Page 14 of Love Bites Harder (Mated to the King #3)
fourteen
CLEMENTINE
The next few nights were something out of a dream.
Kai woke me up two or three times a night with his face between my thighs.
Or his hands.
It always led to his cock—and damn, it was the perfect cock. Everything was bigger in the fae realm, including my mate. Earthside sex might feel pointless.
Or maybe it would be a nice break from his monster cock. Only time would tell.
During the days, I could tell he was holding back when he wanted me. I decided against calling him out on it, though. He was still getting used to taking what he wanted at night. His vines often started touching me before he did, so he wanted me more than he was letting me see.
But I could wait him out.
Change didn’t happen overnight. Especially when that change required letting go of control a little for a fae king who clung to it like a lifeline.
Eventually, he would trust that I could handle him.
Until then, I’d enjoy the ride.
Pun intended.
Even if he had technically never let me be in charge enough to ride him. We’d get there too.
“I think we’re supposed to go back to Earth now,” I said, playing with his hair as he held me to his chest after screwing me. Though I still missed my sisters when I was away from them, I was getting used to the distance. Honestly, I was a little codependent, so it was probably good for me.
And it had only been like two and a half days for them, so I hadn’t really ditched them.
“I was waiting for the next eclipse,” Kai admitted. “It’s usually not more than two weeks between them here.”
My eyebrows lifted. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“No. The last time we had this much time between them, it was the worst eclipse I’ve ever seen. It lasted three months here.”
My eyes widened. “That’s around two weeks Earthside?”
“Yeah. That’s the eclipse I ended after I left you here.”
Right after we’d met.
“But it was almost that long when I was talking to the… candidates… and there was a short eclipse after that. Shouldn’t there be more smaller ones between the big ones?”
“I assume my shutting it down early affected it. But the eclipses don’t follow any rules, Five.”
“What’s your theory about why they’re happening, then?”
Kai hesitated.
He didn’t want to trust me with whatever he’d figured out.
That hurt, but only a little. I’d realized that he didn’t trust anyone . So the fact that he was even considering telling me was a sign that we’d progressed in our relationship.
If it was really a relationship.
I wasn’t even sure what to call it.
We were friends who screwed, and there was no escaping the mate bond, obviously, but there was no romance. No asking each other about our days. No professing of love. Nothing cute .
And yeah, relationships didn’t have to be cute—but that was what I’d always wanted.
Wasn’t it?
Shit, my mind was a mess.
“My dad mentioned an anchor in one of his journals. I haven’t found another reference to it, so I have no idea what it could be or where he might’ve put it. I think it’s the anchor of the fae realm. The thing that connects it to Earth, and makes portaling possible. All fae feel something working as a channel when we pass through—but I haven’t figured out a way to follow that something to the source.”
“Huh.” I frowned, considering it. “So you think it’s in the Manor?”
“That would make the most sense,” he agreed. “But without knowing what I’m looking for, I can’t tear everything apart. It could be a person. A piece of jewelry. A flower. A drawer . If I start ravaging Fae Manor in an effort to find it, I could end up destroying it unintentionally.”
“Which would mean permanently separating Earth and the fae realm?”
“It’s a possibility. One I’m not keen on.”
“Obviously not,” I agreed. “But you think if you keep reading the journals, you’ll find more about it?”
“I hope so.”
“Why didn’t he tell you about it before he died?” I knew the question was a dangerous one. The only things I knew about his past were what I’d heard from the people helping run the Manor and the realm, but I knew it wasn’t good.
Kai stiffened beneath me. “We didn’t talk. He didn’t trust anyone.”
Neither did Kai, but I wasn’t going to say that.
What I’d heard of the man was enough to make me pretty sure they were nothing alike.
“Someone must’ve told him, though.”
“The king before him died nearly a thousand years ago. He was my grandfather. My father killed him when he was twenty-one, because he wanted his throne. From what I understand, he was a good man. He would’ve taught my dad everything about the kingdom.”
“Including the anchor.”
“Yeah.”
I bit my lip, wanting to ask but not wanting to upset him. After a minute, I decided caution could get to know the wind, and asked quietly, “Is that what happened to your dad?”
