I look around at the familiar setting of the gorgeous outdoor t***s bar lit up by fairy lights that sits right on the waterfront in Barcelona. The sun is just starting to set here, casting a spectacular glow along the horizon and filling the sky with breathtaking shades of red as the large ball of orange disappears into the ocean. The colour red is so intense it looks like the sky is on fire. “Where are we?” Isolde asks. “You don’t know?” I ask in surprise. She shakes her head, “My magic just locked onto a location based on what was in your mind. Doesn’t mean I know where that location is.” “Ah. Well, we’re in Barcelona,” I smile at her, “I love coming to this t***s bar whenever I visit. The food here is to die for and they have live music,” I say with excitement as I pull her towards the entrance. We walk up to the hostess, who is a tall and very leggy brunette and if her dress were any tighter I’d see her ribcage. Her breasts are pushed up so high I fear she’ll choke on them, an
The bartender finally decides to intervene, and I watch as this cock sucker gets his ass kicked out, and the young woman sitting and watching anxiously is finally joined by her partner who is looking at the scene in confusion and alarm as he goes to comfort her. Meanwhile, I take slow breaths to calm myself down as Isolde peppers featherlight kisses against my cheek. I’m still mad she stopped me, but the kisses feel really good. “Ladies? Your table is ready, if you’ll just follow me,” the hostess announces as she comes over to us. “Come on, let’s go eat,” Isolde coaxes me, letting me go and taking my hand. I take another deep breath, gather our purses, walk to our table with her and take our seats. I attempt to pull my hand back, but Isolde tightens her hold. I raise a questioning eyebrow. “I don’t want you to be mad,” she says, brushing her thumb over my knuckles. “Well, I am. Why did you stop me? That asshole had it coming. He was mean to that woman, and he disrespected us,” I say
I’m just reaching over to kiss my beautiful woman when the waiter rudely interrupts. “Excuse me, here are your drinks from the bar,” he says as he places our drinks down, “Have you decided what you would like to order?” “Oh, we haven’t actually looked at the menu yet,” Isolde says apologetically. “Would you mind me ordering for us?” “Not at all,” Isolde smiles. I smile at the waiter, “We’ll have the chorizo, fried potatoes, pimiento & salsa roja for entrée and then for main we’ll have the paella, and for dessert, we’ll have the fried dulce de leche cheesecake with white chocolate ice cream,” I say politely as I hand him the menus, “Oh, and could I also get another bloody mary, only a virgin one this time?” “Right away,” the waiter smiles as he takes our menus and leaves. “That all sounded delicious,” Isolde says excitedly. “It is, I promise, and if you love it I guess it’ll always be easy to come back,” I smile at her. It doesn’t take long for the waiter to bring me my new dri
Coming home from our date I feel like I’m riding the biggest high, despite the fact Isolde was forced to pay since I am without any of my personal belongings, credit card included. We spent the rest of the night dancing and while my feet are absolutely killing me, the pain was worth it. Something about Isolde seems different. As she walks up the steps of her home she seems lighter. She’s still smiling and she’s radiating happy vibes. Watching her, I feel tears prick my eyes as I start to choke up. I did that. I brought her happiness. I’ve spent all these years bringing people death, pain, and misery. Knowing only bloodshed. This is the first time I’ve been able to bring someone genuine joy, and I’m so glad it’s her. Not just because she deserves it after the hell she has been through, but because she makes me happy too. I want to be able to make her feel the way she makes me feel. Isolde opens the door and looks back at me, her brows knitting in concern, “Is everything okay?” I smil
My heart thunders in my chest as her hands move over my flesh leaving electricity in their wake, but that doesn’t stop me from sitting up and taking off my thong. Before I can lay down, Isolde scoots down between my thighs until her face is directly under my pussy. Her hands trail up my thighs and over my ass as she peppers soft kisses along my folds making my eyes roll back. “Fuck,” I moan as I grip the headboard. “Ride my face,” she instructs with desire swimming in her eyes. I lower myself down with no hesitation and let out a moan when I feel her soft tongue glide up my folds. I feel her tongue dip inside me, lapping at my entrance like she’s been hungering for me all night and can finally dive in. I rock my hips feeling her tongue move in and out of my pussy and I can feel my body heating up. Her hands cup my ass massaging my cheeks as she urges me on. My head lulls back as I continue to ride her face and I can feel her moaning against my pussy sending pleasurable vibrations t
I’ve been awake for the past hour just watching Valeria sleep peacefully in my arms, wishing I could hold onto this moment forever. Last night was the single greatest night of my whole life. It was the most perfect date – assholes aside – followed by sex that to call mind-blowing would not do it justice, and yet now as I watch her sleep all I can do is panic. I felt the moment part of the bond clicked into place, like my soul was reaching out and trying to latch itself to hers. I could feel the echoes of her contentment, her bliss, her wonder and her pleasure and as happy as I was, I knew I’d screwed up. I just got so caught up in this wonderful magical night and her wanting me as much as I wanted her that I didn’t stop to think. I should have told her about our bond before it got to this point. I owed her that honesty, and now I have no choice but to tell her. She may be human, but the bond will still affect her. My touch will be more intense, our need for each other stronger, and s
