Page 60 of Axel (Belles & Bratva Beasts #2)

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

AXEL

“What do you think she’ll like?”

I consider a black latex bodysuit.

“Not that,” Vale scoffs. “That’s so Dom and all you.”

She swishes across the showroom floor of Delta’s, wearing her usual Wednesday Addams fashion. Pulling open an ivory lacquered drawer, she says, “Yes, Ruby’s a badass. She’s always tough. So let her be your soft, beautiful sub tonight.”

She purses her lips, considering the options in the drawer.

But me? I grin at how Vale and I have come a long way.

Naturally, she hated me at first, and I hated that she didn’t fear me. Hell, Vale doesn’t fear any of us.

It’s the mark of a queen—a woman not intimidated by men.

“What’s her favorite color?”

“Purple. Or lilac.”

“God, she’s going to look stunning in this.”

With her fingertips, Vale lifts a lilac lace bra. I’m sure it costs a fucking fortune for less than a foot of fabric.

“They have matching lace ouvert panties,” she says.

“What in the hell are ouvert panties?”

“Elegance in the front.” She lifts a pair, flipping them around. “And party in the back.”

“Crotchless?”

“Sort of, but prettier. See...”

She hands me a pair, and this is how much I love Ruby. I’m getting schooled on French lingerie.

“The lace covers her pretty mound, but then two thin straps leave her perfect pussy exposed and wrap around to the back, leaving her gorgeous ass exposed, too, and?—”

“I get the idea,” I growl.

“You’re getting jealous.” Vale smirks. “It’s ironic. All the shit you gave Nash about him not wanting to let me be tested and initiated by the kings, and now the shoe is on the other not-mafia-mafia foot. How’s it feel?”

My shoes.

My socks.

I’ve stopped wearing them around Ruby. I climb into our bed, completely naked and totally hers.

“Like everyone changes,” I answer Vale.

“Ahh.” She pats my arm. “I’m so proud. Have I ever told you how handsome you are when you aren’t being a big dick?”

“Oh, I’m always a very big dick.” She rolls her eyes. “And you’re always even prettier when your mouth is shut.”

Vale always gives me shit and I give it right back. It’s what we do. And I will kill for her and die for her, too.

She’s a queen, so I give her a quick hug.

“Thanks.” I peck her raven hair. “Now, point me in the direction of the hottest nipple toys.”

“Do you want the magnetic balls like Nash used on me?”

I can’t help it. The memory of Vale’s initiation stirs my cock. Probably because Ruby’s cheek was resting on my stiff erection that was dying to initiate Ruby, too.

Finally, it’s tonight.

“No, I want something I can use with her collar.”

“I got your kink covered.”

Vale hooks her finger, and I follow, spending an entire hour shopping for Ruby’s initiation before I disappear upstairs into our throne room.

Usually, I prepare the room for initiations, but since tonight is for me and my queen, Sire is taking over.

I find him in the throne room, rearranging things.

“What are you doing?”

“Time to change it up,” he says. “Instead of the queens sitting opposite the kings, let’s sit in a semicircle, surrounding the platform, but we’ll leave The Queen’s throne opposite and at the top of the room.

” He centers her red throne, before scanning the others, the black and white thrones. “See? This way, everyone’s included.”

Never does our mother attend an initiation or a test. She only sits on her throne for meetings.

And forever will Alena’s throne, the seventh queen’s chair, remain empty on the other side of Loch’s.

Alena doesn’t know about this room. She’ll never be initiated like the other queens. She doesn’t need to be. She’s a queen by blood, and hopefully, Loch will get her back. He’s dying without her.

But when we grow and Ruby gives me my four little princesses, we will definitely change our traditions. I’ll find a convent for our daughters, and no one will ever touch them.

And yes, I know Ruby, my beautiful future wife and mother of our girls, will teach our daughters how to rebel under my rule.

I’m ordering the Xanax right now.

But this tradition?

It means too much to me and my brothers.

It’s the foundation for our families to grow.

For some reason, our father is showing mercy and restraint. Not like we won’t fucking kill him if he comes for us.

But it’s this tradition that gave us a fighting chance against him in the first place. A chance to be more than the beasts he raised.

We’re men.

We’re kings.

We’re free.

“Thanks.” I deadpan, “Because that’s exactly what I want tonight. For e veryone to be included.”

“It is more blessed to give than receive.” Sire chuckles. “And Ruby’s earned it. We need to give her a royal initiation.”

My cock stirs.

“So, you’ll help me?”

