Chapter 30
“You must be feeling pretty good,” Ryan teased.
He kept a strong hand on my arm, guiding me towards the bedroom while I laughed dizzily and stumbled around.
“I feel great; I need to drink more often,” I mumbled.
I knew I was smiling like an idiot. I had never felt like this in my life. I was awfully desensitized, but it was a blissful instead of frightening. I wasn’t worried about what my parents were going to say about my mate, what the werewolf community would do in retaliation, or all of the men who would’ve killed each other for my attention at the gala. I was just a very drunk girl with a guy who was taking care of her.
“That’s how alcoholism starts, princess, maybe we should just stick to the occasional drink, yeah?”
“How come you aren’t drunk? You’ve had way more to drink than I have,” I pointed out.
“I have high alcohol tolerance,” Ryan chuckled.
He gave up on trying to limp me around and slipped his arm under my own, supporting most of my weight while he opened the bedroom door. When he looked at me he frowned deeply and I didn’t understand why until he gently poked my tongue that was jutting out of my mouth.
“Oh my god,” I laughed, “I didn’t even realize I had my tongue sticking out!”
“Oh Addy,” he sighed. “You are a mess.”
“I feel brave.” And perhaps I was braver than usual, but certainly not more coordinated because I nearly face planted when Ryan gently encouraged me into the bedroom. Thankfully, I managed to catch myself enough to stagger over to the king sized bed and plop down.
“You’re really handsome, you know that,” I said.
“Oh yeah?” he seemed genuinely surprised, his eyebrows rising or maybe I was just drunk and imagining things. “Well, I think you’re gorgeous.”
“I am not,” I shot back, suddenly deeply insecure.
“And why not? I think you are the loveliest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Ryan said as he shut the bedroom door.
I tried to look away when he peeled his shirt off his body, but my eyes wouldn’t let me. Still, his question weighed heavily on my intoxicated mind.
“I have birthing hips,”
“What?” he sputtered, trying desperately to cover his laughter up with shock. “Why on earth would you think you had birthing hips? They are not that large, trust me.”
“Fine, my nose is upturned, it’s ugly,”
“I think it’s quite cute and charming really. It’s a little uncommon, but it definitely doesn’t make you less attractive.”
He sat down on the bed beside me and I held my breath for a second. He was so handsome with those blue eyes and wild hair, I wanted him to be mine and mine alone. I wanted to be bold enough to mark him right then and there, bind him to me, but I couldn’t even hold eye contact. I just stared down at my feet.
“You can’t like everything about me,” I protested.
“Wrong, princess, I can. Do you like everything about me?”
“Yes,”
“My point stands, now come on, let’s go to bed.”
I just flopped back onto the mattress, causing Ryan to sigh, but I couldn’t tell if he was amused or completely frustrated. Still, I didn’t move to help or hinder his efforts when he moved me about until he managed to wrestle the blankets on top of my body. When he was satisfied that I was tucked in tight enough he moved to the other side of the bed and slid under the blankets too.
“Are you at least a little drunk?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, just not as drunk as you are,” Ryan murmured.
“If you could do anything right now what would it be?”
There was a long silence and I wondered if he had fallen asleep already. Then, he replied.
“There are a lot of things I want to do, but it’s more about what I need to do right now.”
“No harm can come from you just telling me what you want, right? I probably won’t even remember this tomorrow so what’s the harm?” I challenged.
I rolled towards him and a sigh slipped out of my mouth when our arms pressed together.
There was another silence, but I watched him intently this time. I could almost see the gears turning in his head, thinking about what I had said.
“I want to kiss you so badly,” he whispered finally. His voice was rough and nervous.
I couldn’t hold back my slight gasp. There were a lot of things I thought he would say. I thought he would say that he wanted to fuck me; he had already confessed that on multiple occasions now. Or maybe that he wanted to go and be with his pack. I even expected him to say he wanted to go back to the castle and kick the shit out of my father, the man who berated him and kept him in a disgusting cell, but I was not anticipating such a heartfelt confession.
