She’d be his.
This was his kingdom, and even though most of the women within the walls hoped he’d choose them as a mate, he’d had no interest in any woman—until today.
He tucked his gun into the back of his jeans and held out his arm so the women would feel welcome to enter the main yard of the property. They moved tentatively, easily jumpy. He wondered what they had been through.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. They both turned to him at once. Luanna nodded eagerly, but Ashley just stared at him. He approached her, tilting her chin up with a curled finger. “I asked you a question.”
She swallowed hard, but kept quiet. Feisty or terrified, he wasn’t sure. Either way, just being near Ashley made his cock hard. It had been over a year since he’d fucked a woman, and right now that fact was making itself painfully clear. Somehow, even being starved, she’d managed to keep her lush curves. Her jacket barely concealed the fact she had huge, sloppy tits. So many of the women who came through these gates were emaciated, not unlike Luanna.
“Yes, she’s hungry, too,” Luanna answered for her.
He brushed the hair from Ashley’s forehead. Even with all the dust and smears of mud, she was still the most breathtaking thing he’d ever seen. The loneliness that had plagued him the past year suddenly felt irrelevant. His focus shifted.
Draven wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there, staring at Ashley, but Luke cleared his throat to snap him out of it.
“Boss?”
“Right.” He took a step back, taking a cleansing breath. “Bring them to the kitchen, feed them well, then get them cleaned up. New clothes, too,” said Draven.
“Are they going to be staying on?” asked Luke. They often aided travelers, then sent them on their way. They couldn’t house every person passing through or they’d be overrun and their supplies would be devastated. It was a hard world, and they had to make tough choices.
“Luanna can sleep in the women’s dorm for now. Bring the fertile one to me after.”
There was silence, and a couple gasps, but no one dared to challenge him. It was unlike him to show any interest in a woman. He stood rooted in place as the men ushered the newcomers forward to the kitchen. Ashley kept looking back over her shoulder at him. She was young and ripe, maybe early twenties, half his age. It didn’t matter to him. For the first time in a long time, he cared about something beyond survival.
Draven’s Kingdom. He played with the words in his head. He’d never really thought about his role in this world he’d created. Maybe king was an appropriate title. He licked his lips as he watched the jiggle in Ashley’s ass. Fuck, she turned him on without even trying. He could already envision her naked, and all the filthy things he wanted to do to her body.
It didn’t matter how long it took, she’d be bred by the king.
Benjamin came and stood beside him. “I thought you said no man living here could take without consent. Does that not include you?”
He clenched his jaw to contain his irritation. “I make the rules here, not you. Just worry about abiding by them, eh?”
“Yes, Boss.”
“And don’t worry about Ashley. When I take from her, she’ll be more than willing. I can guarantee you that much,” said Draven. “Make sure no one goes near her but me. I want her untouched.”
Benjamin nodded, then joined the others.
Draven retired to his bedroom on the upper level, the largest master suite in the mansion. It overlooked the front courtyards and had its own grand bathroom done in the finest marbles. Back when he’d been serving in the military, he’d never had much in the way of material possessions. He traveled a lot, lived in different places, never really settling down.
This place, this kingdom, was growing on him. He savored the power, but he wasn’t foolish enough to abuse it. This place was going to be different, and he’d fight to keep it that way. No corruption, no rapes, no murder. Whoever broke the rules, paid the ultimate price. It was just the way it had to be.
He’d seen what desperation, fear, hunger, and the thirst for power could do to a man—most men—since the virus was released. Draven could play their ruthless game. He wasn’t afraid of what roamed outside his walls. In fact, he dared anyone to try to take his land. He’d developed a reputation for a reason. Any man who fucked with him would be made an example of.
Draven lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Yes, he craved Ashley in the most carnal ways, but it was more than the desire to fuck her. He wanted a partner, a queen. And the little fertile was the key to his future, their future. He could see it now, her stomach round with his child, his legacy.