Join Me

"Strip me!"

Elysia steeled, her entire body frozen in place. She stared, dumbfounded at the king, her mind racing as she tried to process his words. Left with no other choice, her fingers moved to the button on his shirt, slowly undoing them one by one. Her hands trembled slightly, and her breath was shaky. She had never once undressed a man in her life, but here she was.

Azrael's gaze on her made her even more self aware of what she was doing, his gaze sharp and intimidating. He seemed to take pleasure in her discomfort, a small, satisfied smirk playing on his lips as she continued. Each button she unfastened felt like an eternity.

As the last button came undone, Elysia carefully pushed the shirt off his broad shoulders, revealing the toned muscles beneath. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure despite her racing heart. The room felt unbearably tense, and she could sense Azrael's eyes on her, studying her every movement.

"Good girl," he hummed, his voice a low, sending a shiver down her spine. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked tilting his head to the side.

Elysia bit her lower lip hard, restraining herself from screaming. Her face was less than three inches away from this man's, because he refused to let go of her chin.

"It wasn't, your Majesty," she replied, her voice coming out as a whisper. She didn't need to speak loudly, he was so close that she was sure he could hear every breath she took. Her eyes stayed fixed on the floor, not wanting to look up at him.

"I believe I am not fully stripped yet," Azrael stated nonchalantly, finally letting go off her chin.

Elysia on the hand was cut off guard, yes he had told her to strip her, but she didn't expect him to mean it so literally. Her ears flushed with embarrassment.

Hesitantly, her hand moved to his crotch, hovering over the zipper, she took in a shaking breath, her hand moving forward. She tried to steady her shaky hands, but before she could get them on the zipper, Azrael wrapped his hand around her wrist ,stopping her from going further.

She lifted her gaze meeting his eyes. There it was, a devilish smirk, plastered on his face. For a moment, she couldn't help but take in the King's striking feature. He was undeniably handsome, with an unearthly, godlike beauty. His extremely dark orbs, that reflected nothing in them, his thick dark brows, the left one, having a small scar cutting through it. Her eyes traced his sharp, pointy nose down to his lips… His lips?

"See? my face is more entertaining than the floor" he mocked, his voice laced with amusement. Elysia's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. She couldn't believe she had been caught ogling him so openly.

Elysia instinctively tried to retract, pulling back in an attempt to escape from him. But Azrael's grip on her wrist was firm, preventing her from moving even an inch.

She looked up at him, her eyes widened in shock. The devilish smirk on his face didn't falter, if anything, it grew more amused as he watched her struggle against his hold.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, his voice low. His dark eyes looking at her; if gazes could burn, she would have no flesh left because of how intense the King's gaze was.

Elysia swallowed hard, knowing there was no escape. She was caught, both physically and by the piercing intensity of his gaze.

"N-no, Your Majesty," she stammered, her voice coming out a little louder than she had anticipated. She wished to slap her face hard, for almost yelling at the king.

With a swift yank, Azrael pulled her towards him, Elysia instinctively placed her hand on his large chest for support. She noticed the king raise his hand, taking some strands of her hair in his hand. She noticed the king had a thing for her hair. It was probably the fact ginger hair was rare. For a spilt second, she saw what seemed to be curiosity gleaming through his eyes, but she dared not question.

"You have a nice hair color," Azrael said, his eyes meeting her green ones.

"T-hank you, My Lord," Elysia's said, her face turning a light shade of pink. Azrael tucked the strands away from her face, behind her ears, bringing her delicate neck to his view.

"Does this still hurt?" He asked, bringing Elysia back tor reality. He was referring to the bruise that had formed there.

"No, Your Majesty—"

"Lying doesn't look good on you," Azrael said, rolling his eyes. "Let me help with that."

Before Elysia could react, he turned her abruptly, his swift movement nearly making her jump out of her skin. In one fluid motion, he positioned her to sit on his lap, his hands guiding her as if she weighed nothing.

His arm coiled around her neck like a snake, firm but not choking, keeping her securely in place. Elysia's heart pounded in her chest, and she could feel the warmth of his body seeping through her, his presence overwhelming. Her breath hitched as she realized how close they were, his scent enveloping her senses.

She felt him lower his head, his breath warm against the bruise that had formed on her neck. Azrael's tongue traced the mark carefully, his touch surprisingly gentle as if he was ensuring she wouldn't hurt more. The sensation sent a shiver down Elysia's spine, reminding her of the night of the marking ceremony. Her stomach churned, and her toes curled in anticipation, the memory flooding back with intensity.

"A dragon's saliva contains healing properties," Azrael murmured against her skin, his voice a low rumble. "It can soothe wounds and ease pain." His lips brushed over the bruise, the warmth of his tongue lingering as he continued to lick the tender spot.

Immediately he pulled away from her, the heat seemed to dissipate just as fast as it came, leaving Elysia a bit disappointed. She quickly stood up from his lap, bowing slightly toward him.

"Thank you, your Majesty," she said softly. Her neck still stung, but the pain had noticably reduced.

Azrael rose from the couch, his movement smooth. "I still need to take a soothing bathe," he announced striding to the bathroom.  "Take off your clothes and join me," he added, his voice thick and commanding.