Captured by the Fae King: Sins of the Fae King, #1

By J.R. Thorn and Jennifer Thorn

In a world destroyed by war, angel and fae fight over the humans who are left...

 

Xander

I'm used to getting anything I want.

Power. Fame. Women.

It's all mine, but boredom has set in after five hundred years as the Fae King and ruling mankind.

She's the only thing that excites me.

She's forbidden, but that won't stop me from making her mine.

 

Gabriella

I've trained all my life for this moment.

My ascension—to gain my wings and join the Celestial Royals.

Only, the Fae King had other plans. He ruined everything when he crashed the party and kidnapped me.

He thinks this is all a game. My life. My purity. My purpose.

I have to escape him or everyone I love will die. For if I don't ascend, the world will fall into chaos, and sin will reign on earth.

Knowing the Fae King, that was his plan all along.

 

Captured by the Fae King is Book 1 in a slow-burn Paranormal Romance Series. This book contains sexual situations, strong language, and violence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.R. Thorn
• Release date: May 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201157357

Book preview

Fucking Ascension Day.

I’d waited five hundred years for another opportunity, one I’d screwed up last time. I hadn’t realized the importance of today, nor the value a single human might have for my Court.

Or my sanity.

While angel, fae, and humanity all looked skyward, I would strike.

The hologram on the right arm of my throne displayed human news coverage throughout the territories. Even fae were permitted a rare glimpse into Chicago-Zion for the event. I found it mildly interesting, more so because I truly wondered if Julian would be able to locate the Pure before she Ascended.

I liked to have my fun, and if screwing with angels didn’t cure my boredom, I wasn’t sure what would.

And if more came of it, as I secretly hoped, then the fae would finally have the strength to snuff out the angelic protectors that stood between us and humankind.

Are you pleased, Fae King? Calligan asked. I rolled my eyes to glance at the human, not having once looked at the grotesque display going on in the center of my throne room that he thought would entertain me.

Should I be? I asked, raising a brow, which only made Calligan sweat. While the servant had been a gift from Liara in a poor attempt to assist with my painfully obvious ennui, a condition that could be fatal for a fae my age, it didn’t mean I had to go easy on him.

Servants in my Court made sure they were useful.

Calligan cleared his throat and indicated the intertwined couple at the center of my throne room. Notice the six fingers and toes, sire.

I glanced at the male’s hand wrapped around his mate’s throat, squeezing hard enough to bruise as he shoved a knee between her legs.

Ah, yes, there were six fingers. Not terribly unusual, given the angelic radiation from the last war causing mutations in the Outlands. Any fool could find a performer with six digits.

And? I pressed, starting to wonder if Liara had given me this gift as a joke. So far, I was not impressed.

Then again, that was exactly the problem. Little impressed me anymore, and if I retreated into the numb sensation that dragged me down, I’d go into a deep sleep, or go mad, or worse.

Calligan blanched as he stuttered. I-If you’ll take a closer look, sire, the most unique mutation is the male’s genitalia.

The woman released a gasp, and I couldn’t tell if it was one of excitement or dread. The male on top of her grunted as he ripped his loose trousers, revealing a glistening monstrosity that bulged with purple veins.

Liara, one of my Generals, clapped with excitement, nearly giddy as she sat on the edge of her platform between Bane and Frost, who both looked mildly intrigued.

It’s a new mutation, Calligan assured me.

Hmm, I offered, making him relax. It was true. I’d never seen anything like it, and while my Generals seemed fixated on the display, I found myself concerned.

Humans were still being affected by the radiation after all this time, despite my best efforts to preserve the precious resource. Without humanity, the fae could not survive. If these mutations continued, all of my efforts would be moot and the fae would die with them.

Julian couldn’t tell me what it was that the humans offered us, just that a Court became stronger with human residents. I felt that in myself, too, with each new crop that came in, revitalizing me and staving off the worst of my ennui that threatened to pull me under in a dark wave of nothingness.

Other fae had succumbed even during their fourth century of life. At six hundred years old, I needed to find a way to surpass the boredom of a long life, to have the will to keep on living. Ruling as the Fae King for five hundred of those years meant there was little I hadn’t experienced, which was precisely the problem.

