The Claiming of a Virgin King (6 page)

“
He cannot help himself,”
Dragan said even as his gut clenched in disgust at the thought of
such behavior, and it was not the worst that he had heard. “It
seems he has always been that way.”

“
And his people follow
him.”

“
Through fear,” Dragan
said. “Not loyalty. Make no mistake, with Maylor and his generals
gone they will fall behind whoever defeats him.”

“
Then that has to be me.”
A pause and then, “And to do that I need your help.”

Dragan sighed, his heart thudding
uncomfortably in his chest, both because of the king’s proximity,
and because of the decision he had already made. And it had not
been an easy decision.

Not at all.

Dragan had resisted
involving himself in this war for many years. When it had first
started, when the stories had come out about what Maylor was doing,
Dragan had told himself that it was no concern of his, that his
first duty was to
his
people. He had told the old king the same thing and stood by
it. But in the past months, as more stories emerged, as Maylor’s
behavior sunk to levels that Dragan could scarcely believe, he had
come to realize the truth.

He
was
the king’s last hope.

No one else was able to stop
Maylor.

In the end, the duty was
his.

And so, the decision had been made.
And so, the preparations had begun. Because fact of the matter was,
the king did not need to be here today. He had not needed to come
to see Dragan at all. Dragan had already decided to finish this war
once and for all. He did not need the king for that.

And yet…

The king shifted opposite
him now, and as he did so Dragan could not find it in himself to
wish that the king had
not
come. Because, war aside, he wanted this male
with an intensity that was making him ache. He was so attractive,
and his fidgety movements, the way his eyes kept skipping away from
Dragan’s…those actions only fanned the flames of desire.

Fanned them hard.

As did the fact that the
king was asking for his help.
Asking
, not demanding. Completely
oblivious to the fact that the help he so desired was already going
to be given and in a way that he would be unable to imagine. How to
explain that?

“
I promised myself I would
have no involvement in this,” Dragan said after a moment. “For five
years I have stood by that promise. Despite the tales I have
heard…despite my own personal disappointment in Maylor’s behavior,
I promised myself.”

“
And now I am asking you
to break that promise,” the king said. “And I will give you
whatever you require in return for that.
Whatever
you require.” He paused and
then, for the first time, and Dragan was not sure why he was only
now realizing that it
was
the first time, he locked eyes with
Dragan.

That contact hit the alien
lord hard. He opened his mouth to reply, but closed it a moment
later. At first he didn’t know why he had done so, but a moment
later and he understood. No, not understood,
realized
.

Did the king realize also?
Dragan doubted it, because although
he
was sat on the edge of the chair,
cock throbbing, heart pounding, the king was not. And yet…he
should
have been,
because it was obvious to Dragan then. Obvious in a way that it
should have been from the very first handshake. From the look in
the king’s very, blue eyes.

This abrupt, overwhelming attraction
was not one sided.

Not at all.

Whether he realized it or
not, the king felt it too. It was clear in his slight, hesitant
movements. Clear in the way that he would not hold Dragan’s gaze
for more than a few seconds. And in that moment Dragan realized
something else, and the realization hit with the same force as the
last one had. There was a way to get exactly what he wanted, whilst
giving the king exactly what
he
wanted.

The fact that his plan was already in
motion?

The fact that he was about to ask for
something completely outrageous?

None of that mattered in that moment.
It hadn’t since he had caught the flash of desire in the king’s
very blue eyes.

And so, Dragan took a deep breath,
held the king’s gaze and spoke, “Whatever I require?”

The king visibly swallowed. “Yes,” he
said softly. “For the safety of my people? To put an end to this
once and for all? I will do whatever it takes.”

And with those words the king sealed
his fate.

Because Lord Dragan wanted King
William.

And through this, through doing what
he had already resolved to do, he was going to have him.

There was no other option
now.

Chapter Five

Lord Dragan was plotting something,
and William knew that it was something he was not going to like. He
could see it in the way the alien lord stared at him. His eyes
slightly narrowed, a questioning look there, and then too the way
he seemed to pause every so often and take deep breaths…almost as
if he was readying himself to pounce.

Oh, William was not expecting violence
of any kind. Fact of the matter was if Dragan wanted him dead that
would already have happened. But William suspected he was about to
be asked for something that was going to be very hard to give. More
lands for Dragan’s people perhaps? A place on his court?

Whatever it was William knew he had
little choice but to acquiesce. He had been totally honest with
Dragan. Too honest perhaps. But then, and oddly, the alien lord was
very easy to talk to. William couldn’t quite explain it, but as he
sat opposite the other male he had felt at ease in a way that
didn’t really make much sense. Maybe it was the commanding air to
him? Because Dragan certainly had that. When William had envisioned
him as his general this was just the sort of male he had imagined,
and so for the reality to match the fantasy, well, it was a relief.
For once William felt like something might actually be going his
way, and maybe that was why he was more verbose than he should have
been.

Either way William guessed it didn’t
much matter in the end. Dragan knew the situation as well as he
did. He knew William had no bargaining chips and that he would do
whatever it took. Pretending otherwise would be an insult to them
both.

