Chapter 25 R-18+

Eudora

The next morning, I wake to a pinching feeling on my arm. I open my eyes to see a woman in a medical coat straightening up besides me with an empty injection in her hand. I jolt up in the bed, fear bringing the world into focus.

I look over to see The Emperor grinning as he stands in the doorway. "Since you two wouldn't copulate on your own, I am being forced to step in." 

"What have you injected me with?" My voice is hoarse and not nearly as strong as I wanted to sound. 

The Emperor takes a step into the room and leers at me. I feel a chill over my body and pull the blankets up to cover my chest. "Don't worry, it won't harm you, it will just induce heat."

"What?" I gasp loudly and Ryland stirs next to me, opening his eyes. He rubs his face and then looks sleepily at his father and then to me.

"What's going on?" He asks.

"Since you two refused to do my bidding, I was forced to inject Selene with a solution that will induce heat. Her birthday is tomorrow and I need you two to get busy and guarantee a mate string." 

The doctor next to me steps away from the bedside and walks over The Emperor's side. "We must get going. The drug will take effect soon."

With one last sneer, The Emperor turns and leaves the room with the doctor right on his heels. With a loud bang that makes me jump they slam and lock the door behind them. Almost immediately I feel the heat rising through my body and lust blossoms through me. I look over at Ryland and see his eyes have gone hooded with need. 

"We have to resist the urges." I tell him and he nods. He slowly stands up and wraps the sheet around his naked body then he walks as far away from me as he can in the small room, putting as much distance between us as possible. 

"Maybe a bath will help with the scent." I suggest. He just nods again looking like he is trying not to breathe. I quickly draw a bath then strip off my dress and get in. "Does that help at all?"

I look over at Ryland and see that his face is creased with pain. "Not really."

"Shit." The bath doesn't help with my needs either. I force myself not to let my hands roam over my body even though I itch with need. I stay in the bath as long as I can, but eventually the water gets too cold and I am forced to get out. 

While I was in the bath, the maid entered and brought me a fresh set of lingerie to wear. This new set was the opposite of the first one. Where the first one was sexy in an innocent, girly way, this one is dark and domineering. The set is a tangle of thin leather straps with a garter belt and black thigh high socks. There are so many straps that it takes me ten full minutes to figure out how to put it on, all the while Ryland sits in the corner covering his eyes and groaning, his cock tenting the sheet he is wearing. 

The feeling of the leather touching my sensitive nipples makes me gasp with need and I let out a small moan. I blush with embarrassment as I finish rolling the socks up my legs because even though the socks cover most of my legs, they make me feel even more naked, like having that much material over my legs only emphasizes the lack of fabric on the rest of my body. Once I am dressed, if you can even call it that, I look in one of the many mirrors in the room and notice that my wetness has already dampened the fabric between my legs. Every move I make causes the fabric to rub over my incredibly sensitive body driving me slightly mad with lust. 

I turn around and face Ryland seeing that his eyes are still tightly shut. "I am dressed but not decent." He opens his eyes, only to take one look at me and slam them shut again.

Ryland's hand dips below the fabric covering his waist and from the movement I can tell that he is stroking his hard cock. He groans. "You smell so good." I can't help but feel a rush of need, the hormones from my heat filling me with need at the sight of him. I want him to remove the fabric so I can watch him pleasure his cock.

"What are you doing? You better not come near me." I tell him, eyeing the movement of his hand.

"I won't babydoll, I would never touch a lady without her permission. I am just trying to release some of this frustration." He cracks his eyes open and sees me hungrily watching him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you wanted me to remove this sheet."

I know Ryland is just teasing me, but I can't help but encourage it. "Maybe I do."

Ryland gets a glint in his eye. "Have you ever seen a cock before?"

I blush. "Yes."

"An adult erect cock?"

"Yes." I say with an air of arrogance.

"Innocent little Ora has fooled around?"

"Yes. Just because I can't have sex, doesn't mean I haven't done other things."

"Have you done these other things with my suitemates?"

"Maybe."

"I see the way they look at you. They say the dates are fake and for practice, but we are all secretly hoping the dates will help us get strings with you." Ryland says. I pause as I process this new information. "Why don't you sit down? Get comfortable. We are going to be here for a while."

I realize that I am still standing near a mirror just watching Ryland pleasure himself. I walk over to the small table and pull out a chair, turning to face Ryland before I sit in it. As I sit, the movement causes the straps all over my body to shift slightly and a shock of need pulses through me. I gasp with need and Ryland groans at the sound. 

