Shells. This was more awkward than trying to walk barefoot on a bed of sea urchins.

We'd said the ceremonial binding words in front of the court and retreated behind the flowing white silk curtains, but tension radiated from Shannon's body as I tried to ease her with kisses and calming strokes. She was as stiff as coral, with her face bleached of colour.

"Try to focus just on me, Princess," I murmured.

I couldn't even turn her back to the court. We were in the centre, with the crowd surrounding us on the other side of the curtains. Their voices came through the thin fabric, loud and clear.

And they were loud, boisterous, and shouting suggestions. There was no ignoring the fact they were there.

Her eyes held mine, desperation in those beautiful hazel depths. I wouldn't fail her. Her or her son. There was very little I wouldn't do for my gorgeous goddess, and there was no way I was letting us falter this close to saving her son.

Especially when no bloodshed was required.

Seduction was the weapon I needed to wield here. Although I could accomplish the technical requirements of this ridiculously prurient ceremony without it, there was no way I would rut on Shannon like a brainless beast, uncaring of its mate's cooperation or enjoyment.

By the first shell, I will have her cumming with me. Not frozen like a fish snared in an anemone's tentacles.

Gently lifting the thin red robe from her body and shedding my own, I laid her back on the circular bed. I slid my fingers up her thighs, raising them to my shoulders. Her eyes widened as I lowered my head to between her thighs, drawing her warm lemon scent into my nose, before tasting her in long teasing flicks of my tongue. When she gasped, I smiled and focused my attention on the proud little pearl until she started to squirm in my hold.

Her scent strengthened, rich with notes of arousal, and I heard the little breathy moans that told me she was forgetting the surrounding distractions in favour of the rising heat in her body.

With a fingertip, I tested her readiness, even as I continued to ravage her with my tongue. When her hands gripped my hair, tugging with her symphony of moans, gasps, and writhing hips, I drove two fingers inside to stroke over that rough little patch on the front wall. Snug and wet with arousal, her pussy clung to my fingers.

But it wasn't enough.

I wanted to feel those sensitive walls trembling with orgasm around my fingers so that when I rode her hard and fast, there was no chance she'd be distracted by the court, despite how loud they were getting. It seemed the more I made her moan, the more vocal the audience got. Blasted barnacles. I knew when Shannon noticed them again, as she stiffened briefly.

Yet I needed her mindless and only thinking about me. Only thinking of the fire demanding satisfaction in her senses.

Mercilessly, I pumped my fingers hard and fast, even as I nipped and sucked at her flushed clitoris. Keening, her hips shifted from writhing to rigid attention, and she flooded my fingers as her orgasm peaked.

While her walls continued to clench with rhythmic contractions, I moved up her body to plunge my cock into those now-soaked depths. Groaning, my eyes wanted to roll back in my head at the intensity of the pleasure. Gooseflesh broke out over my body, shivering over my skin in ripples as I began to thrust. The sensation built with every delicious movement of my hips against hers.

Hotter and hotter, like a furnace in my flesh, I found myself groaning, adding to her symphony. Her lips, so soft and wet, met mine, and we melded our flesh in an echo of our hips.

Like a cauldron boiling over, her climax set off mine, and I shouted my release.

Yet even as the waves of it rolled over me and my cock erupted, it wasn't enough. I wanted more. Needed more. Shannon was mine, and I was going to ensure everyone knew it.

With a growl, I flipped her over to her hands and knees after the last of my contractions and plunged back inside, driving my hips hard against her curvaceous ass. Each impact shook her lush body in an erotic dance that never failed to increase my desire to take her harder and deeper.

Shells.

Fucking beautiful the way she'd filled out with curves that had only been hinted at last year when she'd been so starved for energy. Gripping her hips tightly to keep her in place, the additional depth of this angle allowed me to slam every inch inside her.

Every stroke drove the coiling heat higher and hotter. Fuck, I loved taking her this way.

From the pitch of her moans, so did Shannon. She lay her upper body down, angling her ass up even farther, and I knew she'd forgotten about our audience as she begged me for more.

Faster.

Harder.

Music to my ears. I obliged, and taking a hand from one hip, began teasing that puckered little rosette to drive her wild. Never had I forgotten her fantasy, and I loved that she'd admitted it to me. I knew it'd be hard to get that self-centred Asgardian to agree, but if I could get him to see reason, I was giving her want she wanted.

By the first shell, did she ever want it.

Nothing seemed to make her cum as hard or as fast as when I teased her with that.

Today was no different. Dipping my thumb in time with my thrusts, her back bowed and her body started to buck as she came, squeezing my cock until my own orgasm had me shoving myself balls-deep.

