Corrupt Prince by Ivy Mason

Twenty-One

Nero wasthe one to collect me.

I was almost flattered.

Out of all the things he needed to do today, he came to threaten little old me into behaving.

Fucker.

And where the hell was Coulter? He’d returned late last night, and barely spoke to me before he left again.

Something had changed between us and I didn’t know what it was. I’d been giddy after preparing for Rose’s wedding but he’d tampered down my excitement quickly by his sour mood.

After gathering some things, claiming he had things he needed to do before the wedding, he’d headed for the door, leaving a cold chill in his wake. He’d stopped when he walked through it, turning to me. “You would never betray me, would you, Aster?”

Any words I had died in my throat, and I could only stare him down with my lips parted, unable to speak.

He waited for what felt like a really long moment, his dark stare drilling into me. When I didn’t say anything, he’d left, and didn’t return for the night.

Now, as I stared in the mirror, watched by some beefy baldie named James, one of Nero’s guards who looked like the whole world had pissed him off, I decided, screw it.

Today, my older sister was getting married to a man she loved.

And, she was going to have a baby.

It was going to be an amazing day and, despite my circumstances, I was determined to enjoy it.

I was ushered to the wedding by Mr. Baldie-face just in time to line up to walk down the aisle.

Rose was stunning in a Claire Pettibone mermaid dress, with a gorgeous lace bodice and delicate hand-stitched beading. Her chestnut-brown hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, with strands of it threaded through delicately placed aster, lily, and rose flowers.

I teared up at the sight of her homage to me and my sister.

Her face lit up the moment she saw me, and we hugged enthusiastically before a pale, long faced woman urged us to our places.

I walked somberly down the row towards the altar, resisting the urge to skip. I recognized Bourbon from the photo Rose had shown me, staring up the aisle. His stark, blue eyes looked eager and totally smitten, and a warmth washed through me.

Life was going to be good for her.

Despite the threat of Nero, he would protect and take care of her.

Coulter was standing next to him, and I tried to catch his eyes, but he didn’t look at me. A few men down from them stood another man, with almond shaped eyes, long hair tied behind him, and danger radiating from his mere essence.

He also had a chocolate cosmos flower pinned to his suit, the only man wearing such a flower. This was my sign: he was the man who would help me escape. His eyes met mine in a meaningful stare and I nodded briefly, rushing to my spot.

My smile wavering, I took my place and waited patiently, torn between being so happy and excited for Rose, feeling sad about Coulter’s change in behavior, and nervous about my plans for escape.

My stomach rolled every time I thought about it, guilt plaguing me.

I wanted to tell Coulter, I really did. But in the short time I’d had to say something last night, I’d opened my mouth, intending to tell him, but nothing came out. Rose said no one, and I had to keep my promise.

The wedding was beautiful, although Rose didn’t have much time to talk to me, so I mingled, meeting men and women from all over the world. There seemed to be a common, underlying feel to the audience.

Most of the people here were mafia.

In the end, I ended up hanging out with a scowling Dante for the rest of the day and through the beginning of the reception. Just as everyone was sitting for the wedding dinner, I glanced towards the table at the head of the room.

Coulter was standing behind it, talking to his father. They were next to Bourbon, who was pulling out a chair for Rose.

I fidgeted, not knowing where to go, when Coulter looked my way.

His golden eyes met mine for the first time today. Suddenly the world around me fell away and it was just me and him.

I knew in my heart that I couldn't betray him.

Despite the fact that he was helping keep me prisoner, he could've been so much worse.

Could've treated me how Nero treated those women.

Despite everything, Coulter had not only been good to me, but he'd wiggled his way into my heart, and I knew that I couldn't leave him.

Not like this.

And possibly, not eve—I stopped the thought in its tracks.

He looked away, giving a significant look to Dante, and I pulled in a deep breath.

I had to talk to Rose, tell her I wasn’t leaving. I felt like I was letting her down, but if I could just explain to her how I felt about Coulter, how kind he'd been to me, she would understand.

Trying to be discreet, since I was leaving just as everyone was sitting down to eat, I ducked low, making my way towards the side of the room. I’d hoped to be discreet by avoiding the crowd in the middle of the room.

As soon as I made it to the wall, a hand clasped around my arm.

It was Dante. His cold eyes stared at me with disdain, and I faltered, trying to swallow down the lump in my now, suddenly dry throat.

He looked at me as if I was a bedbug on his pillow.

