Audryn took the blade to the sides of her panties, cutting them free from her body and exposing herself to me. I should’ve taken in the sight of her, but I couldn’t wait. Loosening my pants, I freed my cock and moved to angle over her, pulling her ass to the edge of the bench. Whatever was happening outside the carriage wasn’t my problem; getting inside her was the only thing I cared about.
With her left hand, she reached down and squeezed my length, stroking my erection while wrapping her right arm around me. Dagger in hand and at my back, I didn’t care. She could plunge it through my heart, and as long as I died with my dick inside of her, I’d die happy.
I teased her entrance with the head of my arousal, allowing the moisture to wash over my skin before I pushed inside of her. I didn’t wait to take her inch by inch; there was no time to savor the moment. Feeling her wrapped entirely around my cock and her pleasure pulsating around me was all I needed. My strokes were fast and frantic, our breaths panting each time our bodies collided. I’d had a few dozen women, but none had come close to the woman in front of me.
What felt like a second later, my door flew open and anoddly recognizable curly-haired woman appeared with a dagger in hand and headed straight at my back. There was no time for me to react to the intruder, whether with weapons or magic. In one smooth stroke, Audryn instantaneously shifted to her right and embedded her dagger into the side of the woman’s neck.
The offender’s eyes turned round and her blade clattered to the floor. She grabbed at the still-impaled dagger, and I continued my strokes, letting my magic roar through the carriage. I wrapped myself around Audryn, and a glittering spindle of magic lay suspended between our connected bodies and minds—the promised mated bond that Elowen had given us. It was nothing like I’d ever imagined, but somehow my mind knew exactly what it was without having ever known it before. The image was clear, and I reached out for it, burying myself in Audryn entirely, but the bond lay just outside of my grasp.
Sprays of warm, thick blood splattered over us as the woman removed the blade from her neck, leaving the gaping wound to spew. I threw more of my magic out, covering my beloved from the warm liquid spurting and pooling at our feet. I would protect her from the gore and all else. She was mine. That bond was mine.
Hunt appeared at the door, grabbed the woman’s feet and dragged her from the carriage, letting her body fall onto the ground. Her head hit with a sickening crack. “Way to go, Sutton,” the guard quipped. “Don’t stop on our account.” He closed the door, and I pulled back to see Audryn looking up at me from tear-soaked eyes.
“Is she okay?” She croaked through a shallow breath.
I paused. “Areyouokay?”
Her body stilled, and she shook her head.
“Hey.” I lifted her chin. “You just saved my life.” I withdrew, feeling myself slide from her warmth, and instantly regretted the choice. There was nowhere I’d rather be than inside her, but doing so while her eyes beheld tears was too cruel, even for me.
Pulling up my pants, I worked quickly to secure myself and then helped Audryn adjust her dress. I placed her cut panties in my pocket, not wanting anyone else to set their eyes on her underthings—they were mine to have.
A minute later, the clattering stopped, and there was a knock on Audryn’s side of the carriage. Drawing back the curtain, I saw Fisher standing with a blood-smeared face. I pushed open the door. “Everything good?”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Fisher lowered his voice, “It was the resistance. We have two dead and the others have fled—not bad considering we’d been outnumbered.”
“Give me a moment. The people need to see their prince unharmed,” I said, closing the door and turning to Audryn. “They should see you with me, but you’re under no obligation to do so.”
She looked at me sullenly. “I need to go out there and see what I’ve done.”
“Of course, whatever you’d like,” I said and swallowed, “but know there will be a crowd. I can’t shield them from seeing you.”
She wiped at her cheeks. “I understand.”
My knees dipped into the thick garnet liquid. The warmth had started to dissipate, and the blood had turned to goo. I knelt before her and gently pushed her brown locks behind her ears, bringing the bottom half of her hair forward and letting the strands rest over each shoulder.
“Are you ready?”
She glanced out the curtain, examining the still-forming crowd, and winced.
“You can still change your mind if you’d like?”
She shook her head.
I dipped my chin and stood with my blood-soaked pants clinging to my leg. The carriage wasn’t quite tall enough for me to stand at my full height, but it afforded me enough space tohunch over. I rapped my knuckles against the wall in three successive knocks.
The door popped open an instant later, and I exited to simultaneous cheers and boos. I extended my hand, guiding Audryn out in her sage-colored dress. The verbal assaults stalled, leaving nothing but whispers. She looked up nervously, and I gestured a silent, supportive nod.
The cobblestone was painted with blood and gore. A male was dragged around the front of the carriage, his feet sliding through the mess. Carefully, I walked Audryn around the back and to the south side of the street. Her hand trembled in mine, so I pulled her in close and placed an arm around her waist to reassure her.
I saw the woman on the ground just a moment before Audryn did. I felt her sink as her legs nearly gave out at the sight, but I held her up. The realization hit me. It was the same woman I’d seen standing with her at the market; the woman was part of the resistance. And Audryn knew her.
“Jezelle,” she muttered, and covered her mouth with her hand.
The crowd watched as Audryn looked down at the lifeless woman, her body bent at an unnatural angle. Strings of coagulated blood hung from the woman’s neck to the ground, suspended in the air as the blood cooled. The people in the area watched with fervent interest.
“Audryn Clair has killed the woman who tried to kill your prince,” my voice boomed. “We owe her our loyalty!”