I look over to see her standing in the entrance, staring daggers at Alaric. I can feel her distrust and her urge to protect me. She really does feel she’s my bodyguard. Alaric stares at Valeria wide-eyed, his jaw nearly detaching from the sockets. “Not really, but I’ll explain later. Would you mind getting started on breakfast?” I suggest, with a reassuring smile. Her eyes narrow in suspicion, “Sure. I worked up an appetite last night anyway,” she says as she heads off to the kitchen, but not without sharing one final glare at Alaric. I brace myself for the barrage of questions awaiting me, and the moment Valeria is out of earshot, they arrive like clockwork. “In all the years I have been coming here to see you, not once, has there ever been another person in this house. Who is she?” He asks, his eyes alight with excitement like a gossiping schoolgirl. Oh, good grief. “She is none of your business.” “Oh, I am not letting you sidestep this. This is huge! She’s very beautiful, are y
My feet lead me through the forest on autopilot, my mind such a storm of thoughts and conflicted emotions that I’m not remotely paying attention to where I’m going. You’d probably think that since I’m a venatrix I’d be disgusted by the idea of magic having a hand in our relationship, but I’m honestly not, I’m just hurt that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth. It feels like deep down she still thinks I’m that deadly venatrix who will turn around and kill her the moment something she says doesn’t line up with things I was trained to believe and that hurts me deeply. I thought we were closer and I thought I was making a lot of strides. Then again, I suppose I can understand her fears. The first time we met I did point a gun at her with every intention to shoot, though at least now I understand why I couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger. Why the entire time I’ve been here I never felt in danger or disgusted to be around her. She’s my soulmate. Or animai as they called i
Thank you to everyone who has joined me for another instalment in the Queen Among series. I have enjoyed all of your comments with each passing day and they continue to keep me motivated when I struggle to find a reason why I should. Seeing you all connect with the story and characters truly touches me. I truly hope that if you are in the mood you will consider donating gems, and most importantly, leaving a review of this book on the book's main page. It would do me and my book a huge favour and will also allow me to hear your thoughts on the story. It is you who determine the success of these books, so I can't do this without you. These stories need you. Speaking of stories... Here is a breakdown of the series so far, what currently exists and what is to come! Currently Available: Book 1 - A Queen Among Alphas (completed and also available on paperback) Book 2 - A Queen Among Snakes (completed and coming soon to paperback) [paperback and merch giveaway will correspond with the b
I storm into the house with Valeria right on my heels, my mind still utterly flabbergasted by what just happened. “A paperweight!” I shout in annoyed disbelief. “I know, baby,” Valeria says, closing the door behind us and placing her gun on the table by the door. “I spend my entire life scouring the earth looking for this, thinking maybe it’s in some vault as a prized possession or buried deep within the earth. I thought of so many scenarios as to where this might be hidden, but at no point in time did I think it was just casually sitting on someone’s desk as a fucking paperweight!” I screech. “Tell me how you really feel,” she teases. “How do you mistake something that clearly appears to have an ancient language carved into it for something as common as a paperweight?!” I continue to rant, but I can feel amusement bubbling inside Valeria, and I can tell from her face she’s trying not to laugh. “This isn’t funny, Val!” “Oh, I agree your struggle and the disrespect shown to this
We step out into a long two-story hall. A teal-coloured carpet lays beneath our feet and runs down the length of the hall leading up a small staircase to a platform with two ornate and delicate-looking thrones that appear to be made from the world’s most durable coral. At first glance, the coral looks peach in colour but as the light catches it, it shifts into different colours. To the sides of the thrones are two gargantuan statues depicting the God Ezillus. The statue to the right depicts them in feminine regalia, and the statue on the left depicts them in masculine regalia. A clear tribute to Ezillus’ embodiment of all things masculine, feminine and everything in between. Behind the throne are three full-length curved windows with gold detailing worked into the glass. The vaulted ceiling above us houses several chandeliers covered in pearls, running down the length of the ceiling. The sides of the room are separated by Mihrab-arched columns running down each side, with coral and pe
