GRAND LORD VLADYAVladya stiffened, anger coursing through him at the remark. "Not the girl," he blurted out, regretting his words the instant they left his lips.Ottai and Zaiper looked surprised, but they were not half as shocked as Vladya himself."You are interested in the human girl? You?" Ottai exclaimed."I am not," Vladya stated calmly, relieved that his voice remained composed. He resumed his scribbling. "She belongs to the feral.""Nonsense. Matters like that do not concern you. I have had nearly every slave, every maiden you have been with, and you have never batted an eyelash." Zaiper's gaze grew more penetrating, suspicious. "Is this girl different? Do you want her?"Vladya would sooner sever his own arm.He signaled to the soldier, who stepped forward and took the scroll from him. Rising from his throne, he approached Zaiper and stopped in front of him. "If you ever speak of this again, you will not like the way I respond."The second ruler's face paled, and he cleared h
"Yaz," he finally managed to utter when he found his voice.His trusted soldier emerged from the corner. "Yes, Your Highness?""Did all the guards on duty leave when you gave the command for them to vacate the premises?""Yes, my lord. I was the last to leave."Vladya's gaze wandered, taking in other details. The surroundings appeared cleaner. The paintings seemed freshly acquired. The walls gleamed as if they were new, and even the sculpted lion head sparkled. "They assigned a slave to work here.""Seems like it,” Yaz confirmed. “This place looks astonishing. Almost like the old days..." He trailed off abruptly, no doubt realizing the inadvisability of his words. No one with wisdom would dare speak of the old days, especially not to Grand Lord Vladya. "I beg your forgiveness for my wayward tongue, my lord."Lord Vladya waved him off, his mind preoccupied. He had personally dismissed all the slaves who used to tend to the Abyss land, not because he enjoyed the accumulation of dust, bu
"Regarding the introduction..." Aekeira's voice interrupted his thoughts. "...I heard that not everyone will be compelled to undress. The lords will handpick those who catch their eye and disrobe them. Who knows, they may never choose you. Or perhaps the lords will be hesitant to select a male?"Emeriel emitted another snort. "Urekai do not conceal their desires for whom they want to mount, be it male or female. You know that. I am more concerned for you, Kiera. I do not wish for you to suffer any further.""I am not worried about myself. It is you I fear for. I am terrified of what will transpire in that court tomorrow." Silence enveloped them thereafter."Come now, everyone has departed. Let us bathe," Aekeira declared, extending her hand, which Emeriel accepted.Together, they made their way towards the river.Aekeira remained on high alert throughout their bath. Although Emeriel spent most of the time with his body submerged in the river, only his head above water, and Aekeira pos
EMERIELBefore Emeriel could pull the tunic overhead, Aekeira moved in front of him, shielding him from view."May I g-go first, your highness?" Aekeira stuttered, her voice filled with trepidation.The three grand lords's gazes fell upon Aekeira. What she had just done was an abomination. A sacrilege.It was forbidden for a slave to make requests of any lord or to interfere with their commands. Aekeira had just broken two cardinal rules of the slaves."What are you doing, Keira!" Emeriel whispered anxiously behind his sister.Grand Lord Zaiper leaned forward on his throne, his brows furrowed. "But I commanded the boy to unclothe. How dare you interrupt a royal command?""I apologize for being so bold, but I wish to strip for you, your majesty," Aekeira insisted in a cool voice, her tone daring…like a tempest. Only Emeriel noticed the slight tremor in her hand. “Please grant me the honor.”"Mmm," Grand Lord Zaiper scrutinized her, yet Aekeira stood her ground.However, it was not Gran
EMERIELAekeira was right.They had to find a way to escape this wretched, hellish place.The thought pounded relentlessly through Emeriel’s head as he witnessed the lords molesting his sister. He fought back tears, his hands curling into tight fists.Bile rose to his throat as he observed the way they manhandled Aekeira.He had to keep his feet planted on the floor, resisting the urge to storm towards them in an attempt to save his sister. Such an act would likely result in both of them being executed.Once again, Aekeira had risked everything, putting herself in harm's way to protect him. To keep him from harm’s way.When would Emeriel have the opportunity to repay her? To truly save her?Why did his courageous sister always bear the burden of sacrifice while he cowered in fear like a craven?Emeriel gripped his tunic, squeezing it tightly. "I am so sorry, Keira," he whispered, his voice trembling.Grand Lord Ottai seemed indifferent, merely observing the entertainment with a detach
AEKEIRAAll the hands that had been hurting Aekeira suddenly stopped.The finger inside her withdrew, and a cool breeze brushed against her aching breasts, leaving her feeling exposed. Aekeira wondered what was happening, but couldn't look because Grand Lord Zaiper was still using her mouth. While Aekeira considered herself fortunate that none of these lords had tried to mount her body yet, the sticky residue of cum on her belly disgusted her.Grand Lord Zaiper's thrusting hips paused, and a smile echoed in his voice. "Look who decided to join us."Strong hands gripped her thighs, spreading them wider apart, and delivered a harsh smack to her most intimate area.The pain was sharp. Unexpected and agonizing. Aekeira's cry of agony was muffled against the manhood in her mouth. When she attempted to pull back, Grand Lord Zaiper's finger curled into her hair and tightened, holding her in place.The slaps continued, hard and punishing. Each strike relentless, leaving Aekeira in tears.
