Page 25 of The Uncrowned King (The Bastard Duology #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The surge of breath was like a punch as it yanked Kora back into the world of the living. Her muscles seized as her lungs filled and deflated. Slowly, the tension ebbed from her body. She had to try three times to swallow to wet her dry mouth. Her vision was blurry, causing her to blink until things came into focus.

The sight of the chamber was comforting. On the heels of that was the memory of what had happened in the arena. Kora scanned the room in hopes of finding Derek, but no one was there. Not Derek greeting her. Nor anyone telling her that it had worked. Which meant her plan had failed.

The grief was unfathomable, the anguish endless. She wanted to scream in denial and release the flood of tears, but another emotion skimmed along with the others: rage. She gripped it tightly and held it close. Her ire would get her up and moving so she could take down Miena.

Kora sat up, grimacing at the pull of muscles and organs in their last stages of mending. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat. The cuts and contusions were healed. Even her bones had knitted back together. But nothing could be done about her broken heart.

She was clean of all blood. It was only the second time she had woken thus. The first was when Derek had washed her. That was the day she had told him she was a hellhound. A secret she had never told another soul. That day seemed so long ago, yet it had only been a week. There was no use reliving those memories and wishing for a different outcome. The only thing left now was to get dressed, find the others, and figure out the next steps.

After she asked about Derek.

She needed to prepare herself for the answer. Though she wasn’t sure how much worse she could feel, knowing he was gone forever. Did it matter if he still lived? He wouldn’t be Derek, and he wouldn’t be with her. Kora didn’t care what others said. If she hadn’t freed Miena, she wouldn’t have taken Derek. But Kora would rectify her mistake.

One way or another.

She got to her feet with a sigh. Her legs wobbled for a moment but held. She wanted a long soak, but she had no idea how long it had taken for her to recover. There would be time to linger in the tub later. She turned to get dressed when movement in a corner drew her attention. A tall form moved out of the shadows.

The sight of Derek drew her up short. Her heart missed a beat. She blinked, unsure if her mind was playing tricks on her. He stood rigid, his brow furrowed slightly as his pale olive eyes watched her.

“Derek?” she whispered, hoping against hope.

The lines on his face eased. “It’s me.”

Relief flooded her, making her dizzy. His face blurred as her eyes filled with tears. She hurried to him. He was before her in two strides, one hand tangling in her hair at the back of her neck and the other winding around her as his mouth came down on hers. Kora clung to him, touched his face, his shoulders, his back.

He bent her over his arm and deepened the kiss, almost as if he were trying to meld their bodies. His hand smoothed down her back to cup her bottom and bring her flush against his arousal. To have him in her arms again was everything, especially when she had thought him lost forever. But he was here. The only thing wrong was that his clothes were between them.

She yanked at his shirt, but his clothes suddenly disappeared, and she was pinned between him and the wall. He lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. His cock rubbed against the folds of her sex. She groaned, needing more.

Needing him .

He ended the kiss and looked at her. The blunt head of his arousal pushed against her entrance. He held her gaze as he slowly filled her, holding her still with his large hands when she tried to move. Then he gradually pulled out until only the head of him remained. It was maddening. It was exhilarating. She held her breath, waiting for more. Craving him and the ecstasy that awaited.

With one hard thrust, he filled her. Kora cried out from the pleasure. His mouth seized hers again as he began to drive in and out of her. She gripped his shoulders, the thick sinew moving and bunching beneath her hands. His body was powerful, potent. And she couldn’t get enough of him. Would never get enough.

He was the balm to her soul, the fever to her passion, the fire to her yearning.

The strength of her purpose.

Desire tightened, throbbed. It swelled and surged. She tore her lips from his as she orgasmed. Kora rode the wave of pleasure as ecstasy swept her up in its embrace. She was slowly returning to awareness when Derek’s fingers dug into her thigh. He buried himself deeply inside her. She could feel him shuddering as the walls of her sex pulsed around his cock.

He carried her to the bed, gently putting a knee on the mattress and laying them across it. He pulled out of her and propped up on an elbow on his side. She ran her fingers over his cheek to scrape against his whiskers.

