Page 148 of Merciless Is My Crown

Then I swallowed and turned away, wishing I could do more.

Wishing I’d done more.

Tracking everyone down in the chaos was impossible.

In the end, Sophie found me trying to evade a throng of overzealous and unwanted courtiers. The only one I recognized was the hapless male Zorander had tackled Crux into during yesterday’s audience.

I ended up in my old room, Sophie locking the door behind me with the promise she wouldn’t let anyone in except for Martine, the seamstress. Or Tavion. Or Raz and Zor.

Then she’d winked.

I stripped my filthy clothes off, stinking of dungeons and Crux’s blood and dragonfire soot, while I filled the tub, then sank in, the hot water seeping into every crack and crevice until the top was scummed with black.

When I padded back out wrapped in a towel, the only things to wear—like the universe was playing some ridiculous joke on me—were those hideous scraps of fabric the Shadow King considered dresses.

I pulled one out, nothing more than dark green velvet and lace, and let it fall over my head, my nipples poking sharply through the fabric as I surveyed the bed, which at least was big enough for us all. Then I blew out a long breath, sat in the chair beside the fire, and let myself rest in a way I hadn’t rested for so very long.

Not sleep…just…rest.

The next thing I knew, I was crushed against Tavion’s chest, his deep laugh rumbling against my cheek before he dumped me onto the bed in a tangled, confused heap. I sat up and dragged my hands down my face, trying to get my bearings.

“We did it, Anaria.” He stripped off his jacket then his shirt. “We fucking did it. The king’s dead, the Keep is ours. Blackcastle is free. Fuck, all of Solarys is free.”

He froze, his pupils narrowing down to pinpoints in his pale green eyes, his temper so close to rupturing. “What are you wearing?”

I ran my fingers down the dress, suddenly unsure. “What was in the closet. My other clothes were completely ruined, and…”

“That fucking bastard gave you that dress, didn’t he, when he was trying to sell you off like chattel? Take it off. Now.”

Rage coated him like a second skin, waiting to explode, that last word still echoing between us. An order, and one…I obeyed.

I swallowed, peeling the velvet off my shoulders, moving slower and slower, especially as Tavion’s expression turned feral. Lupine.

I might have even taken my time, letting the fabric slide like water down over my breasts and shimmying my body until I knelt in a pool of emerald green, my nipples pebbled from the chill—and Tavion’s gaze. I swallowed hard when he stripped off his breeches, his cock springing free as he stalked toward me.

There was nothing Fae in that prowl, only wolf.

“I don’t care if you stay naked, you will never wear another scrap of fabric from that bastard.” A shadow flew across his face. “I will burn everything in that armoire, every last thing, do you understand?”

I tipped my head back to keep him in my sights. “I’ll have a hard time making decisions from the throne if I’m naked all the time. Somehow, I think that’s going to be a problem.”

“Is that so, my queen?” He cupped my chin and pushed his thumb between my lips. “Such a wicked mouth my wife has.” I rolled my tongue around the tip and was rewarded when his cock jerked in response.

“The others will be here shortly. I promised—fucking promised, mind you—I’d wait, but I don’t think I can leave you alone right now, Anaria. I think I need those pretty pink lips wrapped around my cock.” He pulled his thumb out, spread my own saliva across my mouth, then pressed the head of his cock against my now-soaking lips.

Gods help me, but I moaned the second he pushed inside, tasting salt and jealousy and that wild wintery flavor that reminded me of Nightcairn. I ran my tongue around his head, like I’d done to his thumb, and his fingers threaded through my hair, gripping my scalp with tender strength.

He moved slowly, giving me only what I could take, a little deeper each time, and when he finally hit the back of my throat and I swallowed, from instinct more than experience, his groan was the sort of sound that I decided I wanted to hear over and over again.

“Fuck, Anaria. You are going to fucking kill me.” Those fingernails scraped my scalp as he fed his cock between my lips and down my throat, stopping for me to swallow before he pulled out again, getting bigger, thicker, until I wondered if I could take any more.

I reached down between my legs and circled my tight bud with a finger, moaning around him as my hips began to move. He caught that wrist and pulled my hand free, tutting softly, so I used my other one, laughing around him, delighted he only had two hands and couldn’t stop me.

“I swear to the gods, woman, I am going to teach you a lesson one of these days.” His threat was undermined by the fact he was fucking my mouth with a look of complete and utter bliss.

“Uh huh,” I moaned around his cock, right before he fisted my hair and drove himself in deeper, his other hand tightening around my wrist, holding me in place. My other hand, though, was currently quite busy. So busy, we both erupted at the same time, Tavion’s teeth grinding as he came, me trying not to do the same as an orgasm rippled through me.

Nothing like the mind-blowing eruption one of my males would have given me, but…Tavion slipped out of my mouth then pulled up my other hand, wet with my juices, to his mouth and licked them off, his clever tongue working between my fingers and up the center of my palm until I was panting again.

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