That was the crux of it. He got what Synthia reminded him of this morning. Hell, he’d spent weeks in the Guild watching how they followed orders without asking a simple question. So the question was, was Olivia a Mage, or just blindly following orders? And what could make her turn on Alden in favor of Cyrus? Both were Elders. Every time he’d observed Olivia interacting with Alden, it seemed as if she’d cared for the old man. He’d watched both Elders for months, and Cyrus was cold and detached from the others at the Spokane Guild, while Alden had treated them like family. So was she just a great actress, or skilled in treachery and part of the Mages plan?
There were too many unanswered questions, and she was obviously not used to pleasure, which would make getting those answers an easy feat. The problem was, he wasn’t used to being the asshole, and he’d hid his own pain behind his snark. But now, it was near impossible to manage with the old wounds ripped to the surface. He needed answers from her, and he needed to know why she’d done it. People had died, and while he carried no love for those who had perished at the Guild, he’d been betrayed, and worse, he’d been drugged by a tiny little female because his dick had wanted her to slip and fall on it. That pissed him off the most. One simple fucking mistake and he could have ruined everything they’d worked so hard for, and all because he’d wanted her to be the sweet little innocent thing that everyone had assumed she was.
His eyes roamed over the numerous herbs and flowers until they landed on his younger sister, Ciara. He stifled a groan as he moved in her direction, knowing that if he left now, she’d only follow him.
“Minx,” he said, as he neared her.
“Hey, how are you feeling? We’re all a bit worried about you,” she admitted as she took his hand and kissed his palm in greeting.
“I’m doing better,” he said, his mind replaying his early morning spent with Olivia. In fact, he felt a lot better since he fed from her. “How are the babes?” he asked, moving his mind to the safer subject.
“They need us to get a move on healing the Tree,” she whispered as she surprised Ristan with a tight hug, which caused him to wince. Obviously, he hadn’t been completely healed by fucking.
“No luck on finding a cure, then?” he asked as he pulled away, hoping she’d take the hint.
She moved to the small stone bench and sat with her hands in her lap. “They don’t think I can help,” she mumbled. “They act like I’m weak, and I’m not. I can fight; I’ve been trained by Zahruk and Sinjinn. I can help,” she said, her eyes lifting to meet his with a look of sheer determination in them.
“That doesn’t change the fact that you were born female, Minx, or that it’s our job to protect you,” he teased lightly.
“Synthia can fight, and no one says she’s a female,” she growled. “I’m not her, and I get it. Her lineage is superior, but mine isn’t lacking either. I’m the princess of the Horde, and I can help them.”
“Ciara, you’re rash and young. You don’t think before you act, and I know you think you’re ready to take on the world, but you’re not. You need to make better decisions and stop being foolish. Stop trying so hard,” he said as he smiled at her, his eyes watching as a look of defiance lit in her eyes.
The air was thick with the heady scent of flowers in full bloom. His nose caught the subtle scent of jasmine, which reminded him of the sweet beauty sleeping in his bed. Lush greenery covered the stone walls that protected the gardens, and vines had sealed the cracks which had formed when Ryder had killed their father. The gardens were near the great hall where his father had impaled Dristan with his razor sharp wingtip. The kid had been close to death. Ryder had lost it, and the battle had been brutal and had shaken the foundations of the castle. In the end, he’d ended the monster that had endlessly tormented them all.
His eyes moved to the gated entrance, and to the double dragons that symbolized the Horde, and smiled. So much about this world never made sense before the change of monarchy, and now, with the impending doom of Faery, it did.
His eyes drifted back to his sister and he shook his head. “So much depends on that Tree, and right now isn’t the time for a rebellion, Ciara. Now is the time to be united and fight for those babes; they need us. All of us. If you still feel this way after that is accomplished, I will stand by you when you speak to Ryder. If you approach him before that, you’ll be on your own in your fight for independence.”
Ristan’s eyes moved to the Goddess standing at the far side of the garden. The gold lining her body was blinding, and it wasn’t Danu this time. Fucking hell. He shook his head, but the Goddess paid him no heed; her eyes were on Ciara.
“Fucking hell,” he whispered reverently as his eyes moved to his sister’s.
Ciara twisted in her seat and scanned the garden, but her eyes came back in confusion. “What is it?” she whispered, as she absently rubbed her arms as a chill wind blew through the garden as Destiny watched her with a wicked smile on her beautiful lips.
“It’s nothing we can’t handle,” Ristan said, his tone promising the Goddess that they were ready for anything.
*~*~*
Pacing beside the bed, Olivia’s body ached from where she’d been pleasured by the monster. She wasn’t sure he was a monster anymore, but she needed to remind herself that he was. This wasn’t one of her romance novels that would end with a happily ever after. It was a horror story.
Girl meets gorgeous guy, guy turns out to be a monster, kidnaps girl and tortures her. She dies. End of story.
She’d allowed him to take her virginity, and yet she’d done it to prevent it from being a threat that he could use to torture her with. Did she regret it? She wasn’t sure yet, but she’d liked it. A lot. Of that, she wasn’t able to lie about. It had hurt, but only at first, and the things he’d made her feel… Those things already made her body grow moist for more.
