Page 31 of Ruthless Monsters

“She’s more comfortable with me,” Dante argues. “Besides, I’m a demon. If she’s only going to fuck one of us, it makes sense that the main bonding partner would be one of her own kind.”

Nate grumbles something under his breath.

“Pretendto fuck,” I clarify, but I don’t know if Dante is listening. As much as I want my mates, I haven’t forgotten about what happened to Kai, the last lover I’d been with, and now isn’t the right time to test out whether my vagina will accidentally kill any one of my mates.

There’s a buzzing from somewhere overhead, and King Celzar’s voice rings out. “I have places to be, my beloved. Seal the bond or I shall assume this was simply a ploy for you to see your friends. You do not want to disappoint me.”

Honestly, I’m not sure if the king is going to believe our act, but we have to do something. “Okay, if we’re doing this, we have to do it now,” I whisper.

“The robe stays on,” Alaric growls, and I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I’m not scared of having an audience. I’m sure it’s not just the king behind the two-way mirror that lines the wall. For all I know, there could be a dozen guards eagerly watching on, but none of that matters. Demons don’t really care about nudity or public shows of affection as long as it’s not putting us in a vulnerable situation.

“It stays on,” I agree to appease the assassin.

“All right then. Ready, princess?” Dante asks me quietly.

I force a smile. “It’s not like any of us have a choice.”

His grin turns wolfish. “I don’t care who it’s for, as long as I get to do this,” he murmurs into my ear, and then his lips are on mine.Merciful. Lady. Fate.The male tastes like the best damn spiced apricots I’ve ever eaten, tangy and sweet with a hint of spice, and I can’t get enough. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, and sparks of pleasure shoot through my body. A moan slips out of me, and while I’m quick to cut off the noise, it’s like a sirencall drawing my other mates even closer to me. Dante claims me like a demon possessed, and his hand slides behind my head, tangling in my hair as he utterly consumes me.

I hadn’t planned for this. Hadn’t planned for the way I’d feel when I had them with me. Around me. I’d intended to make this appear forced. I try to stop myself from showing just how badly I need my mates, but a rumbling starts in Nate’s chest, and I lose myself.

“More,” I gasp when Dante finally breaks the kiss, his eyes completely black as he pulls me toward the bed, licking and sucking on my neck the entire way. His legs hit the end of the mattress, and I press on the demon’s chest, pushing him onto the bed. He falls onto his back, and his lips curl as I climb on, straddling his hips. Holding myself up, I rock above him, hoping that my robe is hiding enough for the king to think this is believable. My thighs tremble as I fight against my desire, but I don’t let myself drop down onto Dante’s cock.

Nate comes up behind me, his teeth grazing my shoulder as he plays with my breasts, and I fight to keep control. Because none of this is about me, or about us.It’s all a show,I tell myself.Just make it convincing for the king.But my body doesn’t believe it’s a show. She wants her mates, and my muscles strain from the effort of holding myself back.Think of Kai,I tell myself.You don’t want that to happen to them, do you? Besides, Prince Callan and Alaric don’t want to bond anyway.At the thought of my reluctant mates, I turn my head to where the giant and my archangel stand beside the bed, both with their backs to the mirror like they’re hoping to block the king’s view of me.

Did they not get the message about making this look real?

“Bond with me,” I call out to them. “Give me the power that was predestined to become mine and obtain your freedom in return.” My words sound stilted and wrong to my own ears, but I hope the king finds it convincing. There’s a war raging inPrince Callan and Alaric’s eyes as they battle their own desires, but they move closer to the edge of the bed. Prince Callan’s eyes are hooded as he kneels on the mattress, and I don’t think when I reach out, grabbing his massive length in my hand. To my surprise, he doesn’t pull away. He only stares at me, half with uncertainty and half with desire as I stroke him in time to my rocking, imagining he isn’t just in my hand. I don’t stop to think about the fact that the last time I saw him, the archangel looked like he wanted nothing to do with me. All I can focus on is my mates, and the demon between my thighs.

I can’t stop myself. Desperate for more friction, I drop down, my core clenching as Dante’s cock slides against my center. Nate pinches and teases my nipples with his fingers as his lips press against my neck, and sensations fire through my body.More. I need more.

