Page 5
Chapter Five
Valen
At the start, I couldn’t have predicted the twists and turns this week would take. My parents, ever the arbiters of my destiny, disrupted an otherwise peaceful breakfast with their decree that I must marry in two weeks’ time. Before I could even begin to formulate a plan, a solution to that very problem fell quite literally out of the sky and into my lap. Now I’m embarking on a scheme with an otherworlder to deceive not only my parents but the entire kingdom into believing I’ve accepted my royal obligations.
Stella herself has been the most unexpected twist of all. I’d braced myself for resistance, for an uphill battle to persuade her to go along with my plan. I’d even been prepared to bribe her with gold and jewels if only she would help us. But she hasn’t asked for riches or titles, not even the smallest favor for herself. She only wants help finding her friend. Simple and selfless and completely revealing.
Spending the afternoon with her in the market was surprisingly enjoyable. She was confident, charming, and quick to laugh. She navigated the ruse with ease and had no problems convincing the merchants and townsfolk of our supposed affection. There were moments when I could almost forget it was all a performance. If I were truly looking for a wife and future queen, it’s easy to picture a life content with her.
But those musings are nothing more than idle thoughts. My heart belongs to another, and tonight is not about duty or pretense. Tonight is about indulgence and surrendering to the dark, electric bond that tethers Marek to me, binding us in ways no traditional marriage ever could.
I turn my gaze to him, the firelight dancing over his bare shoulders as he kneels obediently before me. The flickering flames kiss his skin, highlighting the taut lines of his muscles, the tension coiling beneath his calm exterior. Anticipation radiates from his every breath, a subtle tremor, the only chink in his armor.
I grip the chastity cage. My fingers trail over the cool metal, and Marek’s cock twitches. Crouching down, I level my gaze with his.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I murmur, the words curling between us like smoke.
My hand steadies his shaft, ensuring it stays soft enough to slip the device into place. The hollow cage encases him snugly, binding him in a deliberate state of restrained arousal. I secure the cold metal ring behind his testicles and around the root of his shaft. Finally, I pinch the tiny padlock into place with a satisfying click.
Marek’s cock immediately strains against its confines, and he hisses softly. The sound is a delicious mixture of discomfort and pleasure that sends a purr of satisfaction down my spine.
“Who do you belong to, Marek?” I ask, brushing my thumb over the padlock.
“To you, my prince,” he rasps, his voice thick with emotion and need.
“Good boy,” I say softly and rise to my full height. My hands move to the laces of my trousers. As the fabric falls away, my cock springs free, already hard and aching. I step closer, anticipation thrumming between us. Marek leans forward without hesitation, his obedience absolute. His mouth envelops me with exquisite warmth, his tongue and lips working in perfect, practiced harmony. My fingers weave into his hair, guiding him as he takes me deeper.
The sight of him on his knees, his submission and devotion so freely given, sends a wave of love and desire crashing through me. I’ll never tire of this—of him. He is my sanctuary, the one constant in a world that demands more than I’ve ever been willing to give.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement. Stella, seated in the chair across from us, is utterly transfixed. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted slightly as she watches Marek bob on my cock, his tongue swirling before moving lower to suck on my heavy sac. Her thighs press together, betraying her own mounting arousal. Her breath quickens, shallow and unsteady, as though she’s fighting to restrain herself from moving closer.
I smirk and let my gaze linger on her legs before locking eyes with her. “Would you like to experience Marek’s talented mouth for yourself?”
Her eyes widen, and she blinks in surprise before a sly smile curves her lips. “If you’re offering,” she says, her voice breathy but firm. “Yes, I believe I’d like that very much.”
I tug gently on Marek’s hair, and he releases me, his lips swollen and glistening. “Go to her,” I command, “and show her the same devotion you show me.”
Marek rises to his feet, the strain of the chastity cage evident in the rigid line of his back. He crosses the short distance to Stella, and I see the shift in him before he even reaches her. The submissive part of him—the one that bends to my will and that only I can coax out—is replaced by his true alpha nature.