"What were we talking about?" I ask breathily as I lean back in the chair getting comfortable. I cross my legs squeezing them together with the need to be touched there. The room feels hazy and is filled with the thick scent of both of our lust. 

"Something about cocks?" Ryland says in a distracted tone.

"Show me your cock Ryland. I want to watch you touch yourself."

As if in a trance, Ryland removes the sheet that has been covering him. I gasp at the sight of his large pulsing member in his hand. It's not as large as I remember Aren's being, but it is really close. 

My body feels hot all over as I watch as Ryland expertly handles his cock pumping it with his fist. I feel myself get even wetter. I can't help but glide my fingers down my body lightly touching my nipples then down my stomach stopping once they reach the place of heat between my legs. I slip my finger under the tiny scrap of fabric covering my entrance and slowly insert it into me. Ryland's hand moves faster as he watches me slowly arc my finger inside myself touching just the right spot.

"Put another finger in." Ryland demands.

I bite my lip and then slowly push another finger inside myself to join the first. Feeling of pleasure radiates through me and my pussy clenches around my fingers. I use my free hand to free one of my boobs from the straps holding it in place and I start to play with my nipple as my other hand plays with my pussy hitting me just right. I feel a heat build in me. I pull my fingers out of me and use the soaking wet fingers to rub my clit. I scream with release as pleasure pulses up my body and my spine arcs. Fluids from my release run down my leg. I get a moment of satisfaction before need grips me again and I shove my fingers back inside, pumping them in and out of me.

Ryland watches my release and I see his balls tighten just before cum explodes out of it spraying up his chest. I lick my lips wanting desperately to taste it. Even after his release his dick still stands hard and he starts rubbing it again. We spend the entire day and night frantically pleasuring ourselves and refusing to touch each other. 

The next morning, I am exhausted from only getting a few hours of sleep after the day and night Ryland and I spent masturbating, but I feel a new bond with him. The experience had been deeply intimate even though we only touched ourselves. I also know for sure now that I can trust him. He could have taken me at any point yesterday and I wouldn't have had the strength to stop him, but he didn't, proving that he is not just one of his father's pawns. 

A glowing pink hew from the sunrise peaks through the windows of our tower prison marking the dawn of my 22nd birthday. Today I will come of age. Five maids enter the room with four large boxes. Two start preparing the large bath, while the other three start pulling garments, jewelry, and make up out of the boxes. 

I sleepily survey the new items they are setting out, curious about what The Emperor has planned for us today. "What's going on?" I say as I stifle a yawn behind the back of my hand.

"Emperor William the VI had ordered us to prepare you for your coming of age ceremony and wedding."

I humm groggily. "Oh yes, my wedding."

The maids beckon Ryland and me into the bath together. I am too tired and too used to being around Ryland's naked body to complain. After a very thorough washing, we are dried off and the maids start to fuss over us. Three maids focus on me, doing my hair and make-up. Once my hair has been expertly curled and my face done up, the maids swiftly dress me in a loose fitting strapless white dress with billowing skirts that looped up and attached to my wrists.

They accent the dress with large silver necklaces that layers nicely with my locket and an ornate silver tiara. Once they have finished making a few small tweaks to my clothing and hair, the maids step away and assess their work. 

I glance in a mirror and gasp at my reflection. I have always enjoyed dressing up and doing my makeup, but these maids have topped everything. I look like a goddess. My skin seems to glow and my hair falls perfectly down my back. The dress is unusual but elegant, making me look otherworldly. The silver jewelry compliments my hair. My face looks like I'm not wearing any makeup except it seems too perfect. My skin looks poreless, my eyelashes are long and dark and my lips look plump and juicy. 

I glance over at Ryland and I am pleased to see that he is staring at me with his mouth slightly opened. 

"You have a little drool." I say gesturing at my own mouth. Ryland snaps his mouth shut and then grins. 

"You look stunning. If we weren't being forced together by my father I'd say I'm the luckiest groom in the world. How do I look?"

Ryland is wearing a formal military uniform and his hair has been slicked back. He has always been tall and handsome, but seeing him done up like this is something else.

I blush. "You look very handsome." 

Ryland's eyes soften and he takes a step towards me. He puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder and bends down to whisper into my ear. "Whatever is thrown at us today, we will get through it together."

I open my mouth to respond, but before I can the door flies open and The Emperor walks in. He looks angry and disappointed.