Was there such a thing as being too victorious? Perhaps, but even I knew the importance of our human crop.

It had been generations since the last Angel Fae War. Banishing the toxic essence of angel power from New York before I claimed it as part of my Court took its toll on me, even now, as my throne subtly licked away my magic to keep the invisible barrier intact, the sensation at odds with the fuel the human population within my territory supplied, evening it out. I had hoped there’d be an end to the drain. My magic had its limits, and my Court couldn’t grow unless I found more magic—or more untouched humans—to supply my tower.

An endless cycle.

Still, I never shirked my duties as King. Fae and humans alike might fear me, but none in my territories had to concern themselves with producing stillborn children or mutated heirs, or the other unsavory effects of radiation.

He’ll initiate intercourse soon, Calligan informed me, feigning excitement. I doubt he really cared when I could behead him in the next instant if it pleased me. She’ll experience pain and pleasure in tandem, and it remains to be seen which will take over, he added, flicking a nervous glance at my hand.

The idea of a war between pain and pleasure piqued my curiosity for a moment before fading into the endless dark cloud of my ennui. I had experienced both sensations over the past six hundred years, as well as inflicted it on others. I sank into my throne, hoping that witnessing the battle might interest me. The danger of my ennui settled inside of me with its cold nothingness, threatening to pull me into a state of stillness and death.

The male stroked the monstrosity with his hand, glancing up at me for permission. I gave a subtle nod and Liara sucked in a breath.

How I envied her anticipation.

I watched her instead of the display, even when the woman released a shriek as the male entered her. Liara’s eyes remained glued to the performance as her rounded tits heaved upward on a breath. Her neckline ran low today without a necklace, as was her standard, to show off her impressive cleavage in its full glory. Instead of jewelry, her porcelain skin glistened with a fine sparkle that boasted the wealth I allowed her, an expensive powder that mimicked an angel’s dust.

Well, it wasn’t a mimicry. While toxic to humans, angel dust could be neutralized by fae magic. It was a rare item on the black market, but I had a pair of angel wings in my closet for such occasions.

That was the problem, perhaps. I had everything. I had conquered everything. My Court and my territories had grown as much as the existing human population would allow, and even now reproduction seemed to be at a standstill. There was nothing left to gain.

Except, perhaps, for Zion and its secrets.

My gaze drifted to the hologram that showed the crowds who’d started to chant a prayer, not to the Archangel this time, but to the Pure. A human primed for the role to Ascend as an angel.

They worked their way around a golden tower that gleamed in the center of the city. It reminded me of a long-forgotten treasure with a platform extended at the top, just waiting for its prized jewel to step out and sprout her wings.

The transformation… that was what interested me most.

What would it be like to change so utterly and completely? What would it mean to sacrifice everything and be reborn anew?

And how did the process work? According to Julian, the Pure was a simple human, barely having passed maturity with little life experience. Although, perhaps that was the point. Life experience tended to get in the way of miracles.

Unfortunately, my guess was as good as anyone’s. Even the brightest minds in the Fae Courts hadn’t the faintest clue how an angel could be Made.

It was time that changed.

My Generals didn’t know of my ulterior motive for bringing them all here. They knew I had a reason, to be sure, and while they seemed entertained by Calligan’s display, there would be a greater reason I called them all together like this, and on Ascension Day, as it were. We were stronger in numbers. Perhaps they thought my efforts were to be defensive, to stave off any threat the angels might be during this sensitive time. They guarded their Pure fiercely, willing to sacrifice their own to ensure her transition.

Except, my intention wasn’t a defensive one. There was always more when it came to the ambition of the Fae King.

Shadows curled along the walls, as they usually did when I let my thoughts wander. Calligan shivered, and Liara’s porcelain skin rose with tiny, delightful bumps while she argued with Bane, something they often did.

The shadows weren’t entirely my imagination. I’d decided years ago that the dark wisps that curled over my kingdom were, in fact, omens. It was the one mystery I never asked Julian to investigate. Humans couldn’t understand the relationship the fae had with superstition and prophecy. A man of science like Julian wouldn’t be able to distinguish the seen from the unseen, and I valued that in him. He always gave me the facts.

