The Royal Hunting Lodge

Sophie Reese

*SPICY WARNING*

*IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE HEAT THEN PLEASE SKIP THE CHAPTER*

The sky had turned a lovely soft pink hue as the morning sun rose from the mountains to reveal the splendour of the royal lodge. I stared at its many windows and thought about the lovely warm cosy bed waiting for me inside.

The driveway curved to the front of the building, where a team of servants waited for the car's arrival. I looked down at my clothes, torn and bloodied and sank into my seat.

"Could we go in through a side entrance?" I asked.

"You're the Queen, and this is your home. So we go through the front door," Nico replied.

"But I'm covered in demon fluids, blood, dirt and ash," I groaned.

The servants were going to wonder what I'd been up to again.

Nico patted my leg and said, "They'll be intrigued. Most of them have served Queens and Princesses in the past, but none have served a demon-slaying Queen. I'm sure it will be a refreshing change for them."

I eyed the long line of servants standing on the frosty steps in pristine black and gold uniforms. Their eyes looked straight ahead at nothing in imparticular. I wondered how many of them knew the Lady in Green. How many had been plucked from the brothels and silver taverns to feed her blood magic?

"We'll need to interview all the servants," I said softly. "I imagine the Lady in Green will be planning another sacrifice soon."

"Let me handle the servants. I have a gift for squeezing the truth out of others," he said, tightening his fist.

The SUV came to stand still outside the stone steps that led up to the grand entrance of the royal hunting lodge. An armed guard was waiting on the bottom step and opened my passenger door. His eyes widened when he saw me, covered in blood, sweat and ash.

"Move out the way, Corporal," Nico ground out through his teeth.

The Corporal's attention shifted to Nico, and he quickly dipped his head in apology, then stepped back.

I climbed out of the SUV and briefly turned away from the lodge towards the forest. My eyes scanned the tree line for a flash of a green cloak, a clawed hand, or pair of inhuman eyes staring back at me.

"Your Majesty?" Nico called to me, ensuring to use my proper title in front of the guards and servants.

I looked back at him and saw that everyone was watching me. Nico offered me his arm, and I took it. He led me up the steps and through the great doors of the lodge.

As we entered the hall, Casper came striding across the marble floor. His expression was furious, and he snapped, "Where the fuck have you been?"

"She killed another demon," Nico replied flatly.

Casper stopped and stared at me, "You killed a second demon?"

I nodded my head sleepily as the effects of the morning sun began to bite. "Yup. I cracked open its head open like a walnut."

Casper paled and rushed across to me, his hands skimming over my arms and waist, checking for injuries. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

I batted his hands away and said, "My legs were broken, but they're fine now."

"The demon broke your legs?" he asked.

"No, the SUV broke my legs when we crashed," I explained. "But I'm fine, thanks to my super healing powers."

He looped an arm around my waist and another under my knees. I gasped loudly as he lifted me off my feet and began striding up the stairs.

"Where are we going?" I demanded, grabbing tightly onto his neck. "I can walk."

"To our bedroom. First, I need to wash the dirt off your skin so I can check that there isn't a single goddamn mark on your skin. Then, I'm going to bury myself so deep inside you that we won't know where you end and I start."

Heat crept across my cheeks, and my mouth went dry. "Aren't you going to yell at me or scream at me for leaving the estate without your knowledge?"

"Oh, I plan on doing that tomorrow, but right now, I want to strip you and feel your bare skin against mine. I want - no, I need to forget that you put yourself in danger," Casper said as he turned down a corridor.

I tightened my grip and nuzzled my face into his neck. I felt small and vulnerable in his arms, and the reality of the past ten hours punched me hard in the gut. The dead girls, the pleasure girls, the hungry children and the hungrier demons that wanted me dead.

"Casper," I murmured into his neck, unable to hide my pain.

"I know," he replied, resting his head on mine. "You fucking terrified me tonight."

He opened the bedroom door and walked across to the bed. He gently placed me atop the smooth crimson satin sheets and began to unbutton his shirt. I shamelessly watched as he shrugged, revealing the hard contours of his chest.

I licked my lips and said, "I thought I was going to have a shower first."

A wicked smile crept across his face, and he dropped his pants to the floor. "We are going to have a shower together," he corrected me.

"We?" I replied, my mouth suddenly feeling dry.

He nodded and crawled onto the bed, naked and breathtakingly beautiful. He brushed his lips over mine and said, "Take off your clothes."

I pulled my sweater over my head and wriggled out of my torn and bloody jeans. His eyes darkened when he saw the dozen or so fresh scars that marred my skin.

"I'm okay," I said, catching his chin and forcing him to look me in the eye. "The wounds were minor and mostly from the crash."

The muscle in his jawline hardened, and he dropped his gaze away from me. Then, taking my hand, he led me off the bed and into the large ensuite.

The ensuite matched the extravagance of the bedroom with a spacious walk-in shower with a large gold waterfall showerhead. Casper walked me into the shower and positioned me under the large showerhead.

"Stay there. I'm going to switch the water on and get some soap," Casper said, turning over my hand and pressing a kiss into my palm.

He dropped my hand and walked across to the panel that operated the shower. He pressed the shower controls, and I felt warm drops of soothing water wash over my skin. I leaned back into the spray and closed my eyes.

"Are you enjoying that, darling?" he asked, walking toward me with cloth in his hand.

"This is bliss," I replied.

He moved behind me and brushed the hair from my neck to kiss my shoulder. I leaned against him, savouring the heat from his skin. His hand glided over my waist, using the cloth to wipe away the blood and dirt of the night.

"Let me take care of you," he whispered into my shoulder between gentle kisses. He ran the cloth over my arms, and I watched the water run off me in shades of black, red and grey.

His hand moved lower, brushing over the top of my thighs and igniting a flame inside my belly.

"Show me what you need," he said, sensing the heat building within me.

Lost for words, I placed my hand over his and guided it to the place where I needed to feel him the most. He laughed softly, and I felt his hot breath fanning over my skin. His hand rested over the junction of my thighs, and he applied pressure in a slow and steady rhythm.

"Is this what you need?" he asked.

Biting my lip, I nodded my head, unable to speak. The pleasure was building quickly, and I could feel my legs start to buckle. I grabbed onto his forearms to stop myself from falling into a molten heap of ecstasy.

His tongue teasingly swirled over the pulse in my neck as I started losing control. I dug my fingernails into his skin and feeling everything and nothing at the same time.

Waves of pleasure upon pleasure washed over me, feeding the building fire inside me. Casper watched in dark delight as I started to unravel in his arms.

"Let go. You're safe with me," he urged.

Those words pushed me over the edge. I bit back a curse as pleasure tore through my body. I arched against him, needing to feel his body close to mine as I imploded.

His teeth nipped and scraped my pulse as he waited for me to fall back down to earth. I spent a few moments lost in a dreamy haze before turning around to face him.

I stared up into his blue eyes, heavy-lidded with desire. I kissed his mouth and wrapped my arms around his neck.

He smiled down at me and asked, "What would you like me to do now, My Queen?"

Smiling back at him, I replied, "Take me to bed."