Despite vowing to feel nothing, his cock paid attention, stirring to life as she licked at his neck, then moved downward, tracing his nipples with her tongue.
“I see you like being a slave, Lycan.”
He grit his teeth and mentally fought with his body, to no avail. “I will never give up my freedom.”
“Well, your heart may say that, but your body says something else.” To prove her point, she slid the light sheet down over his hips, revealing his erection.
Damn traitorous dick! Why wouldn’t it pay attention and lay flaccid?
He watched with an equal mix of excitement and trepidation as she trailed her hands over his stomach and lower, then wound her fingers around his straining cock.
“What a warrior you are. Wounded, weakened, you still manage to rise up to greet me.” Stroking him leisurely, she kept her gaze focused on his face. “Tell me, Lycan, would you like me suck you?”
“No,” he lied, but his shaft jumped in her hands.
She laughed. “Oh, I think you would like that very much. Even tied up, your body cries out for release.”
He was about to tell her that she meant nothing to him, but her lips surrounded the head of his shaft and sucked him gently. He arched his hips, thrusting against her hot, wet mouth.
She groaned as she engulfed him, cradling his balls in her hands and caressing them, tugging on them until he couldn’t help but let out a moan of pleasure.
Despite the fact he was tied up and helpless, despite how much he objected to this indignity, he couldn’t hide the fact that he wanted her, craved the release that she could provide him.
“Stop this, Starr,” he managed through clenched teeth. “Let me go and I’ll make sure no harm comes to you or your people.”
She murmured against his shaft, but otherwise ignored his plea. Her assault on his cock was relentless, alternately licking and sucking his shaft until she had taken him as far into her throat as she could. She stroked him, licked him, suckled him until he fisted his hands into the sheet and prayed for release.
His prayers were answered when she gripped his balls and squeezed him gently, then swallowed his cockhead. His hips thrust off the bed and the orgasm he couldn’t hold back shot forward into her greedy mouth.
After swallowing every drop, she pulled away, licking her lips and meeting his gaze. Then she pulled the covers back to his chest, leaned over and kissed his lips. Remnants of his seed lingered in her mouth. Tasting himself on her only made his flagging erection spring to life again.
Her eyes were dark pools of emeralds. She was not unaffected by what she had done, a fact that provided at least some comfort.
“I think we’ll play this game again later.” She left the room, leaving him stunned and unable to utter a word.
For a man who had always been in charge of his own destiny, being tied up and helpless was a bitter pill to swallow.
He was a slave, and at Starr’s mercy. And a sweet mercy it was. Watching her take his shaft in her mouth, the exquisite pleasure of releasing his climax down her throat, was almost more than he could bear.
He did not care for this situation. Something would have to change, and soon.
* * * * *
Starr spent the rest of the day with Rhia and the warriors, trying to come up with a defensive plan in case of a Raynar attack.
Lycan had been correct in his assumption that Raynar warriors would come for him. She knew it was only a matter of time before his army arrived at her gates. An army that her people could not fight alone.
Was she willing to risk the lives of her warriors, the very survival of her kingdom, to pay him back for enslaving her?
Could she let him go? Offer him a mercy he had not offered to her? How would she look in the eyes of her people if she let the King of Raynar simply walk free through the gates?
She sat on the edge of her tiny bed and laid her head in her hands, thankful for the quiet solitude of her chambers. There was no way to win in this situation. She would have to let him go. As much as she wanted to punish him for denying her freedom, she couldn’t stand by and watch her people slaughtered.
By now, Tor and the others were aware they hadn’t returned. The Raynar warriors would be storming Dognelle’s gates by morning. She had a large army and strong warriors. But they were no match for Raynar. Not alone, anyway.
She would have to let Lycan go. There was no other choice.
Earlier in the day, she had ordered the guards to take him into the dungeons and encased him in a cell with only a chain binding his ankles.
Not quite the same as being taken to the concubine’s chambers, or Lycan’s own chamber, but it was the best Dognelle had.
Besides, she had done it to get him away from her, so that what she’d done earlier wouldn’t happen again. She couldn’t seem to resist touching him, pleasuring him. And in doing so, had driven herself mad with wanting. Her body still ached with a raw hunger that only Lycan could satisfy.
No. That time was over and would never happen again. She couldn’t let it happen again.
Their lives were so different, and yet one thing was the same—freedom. Despite having been bathed and well fed and clothed, Starr had still been a slave. And she’d rather live out her days starving in the desert with her people, then spend the rest of her life as a cozy, pampered concubine. To her there was no choice.
She headed down the staircase into the dungeons, shuddering as she did every time she walked into the dark, musty rooms. Lycan was chained in the first cell, dressed only in his breeches. The bandage on his shoulder looked clean, though, and he’d apparently removed the one on his head. An ugly purple bruise and a lump formed near his left temple.
Her first thought upon seeing him was to rush in there and release him. Guilt sliced through her at treating him this way. He was a king and deserved better. What had she been thinking when she ordered the guards to bring him here?
