A few weeks ago, he’d purchased land outside city limits, where he’d begun building Meredith’s dream home. A place to raise their children, if ever they were blessed in such a way.

“When I return, we’ll pick up where we left off, and I’ll give you another orgasm.” He sat at the edge of the bed to pull on his boots.

“Unacceptable.” Meredith pressed her bare breasts against his back and rested her chin on his shoulder. “You’ll give me two orgasms—to start.”

He chuckled, though his amusement faded fast. A countdown clock had begun racing inside his head. Ticktock. Ticktock.

She ran his earlobe between her teeth. “If I could challenge Aveline on your behalf, and win, I would.”

“I know.” But, if she dared try, Bane would be forced to retaliate against her. Nothing broke the mystical bond between an Adwaewethian warrior and his queen, not even love for another.

A queen had absolute control over her men, as well as the beasts that lived inside them. Literal beasts who despised everything but death. A dark scourge the warriors battled physically, mentally and emotionally every minute of every day, with two exceptions. Sex, and the nearness of a royal.

Right on cue, a familiar roar of protest sounded inside his head. The beast didn’t like that he would soon be leaving a willing partner. Any partner. Beasts weren’t picky, and they were never satisfied.

I know the feeling. All his life, Bane had felt incomplete. He’d thought, hoped, his marriage would fix him, but...

More roars. Louder. Bane breathed deeply, filling his lungs in an effort to remain calm. Whenever a host lost control of his temper, he lost control period, the beast overtaking and changing him. He would grow in height and girth, horns sprouting from his head, spikes protruding from his spine, claws blooming at the ends of his fingers. Scales as hard as steel would cover his skin, and his teeth would sharpen into enameled daggers. He would kill with abandon and glee, the taste of blood ambrosial, screams of pain like music.

“What do you think Aveline the Greatly Terrible wants from you?” Meredith asked, drawing him from his musings.

Ticktock. “Most likely she’ll command me to murder someone who’s offended her.” And Bane would do it without hesitation. He would do anything she requested; no matter how despicable, her command was his duty. Physically, he couldn’t disobey her.

At the reminder, fury burned through him.

“We must find a way to sever the queen’s hold over you,” Meredith said.

“As awful as it is, as much as I despise it, a link with a royal is necessary.” A fact difficult to understand for the beastless. They couldn’t comprehend the constant tug-of-war between man and monster, or the balance created by the royals.

Meredith heaved a sigh. “I’ll help you, whoever she orders you to kill.”