The King’s Tainted Mate
Chapter 76

Pain and pleasure had taken on a whole different meaning since claiming my mate. It would no longer be the famed experience between lovers where one endured pain while ridding waves of pleasure, but a battle of wills. A war against oneself. Two extremes embodied into one that I'd never experienced before and that had threatened to tear me apart. I had never imagined waging war with oneself being possible. When you were both the enemy and the defender. Yet that was exactly what I'd done once our bodies had merged.

It should have been a pleasurable affair whose only threat should have been drowning in ecstasy. Claiming my mate, however, was anything but. My chosen mate had made sure of it. I had been stupid enough not to think more over what Myrna had done. I had thought that it would be nothing but a waiting game. That all it would take was avoiding Myrna's feminine wiles to bed me, until such a time as when my mate would freely mark me. Wrong did not even begin to describe my misjudgement. I should have given my former queen more credit for her dark efforts. Knowing to what depths she'd already gone to become queen, I should have known that she would not give it up so easily.

A treacherous tether, a dark prison of some sort. That's what Myrna's mark turned out to be. And Shyla did not know it, but giving myself to her was the only way back. Her kisses had been my lifeline. Back in the void, where a part of me had been cast the moment I uttered my captor's name, my mate's kisses and her body's warmth had been the things to keep me from being swallowed whole.

After fighting a losing battle against the pull embedded in the spell, I had not thought twice when a voice in the darkness had urged me to surrender. To give up my fight already and my ordeal would soon be over. For a king whose expectation was never to surrender in a battle, I had swallowed my pride and caved. Surrendering whole, yet not to the allure of the darkness, but to the one I knew I could entrust my heart to.

I blinked at my reflection that had stared back at me with equal intensity since stepping out of my bath. The water had been ice cold and yet sweat still dripped just as it had when I'd reached my pleasurable c****x. The thing to grant me the freedom that had brought me back to my mate.

Desire still hummed in my bones. Even after the most satisfying encounter, I could not fathom how it was that I longed for my mate still. Having not had release for so long aside, I was as satiated as I was still in need. But then so did the pain. Hidden deep in my bones, it hummed. Just like desire, it still plagued me after wrestling against the most potent magic to ever grip my soul.

The war within still raged, making me realize that coming back to my mate was apparently not enough. Choosing her and rejecting the darkness came at a price. One I was willing to pay until she could mark me. I'd already chosen to stick to my word to have Shyla make that particular choice. But until then, Xatis needed its king. Because besides pain and desire, I felt something else in my gut. A darkness that was much more than the politics of a kingdom.

Wiping at the pouring sweat for the umpteenth time, I turned to my mate. She was a picture of being thoroughly pleasured and satiated as her chest rose and fell with a gentle rhythm. She was at peace. A smile tugged on my lips at the sight, glad that she had found her release as she'd desired. Seeing her shatter at my doing would always be the best of my accomplishments, I'd decided.

Unknown to her, however, was my predicarment. And I intended to leave it at that. I did not wish for her to be burdened by it. "I will see you soon." I finally said. Fingers caressed her flawless skin and that hum of desire intensified effortlessly, making me release her. As much as I still longed for her, there would be none of that. Not just yet.

"Come to me..." A faint, but alluring voice carried over the quietness of my chambers, drawing my attention and sharpening my senses. Whoever it was, they were bidding me to go to them. It was by no means a voice I could recognize, but something deep in me longed to heed their call regardless. Just as I would my own mate's call. "Come..."

I turned to look around as the second call carried with it an urgency, but besides my mate and I, no one else was there. Deciding it was probably nothing or a fiction of my imagination, I turned back to my mate, but still it came. Louder and tugging at invisible chords I seemed to now possess, getting me moving. I longed to fight it as I helplessly watched the distance between my mate and I widen, but for whatever reason I couldn't. Because whatever drew me felt like a strong tide and going against it just felt unwise. "Are you alright?" Outside my chambers, Rakon stepped in my way.

"I need to be some place." I mumbled almost absent mindedly.

"I should come with you." Rakon started to move, but I held him back.

"No." "But-"

"You need to watch over her." It was a marvel that I was still sensible enough to make that suggestion. "I will be around the palace. No need to be so overly concerned." I reasoned at Rakon's appraising look before stepping away.

"Elian?" Concern laced my best friend's tone, but I did not stop to ease his mind. Or whatever drew me away would not let me. This was by no means like the void where I could fight. I felt more like a puppet and whoever was calling out to me, the puppeteer. My feet moved as I made no attempt to protest, mind set on only getting to the one who called for me.

The hallways were littered with guards, but remained quiet still. Heads bowed at my presence with neither, as always, not questioning my actions. "Come to me..." There it was again. Calling out to me in the shadows this time around. I stopped to listen before deciding which way to turn. The hallway that would lead me to the path heading down to the dungeons called to me and I mindlessly turned there. A few steps, however, I made another turn into yet another hallway that I could not quite remember where it led. "Your majesty?!" Someone practically snatched me out of my daze and brought me back to my senses, thankfully. Although it would appear that after the short trip, I wasn't feeling quite like my usual self.

