Weren't they?

She chewed on her bottom lip. Once upon a time, Dr. Frazier had scoffed and rolled her eyes at those people who claimed to have extrasensory perception-ESP. Now she was left wondering if she had been the true idiot. How easy it was to feel superior in her knowledge when she'd never encountered the same sorts of situations the "weirdos" had.

Alex closed her eyes on a sigh. Still rocking back and forth like a child who needed cradling through a storm, she spoke words she hadn't spoken aloud since she'd been a small girl forced to endure the boredom known as ma.s.s:

"Hail Mary, full of grace," she whispered, "the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of G.o.d, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death."

Alex's eyes slowly opened. Shivering, she looked to the heavens and crossed herself. "Amen," she murmured.

Chapter Thirteen.

Taking flight on a roar, King Malik Ahmose shape-shifted midair and flew at top speed down to the dungeon. If the dreamstate had taught him anything, it was that she wouldn't give in yet-not yet. Nevertheless, he understood that she would not break until he, himself, cracked her.

When he arrived at the cage, he found her asleep. It looked as though she'd endured an uncomfortable eve. A few more nights like that, with no food or water to make it even semi-bearable, and she would give in. Begrudgingly so, but it would come to pa.s.s.

"Let me guess," Alexandria said, surprising him with the knowledge she had awoken. Her voice was scratchy, her throat parched. "You want to kill me. Excuse me," she said acidly, her head slowly rising until two narrowed green eyes looked at him from beneath a sheath of tangled, golden hair, "you want to f.u.c.k me and then kill me."

The mention of f.u.c.king her gave Malik an instant, painfully swollen erection. He remembered their matings in the dreamstate even if she didn't. And there was no getting around the reality that he hadn't spurted in a thousand years. He should have given his c.u.m to the bathing servants last eve, but thoughts of stroking in and out of the human queen, glutting himself on her flesh, had seduced him instead.

Kill her? He didn't know. f.u.c.k her? Yes.

"Ssssomething like that," he said softly, unmistakable menace in his tone.

"I'd just as soon get it over with then." Coming up on her knees and throwing her hair over her shoulder, Alexandria bared her plump b.r.e.a.s.t.s and golden-haired mons to his view.

Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were large, well-rounded, and possessed of stiff pink nipples. Malik had never seen pink nipples before. He couldn't help but grow more aroused upon seeing them, the gold slits of his eyes narrowing impossibly further in l.u.s.t. And the patch of golden hair between her legs...

He frowned when it occurred to him she was getting the upper hand. Apparently the human queen recalled at least parts of their shared dreamstate. "You have not followed orders, slave."

She stilled. When her nostrils flared, Malik knew it was paining her to give in. Alexandria would just as soon die before being physically vanquished-that much he could easily sense about her. And yet she yielded, making him wonder why she was complying without a fight.

She was up to something. He needed to determine what that something was.

"Excuse me, let me try again," the human queen intoned.

Lying back on her elbows, she spread her thighs open as wide as they could go. Malik's pulse raced as he got a close-up view of her gorgeous, tight, pink c.u.n.t. He had never seen a woman like her and he knew he'd be lying to himself if he didn't concede that he wanted inside of her more than he wanted to breathe.

Alexandria began playing with herself, doing all those naughty things for his viewing pleasure that he had instructed her to do for him at their last meeting. She used one hand to play with a nipple-pinching and pulling at it until it was ripe and aroused. She used her other hand to play with her gorgeous p.u.s.s.y, running her fingers down its creases and folds until they grew slick and her breathing heavy.

"Suck on your nipple for your king-G.o.d," Malik murmured, his c.o.c.k so hard it dripped pre-c.u.m.

She immediately obeyed, one hand pushing up a heavy breast and her teeth latching onto her stiff nipple. She suctioned it into the warmth of her mouth and suckled it hard. Her other hand continued playing with her exposed c.u.n.t, teasing her tiny c.l.i.t and rubbing it in brisk circles.

"Now," he said thickly, "release your nipple-my nipple-and beg me to f.u.c.k my slave."

"Please," she gasped, releasing her nipple from her mouth on a wet popping sound, "please f.u.c.k me." Alexandria played with her p.u.s.s.y faster, the circular motions at her c.l.i.t growing harder and more intense. "I beg my king-G.o.d to f.u.c.k his slave's p.u.s.s.y."

"c.u.m," he ordered her, nigh close to spurting just from watching her. "c.u.m for your king-G.o.d."

Alexandria's nipples poked out impossibly stiffer as she moaned and played with her drenched c.u.n.t. She never met his gaze, but closed her eyes and followed his instructions instead. She rubbed her c.l.i.t harder, a small groan issuing from the depths of her throat.

On a gasp, she came. Her eyes rolling back and closing, her nipples stabbed straight out. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s rose and fell in time with her labored breathing, making the scene all the more seductive to him.

Malik's eyes took on a drugged look as he watched the human queen come for him. He wanted to f.u.c.k her-needed to f.u.c.k her. And he would.

In time.

"Very obedient," he purred, gaining her attention. "Your king-G.o.d likes an obedient slave."

Her nostrils flared just a bit before she schooled her features. Going back to her knees, she sat before him. This time she didn't bother trying to shield her b.r.e.a.s.t.s from his view. "May I leave this cage then?"

Silence.

"On the morrow," he murmured, "you will look me in the eyes while you pleasure yourself for me."

Her gaze widened, the desperation she felt a tangible thing.

Good.

"May I have some food?" she breathed out. "Water?"

"No."

Her head snapped up. At last she made eye contact.

"You are my sssslave," Malik hissed, "My property, my possession...my personal f.u.c.k toy." His smile was filled with mocking amus.e.m.e.nt. "When I am further convinced of your compliance, I will consider giving you nourishment."

Alexandria's pretense at obedience immediately ceased. Just as Malik had suspected it would.

"Why don't you just kill me?" she snapped. Her teeth ground together as she wrapped her hands around the bars of the cage. "I'd rather die than be any man's slave, let alone a wh.o.r.e of the devil!"

Malik stilled. His serpentine gold eyes narrowed at her. "Perhaps a couple more eves down here will change your mind," he said softly. Too softly. "You needs must remember what you are, Alexandria, and then I shall consider letting you out of the cage."

Their gazes met and locked in challenge.

"What am I?" she gritted out.

"A f.u.c.k toy to King Malik Ahmose," he murmured. His expression was arrogant, but otherwise unreadable. "My f.u.c.k toy."

Chapter Fourteen.

The coast was clear. Peac.o.c.k motioned for John and Vlad to follow behind him, then led them to a hidden alcove where they could listen in on the meeting transpiring below.

Alex had been gone for two days now. He had no idea where she was, or if she was even alive, but was determined to get some answers. When Peac.o.c.k had approached Fija yesterday, she had waved him off, insisting she had no time to deal with a male. "I needs must plan!" she had barked. It had been the last the crew had seen of her.