“I dreamed of this for so long,” Toka said quietly, afraid it would all disappear if he spoke too loud. Rayner moved his lips lower, kissing down his torso to his stomach. The kiss to Toka’s inner thigh sent a shiver through him, and he hummed in delight.

  Rayner’s hot mouth took in Toka’s shaft down to the root, and Toka arched his back, gasping in surprise. He clutched fistfuls of the blankets as he writhed with pleasure. The feel of Rayner’s expert mouth moving around him, his tongue playing with the slit of Toka’s cock, the way he licked and laved was almost too much.

  “Oh Goddess above.” Toka groaned, his head thrown back and his toes curling in ecstasy. “Rayner,” he gasped, the fire within him threatening to consume him.

  “Touch yourself,” Rayner commanded softly as he pulled away and left Toka to fetch supplies. He returned quickly, and Toka bit his bottom lip as Rayner kneeled on the bed between Toka’s legs, his eyes never leaving Toka’s as he slathered the lubricant on his beautiful hard cock. He was resplendent. Every inch of his sculpted body achingly beautiful, from his broad shoulders to his tapered waist and strong legs. Rayner’s lips parted as Toka stroked himself.

  “Please,” Toka said through a moan.

  Rayner swiftly obliged, bringing a pillow under Toka’s hips before pressing the tip of his engorged head to Toka’s entrance. He was so careful, tender, as he pushed in past the ring of muscle. Toka groaned, and Rayner moved gingerly, pushing in until he was seated against Toka. He bent forward and kissed Toka, sweetly, lovingly. Then he began to move, and Toka tumbled over the precipice into a sea of pleasure. He dug his fingers into Rayner’s back, holding on tight as Rayner pulled out then plunged deep inside Toka. He moved slowly, pulling almost all the way out only to drive himself in deep, making Toka gasp each time. Toka feared he might shatter at the overwhelming joy and pleasure that coursed through him every time Rayner sank inside him. Rayner rotated his hips, and Toka cried out, certain he had reached the stars. Rayner kissed Toka and did it again, striking something incredible inside Toka, sending a burst of light through him.

  “Oh my… oh, Rayner.”

  “That’s it, my darling. I want to feel your release. Let me see the pleasure only I can bring to your beautiful face.” Rayner laced his fingers with Toka’s and snapped his hips once more. Toka threw his head back, his cry filling the room as his release flared through him, the ribbons of his semen hitting his stomach as he came undone beneath Rayner.

  Rayner growled, thrusting his hips against Toka over and over, until his muscles grew rigid, and he let out a roar that shook Toka down to his depths. The white light inside Rayner’s Soldati soul lit up the room until Rayner collapsed, spent, his weight a heavenly welcome against Toka’s body. There was no place he felt safer, happier, or more loved than right there at that very moment, holding his love in his arms.

  Toka nuzzled Rayner’s cheek, murmuring soft words of love as he stroked Rayner’s hair. Rayner didn’t speak. He simply held Toka close, welcoming Toka’s comfort. Toka never lost faith. Despite knowing it was unlikely he would ever be claimed by or mated to Rayner, he dreamed of holding Rayner in his arms every night, just like this.

  It would seem his dream would have to remain that. A dream.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The resounding crack of the cat-o’-nine-tails before the knotted thongs sliced through Rayner’s skin jolted Toka as if he had been struck.

  As the sun rose, Toka woke to the sight of Rayner’s beautiful face. He watched Rayner sleep for some time, taking note of his full lips and rugged jaw, the way his long lashes rested on his cheeks, his thick dark brows and strong nose. The golden amber when he slowly opened his eyes and his sultry smile were forever seared into Toka’s mind. They had made love again, a tangle of limbs and searing kisses. Rayner brought Toka to release, his name a broken promise on Toka’s lips. For as long as Toka lived, Rayner would be his home, his solace, his heart.

  Then they came for Rayner.

