Page 13 of THE SOULBOND AND HER BELOVED (Beasts Of Wrath And Madness #4)

Chapter thirteen

A NIGHT OF BLISS AND MISERY

Grand Lord Vladya knew what to expect.

As he raced through the endless stretch of woods without pause, pushing beyond his limits through the day and into the night, he knew what was happening... after all, the Oracle had told him.

And yet nothing could have truly prepared him for this sight of Aekeira. Bent over, shaking, her body wracked with the pains of heat . Her scent was thick in the air, so potent it made his head spin.

Seeing her like this—seeing himself in a rut—drove reality home.

Aekeira was in heat.

A Syren.

And he—Vladya, the male who had spent centuries drowning in loneliness, despair, and misery—had a Soulbond .

All those endless nights of unanswered questions, making peace with the idea that he would live and die alone, slipping into madness with no one to tether him... his fated mate was beside him all along.

A female born for him .

Destined for him .

Created to be his .

His woman. His mate.

Aekeira.

Frozen in place, too caught between shock and realization, Vladya only stared as Daemonikai hurried past him.

"Emeriel..." he murmured.

The girl, wrapped around her sister, face buried against Aekeira’s forehead, heard his voice and lifted her head.

Her tear-streaked, swollen eyes stared blindly in his direction. "D-Daemon?"

"It is me, dearling." Hunching, he gently untangled her from Aekeira and lifted her into his arms.

She instantly latched onto him, legs wrapping around his waist, fingers twisting into his hair.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone." Daemonikai's voice was filled with deep sorrow.

"You promised..." Emeriel let out a broken sob.

Guilt carved into Daemonikai’s features. "I know I did."

She ground her hips against his stomach, letting out a moan of sheer relief. "Oh, that feels so good."

With a sigh of regret, Daemonikai stilled her movements, gently holding her hips.

She whimpered in agony at the denial.

Finally, Vladya forced his pinned feet to move. And once he took that first step, the rest became easier.

Within seconds, he was beside Aekeira, kneeling and reaching for her. "Aekeira."

She flinched, a quiet whine leaving her. Eyes closed.

She did not acknowledge him. Did not even seem to hear him.

"I think she may have slipped into another heatstroke."

Vladya glanced at the head maid, head bowed respectfully.

"She has been in and out of it all night," Livia said.

Now he felt even worse. The thought of her suffering so much—of her body breaking over and over again under the strain because he wasn’t there—gutted him.

Daemonikai’s voice broke through the chaos in his mind. "I cannot take my girl out of here with her scent this high in the air," he said, shifting Emeriel in his arms. "We will need to use your adjoining chamber."

"Okay." Vladya barely registered his own response. His gaze still on Aekeira.

Turning to leave, Daemonikai hesitated. "Right now, you are all that girl depends on, V.D." His voice was a low reminder. "I know this is too much to take in, but every thought, every haze—push them far, far away until she has made it through her heat, nothing else exists."

Vladya nodded. He was right.

Daemonikai left with Emeriel in his arms. And one by one, the others followed. Madam Livia. Amie. Lord Ottai. Until, at last, the chamber cleared out, leaving Vladya alone with Aekeira.

He stripped off his tattered, bloodied clothing, letting them fall in a heap. Lowering himself to the floor, he laid beside her, his touch feather-light as he brushed a strand of damp hair from her face. "My sweet, beautiful young princess."

She did not stir.

"The Oracle told me to look for a sign." His voice was a rasp. "I should have known it would be something so big, so undeniable, that when it came, it would be impossible to miss."

Aekeira whimpered.

Then her mouth parted in a silent scream as another heat wave took her away, body convulsing, fresh tears leaking from the corners of her closed eyes.

Vladya felt helpless. He could do nothing until she came out of the heatstroke.

"I am so deeply sorry, my dearest." He patted her hair. "I will carry the regret of this day until the end of my days."

Lying beside her, he waited.

***

Grand King Daemonikai laid Emeriel at the edge of the bed, quickly stripping off his clothes.

"Please, Beloved… I cannot wait—" she sobbed, her hands clutching at the sheets. "Please, hurry, I need you inside me."

"I know, little princess." He smoothed a hand down her thigh, lining himself up. The scent of her heat was maddening , a call deep in his bones.

Positioning himself against her entrance, he pushed in.

Or tried to.

Her muscles clenched tightly, resisting him, her entire body going rigid.

Frowning, he applied more pressure, forcing a deeper push.

"Ngh—!" Emeriel yelped in pain, suddenly pushing at his chest, frantically shoving at him. "Take it out! It burns—oh gods, it burns !"

At the same time, her muscles slammed together, clamping down so tightly his entire body seized up.

Daemonikai barely held back a snarl of pain. He had no choice but to pull out.

Emeriel's shaky legs slammed shut, fresh tears leaking from her wide, terrified eyes.

His stomach dropped like a stone.

