The Umbra King (Vincula Realm Book 1)

Caius prowled the castle looking for her. She’d teased him enough, and it was time to teach her a lesson. He rounded the corner to the kitchens, hoping she was cleaning up after the ball, but she wasn’t there.

Where could she be?

His instinct told him the gardens.

He pushed his way through the back entrance and wound through the path leading to the middle of the maze. Black heels discarded on the ground caught his attention, and he grinned. “Hello, Miss Raven.”

“Your Grace,” came her reply, and his pants tightened at her sultry tone.

“I don’t like to be teased,” he said as he strolled toward her voice.

The plants nearby rustled. “How is that my problem, Your Grace?” Her voice held a challenge he was happy to accept.

“I suggest you run, Miss Raven.”

A loud gasp made him feral, and when he heard the slapping of her bare feet against the concrete, he began to count. “One.” Her footsteps moved farther away. “Two.” His heart thundered in his chest. “Three.”

Rory was thankful for the slits in her dress that allowed her to run. The sound of Caius’ footsteps pounding the pavement behind her sent a thrill through her.

Her lungs were burning as her legs pumped faster toward the opening to the pond. There were trees and plants to hide behind, and she pushed harder, refusing to glance over her shoulder.

The full moon and starry sky aided the lanterns, helping her see, and she almost cried out with relief when she crossed the archway out of the garden. Stopping at the shoreline, she turned around, searching for cover, but shadows enveloped her.

She screamed, and a shadow wrapped around her mouth to muffle her cries. The lights from the lanterns surrounding the pond disappeared with the shroud of shadows, taking away her sight completely.

When the darkness receded, Caius stepped from the shadows like a beast of the night, and his golden eyes flashed as they raked down her body. His approach was slow, and a cocky smirk transformed his face into one of arrogant beauty.

“What were you doing tonight, Aurora?” he drawled.

The shadows disappeared from around her, and she forced herself not to shake in his overwhelming presence.

“What do you mean?” she asked, biting her lip for effect.

He stepped closer. “You know exactly what I mean.” His hand reached for her neck but stopped. “What game are you playing? You have made your loathing for me clear, but your actions suggest otherwise.”

“Does it look like I hate you?” Her eyes dipped to her breasts, where her nipples were visibly hard against the fabric of her dress.

The king went utterly still, his eyes glued to her chest. “Do you want me to touch you, Miss Raven?”

She tried to take a step forward, but his shadows wrapped around her legs to stop her. “Do you want to touch me, Your Grace?”

He stepped back, and her hope dissolved, but then she felt a hand wrap itself gently around her ankle.

No. Not a hand, a shadow. She didn’t dare move as it trailed up her leg, and the king watched her with rapt attention.

“Is this what you want?” he asked in a gravelly voice.

As the shadow traveled higher, her breathing picked up, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was shaking with anticipation and want. She disgusted herself, but tonight, it served her well. Closing her eyes, she let herself succumb to the pleasure.

She could feel the cool shadow swirling sensually around her leg, but when it stopped at the apex of her thighs, she groaned. Her eyes opened, and her mouth parted slightly at the look on Caius’ face. It was raw and primal, and if she had been wearing panties, they would have been soaked.

His eyes were glued to her leg, exposed by the slit of her dress, and when his eyes met hers, the cool night air hit her pussy as her dress was ripped even higher.

“You’re bare,” he all but growled.

She refused to look away. “It seems I am.”

He stepped closer, but his hands stayed in his pockets. Her body was burning up, and if he didn’t touch her soon, she would have to touch herself. Just as she trailed her hand south, something strummed her clit, and she lurched forward.

Her mouth formed an O, and she reached for Caius, but he stepped back again as he watched her with satisfaction. The shadow was vibrating against her clit, and everything within her started to tingle.

Her nipples were diamonds, and her legs useless as her muscles spasmed from the intense pleasure. She had no other option but to sink to her knees, no longer able to stand. The shadows holding her limbs dispersed long ago, and she leaned on her hands and knees, twitching from torturous pleasure.

“Caius,” she begged. Her body pulsed, and her vision blurred. “Caius, please.” Her moan cut through the night as an orgasm crashed through her. The muscles in her legs seized completely, and she was forced to roll onto her back, lifting her hips.

Her pussy clenched over and over, but the shadows didn’t stop. “Please,” she begged again. It was too much.

Another climax was building, and her stomach tightened, preventing her from catching her breath. She cried out through another orgasm, and her clit felt raw from the continuous vibration because it never stopped.

She never knew pleasure could be torture, and when she tried to press her legs together, more shadows pried them apart.

“Please, stop,” she breathed, and as soon as the words were out of her mouth, the shadows disappeared.

She squeezed her eyes closed as shame coated her cheeks, and the urge to ask him for more sat on her tongue. It was excruciating, but in the best way, and when he stopped, she regretted asking him to.

Her body went limp except for her heaving chest. Caius sauntered to where she lay sprawled on the ground and crouched down. “Do not challenge me unless you are prepared to lose, Aurora.”

He stood and disappeared through the arch as she lay panting on the ground, staring at the starry sky.

An hour later, Samyaza stepped into Caius’ office, and Caius said without greeting, “I need you to check on Aurora’s mother while you’re in Erdikoa.”

Sam adjusted the neck of his tunic. “What am I checking on, exactly?”

“She is a Sibyl.“ They both fell silent.

“And she doesn’t have a caregiver,” Sam guessed.

“Not to Aurora’s knowledge.”

“I will see it is taken care of,” Sam assured him as he clapped Caius on the back. “I will return when I have the information you’ve requested.”

Caius tipped his head as his friend opened the door. “Thank you.”

Shadows exploded around Caius the moment the door to his office closed as his restraint snapped, and he stabbed a hand through his hair. Why was he concerned with Aurora’s life before Vincula? 

He was losing control where she was concerned. The want to touch her more than anything consumed him, but he knew the moment he had her, he would never give her up.

This all-consuming feeling after only a few weeks was egregious.

The way she fell to her knees was a sight to behold, and her mouth parting as she whispered his name almost broke his resolve. She was a fool if she thought he didn’t know she was seducing him on purpose, and he assumed it involved her sister’s death.

He rubbed the tension from his forehead as he looked around his office at the mess he’d made. A bone deep exhaustion settled over him, and he decided the mess could wait until morning.