Royal Pride Read online

  “I agree, Damél,” I let out resolutely, feeling a sharp pain seize my chest, at the same time my Lion roars his rage.

  Chapter Two

  LINGUERE

  “Are you sure, Lin’?” My sister, princess Signare of Cayor, asks worriedly, chewing on the nail of her dainty finger.

  I don’t deign to answer. Simply take a deep breath and continue my beautification efforts. But on the inside, I’m frustrated, hurt, and angry at the entire world. At the injustice that’s my life. This is my only chance to ever be with King Gaïndé. Signare knows it, she’s the one who thought of our subterfuge, and here she is trying to get me to renege on it.

  She lays a soft hand on my shoulder, adding: “it’s just that…”

  I interrupt her, turning away from the mirror. “Don’t you dare, Sin’! Don’t you dare finish that sentence. This, right here, is my only shot, and you know it. I will not change my mind. Don’t even waste your breath. I thought you, of all people, would understand.”

  She stiffens, before retorting harshly, “It’s not the same. Guélwar will make peace with Father.”

  She’s referring to her lover, the prince regent of our neighboring kingdom of Banjul. The very same one who has plans to invade our land. The reason why our father has made a deal with the devil himself. Offering his beautiful, highly coveted daughter’s hand to the mighty warrior he thinks can protect us against the threat of annexation.

  But here’s the thing: that daughter isn’t me. Nope. My sister is the graceful princess with doe eyes, a slender figure, and the voice of an angel. I’m the one our parents never knew what to do with. The ugly duckling. The older daughter who’s now past thirty and still unwed, unwanted. Scaring men away with her sharp tongue and mind. Making women uncomfortable with her knowledge and practice of magic, and her promiscuous reputation.

  Things were not always this way, though. Once upon a time, I too aspired to be a fairy tale princess. To have my happy ending. But life has taught me differently. Growing up in a society that adulates appearances, my full curves and amazon-like stature clashed with the beauty standards. High society men all wished for a trophy wife, a delicate high-born they could parade to the envy of their peers. A dainty thing that would fit perfectly on their arm. That isn’t me. I was doomed from the start by nature itself. So, I took what I could: clandestine encounters behind closed doors, followed by being completely ignored by my lovers in the light of day. I’m good enough for men and even some magical creatures to lust over, but not to love and marry. And if you want to know the truth, it was fine by me. Because my heart is already taken…

  On my thirtieth birthday, my mentor Lallah, the royal witch, gave me a very special gift. She did me the honor of taking me to Ndoumbélane. In the dark of night, she sneaked into my room, lightly shook my shoulder, had me put back on my sumptuous birthday celebration gown and guided me half-asleep to a discreet car waiting for us at the palace back gate. When I asked where we were going, she brought her finger to her lips, commanding my silence. We drove for a long while. There wasn’t much I could discern through the tinted windows at that time of the night. When finally, the car stopped, Lallah gave me a large, lacy mask that covered most of my face, making it quasi-impossible to tell who I was.

  Before we got out of the car, she held me by the wrist, looking deep into my excited gaze and said, “You cannot keep hiding at the palace, sweet. Our people are…,” her beautiful face screwed up with disgust before she added, “limited. Very few understand the value of strong, complex women such as us.” I nodded, suspended to her lips. “I know you’ve had magic lovers, but they all lived among us. They’re no different than another man. Tonight, I want you to broaden your horizons. We’re attending the Full Moon Ball. All shifters will be in their true form. It’s an eccentricity they allow themselves to mock our confused human beliefs. There will be food, music, dancing, and sex… lots of it,” she finished with a mischievous smile paired with a wink.

  I giggled, even more excited now that I had some idea of where the night was going.