Did he know about the plans to escape?

The blood drained from my face. Why else would he look at me like that?

It wasn't possible. It couldn't be.

I tried to pull my arm away but his fingers tightened, stepping into me to growl in my ear. "Coulter has requested your presence by his side for the meal."

I tried to pull away again but his arm was a steel bar around me. I'd have to make a scene to get away.

"Sure," I gave him a false smile, trying not to show my nervousness. "I just need to talk to my sister first."

If possible, his eyes grew colder. "Oh, I don't think that's going to happen."

If I was reading the signs right, Coulter knew about the escape.

I don't know how he knew, but somehow he'd found out, and he thought I was betraying him.

Well, I'd just have to explain myself to him, wouldn't I?

“Let me go," I growled, "and I will follow you willingly to the front."

He stared into my face, assessing me. Then, after a moment, he leaned in. “Do you remember my promise to you?”

I straightened, meeting his gaze with a defiant one of my own. “Yes. Do you remember my promise to you?”

His fingers dug even more harshly into my skin, though he did put some distance between my knee and his nuts. “I don't trust people who betray Coulter, so no, I'm not letting you go. You will walk with me to the front, and you will do as Coulter asks."

I stiffened but decided that, for Rose's sake, I wasn't going to make a scene.

I let Dante lead me to the front of the room, and as soon as we passed the front table, all eyes moved to me.

For the first time in a long time, I felt self-conscious as hundreds of faces stared at me, watching as Dante escorted me across the back table to Coulter.

When we arrived, Coulter didn't look at me and I shifted nervously. Next to Coulter, sat the empty chair where Dante had been assigned to sit, then Knight.

After that were people I didn't recognize.

I looked up at Rose, trying to capture her attention, but she was already staring at me, a smile frozen on her face. Her mouth moved, but I couldn’t understand what she was trying to say. The waiters began to serve the appetizers.

“Sit down, Aster," Coulter growled. Since I didn't see any other empty seat, I edged towards Dante's empty chair, but Coulter’s hand snapped out, grabbing my arm and dragging me to him, where he unceremoniously dumped me into his lap.

I landed with a yelp, clasping my hand over my mouth to muffle the embarrassing noise.

Dios mio,how humiliating. Was Coulter expecting me to eat on his lap the whole time? I was never going to be able to talk to Rose now.

I shifted, and Coulter leaned forward, his hand tight on my waist to hold me still, and growled in my ear. "You nervous, Aster?"

I faked a smile, though I was super uneasy. “I don’t know how you expect me to eat like this.”

“It’s easy, let me show you," he picked up a spoon and, leaning into my back, the warmth of his firm chest bleeding into me, filled it with soup, then pressed it to my lips.

"Really," I tried to talk him down from this madness, "this isn't necessary."

"It really is." His mouth closed over the lobe of my ear, nibbling it, "Smile, Aster, people are staring."

The attention was still on us, stern faces gazing. Probably wondering who the ‘whore’ was on his lap. Some almost looked offended, like I was making a spectacle on purpose, even though they'd just seen me practically dragged up here. Some of the men stared with sly smirks, a few women however, gave me a sympathetic smile.

I straightened, meeting their gazes, and opened my mouth.

Spiced tomato-based flavors exploded on my tongue, and I murmured as it slid down my throat.

Bit by bit, his hand went from his plate to my mouth, his fingers brushing sensually over my lips, with one hand clamped around my stomach, his body pressed tight against my back.

The wine was like silk, the salmon rich, and the soft lights around us shimmering.

I fell into a trance, with the wine and his warmth surrounding me, the smell of his musk tickling my senses, his lips pressing to my ear.

I was vaguely aware of his thickening cock at my back, Knight talking and laughing with Coulter, and Nero growing more and more drunk.

My skin buzzed each time Coulter’s fingers made contact with my lips, while his other hand was slowly drawing up my dress, pulling it up and over my knee.

Then his fingers began to softly stroke the skin of my inner thigh, setting my heart racing.

It was warm, stifling almost.

Suddenly, I was aware of everything in the room.

How close Nero was to the two of us, shifting agitatedly. Did he know what Coulter was doing?

Strangely, Rose and Bourbon were missing from the table, their two seats empty like missing diamonds in a ring setting.

Had Rose tried to get my attention?

My cheeks burned an even deeper shade of red at the thought. I’d been so mesmerized by the opulent food and Coulter’s touch, I hadn’t noticed them leave.

