CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Verrill’s words stayed with me the rest of the night, through training the following morning, and into the afternoon.
“You had a nice time with the Shadow King last night.” Magda smiled as she brought me a mid-afternoon snack, so convinced of her observation, she hadn’t asked me, she told me.
But she was right.
I had a fantastic time with Verrill. I was also in desperate need of an orgasm. His words replayed in my head at any spare moment. If I wasn’t focused on a task, Verrill’s husky, lust-filled voice echoed in my thoughts, promising things to come.
“You still smell like him. And like you need a good rutting.”
“Magda!” A chunk of jerky fell from my lips in absolute shock.
The thin woman cackled at my embarrassment, fluffed the throw pillows and left the room.
She was right though. Practice was difficult because I was so damn hot. The others noticed; I saw it in their eyes each time our gazes locked. Curious that none offered to help me, content to watch me struggle, and struggle themselves each time they caught my scent on the air.
Sorin was the only one who couldn’t take it and opted out of the last half of the session. He didn’t say as much, but I knew it was because of my current state.
I was too distracting.
He’d kept his distance since we arrived which was just fine by me. I was still mad he tried to use my secret to prove his point.
Jerk.
After we finished for the morning, Verrill sidled next to me, running a hand down my exposed arm. “I have Shadow Realm business to deal with but I will be back to finish what we started.”
Great. More anticipation. Just what I needed.
Everyone except Magda steered clear of me. Even Raksha, who turned out to be a valuable asset in combat. Maybe they didn’t want to step on Verrill’s toes, or maybe my constant excited state was too much for them. I didn’t know which but I aimed not to think about it.
The distraction was a relief as much as a curse. Focusing on something other than battling the Blood King, setting the realms right, and bringing Emma back safe was exactly what I needed. But by dinner I was spooled so tight, I wanted to burst.
Yes, it’s true I could have taken care of things myself. But the Shadow King made this mess. It was only fair he cleaned it up.
I tore through my dried meat and hardtack, a diet I stuck with despite being in the Earth realm because I wanted as much of a head start on the inevitable drain I’d face when back in the demon realm.
I’d avoided thinking about that inevitability. Going back to the demon realm meant getting crushed by magic again, probably even more than before since we were headed for the Blood Realm, home of the biggest stockpile of stolen magic ever.
I still had a day. One day I didn’t have to worry. Today was for daydreaming about sexy, long-haired realm leaders. Tomorrow I’d worry. Tomorrow I’d decide if and how to confess to the others that magic and my body didn’t mix.
“I see you’ve gotten yourself in quite a state.”
My stomach leapt into my throat and my heart skipped out a frenzied beat at the sound of the Shadow King’s lustful, gravelly voice.
“It’s your fault,” I eked out between trembling lips. Lillith help me, I’d never wanted anyone so badly in all my life.
The Shadow King, dressed in his usual all-white attire, shut the door with a smooth motion, and approached with that same fluid, graceful movement. “You were on my mind more than I’d like.” He towered over me, our bodies inches from each other.
“Same.”
A devious smirk played across his lips as he met my gaze. “Take off your clothes, Zurie.”
My breath caught in my chest and my clothes hit the fucking floor.
Verrill rewarded me with a beaming smile. “Good. Now, get on the bed.”
I did as I was told without hesitation.
His gaze fell on my body, lingering here and there, drinking me with his eyes. “Gods, you are lovely.” With a wave of his hand he’d conjured the upholstered chair from the corner to the side of the bed. He smoothed the front of his pants and took a seat.
“What are you doing?”
He licked his lips, and the effort it took to not groan at the sight was akin to corralling cats.
Hm. Speaking of cats, I hadn’t seen Chicken since we arrived here.
Focus, Zurie! You’re about to get wrecked by this gorgeous creature and you’re thinking about your cat?
“Lay down.”
I shot him a questioning glance.
“What about you? You’re not even undressed.”
The light in his eyes smoldered. “I won’t tell you again.” Edged with command, his whisper zinged through me like an electric current.
And I did as I was told. Head against the cool pillows, I couldn’t see him, only the cream-colored ceiling and walls.
But I didn’t need to see. Amber scented mind magic floated against my skin, caressing, teasing, pulling delightful sensations from me and a groan from my lips.
“Mmm. How I love the little noises you make.”
He brushed more magic over me, and this time he wasn’t shy about where. A bit of magic tweaked my already hard nips as a bit more pushed against my thighs.
“Zurie,” he said as he kept his power hovering right above my lady parts.
“Yes?” The word came out as a great shuddering sigh as my body arched and bowed toward the sensation he kept just out of reach.
“I can have you coming like you’ve never come before without ever touching you. How does that sound?”
Before I could respond, not that I had the capacity to do so, Verrill’s magic swirled and hummed and vibrated everywhere. Circling my clit, tugging my lips, finding my G-spot, it even danced around my butt, which at first I was all “No, not there!” but it shot over into “Holy fuck, yes!” real quick.
I came in seconds, from everywhere, shuddering and moaning, writhing against the crisp linens. Over and over he brought me to orgasm after orgasm until my voice was hoarse from screaming and my muscles shook with exertion.
“Please, I can’t. Please, Verrill, I need a break.”
“I’m only beginning, my queen.”
“For the love of Lillith, Verrill, I’m only human. Please. You’re gonna kill me!”
The amber magic flowed away, and I took a huge, steadying breath. “Jesus fucking Christ.” I stared at the Shadow King’s black star eyes. “Get your ass over here.”
He grinned and shimmered next to me, leaving behind his clothes.
“How many lovers have you had?”
Laughter filled my king’s star-lit eyes but none made it passed it lips. “Many,” he whispered as he nuzzled my neck.
“I’ll need all their names.”
A smile teased his lips. “Why is that?”
“So I can thank them for training you so well.”
Verrill burst into a hearty, contagious laugh that made me snicker as well. “I’ll be sure to get you a list.”
I propped myself on an elbow. “So, you like control, huh?”
As an answer, Verrill gave my ass a firm smack.
I pushed him flat on the bed and straddled his hips. “And what if I asked you to give your queen control? What then?” I slid myself down his ample, hard cock, as punctuation to my request.
He groaned, low and ragged. “I-I—”
“Shhhhh,” I murmured, taking him in. “It wasn’t a question. I’ll have my Shadow King any way I want him.” Verrill growled as I seated him fully.
“That’s not how this works.” He gripped my hips and flipped me to the bed anchoring me there with his hips. “I take you when and how I want. Not the other way.” He ground into me, and fuck if he didn’t make me come again. “See? I told you.”
I gripped his shoulders, fingers digging in as I crested over a fierce climax, wailing at the ceiling as Verrill drove deeper and deeper, drawing out each wave, each sensation until I thought I’d shatter into a bajillion sated shards.
As I came back down, he wrapped his hands in my hair, pulling my head to the side and exposing the line of my neck. He laid gentle kisses and nibbled across my flesh, in contrast to what he was doing with his hips. I wrapped my legs around him, and ground my clit against his body. “Gods, Zurie, you’re so fucking tight.” My Shadow King locked eyes with me as we climbed the ladder together.
So close. So goddamn close.
Verrill grabbed my hips and slammed my body into his, bring us both to screaming, sweaty, messy orgasms.
We collapsed, both shuddering with aftershocks and fuzzy around the edges.
When I could form words and string them into sentences, I rolled over to look in my Shadow King’s eyes. “Well, clearly I’ve been doing that all wrong.”
Verrill laughed, and we passed the hell out in each other’s arms.