Ch 005: His Control

[ RAEGON ]

I watch the dress slide down her body, inch by slow inch, until it pools at her feet. 

Warm ivory skin is revealed to me, flawless and soft, and though she trembles as she stands there, trying to hold herself together, her fear does nothing to dull her beauty.

She is shaped to ruin men, with curves that could halt an entire battlefield, full, well-rounded breasts that would sit perfectly in my hands, and nipples already tight, begging to be sucked. 

Her stomach is flat, waist narrowed in a way that needs no corset to look obscene in silk or lace. 

And that smooth, shaved valley between her thighs…

Fuck.

My cock thickens, hard and unashamed as I take her in. My jaw tightens as my gaze lingers there, hunger curling low in my gut. 

I want to part her with my fingers, feel how warm and soft she is, feel her break beneath my touch.

A low growl slips from my throat before I can stop it. It is not for her. It is for the thought of every other man in that selection hall seeing her like this. 

Naked. Open. And tempting.

No wonder those fools raised their fans. They wanted her. Wanted the one thing that had really, truly caught my attention for the first time in a millennium.

I wonder if they smelled her too—that faint, sweet scent that clings to her skin. A scent so intoxicating it feels wrong that anyone but me should breathe it in.

That alone had been enough to anger me. Enough to make me choose her, to show them all that what I wanted was not up for debate. None of them dared challenge me. Displeasure, yes—but no one was foolish enough to ask to share her.

Rules be damned.

Even now, I am surprised by my own reaction. By the possessiveness. By the way my body responds to her without permission.

But perhaps there is nothing surprising about it at all. She is beautiful in a way that demands attention. And paired with that scent?

Fucking hell. She feels made to be owned by a man like me.

She must mistake my growl for displeasure, because she starts shaking harder, her head bowed, her posture small. Fear clearly radiates from her fragile frame.

“Come closer,” I say at last, breaking the silence. My voice is cold and carries that tone of command that it always has.  

She obeys immediately, taking slow shaky steps toward me, never once lifting her eyes. When she stops in front of me, I give my next command.

“Kneel.”

She drops to the floor.

And holy fucking moon! 

Seeing her like this, naked and kneeling at my feet, does something savage to me. Something old and feral. I want to pull her onto my thighs and ruin her until she forgets how to breathe.

But not yet.

Instead, I reach out, gripping her chin, forcing her head up. Her eyes meet mine at last: soft, wet with unshed tears, wide and vulnerable beneath thick lashes. The sight arouses me, but stirs something else too.

Pity. Or something close to it.

“Beautiful,” I murmur, the word leaving me again as my fingers trace her jaw. “So fucking beautiful. No one has the right to look like this.”

My hand slides down between her breasts, my thumb brushing her nipple. She gasps softly, her body reacting before she can even stop it. 

My cock aches desperately, begging me to take what is already offered.

Still, I pull my hand away. I lean back, forcing control into my limbs.

“Cover up.”

Her eyes widen instantly, shock flashing across her face. Her breathing turns ragged, panic bleeding through her composure.

“My king… I can try. I can prove myself, I—”

“No one is sending you away,” I cut in, standing as I reach for my robe. I slip it on and tie it, my gaze never leaving her trembling form. “One week. Get yourself ready, and get comfortable. Then I will touch you.”

Disbelief floods her expression. I almost scoff. She is too easy to read. 

“Thank you, my king,” She whispers, bowing low.

I turn away before I forget my own restraint and take her right here. I leave her kneeling, her breath finally easing as relief replaces her fear. 

The guards open the doors as I step out of my chambers.

Haelyn waits by the corridor, leaning against a pillar with a cigarette between her fingers. She crushes it beneath her heel the moment she sees me and falls into step beside me, looping her arm through mine.

“Well?” she asks lightly. “Was she any good?”

I glance down at her, lips curving. “Don’t tell me you were eavesdropping.”

She rolls her eyes, lips pushing into a pout. “Why wouldn’t I? There’s finally a girl who’s caught your attention again after all this time.” Her gaze lifts to mine. “You didn’t make love to her, did you? You were only in there for a short while.”

I exhale slowly, eyes fixed ahead as we walk. “I didn’t.”

From the corner of my vision, I catch the pleased curve of Haelyn’s mouth.

“Hm… really?” she sing-songs, resting her head against my shoulder. “She wasn’t any good, was she? I could tell. Too inexperienced. Too fragile-looking. Starved, almost. I knew she wouldn’t be your type.” She chuckles softly. “Not when you’re a beast in bed. A man with appetites most women can’t survive.”

She looks up at me again. I keep my gaze forward, jaw tight, because she’s wrong. That girl, Aysel, is pale, yes. Worn down by life, maybe. 

But made for me in a way I can’t explain.

“Why don’t you get rid of her, then?” Haelyn continues. “Hand her off to someone else. One of your loyal soldiers, perhaps. You’d earn their devotion for life. She’s pretty enough to be a reward.”

I stop abruptly.

She nearly stumbles, catching herself just in time. I turn to face her, studying the crease between her brows, the surprise flickering across her beautiful features. 

My expression is calm, but stripped of any amusement. “You misunderstand me, Haelyn.”

I step closer, my eyes never leaving hers. “I never said I don’t want the girl here. Or that I have no use for her. Yes, I didn’t touch her.” My voice lowers. “That doesn’t mean I won’t.”

Her lips part slightly.

“I intend to take her when she’s settled, not shaking with fear. When she’s ready to lose her virginity without breaking apart.” I lift a loose strand of hair from her face and tuck it back, allowing a faint smile to touch my lips. 

Her expression hardens instantly, nostrils flaring, that familiar jealousy burning bright in her eyes. 

“And since you know what it’s like to arrive here young and unprepared…” I add softly, “you’ll help her adjust. Maybe teach her a thing or two you know I enjoy in bed.”

A sharp scoff leaves her mouth. She glares at me openly now. “I can’t believe this. Since when did you start caring about the women you claim?” Her voice tightens. “I was a virgin too when I came here, Raegon. You didn’t hesitate. You didn’t pity me. So what makes her so special?”

If it were anyone else, their tongue would already be on the floor.

But this is Haelyn.

She has always occupied a space others could never touch. She’s sharp-minded, daring, and dangerously clever. More than just a body to warm my bed, she knows politics better than half my council. A dethroned Alpha’s daughter turned slave, turned consort. I chose her for a reason.

And I’ve never interfered with her jealous fits. Never questioned the punishments she handed out who dared glance at me lustfully. 

But this is different, for reasons I really can’t pinpoint for now. But definitely different.

“Listen to me,” I say quietly, leaning in until our faces are barely an inch apart. My fingers trace her cheek slowly. “And listen well.”

My thumb brushes past her lips, up her cheek, feeling the tension beneath her skin. “You will not touch that girl.”

Her eyes darken.

“I see that fury in you,” I continue calmly. “That jealousy you refuse to control. It’s becoming a weakness.” My hand slides to her neck, fingers closing around, just enough to make my meaning clear. “And if you act on it… if you touch even a single strand of her hair…”

I lean closer.

“You will answer to me.”