Her body rejected me.

It was like a dash of cold water had been poured over him. Like something inside him cracked open, bleeding.

Emeriel was in heat, aching, desperate, burning for relief, and yet… her body refused him.

"What is happening?" her shaky voice came, breathing heavily as she cried through the heatwave. "Why does it f-feel this way? I need you inside me so much."

Daemonikai could not believe this. Could not accept it.

"Here. Let us try again." He grasped her knees, spreading them apart once more, leaning down to press a searing kiss to her lips.

She tasted of salt and fire, of need and pain. He swallowed her cries, felt the shuddering tremor of her body, the tension gripping every inch of her.

Sliding his hand beneath her quivering thighs, he lifted her hips slightly, adjusting her against his aching length.

"Shhh," he murmured against her lips. "Let me in, dearest. Let me help you."

He pushed in again.

Emeriel sobbed into his mouth, wincing.

"Please... it really hurts..."

Daemonikai stiffened. "Forgive me, dearest, but I have to get inside to soothe the fires of your heat."

She cried harder.

His hands held her steady as he pressed forward, forcing her locked muscles to open for him.

And they did.

For a brief, incredible moment, he was inside her sweet body. But then, she tore her mouth away and screamed .

Her body snapped shut around him once more, her walls clenching so violently, strangling his cock, that his breath hitched in pain.

Then, just as quickly, her body shoved him out, locking him out. Again.

Emeriel’s entire body convulsed as fresh waves of heat wracked her, shaky legs coming together once more. But Daemonikai held her knees apart, his eyes narrowing as he examined her.

"Please, do not put it in again," she begged, quivering like a flame in the wind, her head shaking frantically from side to side. “Please, I beg of you.”

Her entrance was... closed. Sealed shut. Like a clam protecting itself from invasion.

Daemonikai’s breath came too fast, too unsteady. What is this?

Even on the night he took her virginity, she wasn't this closed off. He had been able to get his tongue in there, had fingered her. But now, even his tongue would not make it past the barrier her body had formed.

His mind reeled, confusion warring with deep, bitter rejection.

"Listen to her body. Notice even the smallest detail. Then listen to your own and simply be you."

The Oracle’s words echoed in his mind, cutting through the hurt and confusion.

Jaw clenched, Daemonikai pushed the sting of rejection deep down, forcing himself to think.

This night was not about him. Emeriel was in unbearable pain. And something was very, very wrong.

Her cries had weakened into low whimpers as she curled protectively into a fetal position, staring blankly at the wall.

Daemonikai’s heart strangled in his chest. He knew that look.

She is going to stroke.

But that did not make sense. Heatstrokes only happened in full heats. Why is her body reacting like this?

He needed help, a second opinion.

Livia was human, only having limited knowledge of this, and Sinai would be more trouble than she was worth.

He turned his head toward the door and let out a roar. "Wegai! Bring me Merilyn. NOW!"

***

Aekeira slowly became aware of her surroundings. The fog in her mind lifted just enough for her to register the familiar scent of the room, the warmth of the sheets beneath her—Grand Lord Vladya’s bed.

Her body burned. Every inch of her felt too hot, too sensitive, too desperate.

"Sweetling."

She forced her heavy eyelids open, blinking away the haze. It was him.

"Are you really here...?" Her voice was parched, hoarse, cracking as she spoke. "I do not know what is real and what is not anymore."

Lord Vladya’s gray eyes darkened with something heavy. Regret. “I am very much real. I returned when you… stroked."

Aekeira exhaled shakily. "I am happy… you are here now."

She could feel the fires coiling just beneath her skin, waiting to engulf her again. "Please..." Reaching for him, her nails dug into his arms. "Make it stop."

Lord Vladya hovered over her, caging her in. Aekeira parted her thighs, offering herself, and he plunged inside.

Her moan was long and drawn-out.

Vladya groaned, dropping his weight, pressing her into the bed, slotting his face into the crook of her neck. He was shaking.

Aekeira’s mind barely registered it. The only thing she could think about was how full she felt. Every inch stretched her open perfectly.

"You feel so good." He pulled back, thrusting once, then paused, sounding awestruck. "Ukrae, I can feel your gland."

"Do not stop." She was lost in the sensation of him, in the delicious drag of his cock inside her, in the way pleasure built so effortlessly under his touch. He felt so good, so right .

"You have a Syren gland, dearling." His tongue traced over her skin before his teeth grazed the tender flesh. "Mine."

"Yours," she whimpered, arching up. "Always."

He withdrew from her suddenly, and Aekeira nearly cried at the loss. Clenching around nothing, her core aching with need .

"Present to me."

A shiver shot through her at the command. Obediently, she rose on trembling knees, turning away from him, her upper-body pressing into the bed. Reaching back, she spread herself open for him.

"Y-Yours, my lord."

Vladya made a sound like the air had been punched from his lungs. With a feral snarl, his large hands seized her waist. Slamming brutally, he pushed back inside.

