MADDOC
Maddoc maintained a tight grip on Analisa as they rode through the woodlands and across the outer farming fields toward the Oakenshire Forest.
Anger still roiled in his gut, but it was tempered by a mellow satisfaction that he finally had her with him. She'd been subdued since beginning the journey, but that was expected. He had been rough with her, but Analisa had to learn what would happen when lines were crossed, and while he might enjoy her willfulness, he at no point would ever enjoy the idea of another man having his mouth on her. Claiming and marking her against the tree had been an instinctual need for both of them, and her denial to see or accept the way her body reacted to him—or that she was his—was no excuse for her behavior. Now he had her, she would have to adjust to her new life and accept the truths before her, whether she liked them or not.
The riding party angled toward the central city, skimming the edge of the orchards maintained for the royals before veering back out again toward the larger districts that bordered the largest and wildest natural forest in the kingdom, the Oakenshire.
They entered at a full gallop, a sense of urgency uniting the riders as they headed back to their base deep within the forest. Much had happened at the wedding, some of which Maddoc didn't expect, but the ultimate goal had been achieved. His Omega was in his arms, and she would not escape again.
“I’ll set up some surveillance for the night,” Griff called.
Maddoc raised his hand to signal that he agreed, and three of the men broke away and rode in a different direction.
They traveled on for a while, having to slow as the forest grew dense with trees. When it was too thick to ride through, they dismounted and one of the men led the horses back the way they’d come. The base was only accessible by navigating through some of the thickest parts of the forest, and although they had cut enough of it back to walk through, it was too uneven and thick for the horses.
Maddoc carried Analisa in his arms. She curled herself up in her torn dress and said nothing to him, her head tucked down to her chin. He allowed her her peace. She would be required to face him soon enough, but for now he allowed her to mourn her father.
The skies were dark by the time they trudged into the base, an enormous clearing filled with huts, tents, and structures that made up the center of operations for the guild. When he selected this site, he’d made sure it was completely secure. Thick forest surrounded almost the whole area, and the Oakenshire was so large it could house the entire base comfortably without anyone being able to find it unless they knew the location. The clearing was so far from anything notable within the forest, it was likely anyone trying to leave would get lost and never be seen again. As such, Maddoc had always felt safe here, as did the people who joined him.
Maddoc made his way straight to his pavilion. The base was mostly quiet that night, with only the fading campfires of those preparing for sleep.
He headed toward the most secluded part of the base, and as he neared his pavilion, Raine approached him.
"What?" he bit out the word irritably.
She hesitated, eyeing Ana. "It can wait. There is nothing we can do until morning anyway."
"Good," Maddoc said, walking past her.
His pavilion was one of the most lavish. It was an elaborate tent-like structure with multiple rooms built on a solid frame, including its own washroom situated next to a well with a pump. Maddoc placed Ana down on his bed and tore her dress off, ignoring her flinch from the roughness of the act. When he’d watched her approach the stairs at the Royal Sanctum through his magnifying lens, he knew at that moment he was going to rip this dress apart. Everything it signified infuriated him.
He drew a bath, then lifted her and placed her into the water before undressing.
Ana didn't look at him once, keeping her eyes averted as he climbed into the bath with her. The hot water did nothing to soothe his mood, but Ana relaxed a little, sighing as she closed her eyes and sunk deeper into the water.
Without saying anything, he soaped her up, scrubbing her skin and eliminating all traces of anything and anyone else. Of course, he couldn't prevent himself from becoming aroused by her. His woman's body was phenomenal, and just the sight of her pert nipples made his mouth water. On a whim, he drew her into his lap and tucked his nose into her neck, breathing in the scent that he would always kill for. As he inhaled, he finally began to relax a little.
He ran his nose behind her ear and then down along her jaw until his mouth reached hers, and then he kissed her, pulling her closer to him, his hand lowering to the middle of her shoulders as he claimed her pretty, succulent mouth the way he loved.
Immediately, the princess winced.
He pulled back slowly, watching her. "What is it, Analisa?"
She kept her eyes averted and didn't say a word.
Maddoc growled in displeasure but reminded himself that she was still grieving. He pressed the back of her shoulders again and watched her carefully as his hand lowered down her back. She winced again, her body jerking as pain flashed across her face.
Maddoc twisted her around and was shocked to see bruises and gashes on her back.
"When did this happen?" Maddoc demanded, turning her back around.
