Game of Temptation (12 page)

Chapter Nineteen

Arun looked at the discussing elves without interest. He knew
how these discussions would go. They would go back and forth discussing one
issue only. Not once in his life had he felt such a strong pull from anyone,
and yet here he was eager to finish the dealings of the elves quickly. It was
so un-elfin-like that if he pushed them to rush the discussions, they would
know. He was not certain if they would be accepting of his human interest, but
that would be his first mission. To know how they would react.

For now, he would tolerate such a laggard discussion for now
to let himself dig deep into his memories. Of Alethis scent still clinging to
his unwashed clothes. They had kissed one last time before they left, and as
always, she had left him with an unsatisfied, aching longing. He wanted more
than her soft, pliant lips and her hot, wet mouth. Her soft, delicate body
pressed against him had teased his senses into madness and it took every sense
of being an elf to let go of her.

He had already taken from her once. When he closed his eyes
and remembered, he could still feel her tight around his finger. He could only
imagine what it would be like to have his throbbing ache inside her instead.
The thought sent delightful shivers through him, but he knew from experience
that with her, his imagination only limited him to what she could truly offer.

Arun knew he needed to be back and console whatever it was
that was causing her to be embarrassed and flustered. He stomped down on the
feelings she was sharing with him through the necklace and returned to the
matter at hand.

"…In the end, it is the security of our race that must
be of the greatest concern," the king said, "We have not an assurance
that allowing alliance would be better than the silent truce we had before this
proposal."

Arun wanted to say something to that but he knew the king was
not finished. He had been speaking for quite a while and the one issue about
how many lives would be preserved by the alliance had dragged on for three days
already. By the gods, he wanted to leave the lot of them and return into
Alethi's arms!

"We have coexisted for so long without the spilling of
blood. We have no use to change what works. Friendship with humans have only
caused us grief and the lives of elves before. What is to say it will not
happen again?"

"And what is to say the likes of Niraya would not rise
again?" Arun spoke out of turn in his impatience. All the elves in the
council looked at him horrified. That anyone would speak out of turn was rude,
but blocking the king's speech was quite unheard of. He knew it and he did not
care. He looked at all the princes of the different clans. With his seat at
Rehanathi, he was the second most powerful elf in the room next to the king and
he was using that to his advantage. He had had enough of these elves and
she-elves wasting their time talking. Now he knew why humans did everything so
hastily. And he was certainly acting in haste.

"They lay siege to us because they do not understand. My
king, and princes of all clans, I ask you forgive me for speaking out of turn,
but in truth, I am not sorry. While we contemplate on numerous accounts of the
benefits or harms of what we are about to do, generations of humans are passing
by without knowing us. Humans grow to be more distant to us by the second. Our
nature and theirs are different and for eons, they have followed our lead
because they thought us wiser. But the truth is, we are nothing but old
invalids discussing while many humans have already passed their time
accomplishing a great many things.

"I have been with humans and they are truly amazing
beings. We, through our old age have much to learn from them. If you all only
open your eyes! You will see the truth in my words. Humans have progressed so
much, thinking of things we have never even imagined, while we remain wasting
away. This council needs to act more."

"Are you quite done?"the prince of Yuatah asked
seemingly unaffected by his passionate speech.

Arun clamped his mouth shut deciding to keep himself from
pushing his luck and saying anymore.

"That is another matter of concern, then, Prince
Arun," the king nodded. "We will discuss that after we have discussed
the issue of the lives of our people."

Arun's knuckles went white gripping the armrests of his seat,
wanting to scream in frustration. At this rate, it would take years before they
came to a conclusion and none were giving away anything about what they might
thought of his choice to love a human.

-------------

Arun retired to his quarters feeling drained and irate. He
unclasped the brooch clamping his mantle. Talk. It was all elves ever did.
Talk. Generations of humans would pass before any of these elves would act!

"My lord?" a feminine voice called from beyond the
shroud to his room. "The Council has sent me to you."

Arun's brows furrowed. Was it a message? A reprimand?
Whatever it was, he knew it would be tied in to his antics at the Council
Chamber. It would be best to get it over with before he meets Alethi. He wanted
to devote all his time to her and want no form of distraction. Not even from
the King himself.

"Enter." He rolled his shoulders feeling the weight
of what he had to do. If he were to achieve something, he would have to employ
human politicking tactics, otherwise, he could do nothing.

He discarded his mantle not really looking at the woman. Just
waiting for whatever missive she was sent to him for. He tried not to look
tired, but without his lady love, he felt drained. Gods, how he missed her! He
missed her laughter, her mind, her gentleness and her stubbornness. And he
could not forget how much he missed her body – every curve made to fit his as
if they were missing halves of one another.

