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I meet resistance but keep going.

She cries out. “It hurts.”

“My princess. My beautiful princess. You feel incredible.”

“The king,” she groans.

The mention of the word fills me with a possessive anger and jealousy. I ram harder inside her, right down to the hilt. I’m fucking her now, taking her completely.

“I’m going to fill you with my cum. If anyone is going to put a baby in your belly, it’ll be me. You can go to King Robertus with my child growing inside you. Then a part of you will always be with me.”

“Oh, fuck, Ruarok. By the gods.”

She grinds on my cock, as though she wants more. I reach between us again, my fingers finding her clit. I know this is all it’ll take to tip her over the edge. I rub the engorged nub, even while I slide my cock in and out of her.

Her back arches and her pussy clamps down. Her inner muscles pulse around me, and she shudders and bucks. Her nails claw into my back; her eyes squeeze shut. I give her a moment then fuck her hard and fast. Within a few seconds, my own orgasm travels through my body, condensing in my balls and exploding from my cock. I spurt inside her, jamming myself deep as I give myself to her.

We both go slack, breathing heavily, our hearts thumping. I let out a breath and roll to one side.

Taelyn props herself on one elbow and slaps my shoulder. “Fuck you, Ruarok. Fuck you. You promised you wouldn’t go any further, and you did.”

“It’s what I do, remember? It’s who I am. I’m able to sense when someone wants it.”

“Not with me. Never with me. I am my own person, and I get to make my own choices. About everything, but especially about that. You can’t use your magic on me like you do with others.”

“I’ve never used magic on you. I’ve never needed to.”

I don’t understand her anger. I’ve never had someone angry with me after we’ve had sex. Normally, they’re as though they’re in a trance or a dream, almost high from the fucking and orgasm I’ve given them. Taelyn seems the opposite, though. She’s fully aware and furious as hell.

I’m hurt. This should have been something special between us. How can she act as though she didn’t want it when I know she did? I’m an Incubus. It’s part of my senses to know when a woman wants to fuck.

“You’re lying to yourself,” I tell her. “You did want me.”

“Get out and leave me alone. I mean it. I’ll be glad when I’m gone from Askos and far away from you.”

How the fuck did that go wrong so quickly?

39

TAELYN

I leave this morning.

Silent tears fall down my cheeks. I turn in a slow circle, observing how bare my room already looks, though I’ve only packed a few cases and some personal items.

I have to travel light.

I’ll take a couple of horses with me, including my gray mare, Arsher, but it’s a long journey, and I don’t want to put them under undue strain because they’re carrying packs laden with stupid trinkets. None of it means anything. It’s just stuff. Now that I’ve agreed to marry King Robertus, nothing seems to matter anymore. I’m not sure I even feel the sadness at leaving the castle or the city. I take my misery and stuff it deep inside me. It’s better if I feel nothing.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Skylar asks as she helps me dress. “Isn’t King Robertus a lot older than you?”

I nod. “And King Themaris Loftborn was a lot older than my mother, but she still married him, and, for themost part, they lived a happy life together. Sometimes, as a ruler, it’s important to do what’s right for the kingdom instead of what you want as an individual.”

“But what about?—”

She cuts herself off, but I know what she’d been about to say.What about Prince Ruarok?

My heart aches, but I try not to feel it. He’s not important. What we shared together was just a few moments of sex. It was nothing important.Heis nothing important to me.