Page 18

Annalise

E at. Sleep. Train.

Every day it’s the same thing, the training becoming more than I can handle. Training consists of etiquette, carriage, and education of the beasts and their history, as well as the hierarchy of their society. And with Cyrus in charge of it all, he is constantly able to find opportunities to satisfy his desire.

“Ngh!” I cry out as he thrusts violently, his lust not the least bit sated from this morning. If anything, it has grown from the sight of seeing me in the newest gown that arrived in my wardrobe. Cyrus has begun having me dress more and more elaborate, outshining any beast that would dare try and call themselves a Duchess. But the moment he sees me, his lust takes over, and I am once again at the mercy of it.

My grip tightens on his back, allowing me to feel the material of his shirt bunching beneath my nails. Warmth is building up from within me, my inner walls beginning to spasm as he strokes me to ecstasy. Cyrus seems to sense that I am close, his free hand wrapping around my thigh to pull my leg higher and allowing him deeper penetration as he fucks me atop what was once an end table for a vase that now sits in pieces on the ground behind us.

I toss my head back in pleasure, my moans echoing off the walls, giving him the opening he needed. His lips latch onto my throat, pulling the sensitive flesh between his teeth, and just as my orgasm hits me, so does the heat of his seal. I cry out, the warmth washing over my body in waves that feel almost uncontrollable. The heat from the seal is still uncomfortable, adding to the rocketing spasms of my pussy.

“Fuck,” Cyrus growls.

His thrusts turn shallow, followed by one violent thrust as he spills inside of me. The warmth of his seed adds to my dying pleasure as I come down from the high of sex and back to the reality that I’ve been dealt. I flinch from the pain of the seal continuing to heat up on my flesh, and Cyrus pulls back slightly to look me in the eyes.

“Maybe we should no longer let you wear undergarments with your gowns. I quite like you ready to fuck whenever I like,” he murmurs as he places kisses along my jaw.

He continues to laugh as he pulls out of me, tucking himself away. But I, however, can feel the remnants of our time together running out of me, along the crevice of my ass as I stand, adjusting my dress.

I have so many questions I want to ask Cyrus, but I wouldn’t dare voice any of them to anger him. His rage has just subsided, though it has been replaced with his usual cruelty. He may no longer be angry at my betrayal, but he is still the same kind of king he was when we first met. Towards me, at least. Cyrus turns to face me but unlike myself in the past, I look him in the eyes. When I was a slave, I was never able to do such a thing. But I am a noble now, and looking away shows my submission. Or rather, that I am weak.

Cyrus smiles at my learned behavior, making his way to where I stand. His eyes stay lined to mine as he pushes my hair out of my face. Another thing I’ve noticed about Cyrus is that he is very particular about my hair. It was something he always messed with when I was a slave. He always pulled it out of the updo, and now he has given Joan instructions not to bind my hair when she gets me ready for the day. Most beasts have intricate updos that I’ve noticed, but Cyrus seems keen on making me stand out, regardless of my status as the first human in beast court. I don’t know what his game plan is for bringing me into the court, but he does not seem inclined to let me fit in.

Cyrus’s gaze is intense as he studies me, his eyes drifting to where my heart sits in my chest. He doesn’t comment on it; instead, he only smiles, shaking his head as he moves to his desk. He seems in high spirits today, gesturing for me to sit across from him.

“I’ve received word from Felix. Ciel has improved quite significantly in the time we’ve been away. He’s showing true promise,” he says.

“You told me Ciel was behind because of me… that my raising him was a hindrance,” I say.

“It was. Ciel will have an internal struggle battling between being human and beast, not quite understanding why there are two sides of him warring with each other. If he was around me during your pregnancy and when he was first born, there would be no confusion about what he is. But now, his beast will be aggressively forcing its way to the surface, trying to discover the existence that you kept hidden—trying to consume his humanity. Lucky for you, he is learning quickly. Your meddling is only a minor snag,” Cyrus says.

Guilt overcomes me from Cyrus’s explanation. I just wanted Ciel to be happy. Now that Cyrus has dug his claws deep into both of us, I know that there is no way either of us is going to live outside of this empire. And Ciel will now suffer because of that.

After a while, Cyrus breaks the silence.

“How did you come to love him so much? You loathe what he is and his father, yet you tear up at having made a mistake in raising him,” he asks.

When I look up he is watching me with a curious expression. I think about my answer carefully, slowly remembering each moment I had with him.

“He was there when no one else was. When I was alone in that new world, Ciel was sharing that burden with me. He didn’t care that I was human. He smiled when he saw me and cried when I left. How could I ever hate someone like that?” I say more so to myself, but Cyrus’s laugh pulls me out of my thoughts.

“Your compassion is baffling, and while I may appreciate it, the beasts of court will not,” Cyrus says.

“I cannot change who I am in a matter of weeks,” I say.

Cyrus shrugs, sifting through more papers on his desk.

“I am aware of that. Other than the improvement of your manners, you are still a cowering human most of the time.” Cyrus watches me as he speaks, silently issuing a challenge.

“You beat that into me. Before you lusted after me, you threatened me with my life, and you physically broke me if I made a mistake. Only recently did you reveal to me why you are not human. I know you want me to be brave, but it is very difficult. Fear has been ingrained in me… Can you not do what you offered me before? Can you not just hide me away from society? Allow Ciel and I to live apart?” I ask.

