Fae Dominance (12 page)

“There is no doubt about that, mate of mine. Now shut up and come here. I need a nap,” I growled. “You wore me out.” I opened one eye as he climbed up to me and snuggled his back to my front. “If you ever tell Dia that you wore me out, I will deny it and then ride you till you can’t walk. You got it, you faery fuck,” I growled.

Robin chuckled before answering, “Your legendary stamina is safe, wolf. We have been here for hours. We deserve a break,” he yawned.

I watched while he cuddled against me and fell asleep, and then I shook my head at where we had come. The ache in my backside was a reminder that this was real. With a sigh, I wrapped the Fae in my arms and went to sleep.

Chapter Eleven

I was asleep. I knew it, but somehow I was still aware of things going on in the waking world. I was in the softest damn bed ever created and my body was curled around a finely muscled physique.

Hmmmm…that was different, but I felt so fucking good I could care less. My wolf was awake and he let out a content huff. So whatever we were aware of obviously was no danger to us.

I burrowed deeper into the bed and greedily pulled my lover tighter into me. In the back of my head, I knew it was Robin, and a low hum of satisfaction rumbled through me.

This was the way it was supposed to be, and for once in my life, I was content. Even when Dia and I had mated, it did not feel complete, but now… I sighed and closed my eyes tighter. A part of me knew we were still not whole but I wasn't ready to think about that yet. The smell of my mate was so intoxicating, he was close, and his scent was so enticing, heavy with sleep.

I could feel my erection growing and I smiled lazily against the back of his neck. It was my turn next to be on top. I grinned and began to nuzzle him, thinking how much I did love a fine piece of ass.

A slap to my ass had me yelping and lunging from bed. I turned with a snarl to find a reclining Oberon lounging on the throne by the bed. I barely pulled back the growl, there was nothing I could do about the snarl that raised my lip.

“Relax, wolf of my Puck. While I do enjoy a good show, you have work to do,” he told me with a chuckle.

Robin’s voice rose deferentially behind me and I glanced over my shoulder at him. He was now kneeling on the bed, oblivious to his nudity. One hand lay fisted over his heart and his head was bowed.

“How may we serve you, my Lord Oberon,” he asked quietly.

Where had my Robin gone? This was not the fearless wild Fae that I had grown to know. The male I knew did not give a damn for anyone or anything. His own pleasure and will came first. Even with our Dia, he would often manipulate things to go in the direction that he wanted. This astonished me. Here was a subservient and loyal soldier awaiting his king’s command. There was still much I had to learn about my mate.

My attention was soon drawn back to Oberon when he sat forward and lowered his feet to the ground. He steepled his long fingers and rested his chin upon them.

“Shield us, my Puck.”

An almost invisible nod came from Robin and heaviness filled the air. “It is done, my Lord. You are free to speak now with no chance of eavesdroppers.” A cocky smile tilted the corner of his mouth and a dimple appeared in his cheek. Ahh, there was my Puck.

“Excellent,” the king replied, tapping his forefingers against his lips. Damn, I wanted to laugh. I had watched too many episodes of the Simpsons in my youth. Or last week, hell, even I had my guilty pleasures.

Oberon looked at me questioningly but didn't say anything about my aborted snort. He turned his attention back to my mate and smiled widely.

“Now that I have you two alone, it’s time to have a little fun.”

Okay, now the growl slipped out. The wolf in me did not share. Not counting those I had mated.

“Hush, puppy,” Robin snarled. “You are growling at the one being in creation that can make a greasy spot out of the both of us,” he whispered out of the side of his mouth.

I glanced back at the king who was staring at us blandly. He looked almost bored while he watched us quietly argue.

“I don’t give a fuck if he’s the bloody Queen herself, he isn’t “playing” anything with you,” I growled back.

Deep guffawing laughter pulled both our gazes forward and we gazed slack jawed while one of the most powerful beings in the known universes wrapped his arms around his waist and doubled over in laughter.

He looked from Robin to me, opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, then closed it again. Oberon took a deep breath, tried to hold it, and began laughing harder.

