“That was then. This is now.”
Olivia covered his mouth gently with her fingers. “Let’s not borrow trouble.” He let her silence him, but his heart remained knotted. He wanted everything for her. To give her a child himself. To be a big enough man to let her have one with Anso. In that moment, he wanted so many things they were confusing him.
Her eyes were soft as she stroked his cheeks.
“I love you,” she said. “Always and forever.”
That at least wasn’t confusing.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LORD
Noth hadn’t liked being left out of the loop about Anso’s mating any more than Ellice. Unlike her, the head of his Council arguably had a right to be kept informed. Anso hoped to make up for this by not withholding pertinent details now.
To his relief, Lord Noth took the news that Anso’s queen came with a previous husband in his usual low-key way.
“I’ll keep a lid on it as long as I can,” he said. “For myself, I can’t say you were wrong to do this. The call of a blood bond is compelling. And the health of future Vitul generations certainly is important. It’s simply ... tricky that Her Majesty is already married. I don’t mean to overstep my bounds, but is there a chance you could make the husband your third? The commoners might find that more palatable. You know how they get about family values.” Anso sat back in the deep leather chair Lord Noth had offered him. Their conversation was taking place in Lord Noth’s apartments, in his private study with the anti-eavesdropping spells turned on. The fact that Lord Noth’s suggestion hadn’t occurred to Anso momentarily shook him.
“I expect you were considering Lord Tykon for that position,” Lord Noth went on. “Otari wouldn’t be a bad choice. His bed-hopping aside, he’s intelligent enough to make any triad a useful third. I’m hearing good reports on how he’s led the guards this last month. I don’t mind telling you that surprised me. I didn’t think he’d be so responsible.”
“Ty’s always trustworthy when it counts.”
“And he’s your friend,” Lord Noth said sympathetically. “Which adds to the difficulty. I do think, however, that people would appreciate the fairness of giving the husband the third seat, regardless of whether he’s qualified to fill it. Do you know if the husband is open to intercourse with men?” This was a more direct question than Anso expected. “I think ... it’s too soon to discuss that.”
Lord Noth nodded. “I understand. And whether a whole triad sleeps together is rather a neutral factor in approval ratings. The liberals like it. The conservatives not so much. I just thought it might ease the unavoidable tugging of loyalties between you three. Unless the wife, uh, Her Majesty dislikes that idea.” Lord Noth rubbed the center of his forehead as if it hurt. “Well, not my business. I’m sure you’ll sort it out.” He shrugged his shoulders before resettling them. “The important thing is not to have to face the public before you can present a united front, even if you’re faking it somewhat to begin with.”
“Yes,” Anso agreed. “We could use some breathing room.”
“I’ll see that your schedule is cleared of all but necessities, as far as Council business is concerned. I can also recommend a good relationship counselor. After the second pup, my wife and I ... had a bit of craziness all around.” Noth pulled a humorous face that made Anso like him in a new way. He rose from his chair, sensing they’d covered what they needed to. “I’ll think about that,” he said.
They shook hands, and Lord Noth showed him to his front door. “I’m glad you’re on the throne,” he said with unexpected diffidence. “I worried about your age at first, but you’ve proven to be a steady goer.”
“I’m not sure how steady this state of affairs makes me look.”
“Some kings wouldn’t have the nerve to go after their true mate. They’d have the mages fix them up a ‘cure.’ I’ve always thought the path to the highest end lies in following your inner voice. Sometimes, living in the Pocket, we try to be too much like mundanes. We forget to have faith in the other half of our heritage.”
Lord Noth’s tone had gone gruff at speaking words he obviously believed deeply. Anso clapped him on the shoulder. “Thank you for your support. I’ll be in touch if there are further developments.”
Lord Noth’s relatively painless acceptance of Anso’s news made him feel buoyant. He strode back through the corridors of the palace with a bounce in his step. Night had fallen in the upper world, a change reflected by the fading of the virtual sunlight outside the portholes. Other royals greeted him as he passed, nothing in their manner indicating Ellice had spread the tale of his hasty match.