Cyrus’s gaze darkens at my words. He’s fighting for control once more as he glares at me for bringing it up again.

“I was young and foolish before. Before, anything you wished for would have been yours. I would have given you anything . But you ran, Anna. You betrayed my trust, and even now, I see I do not have your loyalty. I will not give you what you ask for. You will take what I offer. That is your life now. That is your consequence,“ he says.

I bite back my tears. I will no longer cry in front of him. It is another sign of weakness that I cannot afford, especially now.

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty,” I murmur. Cyrus only laughs at my words, his expression mocking, if anything. Suddenly, he stands from his seat and makes his way to the doors.

“Come. We have much more training to do.”

When I was a slave, I understood everything about the king. I understood his mood shifts, his amusement, and when to keep my distance. Now that Cyrus has made his way back into my life I find myself constantly on edge, not quite understanding where his mental state is, especially now.

He stands across from me in the center of the training grounds, pulling weapons from the rack that’s been left here. Cyrus knows my skills are lacking, especially without the use of a trinket. Not only that but only minutes ago did he seem in high spirits before I spoke my mind. Now, his mood seems to have shifted completely.

Cyrus finally decides on a weapon, coming toward me with it in hand.

“You seemed somewhat competent in combat when the halfbreed and I came across you.” He hands me the blade, reaching for his own. “Show me what you’ve learned in your time away.”

Unease overcomes me at his command.

“Your Majesty, I am only human. And I had a trinket then-Ah!”

The sound of our blades colliding rings out over the field as Cyrus attacks without warning. The raw strength he exudes is shocking in itself. My bones immediately begin to ache from the contact, my muscles screaming at me as he pushes against me.

I know instantly he is holding back.

He breaks the collision, his blade aiming for my throat. I step back, using my own to deflect the attack and my momentum to go on the offensive, but Cyrus’s reactions are much faster than my own. He smiles as he adds more strength to his own force, pushing my arm up enough for him to have an opening.

I don’t have time to think of a reaction as his elbow collides with the center of my chest, knocking the air from my lungs. He uses the opportunity to swipe my legs from beneath me, gravity forcing my back into the dirt. I can’t even cry out from the lack of breathing. And to prove his victory all the more, Cyrus places his blade right next to my throat as I gasp for breath.

He kneels next to me, his expression lax of emotion as he watches me struggle to breathe. He releases a breath, dropping his head.

“You are much better than you were before you went into the hunter’s camp, I will say that. That makes no difference for my kingdom, unfortunately,” he says, standing over me.

I continue to suffocate until Cyrus places his hand on the place he attacked me, the warmth from his fingertips followed by the sudden ease of breathing. I keep my eyes focused on the sky as I breathe, unaware of what is going through Cyrus’s mind as he watches me. He wants me to be his queen, but I cannot do the one thing his society acknowledges.

“You will be the first of your kind. You will not be strong. You will not have confidence. You will be an easy target in court. If I am not around, you will be the only target.” Cyrus laughs bitterly. “You will be my weakness. My entire life, I’ve had none. And now, I have a physical one of the worst kind.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Your Majesty,” I manage.

I roll to my knees, catching my breath.

“Look at me, Annalise,” he says.

I slowly raise my gaze, meeting Cyrus’s. His gaze is intense as he studies me.

“Call out to me,” he says.

I shake my head, immediately recalling the moment he revoked the possibility of using his name. Cyrus makes a face, understanding the directions of my thoughts before correcting me.

“Using the seal, Anna. You’ve done it before. Try it,” he clarifies.

When I used Cyrus’s seal last, I was frightened and angry. The use of it was so intense that it forced me to blackout, and when I came to, I learned of the fate of Liam, who I attacked. It was a feeling that makes my stomach churn just thinking about it, and Cyrus notices my discomfort.

“You used my father’s trinket with no issues. Now you are having second thoughts because it is my seal?” he asks.

My entire mood shifts from the mention of his father, and once again, he notices, a frown finding its way onto his lips. His eyes shift to where my heart is in my chest.

“What has you so hesitant?” Cyrus’s tone is uncharacteristically gentle as he speaks to me.

His eyes are soft, and his hand is outstretched to help me into a seated position. When I try to pull my hand from his grasp, however, he holds it tight. He searches my expression before speaking again.

“Why did you use my seal in the past, Annalise?”

When Cyrus last asked me why I used his seal, I wasn’t able to get it out. It was the beginning of the end of our time together and completely shifted everything between us. From the moment I uttered the fate of his father, my life was in limbo. But now, as he looks at me, once again repeating the question, I know I must answer.

“It was the day your father was killed,” I say.

Cyrus doesn’t move, so I continue.

“The king tested his weapon on your father in front of me. I was frightened because I knew what this meant for me and every human on the other side of your wrath. I felt trapped, and I felt like the only person that would protect me was you. Your father told me that you would come for me and that you would bring the fires of hell with you. And at that moment, I wanted it to be true,” I say softly.

I don’t know what else to say or how else to voice my thoughts as Cyrus’s expression shifts. He releases my hand, placing his palm against my cheek. But I’m still trembling in fear across from him. He doesn’t speak, seeming to be having an inner battle with himself as he looks at me. In an instant, his guard is up, his expression stoic as his hand slips from my cheek.

“The three of us will be returning to the kingdom. I won’t force you to learn just yet. But Annalise, life will be difficult for you the moment you step into the palace. You must step up soon. Don't disappoint me.”