A Gift for the King Read online

  Not being able to help herself, she continued to press him further.

  “Dante, what’s wrong? What does it say?”

  His eyes flickered from blue to red, his pain at her further questions plain as day. Looking back at her, his eyes filled with despair, he began to recite words in a voice that seemed utterly lifeless, and she regretted asking him even more.

  “When the time comes to pass,

  When true evil knocks on the city walls,

  There will come the true savior,

  A special gift for the king.

  Her blood runs wicked and wild,

  Her body lost with but a wanton touch,

  Her face the same as one long past,

  Will inherit the true power of her people.

  Though before she saves the city from the horror of true evil,

  Under the hand of her master in his moment of greatest peril,

  She must be truly lost,

  So that her master will survive,

  And be the true king that he is meant to be.”

  Silently, she stared back at him. What did that mean? What did the words ‘truly lost’ mean about her? Was she meant to die, far away on a foreign planet, under the hand of her torturer? Her fingers grazed her lips, her mouth open in an O, horror creeping up from deep inside her. She felt her body begin to tremble at the words, and at the look of loss that already painted Dante’s face.

  No longer able to help herself, she threw herself against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist, needing his warmth and his touch.

  “No matter what, we’ll make it through. I’m not going to leave you. Ever, no matter what some silly prophecy says. I mean, how many times do things like this actually come true? Right?”

  She felt him nod slowly against her shoulder, and she could feel just how hesitant he was. Trying not to let hopelessness wash over her, she closed her eyes and prayed that she would make it past whatever this prophecy foretold. Slumping against him for support, she took the strength he offered and gave him her hope.

  She finally had him in her arms again, and she would be damned if she were to lose him for the second time. No matter what, she’d keep him close.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Over the next day, the carriage and the royal guard traveled back to Eridell. Lana did her best to enjoy her time with Dante and obey his every command, especially in the presence of others. Every time they enjoyed each other’s company, they stole private moments with one another, from a secret look and a sensual touch to kisses that left Lana feeling spent, but highly aroused.

  There were many times that Dante hinted at what was in store for her, how he was going to punish her for running from him, by taking her completely in ways she couldn’t imagine. He told her that he was going to make her utterly his, in every way. Lana’s body betrayed her; even though she knew she should be fearful, every threat, every promise left her feeling needy and wet for his touch.

  The longer she spent with him, the more she realized how wrong she had been to run from him in the first place. No matter what was to happen, she would never make that mistake again, and even if she were going to be punished for it, she would rather take a spanking over his knee than spend another moment with Lord Nero.

  These were the thoughts bouncing around in her head one morning as she lay in bed, the carriage jostling her around like a baby in a cradle. Her hands slipped along her body, first caressing her breasts, then delving further down between her thighs, where the results of her fantasies of Dante and herself were blatantly clear.

  A soft moan escaped her lips as she touched herself, feeling how aroused she was by simply thinking of all the things Dante could do to her. Lost in her own little world, she was interrupted by someone clearing his throat. She jumped, sitting straight up in bed to see who was in the carriage with her, sincerely hoping it was Dante and that he would punish her for touching herself again.

  It wasn’t. It was Wes.

  Quickly removing her hands from her body, she placed them a safe distance away from herself on the bed. Her face blushed crimson, knowing he had to have seen what she was doing.

  She had been lost in her own little world, consisting of Dante and herself for so long, since she hadn’t left the carriage. They had their time together, and no one else had interrupted them. Thinking it over now, it was odd that they had the carriage to themselves for so long. Now that she was staring at the amused expression on Wes’ face, she realized she had been caught completely red-handed while she had been knee-deep in a fantasy.

  Swallowing deeply, she glared back at his clearly entertained appearance.

  “Hey, Wes…” she said softly, her voice clearly unsure.

  “Why, hey, Lana. Don’t mean to interrupt and all, but Dante is asking for you.” His smirk grew to massive proportions.

  Lana glared back and pulled the covers up over her, hiding her flushed body from his view. A look of disappointment crossed over his face.

  “What? Shy now? You weren’t so timid in the bathhouse when we first met, eh?”

  “Shut it, Wes,” she grumbled, trying to sound fierce. Instead, his smile grew bigger as he realized how much he was getting under her skin. With a laugh he turned and opened the carriage door.

  “The king expects you in the next ten minutes. If I were you, I’d finish what you started, but be quick about it.” He winked at her.

  Lana groaned and hid her face under the covers, only emerging when she heard the door click back into place. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. How could she look at Wes again without thinking about what he just saw? With a heavy sigh, she climbed out of bed.

  Rummaging around the cabin, she was able to find the traditional red sheer fabric that the human servant females typically wore. Pulling it on, she adjusted it to cover herself, knowing full well that her efforts were almost silly. Anyone could see through the fabric to observe the secrets of her body, but having spent time with Dante in the dress, and unclothed with Lord Nero, had left her feeling comfortable with her nakedness. When she thought of Dante, she smirked, since she knew he enjoyed the sight of her.

