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Sonny waggled his eyebrows, a smirk tugging at the right corner of his mouth. “This is some punishment.”
“You’re not supposed to like this,” I fired back.
He laughed. “I don’t give a shit about this suit.” His hands fell to my hips, and he rolled his tongue across his bottom lip. “The sight of you on top of me is priceless.”
As his fingers traced my inner thigh, images flashed before my eyes. A piercing pain shot up the right side of my head, and my eyes slammed shut.What the fuck?It hurt so bad my vision blurred, and I had a metallic taste in my mouth.
“Alex,” Sonny said, but his voice sounded so distant.
And without warning, my mind drifted to another place.
We moved through the dark passage lit by lanterns built into the walls, with symbols etched into the stone. A chill rolled down my bare shoulders, and my teeth chattered. Luca noticed and hooked his arm around me. He pulled me close as he led me deeper underground. It was my first time in The Devil’s Knights temple, which thrilled and terrified me.
Why had I asked to see Legare beforehand? What if I hated it and couldn’t finish the ceremony? Luca was a man on a mission, and I was a girl in love with her tormentor, her bully.
The Knights followed us, their footsteps the only sounds in the cramped passageway beneath Devil’s Creek. After we walked for a while, Luca pushed open heavy double doors at the end of a long hallway. He extended his hand, gesturing for me to enter before him. Nerves shook through me, my skin tingling with fear and excitement. I’d never been with anyone but Luca. He was so rough and possessive, and with him, I knew what to expect.
But what about the Knights?
Damian and Bastian scared the fucking shit out of me. They had kinks that made me pity the women who would end up with those psychos. Cole was a mystery to me. He’d spent most of his year at York Military Academy, and we hadn’t gotten to know each other. Drake was a wildcard, the silent type who often surprised me. I didn’t know what he would be like duringthe ceremony, but if his dance moves were any sign, he would probably amaze me in bed.
There were years of longing between Marcello and me. We had an unspoken bond that I didn’t have with the other Knights. It differed from what I had with Luca. And I wanted to explore my sexuality before I became the Queen of the Knights.
My eyes traveled around the room, lit by candlelight. I stared at the symbols on the walls, attempting to decipher their meaning. Two iron thrones sat atop a dais at the front of the room, and an altar was at the center.
After the Knights grabbed their ceremonial robes from the hooks on the wall, they pulled them on and covered their heads with hoods. Luca had prepared me before we left the house. We even rehearsed a few lines from the ceremony in the mirror while he slipped his hand beneath my dress and made me come. He wanted to be the first and last man to touch me tonight.
Luca dressed in his robe and moved behind me. His fingers ghosted my arms, creating tiny bumps down my skin. I wore a black dress with gold trim and a rope belt that hung loosely around my waist. He tugged on it as the Knights gathered around us in a circle. My skin ignited as if flames were running through my veins.
Luca slipped his fingers beneath the straps on my shoulders. My throat closed up as the fabric slid down my body, dropping to the floor around my ankles. Bared to these men, I had nothing left to hide. They knew all of my secrets, and I kept theirs. And once we completed the real Legare, we would have nothing between us.
My knights dropped to their knees and lowered their heads. Luca gathered my hair in his hands, and I waited with nervous anticipation, barely able to control my rapid breathing. With each breath, my chest ached. Luca’s fingers brushed my hot skin, leaving a fire trail in his wake. I leaned back againsthis chest, consumed by his delicious scent, entranced by the overwhelming sensation of his lips on my neck.
He kissed my neck as the Knights kneeled patiently before their future king and queen. I glanced up at my handsome Devil, staring into his intense, blue irises that held me within his clutches. I’d always gotten lost in those eyes that would frighten most people. With one look, you could see that Luca was an evil man. Most people feared him, but I saw the man who owned my heart each day that drew closer to our wedding day.
Luca clutched my chin and tilted my head until our eyes met. “Are you sure about this, Drea?”
I nodded.
“You remember what we rehearsed?”
“Yes,” I whispered, and then he released my chin.
His hand moved to my bare backside, his fingers digging into my ass. “Then it’s time to choose your Knights.”
Luca’s long fingers brushed my stomach, and I shivered from his delicate touch. His careful perusal extended to my nipples, which were painfully sore from the chill in the air.
“Where do I start?” I asked Luca.
He pinched my nipple as his teeth grazed my ear. “Who do you want most?”
I stepped out of Luca’s grasp and moved toward my knights. They were so silent I couldn’t even hear them breathing. With Luca keeping his distance behind me, I moved between them, unsure where to start. As much as I wanted Marcello, I knew I should begin with Sonny. My gut instinct told me he was the right choice. So I moved to where he kneeled and shoved the hood off his head.
Sonny glanced up at me, his green eyes flickering with mischief as they raked over my naked body with fascination. He looked like a child on Christmas morning, his presentalready unwrapped and waiting for him to play. A semblance of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I choose you, Shane Cormac.” My heart hammered in my chest as my fingers brushed his cheek. “Do you swear to protect your queen, now and forever?”
Sonny nodded. “I do.”