Lightheaded with the intensity of it searing my brain, I shot wave after wave into her tight depths. Panting, we collapsed on our sides, and I wrapped Shannon into my arms. She was mine, and the only one who'd make me leave her was Shannon herself.

When the King and Queen came into the curtained area, with my brother and Shannon's grandparents, I withdrew from her warm, wet core to allow their inspection. She stiffened in my arms, a red flush washing over her skin, and I did my best to shield her from view as soon as possible.

King Nuada and Queen Aine were quick, only taking seconds to verify the deed was done, as were Gwydion and Arianrhod. My brother's eyes lingered before he smirked at me with a thumbs up. Clenching my teeth and trying to stifle my snarl with the other observers still present, I glared at him. We would be having words later, the sponge-brained idiot. Couldn't he see how much it bothered Shannon to be ogled like that?

As soon as the inspection was complete, I had the red robe wrapped tightly around Shannon. Although I knew it had to be my imagination, I felt like I could actually feel her relief and appreciation once it was over. After putting my robe on, I took her hand so we could confront the rest of the Unseelie delegation.

"You agree the marriage between Shannon and Elatha has been consummated?" asked Queen Aine, standing in front of Shannon's grandparents, as well as her Aunt Badb and Uncle Llew.

"Yes, we are satisfied," said Gwydion.

Arianrhod nodded, agreeing with her husband, eyes flicking over Shannon and me, lingering on our clasped hands.

What was her interest?

"Although I would have preferred to verify it myself," Llew's gaze raked over Shannon with unnatural lustful intensity, and my pulse pounded with adrenaline, even as my gut clenched and churned, "I'll accept my parents' word."

His twisted smile had Shannon pressing tightly against me, a fine shudder trembling her body, and I wanted to punch the fucker in the face. Or drive a sword through him. Maybe cut off his cock. Thank the first shell we escaped the Wild Hunt last year. Obviously, killing her hadn't been his objective. It was clear Llew didn't care that Shannon was his niece. In fact, that might be part of the attraction to the sick bastard. There is no way I'm letting him near Shannon alone, ever.

I need to warn Loki, too. Ugh. I did not want to deal with him, but I wouldn't jeopardize Shannon for anything.

Badb sneered and wrinkled her nose. "Yes, I don't need to see that. She was desperate enough for his cock that we all heard her moaning like the slut she is. And she stinks of sex, with it dripping down her leg for all to see. It's clear she's Maeve's daughter, all right. I'm surprised she hasn't spread her legs and fucked half your court yet, but maybe they don't want her after all the Asgardian cocks she's ridden."

My vision was darkening at the edges, muscles rigid, when Maeve's laughter had me blinking.

"Your jealousy is showing, Badb. What's the matter? Llew not giving it to you?" Maeve taunted. "Feeling—"

"So you will lift the curse against my son?" interrupted Shannon, her voice cracking.

A pain lanced my chest at the sound. Yes, that was the important thing here. Not some stupid trading of insults. That they'd threatened Aidan, and used me in their scheme to hurt Shannon, infuriated me. Goddess of War or not, I was going to find some way of ensuring Badb paid for that.

After Aidan is safe.

"Oh... there must have been some misunderstanding," Badb said with a malicious smirk, eying Maeve, then Shannon. "The curse can only be lifted as a life for a life."

"WHAT?" I was going to strangle the smug barracuda with my bare hands. Similar exclamations of outrage came from others around us, but I was too focused on Badb to pay attention to who had uttered them. I started to take a step towards her, fists clenched.

"Then take mine," Shannon sobbed, collapsing to her knees.

"No! Shannon! No!" Ignoring the chaos of shouts and clang of weapons that had ignited around me, I dropped to my knees beside her, pulling her into my arms to hold her tightly. "No, we will find another way."

"I can't let my son die, Elatha," she cried, shoulders heaving.

Tears soaked my neck and shoulder as her body quaked and keening whimpers erupted with her gasped breaths. The pain in my chest grew as I ran my hand over her hair and back, trying to think of some solution, some way of saving Aidan.

"We won't. I swear, Shannon. We won't. If it comes to that, they can take my life instead, but you aren't dying. No way, Shannon. It's not happening," I growled. There was no possibility I'd let her die on me. Not while there was a single breath left in my body. "Do you need a reminder of the lesson not to put yourself in that kind of danger?"

She shook her head and held tighter to me, the sound of her anguish imprinting on my soul like a melody that I'd never shake. I didn't care. If this is what she needed from me, I'd take all her pain.

As long as she listened to me and didn't endanger herself.