Grace Goodwin - Destiny

Oh, hell yes he was.

And if I were being completely honest with myself, I loved his alpha male, chest pounding, mine-mine-mine business, too.

Talk about messed up in the head. I didn’t need a man. Didn’t want a man. Not for more than hot sex, anyway. I did not need a man trying to run my life, telling me what to do, trying to keep me safe. No. No fucking way. And Nix had proved he was all for doing that. He wanted me safe and secure and eating chocolate bon-bons and giving my sisters pedicures, while the men went out and saved the world. As if.

I had to get out of here. And if I crawled out the window and down those vines he’d be right on my tail. Which meant that was not an option. I needed another way out of here, a way he couldn’t follow.

I pulled on my black cleric’s uniform as quickly as I could, ignoring the sensual glide of the smooth black pants over my thighs and hips. My skin was sensitive. Too sensitive. Worse than it had been before. But at least my pussy was temporarily satisfied—albeit dripping with his seed—and my body didn’t feel weak and lethargic. I had probably pushed the Ardor thing too far. I’d have to be careful in the future and not let it get that bad.

But then, that’s what the royal consort was for. All I’d have to do was sneak into the palace, ask Trinity for a hookup, get my fix, and sneak back out. That would be the easy thing to do. No strings. No complications. No expectations or Neanderthal claims on my person.

But the thought of another male touching me made me nauseated. And if that was Nix’s fault, I might have to strangle him later. Being dependent on a man was not my thing. Not now. Not ever.

“I’ll check the door and make sure it’s locked.” I moved away before he could answer, using my speed to my advantage when he reached for me. If he kissed me—hell, if he even touched me—I’d never want to leave this stupid room.

Once I reached the door, I held perfectly still and listened. My new ability was uncanny, and I felt like a bat, but that didn’t stop me from using it to my advantage. I listened for footsteps and tried not to imagine what was going on in the other room as the rustle of Nix’s clothing sent all kinds of naughty images into my mind. I didn’t want his pants closed or his shirt covering that meaty man chest. The only thing that should be covering all that magnificent male was me.

Terrible damn timing. That’s what this was.

Once I was sure no one else was outside the door, or even on this floor, I slipped into the hallway, leaving Nix behind.

Destiny

I heard his quick footsteps toward the closed door and his nearly silent cursing. He could not follow. Too many patrols on the lower levels of the building. He was not a cleric. Not one of us. Well, I wasn’t really one either, but after all this time in hiding, pretending to be one, I felt like I’d earned the title. Besides, he had no uniform and would stand out—not only because he looked like a sex god on long, muscled legs, but he was dressed like a queen’s guardsman.

I moved like a shadow and slipped into another room within seconds, the door unlocked. It closed behind me without so much as a whisper of sound.

Crazy caveman. Despite the risks of not leaving the way he snuck in, through the window and down the trellis, I heard him open the elder’s door and step into the hallway. Too late. I was gone. Twenty doors on this floor alone. He’d have to check them all if he wanted to find me, and I was already through a servant’s small side door in the adjoining room. He could either take his chances with the patrols that came randomly on the lower floors, or escape out the window and back down the vines.

Not my problem. Nix was a big boy… all over. He let himself in. He could let himself out, too.

With a grin, I disappeared into the shadows to make my way back to my quarters. I’d rather risk being caught here than try to get away from the possessive male I’d left behind. No doubt if he got his hands on me, he’d most likely toss me over his broad shoulder and carry me back to the palace.

He might get caught, but if he pulled that mate stuff with the guards, they’d probably let him go. His cock hadn’t gone down at all after our little sexy bout of fucking, so that would be all the proof they’d need. And, if he did get me over his shoulder, my Ardor would most likely start up again, and I’d want to bite his ass instead of kicking it.

Fortunately, I was new enough to claim getting lost if I were caught out here, alone. And I didn’t want to argue with Nix, nor try to fight him. For some perverse reason, the thought of hurting him was horrifying to me. And he’d fight. Argue, until he did actually toss me over his shoulder like Leo had with Trinity. So, I’d take my chances on the inside. If I were caught on the upper floors, I’d just say I got lost.

I wasn’t in the elder’s office. I was out roaming. I’d have to figure out how to explain that one, and I might get extra kitchen duty, but they didn’t kill people for wandering at night. And Elder Amandine was on my side, although she just didn’t know it. She’d ordered ‘all force necessary,’ but not with me.

My mind returned to thoughts of Nix. His scent, the feel of his cock, even the growl of his voice. Man, he had to be pissed. I had no doubt he’d be beside himself with… fury that I’d slipped away. Perhaps he’d expected me to just docilely follow him since he’d soothed my Ardor a little. But no. I didn’t need him. His cock would come in handy now and again until this Ardor was all gone, but I had a mission to complete and he’d just have to deal. So would my pussy. I just had to hope he wouldn’t be too pissed when I saw him again. And that my pussy could survive without him inside me.

I had a job to do. Find Mom. Chicks before dicks and all that.

Moving like a shadow, I made my way to the lowest level, found the laundry room, grabbed an initiate’s formal robe, put it on over my sex-stained uniform and quietly slipped into the back of one of the chanting sessions. Ten minutes later, I had a firm alibi for the evening as multiple other initiates and clerics wished me a good night once the session was over. I’d been seen. That was all I wanted.

Tomorrow, I’d tail Crayden and find out who the elder’s contact was inside the Optimus Unit. I needed to get into the place called Cell Level C, or at least find the thing. I’d have to alert Trinity, of course. Just in case I didn’t make it back out. At least that way she could send in the Neanderthals to follow up on the lead.

I made it to my room and literally passed out, a smile on my face, my pussy sore and aching.

Visions of Nix swirled like sugarplums in my head. The scent of him eddied around me. God, I smelled of sex and hot Aleran male.

Dangerous, deadly, Nix.

I wanted more. Did I ever.

Morning reminders were cut short the next day, the elder cleric distracted in a way I doubted anyone else noticed. As always, Crayden and another guard stood at her back, keeping watch on the crazy, chanting clerics.

If anyone in this room was capable of the patience and political skill required to pull off a three decades’ long coup and chase my mother across the galaxy, I would eat my boots. No way. Nothing here but children playing in grown up clothes, waiting to be told what to do. I mean, chanting? How was that going to save the world? It might as well have been Kumbaya . I sighed. But, they’d been around for eons, and as far as I knew of Aleran history, Mom was the only queen to have had ‘problems’.