Page 146 of The Crown’s Temptation

First there was her scent. Then the warmth. The low hum still sounded in his ears and he could not get rid of it and was not sure he wanted to. When he opened his eyes his hand was between her legs.

"The body does not lie, Teorin."

"You only love Colsar," he said, closing his eyes.

"I love him, yes."

His heart sank.

"Love and choosing someone are not the same thing." She paused. "I was a girl when I was made to marry him, Teorin." Her voice lowered. "Now I am a grown woman. With a grown woman's mind and a grown woman's body."

He felt himself grow hard without intending to.

"I can be forever loyal to Colsar because it is the right thing to do." A pause. "Or I can make a choice. I can choose you."

He laughed. "You have hated me."

"In many ways, yes. But now I have truly died. And the only reason I sit here in front of you is because you made it so." She paused. "I do not have my power here, Teorin. I am growing restless and there is an ache⁠—"

"What sort of ache?"

"The sort I have always had and never known how to fix."

"You have been married."

"Yes. With one objective. To bring my husband pleasure."

Something in Teorin's chest sank at that. He should not have been surprised. Colsar was a cold and selfish man. But when Asharin had died in that dining hall he had seemed to truly love her.

Maybe he loved her but did not know how to pleasure her.

Asharin's scent moved through him again. "You should put your clothes on," he said quietly.

"Yes," she said.

She reached over him to get her nightgown and in that moment something in him broke. Before she could grab it he lifted her off the ground and picked the nightgown up himself. He put it over her head then took his cloak from the chair and covered her shoulders.

"I am tired of your shit," he said, and dragged her out of the room.

He kicked open his chambers and pulled her in. A human woman sat on his bed. It was the same one from breakfast, now bathed, her hair damp, sitting naked.

"Sit on the floor," he said. She nodded and sat.

"You are biting off more than you can chew," he said, his voice rough. "Lie on the bed."

She lay down. Before she could speak his head was between her legs. She began to moan in a way that made Teorin want to flip the bed and fuck her senselessly. He turned to the human girl. "She is too loud," he said, now working his fingers inside her. The girl nodded and before Asharin could say another word the girl was positioned above her face, her sounds muffled. The girl lifted up briefly.

He laughed coldly. "You like that, little Asharin? You think you want me? You are tired of the lies? Well. Here is who the fuck I am."

"Do you like me, princess?" the human girl said.

Before she could finish Teorin slapped her. "She is not yours to speak to, human whore." His hand closed around the girl's throat. There was a gasp, a choke, and the girl's body fell limp.

He felt a pang of regret knowing what Asharin would think of him. She will know you are a monster. Now she will know.

He pulled the girl off Asharin's face. Then, because she was freshly dead, he bit into her neck, her blood running down his face. When he was done he closed his eyes briefly. "Are you alright?"

Asharin sat up slowly, her face wet. She tilted her head to one side.