King of Clubs (11 page)

The King returned his gaze to Kalina, but her brows were furrowed in concentration and perhaps frustration, too. Ty moved to the window, his steps heavy in the silence. He pulled back the drape and smiled when he saw Awai seated by the pond, feeding the large, colorful fish with pellets of food provided by the gamekeeper. She looked so beautiful there, her hair in a shimmer of dark silk over one shoulder, her black robes clinging to her lush figure. He had missed her more than he wanted to admit, and it had taken all he had not to go to her last night.

“Majesty,” came Kalina’s musical voice, drawing him away from his view of Awai. He let the drapes fall back against the window with a soft swish as he turned to the sorceress.

He stepped closer to the sorceress’s glowing
a’bin
. “What is it you read in the cards?”

She frowned, her forehead creasing as she gave another glance to the three rows of nine cards. “I see that our Kingdom is in danger, but the cards are not telling me what that danger is.” Her fire-ice eyes grew distant. “A tiger has been held captive for many years and is still imprisoned by a dark force.”

Kalina raised her gaze to meet Ty’s. “Perhaps your sister captured one of our people long ago and still lives to hold that weretiger captive.”

He shook his head. “But I have seen the cliff where she met her doom. It would be impossible to survive such a fall.” Even though his sister had turned to evil, he couldn’t help but feel sorrow for the Mikaela he had grown up with and loved. “Her body must have been washed out to sea.”

“You are probably right, Majesty.” Kalina’s lips pursed as she glanced again to the cards. “If that is the case, then we face a new threat.” She glanced back to Ty. “And this force is darker and far more evil than Mikaela.”

Ty studied the sorceress for a moment then gave a slow nod. “I will send word to my brothers and reinforce our own borders.”

Even though he wanted to go to his mate, the safety of his Kingdom and his people came first. He strode through the palace to the training yard where he knew his captain was working with new trainees. His mind worked over all the possibilities of the threat they faced. Could Mikaela have survived the fall? Surely her body would have been broken to bits by the jagged rocks below the cliff at Karn’s Diamond Hall.

Despite the evil Mikaela had wrought upon all of Tarok, a part of Ty—that part who had loved his sister—felt hope that perhaps she did still live. Another part of him had hope that their Kingdoms could return to normal and their women could once again bear children. Sadly, the two hopes could not be reconciled.

But if there were a way, if my sister yet lived and I could save her essence from the dark being she became, I would sacrifice almost everything to do just that. And I know Karn would do the same. Darronn is angrier, but no less loyal to Mikaela. Jarronn, though…I don’t know if Jarronn has it in him to forgive our sister’s many wrongs.

Ty paused when he reached the training yard to watch his captain sword-fighting one of the newer recruits. The clang of metal upon metal rang through the air along with the curses and taunting of the captain as he jabbed at the trainee. The young man met each of the captain’s blows with the skill of long practice and Ty smiled.

His thoughts turned back to Mikaela. If she had died, why then was the curse not broken? His brothers’ mates had all borne children, but no other women in the four Kingdoms had. Was it possible the mindspells had permanently damaged the minds of all of Tarok’s women, keeping them from conceiving?

Can Mikaela still be alive, after all?

After speaking with his captain at length, and ensuring the Kingdom would be well guarded, Ty sent messengers to his brothers with the sorceress’s news. He did not, however, share his suspicions about Mikaela. It was better that each brother formed his own thoughts, for together, they would likely cover all possibilities.

When he was finished, he went in search of Awai. He shifted into a tiger and bounded toward the palace. He paused at the doors and scented the air. Yes, his mate had returned from outside.

With his magic he shoved the doors open and loped through, and then they slammed shut behind him. His paws made no sound upon the marble tiles while he followed the scent of his woman’s musk to his private refuge, a hidden room he had never taken her to.

He eased into the room, his muscles rippling beneath his black and white striped coat, his eyes focused on the beautiful woman before him. The chamber was filled with family treasures, personal belongings, many of which he had had since he was a cub.

Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains highlighting Awai’s dark hair. She had her hand at her throat as she studied the oil paintings of his family that his mother painted before she passed away. He caught the scent of fresh air and Awai’s sweet perfume.

She reached out and touched the nameplate at the bottom of his sister’s portrait. “Mikaela,” she whispered.

Ty gave a low rumble and Awai startled.

“Don’t scare me like that.” She moved her hand to her chest, her heart pounding like mad. It was still unnerving to suddenly see a tiger beside her. “Please, Majesty,” she added, not wanting to add to her list of punishments.

It was such an amazing sight to see him shift from tiger to man. Before her eyes he transformed, rising up on his hind legs as fur turned into skin and leather clothing, fierce tiger features giving way to a masculine face and long white-blond hair. In just moments he was the powerful man who had brought her into this world.

“I see you have found my sanctuary,” he said his expression impassive, not giving her any indication of how he felt about her stumbling upon this private room.

“Majesty, may I ask questions of you?” Awai asked. “May we drop formalities for now?”

He gave a slow nod. “Yes, my tigress.”

Awai gestured toward the portrait labeled
Mikaela.
“I read a little bit about your sister in your history books. Why did she turn on you all?”

Ty’s jaw tightened. “She was the youngest and for some reason our parents did not give her a portion of the greater Kingdom of Tarok. She resented that, and her resentment grew into a bleak mood that never departed. According to the sorceress’s magical cards, Mikaela mind-seduced Balin, the King of Malachad, and became his Queen. To seek vengeance on our parents, mostly. And us, for holding a place in our parents’ esteem that she evidently did not.”

Awai turned to Ty. “The last book I found ended shortly after it was discovered she was behind the mindspells. What’s happened since then?”

“When our people could no longer bear children,” Ty continued, “Kalina read the cards and learned that Mikaela was using powerful mindspells with our women, invading their dreams and making our women believe they are infertile.”

He held his hands behind his back as he spoke, gazing only at the portrait. “When my brothers brought their mates to our world, she attacked, tried to harm each of the women.”

Horror swept through Awai and her eyes widened as she realized he was talking about her nieces. “Did she hurt them?”

His gaze moved to hers and his eyes softened. “They were each injured, but not badly. You should be proud to know that your kin are such brave women.”

Awai’s mind whirled at the thought of Annie, Alice, and Alexi being in such danger. “Will Mikaela attack again? Is it possible that she could hurt them, or worse?”

Ty frowned. “We thought Mikaela to be dead. When she tried to harm Annie, Mikaela fell from a cliff to the rocks below. Her body should have been smashed, but when Karn searched for her, she was gone. He believed her body was swept out to sea.”

Awai turned to the portrait of the beautiful woman with laughter in her blue eyes. It was so difficult to imagine her as evil and capable of harming anyone. “And now?”

A low rumble rose up in Ty’s chest and she recognized it as frustration mingled with anger. “The sorceress believes we are in danger once again. She cannot discern if it is Mikaela or another dark force, but we must be prepared whatever the case.”

He turned to Awai and brought her into his embrace. He smelled so good, and it felt so good to be in his arms. “My brothers will never allow harm to come to their mates. And I will never allow anyone to hurt you, my tigress.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Don’t worry. I’m not helpless.”

Ty took Awai by the hand and they walked through the palace, outdoors and into the warm spring sunshine. He enjoyed the feel of her small hand in his, her lithe body brushing against him. He needed to reestablish protocol, but he also wanted her to have something familiar to do, a part of her prior life, that would give her a sense of comfort.

When they reached a clearing in the cherry grove, Ty said, “Time for questions is over, and you must refer to me as Majesty.”

Awai nodded and straightened her stance. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

He held out his palm and with his magic called forth her whip and it appeared in his palm.

Her eyes widened. When he handed it to her a surprised expression crossed her face, but she took it without question.

Ty folded his arms across his chest. “I would like a demonstration of your skill with the whip.”

Awai smiled as she grasped her whip. “Yes, Majesty.”