  We slipped out of the car to look up the high walls of a grand palace. An exquisitely beautiful, winged female with deep violet eyes and a musical voice greeted us at the entrance. She deferentially bowed to Mistress Lallah, a light of recognition illuminating her interesting gaze, and gestured for us to proceed. We entered an immense hall, brightened by a myriad of suspended lights. The floors were covered in marble, rich tapestries were on the walls. We advanced with the rest of the crowd into a vast ballroom. Its entire roof, made of clear glass, let in the twinkling night sky. Everything was grandiose! Some of the dancers around us were creatures I’d never even seen before. There were a few humans, but mostly extraordinary beasts. Hybrids with some human features and partly animal. Others were inhabitants of the savanna who stood and spoke like people. I ogled a pin-up zebra till she turned and gave me a teasing smile, making me chuckle with embarrassment. A couple of elephants stood by the open patio doors, but even though the room was tall and wide, there were more of them outside. I saw a giraffe dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, his lascivious gaze sliding over my curves. There were cheetahs, gazelles, rhinos. Strong, hairy wildebeests. The endless cackling of hyenas. Sexy leopards, tall, muscled antelopes, burly hippos, and fancy ostriches. Impalas with their swirly horns slid by elegantly, dressed in the finest fashion. I shivered when a group of crocodiles took notice of me, wondering if their hungry looks meant they wanted to fuck me or make a late dinner of my full flesh. Lallah gave me a reassuring smile, paired with a pat on my arm. There were also a few snakes and monkeys whose shrieks and chatter were loud enough to compete with the volume of the music. A band of disparate creatures played in one corner of the large room. The music was enticing and eerie, like nothing I’d heard before. My body swayed of its own accord. I was fascinated and I felt safe having Lallah at my side and not sensing any hostility from the crowd surrounding us. The entire experience felt like the best present I’d ever been given. I couldn’t have imagined things were about to get even better.

  The rhythm of the music changed, and a hushed murmur ran through the crowd. All eyes directed to the entrance of the ballroom. I stretched my neck to try and catch a glimpse of what everyone was looking at, but there were too many of us, too many heads taller than mine in the crowd. Then a loud roar traversed the room. The sound frightening and majestic, appealing and terrifying all at once. More followed, but none was as scary or intriguing as the first one. A breach in the crowd gave me a glimpse at the extraordinary creatures who’d just joined us and made their presence known. It was the lions. The more they advanced through the crowd, the more I could see. Their majestic manes, short sable fur, strong, sharp canines, big, slanted eyes and elegantly muscled bodies. The females were ravishing and the males dashing. Dressed in long, flowy silk dresses that showed more than they concealed, and fitted suits and uniforms made to compliment broad, square shoulders and thick thighs. I felt myself getting aroused. These creatures were all so beautiful, so sensual. Being among them called to the deepest, most primal part of my being. The lions started mingling with the rest of us, making me release a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. And Lallah gave a pat on the hand I had no clue I had wrapped around her forearm in my shaken state.

  I lifted my gaze to hers, whispering with reverence, “They’re beautiful, Lallah.”

  At that moment, a low chuckle resonated behind me. The sound warm and enrapturing. Hitting me straight in my lower belly.

  “Good evening, Mistress Lallah. May I ask who’s your enthusiastic guest,” the voice added. Its intonation regal, the words formulated with an undertone of amusement.

  Too afraid to fully turn around, I slid closer to Lallah and dared a slight glance to the side. “Oh My God, he was beautiful.” His mane fell in long braids adorned with tiny golden jewelry, over immense shoulders clad in a long embroidered tunic that left his strong arms uncovered. His muscled chest, bare under the silky fabric tha
t reached his feet. Head bent down, I kept silent, my eyes roaming the length of his powerful legs, encased in a pair of pants made of the same ocher colored cloth as his tunic. The contrast between his exotic human attire and lion body, arresting.

  “Your majesty,” Lallah greeted him back, making me gasp softly. “This is my apprentice, Lin’,” she used my nickname, giving me the tacit instruction to keep my full identity secret.

  I curtsied and allowed my gaze to meet his. And that was the end of me. The large amber pupils studied me with intensity and a hunger like I’d never seen directed at me. My gaze traveled over the braids, the bulky frame, the fascinating eyes, his mouth, the regal nuzzle, long whiskers, and corded throat. God, I’d never been this attracted to a living being in my life. He sniffed the air and bared his fangs, emitting a low growl. His curled upper lip revealed huge, terrifying canines I wanted to feel on my skin. What was wrong with me?!