I settle into my chair, stroking myself leisurely as I enjoy the show.
Stella’s eyes glitter with anticipation, her chest rising and falling as she gets a better look at Marek’s cock straining against the metal confines of the cage. A blush creeps across her cheeks, the color deepening as her gaze lingers. Slowly, she begins to reach out with one hand, as though mesmerized by the idea of mapping the punished flesh with her fingertips.
“Wow, that looks…”
Marek’s hand shoots out, and he stops her with a firm grip on her wrist. He places both of her hands on the high back of the chair. “Do not move them.”
It’s his turn to command, his voice low and edged with a tone he’s never used with me. The authority in his words, hearing him use it with her, sends a new kind of spark through me, igniting my desire in unexpected ways.
Stella stills, her lips parting in a soft exhale, her body yielding to the command. Marek kneels before her, his large hands lifting her skirts. The fabric bunches around her waist, exposing miles of brown skin from her hips to her toes.
She’d been happy to change into the dress we provided but drew the line at the undergarments, claiming she never wore them in her world either. Something about nature and energy. I barely retained the explanation, my thoughts spiraling into an endless loop of imagining her bare and exposed.
As though reading my mind, Marek yanks her ass forward and spreads her legs wide. His hands grip her thighs as he hooks her knees over the armrests, holding her open to our hungry gazes.
The firelight casts a warm glow over her skin, the faint sheen of her arousal glistening, and my cock twitches in my hand as I stroke myself harder.
“Fuck, that’s a pretty cunt,” Marek rasps, and I couldn’t agree more.
A neatly trimmed thatch of dark curls crowns her mons, but the rest of her sex is bare, her folds slick and wet. She’s stunning. A beautiful flower with tawny petals and a pink center, begging to be worshipped. And worship Marek does.
He lowers his head, his breath ghosting over her entrance. Stella’s soft gasp fills the room, blending with the crackle of the fire and the rapid beating of my own heart.
The moment Marek’s tongue makes contact, Stella’s head falls back, and a needy moan escapes her lips. The sound is raw, uninhibited, and it makes my cock throb in my hand. Marek’s tongue traces the length of her slit before swirling around her sensitive nub. He alternates between flicking it and drawing it into his mouth, his hands gripping her thighs to hold her in place.
“Marek,” Stella moans, her fingers digging into the top of the chair as her body arches toward him. Her breathless cries tangle with the wet sounds of his tongue working her and the occasional groan of appreciation that rumbles from his throat.
The firelight catches the sheen of arousal coating Marek’s stubbled chin as he feasts on her, his lips closing around her bundle of nerves to suckle before plunging his tongue deep inside her cunt. Stella cries out, her body trembling under the relentless onslaught of his mouth.
Her moans are matched by Marek’s low, throaty growls, the sounds vibrating against her flesh and driving her higher. He’s ravenous, alternating between licking and sucking, his tongue delving deep into her core before pulling back to lavish more attention on her swollen bud. Each glide of his tongue draws a sharper cry from her lips, and her thighs visibly quiver against his strong hands.
My own arousal surges at the sight of her unraveling for him. Every gasp, every arch of her back, every shuddering moan stokes the fire burning low in my gut. I stroke myself harder, my breaths coming out clipped and ragged.
The pangs of jealousy I expected from watching Marek with another are markedly—and blessedly—absent. We’ve shared women before, long ago, in the reckless years of our youth. But since becoming lovers ourselves, we’ve never invited anyone else into our bed. Stella wasn’t meant to be an exception. My initial plan had been simple: as she was the reason for his bad attitude, letting her witness his subjugation to me seemed a fitting punishment. But seeing her body’s response to us changed everything. I abandoned the plan and followed my instincts.
And fuck, has it paid off.
Desire licks at my balls as furiously as the flames over the logs in the hearth. I can’t remember the last time I was this hard. If I’m not careful, I’ll come before Stella.
