Captive of the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar, #1)

by Zoey Draven

“I don’t know. It’s just…it’s a private matter. We don’t usually discuss it so openly.” “There is no one here now,” he murmured. “This is private.”

My belly quivered. He was watching me with a silent ferocity that made me feel like prey, and when I straightened, the necklace bobbed at my bare breasts, drawing his gaze there.

“Are you frightened, Luna?”

“What are you doing?” “No male will see you here,” he growled. “This is only for me.” “Then maybe you should have given me a longer skirt,”

“I did not want to.”

There was only one seat, and Arokan dropped down into it. Just when I began to suspect that I was meant to stand, he tugged me down onto his lap. My breath hitched when my skirt rose, and I wiggled to pull it down.

“Continue, kalles,” he rasped in my ear, “if you wish for me to end this feast early.”

“I will send a gift to your village,” he said next, making me gasp and turn to look at him. “Three bveri. That will be enough meat to feed them for months, if they dry it properly. If you eat from this moment forward, not just tonight—no more fighting me; I will do this.” “Really?” I said softly. He inclined his head. “Lysi.”

“It is time, kalles,” he rasped in my ear, his hand again curling between my legs. “You are my queen now. I will wait no longer.”

Arokan let out a sharp breath and dropped his head to my shoulder, pressing his lips there. His surprisingly soft lips. I wondered if the Dakkari kissed, like humans. I wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

“I heard the courage in your voice before I ever saw your face. A human kalles daring to stand against the Dakkari… I was intrigued. I needed to see you. And when I saw your face, your eyes, I knew. Kakkari revealed you to me. I knew you

would be my queen. You are strong and you are brave and you were loyal to your kin. That is why.”

“I will spill my seed deep inside your body this night, Morakkari,” he rasped, his voice dark and gravelly. “You will be heavy with my heirs. You will bear me a horde warrior that will be strong enough to lead, to be Vorakkar.”

“You are ready, kalles,” he said. “You ache for me, whether you will admit it to yourself or not.”

The pain was fleeting and Arokan kept my gaze throughout it all, half-sheathed inside me. He wanted to fuck me, I saw it in his gaze. He wanted to consume me, to claim me, to make me

Dominant, almost savage thrusts into my waiting sex, as if I was made for his pleasure, as if he owned me. Perhaps he did. Perhaps this was what it felt like to be owned—collared and fucked into frightening pleasure.

“Arokan!” I whimpered, feeling it press against my puckered, private flesh with every thrust—a wicked, strange sensation that made me crazed. “Lysi, kalles,” he rasped. “Cry out my name when I fuck you, so you know you owns your body. So you know who owns this cunt.”

I hated him. I hated that he alone could make me feel this way, that he alone could control my body this way. But it didn’t take away the fact that I came so hard I saw darkness and stars.

He was fucking his queen. He was fucking me like a barbaric horde king of the Dakkari, and I hated that I loved it.

Before I knew it, his lips were on mine. I gasped into his mouth, and he used that opportunity to stroke that tongue deep inside, soft and slow and hot. I guess Dakkari do kiss, I thought, exhausted, unsure of what or even how I should feel.

And as I fell into a deep sleep, my last thought was, Is there anything left of me that he can claim? I didn’t think so.

“Enough,” he said, his tone sharp, and Hukan stilled, her outstretched hand freezing over a needle. When I looked over at him, I saw his barely concealed anger. “I do not care what she wears. She is human. She is Dakkari now too. You cross lines in speaking to my queen this way. Even you, Kivale.” He was…defending me?

Finally, he said in clumsy, unpracticed universal tongue, “He is training now, Morakkari.” “Then take me to where he trains.”

“Your future is always with me, kalles. Do not ever say otherwise.” My lips parted, not expecting that reaction. “Arokan.”

Softly, he said, “Then you will aid with the pyrokis’ care.”

“Will you do this?” Arokan asked. “For me? For the horde? For yourself?”

Arokan pushed me into the arms of my assigned guard. “Stay with him, kalles. Do not leave his side.” In Dakkari, he said something to the guard, who jerked his head in a nod. “Wait!” I said, confused and concerned. “What is⁠—” “Do as I say!” Arokan growled. “I will find you later.”

Sharp relief made me a little lightheaded, but soon, anger took its place. Which probably wasn’t the wisest emotion to show, considering Arokan looked…untamed. He looked ready to boil over.

“I hate you.” “Nik, you do not,” he said next, his voice surprisingly soft. He turned his head to look at me and continued with, “I think you want to. But you do not, kalles.”

pressing a hand to his eyes. “Arokan,” I said gently. “You will have two guards watching you at all times if I am not with you,” he said, his voice hard and unyielding.

“Nik. I took you because I wanted you for myself. I do not care that you are human. That never mattered.” “It should,” I whispered. “I told you it would’ve been easier—easier for your people to accept a queen if she was Dakkari.”

“I do not want easy,” he murmured. “Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.”

“Because tomorrow you will stand beside me and do your duty as Morakkari.” “What do I need to do?” “Something I do not think you will like” was all he said.

The jealousy surprised me. It was hot and cutting, and I didn’t have any right to feel it. I shouldn’t have felt it. Shouldn’t I have been happy that he directed his amorous attentions elsewhere?

“Remove your eyes from my queen before I remove them from your skull, Ghertun.”

“Do not address her!” Arokan growled, losing his temper again.

Slowly, he turned to face me, and I knew I fucked up from his expression alone.

“I will deal with you later,” Arokan rasped, his dark eyes on me. Then he turned his back, going to kneel next to the guard on the ground.

for the first time since he’d taken me from my village…I wondered if he would hurt me too. Whatever he would do to me…I could take, I thought, steeling my spine, though I didn’t quite meet his gaze fully.

“Be careful,” I told him. And I meant it. A week ago, I would’ve been praying that he never came back so that I could return to my village, our bargain forfeit. “Please.” Now…it made me worried that he was leaving again.

And, despite what Mirari said, I wasn’t above doing dirty work just because my husband was the Vorakkar. I’d worked hard all my life. I wasn’t about to stop now.

“But one thing you should know is that I never go back on my word. I promised myself to Arokan, and it’s a promise I intend to keep. For the rest of my life.”

“Leave now,” I said. “Don’t speak to me again unless absolutely necessary and I won’t tell Arokan about this, about how you planned to betray him by sneaking me away.”

And I fell into another restless sleep wondering why he’d stopped…and realizing that I hadn’t wanted him to.

pushed farther back into Arokan, just moments from climbing over the fence, but he held me still. It took me a moment to realize that I’d turned to him for safety.

“I know you fear them. I feel your body shaking, feel your heart thundering in your chest,” he whispered, but I never took my eyes away from Kailon’s. “You make me proud, kassikari.” My breath hitched, surprise washing through

me. “You fear them, but you are here. That should make you proud too,” he told me.

“You were brave. Not many would have done that, but you were brave and you loved her enough to want to end her pain. Do not be ashamed of that.”

And if you think there’s a possibility that I will have to protect myself or the horde one day, then I’m asking you to teach me how.” “I will protect you, kalles,” he said. “I know,” I whispered. And I did. I knew he would protect me at all costs, though I didn’t understand why.

Our tent, I mused. When had it become our tent to me and not his?