Filed to story: Between Two Kings: A Split or Swallow Book PDF Free
Why not?
Tem stared at the basilisks. They looked pretty close to her.
The man is a Seneca. The woman a Drakon. They are fundamentally at odds-neither of them wants to give in first. It will seem like surrender to them.
Tem watched the couple service each other in the middle of the courtyard. But instead of doing it tenderly, there was an aggression to their movements. Clearly it was a challenge, a race to get the other to finish first-one that had greater implications than just the completion of the ouroboros. All around them, basilisks were beginning to murmur. The energy in the courtyard was changing, a hum of anticipation filling the air like a swarm of hornets. Only basilisks could turn a sexual act into an insurgent one. Conflict was imminent; it was only a matter of time before a fight broke out. There had to be a way to resolve this.
I can help them.
Caspen turned to her.
How?
I can cause a hive orgasm. It will make them finish at the same time. That way neither of them loses to the other. Neither quiver needs to yield.
Caspen shook his head.
Hive orgasms are rare, Tem. They are not predictable; you cannot just choose to cause one.
They can’t go on like this. You said nobody can leave until they finish, and neither of them are going to give in. So do you have any other ideas?
It is not safe, Tem.
But Tem shook her head. She couldn’t explain it, but she knew she could do this.
Caspen continued:
Even if you could, it will cause everyone in this room to climax.
So?
Everyone will transition. But you…
Caspen trailed off. He didn’t need to finish. Tem knew what he was going to say: she couldn’t transition-she would be in danger.
I’ll be fine. You’ll protect me.
He sighed. A muscle twitched in his jaw as he watched the two basilisks battle each other in the middle of the courtyard. Worry clouded his face. Tem knew he was torn between protecting her and doing what was best for his people. The situation went far deeper than just the completion of the ouroboros. This was now a battle of wills, and if they did not resolve it quickly, it would spiral into something much worse. There was no other choice.
Very well. But you cannot leave my side, even after I turn. You must stay close to me.
I will.
Tem looked up at Caspen. He was the other half of the equation, after all. The two of them had caused the hive orgasm last time. It stood to reason that in order to cause it again, they needed to re-create the circumstances.
Without hesitation, she reached for him. Caspen dipped down to grab her legs, lifting her so she was wrapped around his waist. She was already wet, and his cock slid in easily. Tem held onto his shoulders, centering herself as he thrust up into her. After the slow burn of the ouroboros, having penetrative sex felt like heaven. Tem threw her head back, letting Caspen hold her upright, letting him take her over and over.
Immediately the hissing began.
Smoke swirled along the dark stone floors, curling around their feet and skimming up their legs. The temperature in the courtyard rose unmistakably. Caspen’s purchase on her waist began to slip as sweat slicked their skin. The basilisks around them began to move. Some merely touched each other; some of them began having sex. Tem was already close to finishing, and she wasn’t the only one. The final couple in the ouroboros were about to climax together. She could sense their imminence just as she could sense her own.
We all become one.
Suddenly, anticipation pricked Tem’s spine.
She recognized the feeling from last time-the caustic combination of fear and excitement-the hunger that meant the hive orgasm was near. Caspen’s breath came in short grunts, his intensity increasing as he thrust quicker and quicker inside her. All around them, cries of pleasure radiated throughout the room. Tem was close.
Everyone was close.
Just then, Caspen pulled her abruptly off his cock and set her on the ground. Tem gasped at the sudden change.
What are you doing?
She groped for his cock, trying to pull it back inside her. Caspen grabbed her wrist.
Stop, Tem.
Tem stopped. To her surprise, Caspen’s tone was panicked-almost fearful. She looked up at him and found that he wasn’t looking at her. He was staring around the courtyard, his eyes flicking from basilisk to basilisk. Smoke filled the air, and through it, Tem saw shadows coming into focus. Several basilisks-the same group of men who had eyed her on the first night of mating season-were approaching Tem with a ferocity she couldn’t understand. They didn’t look aroused, like everyone else. They looked…angry. Violent. A chill shot down her spine at the sight.
“What’s going on?” Tem said out loud.
At the sound of her voice, Caspen returned to her. “Do not move.” He held her still again, but this time in a different way-this time in a way that was protective, as if he were afraid of what could happen.
Tem pressed her chest to Caspen’s despite the heat radiating from his body. It seemed like an eternity passed. But the longer they stood there, the calmer things became. Rather than building toward a collective climax, Tem watched as the energy in the courtyard slowly cooled. The smoke cleared, and the hiss quieted. The frenetic burst of adrenaline that had been crawling relentlessly under her skin retreated, replaced by wariness. The couple in the middle of the ouroboros stood, clearly finished with each other. Tem had no idea who had climaxed first.
Caspen had de-escalated the trajectory of everyone in the courtyard, and he’d done it out of fear. Why? Tem knew just how difficult it was to deny yourself an orgasm. To stop everyone’s orgasm was a task so impossible she could hardly comprehend it.
Caspen’s arms were still locked around her, holding her against him. Tem couldn’t have moved if she’d tried. She could only watch as the rest of the basilisks concluded their unions-either completed their orgasms or drew apart-emerging from their partners with dazed expressions. But not everyone was dazed. The men were still coming closer-still staring at Tem like they wanted to devour her. Their eyes were black.
Do not look at them, Caspen’s voice commanded.
Tem immediately trained her gaze on Caspen, staring determinedly at his collarbone. Why are they looking at me like that?
Caspen didn’t answer. It had been a long time since Tem had seen him so tense. His muscles felt as if they were crafted from metal, clamped around her so securely that she was rigid beneath their grip. Something was wrong; that much was perfectly clear. But Tem couldn’t imagine what it was.
Before she could ask another question, Apollo appeared beside them. His eyes flicked first to Tem’s, then to Caspen’s. “You must leave.”
“Why?” Tem interjected. “What’s going on?”
Apollo ignored her, directing his next words at Caspen. “She is not safe. You must-“
“Do not tell me what to do,” Caspen snapped.
Apollo didn’t retreat. Instead, he stepped closer, jerking his head at the men, who were coming ever closer. “The Senecas want her,” he insisted. “They will take her.”
“They will not take anything from me.”
“Your arrogance will get her killed.”
“Do not speak to me of arrogance, Brother,” Caspen snapped.
“Caspenon.” Apollo glanced once more at her, and Tem saw the fear in his eyes. “You must leave.”
“She is mine,” Caspen said harshly. “And I will do with her as I please.”
Tem couldn’t help but feel like they were no longer talking about the Senecas.
Apollo stepped closer. “They only reason they have not attacked her is because you are by her side. If she is alone next time-“
“She will not be alone. Clearly, she has you to protect her.”