Kai’s body stilled beneath mine.
The man didn’t even breathe.
“You don’t have to tell me,” I added. “I get it. Family stuff can be hard.”
“No, I…” He cleared his throat and finally resumed breathing, though he was still unnaturally still. His arms were tense around me, and I didn’t dare pull away. Not when I wanted him to trust me just a little more. “I didn’t kill my dad for his throne. I never wanted his throne. My family is the most powerful by enough that our rule has never been contested, but I didn’t want it. I just didn’t have any other choice.”
I was quiet, waiting for the rest of the explanation.
His arm tightened around me. “He was abusive. Killed my mother when I was eight. He got worse as I got older, but I didn’t fight back until I didn’t have a choice. He was going to kill me. I had to choose him or me—and I knew he’d find someone else to hurt if I was gone. No one deserved that.”
My eyes stung. “I’m sorry, Kai. You shouldn’t have had to survive that. No one should.”
“Don’t apologize for something you didn’t do, Five.” His hand cradled my face, and he wiped away a few of my escaped tears with his thumb.
“I’m going to apologize as much as I want. Deal with it.”
He chuckled softly. “As stubborn as usual.”
“You don’t even know the definition of stubborn until you’ve tried to get one of my sisters to do something they don’t want to.” I shook my head. “I’m the nice one. Well, not the nice one. The friendly one. Avery’s much nicer than me. But she’s more stubborn, too.”
“You could stand to be a little less friendly.” His hand slipped into my hair, and I scowled at him.
“You’re the one who mated with me. You’re stuck with the friendliness, now.”
His lips curved upward, just faintly. “I’ll fuck it out of you.”
I laughed—hard. “If that was possible, I’d have been cured long ago.”
He rolled me to my back, leaning over me as his eyes flashed. “What did I say about mentioning the other men you’ve been with, Clementine?”
“I don’t remember,” I lied. “Guess you’d better remind me.”
His gaze darkened, and he thrust inside me hard.
It was always hard and fast with him. Never soft and slow.
And I loved that—it definitely worked for me. But I had to wonder what the alternative would feel like. I hoped eventually, I’d get to find out.
“You’re playing with fire,” he warned, lifting my legs higher around his waist, so my ass wasn’t touching the ground anymore.
“Then burn me already.”
The words earned me a feral grin, and he fucked me like my life depended on it.
Honestly, I was becoming so addicted to him that maybe it did.
We stopped in the Manor to make sure everything was okay later that day.
I sat in an armchair on the side of the room while Kai discussed the particulars of their plan for the next eclipse with Austin and Rocky. Apparently, Blair and Izzy had offered their pool and lake to give the fae relief, which was insanely helpful. I wasn’t sure they would be happy about doing so if it ended up being another two-week eclipse Earthside, but it would definitely help the fae. A few of them died every time an eclipse happened.
Since there was no room—or need—for me in the conversation, I texted my sisters.
Me
Hello, ladies
I’m back for now
Zora
Can we kill him yet?
Me
Nope
I like him now
Zora
Seriously?
Me
Most of the time
Blair
Any sign of another eclipse?
Me
No, but it should’ve happened by now
The guys are bracing for another long, bad one
Izzy
Who are all of the guys?
I gave them a quick rundown of the men who helped run the castle and the Manor.
Avery
Can Kai end it again, like he did at the lake?
Me
From what I gathered, they’re hoping he can if it gets that bad, but it has to last a long time before he can make that happen
I think the moon gets stronger the longer it’s eclipsed or something. I’m not sure. I’m basically just the king’s arm candy right now, so they don’t tell me everything
That was an oversimplification.
I knew Kai told me things about the anchor that I bet he hadn’t told anyone else. And he was vulnerable with me in a way no one else ever saw him.