Arun grinned inwardly. The woman was a feisty, sensual
goddess that lured out the beast in him while keeping him chained at the same
time. And he let her. He let her torture him, make him throb and ache for her
even with just thoughts of her. And he was throbbing and aching now.

The woman did not make any sound other than her entry.
Perhaps, he was waiting for his acknowledgement. He had not once looked at her.
Besides, he had to be rid of her to calm himself before seeing Alethi. He did
not know how much longer he could take, so he looked up.

In a heartbeat, he was on his back on the bed, the wind
rushing out of him. He felt something firm nudge his stiffness and his senses
went on full alert. The woman had him pinned on the bed, her eyes hungry. Damn,
if it was not the king's favorite mate herself – Eian! And gloriously naked at
that.

"Luthgarian was right. You do need your release."
She grasped him and he hissed. "How long has it been? I heard you had not
had sex since the beginning of your year."

He growled and pushed grabbed her hand to free himself.
Before Alethi, he would have welcomed her. She was a prize many elves would
have warming their beds, but now he had Alethi and her touch felt like filth.
"You need not concern yourself with this."

Her lips pouted sensually. It did not appeal to him. No
longer.

"I know you are tired and you want rest, but you need
your release more than you think. You cannot even keep your head cool in the
council any longer." She went for his throat and suckled.

He grunted and shoved her, shoving her to the mattress. He
dared not touch her unless she mistook his intentions. "I cannot do this.
I will keep my head. I promise you."

Eian shook her head. "Luthgarian noticed your need and
so, I am doing this for you. For your sake, Arun. He is this close to retiring
his rule and he wants to give it to you. He does not want to leave room for
doubt that you are the next rightful king. I know you will have groomed someone
to be Prince of Rehanathi. I think I taught you well enough when you were but
an infant."

Arun only sighed in response. The woman always had his best
interest at heart and treated him like her own personal child before she took
her place to frequently warm the king's bed.

"Tell me Arun. Why is it you do not want to copulate? It
is unnatural." When he bit his lip and hesitated, she smiled endearingly.
"You can trust me."

Arun let go of her shoulders and sat on his heels, releasing
her. He knew he could trust her. If there was anyone other than Nuat and
Liushan he could trust, it was her.

"Perhaps, it is not best for King Luthgarian to leave me
with the rule of all elves." He looked at her straight in the face. He
would not keep this secret from her. "You have heard that I have taken a
woman prisoner?" She nodded. "I think—no. I have fallen in love with
her. I am smitten and it will not be long until I meet my death. She has no
elfin blood. A great secret we must keep. But I would not exchange that short
life. Not even for the position the king would want me to have."

Eian put a hand to her breast, her expression proud.
"Such courage! I know of no one for thousands of years who would do such a
thing. The last was Beleron, my seed brother, the forefather of the princess
that you seek." Her smile broke into a chortle. "Now I understand
your passion. You do not want your kin to be cut off from the new life you
chose. You want us to be a part of it. You are even more ambitious than
Beleron!"

Arun tried to smile, but only managed a wince. If that was
ambition, he wondered what she would call humans playing at politics?

"Tell me, though, how is she at servicing you?"

Arun could feel his face flush. He had opened the floodgates
and she would barrage him with a torrent of questions.

"I do not know." Eian raised her eyebrows and he
continued, "I have never taken her. She is a virgin and she refuses to be
taken until marriage. I know she would oblige if I drive her, but I do not want
her to bear any guilt in our union."

This time, she laughed aloud. "My, my, my! You have
become a whipped dog. I must see this fabled princess who has brought the
mighty Arun, slayer of ten thousands, subduer of nations, grand master of the
Council, and commander of Rehanathi to his hands and knees. Collared, I might
add."

He sighed. Once again, he was the child and she was her
nurse. It was a feeling he had almost forgotten after thousands of years since
he had grown in stature.

"I love her."

She patted his cheek. "I know. And you must come back to
her soon. Human lives are dreadfully short. It would be such a short time to
revel in her company." She stood from his bed and dressed herself. "I
will see what I can do to make Luthgarian and the rest of the Council decide
quicker, but only on one condition."

"Anything!" he said a little too hasty for his
taste.

"I will return with you and meet this woman." Her
eyes sparkled as she laced her shirt. "And I will teach her a thing or two
about pleasuring a certain elf. Though I know you will quite enjoy the novelty
of virgins. I know I did." She winked and left as if he had already agreed.

In truth, when he said
anything
, he had agreed. It was
not a bad deal, but he was not sure if it was a deal Alethi would appreciate.
Perhaps he should leave off telling her. Eian would just drop it on her lap
when they arrive.

