Hive Queen by Sinclair, Grayson (positive books to read .txt) 📕

Both Evelyn and Adam’s personalities shifted slightly. They gained an air about them that I couldn’t identify, but it stopped me from speaking up. I settled back and watched as they approached Cassimere.

“That is a shame, Cass,” Adam said. “You were always my favorite, too.”

One of the men, a younger man with hair spiked in every direction, marched over, cocksure as could be and loudly proclaimed. “I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you need to show King Cass some resp─“

Before he could finish his speech, one of the other men ran him through. The man didn’t have time to scream as the blade pierced his heart and he dropped to the ground. The man who’d killed him dropped to his knees and bowed low to Adam and Evelyn.

“Please forgive us, Empress Evelyn.”

Chapter 11 - Aldrust

Sampson

“Goodnight,” I said and hung up.

I sat back and stared up at the black sky, lonelier than I’d been in a very long time. I used to could spend days without talking or feeling the need to be around other people, but now I was drowning without Eris by my side. A couple of days, and we’ll be back together. I can deal with things for a couple days.

Though I didn’t actually believe that.

I fingered my teeth, running my fingers over them for the hundredth time. Still can’t wrap my head around them. Fucking hell, Aspect!

It just laughed and sent a wave of cold dripping down my spine. I shivered and took another drink of whiskey, trying to banish its lingering whisper inside.

It was late, and I needed sleep, but Raven had already turned in after the episode with my teeth, and I wasn’t ready to share a tent with her just yet.

So I settled for drinking.

We’d reach Aldrust tomorrow, and I’d get a refill, so I polished off the rest of the flask in an hour, and when I was suitably drunk enough to stomach the thought of sleeping next to Raven, I turned in myself.

Raven was out like a light in the left corner of the tent. She curled over on her side and was wearing only a pair of black satin panties and nothing else. The pale of her back was to me, her toned muscles rising and falling with each breath. Her midnight hair covered her torso like a blanket. I put my back to her and climbed into my sleeping bag.

I bunched my pillow under my elbow and forced myself to sleep.

Rustling from beside me woke me what must’ve been only minutes after I’d fallen asleep, but daylight streamed through the seams in the tent, basking the small room in early twilight.

“Morning,” Raven called from beside me.

I rolled over to find her right next to me, sitting cross-legged, still naked from the waist up. Raven had light pink nipples surrounded by a perky, full bust that jostled as she roughly gathered up her hair with a tie stuck in her mouth.

I averted my gaze with a chuckle. “What’s with the women in my life and exhibitionism?”

“It’s more comfortable sleeping like this,” she said, deadpan, as she pulled the tie from her mouth and wrapped it around her mess of black hair.

“You and my wife would get along well,” I said, climbing to my feet. “Just get dressed and meet me outside.”

I left the tent and began packing our supplies. By the time I was done, Raven had dressed in her leather armor and was ready to go. I broke down the tent, and we set off as soon as it was done.

Raven shifted, and we took to the skies. Even on the second day, it was still exhilarating flying, and I loved it as we soared high above the desert.

We flew for a couple of hours and only slowed when the desert gave way to tufts of greenery and trees. The beating heat of the desert faded to lush grasslands for an hour or two until we reached the edge of Aldrust’s territory. A huge wall made of dirt and rock rose up thirty feet in a circle, covering the entirety of the territory of Aldrust. Though ninety percent was underground, there was a standing force on the surface to guard the wall and maintain a few small farms.

“That’s a big wall,” Raven said as we got close.

“Yeah, but keep away from it, unless you want to get shot down.”

“Good point.”

Though I couldn’t see them from this high up, I knew there were guards stationed around the wall, ready to engage with anything that threatened them.

Raven dipped low, and we landed about a mile away from the entrance to the city. She shifted back into her human form, and we started walking. I was grateful for the exercise. Sitting atop Raven for hours at a time wasn’t the most comfortable thing I’d ever done, and from the way she was walking, the same could be said of letting me fly on her.

“Let me do the talking when we get to the gate,” I said.

Raven turned and looked at me. Her blood-red eyes bored into mine, and she shook her head. “We’re a married couple coming to see an old friend. Magnus has already made all the arrangements.”

I sighed and tried very hard not to growl at her. It wasn’t her fault she was pissing me off.

“We could just eat her, her flesh looks tantalizing,” The Aspect whispered.

Oh, shut up.

“How about you just eat her, then, no biting involved? She has a fantastic body, and I bet she tastes delicious.”

You’re awfully chatty now that we’re away from Aliria.

“I’m thankful to be away from her. She’s terrifying.”

Well, I wish you’d go back to the silent treatment.

I ignored the