Eternal Kingdom
Chapter Two

**Bastion's POV**

*What the hell was his problem?*

I held out my hand to assist Aria into the shower, and she took it gratefully, stepping over the lip and onto the stone tile. As much as I was enjoying the fluid movements of her sexy, heated body, I couldn't get my mind off of Rory.

I had never seen a more malicious smirk from him, especially not directed at me. We hadn't had any bad blood since he was late for Aria's ultrasound, and I couldn't imagine what got him so aggressive all of a sudden. One thing I did know was that Aria would be pissed to know he marked her.

Was he trying to make some kind of statement? Shit, maybe. We hadn't fucked her together in at least a month.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind having her to myself. But I wondered if she noticed, and if so, did it make her sad? I knew how much pleasure she got from being filled by both of us at the same time. I wanted her to feel that again, but Rory had been so secretive lately.

I hardly ever saw the guy anymore.

I used to think he was busy trying to keep the ARIA properly managed. The looting and vandalism hit Vegas hard. Entire buildings were burnt to the ground and millions in property was stolen. Fortunately, ARIA was still standing. The only problem was that half of their staff had fled the city. Most of them vamps.

I guess they were afraid of the hunters sprouting up across the world. Aside from the dark angels that served directly under Lorec, hunters were basically human extremists who considered vampires and werewolves abominations who didn't deserve to live.

Yea, it was fucked up. Especially since the same was said about Aria following her birth. Karma's a bitch.

Unfortunately, the ARIA had taken such a hit in business that they were actually considering shutting it down. They didn't have the money to keep it afloat, especially since most people were too scared to step outside except for work, so they definitely weren't eager to go party in a casino.

A lot of the entertainment industry suffered that way, leading most of its workers to pursue more tame and average vocations across the world. The once bustling city was practically a ghost town, more embers than lights. That's what our meeting today was about. Our primary funding of the mansion was through ARIA and we just couldn't afford it anymore. Also, according to Jesse and Aria, even the gods had put in their two cents as it related to Lorec. "Bas?" Aria's soft voice cooed over the sound of the trickling droplets above us.

"Yea, baby? What's up?" My hands gently gripped her forearms from underneath, pulling her closer to me and making her melt into my touch.

"What're you thinking about?"

*Oh, you know, just the end of the world and Rory being a jackass*.

"Nothing important." I replied with a smile, one that I knew would bring her peace of mind. She had been struggling a lot lately. Between the twins growing, the constant meetings, and her daily meetings with Lysander, she had her hands full. I tried to help, especially with our kiddos, but even I was running low on energy.

I lowered my eyes to her shoulder once again, cringing.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked, following my eyes. Shit. Her body tensed, her eyes blinking as she took in the deep red and purple marking on her shoulder. I could see her rage building, and I knew she needed to calm down. "Baby, deep breaths."

"Don't fucking start. He... He-!"

"Maybe it was an accident." I offered, even though I knew it wasn't.

"No, it wasn't. He lied to me. I should've known he was hiding something when he asked if I wanted to drink again. I asked him why and he lied." Her voice was starting to shake. Her rage was turning to hurt and I just wanted her to smile again.

"Baby, come here." I opened my arms, waiting for her to step in. She did, circling her arms around my waist. I expected a hug. What I didn't expect was the sudden outpour of her emotions and concerns.

"I just don't know what to do anymore. I've tried to show him how much I love him, but I feel him pulling away one second and then he does shit like this the next second."

"What do you mean? He's done this before?" She sniffled, shaking her head against my chest.

"No, but he asked me to marry him. He said he was tired of sharing me." My whole body tensed, my jaw clenching at her confession. "He promised that he didn't mean it and that he was sorry, but something is wrong. He's not being honest with me. He's starting to act jealous when you're around. I just don't know what to do to calm his insecurities." She sobbed into me.

I took deep lingering breaths, trying to calm myself before I said something I'd regret.

"When did he ask you to marry him?" I asked through clenched teeth, as gently as I could manage.

"The day I went up against the Sire." Shit, it's been happening for that long? The timing all added up to when I noticed his strange behavior. I combed my fingers through her wet hair.

"Baby, I don't think it's your job to fix his insecurities. Clearly he's got something up his ass that he needs to remove himself. I can try to talk to him if you want?" I pressed a kiss to her forehead, but she pulled back a few inches, eyeing me in wary concern.

"I don't know..." She drew out.

"Just a talk, Aria. I'm not going to assault him if that's what you're worried about. I just don't like seeing him hurt you like this. I mean, have you even spoken to him about how you feel?"

She pulled her lip between her teeth, lowering her head.

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"I tried the first day, but he said something about-" She clamped her mouth shut, clearly debating if she should continue. I traced my hand gently down her spine.

"What'd he say, baby? It's okay, you can trust me." I said soothingly.