My gaze drifts to Marek’s leaking cock and the cruel cage that amplifies his torment and the pleasure he derives from it. His body is a work of art. Bronze skin stretched over coiled muscles begs my fingers to touch and my tongue to trace. His back is arched slightly, his knees apart, and that glorious ass I love so much is on full display.
A wicked thought takes root, one that sends a fresh wave of heat through me. I imagine sliding my cock into Marek’s tight hole as he continues to feast on Stella. Or taking her with him pinned between us, his hard cock pressed against her soft belly, his only friction delivered by my thrusts inside her. The possibilities are endless, and each is more intoxicating than the last.
Stella lets out a high moan as Marek buries two digits deep inside her cunt. He pulls back briefly, his lips coated in her juices, and watches her with dark satisfaction as he fucks her with his fingers. When her head begins to thrash against the chair, her cries rising in pitch, he latches on to her swollen nub again, sucking hard.
“Don’t stop,” she gasps, her voice breaking with desperation.
Marek growls in response and redoubles his efforts.
Stella’s release is sudden and explosive. Her back arches as her body trembles uncontrollably, her cries of pleasure echoing through the room. “Marek!”
Marek doesn’t falter, his tongue and fingers following every spasm and contraction, coaxing her through the waves of her climax until they finally subside. When she stills, he pulls back, sitting on his heels, his chest heaving as he wipes his glistening lips with the back of his hand.
“Oh my God, that was unreal,” Stella sighs. She drops her skirts back into place, then settles into the chair. With another contented sigh, she pulls her knees to her chest. Resting her chin on her knees, her heavy-lidded eyes and lazy grin make her the perfect picture of a thoroughly satisfied woman. “You have no idea how badly I needed that.”
“Believe me, I can relate,” Marek says through clenched teeth, his gaze dropping to the cruel cage that punishes his swollen cock.
I don’t bother hiding my amused chuckle. “Come back to me, love.”
Marek obeys instantly, crawling across the floor toward me with a grace that belies the hiss of pain escaping his lips as the cage bites into his rigid flesh. The sight sends a ripple of heat through me, and my cock twitches in anticipation.
When he reaches me, he kneels between my spread legs and clasps his hands behind his back. I let my gaze linger on him for a moment, drinking in the sight of his bronzed skin flushed with effort, his chest still rising and falling as he catches his breath.
Leisurely, I reach down to stroke myself, my thumb smearing the bead of arousal that’s pooled at my tip across the dusky crown of my cock. Marek’s eyes lock on the movement, his tongue darting out to lick his lips, still glistening with Stella’s release.
“Eyes, Marek.”
His gaze immediately snaps up to mine.
“Did you enjoy feasting on Stella’s cunt as much as I enjoyed watching you feast?”
“Yes, my prince,” he replies, his tone steady, though a hint of a grin plays at the corners of his mouth. He’s pleased with himself—proud, even—but he keeps it tamped down. He knows better than to gloat openly.
“And how did she taste?” I ask, my balls growing tight at the thought.
“Like honeyed wine.” Again, Marek licks his lips. “Sweet and potent.”
A growl of satisfaction rumbles low in my throat as I cup his jaw with my free hand. I lean forward and kiss him deeply, my tongue plunging past his lips to claim the last traces of Stella’s essence still lingering in his mouth.
“Mmmm…” My voice is a husky drawl against his lips as I pull back. “You’re right. A man could get drunk off that taste.”
Marek’s dark eyes remain locked on mine as I stroke his cheek with my thumb.
“You have pleased me greatly,” I continue, dropping into a silky command, “but your job is not yet complete. Make me come using only your mouth. If you can do so in less than a minute, you shall be rewarded.”
Determination blazes in his black eyes as I lean back in the chair and feed him my aching cock. Marek wastes no time. His mouth is hot and wet, and his tongue presses firmly along the underside of my shaft as he works me from crown to base, again and again.
His mouth moves with a fervor that leaves me trembling, my grip on the armrest tightening just like Stella’s as waves of pleasure roll through me. He sucks harder, his tongue curling expertly around the sensitive head, and I’m undone in half the time.