She was such an idiot!
She had the sheet wrapped around her, wearing it like a dress, because he’d left her in bed with nothing to wear. The chain attaching her collar to the bed was longer than the night before and allowed her to reach the bathroom without his assistance, but it wasn’t long enough to get to the door or window to check for an exit or escape route.
Her breasts were still sensitive from the clamps he’d used, and every time she turned in her pacing, she was reminded of what they’d done together. Considering his impressive size, she thought the pain would have been a lot worse. The dull ache was just another reminder of what she’d done. She’d allowed it, and fuck if she didn’t like it! She was such an idiot—or maybe she should blame her romance novels for her unrealistic expectations.
It was always the same story. Girl gets taken, girl falls in love with her captor, and he ends up loving her. It was absolute rubbish! She wasn’t living some novel; he sure as hell wasn’t going to fall in love with her, and there was no damned rainbow! But damn, the sex? Better than anything those books had explained. And yeah, her vagina might ache today, but the traitorous bitch was doing a happy dance to finally have seen some action.
Her body was clean, and yet she still felt his touch as if he’d burned her with it. A ripple of a tremor shot through her starting at her toes as she closed her eyes and pictured herself with him. She’d been eager, and not a single protest she’d given had sounded as if carried truth.
Memories of everything they’d done kept replaying through her mind. Since she’d woken up, she thought of little else but what he’d done with her body. To her body. The guy had some mad skills she’d all but purred and sang Dixie for him while he fucked her. There were other things, though, like those angry red marks from his torture intertwining with his dark silvery brands of his lineage. Along with a mark that looked like a symbol of the Fae goddess on his left pectoral. The surprising wink of silver from barbells that pierced his nipples. His abs looked as if he’d stolen them from a cover model from some
male physique magazine. Then, last but not least, his cock. Nothing she’d ever read, or seen could have prepared her for that thing. It was probably considered a concealed weapon in the States. She giggled and shook her head. Here she was, held captive and mentally describing her tormentor’s penis. Brilliant!
Her body had responded to his touch, and it had finally allowed itself the pleasure she’d always tried to self-achieve, but unlike when she’d tried, he had succeeded in making her body sing.
She felt his presence before the first soft footfall sounded from behind her. She stalled her pacing, and her eyes closed as she felt the blush spread across her body. She hadn’t considered seeing him this soon and now knew why the morning after a one night stand was so awkward.
What was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to say anything? She was so out of her safe little world that she wanted to use the sheet as a shield and hide in its silky embrace. She felt him at her back, his immense physical presence almost palpable as she waited for him to speak.
She forgot to breathe, to move, forgot she was his prisoner until she felt the tug on the chain and was turned around by it. Her eyes lit with fire as she spun on him but sputtered out when she found him holding a tray of food. Her stomach decided to choose that moment to let out an audible growl of hunger.
“You can eat, but only if you do so naked,” he said with a wicked smirk on his lips.
“I am naked,” she pointed out, her hands gripping the sheet to her bosom like a lifeline.
Ristan’s eyes slid down the sheet to her bare feet and back up. “Lose the sheet, and I’ll let you eat. We can talk while you do so.”
With shaking hands, she un-tucked the material and let it float to the ground, where it pooled at her feet. “I won’t tell you any Guild secrets, or anything that could hurt my Guild.”
“It’s a little late for that, isn’t it? Considering your Guild is nothing but a pile of ashes,” he murmured as his eyes slid down her naked body.
Her nipples were red, not the delicate shade of pink they normally were. That was his doing, along with the clamps he’d used. Her hair was mussed, and the humidity in Faery had created a frizz that had it out of control. He may have bathed her with his magic, but her body still held proof that he’d taken her.
His hand came up slowly, cupping her breast before his thumb grazed her sensitive nipple. She whimpered as it caught her off guard, and sent another quiver through her body, which he saw. “Please stop,” she whispered, her eyes lifting from his hand to meet his swirling silver and black stare. “I’m starving,” she admitted, and she was. She was thirsty as well, and the red wine he’d brought—or she assumed that was what was on the tray—looked good enough to swallow in one drink.
“Tit for tat,” he said as he waved his hand and the chain at her neck dropped to the floor with a loud rattle. “I give you a piece of food, you give me answers.”
“And if I say no?” she asked as he pinched her nipple painfully, which seemed to make her lady parts drench themselves with anticipation. She blushed yet again, and tried to remove her eyes from his, but failed. The heat in them floored her, and as she watched, his nostrils flared as his lips tipped up in the corners. Could he smell her pussy growing wet with need?
No freaking way.
“You can do the math; you’re a smart girl, Olivia. You know enough about the Fae and what we can do. I could even have one of my brothers come here and question you. There wouldn’t be much left of your mind but scrambled eggs if I did, so I would highly recommend you cooperate. Now, come and sit with me,” he said, already heading to the small sofa in the room. She followed close behind him, completely aware of the fact that she was stark ass naked, and wetness was spreading down her thighs where they touched together.