He shivered, thinking about all the wicked things Alethi
could learn from Eian. She was his first and it was quite hard to forget, but
it was all a distant memory. Now, no one else mattered but Alethi. Nothing else
mattered but being with her and making her happy.

But first he had to calm himself. Gods, he hated the icy
needles that deflated him. But there was no choice.

Chapter Twenty

Alethi wrung her hands as she waited for
Arun to near the castle. He had been gone for almost a season and she missed
him so very badly. In truth, she wanted to curl up to him for a whole night
then confess her nightly activities with Leanne and Liushan. She shuddered,
remembering and tried not to.

Half the time she found herself failing
miserably to keep her eyes on Leanne and Liushan, a third of it, she spent learning
how to hold…parts properly with Leanne's guidance and the artificial parts she
had made. The rest of the time, she flew out of her own solar feeling the
intimacy between them become too private and intrusive. Especially when they
were at the throes of passion.

Gods help her! She could not get the sounds
they made out of her head!

All of that was for Arun. It was
embarrassing and quite gut twisting to make herself go through with
her…lessons, but she did. The worst she could do was disappoint Arun when the
time comes. She wanted him to enjoy the experience.

Fuck me! I can't compare to the
she-elves he had.

Her back stiffened as a knock on the door
came in and the door cracked open enough for Liushan to announce, "The
prince has arrived."

"Bring them to the grand hall. I will
meet them there."

Alethi let out a breath she did not know she
was holding. Arun was here. Her heart hammered against her chest. The days she
spent without Arun had made her wander to thoughts about children. Would he be
interested in playing the role of the father? She remembered that he said he
had fathered children he never knew. Would he be just as apathetic to theirs?
It did not seem like he cared a whit for children. And the thought scared her.

She took a deep breath. The bridge will be
crossed when she got there. For the moment, she had to remember everything that
Leanne taught her. She closed her eyes as she headed out of her rooms to the
grand hall – only to fling open again. Leanne never told her when to do the
things she suggested! She groaned. How on earth did it come easy for Leanne,
Shanel and even Arun? She did not even know the difference between flirting and
talking. They were the same thing to her! How was she to flirt with Arun if she
didn't know the difference?

The doors to the great hall were before her
and she steeled herself. None of that! Just a sway of the hips and stolen
glances. That was all she was going to employ for now. By the gods, it was
going to be difficult to keep herself from staring at Arun! She took a deep
breath and sauntered in. Gods! She hoped she did not look like a fool!

The elves were all gathered there with
Orrin, chatting a while. Hanging at Arun's shoulder was a she-elf she had never
seen or met before. Seeing Arun letting her hang onto him like that knotted her
insides with jealousy. Who was that she-elf? She wanted to wring her neck, but
restrained herself and exuded the aura of the queen that she was.

It did not take long for them to notice her
arrival and Arun was the first to make a respectful bow to an equal.
"Thank you for receiving us, Queen Alethi." He stood straight and
motioned to the she-elf who had been hanging by him. "I would like to
introduce you to our king's…confidante. Eian. We have her to thank for the peace
elves extend to Dosalam."

Alethi nodded and looked to the she-elf,
jealousy still throbbing in her veins. "I am grateful for your aid."
She inclined her head to the she-elf with a smile that did not touch her eyes.
It was going to be easier to ignore Arun than she thought.

"It was a pleasure, Queen Alethi."
Her smile held a tiny twinkle in them that Alethi was coming to resent. Did the
she-elf think she was going to take Arun from her? Not in her life or death!
Her father always said she was stubborn. This Eian was going to know just how
stubborn she could be!

"My Queen, might I ask a private
audience with you?" Eian asked.

So it has begun. Her battle for Arun against
a woman who was the epitome of beauty. A woman whose body was carved for
pleasure and whose face was meant to inspire men in so many ways. She groaned
inwardly feeling that she had already lost half the battle. She was a worse
enemy than ten of Shanel combined, and she could not even measure up to the
woman yet!

"Of course. Orrin, please make sure
everyone has settled into their rooms."

Orrin bowed and Alethi motioned for the Eian
she-elf to come with her. She did not want to take the woman to her solar, but
there was no other place they would be away from prying ears. And she
definitely did not want to take her to her room!

Alethi closed the door of her solar and
turned to the woman. Her eyes bulged finding herself encased in the she-elf's
tight hug. Uncharacteristically, her hug was accompanied with a human-type
squeal of excitement. As if she were a long lost favorite toy finally found
after being looked for in a long while.

Alethi opened her mouth to speak but her
mouth jarred close as Eian pulled heart arms length. She stared at the she-elf
in disbelief, shock, surprise and a whole lot of confusion. What on earth was
going on?

