Not in Kansas (Kinky Oz 1)

“What the fuck?” Kansas blurted, causing the bird bitch to spin toward him in surprise. In an effort to get away from her flying feathers, he stumbled into her instead, toppling them both over in a squawking, ungainly heap at the feet of His Royal Hotness.

“This was the surprise I was telling you about, Your Majesty,” Z said wryly.

Surprise.

“Get it off of me! Get it off of me!” Kansas scrambled off the pile of feathers and silk, more to escape the shrieking than out of politeness. That was the icing on the cake, as far as he was concerned. He’d been called an “it” more times in the last twenty-four hours than he cared to remember. It was starting to piss him off.

“It apologizes for falling on you, Feathers. Please excuse it.” Kansas thought he was speaking low enough not to be heard over her squawks, but the surprised bark of laughter from the dais told him otherwise.

His eyes clashed with the dark whiskey of the king’s gaze, pleasantly surprised to see the humor sparkling there. Kansas watched as he reached out to help the Glider back to her feet, his expression morphing into one of compassionate understanding.

“Lady Livania, I will take what you’ve said under advisement, if you’ll recall my strong feelings about inclusion. Please accept my congratulations on your daughter’s match, and allow me to offer the new bride a gift of two of my finest gryfs and enough grain to feed her husband’s family for the season.”

“But—oh, well I mean—yes, thank you, Your Highness. How generous!” The Glider was still flushed with embarrassment, but under the glowing approval of the king, she could do no more than bow and follow her family away from the dais.

It was more than she deserved. This woman was obviously one of the relatives Fenna had told him about, and she’d tried to have her imprisoned just for showing up. How could they be so narrow-minded?

“Are your thoughts so consuming?” The king’s voice was still amused, but sharper than before.

Shit. He knew it was his turn to step forward, but suddenly he wasn’t sure what to do. He swallowed past a throat gone suddenly dry, his heart racing at having the king’s undivided attention.

Following his instincts with the man would be as bad of an idea as confronting this Livania. He didn’t imagine the armed guards nearby would take too kindly to a stranger throwing their king over his own throne and fucking him senseless. The water had pleasured him and the wizard turned him on, but this man threw his entire world out of kilter, and they hadn’t even been introduced yet.

The king wasn’t suffering from the same hesitation. One powerful step down and he was there, close enough to touch. Kansas hardly dared breathe as the intense, unblinking gaze covered every inch of his body before returning to study his face.

The king circled him like a jungle cat stalking its prey. Kansas glanced up helplessly at the wizard. He was supposed to say no to this Adonis? Z’s nod was adamant. Kansas sighed. Fuck. And it was in that moment that the last minute possibility of this being only a dream faded away.

This was real. All of it. His subconscious wasn’t that cruel.

“I know every clan in my kingdom, and my realm is vast,” The king leaned down to murmur in Kansas’s ear. “But I have never seen anything like you in all my life.”

Ditto.

He stepped back and turned toward Z. “Tell me what you know.”

“I know much on a wide variety of subjects your—”

“Now.”

The wizard held up his hands and the curious murmurs that followed the king’s unexpected outburst fell silent. “The king will receive no more business on this day.”

Apparently that was their cue to leave. Within moments only two others remained in the large, emptied out hall— Fenna and Lenard. The guards stepped toward them, their unusual staff-like weapons at the ready.

“Wait! They’re with me.” Kansas rushed over, intent on protecting them, particularly after hearing that harpy badmouth Fenna. “Z, tell them to back off.”

“Z, huh? Just how well do you know my surprise, old friend?” Kansas glanced over his shoulder in time to see the king wave his guards away.

The wizard smirked. “Not half as well as I’d like, Your Majesty.”

“We just met,” Kansas said, still eyeing the guards suspiciously. “I wouldn’t have made it here at all without Fenna and Lenard.”

His friends smiled at him in gratitude.

“Yes,” Z agreed easily. “These two found him in the forest at the edge of the city. They kindly protected him and ensured his safe arrival to the palace.”

“Found?” The king jumped on the word, his curiosity clear. “Were you lost then?”

His throat was closing again, but Fenna and Lenard’s hands resting supportively on his shoulders helped. “This is going to soun