The Wizard King (21 page)

Well, that was a relief. Her aunt hadn’t stooped quite that low yet. “Not to sound like a cliché, but do you really think you can get away with whatever you’re planning?” Gen shook her head at their stupidity.

“We made a mistake, listening to the auguries. The seers obviously got it wrong.” This time, it was Gen who blinked in shock at the absolute conviction in her aunt’s voice. “It’s obvious Gareth Beckett should never have been put on the throne. He should be removed for the safety of us all.”

Gen tilted her head. Gods above, they were that stupid, weren’t they? She could feel the spark inside her flickering, her power rising to deal with the threat to her mate. The only way to remove a blessed king was through death. “You won’t like what happens if you go through with that thought, Vivian.”

Vivian’s brows rose. “You claim you are an Own, but all I see before me is the same girl who grew up in a household full of traitors. You no more deserve the title queen-consort than Gareth Beckett deserves to be king.”

Gen allowed the Goddess’s magic to flow within her. Instantly she began to glow with a warlock’s green light. “I believe someone begs to differ.”

“And there she goes, threatening us with her power. Do you see now? Do you see what you’ve allowed on the throne?” Vivian threw her hands wide, as if she were addressing a larger audience than a small group of women who already agreed with her views.

Gen tested the magic around her, feeling for anything out of the ordinary. She wouldn’t put it past Vivian to have figured out a way to YouTube her grandiose speech.

Nothing. Vivian was grandstanding for her own enjoyment.

“She glows with her own evil.” Vivian jabbed a finger toward Gen, careful not to touch her or the aura that surrounded her. “No warlock can be allowed to taint the sanctity of the wizard throne.”

“She can taint me any time.” Gen couldn’t hide her smile. Gareth sauntered into the conference room, the glare he directed at Vivian so savage her aunt actually took a step back. “I’m not sure how much clearer I can make this, but here goes.”

And Gareth did something that sent all of the women save Gen across the room.

Gareth held up his hands. Power filled them, glowing with rich purple light, the simple wand he held etched with the symbol of the king’s court, a triskelion in the center of a pentacle, right where the five-pointed star created a pentagon.

Gen blinked in shock. Wizards couldn’t cast spontaneously. Gareth had been planning this, preparing the wand to reach all the wizards at his command. All would know what he spoke this day.

The timbre of his voice changed, deepened, echoed with power. The purple light circled his head, a halo that marked the one true wizard king. While someone might duplicate the look of the king’s true crown, no one, not even a warlock, could duplicate the
feel
.

Every wizard felt the call of their king deep in their bones. Everyone in the room, save Gen, bowed down before Gareth, going to one knee as the king expressed his displeasure with them.

“Hear me now, wizards all.

Harken to the wizard king’s call.”

Oh shit. Gareth wasn’t going to send out a paper proclamation. He was disbanding the council
his
way.

“Disbanded is the council by my decree.

As I will, so mote it be!”

The silence had all the jarring power of a thunderclap.

Gareth lowered his hands, but the flickering crown of light remained above his head. His voice still echoed with the wizard king’s wrath. “No longer do you have power over my chosen queen.” He glared at each of the women before turning his gaze once more to Vivian. “You will remove yourselves from court and my sight. You and your associates are a disgrace, and should you kill one another off I will not shed a single tear.”

Gen’s eyes went wide at the eerie echo of her aunt’s words. How had Gareth known what words Vivian used to banish her from the family home?

“Be aware, you are forthwith banned from this court until such a time as you prove yourselves worthy not only of my attention, but of that of my mate. Genevieve Godwin-Beckett is queen, and shall remain so till my dying day.” He leaned forward and snarled. “Now. Get out of my hotel.”

The women scrambled to their feet and rushed from the room, careful not to touch the glowing king.

All except Vivian. “Sire—”

“Don’t think I won’t kill you.” Gareth stared at Vivian, his golden eyes glittering with purple light, the crown still firmly on his head. “Get out. Go back to your troll cave and rot there.”

“If you think she’ll ever—”

Gareth didn’t let Vivian finish. A blast of purple light hit Vivian square in the chest, lifting the older woman off her feet. “I said,
get out.
”

Vivian dropped down hard enough to stagger her. Without another word, she slipped past Gareth, ignoring Gen as if she didn’t exist.

“You know, when you decide to wander around you get into some serious trouble.”

Gen stuck her tongue out at Gareth.

“Save that for when you mean it.” Gareth took a deep breath, the power of the king flowing over him once more. She waited with bated breath to see what he would do now.

“Hear me now, wizards all.

Harken to the wizard king’s call.

Renewed soon the council shall be

Before the full moon’s light you see.

Nine shall be the council whole.

One to stand in the leader’s role.

Male and female they shall be.

By the wizard king’s decree.”

Nine. It made perfect sense. There would never be a stalemate with nine council members, and the little feminine clique that had occurred under Vivian Godwin would be unable to form with a mix of male and female members.

Gareth lowered his hands again, the crown flickering once, twice, then dying out. The purple light that had surrounded him was gone.

“So.” He rubbed his hands together. “Was I hot? Huh? Was I?” He waggled his brows at her, going from mighty king to teenage boy in two seconds flat.

She kept her expression as blank as she could. “Oh, baby. Do me now, you stud you.”

Gareth threw his head back and laughed. “I like the way you think.”

Gen had enough time to squeak before she found herself face down on the conference table.

Chapter Thirteen

“I’ve been dying to do this since I first saw these tables.” Gareth grinned at the sight of his mate, pinned to the table beneath him. God, he could feel that pert little ass pressing against his aching cock, and all he could think of was sinking in, losing himself in her.

“Oh, really?” He could see her blushing, but her squirming wasn’t the kind that would make him back away.

