Page 26 of The Shadow Prince's Ruin
I shake my head. “At twenty-five, I’m in my prime, and unlikely to change, unless by injury, or curse. Unless I’m forced to stay here for the remaining length of my banishment. Fifty years.” I shudder at the mere thought of it. “But if I am lucky and determined enough, I will get this collar off soon, then make you my Dark Companion, and we will find our way back to the Nocturne Court. I am not sure how I will convince my Lord to allow it, but I hope that when he sees your shadow, bound to mine, he will realize I’m worthy of a place at his side. You see, I’m only a minor prince, from a side branch of the family, but as royals, we have obligations to the Realm.
“There is a monstrous creature called Heartbreak, and every few years, or sometimes in longer intervals, it will approach the shores and threaten our people. It’s like no monster you can imagine. Unlike a lion or shark,” I try to mention animals he might know, “it is like a mountain in the sea. Giant, ancient, I believe, without consciousness. It cannot be killed. It is like a storm. But it can be chased away, and that is what the royalsand any knight with a Dark Companion is supposed to help with. And yet…” I take a deep breath, unsure if I should tell him about this, but when we get to the Nocturne Court, an unfriendly soul will surely tell him all about my cowardice. “The last time it approached, I saw its towering form on the horizon, its bulging flesh, its sheer size, and I just couldn’t face it. The Lord and his Companion managed to push it back, but my brother died in the attack.”
Hawk’s eyes open, and he gives my hand a tender squeeze. “I’m sorry. It must have been terrible to lose a sibling. I can’t imagine.”
I entwine my fingers with his. “I lost all three of them in close succession two months ago. A brother and two sisters. But while I feel more alone than ever before, you have to understand my family has never been like the ones in your television shows, unless the show isThe Sopranos. One of my sisters was executed for attempted murder, the other died trying to get a Dark Companion of her own and failing, while my brother died fighting Heartbreak. He also betrayed Lord Kyran. As the younger brother, born with neither strength nor talent for shadowcraft, I was always groomed to support my siblings, especially my brother, who was supposed to take over the Nocturne Court when the opportunity arose. I am boring you with all these Court politics, surely. What I’m trying to say is that my family isn’t close. We’ve been like a den of vipers, together only for convenience. Now, only my mother remains, since my father is in exile as well. I might replace what my brother had been to her, but I have to come back withpower. Your shadow is that power.”
Hawk whistles. “Wow, and I thoughtmyfamily was messed up.” He exhales and rolls over, so he’s facing my stomach with his head still in my lap. “Don’t repeat that to them, obviously, but I didn’t really miss them when I was in the can. I do lovethem, in a way, but I’m not worried about losing touch with them. I know they’re not the worst family one can have, but I think I was my worst self whenever I was around them. Which, I guess, is me saying that I can go wherever you want to. I’m on the run from the law and have nothing to go back to. I need to be somewhere outside police jurisdiction.”
His hair isn’t the silkiest, but it’s long, dark, and smells nice. I enjoy stroking it as if he were my pet beast, a little rough around the edges. “I promise you I will not be a coward again. I will not run away when we face danger. As soon as I have your shadow, I will protect you.” I lean down and kiss him. He might be twice my size, but he doesn’t truly understand what might await us when we enter the Nightmare Realm illegally. I don’t want to scare him with the whole truth, but everyone needs someone they trust, and I want us to be that for each other. He’s already promised himself to me, and I shall not fail him.
Hawk grins, nipping my lips when I try to pull away. “Right back at you, princeling. Me, and my mean, muscular shadow, are ready to protect you too. Nothing’s gonna happen to you if I can stop it. I just hope your mom isn’t going to kick me out the moment she sees me.”
I snort, imagining my mother’s face at the sight of him. “Oh, I have no doubt she will criticize my choice, but she will respect it when she sees your shadow. And it is mychoiceto share my bed with you as well, whether she likes it or not.” It only now strikes me just how stuck I was under my whole family’s boot, always knocked down a peg whenever I dared stick my neck out.
