Enslaved

Chapter 9

I woke up feeling slightly sore between my legs. I realized a hand was running through my hair. I opened my eyes and saw I was on a well muscled chest. I mated with Prince Balthazar, my mind reminded me.

"How do you feel," he asked me, his hand stopping its movement, but resting on my head. "Sore," I admited. "Any regrets," he asked me, almost hesitantly. "None at all," I confessed to him. The tension in him seemed to ease at my reply. "I'm sorry you hurt, it wont hurt as bad next time," he promised me. There was going to be a next?

"Of course there is," he said, as if he could hear the question in my head. We were mated now, he probably sensed it. "Although no love is shared, instant lust and need does happen once the mating bond is in place. It also keeps us from being able to have sex with anyone else.  Our bodies will become defective if anyone tried. Especially if someone tries to force you." I knew he was talking about his brother then.  I nodded, "I see."

Before anything else could be said, there was a very hesitant knock on the door, causing Balthazar to growl. "I'm truly sorry sir. I know this is probably the stupidest decision I've ever made in my life, but your brother and parents are here." Balthazar growled again and I could hear Mokoto hastily retreating. I went to get up, but he held me down. Natural instincts, I noted.

He then sighed and got up. He dressed in silk pajama bottoms, not bothering with underwear. He gave me one of his tshirts and a pair of his briefs. "This is truly not proper attire to meet the king and queen in," I told him. "Your bedroom is across the house, you'd pass by them anyways. Plus once they're gone you won't be wearing them for long anyways," he told me, causing my cheeks to feel warm as I looked at the floor. He took my hand and lead me out of the room. In the kitchen he wrapped an arm around me, pressing my back against him. The queen had gold, serpentine eyes, and smooth dark green skin. The king looked much like Balthazar. "How dare you," Deckland seethed, looking pale. "How dare you not inform me my mate was chosen by Neve?" "You rejected her before you could even learn her name," Balthazar told him darkly. "And she is no longer your mate, she is mine."

"What is your name child," the queen asked me. "Azula," I answered politely. "And why is it you chose to mate with my son," she asked me. "Well it seemed right and logical. As his slave, I was to be bound to him for eternity, unless he sold me. I was under orders to protect him as well. So the only way I could protect him from the pain of his brother mating with his once destined mate, was to mate with him to prevent him from ever feeling that pain again," I explained.

"Do you not hold any hatred toward demons from having you all enslaved," the king asked as he studied me. "I only hold hatred for the vampires that killed my parents. I am not only a slave, but I was a slave throughout the war. When my people were killed by vampires, the vampires took me, and then from there I was bounced from species to species to be a slave. The demons have been the only race to show any flicker of humanity while I've been enslaved. I haven't felt the floor of a cold and grimy dungeon, and I haven't been sick due to malnourishment in a long time, and that's because demons have high standard of health and hygiene for their slaves. At least to demons we have some form of value since many like to brag when they have a rare species."

As I spoke, I noticed one of Balthazar's wings moved to slightly cover me. When I looked up at him, I saw he had one of the most deadliest glares upon his face. I followed the direction he was looking and saw he was directing that intense look of hostility towards his brother. The king seemed to be judging the tension between them as well. One wrong move and there would be a death match in the kitchen.

The queen sighed, "Welcome to the family Azula. We are sorry for interrupting your mating celebration. However, Deckland planned to come on his own, which going to see an Alpha so soon after mating isn't the smartest thing in the world, which is why we tagged along to ensure no blood shed happened." Family? I was still thinking on her statement when she demanded Deckland to leave with them. Deckland had refused, which infuriated the King. He used his magic to bind Deckland and dragged him out of the house.

Balthazar then threw me over his shoulder and walked back to his room. "I guess we're not having breakfast," I asked him. The growing feeling of lust and my current state of hunger for actual food began fighting. It didn't help that as he held me over his shoulder, one hand gripped the back of my thigh. "We shall eat when we take a break," he said to me. Once we were in the room he dropped me on to the bed and didn't hesitate to kiss me, dominating the kiss so easily,  turning me into a needy mess.

Goddess, what was happening to me?

It wasn't until well into the afternoon when he finally decided it was time to eat. During those hours, I let him have his wicked way with me, and he claimed every hole I had. I laid in bed, tangled in the sheet, too exhausted to move. He put on his pajama bottoms before leaning over the bed and brushing my hair from my face before placing a tender kiss on my forehead, "I'll be right back."

He slipped from the room and I sighed with a happy smile on my face. My brain felt like mush as I tried to process the strange new emotions I was feeling. When he came in with a tray of food, I sat up, holding the sheet to my chest. He placed the tray down before grabbing me a shirt. I put it on and began to eat.

"I have a week to make sure the bond is as strong as possible, before I'm up to my ears in Lords wanting to meet our new Queen," He informed me. "And yes, I plan on doing more than just sex to ensure the bond is strong and unbreakable."

A mating bond is as strong as the relationship between two people. It's the problem with arranged matings. If the two who mate don't do their best to get to know each other and truly care about them,  their bond will be weak. You only have a week to define the bond. If its strong you'll be able to sense each other's emotions, communicate telepathically using the bond, find each other no matter what, feel each other's magic levels, and so much more. If the bond is week, you are lucky if you can sense each other's emotions. It all varied per couple and how close they are. It can change over time, but it takes years.

After I finished eating he took the tray. He came back in and laid in bed with me. He pulled a remote from the drawer of his nightstand and pressed a button. A panel in the wall moved, revealing a tv. He turned it on and began to flip through the channels before settling on some drama. He laid in the bed and pulled me to him, my head resting on his chest. I smiled softly at the warmth that he offered and couldn't help it as I snuggled into him. He made me feel so safe and protected as well. At that moment I decided to stop questioning the emotions I felt and just accept them as they come to me. It will make things a lot easier for the both of us if I did. He already has a lot he has to deal with, dealing with a mate who is questioning everything is not something he needs added to his plate.