“Is he all right? I think he may have damaged himself with the magic he performed,” I rolled my eyes in Oberon’s direction while covertly twirling a finger at the side of my head.

Robin’s eyes widened and he shook his head, “No” at me.

“I am sure my Lord Oberon is fine, Kale. He has just found something of immense mirth at the present moment. A wise male would wait patiently to be let in on the joke,” he ground out.

“Yeah, whatever.” I was not a Fae. While I understood I was in their realm, I was a king in my own right. Oberon had already stated the fact, and if he wanted to acknowledge me as an equal, I was going to live up to it. Besides, I was the Alpha for a reason. My breed had a lot of pride and arrogance.

I straightened and put myself slightly in front of Robin. I had no real power and yeah, either of them could take me out without blinking, but hell, you had to go sometime and I was going out with the biggest set of balls around.

I cocked my eyebrow and smirked, “So, Faery King. What is so funny?"

If possible, his eyes widened more and a tear rolled down his cheek. Robin groaned softly behind me and I decided to go for the goal. I leaned a little closer and tilted my head to the side.

“Did that magic fuckery, scramble your faery brains, oh mighty King?” A choking sound came from behind me but now I was on a roll. “Or is this just a normal day for you?”

“Please stop, my wolf.” The sound of Robin’s voice in my ear was filled with fear. I looked back at him and his eyes were pleading with me to hold my tongue. Damn it, I sighed to myself. “Fine,” I grumped. “When his majesty has stopped his hysterics, we will see if he wants to smite us. If not, maybe he will tell us what he wants?”

We turned back to Oberon, who by this time was laughing so hard the sound had stopped and all he could do was point and take gasping breaths. A few moments more and he was leaning heavily on his elbows gasping for breath.

“Bloody queen herself,” he gurgled. “Magical fuckery. Oh dear Danu, my Puck. I do approve of your mate. He has what is needed to stand up to you and survive. I never thought I would see this day. Well played, wolf of my Puck. It warms this cold heart to see such loyalty.” He paused to take a breath and calm himself.

“I do not want to “play” in that way,” he laughed softly this time. “I meant play in intrigue and deceit. There are those that are already trying to take advantage of my weakness and make a bid to depose of me.”

That caught our attention and Robin bristled with his rage. “Who dares, my Lord? I will make them rue the day their mother birthed them.”

“Damn, Robin,” I said. “Don’t go violent murdering Fae on us or anything. I’m guessing assassination attempts go with the territory,” I looked at the king questioningly.

“Indeed, Kale,” Oberon nodded in agreement. “As you say, it goes with the territory. However, normally I have no problem dealing with the situation myself. Right now, I am more weak than I care to admit and will be for several days more.

“Just how weak are we talking here,” I asked.

“In essence, I am mortal. You are more powerful than I am at the moment. Something as simple as a gun would easily kill me and I have no power to speak of. The magic I worked as your bonding gift took most of what I have. That is why Puck raised the shield to give us privacy,” he smirked. “I had to walk here.”

“Fuck,” I rubbed my hand over my face. “We are in some deep shit.”

“Exactly,” Oberon nodded.

Chapter Twelve

Robin was standing beside the bed fully clothed. With a thought he had dressed me as well. “My King, with your permission I would take us some where more secure,” he bowed.

“As you will,” Oberon replied regally.

The room flashed to grey and then we were in Robin’s personal room. This time however, there was a table before us set for three. Fruits, breads, and cheeses with honey and milk sat alongside wine and water.

“It is safe, my Lord. I can guarantee it,” Robin spoke to Oberon in a deep and serious voice. I was starting to comprehend how easy it was to be a wolf. We did not deal in this kind of subterfuge. If you wanted an enemy dead you challenged them and killed them openly—or died trying.

“Thank you, my Puck. I am famished. I have not eaten since before," he nodded to us. Oberon sat down and began to load his plate. It must have been an indication as Robin followed suit, so I mimicked him and sat down.

We sat in silence for a few moments while everyone filled his plates. We all must have been hungrier than we thought as no one was talking but spending the energy getting food.

