Escaping Destiny (10 page)

I’d been so lost in my own thoughts, that I
hadn’t even noticed the five handmaidens following me back to my
room. Why hadn’t they gone to eat like the rest of the sheep in
this place? I turned and eyed them, none of them looked happy with
my decision to skip the meal. Sinjinn, Aodhan, and Dristan were
following close behind the handmaidens.

“You guys don’t eat the food?” I asked.

“We serve you. Where you go, we go,” Darynda
explained.

“So if I jump off a bridge, you’d join me?”
Sheep…line up for the slaughter.

“A bridge?” she asked with a confused look on
her face.

“A bridge,” I said, and when it didn’t seem
to register on her face, I explained it.

“Why would you wish to jump from a bridge?”
she questioned, still confused.

“Never mind,” I said, and started walking
down the hall in the direction of the room I was staying in.

They continued to follow me down the hallway
and up the long winding staircase, and even though Sinjinn had
offered to sift me up, I needed the exercise. I’d gotten little to
none since coming here, and even though I was pregnant, I was
staying in shape.

“I wanted to be alone,” I said over my
shoulder as I took the steps beside Sinjinn, and the women who were
behind didn’t fall back, instead they rushed to keep up with
me.

“That we cannot do Princess. It is our duty
to see you are well and cared for,” Darynda said calmly with a
pointed look. When I refused to comment she crossed her arms and
continued to follow me. I was pretty sure that she’d tap her foot
impatiently, if she wasn’t walking at a brisk pace just to keep up
with me.

“You want me fine? Leave me alone for a
minute. In the last few weeks I have watched my best friend be
murdered right in front of me, I found out I wasn’t human, I have
been stabbed by Zahruk, almost blown up, given to the Dark Heir as
his fiancée, kidnapped, met my fairy fucking family, and now I’m a
whore for the fucking Horde King! You want me to be okay? Then get
the fuck back for five minutes!” I was shaking, which only made me
increase my speed as I fisted my hands at my sides.

The horrified looks on their faces made me
feel like an ass, but I just needed a moment to breathe—alone. I
needed to make a plan, and to do that, I needed to be alone. They
didn’t leave; they stayed right freaking behind me.

“I’m sorry you have been through so much, but
we did not do this to you. We are here to serve you, to make this
easier on you,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry I freaked out, but sometimes the
silence helps,” I replied softly with regret sinking in. She was
innocent, and didn’t deserve my anger.

She smiled and nodded as she and the rest of
the gals dropped back to give me a bit of space. Zara started
whispering to the other girls as if I wasn’t even there.

“She’s a bust. The king will not enjoy her
anymore. She already bears his child. He will move onto another
concubine to strengthen his line,” she murmured as the others tried
to shush her.

“You don’t know that,” Darynda whispered
softly, and I found myself liking her even more. In this place,
some of the women seemed a bit catty, but Darynda seemed to say
what was on her mind, even if it was dead wrong.

“She’s already pregnant. It’s not like he
will keep her in the Queen’s rooms now. I requested this position
so that I could be close to the King,” Zara muttered behind me as
we continued toward the room she thought I was about to be removed
from.

“Claire speaks out of turn when she should
hold her tongue. She’s bitter and ruthless as she hides behind a
sweet face. We all know that. She twisted her words just to go with
the men to the human world. She’s spoiled is what she is, and you
would be wise to stop holding too tightly to her skirts. She has no
intention of helping you. She wants the king even though he’s meant
for her sister in marriage. She was gifted, and has been trying to
be chosen as second wife or first concubine. Does that sound sane
to you?” Darynda whispered heatedly.

“Synthia seems nice to me, and she isn’t rude
and demanding. We may end up back in the pavilion, but at least we
won’t be getting our faces slapped for choosing the wrong color
dress for Claire. Really, Zara, think about it. How far are you
willing to take this little torch you carry for Claire?” Meriel
joined the whispered debate in my defense.

“I think Claire speaks true, and I for one
plan on making it to his bed. I’m not meant to be a handmaiden. I
was born to be so much more,” Zara retorted. I rolled my eyes and
wasn’t sure if I felt sorrier for myself, or for the poor guys
escorting us, having to listen to this crap.