  He turned his attention back to Lallah, “She’s mine.” Without waiting for an answer, the gigantic cat once more seared me with his blazing gaze, jaw clenched, muscles flexing, and motioned his head for me to follow. “Come, little mouse,” he growled in a low, gruff tone that disintegrated my panties.

  I threw a wide-eyed gaze at Lallah over my shoulder, and she responded by blowing me a kiss, sending me off to scurry behind the majestic lion striding out of the ballroom, to an unknown destination. His long tail swirling behind him, regal outfit flapping around his large feet.

  I followed the majestic feline up a grand stairway, through the longest hallway I’d ever crossed in my life. Its walls were covered in gold plated mirrors. Without ever turning to me, he proceeded in his long saunter. My eyes couldn’t decide where to focus, between the powerful body preceding me and the lavish decor surrounding us. This place was even more grandiose than my father’s palace.

  He stopped at an intricately carved wooden door, and I recognized some protection spells in the symbols engraved in the wood. The lion opened the door and stepped aside to let me in. When his gaze met mine, the flicker of a flame passed through his extraordinary golden eyes, and he let out another low roar, exposing the terrifying canines I found so fascinating. I hurried inside the room, torn between excitement and fear, unable to decipher the hunger in his eyes. But I knew what my body’s reaction was: swollen breasts, hard nipples, pulsing clit and wet folds. I was turned on beyond measure.

  The room was vast and furnished with Persian rugs, oversized pillows, plush throws and basked in an air filled with exquisite incense. I heard the decisive click of the door and turned my wide gaze to the big cat stomping in my direction. He swept me up by the waist in a swift move and sat back on a pile of pillows, settling me to straddle his lap. I gasped in surprise, holding on to his massive shoulders for dear life.

  “I’m King Gaïndé of Ndoumbélane,” he growled at my ear while rubbing his temple against mine and taking a deep sniffle.

  I felt completely and irrevocably owned, surrounded, possessed by this wild beast. His musky smell surrounded me, reminding me of walking through the savanna at dusk. The most primal part of my being took over and my hips started rolling of their own accord. I felt my eyelids grow heavy with desire, my fingers dig into King Gaïndé’s powerful shoulders. My lips parted in ragged breaths.

  “Are you scared of me, little mouse?” He asked in a dark voice.

  I could only shake my head, unable to formulate coherent words.

  His expression grew wicked. “Good,” he stretched the word as his huge head bent down to bury in the crook of my neck.

  First, I felt the heat of his strong inhales, then the foreign sensation of his large animal tongue on my skin. Finally, my desire was answered. King Gaïndé gently grazed at the tender skin of my neck with his large fangs. I moaned, threading my fingers through the short unbraided hairs at the base of his mane. They were thick and soft. I felt dizzy with new sensations.

  The King’s hands started roaming over my body, taking handfuls of tits and ass, tracing the curve of my waist, rolling and pinching my nipples, running over the soft skin of my thick thighs under the fabric of my gown, and kneading the flesh. All the while he still tasted, nibbled at, and inhaled the scent in the crook of my neck, behind my ears and at the top of my cleavage.

  I could feel moisture leak from my panties and grew ashamed at my extreme reaction to this extraordinary creature. What was happening to me?

  Having slid his large paws over the insides of my thighs, the king’s sharp claws gently scratched my sensitive skin. Climbing ever higher, he reached the moisture coating me. A low, guttural sound emanated from the back of his throat and he growled, “Mine,” in a fierce tone. I let out a long exhale of pleasure, throwing my head back to give him better access and spreading my legs even further to facilitate his access to the apex of my thighs.

  “Need to taste you,” he gritted out. He proceeded to lay me on my back, his gesture gentle, even with all the refrained sexual tension coursing through us, and despite his might. I writhed and rolled my hips, moaning with desire and pleasure. Alternating between running my hands over my swollen breasts, between my legs and extending them to him. Completely overtaken by his presence. The musky smell of him, the heat emanating from his body, the unbelievable connection between our bodies. What I felt in my very soul was an instant recognition of the one made for me. King Gaïndé held himself over me, his incandescent gaze tracing a scorching path wherever it landed. I knew his words were true: I was his, but I too owned this fearsome warrior. His traits shifted in front of my eyes. He was giving me the greatest gift, allowing me to see him change from one form to the other. His unnaturally handsome human features taking over, smoothing away the short fur, the nuzzle, the claws and fangs retracting. Leaving him with large, almond shaped eyes, a strong, masculine nose, a full, sensual mouth, cut cheekbones, the same long braids that grew a shade darker. His soft skin turned the same dark brown as the shade under a baobab tree in the heat of midday. Under my perusal, his lips lifted to the side, revealing strong, white teeth that came down to bite on his bottom lip. The ghost of a dimple creasing one cheek. How could he look more extraordinary in his human form than as a fantastical creature?