"What!?" Emeriel's eyes widened, as he suddenly halted his steps.Aekeira nodded, visibly shuddering. "The look in his eyes whenever he gazes at me terrifies me, Em. I know he dislikes all humans, but I do not understand why he hates me the most."Emeriel's eyes welled with tears, and he angrily wiped his cheek. He had never felt so helpless in his entire life. "I do not wish this for you, Keira. I hate that this is happening."A watery smile graced Aekeira's lips. "Well, the alternative is Grand Lord Zaiper, so I suppose I got lucky, right?""They are both wrong choices. When you chose to undress for Grand Lord Zaiper, I noticed an ugly emotion flash on Grand Lord Vladya’s face. I couldn’t quite interpret what it was, but it was…unsettling.""Yes, that..." Aekeira bit her lip."There were so many slaves there tonight, why you?" Emeriel wondered aloud. "Why did the grand lords single you out? Our luck is ill-fated and filled with misfortune."Aekeira, always being Aekeira, shook her h
GRAND LORD VLADYAGrand Lord Vladya strode through the labyrinthine corridors that led toward his domain.Following the Retaliation War, he had acquired many human slave, but, he never took any of them to his bed. His loathing was so intense that he feared if he did, he might unleash on the female—killing her faster than a feral beast killed its prey.But, tonight, he would take his first human female to his bed."Lord Vladya," a familiar voice called out.Vladya turned to face Lord Ottai. "What is it?" A touch of impatience tinged his voice.A semblance of pity colored Ottai's expression as he shook his head. "Do not proceed with it."Vladya did not feign ignorance, he knew precisely what Ottai referred to. Nevertheless, he remained silent, crossing his arms, staring Ottai down."Do not do it, Vlad," his friend pleaded. "Forcing yourself upon unwilling slaves is a line you have never crossed before. That is Zaiper's move, not yours. You have never cared enough to even punish a slave
Touch, his beast urged.No, I will not.“Wake up, darling,” Daemonikai coaxed gently."I don’t want to.” she protested, a dreamy smile on her lips.Her hands drifted over her body, cupping her breasts, she flicked her nipples. She let out a soft whine.A bolt of desire shot straight to his dick, his arousal back with a vengeance.“Gods of the Grail,” he swore.“I really like this dream a lot,” she cried with bliss, pinching her engorged nipples.Daemonikai closed his eyes and counted to ten. Then, counted backward from ten.Nope, his hard-on has declared a coup, raging full mast in his pants.His beast, too, was one hundred percent on board…all too aware of her.Emeriel took his hand, parting her thigh, she guided it between her open legs.“Touch me, please,” she murmured, rolling her hips desperately. “I’ve been hungry… so starved for you.”“Darling, you don’t know—”“I need you.”Younglings crying for food, an elder falling from a horse, another bloody war with the vamps.The images
The quiet concern in his tone startled her, and when she looked at him, his eyes were studying her with the same attentiveness that had begun to undo her.She forced a smile, her worry fading like mist under the warmth of the sun. Because she knew, deep down, that it didn’t matter.No matter what side of him re-emerged when they returned to Blackstone, Aekaeira would still love him anyway. "I’m fine, Your Highness."His expression tightened slightly, and for a moment, she thought she had said something wrong. Then, his tone grew firm, resolute. "Vladya."“Huh?”"Call me by my name, Aekeira," he asserted. "Not Lord Vladya. Not my lord. Not Your Highness. Just my name."Her eyes reached her hairline. A blush crept up her cheeks. "B-but…it’s not proper."He leaned closer, his voice soft, but no less commanding. "We’re alone here. Go ahead.""Vladya…" she breathed, tasting the word. It felt strange on her tongue, foreign and intimate, but there was something right about it, too. Her voice
"Frustrated about my Daemon’s return?"Zaiper’s expression darkened. "I don’t know why he refuses to stay dead." His thrusts became sharper, angrier. "Twice now, he’s wrestled with the impossible and won. Who walks through the valleys of death and comes out alive?”"Perhaps a righteous male," Sinai teased, her lips quirking.Zaiper shot her a glare. "You’re not funny.""Apologies, Your Highness," she replied smoothly, arching a brow. "It was only a joke.""As I said, there’s"—thrust—"nothing"—agressive thrust—"funny"—thrust—"about it." he punctuated with more brutal thrusts.The girl screamed, then passed out beneath him."Finally, some peace and quiet," he grunted, stepping back to survey her unconscious form with a look of annoyance. "Every time things start going my way, something switches, and I’m back at square one. It’s infuriating."Pausing, Sinai glared at her nails. "It’s all Emeriel’s fault," she said resentfully. "That little human is a thorn in the flesh. She even saved my
Emeriel kept her suspicions to herself. She was beginning to understand how Urekai society worked.An accusation of this magnitude, even in casual conversation, could have serious repercussions.“Did he… lose anyone on the night of the eclipse moon?" she asked cautiously.Daemonikai stiffened, his hand pausing. He looked up at her, his face unreadable.There it was – the shutting down.Emeriel had almost forgotten how sensitive the subject was. "I apologize for overstepping—"“No,” he squeezed his eyes shut. Taking a deep breath. “No, it’s alright. Yes, he lost Kristof, his elder brother.”“Elder?” she echoed, surprised. “I thought every kingdom chose heirs by birth order. How did Zaiper become Grand Lord if he had an elder brother?”“Kristof was never interested in the throne,” A hint of a smile crossed King Daemonikai’s face again. “Even as younglings, it never appealed to him. His dream was to be a high-ranking soldier—the best. And that was what he became. He was different from th
