Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
I wasn’t certain of half of the filthy things he called me. I only knew it was filthy because of how it melted my core when he growled the words while drilling me into the snow.
“—try again?”
I snapped to, returning to reality. “Yes,” I replied. “Of course I’m trying again, and I will every single night until I’m free of this place, and him. Speaking of, Aeris, there’s another way out of the castle, yes? Other than the front and garden entrance.” I took her hand, squeezing it. “Tell me where it is, please. Lord Alisdair can have his midnight run—hours after I’ve left.”
Aeris smiled at my reflection. “My queen, did you forget your end of the bargain? By night you run, during the day, you reign.”
My hope dimmed. “He meant that? He truly expects the unwanted wife he narrowly killed to play pretend at his side? For what purpose?”
“It is not pretend.” She pinned the final braid to my crown, then snapped her fingers. A feather fell from her hand and hadn’t yet hit the ground before three attendants were beside us, holding out three tiaras. “This is a real kingdom, and you are our queen. Your day is full, Lady Ana. In truth, you’re already behind. You shall have to eat quickly.”
I ate nothing, and did not despair for doing so. I wasn’t worried about finding safe food to eat before I starved. I’d be home in Lyrica long before that happened.
“You can take this back, Talulla,” I said, returning the tray to my taste-tester.
She took it, wrinkling her nose as she did. She looked like she was holding her breath.
“What? What is it?” I asked. “Do I smell?”
“Of course you don’t,” Aeris rushed. “Come now, my queen. Your lord awaits.”
She helped me up and tried to tug me away. I stopped short, catching the eye of the woman in the mirror.
It wasn’t me, so I couldn’t marvel at the crown of shiny, copper braids—winding around the glittering gold, diamond-encrusted tiara. They weren’t my lips plumped and shining to perfection, still carrying his punishing kiss on my lips. It wasn’t my neck, framed by the intricate beadwork clinging to the slivery-white gown’s collar, and clashing boldly with the red and purple marks on my throat and skin. It wasn’t me that looked more beautiful than I ever had in my entire life.
It wasn’t me who looked like a queen.
I followed Aeris out through winding hallways and hidden staircases leading down into the bowels of the castle. The further we went, the more the rich décor, jewels, antiques, and heavy tapestries disappeared.
Aeris stepped off the stairs, entering a large antechamber with nothing on its gray walls but flickering torches. Two large double doors loomed over us, calling us inside.
My feet didn’t leave the bottom step. “What is this place? Why are we down here?” I backed away. “Is this a trap?”
“A trap?” She cocked her head too far to the right. “Why would our lord need to trap you, Lady Ana? He already has you.”
Indignation rose up in me hot and heavy, and reality drowned it out. She had an awful and accurate point.
“Not for long,” I warned, and stepped off.
Aeris knocked sharply on the wood. The doors swung open, revealing the scene on the other side.
I turned and left.
“Lady Ana?” Laughing, Aeris chased me down. “Where are you going, silly? It’s this way. This is where our lord, and now you, hold court every morning. The people come to you with their issues and disputes, and you hand down your wisdom.”
“Are you kidding me?” I barked. “That is not what’s going on in that room!”
Aeris dragged me into a large, gray room much like the one we were leaving behind. Torches hung high on the walls, stretching the shadows basking in the windowless space. A long, black rug adorned with the phases of the moon led the path to a stone dais, with two thrones upon it.
Alisdair stretched out across the silver throne—his elbow propped on one arm, and his leg hanging over the other. Standing at his side was Foalan. Propped against the throne that was presumably mine was Bradach.
No trace of the beast I found in my bed remained. His claws shortened, his fangs shrunk, his horns were small ornaments poking from his raven curls, and his handsome face handsome.
I couldn’t believe it, but focusing on him, and his smirk, was helpful in that moment. He gave me something to look at other than the massive, temperature-heating, lust-soaked orgy happening all over the floor, carpet, walls, and for a couple bird faeriken, in the air.
Three faeriken with leopard faces and spots contorted themselves over a lounge—one man plowing into the young lady from behind while she swallowed the other’s cock to the hilt. My sweet taste-tester Talulla was also being tasted by a furry-faced faeriken with twitching whiskers. I assumed she was part cat, because she was certainly lapping her pussy up like one.