Given my family history, I knew omens were a part of my upbringing, a gift and a curse from breaking a sacred fae law, even if the choice hadn’t been my own.

The shadows curled, running past the intertwined couple on the floor with the same disinterest I held for them. Instead, they seemed to coalesce around Liara as her expression became more irritated at something Bane said, then the dark wisps inched across the marble floors keening with a whisper.

Oh, they rarely spoke.

I leaned forward as I clutched the edge of my throne, straining to listen.

Bane surged to his feet as the darkness tickled his ankles. I watched him, waiting to see if he was aware of it while he moved toward me.

The Chicago-Outlands General held a familiar gloom about him that complemented the shadows, but his expression remained a mixture of arrogance and bitterness. He couldn’t see the omens, or hear them, which meant he had a bone to pick with me.

What else was new?

One of these days, he would lose his head over that. Fortunately for him, I didn’t want to waste the effort of finding another fae desperate enough to rule the Chicago border, the first line of defense between us and the angels.

Xander, he said as he approached my throne.

Calligan released a light gasp before bowing deeply and shuffling backward. He’d recognized Bane’s misstep, and luckily for the human, it meant it gave him a chance to escape.

Because I was still bored, and now irritated.

It’s ‘Your Highness,’ I corrected, my voice flat.

Instead of answering me, his dark eyes narrowed.

He really did have a death wish today. What do you want, Bane?

He moved in by my elbow, standing at my right side, which was reserved for my allies and trusted advisors, perhaps one day a Queen.

Irritation prickled across my spine, an unpleasant sensation, but at least preferable to boredom. He was doing a better job of mitigating my ennui than Calligan, but there was a fine line between irritation and anger. My anger was all-consuming, quite literally, and Bane knew it. He liked pushing my limits ever since he lost his brother. Something he rightly blamed me for, but had no proof.

Liara has attacked my territory, again, he bit out. Something must be done about this. He leaned in, making a point to test me over my right hand. My fingers licked with the eternal flame that ran hot in my blood. All it would take would be to let my anger go, consume myself in rage until Bane was nothing but a pile of ash on the floor.

One glance around the room revealed that my Generals carefully averted their attention from the display. They discreetly watched the throne. If I outright killed one of my highest Generals without cause, it would give his allies a chance to put me on trial. After five hundred years as King, there were plenty who believed I had passed my prime. The glory days of the fae who killed the Archangel, allowing fae to survive a war we had lost were long gone.

Too much time had passed. The sting of possible extinction had faded, and now only bitterness remained as we lingered in this stalemate.

I relaxed into my throne as my gaze drifted to the display. The male worked himself into a frenzy, nearing his climax while the female twisted and squealed, her six-fingered hands white-knuckled on his massive biceps.

What did she do now? I asked, not truly caring what mischief Liara had gotten up to in Bane’s territory. She knew I disliked him, so riling him up was her way of trying to gain my favor.

It usually worked.

She slanted her eyes our way, a small smile on her plump lips.

She came to the Chicago-Outlands last week, he said, his jaw tight.

I rolled my eyes at him. He’d banned her from his territory long ago, but she entered and vanished as she pleased without a trace. The fact that Bane knew about her intrusion meant she deliberately wanted him to know. And? I pressed, mildly curious what trouble she’d gotten up to.

He drew a deep breath before continuing. "She took my guard… my personal guard. I received them back just yesterday."

I raised an eyebrow at him. If your guard has been returned, I fail to see your complaint. And how did you know it was Liara? Perhaps they just got tired of looking at your face every morning.

He released a low growl, one that made Calligan whimper from somewhere behind my throne. Humans always reacted strangely to our species. "I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what she does to men who can’t handle her," Bane continued, lowering his voice.

A smirk lit my face and my eyes darted to find Liara watching me, her tongue flashing across her lower lip. Oh, the message hadn’t been for Bane at all, the poor fool.

Too bad Liara no longer interested me, but she knew me well. I found myself curious to what lengths she’d go to just to win my favor, especially at Bane’s expense, which was better than wallowing in my ennui. If you wish me to hear your case, tell me in full detail.

