Chapter 53

GABRIEL

“What was that?” I ask, hurling my wine glass at Eros. “You lost him?”

“I’m sorry, father!” Eros apologizes, his head bowed low.

“Sorry?” I shout, my anger flaring. “I told you to capture him, maybe even kill him, not let him slip away!”

“Father, it’s not like that. He just vanished,” Eros tries to explain, his hands clenched into fists. “We searched for him!”

“And where did you lose him?” I ask, my annoyance clear.

“Close to the southern kingdom. Somewhere in their forest,” Eros says. “We saw him heading there, and then he was gone.”

“Could someone have helped him?” Seth suggests, joining the conversation.

“Maybe,” I mutter. “What about our spy? I heard he sent a letter.”

“Yes,” Seth confirms, standing up to hand me a piece of paper. I unfold it and read the contents.

“Well,” I say, a smile spreading across my face. “At least this is good news.”

“What did the spy say?” Seth asks, curiosity piqued.

“He said that Dimitri’s mate has been visiting the neighboring kingdom. She’s been there twice with Damian,” I reveal, a smirk playing on my lips.

“Did he describe her?” Eros asks. “Any more details?”

“I got one from the spies in Dimitri’s palace,” Seth says, a smile on his face. “Here, take a look.”

Eros takes the piece of paper Seth hands him. After a quick read, he laughs and passes it to me. I read the contents and frown.

“Is the spy certain about this?” I ask, my frown deepening.

“Yes,” Seth assures me. “He’s been sending information about her.”

“Good, keep an eye on her,” I command, standing up. “And make sure to find Zar and kill him.”

I leave the throne room and head to the southeast side of the castle. I clear everyone from the hallways and make my way to a specific room.

I give a nod to the guards, and they open the massive wooden doors. I scowl at the sight of the doors. I’d had this place sealed off, and the chains that block the doors clatter to the ground.

I instruct the guards to keep everyone away from this hallway. They nod and head down the corridor. I glance around, my gaze stopping at the huge crystal windows etched with an angel design.

The sky is overcast, mirroring my mood. I scoff and step inside. I light some candles and cough as the dust and dampness of the room hit me. I wave my hand to clear the cobwebs blocking my path.

The room is exactly as we left it years ago. The bed untouched, the bookshelves coated in dust. The vanity table with old jewelry and a broken mirror in the corner. I glance toward the windows and see some old drapes barely hanging on. Time has stood still here.

I walk over to a bookshelf and scan the titles. Finding the book I’m looking for, I pull it out, and a slight creaking sound fills the room. The bookshelf slides to the side, revealing a hidden passageway.

I step inside and light a torch. I carefully descend the stairs, looking around. The place is as eerie as I remember.

Water drips down the walls from underground, causing moss to grow on the walls. The stairs are slick with water that runs down to the bottom floor.

Reaching the last step, I look around. Everything is exactly as I remember.

“Where is it?” I murmur, scanning the room. I move the torch close to the wall, illuminating the small trail that winds around the large chamber. I lift the torch up and look around.

A huge painting is hanging from the walls, covered with a large cloth. I pull off the dusty cover and look at the image. “It’s been a while,” I say.

I stare at the painting, my hands clenched into fists of anger.

“You know, your son has been a real pain in the ass. If only he was never born,” I spit out, my words laced with venom. “Now, don’t worry, he’ll join you soon. Too bad you’re not here to see him die.”

The woman in the painting looks down at me, a sad smile on her beautiful pale face. I grab a small statue near the painting and throw it. It bounces back and shatters.

“It’s all your fucking fault,” I say, a smirk on my face. “But don’t worry, I will be the winner. All those beasts will die soon.”

I notice some old papers on the ground and kneel to read them. They are forgotten letters.

“I should have never let you go,” I whisper.

***

“Where’s my queen?” I ask one of my servants.

“The queen is taking a bath, your highness,” the servant replies. I nod and dismiss her.