No. His mate was turned on, viciously so. She was panting, her ass thrusting back against him. Not once did she try to push up, or away.

He leaned over her, brushing his cheek against hers, smiling when she shivered. “You gonna let me fuck you, sweetheart?”

She groaned.

Damn. He might have to get the conference rooms soundproofed. He didn’t want to share one ounce of his mate’s incredible joy with anyone, but they were going to get an earful today. He couldn’t force himself to let her go, not even long enough to lock the door.

And didn’t that send a little thrill down his spine? The thought that they could get caught added spice to what he was about to do.

“Kick off your pants, Gen. Let me see that pretty ass of yours.”

She scrambled to obey, fighting their position because Gareth absolutely refused to move. It made taking her pants off harder, but damn if all her wiggling and groaning didn’t make something else harder, too.

Finally, she had her slacks down around her ankles. He shoved her shirt up her back, lifting her just enough that he could cup her lace covered breasts, pluck the nipples that begged so prettily for his touch.

His mate groaned, a sound so filled with passion anyone outside the room hearing it would know exactly what their king and queen were up to.

Gareth shoved aside her shirt and licked her mating mark, kissing the shadow wolf gently, honoring the commitment she’d made to him and him to her.

She choked out a cry, her back arching, her ass firmly against his erection. He’d forgotten the shadow wolf would be a hot spot for her, a place he could nibble and suck to his heart’s content. Maybe someday he’d do nothing but, listening to her cries until she came apart for him.

But not today. Today he needed to be sheathed in his mate’s body. No one could bring him to his knees the way his Gen could, and he intended to show her just what she meant to him.

“You want me to keep my clothes on while I fuck you.” He’d noticed her reaction when they’d mated, the way her eyes had glazed over at the feel of the cloth.

She shuddered, her expression dazed. “Gareth.”

He grinned and pulled away from her far enough to undo his jeans. If his mate had a cloth fetish, who was he to deny her? “I can do that, sweetheart.” He kissed the center of her back, surprised when she squeaked.

She only squeaked like that when he’d found an unexpected pleasure. So he did it again, rubbing his cheeks across her back, aware he had a few whiskers that might tease her.

Gen moaned, her head dropping back down on the table, her back bowing to his touch. So he kept it up, kissing and scraping, tugging on her nipples with his free hand while the other scrambled to pull down his zipper with a cock so hard he was afraid he’d go off like a bottle rocket at the slightest touch.

Her hands were scrambling on the table, caught once more in the sleeves of her shirt, unable to reach her pussy to stroke her clit and bring herself off.

Good. That was his job, one he took great pride in.

One his cock was free, Gareth did what Gen could not. He stroked her pussy, circling her clit with his finger over and over again while he continued to rain kisses over her back.

She screamed, her hips jerking, her body taking on that rich, earthy scent of her come.

He kept his hand right where it was, continued circling her clit, the wetness causing his hand to slip and slide around her folds. She didn’t seem to mind. Her cries grew again in strength, her body moving with his hand, following where his fingers led.

Gareth leaned back, straightening up and reaching for his cock. If he didn’t get inside her right this minute, he was going to die.

He slid into her easily, her body accepting him without hesitation. Gen shuddered, whimpered against the table as he began a slow thrust into her body designed to draw the pleasure out. His wolf howled for him to pound her, to take, to ravage, but Gareth wanted to start slow, build up the pleasure until it consumed them both.

If he could get her to come two more times, he’d be one happy man. And the wolf was all on board for that plan. Anything that made their mate scream her pleasure was something to be actively hunted.

Gareth ran his nails down her back, careful not to break the skin, giving her the sensation she seemed to crave. His mate was tactile, needing touch the way Gareth needed air. She didn’t seem to care if it was skin, cloth, whiskers or his lips. Would she scream if he blindfolded her, ran feathers or fur over her until she couldn’t hold herself back?

He vowed to someday find out, but for now, it was enough to make her come just like this.

The slow pace seemed to drive her wild. She bucked against him, begging him to move faster in breathless whispers, each cry becoming louder until her voice echoed around the conference room. Her final cry was so loud Mac probably heard it up in the penthouse. “God damn it, Gareth. Make me come!”

Her desire was his command. “Yes, my queen.” Gareth gave her what she’d asked for, fucking her hard and fast, his cock pistoning in and out of her body so quickly he had to grab hold of her hips to keep himself from falling back. Even the table rocked with their thrusts, threatening to slide across the ugly gray industrial carpeting Gareth had hated on sight.

He liked it now. The table held its place on that carpet, and that made it great in Gareth’s eyes.

Gen struggled free of the shirt, reaching underneath herself. Everything tensed around him as she groaned.

She was close, her fingers flying over her clit, her body shuddering. Her voice was a breathy rasp, the words smothered by pleasure until all he could hear was “please” and “more” and “now”.

Gareth grabbed hold of her shoulders, leaning over her again and biting her wolf, careful not to break her skin.

Just the touch of his teeth there made her shriek. Her body shuddered under him, her pussy clenching him so tightly he thought he might break off inside her. That buzzing sensation tore down his spine, the feel of her coming so hard yanked his orgasm out of him. Gareth poured himself into Gen with his own shout, muffling his cry against her skin.

“Why can’t we find this son of a bitch!” Zach threw the scrying crystal across Gareth’s workroom with an angry growl. “Either he’s not on the planet anymore, or he’s figured out a way to block me.”

Gen ran her fingers through her hair. She was just as weary as Zach, just as upset, but she managed to hold it in. She’d been taught not to allow those emotions free, because to do so would reveal weaknesses best left hidden. “It’s possible he’s gotten some sort of scrying protection from his demon.”