“Ah, I see my captor is here to taunt me.”
She should feel anger and the satisfaction of revenge as she looked upon him. Instead, a miserable ache gnawed at her and guilt wriggled its way into her thoughts. What was wrong with her, anyway? “I’m not here to taunt you.”
“Aren’t you? Why are you here then, Starr?”
His anger was palpable. She felt it sail through the bars of the dungeon. Not that she blamed him. “I’m just checking on you, to see how you’re faring.”
“I’m fine. Now leave me alone.”
Exactly what she should do, but when she turned to leave, her feet wouldn’t move. She dug the keys out of her pocket and opened the cell door, careful to leave the keys out of his reach. She stepped inside and stopped in front of him.
“Living dangerously today?” he asked.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You stand so close to me, vile, dangerous criminal that I am. Shouldn’t you fear that I’ll wrap my hands around your pretty throat and murder you?”
“You’d never hurt me.”
He went quiet for a moment, then said, “Are you certain of that?”
He was taunting her, and she knew it. “Yes.”
“Let me go, Starr. Your time runs out.”
Which was precisely why she was down there in the first place. But something about having him at her mercy appealed to her. Recalling what had happened that morning when he was tied to the bed had her nipples beading against her tunic. He’d never make love to her again if it was his choice. And she was about to set him free, never to see him again except on the battlefield. Was it so wrong to want one more moment in his arms?
“Perhaps I want to use you as my sex slave, instead.”
His brows arched and he stepped toward her, hampered by the chains at his ankles. “You would use me that way?”
“Yes.”
“What if I don’t want you to touch me?”
She offered him a smile and closed the gap between them, placing her palms on his bare chest. “Like you didn’t want me
to touch you this morning?”
He shrugged and turned away. She followed. “Lycan, I want you.”
“I’m not your toy, Starr. I don’t perform simply because it’s what you want.”
“Isn’t that the way you treat your women, though? Isn’t that the same expectation you have of them?”
He scrubbed the back of his neck and leaned against the wall. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“You take them whenever you want them. You touch them when it is your desire to touch them. You snap your fingers and expect them to come running because it’s what you want, when you want it.” She demonstrated by running her fingers along his spine, then cupping his firm buttocks with her hand. He shuddered and turned to her.
His eyes had gone dark as a cloudy day. She glanced down to see his erection framed against his breeches, then met his gaze again.
“This is just sex,” he said, nearly spitting the words out with fury that showed clearly on his face. “Nothing else. If I meet you on the battlefield again, I won’t hesitate to run you through.”
His words were spoken in anger, but she knew the truth of them. It left her with an emptiness she didn’t want to face. “I know. But that is later. Right now I want you inside me.”
He paused as if he considered ignoring her request. But then he grabbed her and crushed his mouth against hers, wrapping his arms around her tight and none too gently.
Which was exactly what she wanted, what she needed. When he moved her so that her back brushed the wall of the cell, she whimpered. He kept his mouth on her, driving his tongue repeatedly inside her mouth. At the same time he ripped the laces holding her shirt together and spread it open, filling his hands with her breasts.
Starr couldn’t breathe, the force of her desire making her heart race erratically. She unfastened his breeches and pulled his cock out, stroking the length, loving the feel of his rigid heat in her hands.
“You want this, we do it my way,” he said, his voice tight. He unfastened her breeches and yanked them down and off her quickly. With one hand he pinned her arms over her head and leaned over her breasts, sucking and biting at her nipples until she cried out shrieks of pleasure. He moved his fingers over her sex, finding and parting her slit and driving his fingers inside her. He fucked her hard and fast, using his thumb to pet her clit until all she could see were sparks in front of her eyes.
Lycan’s assault was primal, filled with lust and the desire to take what was offered. Her cunt squeezed his fingers as her first climax washed over her, soaking his hand with her juices. But he didn’t stop there. He let loose of her hands and reached for her buttocks, lifting her off the ground.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on to his shoulders as he took her mouth in a ravaging kiss at the same time he plunged his shaft inside her pussy. She screamed into his mouth, suckling his tongue as he drove hard and fast against her. Her naked back and buttocks scraped against the rock wall of the cell, but she didn’t care.
All she cared about was reaching the pinnacle, falling over the edge with Lycan inside her.
“Faster,” she commanded, lifting her hips in time to his rhythm. Sweat beaded on his skin and she licked it off, biting the side of his neck hard. He dug his fingers into the flesh of her buttocks and slammed his cock deep, driving her against the wall.
“Come for me, Starr,” he ground out between gasps. “Come all over my cock.”
His words were all she needed to catapult over the cliff. Her climax hit her with such force that she screamed his name, digging her nails into his shoulders and shuddering with the ferocity of her orgasm. He roared out a guttural groan and came, his body tensing and his face buried in her neck.
They stayed that way for a few minutes, both of them panting heavily. She held on to Lycan as if she never wanted to let him go.
The truth slapped her and forced her eyes open wide. She didn’t want to let him go. Not ever.