Ana did not answer. Keeping her gaze away, she firmly ignored him.
"Analisa, when did this happen to your back?"
She didn't answer again, and this time he noticed her jaw was hard, her teeth were clenched. He growled in annoyance, she was refusing to answer him.
He thought back to the events of the day, trying to figure out when she got hurt. He’d kept a close eye on her the whole time she had traveled to the altar, and then as soon as she appeared at the top of the steps, and began to walk, he had kept his eyes on her constantly. There was no other time for her to be damaged unless it was when she was getting ready, and she didn't look as though she walked in pain.
"Tell me, Analisa," he murmured, slipping his hand between her legs. "Tell me how you were hurt."
Ana said nothing, didn't even respond to his hand, although her breath hitched when he touched her.
Maddoc couldn't help but smile. Ana always reacted beautifully to him, no matter how much she might want to deny it. Even when she was begging to see her father, she was so aroused by his presence, just as he was by hers.
He froze, remembering their rough coupling in the woods. He had thrown her against the tree.
He cursed loud and hard, his mood souring that he was the one who had damaged her.
"Why didn't you tell me you’re hurt," he bellowed, forcing her around again to look at the injury. It had to hurt.
Ana said nothing.
Maddoc finished washing them both, carefully cleaning Ana’s back, before climbing out of the bath and carrying her to the bedroom. Grabbing a jar of healing salve from his dresser, he applied it gently. "This will aid the healing. It may take a few days, but it will heal without any lingering bruises and scars."
Once again, she said nothing.
"Ana," Maddoc said warningly. "Your grief about your father is not a reason to ignore your injuries. If you are hurt, you do not ever hide that."
Ana kept her head down and remained still and silent.
"Analisa!" Maddoc grabbed her shoulders and yanked her to face him, but when her eyes landed on him he saw that she was not depressed or desolate at all. The fire in her eyes was just as strong, if not stronger than it had always been. And it was full of hate. She was choosing not to speak to him. Immediately Maddoc growled, grabbing the back of her head, and he rose up to kneel on the bed, leaning over her. "When I speak, you will respond."
The look in her eyes hardened and her mouth tightened as though she was resolving that she would never speak.
Annoyed, Maddoc let out a gruff growl and pulled at her hair, releasing all the pins and nets so her beautiful, red hair could fall free around her shoulders. "You think you can remain silent?" He hooked his arms under her legs and pulled her forward slightly, forcing her to drop back on her elbows, he then slapped her legs open, spreading them so far that her bare pussy tilted up at him. It was already shining, waiting for him, and as usual, his whole body responded. "Do you think you will last a day without screaming for me?"
Ana didn't move a muscle, didn’t try to close her legs or resist him. Instead, she averted her eyes to a spot behind him, as if removing herself from the situation in her mind, and removing her thoughts from him.
That was unacceptable!
Maddoc rumbled his displeasure and grabbed her breast, squeezed it hard as he dove down to her pussy. She inhaled sharply, but didn't make a sound as he pinched her nipple and wriggled his tongue along her slit.
Fuck, this woman always tasted so good. He wasn't sure how he’d managed to survive without her taste, her scent—it was simply magnificent. He lapped her pussy, dipping and stroking into every crevice and nibbling her juicy folds. Her potent, tangy slick oozed, sliding on his tongue and filling his nose so strongly, he moaned with pleasure. Ana’s breathing deepened, and her pussy twitched. When he pressed his tongue into her, moving his hand to pinch her other nipple, she awarded him a moan, and he smiled as he latched onto her clit, suckling gently as he grabbed her ass, his need for her building.
By the time her clit was throbbing, Ana was crying out, writhing and shuddering on the bed as her climax gripped her in its beautiful crescendo—like it always did.
Maddoc rose up, then pushed straight into her, eager to be inside her again. Her pussy clenched around him and he groaned sinking deep to the root, his balls resting against her ass as she arched her back to accept him.
