The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 15

CASSIAN

Bold.

She was so bold.

I pushed her onto the bed, following her down, my body caging hers. The silk gown was in the way, I tore it open, the delicate fabric splitting beneath my hands. Her gasp was swallowed by my kiss as I finally, *finally* let myself look my fill.

Every inch of her was perfection.

I took my time, tasting and teasing. Her back arched as my mouth found her breasts, my tongue circling one peak before drawing it deep.

Her moan was music, her hands fisting in the sheets.

"*More,*" she demanded, and I obeyed.

My fingers trailed down her stomach, lower, lower, until I found the heat between her thighs. She was already wet, already trembling. I stroked her slowly, watching her face as pleasure twisted her features.

"Look at me," I ordered, and her dark eyes locked onto mine, burning with need.

With feral need.

I slid a finger inside her, then another, curling just right. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her hips rocking against my hand.

"Cassian...*please....*"

I kissed her, swallowing her cries as I worked her toward the edge. But when she was close, I pulled back, smirking at her frustrated glare.

"Not yet," I murmured, shifting down her body.

I dragged her thighs over my shoulders and tasted her, licking deep. Her back bowed off the bed, her hands fisting in my hair. I didn't relent, didn't let up until she was shaking, until her pleas turned into incoherent cries.

Then, only then, did I let her shatter.

Her climax hit hard, her thighs clamping around my head as she came with a broken moan. I kissed my way back up her body, my own need unbearable now.

She reached for me, her fingers wrapping around my length, stroking once before guiding me to her entrance.

"No more games. Now," she whispered.

I thrust into her in one deep stroke, groaning at the slick tight heat of her.

She gasped, her nails raking down my back as I set a relentless pace. Every snap of my hips drove her higher, her legs locking around me, pulling me deeper.

I couldn't think, couldn't breath.

I just felt.

The way she clenched around me, the way her breathy moans filled the room, the way her body moved with mine in sync.

Her second climax hit just as I felt my own control snap.

She cried out, her body tightening around me, and I followed her over, spilling deep inside her with a groan.

For a long moment, there was only the sound of our ragged breathing and the crackle of the fire.

Then she turned her head, her lips brushing my ear. "Still think choosing a Queen is such a chore, Your Highness?"

I laughed, low and dark, pulling her closer. "Cassandra," I murmured.

"The night's not over yet."

And it wasn't.

Dawn found us tangled in the sheets, sated and sweat-slicked, the weight of the world far away.

For the first time in days, I didn't dread the morning.

......................

LIRA

The palace buzzed with tension the next morning, too many whispers in too many corners. I’d noticed the servants exchanging looks, their mouths tight with half-swallowed secrets. Something was spreading, fast and quiet like smoke through a crack in the wall.

By the time we gathered in the dining hall for breakfast, the air was nearly choking with unspoken words.

I caught a fragment of conversation as I passed by two maids in the corridor.

“Did you hear?” one whispered. “Someone saw a woman sneaking out of the prince’s chambers last night.”

The other gasped. “Who was it?”

“No one knows for sure,” the first replied, voice low and eager. “But everyone’s guessing.”

“It has to be one of the girls. Who else would it be?”

“Imagine if the Queen finds out…”

They moved on before I could hear more, but it didn’t matter. I already knew this rumour would explode the moment it reached the wrong ears, which meant, of course, that it already had.

Inside the dining hall, Lenora sat stiff and pale, clutching her little prayer book like it could protect her from the filth of gossip.

“I do not believe it,” she said, voice shaking. “The prince would never engage in such… sinful behaviour. It’s beneath him.”

I nearly rolled my eyes, but Lady Amara beat me to the reaction with a lazy chuckle. “Oh, Lenora, sweet, naive Lenora. Have you met Prince Cassian? Of course he would.”

“He practically used to live in brothels,” she added, popping a grape into her mouth. “Why would he change now?”

Evadne leaned forward with a smile as sharp as broken glass. “The real question is, which one of us was bold enough to go to him? I so wish we could know who it is.”

The table turned their heads in unison, eyes locking on Lady Cassandra.

To her credit, she didn’t flinch. Not really. But I saw the smallest hitch in her expression before she lifted her chin.

“You’re all assuming it was one of us,” she said, her tone even. “For all we know, it could’ve been a servant. Or maybe it didn’t happen at all. Why entertain baseless rumours so early in the morning?”

“Have we nothing better to do?” she added.

Lady Maris chimed in gently. “I honestly doubt it could be one of us. It’s against the rules. No one would do that.”

The others weren’t so convinced.

Calista narrowed her eyes. “It’s not the kind of story people make up, Cassandra. Are you denying it outright?”

“I’m denying nothing and admitting nothing,” Cassandra replied, her gaze cold. “Why assume it’s me? If you’re desperate to point fingers, Calista, maybe we should examine your eagerness to accuse.”

Her smile was thin, calculated.

“Before I forget”, she added, “I saw you one night alone in the hall with the Crown Prince. Unchaperoned. That makes you a suspect too, doesn’t it?”

Gasps. All around the table.