"Gol?" Confusion clouded my judgement as I was sure the outlaw that stood before me had no desire to be found out. His demeanour spoke of it. "Was it you? Did you call me?" I asked even though my mind was clear enough to remember that the voice had been that of a maiden. One couldn't blame me either as it was unexpected to have the outlaw anywhere around here. Had he followed me? Perhaps on Rakon's orders?

"Call you?" The outlaw frowned before his eyes widened at some kind of realization.

"Well?"

"I did no such thing, your majesty. But if you would come with me, I will bring you to someone who might just be able to grant you those answers."

The man sounded strange as he gave me his hasty reply, but...answers. That sounded like something I desperately needed at the moment as my mind suddenly felt foggy and more sweat dripped. "Answers, you say?" The world beneath my feet shifted and if it wasn't for the outlaw's quick action, I would have probably kissed the ground, albeit in a less than graceful manner.

"Yes, answers. Have you been drinking your majesty?" I felt Gol struggle against my weight, making me realize how pathetic my state was.

"It's a bloody banquet. Of course I've been drinking." I snapped, hating my current state. Something was definately wrong. "It wasn't enough to be this wasted, however. Besides, I can handle my liquor just fine." I added, wondering what else could have been in my drink. Poison perhaps? Surprisingly, the thought did not alarm me.

"Then take this."

"What is that? More poison?" I laughed bitterly.

"I would never do that to Shyla." The outlaw said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah right. It's always about my mate with you, huh?" I arched a brow, to which the outlaw only scoffed. "Give it. It can't be worse than how helpless I feel right now." I held out my hand, trusting him. Actually, it was her I trusted. My mate. I thought there had to be a worthy reason that had made her make the choice to trust and bring the man to the palace. I downed the contents. Bitter as hell, but as potent as the magic that had threatened to devour me. "What in God's name was that?" I questioned as I found my strength and my feet moments after.

"The devil's tonic." Gol appraised me. "Is that better?"

"I should have this to go with my wine." I eyed the now empty vile with fascination.

"I'm afraid now is not the time to speak of wines and tonics, your majesty."

"Oh, yes. Answers." I raised a finger in acknowledgement, but tensed in the same moment when awareness caught up with me. "Shyla, I need to get back to her." Finally back in control of my own mind, thoughts of Shyla being harmed got my feet moving, heading to my chambers. I couldn't shake the feeling of her being manipulated the way I had been moments ago. For all I knew, they could have her jump to her death through my chamber's windows. The thought had me practically wishing to fly back in an instance and when Gol held me back, I let my wolf at him.

"She'll be fine...for now." The man did not even flinch at my intimidation. It was as if not even death would keep him from accomplishing what he'd sought to do. That in itself, made me stop and stare questioningly at the man.

"And what is that supposed to mean? How do you know she'll remain unharmed? Are you in on this?!" I sneered at the outlaw, not letting his Aldean warrior frame intimidate me. And now that I was paying attention, I noted the tension oozing from his seemingly calm self. "What is that supposed to mean?!"

"If you would only come with me, you will get all your answers and more."

"More?" I frowned, wondering if these were not mere words meant to tempt me. Something meant to lead me away from my mate and leave her unprotected. She is protected. My mind countered, but it wasn't enough to settle me. "Have Samara and Norae watch over my mate." Knowing I'd made my decision, I linked Rakon with that one last order. With the two warriors having eyes on Shyla, I would breathe better.

"I am not in a position to say anymore. Especially not...here." The outlaw searched the surroundings, no doubt aware of walls having ears.

"Lead the way then." It was too much trust to put in one man, a foreigner at that, but when instinct did not protest, I followed after him.

"And why in God's name are we leaving the palace?" I was by no means afraid, but Gol's demeanour was too odd for my liking. Not to mention the stealth with which he moved and evaded every guard stationed on the perimeter. The Aldean was a weapon in himself that highlighted a weakness in my own palace security.

"I may have dragged your guest's behind further from the palace than intended."

"Wait, guest? What guest?" Surely he didn't mean the hooded one who'd gotten away from Rakon? I stopped to stare at Gol, but the man chose not to furnish me with an answer and merely scurried through the forest surrounding the palace. I followed, spurred on by the desire to unravel the mystery of my hooded guest. Gol may not have confirmed it, but I knew that it had something to do with that being.

A hooded figure bound to a tree came into view not long after and something resembling relief oozed from Gol's frame as he hastily moved to undo the binds.

"You bound them?" Wondering why, I came closer, senses sharpening in the darkness. I caught sight of the emblem of Carene first and every part of me tensed. Another spy?! An ambush? I was getting ready to attack and defend when the figure once freed, took off the hood of their cloak and revealed the crown atop their head.

The king of Carene!

"Your Majesty." The figure gave a little bow, but I was too stunned to utter anything. Not only because I was I not expecting to see the ruler of Carene yet, but because I had never seen such a frail looking man. Especially not a king of Aldean descent.