you,” she returned, grinning.

  “You mean it gives you cause to touch me.” Something she’d done every night since Necros left her in my guest quarters. I let her lead each time, recognizing her need to heal and feel in charge.

  But fuck, it was growing harder and harder not to give in to my own needs.

  She wasn’t the only one who craved control.

  And I also desired her blood.

  Valora came at me when all I did was continue to pace, her leg trying to sweep mine out from under me. I jumped deftly with a chuckle and shook my head. “Trying to put me on my back already? And here I thought we had at least another hour before fucking time.”

  “You’re becoming quite arrogant.” She put her hands on her hips. “Maybe I don’t want to fuck tonight.”

  I smiled and darted behind her back, clamping one arm around her waist and the other around her throat. “Distractions are deadly,” I whispered against her ear. “Remember that the enemy will always look for an opening, even when you perceive them as innocent.”

  She squirmed, trying to drop the way I’d taught her earlier this week, but my grasp was too tight.

  “What are you going to do, little bird?” I licked the throbbing pulse against her neck. “How are you going to fly again with your wings trapped?”

  Her resulting snarl had my lips curling.

  “You’re adorable when frustrated,” I continued, knowing my words both excited and enraged her. “Mmm, it’s too bad you can’t best me, sweetheart.” I dropped my voice to a teasing hum. “Shall I take my prize? You weren’t interested in fucking, so maybe I’ll just use your mouth.”

  She began to fight in earnest, my cruel words igniting something inside her.

  Valora couldn’t see me. And my voice had lowered so much it became ambiguous, bringing back memories of pain—ones she wanted to remain buried.

  But I couldn’t allow her to continue to hide.

  She needed her wings to fly, and those wings were born of pain and anguish.

  I drew my teeth across her pulse, threatening her tender skin. “I want to make you bleed,” I admitted, knowing she would take the proclamation negatively, but needing that inferno to rise. “You’re okay with a little pain, right?”

  I couldn’t bring myself to call her degrading names even though I knew it would push her over the edge faster. And the way her heart thudded in her chest told me we were almos
t there without it.

  She’d gone still. Her skin ice cold.

  Either I’d knocked her back into that hiding place with my callousness or she—

  Flames erupted over her skin, forcing me to release her and jump backward. My shadow energy rolled over my clothes, putting out the flickers that remained before they caused damage.

  Valora turned, her lips curled back into a snarl, until her eyes found mine.

  I maintained a loose position, ready to move if she decided to make a lethal example of my taunts.

  But the flames cooled to a simmer when she realized it was just me behind her, and a shudder shook her small frame.

  “Don’t lose it,” I said softly. “Channel it into your palm. See what you can create.”

  Some of the heat intensified as she focused, her eyes falling closed. “Keep talking to me.”

  “Harshly? Or coaching?” While I suspected what she needed, I wanted her to say it.

  “Pretend you’re Necros.”

  Right. That was what I’d anticipated.

  I rolled my neck, taking in the surroundings, and channeled my rage for the male who took all this away from me and my family. A monster. A predator. A dictator who deserved to die.

  She wanted me to be him.

  I’d practiced that.

  Because to kill thine enemy, one needed to understand him.

  “What the hell are you wearing?” I demanded, taking in Valora’s attire. She wore my boxers and an undershirt from my wardrobe. She looked sexy as fuck. But Necros would hate it. “Why aren’t you kneeling? Have I not made it clear that your place is at my feet?” I dared to take a step forward, even as the flames grew. “Do you need another lesson? Shall I orchestrate a new battle? Bring in fourteen men to train you? Give you to them all at once? Watch them shred you apart? Fuck you until you can’t breathe?”

  Her chest heaved, as did mine.

  I loathed this game. But I understood it. She needed to learn control. Needed to be able to hear these words and not react. Not until she was ready.

  “More?” I asked her softly.

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  Clearing my mind, I started again, saying everything I could think of that Necros would use to belittle her. Everything except calling her a whore. Some part of me couldn’t do that, couldn’t allow that word to cross my lips. Yet all manner of vile statements littered the air, including ones about what Necros had done to her physically. Threatening to defile her again in a similar manner, to fuck her so absolutely that she begged for death.