Lion wanted to bury his hands in her hair, his tongue in her mouth, but somehow he knew she wouldn’t allow it. And he couldn’t risk her stopping. He needed this—needed her. His breath came faster and faster. His pulse thundered. His hips shifted up so she took him at a deeper angle.
“Look at me,” Langwidere commanded.
Lion obeyed. The way she stared at him made him groan again, his breath increasingly uneven. He wasn’t going to last much longer. His release was building, building, building, and he clenched his jaw to hold it back. A moment later Langwidere cried out, her movements slowing as she climaxed, and he let himself go, too.
They both sat there, chests heaving, for a long minute. Then Langwidere stood, threw her skirts back down, and stalked back to the closed box. “I have to prepare my new head before it gets too old.”
Lion glared at her in disbelief. “And me?”
“What about you?” She lifted the box and cradled it in her arms. “You’ve served your purpose today.”
“Does this mean—”
“I’m still considering your offer,” she said.
“But…”
Langwidere stalked to the door and paused. “I’m pleased with you so far. Don’t ruin it.”
Lion laughed quietly. She was going to agree—he could sense it—but she had to make a show of it. Had to be the one in charge. That was fine with him, as long as he was needed and important. With his plan, that wouldn’t be a problem. “Yes, my queen,” he replied.
Chapter Six
Langwidere
Langwidere continued to teach Lion her lessons. Each day, she had him remove another’s head. It was more than usual, but he needed to learn the proper technique to make sure her new heads remained undamaged. She’d have him discard the old ones she didn’t feel the need to wear anymore—usually in the ocean or beneath the dirt. Then she’d reward him with another fuck.
For someone new to the art of pleasure, he excelled at it, more than she’d expected. Before him, Oz had been an exceptional lover, but that was because the faerie fruit enhanced the urge for humans to obey her better, but not Lion. He didn’t need to be under influence, because she was naturally his drug, and he was a generous and obedient lover.
Langwidere straightened her dress as her eyes roamed Lion’s glorious body drenched in sweat. This time she let him be behind her, plowing into her over and over until she couldn’t control herself from shouting his name.
“Now, get dressed.” She ran the tip of her finger slowly from his clavicle bone to right under his belly button, his cock already hardening again. “We’ll be leaving after you and the others place everything into the carriage.” Leaning forward, she purred at his ear, “Be extra careful loading the new case. It’s large enough to hold a head with a crown.”
Langwidere was tempted to take him for another round, or this time have his head between her legs again, but they could do that while traveling in the carriage. She had more important things to do right then.
Lion pulled on his trousers and boots, leaving his shirt off as she liked. His golden eyes met hers and she touched the side of his cheek. “You’ve pleased me more than I could’ve wished for. Now, gather the trunks into the carriage. Then we’ll load the heads.” All the trunks were filled with her ivory dresses. Langwidere wouldn’t dare to leave them behind unless she grew tired of her need for them individually. Ivory brought out her complexion better than any other one, and the color represented perfection.
As Lion obeyed and lifted the trunks near the front door, Langwidere wandered to her now-empty cabinets of heads. It was strange seeing them this way. They had never not had anything inside, except for when she’d first started.
A squeak of wheels came barreling up behind her. Zo picked up her wheels, softly batting them at the floor, wanting to know if Langwidere needed her for anything. “You will gather the others and follow us to the new place. There, you will be first guard and in charge of the rest of the Wheelers. I’m going to put you and the others to good use.”
Zo nodded, her nostrils flaring, eyes wide. She was silently thanking her. Zo and the others appreciated what Langwidere had done to them—they had to, or she would’ve thrown them all into the Deadly Desert, then watched them turn to sand.
As Zo wheeled out of the room, Lion turned the corner and came to a halt in front of Langwidere, his muscular chest glistening under the light.
Damn him, she couldn’t help herself. “Take it out.”
In answer, he slid his cock from his pants, already hard. His golden eyes appeared thrilled by what was to come next.
“Pump it for me,” she demanded.
“As you wish.” He obeyed thoroughly, stroking slowly at first.
“Now”—she stepped closer—“have you told me all your secrets?”
“Every last one.”
“Since Oz only wanted me as a tool, is there anything about that bastard you’re leaving out?” Did Oz truly believe that he could pick someone to use her? Langwidere was the master at control, and he just so happened to pick someone who would fit perfectly with her. Oz was nothing but a halfwit.
Lion’s hand increased its pace as he remained watching her. “Before I left, there was a map.”
“What kind of map?” What was the imbecile planning now? He was fine with giving up his hold on the Emerald City for some reason. And perhaps this map had to do with it.
“I don’t know,” he groaned. “It was a drawing of the Land of Oz, all the deserts surrounding it, and the outer layers of Oz. But there were several strange markings on the outer layers, and the territory of Ev was circled in red.”
Langwidere tapped at her chin and noticed there was crimson staining her gown from the head she’d collected earlier. “That old dolt is up to something.”
“I’ll kill him for you,” Lion gasped.
“Perhaps one day.” She watched Lion’s hand move faster. “Now stop.”
His hand immediately halted, and he didn’t even beg for release. He truly was learning well.
“You’ll come when I say you can.” Since he’d played all the cards right, it was time for her to reward him. The blood staining her dress couldn’t have come at a better time. She pressed her hand near the first button at her clavicle bone and unclasped. Lion licked his lips. Then she did the next and the next, exposing her plump breasts, her nipples pebbling. Finally, she let her dress drift to the floor. It would need to be buried since the blood would never come out.
“Say it,” she said as she sauntered toward him, swaying her naked hips, knowing she was as beautiful as he. Lion was permanent, she could already tell. Her executioner and her lover.
“Please,” he begged, voice rough, desperate.
She lowered herself to her knees, something she never did for anyone. But he was unlike anyone she’d ever had control of. Gripping his firmness tightly in her hand, she could feel the throb against her palm.
“I love you,” he rasped.
“Of course you do. I can be what, and whoever, anyone wants.” Langwidere then slipped his length inside her mouth to provide him the pleasure that would satisfy them both before they started their journey. Together, they would take over the South, and one day, she would be queen of all of Oz.