Royal Torment (Stand Alone Tales Book 10) Read online

  The coordinates and planetary clearances came through the moment they were above the capital city, complete with palaces and grand manor houses. Tydella felt her ship come free, and she followed the directions toward the coastline. The countryside was pretty and lush. The fields were bright colours, and all seemed fairly well organized. She snorted that her training had taught her to look at agriculture first and the people second. People could lie. Crops needed tending and monitoring. People could be moved from a more affluent area to a less affluent one simply for the sake of appearances.

  She guided the ship to the coordinates and noted that the manor facing the beach was fairly sizable, and based on the life signs, it was occupied. She grumbled and winced at the witnesses that she was about to pass.

  Inside her ship, she had a few minutes before the guards showed up and either welcomed or threatened her, depending on how efficient Ador had been with his communication. She went to her wardrobe and pulled out a veil that would obscure her features, and it hung from a web of chain that held her hair down. That would do. It didn’t particularly match her flight suit, but it would keep her from tripping any cameras that were seeking her biometrics. The metal of the veil shimmered and shifted as she moved her head. Her dad kept confiscating them, her mom kept laughing, and Tydella ordered more.

  She was watching for the greeting party, and she laughed out loud when she saw the decontamination chamber being trundled toward her ship. It was sensible, considering.

  When the unit connected over her airlock, she walked out, wearing only the clothes on her back. She wasn’t going to need much to wear if she gauged Ador’s progress correctly.

  She was a little nervous. She hadn’t managed to slip her guards for this purpose before, but if she wanted to get them out of trouble, she was going to have to do this. After spending time with a Kiidar in rut, her father was going to be too busy locking her up in the east tower to worry about her guards. She would have proven her rebellious character, and her deceived guards would be allowed to leave with their pensions intact.

  Tydella stepped into the chamber, and she heard the bored voice. “Remove your clothing and enter the shower.”

  She opened her suit and shimmied it down over her hips. There was a moment of struggle while she removed her boots, but once that was taken care of, she stepped into the shower and was blasted from all directions by the sprays.

  “Remove your facial covering.”

  She moved until her face was out of the spray. “No. No video record of my presence here. The prince and I had an agreement.”

  The person paused. “I see that notation in his orders now.”

  The shower shut off, and she caught her breath. The metal veil clashed against her features. Air blasted her for a minute and then left her alone.

  “There is clothing for you in the green cubicle to your left.”

  Tydella walked to the mentioned area, and she pulled out a handful of gauzy fabric. It was silk, it was nearly transparent, and it tied in place so would fit nearly anyone. She smiled, and a bit of a blush came to her cheeks. She had seen her mom in one of these outfits when she was a child. It had been when her father was entering rut, and they were about to lockdown for a few days. It was easy to remove or simply tear out of the way.

  She adjusted the fit to the style worn at home and lifted the edge of one of the panels of the skirt and tucked it into her sash. It left her feet free to walk without stumbling.

  “Please, take the cloak and shoes from the red cabinet and emerge.”

  Tydella put on the cloak of the matching fabric and attached the peak of her cloak to the webbing on her head. Her hands slid through the holes in the cloak panels, and she opened the door and faced the guards as well as what appeared to be either the housekeeper or butler. He was disapproving and frowned at her veil, but when he opened the cloak, he blinked. “You put it on correctly.”

  She smiled slightly. “Did I? What luck.”

  He looked at her, and there was a wary expression in his gaze. “You are aware of your purpose?”

  “I am aware of the need.” She sighed. “I have met Kiidar before. I know what is going on.”

  The housekeeper was not a Kiidar. He flushed, and there was irritation in his expression. “There will be a medical exam when you enter the house. Once you are cleared, you will wait for the prince in his quarters, and you will not roam around.”

  “Acceptable. I am only here for four days, no matter the time that the prince arrives.”

  “Prince Ador’s ruts can last over a week.”

  She smiled. “Not my problem. It will become his problem if I am here after four days.”

  “Are you threatening him?”

  She snorted. “No, but please make sure that I have been dismissed or replaced by then.”

  He paused. “You want to be replaced?”

  “Certainly. I am not in this for any type of relationship. He has a need, I have four days, let’s go and do that exam so you can stop worrying about me.” She inclined her head.

  He turned and led her to the house, the gathered guards surrounded her, and she caught a glimpse of two of them entering her ship. They wouldn’t find anything. She had hidden her customs documents and personal effects in a scent-proof container, deep in the guts of the ship. If they wanted to know who she was, they would have to wait.

  The doctor asked her if she knew what she was getting into. She said she did. They did a few scans and took some samples that hopefully wouldn’t be entered into any databases off-world. The doctor paused while doing the internal exam. “You are very tight.”

  “You are using me to hold equipment. I am trying not to drop it.” She gritted her teeth.

  He completed his exam and withdrew the spacer he had been using. “You don’t have much sexual experience. This is going to be rough for you.”

