STORY EXCERPT

She smiled at the age-old title. She didn’t feel like a queen at the moment. She didn’t even have the energy to stand up on her own. The blood had renewed her flesh, but she was incredibly weary. “This place is a hell of a mess.”

Rory smiled. “Yes, it is. That’s what happens when you are ambushed.”

Em nodded as she gazed around. This was not her fault and for once, she was not going to feel guilt for something that someone else did to her. How the hell was she supposed to know that Joel had given her the names of traitors? His own brother didn’t know. Em realized that for possibly the first time in his life, Gaelic was alone.

“I love being in your arms, Rory, but I would like to try and stand again.”

He set her gently to the floor. Em leaned back into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. She now had a clear vision of the carnage around them. Sawyer and Getta were standing just past Gaelic and she gave them a smile. “Thank you.”

Sawyer nodded, but Getta appeared truly stunned. “Are you thanking us for giving you blood or saving your life?”

“Both. You didn’t owe me anything for sparing your brother. As he pointed out, I abhor killing that can be avoided. I look around and see such a waste of life. The governors needed to die because they were never going to amend their ways. All these other people didn’t.” She gazed around the hall. Apparently, she now had everyone’s attention. She looked at Gaelic and shrugged. He held his hand out graciously to her. “Unless one of your kings cares to speak, go for it.”

Em turned to Rory and he shrugged. “Go for it.”

From Russell and Salt, she received only a grin. “Would you and Russell mind boosting me up?”

Russell took a place next to Rory, and the two men lifted her up to their touching shoulder. Em concentrated on making her voice carry. “I see many of you looking for information in the aftermath of your current living arrangements. There are seven of you who have been recommended as new leaders. How many of you are still alive?”

Em saw Blue Aqua walk from the back of the room. He was followed by Sparrow Ink and Fellows Martin. She saw Nicca Bast coming from another direction with Hallow Green walking beside him. They approached, and Gaelic turned to stand beside Rory so he was in a better position to see what was going on.

The six vampires knelt before them and Em rolled her eyes. “Please get up.” They frowned and stood, standing loosely in a line. “Where are Rice and Honey?”

Blue took a step forward. “Rice was found dead the night after you passed out the notes. Honey was killed during the battle.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Em looked out over the crowd. “These are the five remaining vampires that were asked if they would be interested in taking over the governors’ positions. I think in all fairness, there should also be five humans and five shifters. Are any of you willing to give your time to try and rebuild a better civilization for this amazing place?

“It would be in your best interest to do a complete reorganization. At our fortress, everyone is equal. Those who do for themselves are better off. Those who are lazy have less. The humans allow us to take blood to live and we help them make their lives better. Everything is done by mutual trade and cooperation. I don’t know if that is possible on this large a scale, but to have some of you as masters and others as slaves goes against the basic nature of everything our ancestors fought against. If you are not willing to pull your weight for the benefit of everyone, then maybe you should make other living arrangements.”  

Sawyer nodded in approval and started to clap. A round of applause seemed to flow around the room, everyone looking to the people who stood to either side of them.

A young man stood up on a chair. “Are you staying, Emerald?”

ADULT EXCERPT

Gaelic watched her skin turning redder with each hit. Welts were forming on her flesh, bright red and puffy. He could tell from the look on Joel’s face that he wasn’t hitting her hard enough. He didn’t want Joel to take the whip away from him again. For one reason because he didn’t want Joel to see how fast she was healing. If he didn’t centralize his strikes and hit her repeatedly in a single place, there was no chance of getting her blood to flow. Gaelic ground his teeth and hit her harder. Em was jarred forward and inwardly he winced with her. She was crying out from the force of each blow, the flexible crop digging into her skin.

This was not what Gaelic wanted. He wanted to torment her and make her moan with pleasure. There was no pleasure in this act and as her flesh began to bleed, Gaelic wanted to throw the cane across the room and ring Joel’s neck. Joel grinned in approval. “Well done, little brother. Now take your cock out of your pants and fuck her. Make it hard and visible so her mates can watch. I am king and you are my prince. They should be shown this through your actions.”

How the hell was fucking Em going to do anything but piss them off? A man did not show his strength by beating or raping a woman. He feared what Em was thinking of him. He had told her the truth before they had arrived. He no longer wanted to be under Joel’s rule. At the moment, Joel was in control and he was better off to be on his brother’s side rather than against him. When the shit hit the fan, Joel would find out just how much his little brother now disliked him. Fuck family. He had given his life in support of his family. Joel’s desires had changed. Well, so had Gaelic’s.

He unzipped his jeans, smiling as Joel turned his back to him to watch what the women were doing. Gaelic ran a cool soothing palm over Em’s skin. The soft touch made her shiver and he could only hope that it relayed his point of view. He palmed his cock in such a way that he could slip in a few gentle strokes to her clit before entering her. Em always enjoyed her clit being touched or caressed. He ran his finger over the opening of her pussy, feeling that the skin was wet and quivering with desire. Obviously the pain had not been as bad as he assumed. Of course, compared to what Vidar had done to her, the caning that Gaelic had just given her was nothing. He pushed slowly into her pussy, the muscles grabbing at his dick. Was it really possible that she was enjoying this?

Gaelic suddenly had a desire to make it good for her. Joel had not been around when Salt had showed him how to flash and he didn’t know how much Em enjoyed it. From Joel’s perspective, it would look fast hard and probably painful. He centered his body, keeping his thrust short as he began to move his hips. He built speed slowly and caught Joel’s attention.

“Ah yes. I have been told that you do that now. The human Misty expressed to me how painful it was. She begged me to tell you never to fuck her like that again. What a brilliant choice on your part.”

Gaelic grinned and he caught the stunned expression on Joel’s face. Rory knew exactly what he was doing and he nodded in an almost unperceivable gesture. Em was crying out as if he was putting her in agony. In direct contrast to the noises she was making, he could feel the interior of her pussy getting wetter and warmer. Her cunt muscles were throbbing and snatching at his dick, the feel of her amazing. A human woman would often feel too hot around his cold cock. Em was different, her warmth was slight and it was only the friction of flesh against flesh that was raising her temperature. This was what he wanted, the woman who gave him everything during sex. The Em who enjoyed it fully and completely was now in his grasp. She had disconnected her mind from her surrounding and he was taking her into an oblivion that blocked out everything unpleasant. He flashed faster, suddenly discovering a coordination that he didn’t know he possessed. To flash during a run and to flash just his hips and his dick were two completely different things. Her pussy was so tight and so wet, his cock sliding in and out as her body convulsed around him. Em screamed, her cunt clamping around him and making it difficult to move. Her inner muscles were pulsing, massaging his dick to draw from him the life fluid that had caused it to swell with desire. Gaelic grabbed her hips, holding her, slowing his movements.

Em was shaking and sobbing loudly. Her ass was almost healed. He had a feeling that the show of emotion was for Joel’s sake. Her pussy was not echoing her grief.