Page 26 of Their Crowned Mate
I felt Alexander's come shoot into me, a hot jet of liquid fire that made my body shudder. I couldn’t help but scream, my body jerking as the orgasm overtook me. “Oh,fuck!”
Cole's come filled my mouth at the same time, and I swallowed it down hungrily, savoring the salty taste of him on my tongue. Now I was filled with all three of them, my body humming with pleasure and the room spinning around me as I slowly came back down to earth from the mind-shattering orgasm.
Alexander slid out first, then Cole, and I collapsed between them, their hands still roving my body as we all curled up together. I breathed deeply, squirming to get comfortable between the three of them, my head still swimmy from bliss.
"I love you," I murmured. "All of you, so much."
"We love you, too, pup," Marcus said, his voice husky with satisfaction.
"More than anything," Alexander said, kissing my neck.
Cole sighed deeply, burying his face in my hair. "Look at that. I agree with the vampire on something."
I smiled, snuggling into them. I couldn't think about the war now, and I couldn't think about the future. All I knew was that I had three men who loved me. Three men who could make me feel like the most beloved woman in the world.
And that was enough for me.
CHAPTER15
MARCUS
Iwoke up to find that Alexander was gone, and Cole and Lavinia were still curled up together, sleeping soundly. I nudged Cole, and when he opened his eyes, I nodded for him to slip out of the bed with me, hopefully without waking her.
She was still sleeping when we both got dressed and Cole followed me out of the room. Sure enough, Alexander was leaning over the table, discussing strategy as he studied a map with one of his generals and Joram, plus a few fae I was sure worked for the former king.
Or maybe he was the current king technically. Hard to keep track of this shit. In any case, the fae were looking at me funny, and I had to wonder what they’d heard. Then again, fae were generally kind of judgmental, so maybe that was just how their faces were.
Joram certainly wasn’t looking at me, though.
"Good. You’re awake," Alexander said in a dry tone. "Don't worry. The war will wait for your beauty rest."
I flipped him off half-heartedly and glanced out the window in the cabin, realizing night was already close to falling. Fuck. I really had overslept. I could see the bizarre pastel sunset from here, and I had to admit, as fucking weird as this realm was, it was beautiful in the way the hallucinations were after taking too many drugs at a college party.
"So, what's the game plan?" I asked, leaning against the table.
Alexander sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "You and Cole will be keeping an eye on Lavinia while Joram and I lead the troops into battle. Aurelius and the others will be leading the wolves."
I raised an eyebrow. "Does Lavinia know that?"
"Know what?" she asked from the hallway, clad in a fresh set of clothing that matched the ones Alexander's warriors were wearing. Yeah, she was definitely planning on going into battle, and while I wasn't fond of that idea any more than Alexander was, I also knew she wasn't going to settle for just being babysat on the sidelines.
"Nothing," Alexander muttered.
"He's trying to cut you out of the action," said Cole. "Which I incidentally agree with. I'm just not gonna be a little bitch about it and dance around the issue."
Lavinia and Alexander both glowered at him, although her anger seemed mostly targeted at the vampire.
"Seriously?" she cried. "I'm the one who brought us here!"
"Yes, and that's all the more reason you shouldn't be on the front lines," Alexander reasoned. "Not only are you pregnant, you're a liability for the rest of us, because we're going to be distracted trying to protect you."
She opened her mouth to argue, but Joram chimed in. "He's right. And you're also the only rightful heir to the kingdom if something happens to me."
Lavinia stared blankly at him, and I could tell she wasn't expecting that. "What...?"
"You are my daughter," the older fae said calmly. "That makes you the crowned princess of the realm, no matter what the emperor has to say about it. I'm no fool. I know there's a good chance I'm not going to come through this battle on the other side, and I've made my peace with it. I've been gone for decades. My people think I abandoned them, and if I'm not willing to give my life for this cause, I don't deserve to be their king. Securing the future of this realm is going to require more than a successful battle today. The emperor still has loyalists throughout this world, and in order for the good people to have the courage to stand up and fight, they need a leader. Someone strong enough to stand in the face of the emperor's tyranny, even if it means it's my last stand. And if that happens, there is no one I can think of I trust more—no one more worthy—to lead in my stead."
Lavinia listened in silence, and I could tell from the tears in her eyes his words had struck a chord. Honestly, I wasn't all that crazy about the guy, considering the way she'd grown up, but it really did seem like he loved her. He’d at least thought he was doing the right thing by the woman he loved and their child by sending them somewhere he thought they would be safe. And if he was willing to put his money where his mouth was now, I could respect that.