When he began to thrust, her pussy was so wet that each delicious sloppy slam echoed through the pavilion. Ana writhed underneath him, her breasts swaying and jiggling, her hips humping up to take him harder and deeper, and all he could do was watch her, mesmerized, as he had done for the entirety of the first two nights he was with her. In truth, Ana had surprised him more than he ever thought possible. It wasn’t just her fiery response to him, or her willingness to fight back as hard as she did, but she blossomed sexually from the moment he ordered her to open her legs. Though she hummed and squealed with delight when he dominated her, she also wanted things her own way. She scolded him when he didn’t listen, and was willing to fight back and claim the situation as her own. Even when she had slapped him for not listening, it had been refreshing to watch the so-called docile princess so flush with anger to be moved to violence in that way. It had been the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And then when he'd actually taken her, she licked and arched, and sucked, and purred… needing his cock and seed in her mouth. She reveled in his body and in his scent, just as he did in hers, doing every instinctive thing he’d heard Omegas did but never quite believed. It was an unparalleled experience, one that he knew could never be replicated anywhere else.
No one else could have that from her, and he was satisfied knowing that no one had.
He increased his thrusts, shunting into her tight, undulating body, carnal pleasure and ecstasy forcing coarse grunts from his throat with each push of his hips and clench of his ass.
Whatever protest Ana was trying to make by not speaking to him could not last. Not the way she moaned and ground her hips. However, Maddoc noticed that her eyes were lidded. He grabbed her jaw and tilted her face to his, watching her expression of bliss as she climbed to another crescendo.
Her orgasms were always the most erotic thing about being with her. Her tense body, her breathy cry, and the gush of her slick—it was intoxicating.
Pounding harder, Maddoc increased his speed, clawing at her breasts as she screamed at her peak, his own climax approaching. As the rush of devastating pleasure exploded, a roar erupted from his throat and he jammed his knot into her swollen sheath, almost breathless at how tightly she encapsulated him.
Ana rotated her hips as he ground himself deep within her and he groaned, dropping over her small body and pushing her off her elbows and onto her back.
Their coarse, loud breaths saved the room from silence, and Maddoc closed his eyes, reveling in the ongoing pleasure his Omega was giving him; her panting body underneath him, her heels digging into his ass to keep him deep within her, the clench of her channel milking his spurting cock. He rumbled in satisfaction and tucked an arm underneath her, but it was only when she winced that he remembered her back. Rolling over onto his side, he pulled her to lie next to him, tucking his bicep under her head for her to rest on. Her eyes were closed, the expression on her face relaxed.
"You would never have been able to keep quiet for long," he said, his tone smug as he brushed her hair out of her face. "You are too vocal, Analisa. It is one of things I love about you."
But when her eyes opened to meet his, the hardness was still there and after a moment of glaring at him, she averted her eyes. Maddoc suddenly realized that she had moaned and screamed, but she hadn’t said his name or formed any words at all.
"Analisa," he growled sharply. "You will speak!"
But no matter what he said, what threat he made, Analisa’s mouth remained shut. As soon as his knot shrunk, he was pounding into her again, this time on her hands and knees as he pulled her head back and forced her back to arch, pushing her ass in the air. It was one of the most delicious positions, the roundness of her ass another mesmerizing sight as he battered into her, each slam rippling those perfect cheeks.
But Ana still did not speak.
The next time he had her against the pavilion floor, then on the table in the living area, and then he was so incensed by her silence that he filled her throat with his seed, roaring that if she wasn’t making use of it, then he would.
Each time, regardless of however powerful her orgasm was, Analisa did not speak, not even one word. She barely even looked at him.
Maddoc fucked her all night, each time rougher than the last, each orgasm racking her body harder, until she was so exhausted she could barely move, and she fell asleep on his knot.
Maddoc played with her hair as he fumed. Clearly, she blamed him for not allowing her to see her father in his final moments, but what he had done was a kindness. She didn’t realize that, but how could she? She barely knew anything that was going on around her. Still, he would not allow her to be disrespectful or disobedient.
He growled in annoyance as she slept, recognizing that this beauty was finally his, but yet he could not control her. It was fucking ironic considering the way she’d been controlled by everyone else. He couldn’t start their three nights again while she was in this rebellious state; it wouldn’t work.
So if she was choosing to be difficult, he would have to be drastic and break the silence out of her until she once again begged and pleaded for him.
* * *
The next morning should have been blissful.
Maddoc woke with his Omega’s scent in his nose, her soft body tucked into his, her dried slick all over his face and her gentle breathing in his ears. She was finally in his pavilion. It should have been perfect, except it wasn’t.