“Always,” he vows. “Tell me your boundaries and I’ll respect them.”

“Let’s see what mood strikes me.”

Sire smirks, nodding, but he knows. Nash knows. All the kings and queens know.

There’s something that takes over during an initiation. It’s powerful. The sacred becomes sensual. The bonds become boundless. The devotion to another erotic. It’s anointed and animalistic. Pure and profane.

Of course, we have lines that brothers never cross.

But with the queens? We share. We worship. We’re beasts dedicated to their pleasure.

“And tomorrow?” Sire sets out crystal glasses for vodka shots. “Wren’s inviting herself to your place for lunch. All of us. We’ll bring the food, and you’ll give away the kittens.”

A pang hits my heart.

What the fuck? Already?

From finding Sparky, our pregnant pain-in-the-ass cat, to watching each kitten born, to them pouncing on our bed, or shredding toilet paper, and lately, purring against my bare ankles when I brush my teeth … it’s time to say goodbye?

Not like we won’t see them. Not like we’re giving all of them away. We’re keeping Sparky and one kitten.

But it’s what Ruby wants.

It’s another bond for our family.

Everyone will take a kitten home. Everyone except Mom, who says she’s waiting for grandkids, not grandkittens, and Loch. He has dogs that won’t play nicely with a little golden lion.

Sire sees my face fall, like Ruby and I are about to be empty-nesters, and he shakes his head. “Wow, she’s really got you.”

“My cat?”

“Yeah, her too. But I mean Ruby, and I’m happy for you. Relieved actually. Damn you’re a dick when you’re miserable.”

“Like you’re a fucking ray of sunshine.”

“Oh, but I am, dear brother. For the Lord is a sun and a shield.”

“God, when will you stop quoting scripture?”

“When it stops annoying you.” He laughs, setting Ruby’s throne beside mine.

I guess from now on, she’ll sit between me and Nash.

Nash is second in command. He’s earned it, and Sire never wanted it. He accepted the third king’s throne out of obligation.

I think Sire fears how savage he can be. That he’s worse than me, so he doesn’t want the power.

Instead, he prays.

“So after her initiation tonight, when’s the big day?” he asks.

“She wants to get married next month in Mykonos. At The Mercier Hotel. It’s the first place we?— ”

“Oh, I heard. Nick was impressed.” His smile crinkles the tattoo by his eye. “And you give me shit for my kink.”

“Hey, every king has his kink. No judgement. As long as it gives us kids, too.”

“Yeah.” He gets that distant look. “Give us kids.”

“Hey, man. I didn’t mean to?—”

“It’s alright.”

I know Sire is bisexual. Since we were teens, he never hid it.

And I know he loves Wren above all. All the judgment some people give him as a pastor who’s now married to his parishioner. One who’s twenty years his junior. Though Sire looks perpetually thirty; it must be all those prayers and shit keeping him young.

Either way, he refuses to be shamed for loving Wren.

If the uptight haters only knew how they met. What he did for her. What he sacrificed.

Besides, they don’t know Wren, either.

Just because a woman is young, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t know exactly what she wants. That she can’t make that choice for herself.

And good fucking luck trying to argue with Wren that an older man knows what’s good for her when, hell no, she’ll tell you what’s best for herself.

So it’s none of my business how Sire’s sexuality plays out in their marriage. I just know he’ll be devoted to Wren until his dying day.

“I’m trying to get her pregnant,” he adds, “and yes, fucker, I need it kinky, too, so Lord willing, we’ll have a baby one day soon.”

I nod. I smile. I hide the ache in my chest over Lev.

I want to tell Sire about my son. How I’m going to get him back. I share so many of my secrets with him, but not this one .

I promised my mom I wouldn’t say a word, and I know it’s killing her too, fearing that one of her sons betrayed us.

Though Sire?

He endured so much abuse from my father, too. His ink covers his scars. If anyone knows what a threat our father is, it’s Sire.

“What do you think?”

He gestures to the room in a sweeping motion.

“I like it.”

I do. The new arrangement is more fitting with the queens sitting beside their kings instead of opposite them. It feels more intimate and connected.

It’s like a new era has begun. Our queens share our power and missions now. Particularly mine. They don’t just sit by and watch, and our throne room should reflect it.

Arranged like this?

For tonight?

Every king will be able to watch how I love my queen, how I’ll claim her for them to witness, while he enjoys his queen, too.

And fuck.

It stirs my cock even more.

I check my phone.

It’s almost time to get Ruby.

For our new life to begin.