“He hasn’t even turned his eye to any woman
since he brought her here! Do you really think he is going to just
boot her back to the pavilion? If his plan was only to secure a
babe in her belly, his job is already done. Has been done for a
while! Yet she’s still in that room,” Keeley softly added, her
voice almost inaudible.

“Claire will have her out of that room before
her sister steps foot in this place. She won’t stand for this wench
being in that room. It belongs to her sister!” Zara’s voice raised
a little at this, as the other four tried desperately to shush her
quickly.

I turned and looked at Sinjinn, who was
watching me closely. I lowered my eyes and walked briskly down the
hall, noting that everyone was keeping up with me regardless of how
fast I was walking.

“Claire is filling your head with nonsense.
Synthia is the Blood Princess, not some wench. If I were you, I’d
thank the Goddess you have an easy concubine who seems to be
pleasant enough to say thank you!” Darynda continued softly.

“Everyone keeps saying how powerful she is,
and yet she can’t even use glamour. She can’t even cast magic. You
really think she can stand up against Claire?” Zara sniped, raising
her tone.

“Have you ever considered that maybe it’s
because she’s very powerful? How many concubines have you seen come
into the pavilion with that mark on them? None! He doesn’t put his
mark on anyone other than his Elite Guards. Yet she has it on. Did
you ever stop to think that maybe she is too powerful to control
without it?” Darynda mused. I sped up a little as I could now see
the door to my room.

“I don’t care who the hell you think she is,
or how powerful she is. Soon she will be nothing but a fat, useless
cow! He will toss her aside for concubines he can feed from. His
appetite has to be enormous and I plan to be included with them. In
order to do that, I need to serve someone who holds his damn
interest!” Zara hissed over the other feeble shushes.

Oh no she did not!

I spun around so quickly that no one else
stopped as I walked back toward the negative Nancy who was too
stupid to take the advice they were giving her. “Say it to my
face!” I growled. She turned as white as freshly fallen snow.
“That’s what I thought. You wanna be with someone who can get close
to Ryder so you can crawl in his bed? Go find someone else. I don’t
want some little brainless twit who can only talk shit to my back
serving me. Sinjinn,” I called his name and he stepped up to my
shoulder and gently placed his hand on it to reassure me. He looked
relieved that I was putting an end to this.

“Zara, get to the pavilion. Synthia doesn’t
wish you to serve in her entourage anymore. You may no longer serve
the Princess, or any of the high standing concubines. I have seen
her fight, and if I were you, I’d run. Synthia is definitely
collared because she is very powerful, and very special to the
king.”

“You can’t!” she sputtered as she started to
get hysterical. Sinjinn and the other men grimaced at the sight. I
wasn’t one to indulge spoiled little bitches and their fits.

I reached out and slapped her cheek—hard.
“Sorry,” I grinned and tilted my head at her, “I was afraid you’d
pass out and shit. Wouldn’t want that now, would we?”

“You bitch! I’ll kill you!” She shrieked.

“Okay, well I planned to do this the sane
way. But if you insist,” I growled, balling my hands into tight
fists.

“Dristan, see that Zara is sent home to her
father. Make it known she threatened the king’s favorite pregnant
concubine’s life,” Sinjinn interrupted, but he looked like he was
either fighting off the urge to strangle her, or laugh; could have
been both.

The other handmaidens stared with wide eyes
and mouths that hung to the floor as Dristan genially moved to take
Zara away. And then I felt it, the electrical current that was
always around when Ryder was close. I turned and met his midnight
eyes. “Fuck you, Fairy; find a different snack. I’m off limits at
the moment,” I growled irritably, and walked into my room and
slammed the door so hard the wood groaned in protest.

I didn’t wait to see if he would follow me. I
kicked off my pretty shoes and climbed into the bed, pulling the
covers over my head, and cried. I was tired of feeling like an
outsider, and the hormones were on full overload at the moment. I
didn’t need him pulling me into his arms, and making me cry
harder.