“Fuck, Blake,” Dante curses, his voice tortured as I slide against his cock, enjoying every bump and ridge. I know I should lift up again, but I only rock my hips harder, enjoying the feel of him beneath me. I don’t care that the king is watching. Really, I wouldn’t care if the whole damn kingdom was watching, these aremymates, and everything in me tells me that this is right. I need their skin on mine as badly as I need…

“Princess,” Dante says the word as a breathy warning. “Stop.”

But I can’t. They had been taken from me, and I need this.

Dante curses again, and I moan as I stroke Prince Callan’s hard cock. When I look up, the archangel is staring at me with an intense gaze, like he wants to pluck me from Dante and steal me away, but he doesn’t. I’m distracted by the archangel, and I don’t notice Dante reaching his hand down between my legs. He aims himself, and the next time I rock my hips, his cock slides in, pushing in deep. I gasp at the sensation of him filling me, stretching me so much that a whimper falls from my mouth. The sting of pain is chased away as pleasure makes my entire bodycome alive.Fuck.We should stop. The memory of Kai clings to the edges of my mind, a warning I promised myself I wouldn’t forget, but the pleasure chases it away.

Alaric is still standing, but his chest heaves, and his temple pulses as his gaze drops, watching as Dante slides in and out of me, the robe pulled back enough to give him a nice view. His hand lowers to his cock, and then he’s stroking himself in time to the rest of our movements. The assassin growls a curse, and the rumbling sound in Nate’s chest grows louder, almost frantic.Shit. Stop, Blake. You need to—This isn’t part of the plan. I try to remind myself of Kai, of the risk involved, but as Dante’s hands move to either side of my hips, I can’t stop myself from enjoying the way he makes my body feel. Tingles rush through me as the pleasure builds.

Nate’s teeth clamp onto my shoulder, and I throw my head back, my nails clawing down Dante’s chest.

“Have your power,” Alaric growls, his voice hoarse, though he’s obviously the only one of us still level-headed enough to keep this ruse going. I rock my hips faster, needing more as the pleasure blooms inside me, delicious and all-consuming. But just as I think I’m about to tip over the edge, I gasp as fear makes my body lock up. I can’t do this. Not now. Not when I could lose one of my mates forever. Dante’s hands still on my sides like he knows what’s going through my head. His cock is still deep inside me, and I pant, trying to control my emotions. Seconds pass, and I force myself to remember why we’re in this mess.To convince the king.Pushing my worries from my mind, I stretch my arms out dramatically, and make a show of staring at my palms like they now contain the secrets of all the realms. “Finally!” I exclaim, my voice maniacal. “I feel it. The power.”

Dante breathes heavily beneath me, his eyes hooded, but a small smirk graces his lips. I take that to assume that my act was believable, but it’s hard to tell. It takes all of my willpower to liftoff my demon and move away from my mates, and I stand facing the mirror. A smile creeps across my face. “I’m ready my king. The power we both desire is now mine.”

The king doesn’t speak, but my mates move behind me, lifting to their feet. I start toward the door, but I stop when I hear shouting. There’s a brief moment of silence, and then another scream comes to us from the tunnel.

“Fuck it, I don’t even care if he sees,” Nate says as he moves in front of me, blocking my path to the door and taking up a defensive stance. My other mates do the same, all four of them forming a wall between me and the door.

Clenching my jaw, I scan the room, looking for a weapon.Why are there so many damn cushions?Aside from smothering someone to death, they’re pretty useless. I’m still searching when the door flies open. I drop into a crouch, ready to attack, but a familiar prickling sensation touches my mind.“Hold on girl! We’re here!”Shade’s voice fills my head, and my mouth pops open.

“Shade?”Relief crashes into me.“What are you doing out there?”

“Saving your ass, of course,”she tells me.“Now get out here already.”

I peer at the tall, muscular male standing in the doorway. He’s covered in dirt and blood, his torn clothes hanging off him and his dark hair is a mess of matted knots, but he has the most vibrant glittering blue eyes I’ve ever seen. He looks a little different now, but I still recognize him as the male I saw when I was in the water, the male who’d been on the battlefield surrounded by witches.Celzar’s brother.But unlike in the picture, the sorrow is gone from his eyes, replaced with a fierce determination.

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