I shrieked and jumped.
“Oh, did I scare you?” Sir Timur sat in a chair near the window. My reading chair. It was the only seat with a lamp beside it.
“Timur? What are you doing here?”
“The question is, what areyoudoing here, Mikhail? The King is looking for you. You haven't been seen since midday. Neither you nor the Garin. Now, I could tell His Majesty that when I went to the village—at his command—I found you innocently waiting out the storm at the Swan's Beak. Or I could tell him that I found you locked in the embrace of your lover.”
I slipped out of my coat and gloves as I stared him down. “What is it that you want, Timur?”
He leaned forward and licked his lips as he looked me over. “A taste of what you give the King.”
I froze. “Excuse me?”
“Excuse me?” He mimicked me. “You think you're better than the rest of us just because you're his favorite. His precious Misha. But you're just his toy.”
“I know this already.”
He blinked.
“You think I have it better than you? You think I enjoy what he does to me? What he makes me do to him?” I stepped forward. “I am property to him, nothing more. At least you have some freedom. But now you come here and want to what? Put me in my place? Don't try to justify your actions. You want your dick sucked, and you thought you'd found a way to force me to do it. To make me your toy too.”
“Fine,” Timur snapped as he stood. “But I don't want you to suck my dick. I want you to strip and bend over your bed. I want to fuck that tight little hole the King loves so much. And I want to hear you moan for me as I do it. Now strip.”
“That's not happening.”
Who was this person?Before Konstantin, I would have probably done as Timur ordered, too afraid of what the King might do to me. But now, I'd rather face Niko's wrath than give up any more of myself, especially to the likes of Timur.
“Do it or I will tell the King that I found you fucking that tiger-shifter.”
“Go ahead. I will tell him that you tried to blackmail me into fucking you after finding meinnocently waiting out the storm at the Swan's Beak.”
Timur flinched.
“That's right. It will be your word against mine. And who do you think Sofia and Dmitry will back up? Or anyone in the village for that matter. Do you think they'll confirm your lie or mine?”
He paled.
“Get the fuck out of my room!”
Timur glared at me but he also headed for the door.
“Oh, and I will be telling His Majesty that you found me in the pub, so it would behoove you to scurry over to his chambers and assure him that I've only stopped to change out of my coat before I attend him.”
“This isn't over,Misha.” Timur slammed the door.
I stared at the door, feeling more powerful than I had in, well, ever. And then I started to grin.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Ah, there you are, Misha,” Niko drawled as I entered his bedroom.
He was alone, sitting before the fire. Which made me nervous. At this time of night, the King was rarely alone.
“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. I heard that I worried you. The Garin and I went to the village and got caught in the storm.”
“The storm has been going strong since yesterday. Why would you visit the village today?”
Damn, that was a good question.
