Claiming of the Demon King (ICS Book One)

Chapter Nine - The Next Morning

The Next Morning

Sunlight filtered in through a tall set of windows, dragging Victoria out of a deep sleep. With a groan she buried her head under her pillow, snuggling down into the mattress. The bed was so comfortable, the sheets soft and rich, the pillows feather down.

"Mmm..." she sighed, stretching under the warm blankets. Ow! That hurt.

Victoria almost whimpered as she rolled over, struggling to sit up. Her body throbbed and ached.

Blinking sleep from her eyes she looked around in slight confusion. She was in an unfamiliar room. It was beautiful, rich with tones of blue and gold. There was a stone fireplace, flanked by two empty bookshelves, and fine pieces of furniture. The back wall had two ornate windows with thick velvet curtains, drawn open wide to let in the afternoon sun.

Sleepily she rubbed a hand over her face, brushing the hair out of her eyes.

Memories from the night before came at her in a rush. She threw off the covers with a gasp, looking down at her body, almost afraid of what she would see.

Someone had cleaned and dressed her in a soft white nightgown. She blushed, wondering who it could have been. The demon?

"Oh my god," she moaned in embarrassment, dropping her head into her hands. She'd done things last night. Things with a man who wasn't even human! And she'd very much enjoyed some of it!

Pulling up her nightgown she inspected her thighs and hips. There were slight bruises and scratches but she was already healing rapidly. Timidly she reached a hand between her legs. She was sore but still intact. Yup, definitely a halfling.

With a sigh she flopped back down on the bed, her mind racing. Last night had been both incredible and terrifying. It shocked her that she'd not only responded to the demon but had actually begged him. She'd even screamed his name during orgasm.

"Arg!" She rolled over, blushing furiously and burying her burning face against her pillow. She didn't even know the demon or what he looked like. Victoria bit her lip, remembering the feel of his strong body pressed against her, moving inside her, his low growls in her ear.

Her stomach clenched. Even now the thought of him aroused her. Was there something wrong with her? Had she gone so long fantasizing about sex and longing for companionship that her mind was twisted?

Not all of last night had been bad...Oh god, she was in way over her head.

There came a soft rap at the door. Victoria jumped, sitting up and staring in horror as the door opened. Was he coming back for her?

A handsome demon poked his head inside and glanced around. Catching her gaze he shoved the door open the rest of the way, entering with a tray of tea and food.

She watched him with apprehension. Like most of the demons she'd seen so far this one was attractive, with dark red hair and black horns that curled back from the sides of his head. His eyes were striking, a brilliant amber. He wore a navy blue button up shirt and dark grey trousers. There were two swords strapped to his hips, looking completely out of place with his modern attire.

His lips were pressed into a grim line as he approached her. "You're finally awake. I was becoming worried." He placed the tray at the edge of the bed. She could smell something delicious and her stomach grumbled. "My name is Jasper. I serve Lord Sebastian."

Self-consciously she pulled the sheets up to her neck. "Hello."

His eyes flicked over her body before returning to her face. "You don't need to fear me."