Zora
We can still kill him
Blair
That would start a war
Zora
One we could win
Blair
You’ll have to mate with Bane or Talon if you want someone to attack the fae for you while they’re this weak
Damian won’t do it unless he’s actually hurting her
Me
He’s not
Really, I like being with him. And the sex is amazing. We just haven’t figured out all the dynamics yet
Izzy
That takes time
It’s only been a few days
Me
Much longer than that for me, but yeah
It’s not going to happen overnight
Kai’s childhood was really dark. He doesn’t trust easily. But eventually, I’ll worm my way in
Izzy
Atta girl
Avery
That’s really sweet. Just don’t let him change you
Me
Don’t worry about that
He likes me the way I am
Zora
I think I just gagged
I laughed aloud, and the men in the room turned to look at me. My face warmed, and I lifted my phone. “Sorry. My sisters…”
Paul and Rocky turned back to Kai, but his eyes were on me, narrowed slightly.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he would trust me enough to accept my answer. I’d show him the messages if he asked, but I’d rather he didn’t. I wanted to see that he trusted me.
He went back to the conversation too, and I looked down at the messages I’d missed.
Blair
It’s not Clem’s fault you abhor romance
Izzy
If she wants to be cheesy with her king, let her
Zora
Come on, the cheese is disgusting
Blair
Not to Clementine
Me
It’s okay, I’ll tone it down
What’s new for you guys?
We texted for another half hour about Vamp Manor, with a few mentions of Izzy’s pack. I wanted to go swimming with my sisters again soon—I hadn’t been in the water in the fae realm—but I understood our need to figure out a way around the eclipses first.
Kai walked over to me when his conversation ended, perching on the arm of my chair and reading the messages over my shoulder.
Blair
I swear, he’s going to kill the next person who calls him Big Daddy Hale
I might die of laughter when he does, though
Zora
Justin almost shit himself when Hale grabbed him by the throat last time
Avery
You would think that would dissuade them, but it just encourages them
Izzy
At least no one is giving you vibrators in gift bags
I just got another one yesterday
I think it’s becoming a joke around here, because I saw a few ladies laughing behind their hands
Me
One of these days, Porter’s going to wolf out and eat someone for that
Blair
Probably Izzy
I snorted.
Izzy
I’d tell you you’re wrong, but it would be a lie
“Why is someone giving Izzy vibrators?” Kai asked, his expression more amused than anything else.
“The pack’s been giving her gifts ever since she mated with Porter so he’d become the alpha,” I explained, looking up from my phone. “He would never have gone back without her, so they’re constantly thanking her. It sounds like it’s become more of a joke than an actual thank you , though.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah.”
“Who’s calling Hale Big Daddy ?”
I couldn’t stop myself from snorting again. “There’s a group chat called Vamp Manor Homies. No one will admit who made it. A bunch of the people in it call him Big Daddy Hale, and they call Blair Big Mama B. It’s hilarious. Someone removed me from the group after our vine fiasco, otherwise I’d show you.”
“Sounds… strange.”
“If by strange, you mean fun.” I flashed him a smile. “It’s fun to have friends, and to be part of something bigger than yourself. If I didn’t have my sisters, I’d be lost.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Kai took my hand off my lap, slipping his fingers through mine in a way that made my entire body warm.
Romance.
Finally, the first shred of it.
He pulled me to my feet, and I sent a quick text to let my sisters know I was heading back to the fae realm soon before slipping my phone in my pocket.
“Hale and Porter became part of our family when they mated with Blair and Izzy. Or when they figured their shit out after they mated, I guess. You could, too. If you wanted to,” I said.
Kai was quiet for a moment, like he was considering it as he led me down the hallway and to the elevator.
“We can just portal out from here, can’t we?” I asked, changing the subject so he wouldn’t feel pressured to respond to what I said earlier. I didn’t want to push him too hard.
“We’re stopping at the pool first.”
“Okay. Why?”
“You haven’t swam in a while.” He didn’t glance my way, but my heart warmed despite that. “And it seems like a safe bet to hit the pool with more of your magic before the next eclipse comes. Two birds with one stone.”
Oh.
Right.
That wasn’t as romantic as just going because he thought I might want to swim, but I’d be fine. It wasn’t a big deal.
“Cool,” I said, and silence fell between us through the rest of the walk.
It was more awkward than things had been since we went to the fae realm, but I guess the bliss couldn’t last forever. People called it the honeymoon period for a reason, after all.