Ties That Bind

His strong arms banded around her and then he rocked his hips. She felt his cock move inside her, still semi-erect. She moaned, it felt good. He was softer now, the touch more of a tease. He did it again. And again. Until he grew hard and long inside her, making her muscles quiver.

He took her like that. With her knees spread atop his thighs as he slowly thrust in, with their mouths fused together.

When her body climaxed, he kept his mouth fused to hers, letting no sound escape. Her body needed to release all that incredible pleasure somehow and so it gripped his cock furiously, kneading it until he groaned deep in his chest and spilled white-hot inside her.

The moment touched her unlike anything had before. Her heart felt soft and tender and her brain struggled to regain control of herself. He wasn't ready for anything more than this, she told herself.

She looked into his beautiful golden brown eyes and wondered if he ever would be. And could she ever deal with that?

CHAPTER 27

“Send for her.”

“Right away, your highness.”

Alrik listened to the fading footsteps of the steward but his eyes were glued to the painting on the wall. It was a massive work, one of the largest in the castle; his father had it commissioned when he'd just been a boy of twelve. He used to study the painting many times during the Great War when he'd been relegated to the castle for protection. While the armies clashed outside the very walls he slept within.

The painting showed his father sitting on his throne wearing his royal grandeur--the long robed gown, the royal blue cape with gold trim. Next to him sat his mother in her finest royal gown made of hundreds of sparkling diamonds. But none of that interested him. It was the two boys sitting below the king and queen on the steps of the dais. He and Telal looked so young and i

It had been so long since he looked like that—golden ski

Many things could drive a person to change so drastically. He knew that, understood it, and had taken that as an answer to why he'd changed. Then he didn't think of it no more. Now his eyes had changed back. Why now? After all these years? Only two answers seemed possible. It could be finally having Aria

What did it mean that they'd turned back to their old color? Would his skin change as well? Would the searing hate in his heart vanish too? Hate at his brother who'd caused it all?

Alrik roared at the painting. Screamed all of his venomous rage at Telal until his voice dried and shriveled to a croak. He was caught in another place, a place where emotion controlled him. All that he heard was his own harsh breathing and the sound of metal cutting and cutting.

 When his voice stopped and the echoing shout faded, it still wasn't enough. His arms shook, his breathing sounded harsh. Alrik grabbed a sword from the table and slashed at the painting in hard sweeping cuts. The sounds of tearing paper, the ripping of cloth and snapping of the wooden frame cooled the hatred inside of him, if only a little.

His brother's body turned into slashes on the canvas like bears had ravaged it with their claws. The canvas folded in half, then dropped to the floor in tatters.

“Sir?” a hesitant voice said.

Alrik stared at the shredded painting, at the place where his brother used to be. His heart squeezed tight and his eyes watered. What had he done? Getting down on his knees, his hands trembled as he lifted the shredded remains of his brother's face.

“Sir?”

Alrik turned to the voice, and knew his eyes were glowing with simmering hatred. The steward took several steps back, his hand flying to his heart. As if that would save him.

The steward swallowed hard. The stench of his fear clung to air. “She, Lady Aria

A cold deadening feeling settled over him, starting in his heart and spread all the way to his fingers and toes. Alrik stood and stared down at the pieces of the canvas. Something snapped inside him.

He stormed into his study. The vial his mother had given him still sat on his desk. He grabbed it, uncorked it, and drank the entire contents. In a gradual rush his anger lessened, the trembling in his arms stopped, and his mind calmed. Taking a deep breath, he threw the empty vial into the fire and watched it blacken then shatter under the flames.

In the next second, he stalked out the door and up the stairs to Aria

He didn't bother knocking but turned the handle and found it locked. Though his anger had lessened, it still simmered inside him. His mother's concoction allowed him to have better control of it. Bracing himself, he slammed his foot forward and kicked in the door. It burst open, the wood cracking along the frame. A feminine cry sounded from inside.

Alrik entered, finding Aria

Good, he thought. You should be scared.

Aria

He took a step into the room and kicked the door closed behind him. The realization that she was alone with him with no means of escape aside from her window that led to a forty-foot drop sent apologetic words falling from her.

“King Alrik, what are you doing here? I'm so sorry I couldn't make your request today. I'm-I'm really not feeling well, truly. I hope you understand.”

He didn't say a word but slowly took one step then another and another towards her. She felt like a weak animal being stalked by one much stronger than she was. When he got within a few feet of her, she screamed and darted to the side. His hard footsteps sounded after her.

She reached the bed and tried to climb over it, to get to the other side and to the door. She reached the edge of the other side of the bed, her hand curling around it as she frantically scurried across it, when a strong hand grabbed her ankle and tugged. She fell onto her stomach, sliding back towards him. She cried out again, tears forming in her eyes. He's going to kill me.

Strong hands grabbed her waist and flipped her over. She slapped at him, tears falling uselessly from her eyes, but he only grabbed her wrists and planted them on either side of her head. He leaned down over her, those dark terrifying eyes boring into hers.