Her world came alive.
With the sensation, however, came a powerful surge of energy. Moved by instinct, she lifted her hand toward the men gathered below her overturned throne. With the gesture, the overwhelming thunder of their heartbeats sped up. The sound hit her ears like an erratic drum beat, wild and unnatural.
Most incredible of all, though, was how her body hummed with lust. It radiated from her like perfume, infecting everyone nearby. No one spoke. No one moved. They could only watch as she ensnared them, her newfound power trapping every man’s complete and undivided attention. Though she would never take any of the kings, she could at least put them in their place.
Every man in the throne room stared at her, frozen as if he wanted to rip her clothes off right then and there. She smirked and stepped off the platform, weaving through the immobile royal as she scanned each hungry expression.
King James stood farthest away, still as a statue as he silently fought against her powerful control. She moved closer to him, running a slender finger along his neck. As she touched him, his pulse quickened, and glee rushed through her at the vile man’s discomfort.
“Do you still want to kill me, King James?” she asked softly, her voice like silk.
He swallowed hard. “No,” he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.
Still toying with her food, Tina leaned in closer, as if she hadn’t been able to hear him the first time. “What would you like to do to me instead?”
His cheeks flushed red, and he glared at her with barely masked hatred even while his gaze brimmed with desire. His hands reached for her waist, but Tina shoved him roughly away before he could so much as touch her. Instantly, it was made clear to everyone nearby exactly what he wanted to do to her.
“You’re not good enough,” she said with a dismissive wave.
“Don’t you provoke me,” he said breathlessly and grabbed her wrist, the grip painful and tight as he yanked her toward him once more.
“How dare you!” she yelled, easily ripping her arm free of his grip.
Her instinct flared once more with indignation and disgust at his brazenness. Everything in her reeled away from this man, hated him with a passion. She stood taller, glaring at him with the full weight of her magic shooting through her body. The uncontrollable sensations worsened, sucking her deeper into Damara’s powers, but that was fine. In this, they were in agreement.
With the second rush of her magic, the thundering sound of heartbeats in her ear grew louder. She was connected to every one of these men, in that moment, and she could almost feel their pulses. No, she didn’t just feel them. She could control them.
Tina instinctively tightened her hand into a fist, and King James held his chest as if she had ripped out his heart, sinking to one knee as he gasped for air. Behind him, each of the other kings followed suit. Shortly thereafter, the princes knelt, until every man in her throne room bowed before her.
You can kill them all, Tina, her intuition screamed.
Furious at their blatant attempts to control her, Tina pushed through the overwhelming sensations flooding her body and glared at the men at her feet. “You all think I’m helpless, but you’re the weak ones. Look at you, at my mercy and bowing at my feet. You’re only alive because I say so. Is that clear?”
King James gasped, his mouth forming words as his heart raced faster. “Yes!” he gasped, his words a strangled jumble of lust and fear.
“Very well.” Tina looked around the room, making a point to exact a nod from everyone who had dared to think they could tell her what to do. As she reached the end of the line, she smiled. “You will find I can be a benevolent goddess, but should you displease me again…”
In a sudden rush, the thundering heartbeats faded, and the world around Tina calmed. She could hear normally again, feel normally again.
At her feet, the men gasped with relief and held their chests, while several of the kings glared at her with a mixture of fear and hatred, they were doing their best to hide it. Really, though, it didn’t matter. They had seen what she could do. They were right to fear her.
Setting her hands on her hips, Tina lifted her chin defiantly as she cast another glance over the royals in her throne room. Truth be told, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do next. Perhaps she would benefit from having an ally, even though she would have to make sure her ally didn’t try to control her.
An idea began to form in her mind, and she followed her instinct. After all, she and Damara had to look out for each other.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Tina said, sweeping her gaze along the row of kings as a small smile tugged at her lips. “Despite your disgusting behavior, I will allow each of the princes here today to participate in a contest. I will pick the best of them as my mate, my protector, and I will use my magic to guard his kingdom as I see fit.”
For several moments, no one spoke. She scanned each face, waiting for one of them to dare defy her.
King Frederick, Flynn’s father, was the first to break the silence that followed. “I would require—”
“None of you can make demands of me,” Tina interrupted him. “You may either participate or not. That is the only choice you have.”
The demigod king’s eyes shifted briefly to the floor. Beside him, King James rubbed his jaw. The eagle king’s shoulders relaxed, and he briefly studied Killian’s face as if weighing the boy’s chances. “Can we at least have a deadline?”
Tina smirked, though she didn’t feel joy so much as righteous justice being served. Barely ten minutes ago, the asshole had threatened to kill her, and now he was asking her permission. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. “I will choose in three months. Ray, make sure the kings leave within an hour.”
Tina shot a fierce glare at the eagle king, her hatred simmering dangerously close to the surface. Her body ached with fire and fury, and she felt the need to break something. Preferably the eagle king’s face. For now, however, she would restrain herself.
Without so much as another word, she strode into the hall and returned to her room, leaving the kings to obey her command.
10
Draven
Draven stared after Tina as the incredible woman stormed out of the throne room. Back straight, chin lifted with the air of a queen, Tina had stolen his heart with her sheer power.
Even after she left the room, he watched the empty hallway. His inner dragon stirred at the lingering floral notes of her perfume and the alluring curve to her hips. He could already feel his hands on her waist, hiking up the fabric of her skirts as he explored her.
And good Lord, what a woman to explore.
Fire. Power. Authority. She had it all.
He and his dragon were both smitten. Heat churned beneath his skin as his dragon huffed deep within his core, eager to horde her like a treasure. A puff of black smoke escaped his nose as his inner fires raged hotter. No woman had ever riled him up like this, but Tina wasn’t a normal human woman. She was a goddess and a fertility goddess at that.
Draven smirked.
He wanted her in his bed more than any woman he had ever seen. He wanted to hear her scream his name, to feel her tighten and tense as he gave her pleasure she could only dream of. Of course, his father would consider the political need for Draven to win this contest, but Draven just wanted her for himself.
A sharp prod to his shoulder snapped him out of his daze. His father glared at him briefly as the din of arguing men grew louder. Draven suppressed an annoyed roll of his eyes.