Ana lie awake, her eyes on the ceiling, her breathing calm. Maddoc didn't even try to engage her. He rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him and pulled her up so he could suck on her nipples. She kept herself limp and unresponsive, but the whimpers began when he gently bit her nipple and sucked it hard and twisted his mouth around it. Her head lolled to one side and her body twitched, her hips rotated, seeking the gratification he could give her, the savagery that she needed, but he didn't give it to her. Kissing up her neck, he scented her slowly, running his nose to the back of her ear and back down her neck, taking great pleasure in her scent and the way it settled him. It pulled on every instinct, singing and tugging on everything in him to own this woman. His cock jerked on his stomach, leaking as it sought to provide lubrication for what was to come.
Maddoc bit her ear, sucking the lobe and flicking his tongue along it, satisfied to hear the way she whimpered.
"You are exquisite, Analisa," he mumbled, almost to himself, as he sunk his nose back behind her ear. “I am glad you are finally here.” A sudden gust of her sweet intoxicating scent perfumed the air around them, signifying her need.
Maddoc’s cock hardened to the point of pain, but he lifted her off him and placed her next to him on the bed. “I will fuck you again when you choose to behave,” he said, glaring at her.
For the first time, various expressions flitted across Ana’s face, and Maddoc noted both surprise and smugness. “You think I have been forcing you to suffer on my cock.” He leaned forward and kissed her sticky slit before looking up at her. “If that is the case, you will not want me again. And I doubt that will ever be the case.”
The scowl that appeared on her face would have been humorous, if he wasn’t so furious about having to punish her this way. But he didn’t dwell on it, instead he briskly got up to get dressed. Her pussy tasted ripe for fucking, and if he didn’t go, he might break his rule immediately.
"You will not leave this pavilion," he instructed, as he dressed. "At least not until your back is healed."
Ana clenched her teeth as she glared at him. She turned away and laid down on the bed.
Maddoc growled his displeasure but didn’t say anything more. Her punishment would be harder than she knew, and although he would suffer too, he would not accept her denial of their attraction anymore. Once she accepted that they belonged together, everything else would be manageable. So the next time they fucked, it would be because she begged for it, nothing less. And they had the rest of their lifetimes for that to happen, though he expected she wouldn’t last until tomorrow.
He turned away from her and refocused his mind. Now that his Omega was safe in his pavilion and at his base, certain things needed addressing.
When he exited his pavilion, all of his commanders were gathered by the local campfire talking amongst themselves. They quietened when they saw him, all of their faces grave. Maddoc knew what it was about and beckoned them to the meeting tent.
Once they were seated at the table inside, he braced himself. "How bad is it?"
“Bad,” Griff said bluntly. His second-in-command Alpha looked disheveled from being up all night, but his eyes were sharp. “Redcrest and Sterling are, of course, fighting for the crown, but they have all agreed that they must unite to retaliate.”
Maddoc frowned. “How?”
“By coming for us.”
“Coming here?” Maddoc asked. “What makes them think they will find us when they haven’t before?”
“They intend to make a good effort of it,” Walrick said gravely. “They are using all their own resources, the king's guard and… the people.”
Maddoc tensed. “What do you mean, the people?”
“They are rounding up everyone who might have seen any of us or seen the direction we may have headed and are questioning them,” Griff said. “Three families have already been killed… ones loyal to us.”
“Fuck!” Maddoc stood abruptly, kicking back his chair in his outrage and pacing across the tent. He clenched his fists and turned back to the table, forcing himself to ask. “Who?”
“The Bennetts, the Haywards, and the Wrights.”
Maddoc cursed again, his anger turning to fury. All of those families had young children—most of the families who supported Maddoc’s cause did. And now they were all at risk.
“We have to go home, Doc,” Bram said, though his voice was resigned. “We can’t stay and risk ’em findin’ us here. You have your woman. Let’s go now while we have the chance.”
“I gave my word to those families, Bram,” Maddoc bellowed. “We cannot leave them.”
“Then you shouldn’t have shot the king.” Raine’s voice was quiet but firm.
The other commanders remained silent. Only Raine got away with pushing the boundaries by speaking to him like that, and she only did it when she felt there was a need. Maddoc still didn’t like it.
“Where did they put him?” he asked.
“Back at the palace.”
“Did Agnes go?”
Raine nodded. “I haven’t heard from her.”
It doesn’t matter," another man, Percy, said. "This changes things. We never planned to assassinate the king. It will not bode well for us with the people, even those loyal to us. It will upset the balance too much."