  Toka and Rayner had been dressed by then, holding each other on the chaise lounge as they waited. The doors to Rayner’s bedchamber opened, and two mournful-looking Soldati came to take Rayner and prepare him for the flogging. Now Toka stood, clinging to Riley, grateful for his prince, who held on to him, keeping him from crumbling to the ground as Pavoni joyously dispensed one lash to Rayner’s bare back. Rayner’s wrists were each shackled and chained to a marble pillar. Both pillars had been erected in the west garden overnight, as the castle did not possess posts for flogging. Khalon had made certain to choose a place farthest from Riley’s garden, and Toka was grateful for his consideration. If Toka was leaving his prince, at least Riley would still find peace somewhere he loved, untainted by this horror. It had been centuries since such an act had been performed on castle grounds. It had all but broken Toka, seeing Rayner shackled to the posts, his torso bare and unscarred for the last time.

  The whole of the Soldati court was in attendance, and from inside the castle, the servants watched despondently from the windows. They all knew what Rayner meant to Toka, and many of them had secretly expressed their hopes that Rayner might one day be Toka’s. Riley had not accompanied his king this morning, but instead, he’d arrived at Rayner’s room after the guards left with Rayner. No words were exchanged between Riley and Toka. None were needed. His prince was as bereft as Toka. He had laced his fingers with Toka’s, and together they left for the gardens.

  Another crack, and Toka covered his mouth with his hand to keep from crying out. Tears blurred his vision, and he tried so very hard to be brave as Rayner had asked him to be. The second lash was worse than the first. Rayner didn’t scream. His mouth and jaw muscles flexed as he took the pain, only flinching when the whip snapped at his skin. His eyes were dark and hard, his hands clenched into fists as he fixed his gaze on Khalon. There was no mistaking Khalon’s heartbreak. Toka had never seen his king look so mournful. He might be dressed in all his regal glory, standing at the forefront of his warriors, with back straight and shoulders rounded, but his eyes were that of a grieving man. Khalon’s flinch when the whip cracked was subtle, barely visible, but Toka saw it clearly.

  The court was silent, their expressions pained. The whip cracked again, and Toka winced. Riley’s arms squeezed Toka, and he wished he could bury his face in Riley’s jerkin, but it was not permitted. How much longer would he have to bear this? A tenth, eleventh, and twelfth strike had Toka shivering. Rayner’s back was bloodied from the gaping wounds, a crisscrossed mess of gashes. Toka had given up fighting back his tears. With every blow, Pavoni seemed to grow angrier. Was it because Rayner refused to scream? Refused to beg for mercy?

  Pavoni drew back his arm and struck with all his force. Blood splashed against the stark white columns as Rayner cried out. Toka freed himself from Riley’s hold and sped over to Rayner, cupping his face. Rayner was awake, but barely.

  “Rayner,” Toka cried. “I’m so sorry.”

  Rayner shook his head. Sweat dripped from his face, and Toka brushed his plastered hair away from his brow. “Your only crime… was to love me.”

  “Forgive me for not telling you sooner how much I love you.” Toka kissed Rayner’s lips, but he was jerked away, Pavoni’s snarling face between them.

  “Pavoni,” Khalon warned, leaving his men and heading in their direction.

  Pavoni’s voice was a low growl so Toka and Rayner could hear him. He spoke quickly, most likely because Khalon would be upon them at any moment. “Take a good look at your foxling, Rayner. The next time you think of him, imagine my cock in his tight little hole. I’m going to enjoy claiming his ass every day whenever the mood strikes.” Pavoni grabbed Toka’s hair and brought him up against him. “And you. I will break you of your spirit.”

  “Pavoni, what is the meaning of this?” Khalon spat as he crossed the garden.

  “Perhaps. But you will never take the love I have in my heart for him,” Toka replied through gritted teeth.

  “We shall see,” Pavoni sneered. He tossed the whip aside and dragged Toka with him as he marched for the castle. Khalon grabbed Pavoni’s arm, but before he could speak, Pavoni snarled at him.

  “I’m done here.”

  “Toka,” Rayner cried out after him, pulling against the chains binding him.

  Toka struggled against Pavoni’s iron grip to no avail. He didn’t want to go. He wasn’t ready to lose Rayner. “Rayner!”

  “Get these off me!” Rayner spat out, his eyes wide and panicked. “Toka, you must be strong!”