Coulter's hand trickled higher under my dress, his fingers tickling across the lace of my softness.

"Open your legs, Aster," he murmured against my ear, and I obeyed, unable to stop myself.

And, even though he went back to talking to some guy named Massimo and Nero, who was growing more and more agitated, even though I could see Torian with his signature flower trying to capture my gaze meaningfully, I held my breath, not moving, as Coulter's finger slipped under the line of my panties. Parting my pussy lips, he began to stroke me.

Oh. God.

Fire blazed through me. I was already wet.

I wanted him to stop. God, did I want him to keep going.

I was amazed no one even glanced at his hand, mostly hidden by the tablecloth, but if anyone really wanted to, they would be able to see.

I was vaguely aware of the commotion at the end of the room, the whispers that began in a trickle and slowly swelled through the room.

Then, as Coulter inserted two fingers up inside me, pumping up into me, my bald, beefy guard walked up to Nero to whisper in his ear, placing something in his hand.

"Well then, find them," Nero snarled, banging his hand on the table.

I vaguely registered that he'd slammed down a syringe needle, and that the cake was being brought from the back of the room through the crowd. That the mood of the room was shifting from curiosity to alarm.

Were Rose and Bourbon missing?

What was going on?

I tried to care, I really did.

And just as I opened my mouth to ask, Coulter inserted another finger up inside me, pressing against my clit with his thumb.

Oh my god, I was going to come, right in front of everyone.

I clutched the table, my insides screaming, my whole body flaming with need.

And yet, I needed to find Rose.

I moved to stand, knowing Coulter would have to pull out if I did, but his other hand came down on my hip, squeezing it. His voice was a growling demand. "Stay."

I stilled, surprised by the commanding sneer in his tone. He leaned forward, shoving a third finger up inside me roughly as he bit out in my ear. “You're not thinking of leaving, are you Aster?"

My lips parted as he fucked me relentlessly, trying to speak. “I—I wasn’t, I mean, I was going to tell you--”

"You were going to run, Aster.” I could hear the hurt in his voice, the low growl that betrayed his pain, “You betrayed me. For that, you need to be punished. You're not leaving. Not if you want to save your sister.”

My breath left me in an exhale. I was speechless.

Coulter continued to fuck me with his fingers and I could only clench around him, biting down on my lip to keep myself from moaning.

Then, the baker made it to the front of the room, carting the large cake in front of him. It was white, with a strawberry sauce, dripping from all sides.

I vaguely registered his eyes wide in fear as he stared, not at where he was walking, but at the cake.

Nero jerked to his feet with a growl, grabbing the microphone at the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." I realized with a shock that it wasn't Nero speaking, but Coulter.

All eyes were suddenly on him, and me.

He didn't let up on my cunt, but increased his thrusting. It was all I could do to clutch the table tight and not show everyone that I was about to come all over Coulter's fingers.

"I know I'm terrible, stealing the spotlight like this on the bride and groom's day, but I can't hold it back any longer."

I stared blankly at the cake that was now featured in the front of the room, realizing with horror that what I thought was the cake topper was actually two eyeballs.

Actual. Real. Eyeballs.

They were a deep blue, and reminded me of a stormy sea. Eyes that also reminded me of Bourbon's.

What I thought was strawberry sauce was actually blood, dripping from the top, all the way down the sides.

What the fuck was going on?

"As you know," Coulter continued, “Rose Petrov, now King, is the lost Russian princess. She’s graced us with her beauty and bloodline, and it truly is our honor to have her in our family.” He paused dramatically, flicking my clit with his thumb, and I wanted to kill him, “but what you might not know is that we've also discovered her sister, Aster.” All eyes were suddenly on me, and Nero growled from beside us. "What the hell are you doing, Coulter?"

Coulter looked up at his father, a mocking grin on his face as he crooned. "I'm telling you we're in love, father. Aster has agreed to be my wife. Haven’t you, baby?” He hooked his fingers up inside me, tap tap tapping once again on that magical spot up inside me.

I couldn't help it.

No matter how much I pressed my thighs together, how much I grit my teeth, I couldn't stop it.

I stared at those two blue eyes, and came.

And fucking came.

I creamed all over his fingers and hand, and my panties and thighs were soaked, all while everyone was staring at me.

Then, chuckling darkly, he pressed his lips to my ear, kissing it and whispering, “I’ll lick that up later, little nightmare.”

* * *

To be continued…

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