They spent the next couple of hours with Awai displaying her talent with the whip and even teaching Ty a thing or two. He produced objects that she would snatch from his hand with a crack of her whip, the leather never touching him. He had never seen anyone so adept at handling a whip, save for his sister Mikaela.

By the time they finished, Awai was laughing, her blue eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed. He brought her close and her laughter faded as she stared up at him. The whip curled around their legs as if it had a mind of its own.

“You are so precious, tigress,” he murmured and brushed his lips over hers. “So very precious. Keep up your skills with your chosen weapon daily, at least two hours per day, without fail.”

“Yes, Majesty,” Awai murmured, and Ty could not help but kiss her again.

* * * * *

That evening, Awai waited for Ty inside the dungeon, her back to the doors, her hands behind her and her stance wide. She was dressed in another miniscule white leather outfit. It had a tiny skirt and her chest was covered by a kind of strapless leather top, only there were holes where her breasts were, showing them to their full advantage. Her breasts were high and firm and the golden clubs dangled from her engorged nipples.

This time Kalina had massaged warm almond-scented oil into Awai’s flesh after waxing her pussy. Awai always liked how it felt to have her mound and pussy lips waxed to feel soft and supple, and she knew that Ty loved it, too.

She shivered with anticipation as she waited for him. Likely he was taking his time, allowing her imagination to run wild, wondering what he would do to her. She was surprised at just how much she enjoyed her role as his sex slave, and how much she was looking forward to him coming for her now.

And she prayed that this time he would actually fuck her.

The moment he entered the dungeon, she sensed it with every fiber of her being. A gentle whooshing sound came from the doors opening and closing behind her, and a shiver trailed her spine as she heard the soft sound of paws coming toward her. Ty was in his tiger form.

He nudged her bottom with his large tiger head and she trembled.
Are you ready, tigress?
he murmured in thought-speak.

“Yes, Majesty,” she said, her pussy growing even wetter with anticipation.

He sniffed and gave a rumble of approval.
Yes, my slave. You are indeed prepared for me. Do you wish me to fuck you now?

Awai barely held back a moan. They hadn’t even started and he was already torturing her with thoughts of him driving his cock into her core. “Yes, Your Majesty,” she said. “I want you to fuck me.”

Good.
He padded around her and roared when he saw her naked breasts through her leather top.
You tease me, wench. You must be punished.

She bit the inside of her lip as she looked down at the tiger and into his vivid blue eyes. He nudged the front of her tiny skirt, raising it slightly, then lapped at her folds with his rough tongue.

A cry escaped her throat and she barely remained standing, barely kept her hands behind her back. She wanted to grab his massive tiger head and hold him still, have him lap at her folds until he brought her to a fiery climax.

Ty growled his approval as Awai’s pussy flooded with her sweet cream. He shifted, rising up to tower over her as a man. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes dark with desire.

He palmed her breasts that protruded from the leather binding her chest. “Yes, you must pay for teasing me so.” He pulled at her nipples, making the ache blend into a need so deep she could almost come from his touch upon her breasts. “Lie upon your back on the preparation table, slave,” he ordered, pointing toward a white leather and mahogany table.

“Yes, Majesty.” Awai visibly trembled with arousal as she obeyed him.

When she was flat on her back he commanded, “Raise your knees and spread your thighs.”

He stood at the end of the table and smiled as he studied her lovely folds and her swollen clit. Within her line of sight, he held out his hand and called forth a clamp. He held it up for her to see and her eyes widened when she saw what it was.

Awai’s excitement rose. She’d heard female subs say how much they enjoyed the feel of the clamp, but she hadn’t tried it herself. And now Ty was looking at her with his intense gaze holding it where she could see it. The clamp looked like a very short bobby pin with a golden club dangling from one end.

She swallowed as he lowered his hands toward her pussy. Her thighs trembled, waiting for that moment when he would clamp it over her clit.

He paused. “Do you wish to have my sign of ownership upon your beautiful quim?” he asked with one eyebrow raised.

Awai clenched her hands. “Whatever pleases you, Majesty.”