"I thought you would be something else
to have held Arun by the balls! You are not the beauty we are used to but, your
face is very…memorable. No wonder he cannot take his mind off you! And your
natural sultriness! Do you know how hard you make him all the time? And you
look so stubborn. Yes, yes. He'd quite love that. And to top it all off, a
virgin! I would never imagine a woman your age would remain a virgin this
long!"

The torrent washed over Alethi bringing her
into more confusion. She removed the she-elf's hold from her shoulders and
shook her head. "Forgive me, I do not quite understand…"

"Oh, dear me. I have forgotten
myself." Eian smiled. "I know it is quite uncharacteristic, but I am
a bit of an exception, having spent too long with humans during your ancestor's
reign here. Oh yes, I am quite old," She added when Alethi expressed
shock. "I was hundreds of years old when the peace was broken. And I live
on because I have learned to fall in love with life. Unfortunately, other elves
just do not get it. But that is not the point, is it? I am here to advise you
with Arun.

"The child has been my charge since he
was born and I was wont to let go. Until about two hundred years ago when I
attached myself to the king. And my dear, I hope you do not mind that I had
been his first." She tittered. "He was unsure the first time, but at
the second go, he had become so assertive."

Alethi's mix of emotions never left, only
changed. Now she was embarrassed, awed, horrified and jealous.

"Not to worry your pretty little head,
child. I will tell you everything Arun likes in bed to prepare you for what he
has in store for you. I do not think you need my instruction in how to please
him. An intelligent woman like you would know instinctively."

Alethi felt blood rush up to her face. With
Leanne and Liushan, talk of such things were enough to make her hide under a
rock, but for a stranger like Eian to talk to her about it…she was quite ready
to swoon.

She felt the she-elf's arm wrap around her
as her knees felt weak.

"Oh dear, not quite used to the
subject?" Eian ushered her to one of the chairs. "Another charm Arun
would love about you. But I hope you are stronger than you look. Physically, I
mean."

"I-Iam," Alethi said weakly,
trying to regain her composure. "I sometimes train with the soldiers and I
often go out tracking. But what does that have to do with anything?"

Eian clapped her hands in delight.
"Good stamina then. Good. Arun likes it rough. You'll love it! And he is
often in control. I hope you do not mind surrendering to him or being helpless
and at his mercy. Although, there would be times when he relinquishes his
control and then you have to be creative. But perhaps you do not need to be.
Just the thought of you sends his mind senseless with need."

Alethi looked at her, mouth hanging.
Thinking about it, the she-elf was quite right. And of course, she did not mind
such things about Arun. But being creative? She did not know how creative she
could be without Leanne's teaching. She did not even know something so big
could fit…or that feather light touches elicited so much response. She shook
her head. Images of Arun in the throes of passion Liushan had been in sent jots
of heat throughout her body and a familiar tingling between her legs. She
squeezed them together to try and ease it. No dice. Her arousal even
intensified with the act so she tried to relax.

"Oh dear, you're even redder. I will
open the windows for air. No talk of sex with Arun until you have
recovered."

Alethi's mouth was dry. She wanted to say
something – anything – but nothing came out. The she-elf was an unstoppable
hurricane. What was it with old people and being unstoppable? She was probably
so old, even the old king of the elves bent to her wishes.

But no matter how old she was, the woman
looked like she was at the peak of her prime. Not a wrinkle marred her perfect
face.

Eian smiled. "I know I should not
talk," she said returning to her after opening the windows, "but I
really have to say that you are quite a sensual woman. I doubt Arun would be
disappointed in you as long as you let go. Remember to lose yourself in the
passion and I promise you would enjoy every moment with him."

"How could you even say that of
me?" Alethi asked finally finding her voice.

Eian leaned into her ear. "I can smell
your arousal. And we are only talking about facts."

Alethi groaned. Why was everyone around her
so schooled in carnal pleasures? She felt as if she was being left behind.
Perhaps she could allow Arun to…

She shook her head. No! She was going to be
a virgin until her wedding day. If Arun could not respect that, then he could
forget it! Or not…Could she really leave him just because of that?

She groaned. Why was everything such a
complicated problem when it came to Arun?

"He is having a difficult time of it,
is he not?" Alethi finally said after a stretch of silence.

"Considering what year it is? Quite
so."

Alethi sighed pitying Arun. How he must
suffer if what he felt was anything like what she had when he cast his spell on
her not finding her release. She bit her lower lip and thought about how Leanne
dealt with Liushan with only her hands and mouth. Surely she would still be
considered a virgin if she did those things?

She shuddered imagining Arun's pleasure and
the pressure between her thighs increased. Arun had already brought her to a
most pleasurable experience after Niraya's execution. Perhaps it was time she
had done something of the same nature for him.

"Um, Eian, could you please close the
window?" She licked her lips. "I would like to ask you
something."