  She quickly freshened up and brushed her hair, so that she felt somewhat put together. When she was finally ready, she emerged from the carriage and climbed down the stairs.

  Squinting in the sunlight, Lana looked up at the brilliantly blue sky, small tufts of cloud drifting across the sky. The warmth of the sun radiated onto her skin, and she breathed in deeply, smelling the woods, the scent of small campfires, and the aromas of cooking food. The guard must have stopped traveling for a short bit so that they could eat, and then continue on strong, well into the night.

  She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright light. Looking to her right, she realized there was a presence sitting beside her. Before long, she realized Tala, the large wolf, was there and her soft yellow eyes gazed at her. Lana smiled and threw her arms around her.

  “I missed you, Tala,” Lana said, her voice laden with emotion. “Thank you for all your help in rescuing me.”

  “It was my duty. The king needed to find you. I did what I could,” Tala’s voice sounded in Lana’s head. She ran her fingers across Tala’s fur and dropped her hand to her side.

  “Can you bring me to Dante?”

  Tala nodded her massive head and stood. Lana followed her as she walked away, further into the camp. As they meandered through soldiers sitting around campfires, cooking food, cleaning swords, and polishing armor, Lana realized just how large the camp was. The amount of Erassans and humans had at least doubled or tripled since the last time she was here. Dante must have called for reinforcements for her rescue, and they had arrived in full force. The looks on all their faces were hopeful, anticipating completing the journey back to the capital and to their families. They had all left for the sole purpose of finding her.

  It wasn’t long before Lana saw Dante ahead. He was talking with Wes, and a few other men, w
hom all looked to be important nobles. They were dressed in fine clothes, and all Erassan, their blue eyes giving them away. She noticed Emma standing on the side, her eyes downcast just like an obedient human servant. Lana followed suit and joined Emma, reaching out and squeezing the girl’s hand as they stood next to the men.

  The men were talking calmly about how many days it would take to reach Eridell, and how they left the threat of D’Lormere behind. They seemed comfortable in their position, and Dante seemed calm as well. Lana allowed her eyes to stray as she admired Dante’s form from afar.

  He was so tall; his muscles large and strong, rippling under the red t-shirt he was wearing. His legs were encased in a pair of loose black pants. Simple clothing did little to hide the dominant man underneath. His eyes met hers and narrowed slightly, and a small smile hinted at the corner of his lips. He pointed at the ground beside him, his expression firm and unwavering.

  Lana knew what he wanted. Quickly, she made her way over to him and knelt in the grass beside him, placing her hands on her thighs. Knowing the other men were watching, she didn’t lift her eyes from the ground. She knew he expected her full submission in front of others.

  She waited, listening to the men chat and feeling her body grow warm, knowing she was sitting and waiting for him, obeying him, submitting to him. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feelings that overwhelmed her. He expected her obedience, and that was all right. At the beginning, she would have shied away, angry at the situation she was in, but everything she had experienced since had changed her way of thinking.

  He wanted her submission, expected it even. And she wanted to give it to him.

  The more she thought about it, the more she realized her body craved it, and her mind adored it. No longer did she need to control everything, push her own ideals forward, and make sure she could make it on her own. Now she had Dante, and he would take care of her completely.

  She heard the men walk away, and didn’t know if they were alone. Her body still, she waited. Dante touched her shoulder, his hand gliding across her skin to the back of her neck, to the base of her skull. She felt him take a fistful of her hair as a sharp bite of pain blossomed, which quickly turned into something that her body could only identify as lust.

  There was something about his hair pulling that turned her legs into jelly and her insides into churned butter. She had never felt so submissive in her life as she did at that moment.

  He pulled her up by her hair until she was standing beside him. She opened her eyes, wanting to see the look on his face when he was dominating her like this.

  Dante looked so strong, confident, and radiant. The alpha male within him ran deep, and very clearly was an important part of him. A blissful smile came across her lips as the pleasure and the pain raced through her body. Apparently, being a submissive was an important part of her as well. The two of them were a good match.

  “How are you today, my pet?”

  “I’m well, sir. Thank you,” she breathed, her voice heavy.

  “I have a gift for you.”

  “A gift?” she pondered out loud, slightly confused. She heaved a sigh of both relief and disappointment as he let go of her hair. Bringing up her eyes to meet his, she saw a twinkle of approval in his eyes.

  He put his hands in his pocket and withdrew something. Lana looked down at his palm and saw a thick silver circlet.

  “It’s a new collar, one that has magic to protect you from Lord Nero. Morgana made it especially for you and me. It is connected by that power to mine, so that I may find you, wherever you may be. This means that I will be able to know where you are at all times.”

  Nodding, Lana indicated that she understood.

  “Once I put it around your neck, it will be impossible to remove, unless I take it off. There isn’t a possibility that Lord Nero or any other enemy will be able to take it away from you.”

  Moving his hands to the side of her neck and placing the collar about her throat, he paused and met her eyes.