  Toka nodded. He was shoved inside the castle so hard he tripped and fell. The door slammed shut, blocking out the sun and the view of his love. In the distance, Rayner’s agonized wail tore at Toka’s soul. He was dragged to his feet, and his struggling was met with a blow to the back of his head. As the darkness came for him, Toka refused to accept his fate.

  Rayner…

  “I never thought myself a coward until now.”

  Rayner welcomed the scorching heat as Ezra applied the special balm to his wounds. Pavoni and his court were gone. Rayner had stumbled out to the front gates in time to see Toka unconscious, thrown over the bastard’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Then they were gone. Rayner collapsed afterward, his adrenaline leaving him at the mercy of his broken body and broken heart.

  “You are not now, nor have you ever been, a coward, Rayner,” Ezra replied softly.

  “I’ve lost him forever.”

  “You must have faith.”

  “Faith? What is there to have faith in? If I had made my feelings known sooner, perhaps Toka would be in my arms instead of…” Rayner closed his eyes, unable to continue. He would not allow that son of a jackal to stain the memory of his beautiful foxling. Rayner would remember Toka as he’d last seen him, full of life, love, and joy. In his mind and heart, Toka would forever be smiling, amber eyes glowing with mischief and adoration.

  A gentle hand on his head soothed his growing ire.

  “I’m sorry I can’t do more,” Ezra murmured.

  “You have done all you are permitted to, my dear friend. Thank you.” As per Soldati law, Rayner was to heal of his own accord and not by anyone’s hand, certainly not a healer such as Ezra. He was not permitted to shift into his tiger form to accelerate the process either. His body was already on the mend, but it would take hours still for the wounds to completely heal, and at least a couple of days for the scabs to fall away, leaving behind a roadmap of scars, an eternal reminder of what he’d lost.

  “Rayner…”

  Khalon’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he pushed himself to sit up despite Ezra’s gentle pleading he not move. His wounds burned as his muscles shifted beneath his torn flesh, but he would not look weak in front of his king. He sat and rolled his shoulders back, hissing at the pull of torn skin. Ezra quickly dabbed at the newly bleeding lesions.

  “Rayner, please. You are my brother.”

  Rayner shook his head. He would shed no more tears for the man he’d called brother. He didn’t want to hear those words from Khalon. It was too little too late.

  “All I ask is that you understand—”

  “Understand?” Rayner’s voice was quiet, his strength of body and heart abandoning him. “I understand that had it been Riley, I would find myself at the frontlines of a war, not merely because he’s a prince or a Soldati, but because he’s yours. How can my love for a foxling servant compare? To you, Toka’s life is worth less than the whim of an arrogant, spiteful king. Now, if you will excuse me, Your Majesty, I would like to grieve my loss alone and in peace.”

  Khalon flinched at Rayner’s harsh words but said nothing. He nodded and left.

  “Rayner—”

  Rayner put a hand up to stop Ezra. “Thank you for your help, my friend. I would like to rest now.”

  Ezra looked as if he wanted to say more. Instead he nodded and headed for the door. “Please notify me if you should need anything.” He closed the door quietly behind him, and Rayner lay down. Within minutes, a gentle knock sounded, and Rayner bid them enter.

  Sansone peeked inside the room. “Sir, I have what you asked for.”

  “Thank you. Enter, please.”

  Sansone entered the room with a large rectangular basket in his arms. He placed the basket at Rayner’s feet beside the bed, his eyes filled with sadness. “The items you asked for. As you requested, Toka’s bedchamber will remain untouched until you or His Majesty says otherwise.”

  “Thank you, Sansone.” Rayner managed a small smile and once again thanked the foxling. He waited until Sansone had gone before crouching down in front of the basket. Inhaling deeply through his nose, he let his breath out slowly through his mouth, then unfastened the lid. He swallowed hard as he caressed the cream-colored fabric. He removed it from the basket and stood. How could this have happened?

  Rayner sat on the edge of the bed and held the soft tunic to his cheek. Toka’s rich foxling scent invaded his senses and gripped firmly at his heart. He lay down on his stomach, so as not to stretch his wounds, the tunic held close. His exhaustion was all-consuming, and though his heart lay in shards, his Soldati soul refused to give in to despair. He would find a way to free Toka and make that bastard Pavoni pay. The man would soon regret ever having laid eyes on Toka or crossing Rayner’s path. Rayner was far from done.

