Page 54 of The King's Omega
“What are you saying? Is it time for my lesson?” Vali’s face was shining and clean, and the sparkle in her eyes, though it wasn’t as bright as it could be, was back. And her dress… fuck.
Her breasts had grown since I’d last seen her. Suddenly, the lessons I wanted to teach her had nothing to do with sign language, although they would definitely involve the use of our hands.
I shook the thought away. “Are you ready? We can practice signing and the harp if you like.”
“I would love that!” She hummed the bawdy tune I’d played for her all the way to my room. When we passed Tarn and Lorn’s doors, though, she frowned. “I hope they’re safe. I worry that Lorn had to cross enemy lines to get to Starlak.” She sighed. “And I worry that Tarn will have to kiss every lady in Mirren to get them to send us reinforcements.”
He wouldn’t just have to kiss them, I thought, but kept my hands still. Vali was obviously lonely for them.
Lonely. “Where is Mischief?” I asked, and she jumped like she’d been hit by lightning.
“Oh no, Axe! She’s in Rigol’s rooms. If Selene gets her hands on her, she’ll kill her!”
Vali
The guard outside the king’s room didn’t want to let us in. In fact, he blocked the door until Axe knocked him on the top of the head with one of his giant fists, and the guard took an unscheduled nap.
Axe signed. “King will be mad.”
I made a sign that Sorcha had said meant fuck off, and then did the sign for king. Axe’s eyes went wide; I’d shocked him. “The king can be mad and stay that way forever. I’m rescuing Mischief!” I muscled the heavy door open and tried not to be sick. Selene reclined on the bed, naked. Rigol stood next to her, shirtless, with his trousers half-down and his arousal… all the way down.
I slammed my eyes shut. Well, mostly shut. Even if his bottom half wasn’t hard, Rigol’s body was a glorious sight. All those muscles, like little ridges that made my fingers itch to dip in and out of them. My core clenched, like a small cramp.
Axe wheezed. Rigol recovered first, shouting as he yanked his trousers back up. “What are you doing here, Vali?” My eyes flew wide at Rigol’s tone. He wasn’t mad, he was embarrassed. His whole chest and face, right up to his reddish-brown hair, was bright pink.
“Mischief!”
Rigol blinked. “You’re doing mischief?”
I didn’t answer, just darted across the room, and grabbed my cat.
Axe hastily signed something to Rigol, whose eyes were turning flinty. I avoided his gaze but couldn’t get away from the pure vitriol in Selene’s. She had always hated me, but now her expression revealed she wanted me dead.
Whatever I did, I had to stay away from her.
“Sorry, Rigo—I mean, King Rigol,” I apologized awkwardly. “Just figured you wouldn’t want my puss in here when you’ve got…”
Axe wheezed again, Rigol blushed again, and Selene growled.
I ran.
I hid in the laundry room that day. Axe had to report to Rigol about the western front, but he came to get me before dinner. And he brought a dress. “Why would I change? Why would I eat in the hall?”
Axe signed that the king wanted me there.
“Well, the king doesn’t get what the king wants all the time, now does he?”
Sorcha walked by right then and chortled. “Actually, he does. It’s a perk of the job. That’s a nice dress, dear. Put it on and go be your sweet Asher’s date for dinner. You know, no one sits with him.”
Oh. Well, that wasn’t right. “Fine.” I took the dress, Axe stepped out, and I managed to get it laced with only a little help from Sorcha. She caught my curls up in a band on top of my head and wove in some of the flowers Rigol had given me the day before.
I sighed. I supposed with Selene back, our lessons were over. If she became queen, I had a feeling I would need to get as far from Turino as possible, as fast as I could.
I determined to pack up my things that night. Who knew when and if she would worm herself back into Rigol’s good graces? She was already in his bed… for all the good it would do her. I fought back a smile. Remembering how frustrated he had looked, staring at his flaccid…
“Vali?” Sorcha’s voice drew me from my thoughts.
Axe stood there, his eyes bright.
