Downs, Jana - Ravyn's Destiny [Ravyn Warriors 3] (Siren Publishing Allure ManLove) (9 page)

Destin was tired from his double shift at Daylight and more than ready for a nap, but duty called. He’d arrived back in Underhill just in time for Court to be held, and since he was King, it was his duty to attend. He changed out of his black pants with suspenders hanging off the back and his tight fishnet shirt into his Court attire. His courtiers wouldn’t have cared if he’d dressed like the punk rock guy he was, but it felt disrespectful to come in wearing the clothes that said he didn’t give a shit. So he changed into a loose-fitting pair of brown pants and a cream shirt, vest left open. He even put on his simple platinum circlet.

He wondered what Salvatore was doing. He probably didn’t have enough control yet to wander about the palace, so he, Mar, and possibly Quis would most likely not be in Court. A bolt of jealousy threatened to make him stalk down to Salvatore’s room and kick the other men out of there so that he could have his way with him. Jealousy wasn’t something he was used to feeling. He’d never felt like this with Terren. When Terren had been unhappy, Destin had been more than willing and eager to allow him to be with his courtiers if it gave him comfort. With Salvatore, he didn’t want anyone else to even be looking at the man.

Logically, he knew it was because he himself had been barred from Salvatore’s bed of his own volition, but that wasn’t something his instincts gave a rat’s ass about. He wanted to be the one to feed Salvatore. He wanted to sleep beside him and pillow talk afterward.

Here we go again
. He snapped at himself in frustration.
I haven’t been back five minutes, and I’m already thinking of Salvatore. Great
.
Court is going to last forever at this rate.
He sighed loudly. He really should go check on him afterward, though. Make sure he didn’t need anything else. Maybe talk to him for a bit if he was coherent enough to do so. Going through the transition could be a rough process, and since they were already sort of friends, Destin felt obligated to go to him. At least that was the tremendously large fib that he was telling himself. He nodded at his brilliance anyway. Maybe he’d watch Salvatore again and go take care of his own need in the process. Jerking off was not as fun, but when he was in the same room as Salvatore, it at least gave him marginal relief. His day was suddenly much brighter.

He made a final adjustment to his outfit and strode out of his bedroom and down the hall to the Upper Court. It was the Court of his nobles. It was a smaller gathering of people than the General Court that he held every other week, so he knew almost all of his courtiers by name. Heck, he’d grown up with most of them or at least been young enough to have socialized with them before he became King. His mother’s Court had been stationed in the Deep South then. Georgia. He’d loved it when he was younger and was really disappointed to see her move it north into Canada after the Civil War. He’d been a young buck then, just old enough by fae standards to raise some hell, and the love of Georgia had never really left him after he’d sewn his oats and moved on to Underhill. It was one of the reasons he retained his mint-julep southern drawl.

He waved his hand in greeting and crossed the white marble floor to his throne. It was one of the original ones left over from the first fae to live Underhill, and it had a potent, untamed magick to it that was connected to the very soul of the realm. It enabled him to connect to each and every one of his people and they to him. It was enormous. The trunk of a tree, which at one time must’ve dwarfed the palace itself in terms of height, took up the entire wall. The back of it went straight up through the ceiling and out the roof for several hundred feet. Every inch was carved with images of legends, morality tales, even children’s fables. A weeping willow was carved like a halo around where he sat, the names of every King and Queen to grace it magically engraved in each willowy branch. He sat on the surprisingly comfortable seat and relaxed into the magical embrace.

“Welcome, everyone. I trust you’ve had a productive week?” A chorus of greetings met his. Court was not just a time to bring complaints to their King but to introduce new family members, ones who had come of age, and petition their King for favors. All around, though tedious, it was an enjoyable time.

Mar and Quis appeared to his right and left consecutively. His advisors were dressed in the silver and gold of his Court, and they inclined their heads in greeting to him. They both looked well rested and freshly showered. They’d probably been with Salvatore.

His people formed a line at the end of his dais, waiting to be called forward by Destin. He spared another glance toward his advisors. He ached to ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue. Destin gave himself a mental shake. He’d see for himself afterward.

“He’s fine, my lord,” Mar offered, taking out a small scroll and quill from the vest pockets. “He has much more control than you would imagine.”

“He’s also become quite proficient in the art of male loving,” Quis added with a sly look. “Though we’ve saved his back entrance for your eventual use. His mouth and cock are quite superb.”
 
Destin choked on his own spit and glared at the two mischievous advisors before glancing back at the Court. They all seemed to be sporting the same Cheshire cat grins. He frowned. Was he imagining things?

“I will not make him my Consort. I’ve said this before. Do not speak of it again.” He made his voice as hard as he could manage, but the tone still held no conviction, even in his mind. The two advisors bowed unapologetically.

“Of course, my King. Forgive us,” Mar said, going back to his scroll. He signaled the first set of people to come forward.

Court went by at the steady pace in the usual way. Within the first twenty minutes he’d welcomed the new baby Lord and Lady Trendle had had in his absence, settled a land debate between two trolls who were both as guilty of greed as they could be, and had given his blessing to a union between one of his guardsmen, Daren, and his new Consort, Develle.

He was in a good mood and was just starting to forget about Salvatore completely when a large knock sounded on the top entrance door. That door was reserved for those creatures which had flying capabilities and were more comfortable in the air than on the ground. He’d installed that entrance for those fae, but there weren’t as many with wings big enough to carry them anymore among the nobles. Typically, it was a skill of either the superelite blue bloods, which were all in attendance already, and the lower gentry, ironically enough.

He frowned and glanced at his shadows. “Naut, open the upper door please. It appears we have a latecomer.” The shadow melted and streamed toward the door, hovering beside it as he tugged it open.