She moved to sit on the sofa, but he took the entire seat, his eyes meeting hers briefly before they looked down at the floor at his feet. She considered arguing, but she was starving to the point where it felt as if her insides were consuming themselves.
At his feet, seated on her knees with her hands palm down on her thighs, she looked up. He swallowed hard and shook his head as he placed the tray down on what she was sure was nothing…until a small table appeared.
Magic; that had to be it. Demons must have magic that was similar to the High Fae. That had to be why her body was responding to him like some hussy with a cock fetish. “What do you want to know?” she whispered as she forced her mind away from where it was going.
“Cyrus,” Ristan said, his eyes lingering on hers before he picked up a generous slice of bread, wrapped it around a piece of cheese, and popped it into his mouth. One of his hands wandered along her back, distracting her.
Olivia licked her dry lips and stifled a moan as the scent of meat, cheese, and freshly made bread tickled her nose. “What about him?”
“How long have you been working for him?” he asked, his fingers moving to the next piece of meat as his other hand continued to explore her body absently.
“Since I was twelve and started training to take my place in the library,” she admitted.
She was handed a small sliver of cheese, and the moment it was placed in her hand, she devoured it with vigor. It tasted like heaven, and she closed her eyes and moaned as she chewed it. When she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her with a look that made her pussy clench tightly in awareness.
“Do you know him outside of the Guild?” he asked, and watched as her face pinched with confusion.
“Why would I know him outside of the Guild? He’s an Elder, and for a while now, they have remained closed up inside one Guild or another. Before that, they didn’t go out much to begin with. My entire life is inside the Guild—or it was,” she said, and her stomach did a somersault with just how pathetic it sounded.
“And Alden, I know he has always been more involved with the Enforcers and their training, but he was responsible for you as well, right?” he asked, his fingers slowly trailing over her naked shoulder.
“He’s always been active in the education and activities of training us. So yes, that is true,” she said softly as a feeling of guilt fluttered through her stomach. “Cyrus was the one in charge of the librarians and the catacombs, so I left Alden’s care when my field was chosen.”
“So then why would you turn Alden in, when he is, after all, in charge of the Enforcers? Were you upset that you were given a desk while others got to hunt down and kill Fae?”
“Hardly; I love my job. I love working with the children,” she swallowed hard, her eyes misting with tears as she shut her emotions down quickly to avoid him knowing she’d just hit something that hurt her.
Ristan felt it, that flush of guilt mixed with pain from her own actions, but it made not a lick of sense. “So then tell me why you turned against Alden,” he said softly.
“Why?” she growled as fire lit in her sapphire depths. “Why?” she asked, her body sizzling with anger.
“That is the question. I can repeat it for you if you need me to,” he said smoothly, his eyes dancing with laughter. “Why did you betray Alden?” he asked, his eyes lowering from her angry lips to her lovely tits, which his large hand had engulfed. Her hand rose as she placed it on his much larger one, then actually growled at him.
“Because of you!” she snapped angrily as her other hand fisted at her side. “I didn’t want to do it, but I had to because of what you did.” Her eyes danced with her anger, and he’d be damned if his cock didn’t take notice. “I thought it merely a fantasy of you, but it wasn’t. Nor was it a dream. I saw you between my legs, doing things to me,” she whispered the last, and then almost groaned as her nipples hardened at the memory.
“You saw me sucking your pussy clean,” he corrected. “You almost came for me; do you remember that?” he asked, needing to know exactly what she remembered when Danu had used her body.
>
“I remember watching you, but it was like I was a witness, not a participant. I saw you change. I thought it was a just a dream until I got to the library and Cyrus was there waiting for me. He told me about the wards going off, and that something from within the Guild had done it. He said most likely it was the Fae. That maybe one had been inside and had sifted out. He had a video of you, Alden and I entering the carrel, but only Alden and I left. You never did. That was when I knew it hadn’t been a dream. Cyrus accused me of helping you and said he’d have me tried for treason because I was giving you Guild secrets—and I had been! I may not have known it, but you know the Guild doesn’t give two animal crackers about that. You ruined me, and yes, I did what I had to do to save my own ass.”
He nodded and handed a generous piece of meat and bread.
“Did you like it, what you felt?” he asked, his eyes following her mouth with each bite she took.
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
“Yes, you do,” he said with a smirk, his eyes lighting up with knowledge. “I felt your need to come for me while my mouth sucked on your sweet pussy. You were soaking wet, and that was all you,” he growled, his eyes swirling with their inhuman beauty.
He handed her the wine, which she gulped down eagerly, uncaring when it dripped down her lips and onto her chest. She was parched and wasn’t going to allow him to stop her. She finished it and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, ignoring the cold droplets that slid down her breasts and stomach.
“Why didn’t you try to warn Alden?” he asked, going back to stroking her flesh, noting that she didn’t move away from his touch, but actually moved into it.
“And if he was what Cyrus said? What then? I’m not an Enforcer, and I was out of my scope.”
“Scope?”
“I was out of my league, over my head. Had I known what was coming, would I have done differently? Yes, of course. I was told that you’d both be questioned.”