Nights of Obedience (Vines & Venom, #1)

by Rachel Mays

Wasn’t that what everyone wanted? To be loved for all eternity? I didn’t care if that love didn’t come from a man. I’d accept it from the world instead.

Bright and beautiful pinks, yellow and oranges. The floral scent hung in the air and infiltrated my lungs, coursing through my veins. And the castle was a level of extravagance I’d never known. Vines traveled from the ground up to the second and third levels, weaving their way between windows and balconies where warm light poured out. The castle was made of light sandstone, but the vines were like veins that pulsed in the colossal building, giving it a life of its own.

He took my hand and planted a gentle kiss across my knuckles. My stomach fluttered at the delicate touch. Those nerves I hadn’t felt? They made their appearance now. It all hit me and my cheeks flushed a vivid shade of pink. Hopefully, he mistook it for rouge.

Anyway, I know it can be awkward at first, but I’m a good man, Emilie. Or at least, I try to be. And I hope that we will become close. I promise to treat you well, and I hope you feel welcome here.” He seemed genuine, and my heart warmed a little to the idea of marrying him. Even at his age, I could still make out handsome features. I’d never been in love. I’d never felt that emotion that minstrels sang songs about and novelists wrote stories about. But maybe I could learn to love him.

had her pinned against the wall. Her once flushed cheeks rapidly drained of color. “Touch me again, princess, and it’ll be the last thing you do with those pretty little fingers.”

“You’re a fire wielder?” I asked. He nodded. “And you’re an air wielder.”

“Can you show me something?” he asked. I racked my brain for some display of magic that would be impressive enough for a king. The window burst open with a gush of air, bringing in the scent of the sea and an array of red and white roses. They circled around us and Cyrus watched with a twinkle in his eyes as I let the petals fall around his room. He laughed. “You know I’m going to have to clean that up.” Shrugging, I said, “Leave them.” I could tell he wasn’t upset at all with the mess I’d made and I hoped that we’d wind up on top of that blanket of roses in front of the fireplace before the end of the night.

Emilie looked up at me through thick lashes and in an instant, I knew which one she would choose.

“Next time, it’ll be your heart. If one even exists under that armor of yours.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked. “I had to see you,” he said, stepping closer to the bed. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. About our wedding. About you…as my wife.”

“Is that so?” I asked. My voice was shaky…breathless. Warmth radiated from between my thighs. “Yes, Emilie. I was having a hard time sleeping. And I think if you were sleeping next to me, I wouldn’t have that problem.” He tugged at the edge of the blanket, and I scooted over to make room for him to slip in beside me.

Cyrus wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close, my naked body pressed against him and I could feel somethin...

“I’ve been thinking about this nonstop, Emilie. What it would be like t...

My body was on fire and I knew it had nothing to do with his flame wielding abilities.

He paused, looking toward the bedroom door where another figure stood. “Stop staring at the beautiful bride, Ladon.”

ran my hands frantically over my body. The feeling of silk pajamas didn’t do anything to slow my racing heart or my rapid breathing. It was just a dream.

couldn’t be more than a little past midnight. I fell back against the mattress and sighed.

While my heart had stopped pounding and my breathing steadied, there was still an aching sensation between my thighs. A warm, wetness that was hard to ignore, no matter how much I tossed and turned.

A soft moan escaped my lips and for a second I froze, irrationally worried that someone might’ve heard…that someone knew what I was doing under the cover of darkness.

I pushed a finger inside, dragging it out slowly before pressing in again. With one hand, I worked myself into a frenzy, while the other hand toyed with my nipple. Rocking my hips against the palm of my hand and arching my back off the mattress, I chased that feeling of bliss.

Right before my eyes, Cyrus morphed into Ladon. A warm smile vanished and was replaced with a wicked sneer. And that was the moment my body betrayed me.

With the mental image of Ladon pressed against me, his hand wrapped around my throat, my cunt pulsed around my fingers, and my entire body trembled uncontrollably.

I felt gross. Like the essence of Ladon was covering my skin, and I needed to wash him off. But when I hopped in the shower and scrubbed my skin, Ladon’s presence sank into me like ink from a tattoo, permanently marking me. My skin crawled at the thought of him…at the thought of experiencing him in such an intimate way. I wished I could burn the image from my brain, but it lingered no matter how hard I tried to erase it.

You’re letting a parasite into this family. She’ll never love you.” “Sometimes marriage isn’t about love.” “No, but I know you, Cyrus. You believe in love. You loved Isabella, and she loved you. You can’t honestly tell me that you could love that harlot.” “Enough!” Cyrus roared, and I shuddered. I quietly pressed the door closed. I’d heard enough.