The door opened wide, and upon the ledge was perched a magnificent creature which hadn’t been seen in Underhill since before its abandonment eons ago. Wide dragon’s wings the color of crimson flames were spread wide for balance. The reptilian appendages practically glistened in the sun and hints of gold could be picked up on each and every deep-red scale. Destin’s heart tripped over itself at the knowledge of who was knocking on his front door.

“Salvatore,” he whispered, his cock instantly hard and tenting his loose trousers. His advisors grinned, and his Court gaped in awe. The sunlight streaming behind Salvatore did a good job of casting the front of him in shadow, but Destin knew without a doubt who those beautiful wings belonged to.

Salvatore nodded to the shadow before making his descent. It was a lazy glide, displaying for the Court not only his power but his grace. They gave him room as he came to a soft landing, his feet barely making a sound on the marble. He was barefoot with just a pair of low-slung jeans on that hugged his obviously firm cock and ass to perfection. He was shirtless as well, and as Destin’s eyes traveled from his feet, he shuddered at what presented itself to him on Salvatore’s tight, ropey abdomen. His belly button was pierced, top and bottom, with interlocking twists of metal inlaid with flicks of a dark stone.

Lord and Lady, that’s hot
. He continued his perusal helplessly. He licked his lips as his eyes came to Salvatore’s powerful chest. His nipples were pierced now with silver hoops with a suspended bead between them that were in the shape of dragons’ heads. His arousal jerked. What a sight. He couldn’t wait to lick those bits to a tight peak. Salvatore had confessed once that he’d never had a piercing, and Destin couldn’t wait to show him how interestingly sensitive his nipples were now that they had those bits in them. He nearly bit his tongue off at the thought.
No. Not happening. Not touching. Remember?

Still he couldn’t help but finish his eye fuck. His heart did stop then. Salvatore’s face was always absolute perfection, but he’d cut his hair and now it was unbearably beautiful. The shorter hair was a fauxhawk that was spiked in all the right places with a soft gel by the looks of it. It made his face look fierce and masculine, no longer the civilized noble that had hit on him at the bar but a real animal. Destin’s traitorous cock leaked a drop of pre-cum.

“Sorry I’m late,” Salvatore said in way of greeting. He sounded completely unapologetic. “I wanted to look my best since I wanted an audience with my King.” He gave a mocking bow, and Destin saw the dragon inside each and every action. He wanted to whimper in instinctive display of submissive demand. Fae royalty were the natural mates of dragons, and Salvatore was displaying that natural attraction perfectly.

“Destin, you need to greet your new courtier,” Quis reminded in a gentle whisper. The Court was all looking at Destin for his reaction. It should’ve been obvious by now, but damn if his cheeks didn’t flush with embarrassment. His advisors had known that Salvatore would be ready and was going to make an appearance in Court today, and they’d kept it from him.
Damn them both
.

“C–come forward,” Destin commanded, his voice shaking. He mentally rolled his eyes. Smooth, he thought to himself. Those wings fluttered with energetic movement before settling against Salvatore’s body. In a flash of light they disappeared, reforming as a tattoo-like pattern on Salvatore’s back.

Destin watched in fascination as Salvatore’s body stepped forward the last few feet to the edge of the dais before kneeling on it. He didn’t lower his gaze respectfully as he lowered his body. He kept their eyes locked the entire time. Destin swallowed hard and tried to adjust without seeming obvious in the rearrangement of his cock.

“Welcome to the Summer Court, Salvatore. I know you’ve met some of our Court already, but we would like to formally welcome you into the fold.” Destin was amazed that his voice came out so steady. He sounded almost as formal and mildly interested as he wanted to!

“Thank you, my King. I appreciate your generosity in having me at your Court. However, I also have a complaint as well as a petition to lodge.” The way Salvatore spoke said that he had done this sort of thing before. Again, Destin wondered what the hell he was.

“This is the appropriate place to do so,” Destin said carefully. “Feel free to make your wishes and intentions known.”

Salvatore’s eyes sparkled with an emotion that Destin couldn’t quite place, and when tasting the air trying to get a feel, he was swamped with a drowning, overwhelming, and overpowering lust. He did groan aloud then, and some of his Court chuckled, including his advisors. They’d never seen him in such a state. He glared at them until they were once again silent.

“My King, my complaint is that you have taken advantage of me, and I demand that you take responsibility for your actions,” Salvatore said calmly. The Court’s collective eyes bulged. No one spoke to Destin like that.

“How have I done that?” Destin asked crossly. “I’ve done nothing but be generous to you since you arrived here.”

“Hear me out.” Salvatore made it a demand, which oddly shut Destin up. “First, on Earth you made me fall in love with you.” Destin’s breath left him in a whoosh of sound.
Holy Mother of the Universe
!
Did he just say he loved me?
“Yet, you shied away from my advances, subtle though they were. I could respect that and chose to give my pursuit of you one last shot. Instead of rejecting me, you came into my arms willingly.” He smirked. “At one point you even begged me to take you home.”

The
jackass
! Destin thought to himself.

“It was my understanding that, though words were never really exchanged, that we would be pursuing a relationship. Then one of your guards inflicted a mortal wound unto my person.”

“I already have paid that debt!” Destin snapped. “I made you immortal and offered you a place among the nobility of my Court. Hell, I even gave you a room to stay in!”

“Shut. Up.” Salvatore growled. Destin seethed but did as ordered. “That is not the area of complaint, my lord. You were indeed generous in your granting of immortality, your healing, and your space in this fine palace of yours. However, once I transitioned and the hungers began, you abandoned me.”