Page 233 of The Crown's Awakening
I begin to rock on him, keeping my movements subtle beneath the water’s surface as I lean down, my lips brushing his ear. “Only yours,” I murmur, voice barely audible, meant just for him.
I feel him go rigid, a low growl vibrating in his chest, so quiet it’s nearly lost in the lapping of the water, as he pulls me into a kiss, hard and possessive, his mouth claiming mine like he needs to prove something right here, right now.
“So, I hear your men will be retrieved today,” Kentan calls out, his tone casual, seemingly oblivious to what’s happening beneath the water or the undercurrent of tension. “Then it’s off to Veynar finally, right? I’m sure you’re happy, my queen.”
Colsar’s hand slips down between my legs, fingers finding me with a precision that makes me jolt, though I keep my reaction silent, biting the inside of my cheek. “Y-y-es, I am,” I manage, voice trembling but low, hoping it sounds normal enough to Kentan’s ears. “Veynar is where I’ve been wanting to go.”
“Don’t let him distract you,” Colsar mutters against my lips, his touch firm, circling with intent as he keeps his eyes locked on mine, ignoring Kentan entirely. “Focus on me. Keep it quiet.”
I nod, breath hitching as I grip his shoulders, moving with him under the water, the subtle rhythm masked by the natural sway of the pool. Kentan’s voice cuts through again, still casual, no hint he’s caught on to anything beyond a conversation. “I suppose Veynar will be a welcome change after all this waiting.Though I imagine you’ve got plenty to keep you busy until then, eh, nephew?”
Colsar’s grip on my hip tightens, his other hand not slowing as he shoots a glare over my shoulder. “Mind your own business, Kentan,” he snaps, sharp and final, though his voice stays controlled, not loud enough to draw extra attention. He turns back to me. My breath is shallow as I cling to him, the sensation tightening low in my core. “Colsar,” I gasp, so quietly it’s almost nothing, burying the sound against his neck to ensure it doesn’t carry.
“Give it to me,” he says, voice raw, barely a whisper, pushing deeper as his fingers work faster under the water. “Right now. Don’t hold back, but don’t let him hear.”
The wave hits, sudden and intense, and I press my face into his shoulder, teeth grazing his skin to muffle any sound, trembling against him as he holds me through it, unrelenting, his breath ragged but hushed against my ear.
“Mine,” he growls under his breath, so low it’s just for me, kissing me hard again as if to seal the moment against any intrusion, the water and steam still cloaking our secret.
Kentan’s voice carries over the water, still casual, oblivious or willfully ignoring the undercurrents between us. “I’d like to come to Veynar with you.”
Colsar’s response is immediate, clipped. “Not necessary, Uncle.”
Kentan doesn’t miss a beat, his tone steady but insistent.
“I understand it may not be necessary to you, Colsar. But I hear that Teorin Rathmor came and warned of danger that mystubborn nephew refused to hear about. You are now king of two kingdoms, possibly a third.”
He pauses. “You will need more than soldiers at your table. You will need someone who sees what others miss.” His voice lowers slightly. “We both know I don’t have much use here in the Beastlands. And we both know now that I’m healed what I need to stay whole.”
Colsar’s hand suddenly covers my mouth, muffling any sound as the tension in my body coils tighter, so close to breaking. His eyes stay locked on mine, intense, ignoring Kentan as he keeps his movements subtle but relentless beneath the water. I’m trembling, fighting to stay silent under his touch.
“I know that you have an… unnatural interest in your niece-in-law,” Colsar says, his voice low, cutting, though it’s controlled enough not to echo. “I’m not stupid.”
Kentan’s reply comes calm. “And neither am I, and that you know well, Colsar. I would never harm her, and she remains devoted only to you. She is beautiful and charming, yes. But she does not need my protection. You, dear nephew, know what does and know exactly what I am. That is all.”
I want to ask what he means, my mind flickering with curiosity, but before I can form the words, the climax rushes over me. My body shakes, a silent wave of pleasure ripping through as I bite down on Colsar’s hand to keep from crying out. He lets out an audible grunt, unable to hold it back as he spills inside me, his grip tightening on my hip, hips jerking slightly under the water.
Kentan laughs lightly, the sound breaking the charged silence. “Besides, if I’m being honest, sitting here talking of diplomacywhile also listening to you fuck your wife only has me wishing to go back to her cousin’s bed.”
Colsar’s eyes widen, a mix of shock and irritation flashing across his face. I stifle a laugh, pressing my lips together as I catch my breath. “I swear I had no idea,” I manage, my voice shaky but amused.
Kentan’s voice carries a grin as I hear the faint splash of him shifting in his pool. “And remind me to have the attendants clean that pool. It’s now full of siakar seed and the queen’s essence.”
I should feel embarrassed, my cheeks flushing at the bluntness, but instead, laughter bursts out of me, uncontrollable and loud, echoing off the tiled walls. Colsar looks as though he wants to be angry, his jaw tight for a moment, but the corners of his mouth twitch, and he can’t hold it back either.
“Fine, Uncle,” he says, exasperation lacing his tone as he shakes his head. “You can come. Just keep your cock in your pants…or in her cousin, or whatever it is you’re doing these days.”
“Tell Enovar I said hello,” I call out behind him, my voice still tinged with laughter.
Colsar and I turn to each other, the absurdity of the moment hitting us both at once, and we burst into laughter, the sound mingling as we cling to each other in the warm water, the tension melting away.
CHAPTER 68
The Day Begins
The room is quiet when we return. Saurin looks up first, and the surprise that crosses her face when she sees Colsar beside me is immediate and unconcealed, her eyes moving between us before she recovers herself. "There you are," she says, her voice carrying the faint edge of someone who had been listening for footsteps longer than she will admit. "They have been awake."
Cambra is already moving, lifting Kiss and placing her into my arms without hesitation. The moment her small body comes against me something in my chest eases, the last of the night's tension releasing in a way nothing else manages. She is warm and content, her small hands curling instinctively, and when she looks up her mouth opens into something that is not quite a smile yet but is close enough to feel like one.