  This was his life now.

  Toka stared up at the giant stone bear statue beside Pavoni’s extravagant throne, an exact match to the one on its right. The Dell’Orso throne room was much like the rest of the castle and its king. An imposing beastly thing, cold, harsh, and uninviting, with jagged edges and sharp corners capable of slicing through his skin if he wasn’t careful. The Dell’Orso castle had been carved into the side of the colossal Orso mountain centuries ago. Toka had woken up just as the king’s portal spit them out into the wretched kingdom outside the castle gates, and Toka stood long enough to gaze up at the mountain. He supposed he should be grateful Pavoni possessed the power to summon portals, or they would have been traveling for days across the Soldati realm to reach the border of its neighboring kingdom. Why prolong the inevitable?

  The castle stretched into the sky, its peaks vanishing into the gray clouds. Perhaps once it had been a kingdom as resplendent as that of the Soldati, but now it was everything the Soldati realm was not. Created to intimidate outsiders rather than welcome them, a boast of nobility and power with brown-and-black flags trimmed in white snapping in the wind from every soldier-occupied parapet. The whole place and everyone in it appeared ready for war, much like its king.

  “His Royal Majesty, King of Dell’Orso, King Pavoni.”

  Toka did his best not to growl and spit at the man as he entered the room. He strutted down the ridiculously long red carpet to sit on the ostentatious throne forged of steel and stone. Pavoni’s lip curled up on one end, and he motioned for Toka to approach. When Toka didn’t move, the guard beside him pushed him forward. Teeth clenched, Toka placed one chained foot in front of the other, then stopped when he reached the bottom step leading to the throne’s platform. Pavoni shook his head. He spread his knees and pointed to the floor between them.

  “Kneel. Here.”

  Summoning calm and courage, Toka ascended the steps and came to a halt in front of Pavoni, his shackled hands clenched into fists at his sides.

  Pavoni leaned in, his voice a low growl. “I said, on your knees, foxling.”

  Toka hesitated, and Pavoni threw a hand out and snatched him by the throat.

  “You’re mine now. When I say kneel…” He squeezed Toka’s throat, making him gasp for breath, and forced him down onto his knees. “That’s a good little dog. Dog. That’s what humans call male foxlings, isn’t it? How fitting, for I have every intention of training you like one.”

  Toka clenched his jaw, his gaze never wavering.

  “Such insolence.” Pavoni moved his hand from Toka’s neck to his hair, running his fingers through it. “Rayner’s influence, no doubt. Did you give yourself to him?”

  Toka couldn’t help his smirk. “Yes, with joy and love.”

  “Of course you did. Little whore.” Pavoni snorted in disgust.

  “Call me what you will, but I gave myself to him freely. Rayner took only what I gave, and that is something you will never have.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  “No. I know. Rayner has more power than you’ll ever have. The Soldati respect him, admire him, and love him. The comparison is laughable. You—” The backhanded slap across his face made his body spin, and he fell onto the stairs and rolled to the bottom with a painful groan. His lip was split, and he tasted blood. Pavoni marched down the steps and kicked Toka in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He gasped and held on to his middle, curling up on himself when Pavoni crouched beside him to grab a fistful of his hair. He tugged Toka’s head up, forcing him onto his knees.

  “You seem to underestimate the extent of my hatred for your lover. I’m going to enjoy tearing into that hole of yours. I’m going to fuck you until there is nothing left of the light inside your soul, until you’re nothing but a used, empty husk, and then—” He removed a knife from his belt and slid the side up Toka’s face. “—I’ll cut into your flesh, and when I’ve had my fun, when there is nothing left of the beautiful foxling he cherishes so much, I will send you back to him, and he can hold your ghost until you depart this world.”

  Toka would not allow Pavoni to see the terror his words brought. He glared at Pavoni, the loathing he had for the man coming through in his voice when he spoke. “No matter what you do, he will always be the greater man, and you will be but a pitiful charlatan forever dwelling in his shadow.”