"I see you managed not to copulate. That's too bad, it would have made things easier. Nevertheless, we don't have any more time, so we must go to the oasis."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." I spit at him. The Emperor just laughs and waves his hand. Ten guards enter the room. I try to use my pheromones to take them down, but they all must not be shifters, because my attacks are useless. I feel like a cornered pray standing beside Ryland as we slowly back deeper into the room and away from the guards.

"There is no point in struggling. Besides, if you do struggle, I will make sure your Kingdom gets cut off from all supplies. How long do you think it will take before entire packs start dying from the plague without the medicine I provide?" The Emperor sneers at me.

I sag, the fight going out of me. "Fine, I'll go with you."

As soon as we arrive on campus The Emperor guides me and Ryland to the library. As we silently glide through the library, everyone in it, not in our group, slumps over into what I hope is a deep sleep. He orders his guards to move the bookshelf then he turns to me.

"Open the door." He commands me and a shiver runs down my spine. How does he know where the entrance to the lost library is? 

I stair at the markings on the stretch of wall. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you have the power to open the door." How does he know that? Then I gasp with a sudden realization. He must have a spy, but who?

"Who told you about the location of the oasis?"

"I did." A familiar voice from behind the line of soldiers rings out. There is a shuffle of feet and some movement and then the owner of the voice steps into view. My heart drops at the sight of Madison. 

"You're the spy?" I ask, incredulous that Madison would even be able to pull something like this off.

"Don't act so surprised. I've been watching you for months. After Eudora got James expelled, I met up with him at a bar in town to try to make a new plan. That's when we were approached by an older gentleman who said he worked for The Emperor and that he thought we could make an arrangement. All I had to do was spy on you and report back everything I found out to the Emperor, and he promised I could have Jayden."

"You're crazy. The Emperor can't give you a person." 

Madison steps in closer to me and leans over me. "Just you wait. With you, he'll be all powerful. The moon goddess was the one who created the mate strings in the first place. Once you come into your full power and are under the control of The Emperor, he will make you create a mate string between Jayden and me."

I gape at her. "That's not how mate strings work. They were a side effect of the love in the goddesses blood as she created shifters. I can't create mate strings, they have to form from love and chemistry."

"You're wrong!" Madison screams at me.

"Enough!" The Emperor roars and Madison immediately falls quiet and steps away from me. She still has a smug look on her face, but I can see a glint of uncertainty in her eyes. "Open this door now, or the Forest Kingdom will fall to ruin."

My whole body droops and I step forward and press my hand against the wall activating my powers. I hear a few of the human soldiers gasp as the wall jumps around reforming itself into a large opening. We descend the steps and enter the small room with the statue at its center. I can't let The Emperor into the oasis. I have to think of something. 

The Emperor turns to Madison and gives her a sweet predatory smile. "Now, how do we get into the oasis from here?"

Madison returns The Emperor's smile and then steps towards me reaching for my neck. She snatches my locket off of it, breaking the clasp, then hands it to one of the guards. "Place this in the eye of the statue. That will cause the statue to move and reveal stairs underneath it." 

The guard with the locket does just as she said. Once the stair are fully revealed, The Emperor leads the way down them followed shortly by Madison and a few guards. The guards holding Ryland and me shove us forwards and I am forced to walk down the steps or else I will fall on my face.

I wish I could talk to Ryland to make a plan but any attempts at a conversation are impossible with this many guards around. We continue forward in silence until the passageway finally opens up into the first cave. 

The Emperor looks towards Madison expectantly. "Is this is?"

She steps forward and points to the pool of water. "No, the oasis is through there." 

The Emperor nods. "Thank you. You are no longer of use to me."

"What?" Madison asks her grin falling from her face and doubts clouding her eyes.

The Emperor waves his hand and before I can even blink, the guard standing closest to Madison has pulled out his sword and swiftly beheaded her. I try not to throw up at the sound of her body and head hitting the floor and at the sight of her head rolling ruling away until it gets stuck on a small rock.

"Why would you do that?" Ryland growls beside me. 

"She knew too much and was a liability to me." The Emperor states. "Now come."

The guards holding up shove us forward until we are standing next to The Emperor at the edge of the water. One of the guards steps forward and parts the water in front of us. We follow The Emperor down the newly dry path with water walls on either side of us. As we get deeper into the pool water closes over and behind us placing us in a dry bubble under the water. We easily walk through the pool and under the cave wall, surfacing on the other side without a single drop of water getting us wet.