  “Are you ready for me, little mouse?” His voice! It had kept the same guttural undertone in its human form. Raw, powerful, hypnotic. I could do nothing but nod frantically. The king chuckled. I noticed the color of his iris had darkened as well, but the same flickering flame passed through his gaze, signaling he was nowhere near tamed in his man form either.

  “How do you like my castle, little one?” He asked softly, still running his now large hands over the bare skin of my thighs.

  “It’s beautiful, Your Majesty,” I responded in a breathy voice.

  “Good. Have you been to Ndoumbélane before?” his husky growl caressed my face a tad closer, and I shook my head. “Good, good,” he repeated, a calculating look on his gorgeous face. He pushed the layers of my skirts high enough that the fabric bunched at my waist, my thick thighs and damp underwear uncovered to his famished gaze. Running his large palms over my full breasts, the king kept talking. “This is an exquisite gown, but I don’t think you need it anymore,” his voice came out caressing, in contrast with the wicked grin adorning his delectable mouth. The glint in his eyes almost cruel.

  I watched as the thickly veined, long-fingered hands each fisted one side of my collar and pulled, tearing the rich fabric wide open to reveal my underwear-clad body. I shrieked, reflexively bringing one hand over my chest and the other to cover my pussy.

  The king emitted a low, dark chuckle and bent over to kiss me… His full lips gently prodded mine, till I relaxed in his embrace once more. His sensual tongue licked and caressed my mouth to the point of making me whimper and moan. His hands resumed their exploration now that my poor dress rested at my sides like an untied robe. We kissed long and deep, in soft strokes and hungry grazes of our teeth. His sharp canines pulled sensuous cries from my lips. I forgot all about my t
orn dress, his questions about my liking his palace or being familiar with his kingdom. My need to tell him who I truly was… Only the friction of our bodies and the incredible sensations he made me feel counted.

  His long fingers started tracing my slit through the damp fabric of my underwear and I almost came right then and there. I sucked on his tongue and ran my palms over the hot, soft skin covering the strong muscles of his wide chest and broad back.

  “You taste incredible, little mouse,” he breathed against my swollen lips.

  “No, you do, My King,” I replied in kind.

  His low chuckle resonated again, filling my belly with butterflies.

  “I thought My Lion was losing it with the way he reacted to you, but he was right. You are ours. We’ve waited for you for a very long time, little one,” his husky voice came out soft as he ran his knuckles over the apple of my cheeks. And I almost wept, silently thanking the skies above for this blessing. For finally being united with my one true mate. I would relive every single humiliation, each rebuttal, mockery, and rejection a thousand times, if it meant they would lead me to this moment, this extraordinary turn my life was taking. I felt my eyes get watery and sniffled, blinking hard to push away the tears.

  “Shhhh, little mouse. It’s all good. I’ve got you, now. You’re safe and sound in my arms. You’re home. I’m never letting you go.” Once again, he took my mouth, but this time, the kiss was slower, tender, full of promises. And I gave into it, gave it my all. Clung on to him with all four limbs, lifting my hips to try and feel him. He finally gave in and settled between my legs, giving me his weight, pressing his long, heavy, hard length along my wet folds. My body shook with pleasure and I whimpered loudly, triggering a wild response from King Gaïndé. He plunged his tongue deep into my mouth, thrust between my legs and squeeze my hips to the point I knew I was going to bruise, but I couldn’t care less. This beautiful, magnificent, magical creature who aroused me like no one ever, like I’d never thought possible, was completely insane for me. The very idea was heady, exciting beyond measure.