Royal Obsession (11 page)

He should have realized it wouldn’t be this easy. She was sacrificing her body out of necessity while she distanced her emotions. Her fiery spirit, all the things that animated her personality, were carefully tucked away. The battle of wills had just begun.

* * * * *

Minekus stood with his hands clasped behind his back, facing the Council of Elders.

“Who ordered the lockdown?” Elder North asked. The shrill signal had interrupted their daily meeting a few minutes before, so they summoned the head of security to their meeting room. Only two situations necessitated a lockdown, impending attack, and an escape attempt. Each was equally improbable.

“I ordered the lockdown on behalf of Varrik. One of his twins managed to scan open the door and free her sister.”

“How is that possible?” Elder West drew Minekus’s attention with the sharp question.

“She’s a shifter, sir,” the security officer explained.

Varrik had captured a shifter? “Were the females recaptured?” North asked. Unless they could teleport, no one could leave the maze. Still, this was unsettling.

“Yes, sir. Varrik is with the shifter now, and the other was returned to a holding cell.”

North glanced at the other three elders, seeing his thoughts reflected in their blue-ringed eyes. If Varrik suspected his female could shift, he would have taken greater care with her confinement. Still, something wasn’t right here.

“Which hunting party did Varrik use?”

Minekus shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “You will have to ask him, sir. The first I heard of his twins was when the shifter escaped.”

Dismissing Minekus with an impatient wave, North turned to West. “Have you sensed anything odd since Varrik returned with the twins?”

West folded his hands on the tabletop, his gaze filled with resentment. “Varrik descends from the north. You gave him permission to dispatch the hunters.”

“I meant no disrespect. It seems Varrik set a trap for a kitten and caught a lioness instead.”

“As West said, Varrik descends from the north,” South reiterated. “This is your problem to resolve.”

North accepted the assessment and pushed back his chair. “I’ll keep you informed of any developments.” Inactivity was wearing on them all. Peace, however tenuous, had no place in the world below. What use were soldiers when there was no war?

He left the meeting room and made his way to the holding cells. If Varrik was punishing the shifter, it was counterproductive to interrupt. Guards flanked the doorway to the holding cell, looking wary and annoyed. He waved them aside and entered the cubicle.

A female sat on the bunk with her legs drawn up under her loose dress. North swept her with an assessing gaze; even disheveled and exhausted, she was lovely. Unlike the soldiers, hunters and sweepers were allowed to claim any woman at any time, so long as they adhered to the Customs. After the female produced a child, the male decided whether to release her or make her available to the lesser men via the lottery. If the female produced a son, most were released.

“Has your sister’s master claimed you as well?”

“No one has touched me.” Despite the uncertainty in her gaze, her voice was quiet and calm.

“Claiming is not the same as mounting. One generally leads to the other, but they are not the same. If no one else has mounted you, it’s almost certain you were claimed.”

“Who are you, and why are you here?”

She swung her legs over the side of the bunk and stood. He watched her carefully, noting the haughty tilt of her chin and the regal grace in her movements. Foreboding expanded the longer he stared. Varrik knew the law. Mystics were forbidden. If he’d stumbled upon a female with untrained abilities, that was one thing, but to intentionally hunt a Mystic was a punishable offense. There must be an explanation for his actions. Varrik had proven himself time and again.

“What’s your name?” North asked.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Why do you want to know?”

“Where were you and your sister captured?”

“Are you Varrik’s supervisor? Has he done something wrong?”

Varrik? This female knew her master’s name. How many of the Customs had Varrik abandoned? “Yes. I’m Varrik’s superior. I’m the only one not bound by his claim. Do you understand what that means?”

“You can…mount me despite his orders to the contrary?”

“Among other things. Now, answer my question. What’s your name?”

“E’Lanna dar Aune,” she said after a short pause.

It took every cycle of North’s training to keep the astonishment from his face. There were many dar Aunes on Ontariese. It was possible she wasn’t… “Is your sister’s name Echo?”

“Yes.” She took a tentative step forward. “And we are the High Queen’s daughters, if that’s your next question.”

“You have not been mistreated?”

A sharp, humorless laugh escaped her throat. “We were kidnapped and… He has kept Echo with him ever since we arrived. He’s with her now. She shielded herself from me. There’s only one reason she does that. He is
mistreating
her even as we speak.” She licked her lips and tried not to reveal too much with her expressive eyes. “Is Varrik in trouble? If he acted without your knowledge and you assist us now, Mother can work with the Joint Council to see that you’re not held accountable for his actions.”

“How very kind of Mother.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”

“Where are you taking me? What about Echo? We must go to her.”

“I’ll take you beyond his reach until I can contact your parents. Then I’ll come back and remove Echo from his chamber.”

“Go get Echo first. She’s the one in real danger. I can wait until you get back.”

“It’s better if Varrik doesn’t realize we’re on to him until I’m ready to act.”

Her face paled and she wrung her hands, her gaze glowing in the firestone light. “Please, you can’t leave her with him. We have to—”

“No more arguments. Take my hand.”

Echo wrapped her hands around the chains attached to her cuffs and concentrated on her breathing. Varrik’s tongue pushed between her lips. She repressed the resulting tingle and narrowed her focus. Already her body ripened, melted, and readied itself for him. He was the enemy! She could not allow herself to surrender so easily.

If her father managed to rescue her before the five days elapsed, so much the better. If not, this was a small price to pay to ensure her and E’Lanna’s freedom.

As Varrik’s lips wandered from her mouth to her temple, she turned her attention inward and gathered energy. She’d only done this once before, but Mistress Gowan had commended her on the placement and the effectiveness of her reproductive shield. She constructed a dense barrier and placed it over the mouth of her womb. He could take her as often as he liked, and no child would result from their joining.