“I’m sorry; I know you probably aren’t ready,” he blurted as I propped myself on my elbow to get a better look at him, “I shouldn’t have even told you, the alcohol has just gone to my head.”
I took a shaky breath, scared for a brief second. Then I shut my eyes, leaned down and pressed my lips softly to Ryan’s.
The sensation was not as intense as I expected and I was mortified when I felt him freeze beneath me, worried I had done something wrong. Then relief splashed through me when I felt him move his lips tenderly against mine and a small moan trickled out of his mouth. His hands moved to my back, lightly holding me to him as he continued to kiss me and I desperately tried to keep up.
A second later it was over.
Ryan eased me away from him. We were both breathing quite hard and I was unable to think clearly at all.
“Come here,” Ryan whispered, pulling me into his chest and I fell onto him willingly.
I felt my eyes close with tiredness as his breathing rate slowed.
Chapter 31
“Fuck!”
My eyes sprung open at the curse word and the instant they were open, I understood what was going on.
My skin was burning hot like I had a fever, causing me to sweat. My heart was hammering in my chest like I had just sprinted a mile and my body was squirming, trying to get comfortable despite the intense warmth and the subtle aches. Yet despite the signs and symptoms, I wasn’t sick, though I briefly wished I was.
I was in heat.
My hands reached for Ryan and when my fingers came into contact with his cool skin, I let out a little moan of relief. The rest of my body moved forward until my chest was pressed against his and my arms were wrapped around him, loving the coolness and the feel of his bare skin.
I knew the heat was driving me to this, I would never be bold enough to do such a thing to a man I hardly knew, but I couldn’t help it. My wolf wanted him more intensely than I had ever imagined. If I was being frank I always assumed that girls lied about the strength, just using it as an excuse to give in to their wolves; but now I knew they weren’t over exaggerating. I could feel my hand slipping down Ryan’s stomach on its own accord and I didn’t care enough to stop it. I wanted him so badly, all of him. It was taking all of my effort to convince myself that there was a chance he didn’t want this and I was forcing myself on him.
“Are you still drunk?” Ryan rasped out.
I couldn’t tell if his voice was rough because he could feel the effects of the heat and he was trying to control himself or if it was because he had just woken up.
“No,” I murmured.
Ryan took a shuddering breath, keeping his eyes shut tightly and his hands bunched into fists.
“Is this what you want? Do you want me right now, Adeline?” he asked.
He opened his blue eyes for a brief second to look at me for reassurance but then shut them almost immediately.
“Yes,” I whispered.”I want you right now,”
My hand continued lower until it reached the waist band of Ryan’s boxers. I wanted to touch and kiss every inch of his skin. I wanted him to be all mine and I would be all his. I would’ve kept going too, beyond ready to continue this. I want
ed him more than I ever thought I could this early on, but Ryan’s hand closed around my own, preventing my exploring fingers from going any further. When I peered up at him he was breathing hard and his eyes were still closed, but his hold on my hand was tight yet shaking.
“You’re just in heat, Ad, you don’t really want me this bad,”
“I do. I do, Ryan, please,” I pleaded, the insecurities it me, “Do you not want me?”
Ryan let go of my wrist and grabbed the back of my head, pulling my lips down to his so quickly that it made me dizzy. I let out a little whimper when our mouths touched, not breaking the kiss even when goose bumps prickled my skin and my head began to swim. In that moment there was nothing but his fingers tangled in my hair, his wanting lips against my own, and his cool skin beneath my fingertips. I wanted him more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. And I would have him.
With a slight moan, I kicked my leg over his body then shifted my weight so I was on top of him. I couldn’t hold back the cry that bubbled in me when I felt his member pressed against my core. Ryan gasped out loud for a brief second then he forced my mouth back to his, kissing me harder than before. His tongue pressed against my lower lip and I gave in without hesitation, wanting more and more of him with every second. I continued to kiss him while I ran my hands over his chest, loving every muscle and line of his body. I wanted to trace him over and over again until his shape was locked into my memory.