"He just... He said that I could 'pick' him. That you two didn't have to be even in everything. He didn't really apologize until I tried to walk away from him, and I haven't mentioned it since." *Fuck. Seriously?*

This prick was trying to get me out of the picture. Why the hell would he do that? Why rescue me from Annalise if he wanted Aria to himself? It didn't make any damn sense. It would've been way easier for him if he just let me rot in that cell. I sighed, leaning my forehead against hers.

"Baby, let me talk to him. Clearly something bigger is going on right now and he needs to get his shit together. I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me to. I can promise you that." She seemed to relax at my words, a sad smile lifting the corners of her lips.

She didn't deserve this. She was promised two Kings. We had fucking children together. We did everything together. And I knew for damn sure that she loved Rory with her whole heart. She would hate to be forced into choosing either of us. We cleaned ourselves quickly, but by the time I got out of the bathroom, Rory was long gone. He must've left a while ago judging by how faint his scent was. I padded to the dressing room, picking out a pair of dark-wash jeans and a dark green long sleeve t-shirt. I tossed on my boots to complete the look and added a spritz of my Hugo cologne on my neck and wrists.

"You're so sexy." Aria's smooth voice rang out behind me, making me chuckle. Her arms wrapped around me from behind and I could feel her naked breasts pushed up against my back.

"We'll be late for the meeting if you keep that up, baby." I warned with a hint of humor and seduction.

"Mmm then consider this a promise for later." She purred, sliding her hands up my abs and pinching my nipples through my shirt. Fuck. My cock twitched in anticipation.

"You little seductress." I chided as she walked over to her clothes, a slight swing in her round hips luring me in.

She bent over and I thought I would burst into flames at the sight of her bare ass in the air. Oh how much I wanted to fill that ass. It didn't help when she arose with a lacy black thong and bra hanging lazily from her fingers.

I watched like a starved beast as she slid the fabric up her legs, slowly, teasingly. I could see her smirk in the surrounding mirrors. She knew damn well what she was doing, and I loved it.

I was so glad that her confidence came back following the incident with my unwilling affair.

She followed suit by sliding the straps of her bra up her arms, pulling her long hair over her shoulder so she could strap it behind her. After a moment of adjusting, she turned around, her arms lifted in as if to say 'ta da.' "Well, what do you think?" Her voice was thick in want. This girl had just fucked Rory. She was damn near insatiable.

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"I think you're the fucking sexiest woman in this world." I replied huskily, sauntering over to her. "But, I also think adding some more clothes might be wise. Your mom will be at that meeting, too, baby."

She gave me an adorable glare before rolling her eyes.

"She would probably be ecstatic knowing I own such slutty lingerie. The woman always says I should show off more." I shook my head in disapproval.

"Not slutty. Don't degrade yourself like that. You're beautiful and there's nothing wrong with showing off for your Kings." I pulled her in by her bare waist, giving her a gentle peck on the lips. She hummed, smiling against my lips. "You're so sweet, Bastion. I love you." Her words never ceased to amaze me and my heart beat frantically behind my ribs.

"I love you, Aria. So much." With one final kiss, I spun her back around, giving her an encouraging push towards her massive wardrobe. "Now pick something. We have three minutes."

"Since when are you so responsible?" She mumbled with a smirk. "Are you the same Bastion that wanted to skip my coronation to fuck?"

I chuckled, running my hand through my damp hair.

"I'm actually pretty interested in this meeting. It's a big one."

And to be honest, I was terrified at the outcome. We had lived in this mansion for nearly a year and I wasn't fond of the idea of moving. Or going back to work a regular job.

Hell, I had never worked a regular job before. I joined pack military directly after high school, then didn't have to do a damn thing after being King. I had no marketable skills for that shit.

Not to mention that we had been safe in Paradise so far. Even though the lootings had ended and the society had mostly reached normalcy once again, there was no beating the separation from the rest of the world.

As a werewolf, I had never lived amongst humans. I wasn't keen on changing that. Pretty hypocritical for someone fighting for peace amongst species, I know, but I couldn't help it. I just didn't like it.

"Better?" I glanced up from where I was leaning against the door, my jaw dropping at the stunning image of my mate.

She was wearing the tightest damn leggings I had ever seen, hugging each of her voluptuous curves in the sexiest way. Her tight green t-shirt matched her eyes and dipped low enough to show a vast amount of delicious cleavage. She had pulled on some converse and tied her hair back in a high ponytail that sashayed in time with her hips as she approached me.

A low growl escaped me, my eyes growing black.

"Hot damn, Aria. You're really testing my self-control." I gritted, adjusting the front of my jeans to stop choking my dick. She giggled, rolling her eyes.

"I'm dressed casually, Bas. You can't possibly replace it that sexy."

"Oh, I'd rather see you like this than in one of your fancy dresses any day, baby." I assured her, licking my lips in satisfaction. Her green eyes twinkled at my response and she offered me a genuinely joyful smile.

"Come on, my horny wolf, we have a meeting to attend." Then, as if on an invisible leash, I followed behind her eagerly.