  “With this collar, you will also consent to my complete dominance. I will expect total obedience, and if that does not happen, I will punish you. Is that clear? If you do not wish this, you need to let me know now. Do you give me your complete consent?”

  Lana smiled and brought her fingers to his, showing him that he could close the collar, that she gave him complete control.

  “Yes, sir. I will obey you in all things.”

  He nodded, and allowed his power to flow into the collar. Lana felt it warm against her skin, and before long, he had finished and dropped his hands. Feeling along the collar, she could detect no clasp, or any way for it to be removed. His power had sealed it shut.

  The weight of it felt foreign, but somehow right. Her hand drifted from the collar to his mark on her collarbone. There was no question now that she belonged to the king.

  Lana threw his arms around his neck and brought her lips to his. She kissed him with a passion fueled by their exchange, igniting the heat that caressed her skin and raced through her body. She felt owned, and it was a wonderful thing.

  His kiss returned with a fire, and a promise of more to come. Wrapping his arms around her waist, one hand drifted down to grasp her right bottom cheek.

  “You can bet that as soon as we get back to the castle, I will punish you for running from me. This bottom is mine, and I look forward to teaching you exactly that.”

  A shiver raced through her body at his promise, her backside tingling in anticipation of his spanks, and nervousness twirled around in her belly. Softly, she hid her face in his shoulder, goose bumps trailing across her flesh.

  “Yes, sir, I imagine I will be a very sorry girl before you’re through,” she whispered into his shirt.

  “Yes, my pet, you are going to be. I will teach you never to disobey me again. This will be your very first true punishment, and you are going to learn a very valuable lesson.”

  Lana nodded, knowing she needed his forgiveness, but her nerves played within her. She knew what had to happen in order to achieve that. Her bare bottom would be quivering under his discipline before she knew it, and it would be very red and sore before he was done.

  She was going to get punished by the king’s hand.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The rest of the trip back to the city was uneventful. The royal guard moved swiftly and efficiently, taking small breaks for meals during the day, but traveling well into the night. Dante had authorized use of some precious materials in order for the guard to proceed as quickly as possible. Using a portion of the stored dark matter, he powered the carriage to reach the city a few days before the rest of the guard. By his estimate, he and Lana would arrive in the city between two and three days before the rest of the party.

  Dante’s assessment was correct, and they arrived in the city in just over two days. He greeted a few members of the nobility within the city, but moved to quickly retire to his suite within the castle. Lana followed silently, filling the role of an obedient human to the Erassan king. She did what he expected of her without a fuss.

  As they made their way back to his suite, she felt her nerves grow. She wondered if he would spank her as soon as they entered his bedroom, or if he would make her wait, knowing she was completely aware that she was going to get her comeuppance very soon.

  When they finally reached his room, Dante ushered her inside, and the door clicked shut behind them with a finality that cut through the silence like a knife. Lana knew immediately that he was about to spank her.

  He cleared his throat and brushed past her to sit in one of the loveseats off to the side of his bedroom.

  His face looked stern and unwavering. The dominance seemed to roll off his skin in waves; he was the perfect picture of what she imagined an alpha male would look like. She swallowed deeply, knowing it was just a matter of time until her bottom was bared and she was over his knee, getting the spanking of her life.

  “I want you to get naked.
Now,” he commanded, the icy blue of his eyes flickering with flecks of red.

  Lana’s stomach tied up in knots. Suddenly she was very nervous, and a little bit scared. She knew she trusted him, but at the moment, her anxieties were a bit overwhelming. Slowly, as she felt the need to please him take a hold of her, she began to pull the red fabric from her body. Knowing it hid little of her curves, her face still turned bright red as she removed the dress from her hips and pushed it down her legs. She laid it on a side table beside the bed, and then stood a distance away from him. She blushed further as he met her eyes, then glanced lower to admire her hardening nipples, and even lower down her body to her quivering thighs.

  “Now, my pet, I want you to kneel at my feet, facing me. I want you to tell me why we are having this discussion today.”

  Time seemed to speed up as she took the few steps to reach him, and she slowly lowered herself to her knees as he had instructed. Reaching down, he took her hands into his and held them on top of his muscular thighs, simply waiting for her to begin.

  “Sir… I…” she stuttered, as her ability to form words seemed to fly out the window. Swallowing, she began again.

  “Sir. We are here to discuss the fact that I ran away from you, when you specifically told me never to do that.”

  He nodded slowly, clearly waiting for her to continue. Lana looked down at her hands, her mouth feeling very dry.

  “Well, as a result of my disobedience, I was captured by the enemy and put into a very dangerous situation. Because of this,” she paused and forced herself to continue, “because of this, sir, I am going to be punished.”

  “Good girl. I never, ever want to revisit this topic again. To know you willingly ran away from me, into the woods, without any protection from the wilds, no food to eat, or anyone to protect you, broke my heart. If you truly wish not to be with me anymore, then next time, I want you to tell me honestly. I will not force you to be with me. But right now, we have to handle your willful disobedience. Because you disobeyed me, you put yourself in an extremely dangerous situation. Isn’t that right?”