She would spread it of course, once she figured out how to leverage it to her best advantage - and how to disguise herself as the source.
He shook his head at that realization. Ty had been right about his cousenemy all along.
Engrossed in these thoughts, he was halfway to his chambers before he noticed his cock was sliding slowly from its protective sheath, as if anticipating where he was going. Naturally, noticing made the erection emerge faster. By the time he reached the royal apartments, the thing was painfully stiff and demanding it be seen to. Anso was all for that, if only it could have been as simple as locking himself and Olivia in a bedroom for a week or two.
The thought of shutting themselves away sent such a spasm through his penis he couldn’t fight back a groan. His queen had already made it clear she wouldn’t consent to that.
He found Olivia and James in the best of his eight guest rooms. They were sitting on the floor-level bed, their heads together over one of the tablet computers he equipped all the chambers with. They were both wearing Vitul robes, and mirrored each other in their slightly frustrated body language. He felt a pang to see them so in harmony. This was the amicable partnership he’d longed to find with a mate. Too bad for him it increased the challenge of wooing Olivia.
The couple looked up when he knocked on the door frame. He wondered if they’d kept it open so they’d see him coming. He didn’t like the idea of being someone they were on guard against.
“Oh,” Olivia said. “We’ve been trying to get onto our internet. We need to send our daughter a message. So she won’t worry.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Anso said gravely.
“You mean you don’t want it to be,” James countered.
Anso met his cool gaze, unaccountably reminded of Ty in his more serious moments. “I wouldn’t want you taking impulsive actions we all might regret later.”
“Like contacting our government.”
“Do you think they’d believe you’d been kidnapped by wereseals?”
“If you’re so sure they won’t believe us, why not let us do as we please?” Anso smiled. Olivia’s husband argued like a lawyer. He lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the edge of the bed. This caused his tightened trousers to pinch his cock, but he was next to Olivia, and she smelled scrumptious, so it was worth it. “I’m responsible for the safety of a lot of people. Mostly sure isn’t sure enough.”
He was aware of - not to mention gratified by - Olivia’s gaze darting to and then away from his trouser bulge.
“We only want to reach our daughter,” she said, as reasonable as James had been. “You could type the message for us. Make sure we don’t say anything you don’t like.”
Anso considered this even as he took in the hectic color that had risen into her cheeks. He doubted the cause was just seeing his erection. The relief their last coupling had provided was nearing its expiration. On top of that, being this close sent their hormones into overdrive. He could scent her arousal rising, though she seemed to be trying to conceal its effect, no doubt to spare her husband’s feelings.
Her consideration pleased him. Her love for James might be a thorn in his side, but he thought better of her for protecting him. Wives ought to be loyal to their spouses.
“All right,” he said, conscious of the irony of his musings. “Tell me what you’d like to say.”
He held out his hand, and she passed him the mini-computer. In addition to a password, accessing the outnet required his eyeprint, which the tablet had a special scanner for. James and Olivia debated what to say for a minute, then traded off dictating lines to him. Their email described a fictitious trip to Manhattan to see a Broadway show, an apology for not returning to Forster Media as soon as planned, and a promise to touch base once they stopped having so much fun. They sounded like they were close to their daughter, and that they trusted her - within limits - to take care of herself and their business.
Anso filed all this away. He didn’t forget to log off the outnet before returning the tablet to Olivia.
“Satisfied?” he said.
Admittedly, his choice of words was loaded. He was a bit surprised that both members of the couple blushed. He wondered if it would be too crass to suggest that Ty satisfy the husband while he saw to his growing yen for the wife. He knew he hadn’t imagined the chemistry between James and his friend.
As if her sexual parts were itching too much to hide, Olivia wriggled on the mattress beside him. Her nipples pushed out the silk robe she wore, adding new appeal to the embroidered electrum eels. “About you and I being together ...” she said.
