Gwendoline sat in the suite of the rundown motel. It was the best room in the place, which wasn’t saying much. The sheets and pillow cases were threadbare, paint was chipping from the walls, and the bathroom counters were covered in cigarette burns. She spotted more than a few cockroaches. But at least there weren’t any bed bugs. She hated those. And so did motel owners, because the negative reviews they’d get online could hurt them for years, which she supposed explained why a small placard attached to the back of the door indicated that the room was preemptively sprayed for bed bugs every four weeks.

Now if only they could maintain the rest of the suite every four weeks...

Though Gwendoline was used to luxury, she didn’t really mind the place. If it meant she could be with Mathis, then it was worth it. He could turn any dump into the most luxurious penthouse suite just with his presence. She could already imagine him taking her while she lay on the bed. He’d be standing up, holding her legs spread out to the sides, while he thrust into her, his ridged abs flexing with each movement.

“Mmm.” She was getting turned on just thinking about him.

It was amazing what getting away from the court and all the intrigue could do to a person. Gwendoline felt liberated. She didn’t care about power and control over others anymore. She no longer had any designs on political advancement. She was loved. And that was all she needed or wanted.

With a sigh, she returned her attention to her laptop. The collar sat heavily around her neck, reminding her of what she had given up to be here. But Mathis was worth it. And while her brother, King Gabriel, had let her go, he refused to allow her to fully relinquish her role as Treasury Security, even though before she had left she’d spent a week training her assistants to replace her. They still required the occasional management, which was something she could do remotely, usually in the form of emails and sometimes conference calls. Those emails and calls were becoming few and far between thankfully, but when they came she had to deal with them promptly. Which she did now. She wanted to have nothing to do in the evening when Mathis returned. Because when there was nothing to do...

She only just finished when her sat-phone lit up. It was a call from Mathis.

She answered eagerly. “Well hello there.”

“Gwen,” Mathis said. “I never get tired of hearing your voice.”

“How’s your day going?” Gwendoline asked.

“Pretty good,” Mathis said. “I was calling to let you know I’ll be home probably half an hour later than expected. Got a couple of recalcitrant shifters here who don’t want to let me test them all.”

“I’m sure you’ll get it sorted,” Gwendoline said.

“I will,” Mathis said. “And I’ll make it up to you. Oh, what I’m going to do to you tonight…”

“Tell me,” Gwendoline said.

“I’m going to take a bubble bath with you,” Mathis said. “I’m going to lather you all up in the liquid soap, and then I’m going to fuck you. Our humping bodies will create fresh bubbles with every thrust until the whole bathroom is filled with them.”

Gwendoline giggled. “Sounds like fun.”

“I thought you’d like that, dragon girl,” Mathis said.

“Oh I do, witch boy,” Gwendoline said. “But wait until you see what I’m going to do to you in turn.”

“Tell me,” Mathis echoed her earlier statement.

“Nope,” Gwendoline said. “You’ll just have to wait and find out.”

“You’re such a tease,” Mathis said.

“I learned from the best,” Gwendoline commented.

“I suppose you did, at that,” Mathis said. “Well, I should probably—”

Gwendoline didn’t hear the rest because her phone beeped with an incoming message. She casually put Mathis on speaker phone and examined her inbox.

“Just got a message from Flame,” Gwendoline said, slightly perplexed.

“Flame?” Mathis asked.

“One of my brother Jett’s personal guards,” Gwendoline replied.

“What does he want? Money?”

“I’m reading it now,” Gwendoline said.

As she read the message her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.

“Oh no,” Gwendoline said, feeling the panic rising. “No no no.”

“What?” Mathis said. “What is it?”

“They’ve got Jett,” Gwendoline said.

“Who’s got Jett?”

“The witches,” Gwendoline said. “The Wayfarers of Steel Tower.”