“Hmmm, they can try to stop me from sharing your bed. Not gonna happen.” Hawk chuckles, and as he rolls his face against my crotch, the vibrations from his hum awaken all my senses. “Big, dirty human leaving his hot cum inside a beautiful prince like you. Such a disgrace,” he mumbles, kissing my cock through the fabric.
I gasp, and my fingers still in his hair. I should chastise him for saying such things, but the excitement they awaken in me is so visceral I’m embarrassed. I’ve been taught that only the powerful deserve respect, yet here I am, aroused by him talking to me so crudely.
“I probably shouldn’t allow it…” I say and bite my lip.
“Not allow what?” Hawk whispers, rising to his knees. He grabs my legs and pulls on them, and then I’m on my back, staring at the paint cracking on the ceiling above. A wave of intense heat stabs between my legs when Hawk spreads my thighs with a raspy laugh.
“This,” I whisper, placing my hands on his shoulders. “I shouldn’t allowthis. You on top of me. A human prisoner on the run. And here I am, a prince, spreading my legs for you.”
My breath becomes shallow, and I can’t get enough of him. He is so handsome with those green eyes and cocky smile. When he takes over control, I’m nervous, guilty, but oh so relieved. We’re entering dangerous territory with this game of words, but it’s too tempting. Like a delicious scent I follow without knowing what awaits me when I find its origin. A beautiful rose bush, or a venomous snake hiding within it?
Hawk lowers his hips to mine. I gasp when our manhoods touch, and slide my arms around his neck, overcome by need unlike anything I ever felt. The way he pursues me and takes the reins is the most powerful of aphrodisiacs, and as heat courses through my body, we start grinding against one another.
His teeth glint when he smiles. “But it feels so good. I bet you’re just embarrassed that someone might know, but behind closed doors, you would get on your knees and service me every time I asked.”
I shiver, but he’s not done explaining what he means and slides two fingers in my mouth, stroking my tongue and pressing down on it with a soft sigh.
“Just like you swallowed it all last night. I can’t wait to pop your cherry and use your ass too.”
Fuck. I want it. At this point, I won’t be stoppinghimbut myself. I moan and suck his fingers, shamelessly rocking my hips. My cock presses against his through our clothes, and all I can think of is what it would be like for that thick tool to thrust into me.
When he nips my neck, I moan louder and grab his wide shoulders, because it makes me feel as though he is feral, and I have to tame him.
“You know it’s true. You want to be taken likeI’mthe prince, and you’re my concubine,” Hawk whispers, rolling his tongue against my flesh. As his skin warms, the scent clinging to it, fresh yet earthy, intensifies, and I realize that this must be what a predator smells like when it’s about to mate.
He slides his fingers out of my mouth to untangle my bow and reveal the shallow collar around my neck. I’m panting, rocking against him, becoming a mindless animal with his body on top of mine. I’ve never been this aroused before. Sure, I’ve experienced attraction, but Hawk makes me forget who I am so that I can become flesh led by instincts.
“I did trade my body after all. It will be yours to do with as you please.”
A shiver goes down my spine when I think of it. Of him deciding he wants me during a ball, taking me behind a thick curtain to quickly satisfy his needs, then leaving me dripping with his cum.
It’s so lewd.
So undignified and unworthy of the last drop of Goldweed blood.
But as I imagine him taking me in rough thrusts, a virile animal in need of breeding his partner, my hole spasms, and Iwrap my legs around him. Pulled by an unstoppable impulse, I kiss his lips, and he cradles me with those big arms.
“Ohh fuck… you know exactly what to tell me,” he whispers and squeezes my sensitive nipple. “I will make it my job to never leave you unsatisfied.”
“Ah… you’re so… heavy. I love it,” I mumble, rubbing myself against his thigh in a motion that might be enough to make me come soon. I slide my hand between us with a gasp and cup his crotch, frantic with the excitement of having access to a man like him.
And it’s not just about how attractive he is. Hawk makes me feel safe to express my needs, even when they’re embarrassing.
