He was laughing.
The man who’d been unable to speak for centuries. Chained and gagged by his own house to keep him under control. The same man who’d finally found his voice during our first night together—only to scream and bellow with pain. Letting centuries of bottled-up rage boil free.
Helaughed.
“Forgive me,” he gasped, finally lifting his head. Tears streamed down his cheeks too, but his red eyes glowed with soft radiance. “I’m not. Laughing. At you. Never. My queen. Only…” Hestretched out a hand toward me, and this time, I reached out and clutched his fingers in mine. “You’ve done so much for me, my queen. You freed me. You even freed my monster. You allowed me to be of service in a way I never dreamed would be possible. Even if you never touch or feed me again, I would lay down on my belly before you and beg leave to kiss your feet. Yet you weep because you think I might be unsatisfied in this new reality, which is better than anything I ever dared dream in my entire life.”
I hiccupped but at least I got the waterworks under control. “Then why did you say you were unworthy?”
He dropped his gaze to our hands, and his cheeks bloomed with color. “I saw some of the others. Feeding. I thought—” His shoulders quivered. “I have no such expectations, my queen. I’m a flesh eater. I’m happy to simply exist in your court however you wish, even if I never taste your blood again.”
Ah. He thought I wouldn’t want a flesh eater that close to my delicate bits. I had no problem whatsoever with his jagged teeth or darker urges. I trusted him—because he had fully surrendered control of his ushi-oni to me.
Before I could say anything, my stomach growled again, driving Rik to pull the tray closer beside us. He shifted me enough to cradle me in his left arm. Then he picked up the spoon to feed me himself.
I opened my mouth to protest but he just stuck the spoon in my mouth before I could say anything.
“Let us take care of you, my queen.”
Which had multiple implications. I knew my alpha inside and out. He chose his words with intent and spoke them out loud for a reason.
I nodded. “If you don’t mind,” and then accepted another bite of soup.
“We love and treasure every moment of existence with you, Shara Isador, last daughter of the Great One. Especially whenyou allow us to worship you like the goddess incarnate you are. Vore, our queen is in need of cleansing. Do not so much as scrape her with your teeth.”
“Understood, alpha.” Despite his words, Vore hesitated, flickering another quick glance up at my face. Silently asking for permission, needing that extra little bit of security that I wouldn’t be offended, or worse, scared of him approaching.
I gave a gentle tug on his hand, encouraging him to come up on the bed with us. “If you don’t mind,” I repeated.
Though his brow furrowed, he eased up onto the bed carefully, making sure not a single drop of soup dripped from the spoon as Rik gave me another bite. Though something did drip. On my leg. Again.
Drawing my gaze back to his face. Saliva dripped from his mouth, glistening on his chin. Droplets dampened the gray sheen of his shirt. “All food is sacred, let alone blood from a fertile, powerful queen. Why would Iminda chance to hold one drop of such precious magic inside me?”
His tongue swiped over the clear droplets of saliva as he came nearer. His hair dragged like raw silk on my calves. I opened my knees wider, giving him room to slip closer. I reached down to stroke my fingers through his hair. “May I ask?—”
His head snapped up. “Yes, please, my queen. I’m eager to serve. I’ll do anything.”
“I just thought you might want to remove your clothes first to avoid getting blood everywhere. Plus I want to feel your skin against mine.”
He flashed a wide, toothy smile and hopped lightly off the bed. Though the sudden absence of his weight made the tray rattle and shift. Rik narrowed a hard glare on him as he gave me another bite of soup.
“Sorry, alpha.” Though his smile didn’t slip as he quickly unbuttoned the shirt and removed his pants.
Rik grunted an acknowledgement, not really angry at all. “Rookie mistake, especially when our queen’s breeding. If I call you to us, remove your clothes before you get on the bed so she doesn’t have to wait a single moment. Unless the other queen is here. Then keep at least your pants on.”
Standing naked, waiting a moment so he didn’t jostle my next bite, Vore nodded. “I noted the others dressing at least partially before leaving but I didn’t know why.”
Which gave me a nice, long look at my newest Blood. Don’t get me wrong, I loved every bulging muscle on Rik’s gigantic body, but I also loved a trim, sculpted physique as well. Even in his human form, Vore’s shoulders and chest were just as broad as Rik’s, still ripped but lean. His waist looked damned near tiny in comparison. His abs and thighs wrapped in rock hard sheets of muscle. His hair swept about his shoulders, not quite as long as Nevarre’s, but thicker and heavier. Almost like a pelt of sleek, shiny hair.
“Our queen loves to look at us.” Rik’s voice thrummed my spine, oozing with supreme confidence and a touch of smug amusement. Evidently, I was the one drooling now, because he wiped at my mouth with the napkin before he gave me another bite of soup. “She doesnotlove other queens to look at what’s hers.”
Vore moved ever so slightly, his hair fluttering gently about him. And then he was in my space, inches away, that long, heavy hair slipping over my groin. “I see. I assume that’s also why the other Blood carry clothing when we travel, in case they must shift.”
“Exactly. Either take spares or prepare to remain as your beast until we’re back inside the nest.”
I didn’t realize my eyes had closed in bliss, until the metal spoon lightly touched my lips. Opening my eyes and my mouth for the next bite, I ran my fingers through his luxurious hair. My heartbeat quickened, anticipating the stroke of his tongueon my skin. Not even in my pussy. It didn’t have to be in an intimate place. Not yet.
I just wanted to feel him against my skin.