Emeriel stiffened.Control your reactions, or you will break this fragile moment. So Grand King Daemonikai curled his hand into fists, resisting the urge to let his hand wander.Since his return, he had longed to do this. To hold her, just like this.Maybe he had imagined it happening horizontally. On a bed. On the floor. Her naked body writhing under him while he spread those pretty little thighs apart and bury his dick deep inside—Unsafe zone. Retreat.Don't think about those sexy legs wrapped around your waist, her broken cries in the air while you—Emeriel drew back.Reluctantly, Daemonikai let his arms fall away. "Thank you, sweetheart. I needed that."For a second, he saw something unguarded in her eyes. A naked longing that mirrored his own.But she blinked, and the walls came back up."What work do you need assistance with, Your Grace?" she asked, politely.Daemonikai gestured to the empty chair opposite him, using his other hand to adjust his erection.Settling into it, thei
Emeriel was led to the grand king’s study, where her presence was formally announced."Come in," came the deep voice from inside.Emeriel entered, closing the door behind her with a quiet click. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she braced herself before finally turning, her eyes settling on him.Like frost over a windowpane, a shiver of awareness spread through her.Her traitorous body reacted instantly, sending a clear message: Hey look, it’s our sexy-as-hell beloved.Needless to say, her every nerve ending was in a state of disarray.Her legs wanted to move toward him.Her hand itched to reach out and touch his neatly styled black hair, then trail over the white strands.Her lips longed to move closer to his, to brush against them in the guise of an accident.Her tongue wished to go on an adventure inside his mouth.And her behind shamelessly wanted to sit on those strong thighs again.Yeah, she was pathetic like that.Even ‘bad bad’ didn’t begin to cover how bad she had it for this
PRINCESS EMERIELThat night, she slipped under the covers, a soft, unguarded smile still on her face. She hadn't felt this happy in ages.Both the male and beast occupied her thoughts even long after their parting.While the male stirred up emotions she wasn’t ready to face, the beast was different. Easier. Safer.She could manage the beast’s affection without risking the walls she had carefully built around her heart.Lord Herod had said Urekai males were basically linked to their beasts, two halves of the same whole.But Emeriel didn’t allow herself to dwell on that, casting reason aside, and embracing the simplicity of her beast’s company.That day in the woods had been agonizing.Leaving him there had been one of the hardest decisions she’d ever made, but she'd had to do it.It was either that or succumb to the all-powerful urge to collapse into his arms. Beg him to take her back. To see beyond pity and offer her even a fraction of his love.She had left with the last shred of her
"I don’t think you’ve lost her, either. Beneath all those layers of armor is a woman who loves you more than life itself, Your Grace." Ottai said quietly, glancing back at her. "She stayed by your side through it all. Even when the chill of the frostfever became unbearable, she never left. Fought to keep you warm with her own body, despite the danger to her own health.”The grand lord shook his head in remembered disbelief. “Beneath that tough exterior is a girl who is hurting, afraid to extend her love again."Daemonikai’s eyes followed Emeriel as she approached an elderly slave woman struggling to carry a heavy bucket. Without hesitation, she took the bucket, lifted it, and carried it across the garden. Underneath it all, she's still the same soft-hearted female he once knew as Galilea.And Daemonikai would reach her.He would tear down her defenses, one brick after another, until he found that girl again. And this time, he would never let her go."And Vladya? What about him?" he a
It barreled through her defenses, flooding her with pleasure after pleasure. Lord Vladya’s furry hand held her writhing body still as he continued thrusting his fingers into her starved body.His grip possessive, as if Aekeira’s private place were his right. His to invade, his to open up, his to claim. Fangs withdrawing, he took the thoughts right out of her head. "This is mine," he snarled, plunging his thick fingers deep and scissoring."Every part of you is mine, my sweet, pretty little Aekeira."Her body convulsed in his grasp. Aekeira was submerged in ecstasy. Drowning.At last, she slumped against him, boneless and utterly spent.Only then, did he withdraw his fingers. Giving her a raw, heated look, he brought them to his lips, licking them clean. Then, let out a guttural groan of absolute, undisguised hunger."Hearths, it almost feels like my sex drive isn't asleep." He growled, staring pointed between her open legs, to her exposed core, a savage look in his eyes. "The things