Our rightful queen.
She parts her red lips, and I cast my eyes over her face. She’s still sweating. Beads of moisture collect above her brows, and she’s burning up.
Her rosy scent wafts my way, making me horny, and what is wrong with her? What’s wrong with me? Why does my dick get hard when it catches a whiff of her pretty scent?
Enzo reaches down, pressing a finger to her forehead. He removes his finger and sniffs the sweat. “Just as I thought. Belle has gone into heat. I should have seen the signs. It happens to human women when they spend enough time in our world. That explains her addictive aroma. Monsters can’t get enough of it.”
My heart drops when I think of Alice alone with the guards, but then Enzo grabs my shoulder. “It’s okay, Madoc. It only happens to mated females. Alice is safe.”
I sigh in relief, trying to calm my erratic pulse. The thought of any beast in this world praying on that small, female human makes me feral with rage, and no one will ever touch her. Even when she’s of age. I will rip their throats out.
She’s my sister after all. I have to protect her. There is more I have to teach her with knives.
Belle opens her eyes, staring at Enzo in horror. “W-what? I have gone into heat? Like some bitch?!”
I snort at the curse word, but Grey slaps me across the head. “She means the dog, you idiot.”
Still. My beauty said bitch. I love it when she curses. So sexy.
Belle gripes, rolling her eyes, and then she winces in discomfort, grabbing her stomach. “Fuck! I think I got cramps or something.”
My poor beauty. I reach across to place my palm on her stomach, channeling my flames, and my fingers burn like embers. She sighs in relief when it eases the cramps.
Enzo exhales “It’s one of the symptoms of your heat cycle, Belle. You need to mate. It’s the only way to remove the pain.”
Her hazel eyes bug at his words, and then her pupils expand. Her breathing increases as her rose scent saturates the air, and all four of us purr in response.
Our mate needs us.
“I volunteer!” I announce, shooting my arm up.
Grey snaps his teeth. “No!” His gaze falls on Nero and a smirk crosses his lips. “The honor goes to Nero. He hasn’t claimed her yet, and it’s about friggin’ time he did.”
I go to protest, but then I see my older brother’s face. He shies away, and I find it hard to be mad and jealous when he looks so humble. I remember how grief-stricken he was when Jane died. He doesn’t like to mention her name, but I think he owes it to himself.
Jane would want him to be happy. She was a lovely girl.
Besides, as our new queen, Belle will pretty much live forever. So he has nothing to lose.
Fair enough. I will give up my chance to be the one to relieve my mate’s heat.
Nero will be the one to relieve her.
Chapter twenty-one
Belle
Nerostammers,hisheadjerking back and forth between all three of his brothers. They only encourage him further, and he swallows visibly, gasping for air.
“I... I don’t know... it’s... been a while...”
Grey wraps an arm around his neck and gives him a noogie. Nero hisses, whacking him with his tail to get him off him. “Please. You used to be thelady killer, little bro. There’s nothing shy about you. Stop being so humble.”
The lady killer? My heart skips a beat and all four monsters stop and inhale as my scent spikes. It’s a nice smell. Like my dream perfume that I always wanted growing up. Roses and that new book smell.
It’s heaven. Even I want to lick me.
Madoc steps up to Nero, giggling like a maniac as he tosses Nero a playful punch. “You were the one who taught me how to use my tongue to pleasure the ladies after all.”