  Tydella sat up and smoothed her skirts. “It will be what it is. Are you just checking for disease?”

  He paused. “I was going to run a genetic panel in case this is a fruitful union.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t do that unless I am pregnant when I leave. I have agents who are seeking me, and a genetic match for me popping up would not be pleasant. I just want to come and go, so to speak.”

  The doctor scowled. “I can wait on running that test. The disease scans have already come back clean. Is the result of the DNA test anything that will hurt the royal family?”

  She snorted. “Not this one.”

  The housekeeper came to collect her and led her into the huge space that hosted a bed, a sunken floor bath, and a sideboard with a number of drinks and foods. There was no com unit, no desk, and no entertainment unit. She looked down at the outfit she was wearing and snorted. She was the entertainment unit. The things she did for friends.

  Chapter Three

  She was crouched next to the sideboard and stacking fruit on the back of the fork when the door opened and Ador entered.

  He walked to her and said, “Remove the veil.”

  She cocked her head. “No recording devices in here?”

  “None.”

  She nodded and removed the headgear. She ran her hand through her hair and looked up at him, setting her veil on the sideboard.

  He stepped toward her and cupped her head in his hands, lowering his mouth for a kiss. She gripped his wrists as he rubbed his lips along hers before carefully tasting her.

  Her stomach flipped, her knees wobbled, and she felt herself getting wet. His scent filled the air around her, so she let her instincts take over.

  He groaned, and he broke the kiss, pressing his lips to her temple. “They took you away.”

  She chuckled. “The sterilizer. Yeah. It scrubbed all of me off.”

  He straightened. “I want you back.”

  Tydella blinked in surprise as he started to undress. His stripes wrapped around his back, and the muscles of his abdomen were clearly outlined under the v
elvety fur that covered him. Her mouth watered, but she didn’t act on her impulse to run her hands over him. Her patience was rewarded when he stripped out of his boots and trousers.

  She remained as calm as she could while he closed the distance between them. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, still dressed.

  Ador set her down, flipped off her shoes, and then set her in the center of the bed, curling around her. “It is coming on quickly, so this will be the best way to get your scent back and let you get used to me.”

  Tydella paused, and she said softly, “There is a better way to get my scent back.”

  He lifted his head. “How?”

  She was blushing, but she took his hand and slid it between her thighs. “That might help.”

  He stroked her through the silk, and she wanted to bury her head in the pillow. When the silk dampened, he paused and raised his fingers to his face, and he inhaled, his body shuddered. “There you are, Tydella. I thought I had imagined you.”

  She swallowed and fought the urge to hide. It would really be the wrong move.

  He kissed her neck, and his tongue was rougher than it had been. He made a slight sound. “But, you don’t taste right, not yet.”

  She shivered. He left her and rolled her to her back, parting her legs and moving the fabric out of his way. Ador laid on his belly between her legs, and she felt the heat of his breath against her sex. She yelped when he applied his tongue to her, dragging the rough pad of his tongue up from her opening to her clit.

  He sucked on her clit, sliding first one finger and then a second into her. He lifted his head for a moment. “You are tight.”

  She was sweating and clutching the bedding, trying not to look down at his dark head. He shifted his fingers in and out of her, and she let out a moan through clenched teeth.

  “That’s it. Let me hear it.”

  He bent his head to her clit again and sucked, teasing it with his tongue. She twisted, and he put an arm over her belly while the other continued to move his fingers inside her.

  His scent got stronger, and her body issued a liquid invitation before the tension winding inside her suddenly released, and she covered her mouth to stifle her gasping cry.

  Ador kept his fingers moving inside her until her body ceased clasping at them. It took a few minutes, and his attention to her clit gentled but didn’t stop.

  She was coated with sweat and panting when he finally lifted his head, licked his lips, and then cleaned his fingers off the same way.

  There was a slow burn in his eyes. When he woke up, even after a nap, his cycle would have him in its grip.

  He cuddled against her again and pulled a light sheet over them both.

  “Thanks.”

  “You are shivering.”

  She smiled and turned to her side. “I have an idea of what is coming.”

  He chuckled. “Thank you for doing this. Normally, I am stuck with a court widow hoping to gain a foothold in power.”

  “I am pretty much the furthest from that. Don’t worry.”

  He paused. “Is this your first time?”

  She debated answering him, and then, she nodded. “It is. I am familiar with the situation, the necessity, and the urgency of it.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I have grown up around the Kiidar. I have seen it in mated and unmated couples alike. The men have shared their opinion of the process, and the women have shared the details.”

  He curled around her again, and one of his hands slid up to cup her breast. “So, nothing I do will shock you?”

  She felt her pulse speed up. “Oh, it will shock me, but I will be able to keep it in context.”

  He kissed her temple, and she felt the smile against her skin. “Get some rest.”

  He was wrapped around her, and she was caged by him on all sides. She had never tried sleeping in a bed with a stranger before, so she knew that she wasn’t going to sleep well, if at all. She tried to put herself into a meditative state while she got used to the contact. It was going to be a long four days. She tried to get the small smile off her lips as she focused her mind inward. Her body was going to be on its own.