Ryan made a fist, pulling my hair and causing my head to move backwards as I openly moaned. My eyes rolling backwards and I pushed down harder on his pelvis. I didn’t doubt that I was already soaked through my panties and that my pants were starting to get wet as well.
Ryan’s teeth started nipping at my neck and I thought I was going to yell out in frustration. I wanted him so badly, I couldn’t stand the waiting. I wanted him now; the teasing was driving me crazier with every second. His lips trailed up and down my neck a few times. I loved the feeling, it was so intimate and so sexual, but it was only making it worse. I was about to push him away and demand that we take this further when I felt his sharp teeth brush against the sensitive skin just about my collar bone.
At first it felt good. I wasn’t even processing that his canines had broken the skin, that he was actually biting my neck. All I cared about was the fact that it felt like ecstasy and I wanted more of it. I wanted more of him.
Then the pain came.
It didn’t happen slowly. It came all at once. One second I was moaning, trying to pull Ryan closer to me then next I was desperately scratching at him and shrieking at the top of my lungs. The pain was so intense that I didn’t even notice when Ryan actually pulled away as I moved off of him. I just fell onto my back and stared at the ceiling, one hand on my throbbing neck, my teeth biting down on my lip hard to keep the rest of the screams locked inside while tears poured down my cheeks.
The heat was gone. The desire to be underneath Ryan and completely naked was dead. All I could think about was the pain. I briefly wondered if I would make it to the kitchen to get an ice pack, but I doubted my legs would carry me.
“Oh God, Addy,” Ryan gasped, hovering over me. I vaguely noticed the blood around his mouth. It wasn’t a lot but it was still blood. “Addy, I’m so sorry. I- I lost control,” he stuttered.
I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. I worried that if I moved an inch the control I had over my vocals would be gone and I would be screaming bloody murder all over again.
“Addy,”
I didn’t even blink.
“Fuck, what was I even thinking?” Ryan whispered, his voice quiet but clearly panicked.
I heard him move and felt the bed shift when he stood up, but I didn’t try to turn my head, concerned that it would cause more pain. I wasn’t sure if I could handle more.
The bedroom door opened and for a moment I was alone, lying on a bed in my parent’s vacation home, holding my bloody neck, wondering what the hell just happened, and the possible consequences would be waiting for me now.
Chapter 32
It had been two days since Ryan marked me and the man still hasn’t stopped apologizing. Part of me was annoyed with his constant moping, but another part of me was also in the same category. It happened, the mark was on my neck and it hurt a lot worse than I could’ve imagined for a long time, but the swelling had gone down and I was simply emotionally bound to him now. No amount of crying or pouting could fix that but I still did both of those things. Even though I couldn’t change what had already happened, I knew that there were going to be more consequences I wasn’t particularly ready to face.
I had figured that the pain had probably occurred because he was a rogue and his bite would be somewhat toxic to me. That would explain the acidic sensations I received when his teeth sank in to me.
It was yet another reminder that we had come from different worlds and no distance, no amount of kilometers, could cure that.
“What are you thinking about?” Ryan asked while we were perched on the couch.
We had been playing a board game but evidently I had dropped the ball as my focus was elsewhere.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Please, you couldn’t lie to me before I marked you, now it’s just insulting,” Ryan scoffed.
His voice was teasing and light. But when I looked at those blue eyes I saw tension and worry. I honestly think he was just waiting for me to snap at him, tell him I completely and utterly loathed him for marking me.
“I’m just thinking about why the mark hurt as much as it did,” I answered.
I knew it would hurt his feelings a little, but it would be a much lighter blow than he was expecting. Plus, he was right; I did have a hard time lying to him.
“Do you think it’s because I’m a rogue?”