I tried to take solace in the fact that Cyrus had stood up for me. He’d make a great husband, but I couldn’t extinguish the overwhelming desire for Ladon to accept me too.

Black hair. Sharp, cat-like eyes that sparkled orange. Maroon lips and white, almost translucent skin. She wore a simple black gown that covered everything but her neck and face.

Reyna eyed her with annoyance. “Ah, yes. You know, I was hoping for a pair of brothers to play with. Such a shame Cyrus was able to get away, but my soldiers brought back this pretty creature. I can think of some ways to have fun with you, too.”

“And who might you be, pretty thing?”

“Emilie,” she said softly, and I pressed my eyelids shut. Even if Reyna didn’t recognize her face, she’d recognize the name. Word spread like wildfire that Cyrus was to remarry a woman, Emilie of Dreslen. Reyna would’ve heard and she would put two and two together. Reyna huffed a laugh. “Are you kidding me? The Emilie? Well, we are going to have some fun.”

“Please,” he pleaded, his jaw rippling under my fingertips. “And what will you give me in return?” Reyna asked. “Whatever you want.”

“Anything?” Her tone expressed her delight. “Anything.” There was a pause, and then Ladon jerked. I couldn’t see, but it sounded like he’d caught something—the vial.

To my horror, she’d stepped out of her dress and now stood completely naked before me. Reyna was less than a decade older than me, and she had a lithe figure with smooth porcelain skin. But there was no part of me that wanted to look down. She was a horrible excuse for a human being and no amount of beauty would make up for it.

Reyna smiled as she took in the hard ridges of my abs and the curves of my shoulders and biceps. I was fuming, but there wasn’t anything I could do. I was her plaything, a puppet, while she dangled the strings.

My pants fell to the floor along with my undergarments, leaving me completely exposed. Her eyes roamed my body, and she bit her lower lip. “Get in the water.”

I swallowed, and tears pricked my eyes. I whispered, “I don’t want to die here.” Ladon rolled over and I met his gaze, his face startling close to mine. “We’re not going to.”

It was like she was obsessed with him. Whenever they were in a room together, she stared at him in a way that made my stomach coil. I couldn’t explain why her gaze made me so uncomfortable.

“I wanted you to like me.” “Why?” “You know I didn’t have a choice. I was sent to marry Cyrus without ever being asked what I wanted. I know your hesitations. That you think I’m more of a liability than an asset. That I’m a poison seeping into your kingdom. That because of my lineage, I’m somehow inferior to you.

And Cyrus and Sophia are loving and generous, but Renoa will never be home so long as one of the members of the Castelli family wants me gone.”

“Perhaps I was quick to judge you, princess.”

“I think I’ll give you a break tonight, Ladon. Since Emilie is so intent on coming to your defense. She can take your place tonight.”

She waved a hand at me and those treacherous vines pushed me forward into the drawing room. I held my breath as a small crowd stared me down. Heat washed over my chest and cheeks. My eyes burned as well. I wanted to run. To scream. But I couldn’t move.

I tried to elbow the man in the gut, but he only chuckled. My resistance only turned him on, it seemed. As I writhed, I felt the unmistakable prod of his hard cock near my ass.

Her cold and delicate fingers wrapped around my thigh and she pulled my leg toward her, opening me for the room to see. Eyes narrowed in on my core and I thought I was going to be sick.

She ran her finger over my slit and the man holding me growled with pleasure. Meanwhile, I was too terrified to move. Shock had left me immobile. My brain was working in overdrive, trying to comprehend what was happening. She slid one finger inside me and I gasped.

Hands were all over me, grabbing at me from above, from my side. Lips were on my neck. Fingers digging into my skin, sliding into my core, tugging at a spot that should’ve elicited bliss but only brought forth more tears. “Please,” I said again, knowing no one was listening. “Don’t.”

“Well? Did you learn your lesson, Emilie?” Reyna asked.

There was a thud as my regular clothes landed next to my head. “Do not test me again.”

Without Emilie, I realized just how much of a distraction she’d provided. I was locked in a room, but even worse, I was locked in my head with my own thoughts.

I felt his shame. I felt his emptiness. His defeat. Reyna slid his trousers to the floor, and I vowed not to look down. Not to take my eyes from his face. But Reyna had other plans for me.

My legs trembled the closer I got. “On your knees,” Reyna commanded. “Wh…what?” “On your knees.”