When I saw where he was taking us, my suspicions were confirmed. The King only allowed visitors into his private chambers when he wanted to play with them.
The guard who had followed us stepped forward and opened the door for the King. After we entered, he shut it, no doubt settling into a position before it. But was he keeping people out or in?
The Swan King's personal quarters were a display of hedonistic sensuality. Velvet draped the windows and formed a canopy over the bed, fur rugs lay haphazardly across the thick carpet, and everywhere you looked there was a spot to lounge. The colors were black—in honor of the King's swan form—and gold, with splashes of red. Everything was padded or solid so that nothing creaked. The king liked to hear evidence of his prowess from his lovers, not the furniture.
“Please, have a seat, Konstantin.” Nikolay waved toward the sitting area before the fireplace.
Konstantin chose an armchair, one of those red splashes, while the King went to the couch. He sat down, removed his crown, set it on a side table, and motioned me over. I started to sit down beside Nikolay, but he stopped me.
“Take off your jacket and shirt, Misha,” Nikolay said, his tone casual.
A zing of anxiety lightninged through me. So, this was to be the game tonight. I was to be shown off to the man he believed wanted me.Oh, do you like my jewelry? Have a closer look. Notice the facets of the stone. The rich color. Yes, it's valuable. Imagine wearing it. But don't you dare touch.Niko loved lording, or in his case kinging, his power and possessions over people. Showing me off to the Kaplan accomplished both. I should have seen this coming.
With a sense of dread and my stare locked on Niko, I obeyed, shrugging out of my jacket and then removing my shirt. They both got folded over the back of the couch and then I stood there, waiting for his next order.
The Swan King's hand slid up my stomach. “My Misha has a beautiful body, don't you think, Konstantin?” He slid his eyes to the Kaplan as he pinched my nipple.
I lifted my chin and stared straight ahead, between the two men. Maybe if I didn't react, didn't add to the tiger's fire, Niko wouldn't make me give another performance tonight. Oh, who was I kidding? I was fucked. The only question was, would it only be physically or would it be figuratively too?
“I don't know what game you're playing, but it ends here, Your Majesty.” Konstantin started to stand.
“Then you don't want my consort? What a shame. I was about to offer him to you.”
The Kaplan fell back into his seat as if he'd been pushed. Or punched. “What are you saying?”
Hold on, whatwashe saying?I finally looked at Nikolay.
“Sit down, Misha.” Nikolay patted the couch beside him. “But first, take off your pants.”
“Hold on a second,” Konstantin growled. “What are you doing?”
“I have a proposition for you, tiger, and I advise you to listen because it has never been offered before,” the King's voice turned to stone. He flicked his gaze at me and nodded.
I unbuckled my belt, a flush rising to my cheeks, and then pulled it free.
“I thought you might like to see exactly what you could have.” Nikolay unbuttoned my pants, then motioned for me to hurry up.
I didn't look at either man as I pushed my dress pants down, I was too busy trying to hold back my tears. Niko had shown me off before—many times before—but he'd never offered me to anyone. Yes, I was attracted to the tiger, and perhaps that was why Nikolay was doing this; it was his cunning way of punishing me. Because being offered to the Garin like a book to be borrowed made a mockery of my desire. It made a mockery of me.
I bent over to remove my pants, my ass facing the Kaplan, and heard a rapid intake of breath from him as I straightened. At least he wanted me in return. It made the humiliation a little easier to bear. But I was certain that Nikolay was counting on Konstantin's desire as much as he was punishing mine.
“Now your shorts, Misha.”
“Niko,” I whispered in entreaty as I met his stare.
He lifted a brow at me, daring me to refuse. I could. As his only consort, he granted me allowances that his other lovers didn't enjoy and one of them was the right to speak up. To tell him how I felt. To be honest with him if I dared. But there was risk involved. If I refused to obey, and the King insisted, it would go badly for me. It would be akin to telling a bully about your fear of spiders. He would use my reluctance against me and double the intensity of whatever he was about to do. That lifted brow was a warning of exactly that.
The Kaplan stayed silent, but I could hear his labored breathing. Throat closing on my protests, I shoved my shorts down.
“Turn around. Show him what he could possess,” my king commanded.
I clenched my hands into fists and, breath stuttering, turned to face Konstantin. I didn't know what Nikolay was up to, how far he'd take this, but I did know that anything I said would only make things worse. I lowered my gaze to the floor, blinking rapidly. As a shifter, I didn't have a problem with nudity, and I'd been naked around many men in Nikolay's bedroom. But those were men I'd known for most of my life, men I had no sexual interest in and who I knew would never be allowed to penetrate me. This was not the case with Konstantin.
Nikolay's hand slid over my back and down to my ass. “Lovely, yes? His hair is white even there. And it's soft as down. Would you like to feel it?”
My stare shot to Konstantin's and those wild eyes met mine. The skin around them twitched as his chair creaked under the strain of his tightening grip on the armrests.
“Whatexactlyare you offering me, Your Majesty?”