I just nodded.
Ryan sighed, “Addy, I’m so sorry. Really I am,”
“No,” I shook my head, “I don’t want to hear you apologize anymore. I know you’re sorry. I know you never wanted to hurt me. I know that you would take back the whole thing if you could, but you can’t and that’s okay. I mean, it’s not like I was going to reject you anyway. It was bound to happen at some point,”
At this Ryan relaxed slightly. He even managed to smile a bit.
“Your move,” he murmured.
We continued to play board games until our brains melted. Then we progressed to card games which we gave up on quickly. After that we somehow made word searches competitive and we were nearly at each other’s throats to find the hidden words in a matter of minutes. Eventually, that became boring too and we began drinking as we usually did. We never got terribly drunk, just tipsy enough for us both to forget about our realities.
We would talk about nothing in particular, slowly uncovering each other’s secrets without feeling vulnerable. I would let Ryan hold me and he would always sigh happily when I actually allowed him to loop his arms around my waist. Then, when the moon would start to rise in the sky, we would sleepily drag ourselves to bed and tumble under the covers. There, we occasionally shared a quiet kiss or I would trace the intricate lines of Ryan’s complex tattoo.
But tonight, when Ryan rolled away from me, expecting me to run my fingers over his arm like I usually did, I pulled him back to me. I pressed my face against the skin of his back and kissed right between his shoulder blades. He shivered at the feather light contact, while I rested my head on the pillow and drifted off into sleep.
When I woke up, I was startled. I was immediately sitting upright in bed with an elevated heart rate and quiet gasps left my lips. I knew something was wrong, but I wasn’t sure what it was. I held my breath for a moment and strained my ears to listen past Ryan’s soft breathing beside me. My ears rang slightly from the alcohol, but I focused hard.
I heard nothing. Not a creak, not a squeak, and not even a slight draft of the wind. I figured I had gone crazy or had a bad dream that I had already forgotten.
Then I heard weight shift on the floor boards. I stay
ed still, listening hard for what it could be as my heart rate continued to rise. Then I heard a distinct metallic click.
Something or someone was in my home.
“Ryan,” I hissed out.
I grabbed his shoulder and gave him a slight shake.
He grunted and blinked a few times, disoriented. As he opened his mouth to speak, I quickly covered it with the palm of my hand. When he turned to look at me in surprise I just shook my head and held a single finger against my lips.
Then we heard the bedroom door handle jiggle slightly.
I was frozen, completely horrified and shocked. I had no idea who was on the other side of the door, but I knew that it was most likely someone I didn’t want to see. We were running from so many people. It could’ve been my furious father, my bloody thirsty guards, or maybe someone from Ryan’s pack who was set on murdering me so their leader would finally return home.
Ryan didn’t freeze like I did. He was far more of a warrior than I could ever be. The second he heard the handle move he threw off the blankets and crouched into a fighting stance. I could tell he was listening as hard as he could, but no sounds followed. The resumed silence wasn’t enough to soothe Ryan. He carefully began creeping towards the door.
A second later the door was flung open by the intruder and the first thing my eyes landed on was a gun.
Chapter 33
“Good morning Princess,” the intruder taunted.
My heart clenched at the sound of the familiar voice and I squinted slightly, not believing my eyes. How could this be? Why was he here?
“Preston? What are you doing?” I asked.
I wanted to sound like a strong ruler under pressure, but my voice shook. I was no fool; I could not be brave when a gun was in someone else’s hand.
“Are you going to come willingly or do I have to murder you, rogue?” Preston demanded.
He kept the gun pointed directly at Ryan, his eyes never flickering over to me once. I had known Preston all my life, I had made him furious at me a hundred times before and I hated him far more than it was worth but I had never seen him like this. He was standing in the door way of my bedroom, gun in hand, looking wild yet certain. Anxious, yes, but calculating.
The Princess and the Alpha: A Shifter Romance Page 13