I was dreaming, and Ryder was there doing
sinfully delicious things to me while I allowed it. I moaned
against his mouth and shivered as he glamoured my clothes away. I
bit my bottom lip as a cry struggled to break from them.

Heat was thrumming through me, my entire body
coming alive with it. Silk brushed against my back as he caressed
me everywhere else. I could feel the raw current from him, and
smell his rich unique spices. I whispered encouragements and begged
him for more.

I felt him sliding down my body until he sat
between my legs and then pressure consumed my mind. His hands
parted my legs, and the heat of his breath fanned my sensitive
flesh. I blinked, and tried to sit up, but he pulled my legs
further apart. I shook my head with the realization that this
wasn’t a dream.

His lips and tongue, pulled and suckled on my
pussy, and I cried out as my entire body jerked from the pleasure
of it. “Ryder, no,” I cried, already trying to push him away, even
if it was a futile effort. His big hands came up to capture mine,
and he held them firmly against my belly as his mouth continued to
devour me. “No,” I said again as I lifted my hips for more.

I didn’t want this.

God it felt so good.

Ryder’s mouth continued to feast greedily
from my core, until I began to moan uncontrollably from it. His
hands roamed against my flesh, and I went soft against his touch.
“Ryder,” I whimpered, still groggy from sleep, but he ignored my
plea and continued to use his tongue savagely, leaving nothing
untouched. He made slurping noises and groans of pleasure as he
sucked my clit into his mouth and roved his tongue over it hard,
slow, and erotically. He was a fucking God in bed. It was as simple
as that. The anger faded away even as I tried to remember why I was
mad. He growled against my slick flesh as his hands came up to
slide under, and cup my ass to give him better access.

My body arched for more of his possession, my
head tilted back on the softness of the pillows as his mouth made
love to my core. I lifted my hips to give him better access,
demanding he continue; not that I needed to, not that he would
leave me like this. I moaned and panted with need. He was slow,
steady, and determined to draw the orgasm from me.

He said nothing, just continued to ravish my
pussy until he got what he wanted from it. He moaned as his tongue
and lips sucked against the slick wetness he’d just created, as my
body quivered and jerked as tremors of pleasure shot through my
body. I was still shaking from the powerful orgasm as he moved up
until he was poised and ready to enter me. His eyes met and held
mine, captured by the heat burning from within his, and he kept my
eyes locked with his in a silent promise of more pleasure as he
slid his cock inside of me slowly.

He fed me inch after blissful inch of his
hardness. He moved slowly as he rotated his hips, fucking me
gently, jerking his body to the hilt, buried inside of my warmth
with his eyes never leaving mine. Each thrust took me closer to the
edge of sanity as he drove his engorged cock inside of me again,
and again.

“I love being inside of you, Synthia.”

“Ryder,” I whimpered as the pending orgasm
built to a dangerous level inside of me. He was controlling it,
holding it just out of reach.

Our breathing was heavy, but it didn’t
matter. Nothing mattered but the primal need to find release
together. He lowered his mouth, and claimed my lips in a hungry,
demanding kiss that stole my breath away, as he fed me his own
back.

When he pulled away, I cried out from the
loss of his mouth and met his eyes, which now glowed with hunger.
His mouth lifted into a wicked grin as his hips continued to move
slowly, deliciously, while he brought me to the brink, only to stop
when I was close to going over the cliff he was holding me on.

“You need to come, don’t you, Pet? Fuck,
you’re so wet and sweet. I could eat this sweet pussy for days,” he
grunted and pulled out to do just that, but first he took his time
getting down there.

He yanked my legs until I was spread apart
for him to feed. He smiled and kissed my neck before moving lower
to kiss and nip gently with his teeth on the left nipple, and then
the right, sucking them into his mouth and flicking them as he had
done with my clit earlier.

He lifted his head and smiled with my nipple
still held between his teeth before he dropped one leg, and used
his now free hand to run it over the heat of my junction. I kept
hold of his eyes, and watched as he ran his tongue slowly in
swirling patterns over my naked skin. The heat from his blistering
mouth, sending my brain into a frenzy of need, that he had full
control of.