As those thoughts raced through
William’s mind, Dragan stood and moved across to the table to the
far side of the room. Once there he poured two drinks, walked back
across to the chairs, and passed one across to William. The mug was
hot and the berry tea inside smelled amazing. William didn’t pause
before taking a long swallow.

“
These berries are from
our home world,” Dragan said as he too took a long swallow. “They
are very difficult to grow here but we have managed it. I imagine
Maylor has not. Keeping things alive from the old world never held
much interest to him.” He paused. “Are you familiar with how we
came to make home on your planet?”

William started, surprised by this
turn in the conversation. “I have heard stories,” he
said.

“
But have you heard the
right ones?” Dragan asked. “Our home planet is a long way from
here. It was dying and we with it. A generation ago the decision
was made for two groups of the remaining survivors to set out for
the stars to find a new home. But places like this, places where
homes can be made, are few and far between. We were looking for a
very, very long time before we found you.”

“
On your star ships?”
William asked referring to the two ships that had caused the great
storm when they had entered the sky five years ago.

“
Precisely,” Dragan said
with a nod. “By the time we came here I was in command in one and
Maylor was in command of another. I had no say in the decision that
put Maylor in that position. The people on his ship voted and so he
gained command.”

“
Do you believe it was a
fair vote?”

Dragan shrugged one brawny shoulder.
“I find that doubtful. And yet, what could I do? There was very
little interaction between the two ships. That was a purposeful
decision because if one failed the other must be able to continue
on. It was possible by that point that we were all that was left of
our people.”

“
And then you came
here.”

He took another swallow of the berry
tea. Dragan did the same.

“
When we found your home
we were pleased. It was doubtful another would be found in our
lifetimes. Likely we would have simply journeyed through the stars
until the next generation took charge. Maylor and I met to agree a
plan. Suffice as to say we did not agree on how we should approach
your people. It was always my intention to find a space that was
free of natives and settle there in peace. It seemed that Maylor
never intended that.”

“
He intended to war with
us,” William said.

Dragan shook his head. “I was not sure
of that. He came in peace at first, did he not?”

“
But it was only a matter
of time.”

“
It seems so.”

“
He wants this world for
himself,” William said. “And as things stand that may well happen.
But then what?” he asked. “There is only so much space on this
world.
The Shadows
cannot be settled on, and this is the only land left. If he
wins, what of my people? Where would they go?”

“
I do not know the answer
to that,” Dragan said. “And back when the war started I refused to
consider it. It was no concern of mine. I wanted only to get my
people to safety. I promised them, you see. When we found this
world I promised they would live on land. That they could raise
families. That they would be safe. To my mind the best way to
achieve that was to settle somewhere that your people did not wish
to settle on, and show ourselves to be neutral. That we would not
bother you if you did not bother us.”

“
And you did that,”
William said. “But Maylor did not. He
will
not.”

Silence settled between them for a
moment. William looked down at his tea, painfully aware how hard
his heart was beating. Much of what Dragan had just told him he had
known, but some he had not, and it only intensified his desire to
finish this once and for all.

To bring peace.

How he longed for that.

“
My advisors tell me that
Maylor will breach the capital this winter,” Dragan finally said.
“Do yours say the same?”

“
Yes,” William answered
honestly.

“
And when they
do…”

“
We will not be able to
stop them,” William said. “The energy barrier is our greatest
protection, but continual assaults will weaken it. Maylor know
this. His most trusted advisor, Chauce, has already demanded our
surrender. Suffice as to say we refused her demand.” He paused and
then continued with the honesty that had been there between them
from the first moment. “When it comes to the final fight our
weapons are no match for yours. I will not ask my people to fight
once that happens. They will die for nothing. Once the capital is
breached, I will have no choice but to surrender.”

“
Maylor will kill you,”
Dragan said. “He will have to.”

“
I know,” William said
with a sigh. “I expect that.”

“
But not if I
help.”

“
Not if you
help.”

Silence again. William’s heart
continued to pound. So much rested on what was next to come. So
very much.

“
There is something you
can give me,” Dragan said softly, and the tone of his voice was
such that William could not help but look up and lock eyes with
him, and that was strange because up until now, despite being at
ease, William had avoided the lord’s gaze. He wasn’t even sure
why.

“
Something that will
ensure my help,” Dragan added.

“
Then you can have it,”
William said.

Dragan smiled then and his smile made
something shiver along the back of William’s spine. “Do not be so
quick to agree until I tell you what it is.”

Lands? Riches? Titles? Whatever it was
William knew that he would say yes. He would do whatever it took.
“Then tell me,” he said.

“
I want you.”

William started, his eyes
widening, sure he had misheard Dragan’s words. “
Me
?”

“
Yes, my king,” Dragan
said. “You.”

William shook his head, his hands
clenching around the mug of berry tea. “I don’t
understand…”

Dragan stood up in one quick move, and
the look on his face now was such that William found himself
inhaling a quick, sharp breath.

“
I have been hard for you
from the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“
Hard
…” William gasped as the meaning of Dragan’s words, the look
on his face, the heat in his eyes, it all became clear. He looked
down, unable to help himself, and saw exactly what Dragan meant.
His cock, thick and long, was perfectly outlined against the fabric
of his pants.