The force of it rocked her forward deeper into the mattress.

He was not gentle this time. Fucking her hard and fast like a male possessed, each thrust sending ecstasy rolling over her.

"Yesss—" Aekeira’s fingers twisted into the sheets, squeezing her eyes shut. She tried to meet his strokes, but her limbs refused to obey, too weak, too exhausted.

But Vladya covered her body with his. "It’s alright, let me pleasure you." His voice in her ear was dark, soothing, sinful. "Just brace yourself and take it obediently, my elegant little whore."

Then he adjusted his angle. And—

Pleasure, unlike anything she had ever known, erupted through her.

Aekeira gasped sharply, her body seizing around him. "What was that...?"

Vladya’s grin was sharp against her skin. "Meet your new gland."

He angled his hips again, striking that spot—again, and again, and again.

Aekeira saw twinkling little stars as her orgasm barreled into her with the force of a rocket, tearing a scream from her throat. Stealing her breath, her soul, her senses.

But he did not stop. He kept taking her, pushing her from one mind-breaking climax to the next. mind-blowing one. She barely recovered from one before he wrenched another from her.

It was exhilarating. Endless .

"Hold onto the bedpost," he growled.

Aekeira reached up, gripping the wooden post.

Vladya straightened behind her, and truly fucked her within the edge of insanity. Each thrust sent her rocking forward, her knees threatening to buckle beneath her.

"So wet. Demons, the scent of your musk is messing with my head big time." Vladya fucked. Savage. Hungry. His hands roamed everywhere, greedily.

The pleasure was too much, too consuming, she was barely able to keep up. Bliss ate her up. Sweat poured from their gliding skin.

Her hands gave out numerous times, but each time he forced them back onto the bedpost, keeping her upright, holding her exactly where he wanted her.

Somewhere, in the distant cloud of pleasure, she thought she heard Emeriel’s screams.

Pleasure? Pain? She could not tell.

She could barely comprehend anything beyond what her grand lord was doing to her.

And when Vladya ripped yet another climax from her, so strong her head felt light, Aekeira knew she was going to pass out. Her vision blurred, body going limp as the pleasure overwhelmed her.

And then... darkness.

***

Lady Merilyn had been on edge all day. The moment she heard both human princesses had gone into heat at the same time— while their males were in the mountains —she had prayed fervently for them, relief flooding her when she heard of their return.

But now, as she hurried through Ravenshadow’s courtyard, her heart raced with a new kind of fear. Why had the grand king summoned her?

Was everything not well? Was her master suffering a feral episode in the middle of rut? That fear unsettled her most of all.

A female in heat deserved a mate whose mind was intact, someone who could be fully present to meet their body’s demands. And this was Princess Aekeira’s first heat. The thought of her enduring it without proper care…

Merilyn quickened her steps.

By the time she reached the door, she was breathless, her nerves stretched thin. Lord Vladya’s chambers were fortified, so she could hear nothing from the outside.

She knocked, anxious. "Your Highness, it is I—Lady Merilyn. You requested my presence."

The door swung open instantly.

A disheveled, sweaty, and utterly distressed King Daemonikai stood on the other side. His eyes wild, chest heaving, body vibrating with tension.

"Get in here." His voice was deep, rough with rut and frustration.

Merilyn stepped in. The scent of heat and pheromones was so heavy, so potent in the air, her head spun. Desire rose, lust stirred as she fought to keep herself in check.

Her first glance landed on her master. Dressed in loose pants, his powerful frame relaxed but alert, standing by the mattress where Princess Aekeira lay asleep beneath the sheets.

Relief flooded Merilyn when she saw he was whole. Sated. In control. Aekeira was getting care. Good .

But when King Daemonikai led her into the adjoining bedchamber, all relief vanished. Princess Emeriel was a wreck .

She lay curled into herself, shaking violently, as if gripped by the coldest winter. Teeth chattering, twitching with spasms, arms marked with angry red scratches, skin slick with sweat and tears. Soft, incoherent cries spilling from her lips.

She had retreated into her own mind, completely unaware of her surroundings.

Merilyn’s stomach twisted.

"What is happening to her?" The grand king's guttural growl came as he paced the room like a caged animal. "I tried to mount her, and it would not..." He ran a restless hand through his damp hair. "And I could not… I hate seeing her like this! Every part of me wants to end her suffering, yet I can’t!"

Merilyn flinched. His rage, frustration, and helplessness filled the room like a brewing storm.

"Why will she not let me in?" He sounded pained, anxious. "Why can I do nothing for her?"

Merilyn moved closer, forcing herself to focus. Sitting beside Emeriel, she examined her closely.

“Where is... my Beloved?” Her voice was so weak with clear pain. “Make it stop...”

Merilyn’s beast whined in sympathy for the princess. She had a sense of what might be happening.... and it wasn’t good.