“I’m sorry. For everything. But mostly for the pain I inflicted upon you.”

She shook her head and put her finger to his lips. “You have nothing to apologize for. None of it was your fault.”

He gently moved her hand away. “They were my actions.”

“Based on lies.”

“I didn’t have to attack. I certainly didn’t need to torment you.”

She rolled to her side to face him. “You thought I killed your children.”

“I nearly…” He looked away for a moment. “I nearly used dragon fire.”

“But you didn’t. There’s no need for us to linger on nearlys or almosts . It didn’t happen. Let’s focus on that.”

His brow furrowed as misery filled his eyes. “I promised I would never hurt you. I broke that.”

“ You didn’t. Miena took what made you you.” She rose on her elbow so their faces were even. “I don’t hold you responsible for any of it. It’s Miena who needs to pay.”

“The sooner, the better.”

She pressed her lips to his. “That, we can agree on.”

He blinked, and his face tightened as he leaped to his feet, pulling her with him. “We need to get dressed.”

“What is it?” she asked as she rushed to her clothes.

“Merrill is waiting.”

“What happened?”

“Miena.”

That was all Kora needed to hear. Derek used magic to call his clothes then stood waiting anxiously as she hurried into hers and tugged on her boots, jumping from one foot to the other. He threw open the door where Merrill was standing just outside.

“Follow me,” Merrill said as he turned to start walking.

Kora hurried to keep up with their long strides. Her gut twisted as she thought of the private time she and Derek had taken when Miena was out there. It felt selfish to have taken those few precious moments, but she had needed them more than she realized.

She expected Merrill to take them to the main area, but he led her and Derek to a room already packed with people. Some were noticeably absent, however. The children. After watching Stonemore’s priests kill the girl, Kora was hyperaware of all the children around her. She refused to allow another to die on her watch.

While she and Derek remained near the back, Merrill continued toward the front where Con and his children stood.

Kora leaned close to Derek. “That’s Con. With him are his children, Brandr and Eurwen.”

“They favor him.”

“They’re able to have children on their world,” she explained. Just then, Rhi came into view. “And that’s their mother, Rhi.”

Something passed over Derek’s face, but he quickly tucked it away. She wanted to ask, but Kora knew he wouldn’t say anything when surrounded by so many. Instead, she slipped her hand into his. He turned pale olive eyes to her and they shared a wordless look—one where she didn’t need to voice how happy she was to have him there.

And he didn’t need to tell her how glad he was to be standing beside her.

Sharing the same looks other couples had that she’d envied. That longing had been fulfilled. She wanted to jump for joy. She wanted to spend days in Derek’s arms. Instead, they had an enemy to take down.

“Kora. Derek.”

The sound of Con’s deep voice with his strange accent drew their attention. Con motioned them to the front. Kora was about to politely refuse, but Derek squeezed her fingers.

“We’re indebted to them,” he whispered.

Kora couldn’t argue with that. It wasn’t the first time she’d had so many eyes on her, but it wasn’t as nerve-wracking as before. Derek appeared outwardly calm, but she felt the stiffness in his hand that remained twined with hers.

Derek halted before Con. “I owe you all a great debt.”

“You owe us nothing. You’re one of us,” the King of Dragon Kings replied.

Derek bowed his head as the two clasped forearms. Kora released Derek to stand beside Merrill as they got down to business.

“Gordon has to be stopped from taking more innocent life,” Eurwen announced.

Someone from the back asked, “Why are we standing here talking? We need to stop him.”

“That’s exactly what she wants,” Merrill said.

A muscle worked in Derek’s jaw as the room erupted in voices. Kora knew he had something to say. And she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Say what’s on your mind,” Brandr urged.

Derek grimaced. “She wants to draw us out to put us in a specific situation of her making.”

“I agree,” Con replied.

Rhi wound her long, black locks behind her head and fastened them. “I’m not going to sit around and watch innocents die. We don’t have a choice but to stop Gordon.”

“We do,” Kora said. She bit her lip when they looked at her. The conversations dwindled, then quieted. “We have Villette. She wants Miena gone more than we do.”

Merrill grunted. “I hate to admit it, but Kora’s right. We need to use Villette.”