Standing in the entrance hall of the Kartheca, I watch as Valeria continues to pace back and forth as the creases on her forehead begin to permanently set in. I can feel the agitation rising inside her the longer we wait. I know being here is unpleasant for her. I did tell her she didn’t have to come, but she made it clear that wasn’t an option. As she begins her umpteenth trip from one side of the room to the other, I pull on my magic and fan my fingers out causing her feet to get stuck to the marble floor of the hallway. “¡No mames!” She exclaims nearly toppling forward and assessing her feet. She looks up at me and narrows her eyes then proceeds to throw some very colourful Mexican swear words at me, some I can’t even translate. Something about a donkey? I’ll have to get a translation on that later. I walk over and cup her face in my hands feeling the zing of our bond through my fingertips, “Stop and take a breath. I know you’re agitated, but we won’t be here long. I promise,” I
With Izzy not here to act as a buffer, I excuse myself and go for a wander. Izzy ran inside excited about something, and I’m curious what that something might be. She told me that marked animais can see into each other’s eyes, but I’m not quite sure how to do that, and I can tell how much she wants to surprise me, so I’ll let her. I brace my hand against a nearby tree, take off my heels, and make my way into the woods just so I can have a moment to decompress. I come to a stop when the noise of the party fades out to a gentle hum and sit myself down on a fallen tree. I place my heels on the forest floor and gingerly run my fingers over the mark on my neck where I feel its slightly raised outline. Just touching it relaxes me, and I can’t explain why. I look up through the canopy of the trees just as the clouds drift past allowing the light of the moon to shine down into the forest. Its soft rays of light beam down into the forest making it look like an ethereal land, not of this worl
“That was a beautiful ceremony,” Makbule praises.“Thank you,” I smile, keeping my arm tightly around Valeria. I can feel how joyous she is about having restored and completed her bond, but her apprehension of being near an irshiust is starting to shine through, though I can’t say I blame her.“It’s been so long since we attended a marking ceremony, no matter how many we see, they continue to be a magical experience,” Müjde sighs dreamily.“I see not all of you came,” Valeria says sardonically.“As much as our sisters would have loved to attend, we can not all stop our duties for one gathering. There is still much going on in the world that needs our assistance, and our duty always comes first,” says Zehra.“So where were you when Izzy needed assistance? I mean, I understand being put on hold, but for centuries seems like overkill to me,” says Valeria flippantly. I stroke her side and place a gentle kiss on her temple, relishing the electricity once again ignited by our contact.“Val,
۩ISOLDE۩ I’ve never been so sucked in, in all my life, and this is coming from someone who used to wear corsets as part of everyday wear. They weren’t as bad as people make them out to be, and they provided incredible back support. But there is no support in this dress. I’m afraid if I bend over my breasts will fall out of my dress, though Valeria might enjoy that, but maybe not in front of guests. I apply another coat of mascara and spray a little more hairspray over my hair and give myself a final assessment. This is the most dressed up I’ve been since my first date with Valeria, but it feels good knowing it’s for our marking ceremony. I wanted her jaw to drop, so I’ve chosen a strapless A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and a slit up to my hip. The fabric is a metallic chiffon in a gorgeous gunmetal colour that gathers diagonally across my body. It looks like my body is coated in liquid metal. My hair is slicked back leaving my face and shoulders completely unobstructed, an
This past week has been terrific for my self-esteem. Not that I needed a self-esteem boost, but it never hurts. Tweedledum has been our personal servant and I have loved every minute of it, especially since he couldn’t use his magic as much as he liked. Welcome to being a human! To his credit, he has done a fantastic job at preparing everything for our marking ceremony. I haven’t been allowed outside to see the final touches, and I’m dying to. I tried to peek out the window, but Arthwin magically removed the window entirely, which was a dick move. I’m finishing getting dressed in my old room while Izzy gets ready in our room. It’s nice that there are some human traditions that overlap, like me not being able to see Izzy before the ceremony. I can’t wait to see her, I know she’ll look stunning, but this is the longest we’ve been apart since her capture, and I don’t fucking like it. Izzy has been staying close, and I think it’s because she noticed that I still have pain from the reject
I couldn’t sleep a wink. One would think now that I have nothing to fear or worry about that I should be able to slip into the best night's sleep of my life. I suspect anyone who would think that has lived a very easy life. The fears that kept me up at night may be gone, but that defence inside me is still up. I spent all night watching Valeria sleep peacefully in my arms, terrified if I let my eyes close, I’d wake up only to find myself back in that cell awaiting my execution. I know everything is over and the truth is out there, and soon every makkari will know the truth, but it hasn’t sunk in as much as I thought it had. You don’t live in fear for two centuries and lose all those survival instincts in mere hours.It wasn’t so bad though. Watching Valeria sleep, knowing she’s safe in my arms helped relax me, while simultaneously filling me with guilt. She won’t tell me just how much pain she’s in from my rejection, not that I blame her. She puts on such a brave face and it’s eating