“This is not your fault, Kervel,” Dal said gently.
“His dick is fine! That's the only part of him she needs,” Brendallen snapped at the Farungal. “Besides, I'm done with him.” He grinned at me as he undid his belt. “I've got a new toy to play with.”
“No!” Dalsharan roared and pulled at his restraints. “You want to hit someone, you hit me, Brendallen. You leave Ravyn alone!”
The Coyote Lord chuckled. “Oh, my, do you love him too, Dal? What a strange twist of fate. You'll get to watch me train two of the men you love.” He let his belt drop so that the end without the buckle smacked the floor. “You're lucky I'm an exhibitionist.”
The Coyote Lord drew back his hand and brought the belt down across my back. I grunted from the blow, but it wasn't so bad.
“You fucking bastard!” Dal shouted, blood spraying from his lip. “I will kill you for this! I will fucking kill you!”
The belt hit again. Again and again. Then it stopped suddenly. My back was hot but it still wasn't awful. Was that it? Brendallen's impressive training skills? Whatever. I'd been right, he was a pussy. Then I felt something wet run up my spine.
“Get away from him!” Dalsharan was practically frothing. His wrists started to bleed where he pulled at his manacles.
I looked over my shoulder and saw Brendallen licking my back. He groaned, his hand splayed over my skin as he traced every red mark with his tongue. The Coyote Lord's eyes opened and shifted up to catch my gaze. They glowed like candlelight as he grinned and slid his hand possessively down my leg. I turned back toward the pole and grit my teeth as that hot tongue continued to lave me, like an animal licking its wounds. Brendallen's hand moved around my hips to grab my cock. He squeezed it through my pants.
“You can have me!” Dalsharan shouted.
Brendallen went still.
Kervel moaned.
“No!” I roared.
The Coyote Lord lifted his head, straightened, and pressed his body against my back as he contemplated us both. “Hmm, isn't this a quandary? Is the great Dalsharan Arandel truly offering to be my whore just to save his consort? The man who refuses to suck cock because he's the dom?” He winked at me. “Oh, yes, I know all about your lover. Poor baby, he won't suck you off, huh? I'll take good care of you.” He kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear, “And then I'll fuck your ass so hard that you'll forget his name.”
Dal's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed at Brendallen, but he snarled, “Let him go, and you can have me. I'll even suck your cock.”
“Dal, no,” I growled. “No, I can take it. I'll be all right. It's just sex.”
Brendallen laughed gleefully. “Oh, this is so sweet. Both of you offering yourselves to me. But the thing is, boys, it's out of my hands. I've already told Gremara she can have the Hawk Lord, even if he isn't the Hawk Lord anymore.”
“If you're so eager for this mutant kid to be born, why don't you fuck her?” I growled.
“I tried. Believe me, I tried. I sacrificed myself for the good of our races, but it wouldn't take. She consulted some fucking seer, and they said it had to be the Hawk Lord. Something about a Hawk starting the curse and so one has to end it.”
“You're lying,” I said. “Gremara told us it could have been any warlord.”
“Of course, she did, you little fool.” Brendallen rolled his eyes. “She couldn't very well tell you that I stole the Lion Lord's amulet and gave both it and mine to her so she could use the golden soul stones to lure the Hawk Lord across Alantri and capture him.”
“Holy fuck,” I whispered.
The Coyote Lord howled with laughter. “What's so funny is that the Lion Lord is enraged because you believed him to be in league with the Farungal, Dal. But you were right; someone is allied with the Farungal, it just isn't Hadrian.”
“I never thought one of you betrayed us,” Dal said wearily. “I believed it was some human in your camp.”
“Oh?” The Coyote Lord cocked his head at Dal. “Then you weren't right. Darn. Not so funny.” He shifted his gaze back to me. “You, my pretty bird, nearly fucked up our plans when you freed Dal. But then you saved his life, and we need him to father the child. So, in a way, you helped to bring peace to our world. You should be proud of yourself.”
Brendallen stroked the belt buckle down my back, then abruptly wrapped the leather around my throat and threaded the end through the buckle. As Dal shouted for him to stop, begged him to, the Coyote Lord slowly tightened the leather strap around my neck.
“Do you know that if you bring a man nearly to the point of dying, you can give him the most delicious orgasm?”
Kervel started whimpering, pressing his forehead to his knees.
“Oops, I think I broke your spy, Dal,” the Coyote Lord purred. “Don't worry, I'll be more careful with your consort. Ex-consort, that is. He's mine now.”
I choked, my neck muscles straining against the belt.
“Please, Bren!” Dal shouted.
The pressure eased. Brendallen left the belt dangling around my neck, leaving me gasping as he sauntered over to Dal. One elegant hand slid up Dal's chest, through the blood, spreading a crimson swath up his throat before he rubbed a finger over Dal's lips.
“Open your mouth,” Brendallen growled.
Dal opened his mouth, and the Coyote Lord shoved his bloody fingers inside. He started pumping them across Dal's tongue, gagging him.
“Suck me,” Brendallen demanded. “Show me how you'll suck my cock if I let your consort go.”
Dal's eyes flashed fire, but he closed his lips around Brendallen's fingers and sucked. He moved his head to draw them deeper into his mouth. The Coyote Lord growled in arousal and stroked Dalsharan's cheek, then leaned forward to grind his crotch against Dal's leg.
“You beautiful brute,” Brendallen purred. “If only I could take you up on your offer.” He drew his hand away sharply. “Alas, I cannot.”
“You've had your fun; I will take him now,” the Farungal declared.
“Not yet!” the Coyote Lord hissed over his shoulder. “Go back in the bedroom and wait. They are my prisoners now, and I will say when you can have him!”
Habbern growled but stalked back around the partition.
“Don't hurt him, Bren,” Dal begged gruffly. “He's not like Jaxon; he won't enjoy it. Please, if you need to beat someone, hit me.”
“So gallant,” Brendallen drawled. “And listen to you, using my nickname at last, trying to soften me. Do you think I care if he doesn't want it? I'm a master at this; Ravyn will be begging for my whip and my cock by the time I'm through with him. He will break,” Brendallen leaned close to Dal to add, “just like Jaxon did.”