Anso lifted his brows at her. Her pretty face was prim and embarrassed at the same time. And aroused of course, though he wasn’t holding his breath for that to rule her actions. He braced for what she’d say next.
“James and I decided we’re not going to separate. If you want to have sex with me, he stays too.”
This wasn’t a complete surprise. Anso glanced at James. His flush was fainter than Olivia’s, but it was there.
When Anso looked back at Olivia, she was scarlet. “I know you’re not shy about other men seeing you naked.”
“That’s true,” he conceded, trying to understand what she was really saying, and why her husband was going along. “Because royals are highly fertile, we don’t sleep with females until we take a mate. We do have strong libidos, and doing without intercourse isn’t feasible. Well, we could masturbate a lot, but wereseals are social creatures. We like connecting physically with others.
Traditionally, our outlet of choice is were males.”
“And Ty is your choice.”
Was this a question? “He’s been my most frequent partner, yes. Our arrangement isn’t exclusive.” Olivia’s hands were curled on her thighs. Anso covered one gently, pleased by how warm it was - and that she didn’t pull away.
“Olivia,” he said carefully. “Would you enjoy it if I brought your husband pleasure? It’s you my body craves - needs, if it comes to that - but if you both wish this, I wouldn’t be averse.”
“Would
you
enjoy it?” she asked.
She seemed to care about his answer. “I would,” he said, a tiny bit surprised this was true. He’d always assumed his interest in men would ebb or even disappear when he found a mate. At the moment, that didn’t seem to be the case.
James’s presence added another layer to his desire. “I ... I confess I find your husband attractive.” Now he was blushing, which he didn’t much like at all. He straightened his shoulders. “I have experience pleasing men. I’m told my bed skills are competent.”
James snorted. “You’re told they’re
competent
.”
“Well, I was a prince, and now I’m a king. It’s possible my partners were flattering me.”
“What does Ty say about your skills?” James’s voice was rough. Anso searched his eyes, but couldn’t read them. James was right about Ty being unlikely to lie, suggesting he was a fair judge of character.
“Ty says I give the best head he’s ever had.” Said aloud, the words sounded obnoxious, but James didn’t snort this time.
“Ty was no slouch himself,” he observed.
Is that what the pair had done when they’d swum off on their own? Why did James want him to know this? Was it tit for tat? Anso slept with his wife, so James bragged about getting head from the king’s lover? Anso’s groin grew heavier, images of Ty going down on James flashing through his mind. What Ty lacked in technique, he made up for in interest. Anso remembered how James had looked sleeping naked on the beach: lean and lanky and long. He had the same velvety skin Olivia did, skin that begged for caressing. His human-style body hair made him seem extra masculine. At the time, Anso hadn’t realized he noticed, but his cock had been substantial.
“Have you ever been fucked?” he blurted. At the question, Olivia’s hand touched her husband’s thigh. Perversely, the little gesture made his cock throb harder.
James shook his head. “I’ve daydreamed about it now and then, but Ty sucking me off was the farthest I’ve gone with a man. I didn’t want to stray.
Olivia always kept me satisfied.”
Anso’s breath was coming almost too fast to speak. What would it be like to initiate a man the way Ty had initiated him?
Good
, he thought. Maybe better than he was prepared for.
Especially if Olivia was watching.
Lust slammed through him at that idea.
“I have to take her first,” he rasped. “Before I see to you. Otherwise, I won’t be able to think straight.” He turned to Olivia. “I’m happy to please you by pleasing your husband, but I promise I’m not exaggerating about needing you right now.”
She shuddered and - as if she and her husband shared a few nerves in common
- a second later, James did too.
For one incredible thrumming moment, he felt like they both belonged to him.
Olivia found her voice.
“I’m not inclined to argue,” she said faintly.
* * *
He didn’t seem satisfied with her half response. Growling, he shoved the robe she wore down her shoulder, baring one breast to his possessive palm and fingers.
The way he squeezed her was something else, like she really did belong to him.