THE GRAND HIGH COURT OF RAVENSHADOW FORTRESS, URAI.GRAND LORD VLADYAThe court had large walls, decorated with fancy paintings, fine carpets, needlework, and detailed fabric designs.Two raised platforms stood out.The first held three big chairs with fancy gold designs. Behind it, a second platform rose even higher, holding a bigger and more decorated throne.Sitting on the three big chairs were Grand Lord Ottai, Grand Lord Vladya, and Grand Lord Zaiper. The single throne behind them, which belonged to Grand King Daemonikai, was empty."From the screams that echoed last night, I take it you went ahead with the plan, Lord Vladya," Zaiper said calmly, his manhood forced into the mouth of the slave girl kneeling before him."You are correct, Lord Zaiper," Vladya answered simply."We agreed the plan was not wise, did we not?” Zaiper expressed, his grip tightening on the slave's hair as he pushed her head down. “It’s time to accept that King Daemonikai is long gone. There’s no need to ke
GRAND LORD VLADYAVladya stayed silent. He felt nothing about the girl's death either.Maybe he would have felt guilt or something like it if he still had a soul. Sadly, his heart was now an empty space where his soul used to be, and his conscience had died five centuries ago.Along with his former bondmate. And best friend.Lord Vladya rose from his chair. "I must remove her dead body from the forbidden chambers. The young prince will go next." His lips tightened in disapproval. "This means Lord Ottai and I must make another trip to the human lands. This time, we will travel across the twelve kingdoms and take all the princesses, even the daughters of the wealthy. We made a mistake bringing back only two. We should have taken at least fifty.""That course of action could potentially trigger another war," Ottai protested."I would not mind one," Vladya deadpanned without emotion. "In fact, I welcome any fight that comes my way."As always, Ottai tried to keep the peace and gave him a
Emeriel frowned as Madam Livia added, "At least, I think that's what the Urekai call people like you."A Syren?Emeriel shifted uneasily, feeling confused. "What does that mean?""It is what the Urekai call non-Urekai who can go into heat. It means you are able to bond with a Urekai. Your body is changed enough to mate with them, with new glands and all. Hades, you might even be a Soulbond."Now, he felt even more confused. His face must have shown it because Madam Livia took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well, let us start again. What do you know about Urekai bonds and bondmates?""I know that what humans call marriage, Urekai call bonding," Emeriel began. "It is rare for a Urekai to find their Soulbond: the one person meant to be their true partner. Their soulmate. Only Soulbonds can have children easily. Most Urekai pair up through contracted bonding—they choose their own partners. It is not because they do not want the bondmate nature made for them, but because finding a Soulbon
PRINCE EMERIELEmeriel was at a loss for words. His wide eyes stared at Livia in shock and disbelief, as if the older woman had suddenly grown a second head."I do not want this," he blurted out, voice rising with panic. "I do not want any part of it.""We cannot choose to be a syren, Emeriel," Madam Livia said firmly. "Many human females have tried to become one over the centuries, even doing extreme things, but it simply does not work that way." She paused, her voice softening. "There are countless females who would give anything to be in your position right now.""But I do not want it!" Emeriel exclaimed, springing up from his seat, unable to sit still. He paced the length of the room anxiously. "Let them have it. I do not care. I do not want to be a syren, a bondmate, or anything else!"Livia looked at him silently, her expression saying more than words ever could.Running a shaky hand through his ponytail, Emeriel stopped and turned to face her, his chest rising and falling with
Emeriel had seen Grand Lord Vladya and Grand Lord Ottai, but not the one called Grand Lord Zaiper. Whenever his name was mentioned, the Urekai maids and human slaves would all look terrified. Every single one of them."He is the worst of all the grand lords," The slave girl, Amie, had whispered to him the day before, her eyes wide as she looked around to make sure no one was listening and the hallway was empty. "Lord Ottai can be sweet when he wants to be, and Lord Vladya is very scary. But like Lord Ottai, he is fair and just in his leadership. But Lord Zaiper?”Amie had glanced around again. “He is a monster. His slaves die every day. Some starve, others are tortured for fun, and some are even raped to death. His slave masters are the worst, and Lord Zaiper does not care. He does not even see us as human."Emeriel's eyes had widened to the root of his hair. “This lord is worse than Lord Vladya?""Actually, Grand Lord Vladya is not that bad," Amie had stated firmly. "When it comes to
PRINCE EMERIELEmeriel carefully wiped the stained glass with a washcloth. He had been assigned to clean the fourth layer of the southern wing this morning and had been at it for the past hour.Last night, Emeriel had dreamed of the king’s beast. It was strange.He had never seen the beast before, yet somehow, for reasons he could not explain, it occupied his thoughts. To the point of entering his dreams.But why?It was a question he had asked himself over and over, without finding an answer.As he scrubbed the glass diligently, he hummed softly, running the cloth over the surface until the dirt was gone. Just as he reached for his rinsing water, he heard voices growing louder."What about the land beyond Crystal Waters?" a woman asked."It is not within my power to grant you that land, and you know it," Grand Lord Vladya replied.His tone was surprisingly gentle, lacking the sharpness Emeriel had come to associate with him."But you are also a grand lord. Surely you can make this ha
Without warning, two sharp fangs sank into Sinai's skin, and the beast began drinking from her. Pain shot through her body, and she hissed in response.The beast did not flood her with elixir to numb the pain or ease the discomfort, as Daemonikai would have done if he were in his right mind. Instead, the beast simply took, over and over.Her heart raced, pumping more blood to meet the beast's unending hunger. This was the key difference between a bloodhost and any other host: a bloodhost’s body constantly produced an endless supply of blood to feed their master—no matter how hungry their master were.As the beast fed, it released pheromones that wrapped around Sinai, and a pleasurable sensation began to spread through her body. Her whole being burned with searing lust, the pleasure growing inside her.Even after two millennia, she had never grown used to this feeling. At this point, Sinai knew she never would.The sensation was simply too powerful, too addictive, and at times, the org
"You should not be here, Em. Please, go away.""And what are you doing here?" Emeriel countered, casting an apprehensive glance toward the imposing metal gates. "Come on, let's leave this place," he urged, taking hold of Aekeira's hand."No!" Aekeira jerked her hand away. "I need to be here. But you, Emeriel, you should not. Leave.""What? No! You do not need to be here. No sane person should be here!" Emeriel seized her hand once more, this time his grip tightened. "Come on, Keira, please, let us go!""I can't, okay!?" Aekeira's voice cracked, tears falling, smearing her makeup.She looked completely tired, as if burdened by the weight of the world. The sight pierced Emeriel's heart like a dagger.His sister no longer tried to withdraw her hand; simply too weary to fight."I cannot leave, Em," she whispered tearfully. "If I do, it will be you who goes behind those closed doors."Emeriel recoiled at the thought.But he quickly recovered. "Fine, I will go to the forbidden chambers—""N
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