Oberon loaded his up until his plate groaned with the weight and began to eat heartily. Even with the gusto that he ate, it was still extremely well mannered. A small smile crossed my lips at the thought.

Oberon noticed and called me on it. “What has you smiling, Kale of the wolves?”

“You couldn’t get any more food on that plate and even though you are eating like a starving man at his last meal, you still have perfect manners,” I chuckled. “I guess I am more used to males eating like animals, pun intended.”

Oberon laughed softly but kept eating. When he took a moment to breathe again, he replied, “You are right, Kale. Millennium of etiquette has turned me soft in some ways. But you lose very little food this way.”

I laughed with him. “There is that.”

Robin must have become bored with our banter because as soon as Oberon finished eating he went straight to the heart of the manner.

“My King, has there been an actual attempt on your life yet?”

Oberon sighed. “To the point as usual, my boy, but yes there has. The guards you left behind are dead, killed by cold iron. However, the wards that you left behind were stronger than those trying to eliminate me were and there are several traitors dead in my rooms now.

"It worries me that they were able to get into the mounds. That is very unusual. The fact that very few know of my private rooms also means a higher treachery. Someone close to me has betrayed me. There is few that know where I sleep and in my heart I know who it is.”

A look of grief briefly passed over Oberon but quickly passed.

Robin stiffened his spine and clenched his hands into fists. “Blayre,” he said emotionlessly.

Oberon’s reply was one word. “Yes.”

This was a lot closer to home than it should be. I wanted to know why.

“Who is Blayre, and why does he want you dead?” Robin tried to kick me under the table but I was expecting it and moved out of the way.

Seriously, a man needed to know who and what he was up against. I couldn't go into something without all the details even if they were painful.

Oberon answered me and he did it with remorse but resolve. “Blayre is my son.” His shoulders hunched. “I knew he was young and headstrong and there was always the possibility of this happening. But I had hoped,” he trailed off.

Robin took over. “He is power hungry, my Lord Oberon. The boy that you knew and loved is long gone. His mother has twisted him into the creature that he has become. He is not the sweet boy that we remember. He is Mab’s creature now.”

“Mab? I know that name. Isn’t she a queen somewhere,” I questioned.

“She is my mother and the mother of my Blayre.”

I choked on the drink of water I had just swallowed. ”What the fuck,” I spat out. “Back up, I thought you said he was your kid.”

Oberon nodded, “He is my son by blood.”

“But,” I sputtered. “I assumed that you and some other female got together… like Tatianna or,” I waved my hand in the air weakly.

“I could only wish for such happenstance,” Oberon rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. Robin gave me a warning look but took over the story.

“The king’s mother is mad, Oberon overthrew her long ago. When he took up with Tatianna, Mab took great offense. She escaped her prison and glamoured herself to look like Oberon’s paramour. She plied him with wine and by the time he had realized the deceit—it was too late and she was with child.

"Even with the circumstances being so atrocious, children are always seen as a blessing. Blayre’s birth was rejoiced and the conception of him forgiven if not forgotten.

"His mother left him with Oberon and he was raised here in the court. It was not until he reached adulthood the bitch took an interest in him. He had always longed for his mother’s love, and was a very needy child. He craved more of everything. If he did not have it, he would desire it with an obsession. He would not rest until he possessed whatever took his fancy.

"We tried to break him of this habit, but as he grew so did the darkness in him. It came to the point that he left the courts and went to reside with his mother.”

Oberon shook his head and joined back in the conversation.

“Even so, he would still visit me regularly. He is my son and I love him greatly. I am not blind to his faults but I am his father and love him regardless.”

Pain filled his eyes and he closed them to stop a tear.

“His greed and malice has grown, my Puck. I have noticed it and he is not content to wait until it is his time and he has grown into the man he needs to be,” Oberon sighed heavily. “It has become clear,” I could see his heart breaking but resolve stiffened his spine. “He will never be the man he needs to be to carry the crown. If I die without other issues, it will go to him, and with Mother leading him, he will destroy First Fae and then attempt to rule the rest of the realms. The Sluagh will step in before then, but everything we know will be gone.”