Bane drew in a long breath, held it, and then let it out. "My personal guard is a highly sought-after position, or at least it was. I won’t be able to hire any capable human or fae after this gets out. They were missing all of their fingers, and their toes, one had lost an eye, and I’m pretty sure the other had been forced to eat it because he wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. I didn’t even ask if there had been sexual torture, but given the way they flinch when a woman is near, I have no doubt of that as well. She’s disgusting, Your Highness, and she needs to be punished."

Liara’s wicked gaze said that she would love to be punished. While I could hold my own against the sadistic fae General, my body had taken more years than I cared to admit to heal a few of the scars from her version of foreplay. A vicious lover had stalled my ennui, for a time, but like everything else, I had tired of the repetitiveness and the games that I always eventually won.

Strumming my fingers over the arm of my throne, I lazily watched the hologram of the Ascension Day proceedings while I grew bored of Bane’s presence. Why don’t you punish her yourself?

What? Bane sneered.

Retaliate with her personal guards, I suggested, not that Liara had any that I knew of. She’s just playing games with you, Bane. Crying to me isn’t doing you any favors. Flames licked across my knuckles as I glanced at him.

He glared at Liara, yet she’d returned her gaze to the intertwined couple. The male had already reached his climax, but he kept going, sending fluids all over the floor with each thrust as he threw the female onto her stomach and shoved her ass into the air. She squealed with each attack, her massive tits cushioning her on the floor. Liara was completely enthralled.

I’ll make an effort, Bane said.

Good, at least he wasn’t going to argue with me. Take the performers, too, I offered. Rewarding him would show Liara that her efforts had only managed to irritate me. She’d have to do better than pissing off Bane.

His lips pulled back into a grin. That is kind, sire. I am grateful for such a gift.

Hmm, I said, the only indication I was going to give him that this conversation was over.

The male performer roared, a second climax making his massive thighs bulge as he drove hard into the female. I expected this to be the end, but he wrapped his arms around her middle and hoisted her up so that they both stood on their six-toed feet. She perched as he drove upward, sending fluids running down her leg. She rubbed herself as the male worked a slow, steady pace, which only made Bane grin. He’d be trying out both humans on his own; I had no doubt.

A new melody drifted from the hologram at my wrist and I found myself more interested by the increased tempo, a different kind of build promising a climax of mystery and intrigue that would explode into the air.

We didn’t have much time left, but I trusted Julian. He had never let me down, and no fae or human could boast such a compliment.

My ears twitched just before the expected human staff entered from the servant curtains, carrying wine and the next course of roasted duck, wild rice, and exotic fruits harvested from outposts I had cleared of radiation. This was the bounty of having the favor of the Fae King’s Court.

I took a cup even though I wasn’t thirsty and drank deeply. My Generals raised their glasses and followed suit.

Fae lived to indulge because we had already paid the price. We suffered and toiled, only to eventually lose ourselves to madness and ennui. Every day must be lived to the fullest, even if I wasn’t sure what that meant anymore.

Jewels, riches, overindulgence, sex—none of it excited me.

Mystery and the unknown, the unconquered—that was all that was left.

The doors to the throne room flung open, hitting the walls with a loud clang that made the male performer jolt his hips deep into the woman, making her screech as she scrambled off of him. She cursed him in a foreign language while his swollen dick throbbed and leaked.

Oblivious of the display, Julian met my gaze, triumph behind his reflective glasses.

My heart stuttered and a rare sense of anticipation jolted life through my limbs.

He rushed between the Generals and the performers, avoiding the fluid on the floor—the only indication that he was aware of what he’d interrupted.

My Generals glared at him, waiting to see if I’d kill him for this intrusion, as would normally be called for, but Liara just sighed. She knew what Julian was to me, even though I’d tried to hide it from her. As my Court’s spy and assassin, there wasn’t much Liara missed.

Sire, Julian said on an exhale as he dragged over a chair and sat at my left side.

Julian, I acknowledged.

He held up a glass orb that fit in the palm of his hand. The smooth, glossy surface reflected the room before changing, revealing the glimmer of a young female garbed in only a silk dress that hugged her curves.

I took the orb and turned it over as the image solidified into a creature of perfection and grace.

New invention? I asked him.

He nodded. Yes, sire. However, that’s not what I came to show you. Look closely. What do you see?

The female rang inhuman in the way her skin sparkled, a clear tell of