"And we have the heir to the throne," Griff pointed out. "They have an incentive to attack us until they get her back."
"I'm not sure about that," Walrick said. "This is the chance for Sterling and Redcrest to take the throne."
"It’s not that simple," Griff said. "There is no outside influence in this scenario. None of them will want to risk being usurped for taking the throne improperly. It is easier if they have the heir."
"Well, they’re not going to get her," Maddoc thundered. "That should not be a surprise."
Griff shook his head. "No, but they will try hard to.” He inhaled a breath. “I must agree with Bram, Maddoc. We have to go home sooner rather than later."
“No.” Maddoc shook his head. "This just means we execute our plans early, all at the same time. We will still have success while the kingdom is in disarray, we just have to get it done quicker." He looked at all of his commanders. "I trust you will work to ensure that it gets done."
Each of the commanders nodded, except Bram. Bram was a slim man, unassuming in many ways, nothing remarkable about the way he looked, but for his strategic mind. He tilted his head at Maddoc. "If we don’t leave now," he said slowly, "we risk never leaving at all. They will find us here, and they will be desperate to get her back. They will slaughter us and keep their actions hidden in this forest. The longer we stay, the more risk there is to everyone here."
Maddoc gritted his teeth, annoyed at Bram's assessment of the situation, but he couldn't ignore him, not when he relied on him so much for all of his strategic plans.
But Maddoc would not break his word to the people who had risked their lives to help him, to help them all, and he still had to open Ana’s eyes to the truth of her precious court. If he didn’t, she would never accept that what he’d done had been the best thing for them both.
Part of Maddoc wished he hadn't been so cryptic with her during their two nights together, that he'd been able to tell her everything. But she was too much of a puppet, and still was, and had been conditioned not to believe anything he said. That he'd had to get her in his arms through the Royal Promise was already enough of a disgrace, but the fact she didn't even recognize what there was between them, that she fought him at every turn, was testament to how far and how securely she'd been manipulated by her parents.
He walked back to the table. "It is the people out there in the kingdom who risk their lives, yet still help our cause, who are the bravest among us,” he began. “They risk themselves and their families and their livelihoods every day—we would not have achieved anything without them. I will not abandon them. I cannot—it was my arrow in the king’s neck yesterday. So all of you are welcome to leave now if you wish," he began. "I have never forced anyone to stay or to work on this goal with me against their wishes. The only one who is forced to be here is the princess. So if you want to go home, or go anywhere, go. Take any man or woman who wants to go with you and take the weapons you have built. See how you fare. You could survive better in the current circumstances." He leaned forward on the table, his hands planted firmly. "Just know that if you reveal anything about the guild, or our plans you will be killed as is protocol."
All of the commanders were already shaking their heads.
"I am not saying we want to leave," Bram clarified. "I’m saying we should, to avoid any possibility of being captured or killed.”
“Plus some of the new highcloaks haven’t finished their training,” Griff said. “They’re still learning our methods and ways. This is not the time for us to rely on new warriors."
"I agree," Maddoc said. “It should be awhile before they locate us. Finish the training of those who have already started but demote any who are not ready. If there is someone you wouldn’t trust your life with, they must go." He looked at all of his commanders. "Is that clear?"
They all nodded.
"Good. Then we move on with our plan. Just one more thing," Maddoc said. "We have an Omega at our base now. This is hers as much as anyone else's, but she is an unwilling resident. I assume you remember the protocols we talked about being in place for when she is here."
All of the commanders nodded.
"Good. That must be enacted now and at all times. Another thing, none of the highcloaks are to talk to her."
There was a long silence. The commanders stared at him, a couple of them glanced at each other. "But we are all highcloaks… at least, in the active guild…."
"Exactly,” Maddoc said. "Make sure all of them know.”
The confusion on the commanders’ face smoothed out, but he could tell they didn't understand the request. Fortunately, they didn't need to understand to carry it out. "Understood?"
They all nodded, and Maddoc pulled forward the maps and began pouring over everything and discussing their plans. He needed to be careful with everything he did from now on, and it didn't help that in the middle of this, Ana was being so difficult. He understood she blamed him, and that she was grieving, but he couldn’t allow anything negative to fester between them.
But it didn’t matter. He still had her, and once she realized the raw instinctual power of their attraction, her behavior would not last. Soon she would be begging for his cock, and his kisses, and to be by his side as his woman, where she belonged.