“Tell me about your sister,” he whispered above her ear. His fingers pushed up under her breast, his thumb teasing the fullness, while the nipple ached.

“My…sister?”

“You said she’s sleeping with her bodyguard. Don’t your parents suspect?”

She stared up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the gentle brush of his fingers and the heated stir of his breath. He wanted her to relax, to succumb to his carnal spell. She’d focus on E’Lanna, fill her mind with innocent childhood images.

“E’Lanna is oldest. She has always been responsible and obedient. Our brothers can do no wrong, so that left me to challenge our parents.”

Propping his elbow on the bed, he rested his head on his hand and stared down at her. “Go on. How did you challenge your parents?” His fingers danced across her skin, touching, teasing, without ever lingering in one place for long.

“I know what you’re doing.” She tightened her grip on the chains and pressed her thighs together. A slow, persistent throb erupted in her core, accenting her emptiness, anticipating his entry.

“I’m treating you like a person, learning a little about you. Would you rather I stop?”

“I’d rather have this over with for tonight.”

He chuckled and passed his thumb over her neglected nipple. “Sweetheart, there’s a lot more to this than shoving my cock inside you. I’m going to teach you how to enjoy being a woman.” He circled her nipple with his fingertip, then rolled it, increasing the pressure until she gasped. “Did you enjoy having my mouth on you? Your nipples are wonderfully responsive.” He bent to her breast and closed his lips around her nipple. “Does this feel better than my fingers?”

“Yes.” He was going to explore every inch of her body, test and tease until she lost her mind. No, until she lost her inhibitions. His mouth drew on her with firm suction. The pulling sensation spiraled down through her torso and lodged between her thighs. Pressing her legs together only made the aching worse.

His warm chest pressed against her breasts and she felt the chain tighten. She hadn’t even realized the tether was still lax until that moment. She’d held herself still for him without even needing to. Why did he affect her like this?

He moved lower, trailing his fingers across her belly. She turned her face away. He wasn’t making this easy. She didn’t want to feel anything. He was a means to an end. No, less than that. Despite his gentle hands and easy smile, he was a criminal.

Fascinated by her hairless mound, he cupped her, squeezed gently, then eased lower to explore her folds. She held her breath. This wasn’t right. She couldn’t just lie here and let him. Could she? If she didn’t, E’Lanna would be subjected to the lottery. Still, she should kick, put up some sort of a fight.

“You’re so soft.”

“Varrik, please, I can’t do this.” Her legs trembled, tension rippling through her thighs.

He scooted off the end of the bed and reached for something she couldn’t see. “Are you asking to be released from your vow, or would these help?” He pulled cuffs up from the foot of the bed and waited for her answer. Staring into his eyes, she spread her legs and placed her ankles in the cuffs.

She had no choice but to feel, no option but surrender. He activated the restraints and placed a cushion under each knee, then adjusting the tension on the chains, he locked her into place. She was completely subdued, spread before him like a pagan sacrifice. So, why did she feel…liberated?

The pressure banding Varrik’s chest grew so painful, he had to look away from Echo’s naked body. He’d restrained his lovers before. None of this was new, so why was he reacting like a boy fresh out of sexuality training? Granted, she was young and beautiful, but he’d mounted beautiful women before.

Mounted. Why did he recoil from the term? It had never bothered him before. Echo was innocent, pure, vulnerable, utterly dependent on him for her pleasure. He swallowed hard. His cock bucked, more than ready to initiate her. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to crawl between her legs and thrust inside. She deserved better. She deserved a lover who would cherish her. He could never be that lover, but he could make this good for her.

She was positioned perfectly for his pleasure, for
their
pleasure. He placed one knee on the bed and watched her face. She licked her lips and clutched her chains. Was she frightened?

“Echo.” It took a long time before she met his gaze. “I need to see your eyes. Don’t close them or look away.”

She nodded, her lips parted and moist. He raised his other knee to the bed and knelt between her thighs. Her folds gleamed, and her nipples had gathered into tight, crimson points. This wasn’t simple anticipation. Being bound excited her. He’d suspected as much the night before.

He slid his hands down her inner thighs together, his thumbs brushing over her folds at exactly the same time. She made a strangled sound in the back of her throat, and her eyes clouded with desire. Hot and wet, her slit beckoned his touch, his kiss.

Her thighs trembled and her belly quivered as she unconsciously pulled against the cuffs. He’d seen this before. She wasn’t struggling against the restraints; she was testing the security of their embrace, needing the confinement. Mesmerized by her reaction, he rubbed his fingers against her mound, savoring the silky-smooth texture and indirectly massaging her clit.

“Oh.” She gasped. “How are you… I’m going to…” Her bottom clenched and her back arched as an orgasm tore through her.

Before the sensations receded, he parted her folds and swiped his tongue from her opening to her clit. He wanted to coax responses from her, to seduce her senses if not her mind. She was so receptive, so passionate. Already she’d yielded to the pleasure, accepted more than he’d dare hope. Tracing her slit with his middle finger, he circled her entrance several times before pushing inside. Mara help him, she was tight. Her inner muscles gripped him, and he moaned. Hot, wet,
his
. It was all he could do not to take her fast and hard.

He tongued her clit, circling and flicking the sensitive bud until her core flooded with a fresh rush of cream. He rotated his wrist, working his finger deeper. She was so damn tight, but he hadn’t encountered a hymen. Her virginity had been an unwanted obstacle. It was to his advantage if she felt only pleasure. Keeping his tongue busy over her clit, he moved his finger in and out. She gasped with each penetration and sighed as he pulled back. Only after he could move easily did he introduce a second finger.