My release hits with ferocious intensity, and I groan as I spill into him. Marek swallows greedily, his throat working to milk every last drop from me. When I’m spent, he finally pulls back, licking his lips as he looks up at me with a mix of satisfaction and relief.
Panting, I give him a lazy grin. “Always such an overachiever.”
“Are you complaining, my prince?” he asks, not bothering to hide his smirk this time.
“Never.”
True to my word, I retrieve the tiny key, unlock the chastity cage, and remove it with care.
Marek hisses as his cock springs free, the angry red length already swelling further with need. My fingers trail down his chest before gripping the back of his neck possessively. With my other hand, I reach down and wrap my palm around his cock.
He groans, his forehead dropping to rest on my shoulder as I stroke him slowly.
“I’m proud of you, love,” I whisper against his ear. “You suffered so beautifully for me. Let go now, Marek. Come for me. Come for your prince.”
It takes only a few strokes before his body tenses, his breath hitching as he shatters in my grasp. His release spills hot and thick over my hand as he lets out a shuddering cry, his entire body trembling with the force of his climax.
His moans taper into soft whimpers as the last waves of pleasure ripple through him. Marek’s breaths are uneven, his body pliant as he comes down from the intensity of his orgasm.
I cradle him close, pressing tender kisses to his damp hair. “Good boy,” I murmur, brushing a kiss over his temple. “You’re perfect, my love.”
Satisfied that he’s settled, I turn my attention to Stella, whose expression has shifted from blissful satisfaction to a dreamy sort of fatigue. “How are you feeling? Any regrets? Is there anything you need?”
A slow, sleepy grin spreads across her face. “Amazing, none, and nothing I can think of. Except maybe sleep. I don’t know if it was the orgasm or interworld travel, but I’m exhausted.”
“Probably a bit of both,” I say with a chuckle. “Let me clean up, and then Marek and I will return to my palace quarters. You’ll have the place to yourself once more.”
I rise and head to the water basin to clean myself. The cool water is refreshing against my heated skin, and I wring out a damp cloth and return to Marek. Kneeling before him, I gently clean him with the same care he gives me. His eyes remain closed, his breaths steady as he leans into my touch.
Once finished, I set the cloth aside and head to Marek’s room to prepare it for Stella’s comfort. I add logs to the hearth and coax them to life until they cast a warm, flickering glow across the room that softens the starkness of the space and makes it feel less like Marek’s fortress of solitude. I turn down the sheets and plump the pillows. Satisfied, I head back to the sitting room to let Stella know it’s ready. But the words die on my lips, and my chest squeezes at the sight before me.
Marek is sprawled on the rug in front of the fire, his strong, imposing frame softened in sleep, his face relaxed in a way only I ever see. Beside him, Stella is curled up, her head nestled against his shoulder, her body tucked close to his, the firelight bathing them in a soft, golden glow.
The two of them together tugs at something deep inside me, and an unexpected warmth spreads through my chest. For a moment, I simply stand there, taking in the easy way they’ve settled together.
When Stella first arrived, I saw her as an opportunity, a means to an end. She was a puzzle piece I could shape and maneuver into place to delay the inevitable, to protect what I share with Marek. I didn’t care who she was or how she felt.
But now…now it’s different. Somewhere in the days we’ve shared, she’s become more. More than a tool. More than a temporary fix for my problems. I care about her, and not just for what she can do for me or my crown but for who she is.
Smiling to myself, I gather a few blankets and cushions. Moving quietly so as not to disturb them, I settle down on Marek’s other side and drape a blanket over all of us before lying back against the warmth of his body.
The fire slowly extinguishes, and shadows claim the room. Stella’s soft breaths and Marek’s strength cocoon me in comfort. My eyelids grow heavy, and I allow myself to give in to peace, to sleep.
We drift off together, the three of us captured by shadows of something new, something undeniable, and something I’m not yet ready to name.