  She eased away from him and headed to the lav, washing her face and brushing her hair before tiptoeing through the room and nibbling at some of the snacks. She chose water for hydration, and then, she froze when he spoke.

  His voice was a low growl. “Perhaps you are not sure how this works. You don’t leave me.”

  She turned and looked at him, sipping at her water. “Perhaps you don’t know how a body works. The digestive cycle continues, and I am not going to share the lav with you while I use it. I also will feed myself when I am hungry, and if we are about to get sweaty, water was in order.”

  He sat up in bed and swayed slightly. She could see that what had appeared to be a leaner physique was now bulging with muscle. His body had prepared for a marathon while he slept.

  She finished her cup of water and walked back to the bed, crawling in on the opposite side from him. When he pulled her against him, she didn’t squeak, didn’t gasp, didn’t give his instincts any reason to see her as prey.

  He held her against him, and his pupils were dilated. His nostrils flared, and he inhaled deeply. “You are still hot.”

  She blushed. The persistent arousal had also been a reason that she had gotten up. He had been sleeping with one hand around her waist and the other between her thighs.

  “You are wearing too many clothes.” He ran his hand down her torso and over the silk that covered her, the multiple ties and knots lying flush but getting in his way.

  “Um.” She parroted him, “You might not know how this works, but you are responsible for removing all the knots. Here’s a warning, there are some you might not know about.”

  His eyes focused slightly, and a feral look overtook his features. “Is that a challenge?”

  “No, a warning. I don’t want you getting frustrated.”

  She stroked his arms, his chest, and his neck. He was downy soft, and she wanted to rub herself against him, so she did.

  There was a low rumble in his chest, and he bent his head to her shoulder, finding the strap on the right side before she heard the tearing of the silk, and the fabric slithered down, partially exposing her breast. She felt his teeth graze her shoulder, and the next of the multiple straps was shredded.

  She swallowed as the fabric fell away and hung from the band. He leaned down and ran his tongue across the mound, scraped her nipple with his tongue, and traced a slight design with his canines.

  She shivered and ran her fingers through his hair. Ador lifted his head and watched the tracing on her skin turn pink and then fade.

  He smiled slowly. “You look human, but your skin is tougher.”

  She shrugged. “I am not solely human. My skin feels the same, is more sensitive but recovers rapidly.”

  She didn’t mention that it meant he could get a little rough. She would save that for the following day. Today, it would just do more harm than good.

  He returned to her breast, sucking, licking, nipping, and she sighed and moaned as the low level of arousal jumped up several notches.

  His fingers tangled in the straps of her other shoulder, and she felt the tension leave the fabric as he extended his claws to slice through them. Cool air caressed her skin a moment before Ador applied his mouth to the exposed curve.

  The strong suction created a matching sensation in her clit. She felt a surge of slick liquid on her inner thigh and let out a low moan.

  He caught her nipple in his teeth and gently pulled before releasing it. She swallowed. He looked up at her and slid his finger between her breasts, he flexed his finger, and the claw emerged before he drew it downward, slicing what was left of her top away. The fabric fell away, and he gripped her by the waist, lifting her up, and continuing with his exploration of her breasts.

  His hands held her up, and she held
his head while his mouth learned the taste and texture of her. His hair was thick and super soft.

  She moaned and held tight to him as one of his fingers snagged in the first of the four straps that held up her skirt. Snick. She shivered. Only three to go.

  Chapter Four

  Tydella flinched as each tie was slowly sliced off. When the skirt slithered away, Ador lowered her and pulled the fabric aside.

  His voice was a raspy cascade on her sensitive nerves. “Well, well, well. What have we here?”

  She bit her lip as he slid his hand between her thighs with her kneeling on the bed. She didn’t meet his gaze, but he withdrew his fingers from her and rubbed the honey that she had been seeping.

  “You are very wet.”

  She kept her face turned away from him.

  He slid his hand back between her thighs, and a finger eased into her before it was withdrawn and joined by a second.

  She let out a small sound that was part enjoyment and part distress.

  “When did you last have a lover? You are very tight.”

  “Ah. Right. Well, I haven’t had one.”

  “I thought you were kidding earlier,” He paused. “Don’t joke.”

  He lifted her chin, and she blushed furiously at the astonished look in his eyes.

  She mumbled. “Not joking.”

  Ador blinked. “You know what this is.”

  “Yes.”

  “You know things will get rough.”

  She smiled. “Yes. I know.”

  “Are you doing this for the money?”

  “No. I didn’t negotiate for anything. Don’t want anything.” She shrugged. “I just have a few days to kill, and I thought spending them under you would be entertaining.”

  “But, you haven’t had sex before.”

  “No, so I was counting on the first time being before control became an issue.”

  He stared, and then, a wry smile came over him. “So, you are asking for me to hurry up?”