She loved him. Her heart leapt against her ribs as the realization hit her. This man, her enemy, her captive, was also the man she loved.
And the man she would never have.
“Lycan, I’m letting you go.”
Chapter Twelve
Lycan’s head snapped up and he gazed at Starr’s face. He still didn’t have his body under control after what had just happened. Her cunt still pulsed tight around his cock, forcing another erection. He wanted to fully undress her, lie her down on the cot and make love to her, slowly this time.
Instead, she tells him she’s releasing him.
Just like that?
By Lal, she infuriated, vexed, tormented and intrigued him like no other woman. And he found her utterly unpredictable. “You’re letting me go?”
She nodded, and pushed lightly at his chest so he would set her down. Reaching for her clothes and dressing quickly, she avoided his eyes. “We have to hurry. I want you outside before your warriors storm our gates.”
Wondering what brought about her sudden change of heart, he reached for her. “Starr.”
She turned to him, her eyes revealing a pain he hadn’t expected to see.
“Don’t ask me any questions, Lycan. Just get your things gathered and let’s go.”
“Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on. Why are you setting me free?”
“I’m protecting my kingdom. I know we’re no match for your warriors. Come on.” She bent down and unchained his ankles, then led him through the doorway and up the stairs. “I don’t want to cause any kind of commotion, so I’m going to have a couple of my guards escort you through the gates. Wait here for a moment.”
She left him behind the door, giving him time to adjust his clothes and slip on his boots. Her manner confused him. A few minutes ago she was fiery passion, as if she couldn’t get enough of him. Now it seemed as if she couldn’t wait to be rid of him.
Would he ever be able to understand a woman’s mind?
And more importantly, did it even matter? He would be freed and back in Raynar by tomorrow. Which should be all that mattered.
But it wasn’t. Like it or not, Starr mattered to him.
She opened the door and put her finger to his lips to silence him, then motioned him to come out.
This wasn’t the way he’d been led to the dungeon. They walked down a hallway to the kitchens. The rooms were dark but he could make out the cooking and eating areas.
“My guards will take you to your people. Do I have your vow that they will not be harmed or detained?”
“Yes, you have my word as King of Raynar that I will let them return to you immediately.”
She nodded, then pointed to three balon just outside the door. “Go.”
He turned to her, not wanting to leave things between them unfinished. “Starr, I—”
She shook her head and looked down, but not before he caught the moisture welling in her eyes. “Go, Lycan. We have nothing more to say to each other.”
After nearly pushing him out the door, she closed it, leaving him standing there in the dark with no choice but to head toward the balons. Damn, he hated leaving things unsettled between them!
He thought of turning around and walking back in there to confront her, but what would that yield except more misery for them both? They weren’t going to be together. Belaboring the inevitable was useless.
So why did his heart feel as if someone crushed it in their fist?
He mounted the balon and followed quietly behind the two guards as they rode through the courtyard. The gates opened and they passed outside into the desert.
By the time they’d reached the turn of the main road, he could see torches in the distance. Raynar warriors, no doubt. Pride filled him at the sight of so many of his people coming to his rescue.
A rescue that hardly seemed necessary now, given that Starr had let him go.
Within an hour they were spotted by his warriors. Tor and several others galloped forward, swords drawn. They halted a few feet away, no doubt waiting to see what the Dognell
e would do. Tor cast murderous glances at the guards on either side of Lycan.
“These women are not to be harmed,” Lycan said, then nodded to both the Dognelle warriors, who cast Tor a look of disdain, then turned and headed back to Dognelle.
“They should be strung up for daring to kidnap the King of Raynar.”
Lycan silenced his friend and ordered the troops to return to Raynar. They rode for only a few minutes before Tor started in.
“We will not be attacking Dognelle?” Tor asked.
“No.”
“They took you by force.” Tor pointed to his shoulder. “You are wounded.”
“Yes.”
“We should avenge you! They are no match for us.”
“There is no need. As you can see, they let me go. Leave it be, Tor.”
“But I don’t under—”
“I said leave it be!”
The balon he rode howled at the sound of his raised voice, but he ignored it, and Tor, for the rest of the ride. He had enough on his mind without trying to appease someone else’s thirst for revenge. Tor was loyal to a fault, but misguided at times. Lycan understood the reasons for it, but it didn’t excuse Tor’s occasional insubordination. He forgave that because of Tor’s upbringing.
Dawn had broken by the time they reached Raynar. As they rode through the gates, crowds approached, all cheering. He smiled and greeted everyone, but all he really wanted was the solace of his chamber, and some time alone to think.
Unfortunately, it was not to be, as Tor followed him into the bath chamber.
“I don’t understand you sometimes,” Tor said, standing there with his arms folded while Lycan undressed, pulled off the bandage covering his shoulder and slid into the bath.
“Obviously.” He groaned as he eased neck deep into the steaming water, hoping the bath would soak away not only the soreness in his muscles, but the tension that had filled his body since the moment Starr told him she was setting him free.
“Would you care to tell me what happened back there?”
“Not particularly.” What he wanted was to be left alone.