I make my way to the queen’s chambers. I push aside a drape and step into her bathhouse. Steam fills the room, obscuring the view of the large bath. I undress and approach it.

Long black hair and a curvy body come into view as my eyes scan her back. She moves with grace and I can’t help but stare. My desire for her is palpable. I smirk as she glances over her shoulder.

“Why are you here?” my queen asks, turning around. Her long black hair covers her full breasts as she walks towards me, her hips swaying.

“Can’t I visit my queen?” I ask, a smile on my face.

She scoffs, clearly annoyed by my presence. I drop my pants and walk until I reach the edge of the bath. I step in and approach her.

“Did I disturb you?” I whisper, brushing a strand of hair from her porcelain face.

She slaps my hand away and glares at me. My smile only widens as I grab her hair and pull her towards me. Her wet body presses against mine.

“Don’t,” I warn her as her hazel eyes meet mine. I let go and let my hand drift down until it reaches her buttocks. I squeeze and lean down to suck on her earlobe.

A soft sigh slips from her lips as I guide her face to mine, our lips colliding in a heated kiss.

I slide between her legs, a shiver of anticipation running down my spine as I feel her warmth. I trail kisses down her neck, her soft moans music to my ears.

A smirk tugs at my lips as I feel her shiver beneath my touch. I draw her closer, my mouth on her breast, my hand exploring her. I thrust into her, lifting her and carrying her to the edge of the bath.

“W-wait,” she gasps, my queen.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to her neck. I set her down, turning her around and bending her over. She clings to the edge as I plunge back into her.

I take her from behind, her breasts bouncing with each hard thrust. She’s tight around me, even after giving birth.

I tug at her hair, giving her the roughness she craves. Our bodies slap together in a rhythm only we know.

“God, you feel good,” she murmurs. I slow my pace, pulling out slowly and thrusting back in hard. She moans as I tease her, pulling out slowly.

She glares at me over her shoulder, her hair sticking to her sweat-slicked skin.

“Fuck me, Gabriel!” she commands.

“As you wish,” I smirk, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

***

After laying her down in bed, I call a maid over.

“Give her some tonic and medicine when she wakes up,” I instruct, pressing a kiss to her temple.

I leave them and head back to my chambers.

“Father?” Eros calls from behind. I turn to see him approaching.

“Were you waiting?” I ask.

“I was,” Eros admits, rolling his eyes. “I just wanted to let you know we captured two dragons.”

I raise an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

“Don’t worry. They’re from the Fae kingdom. I found them in the forest,” Eros explains.

“Have you tamed them already?” I ask as I continue to my chambers.

“One of them. The other one’s still giving me trouble,” Eros says. “Want to see them?”

“Sure,” I agree, grabbing my cloak and heading to the training grounds.

As I step onto the training grounds, I hear the growls of the dragons and the shouts of the men.

“He’s a feisty one,” I comment, frowning.

I watch the brown dragon, chained and struggling, while the silver one calmly observes his friend.

“You tamed him quickly,” I say, patting Eros on the back. “Did you use the poison?”

“On the new one?” Eros asks.

“Yes,” I confirm, my gaze returning to the brown dragon. His blood-red eyes glare at me, and I smirk back.

“Bring me the poison,” I instruct Eros. I ascend the platform, watching the brown dragon. He growls and snaps at me, but I stand firm.

Eros returns with the bottle of black poison.

“Make him drink it. It’ll immobilize him,” I say.

The guards pull on the chains, and the brown dragon falls, growling as he struggles to rise. The tamers’ weapons mark his body as they whip his back.

Once his head is on the ground, Eros opens the bottle and pours the poison into his mouth. A small amount is enough to paralyze him.

Five minutes later, he’s growling softly and swaying. He stumbles and falls. I approach, looking into his eyes, and wave my hand.

His eyes follow my movements as I recite a command.

“Obliviscatur te hominem et jumentum factus,” I murmur. His red eyes go blank as another guard pours more poison into him.

“Put the chain around his neck,” I instruct, turning away. “He’s mine.”