by Lexi C. Foss
I couldn’t react fast enough, my moves one step behind. It left me bewildered, hot, and ready to fuck all over again.
Luna seemed eager to oblige, her lips moving up and down, her hands growing bolder and exploring my torso, my hips, the tops of my thighs.
Edon smiled against my mouth, the expression tinged with cruelty. “That’s enough, Luna.” He reached over me to grab a fistful of her hair and tugged her away from my groin.
She made a noise of protest, her pupils so enlarged I couldn’t see the light brown of her irises. Long lashes fluttered as she blinked.
“Watching that made me thirsty,” Edon murmured, his voice low. “Luna, clean up the mess you made of my guest bath. When you’re done, you can join us in the kitchen. If you want.”
Confusion settled over her features. A confusion I shared.
Trust me, Edon whispered into my mind. She needs this lesson.
“Now, Silas,” he said out loud, releasing me.
He stepped toward the door, his expression expectant.
Clearing my throat, I stood, uncertain of what else to do. Luna gazed up at me, a flurry of emotions traversing her beautiful face. Shock. Hurt. Annoyance.
I didn’t like any of them, but a growl from Edon had me taking a step toward him.
What was I supposed to do? Demand we pleasure his mate? Demand another orgasm? Push Luna onto all fours and fuck her the way I craved?
“Silas,” Edon hissed, the alpha in him yanking at the sire bond.
I left the room without looking back at Luna, but I felt her disappointment, her fury, and most importantly, her unfulfilled need.
Why did you do that? I demanded, following him down the hall while I buttoned up my jeans.
He led me to the kitchen, silent until he opened the fridge. She left you in the same position earlier this week, did she not?
Because you showed up, I pointed out.
Maybe. He retrieved two bottles and set them on the counter. But she still left you hard as a rock and unfulfilled. Now she knows how it feels.
I snorted and took a seat on one of the three barstools surrounding his kitchen island. So you’re teaching her a lesson in delayed gratification?
No, her lesson is about behavior. She’s an alpha female. If she wants more, she can demand it. And when she does, she’ll learn that I’m more than happy to reciprocate.
I considered his objective as he found a bottle opener from the drawer. You’re giving her control.
To an extent, yes.
This male was nothing like the alphas I had read about in my studies. They all took what they wanted, everyone else be damned. But Edon wanted his mate to have a choice, and for whatever reason, he’d included me in that choice.
“What? No argument to the contrary?” he taunted, passing me one of the drinks.
“Not sure I can argue,” I admitted, sniffing the pungent liquid. Beer. Not something I’d ever indulged in, but I was aware of the substance. Lycans enjoyed alcohol, especially when playing with humans.
“And here I thought you’d always have a comeback,” he mused, leaning on the marble slab of the kitchen island. “Still think this is all a test?”
“Yes.” I just couldn’t figure out if I’d passed or failed.
He nursed his beer for a long moment, clasping the neck between two strong fingers, then set it to the side. “My father doesn’t want me to ascend, and the way I see it, I have two liabilities.” He arched a brow. “Care to guess who those liabilities are?”
Wasn’t hard to follow that implication, but it didn’t make much sense. “Why would he consider me a liability? I’m just a mutt.”
His gaze narrowed. “Maybe, but you’re my mutt. And I protect those that rely on me.”
“I don’t rely on you,” I countered, narrowing my gaze right back at him. “I rely only on myself.”
“Which I can admire, but you’re out of your depth here, Silas. It’s why you’re going to stay at my house—this house—until further notice.” He picked up his beer again, eyeing me as he took a swig. And drink that. It’s not cheap, he added mentally.
It smells foul, I muttered, forcing myself to sip from the rim. Tastes like shit, too.
“Fine.” He focused on the hallway. “Luna!”
A feminine snarl rumbled, preceding her entry. “What?” she demanded, hands on her hips. She’d thrown on Edon’s shirt again, but it didn’t hide her nipples protruding through the fabric.
She was all pissed-off, aroused female, and fuck if that didn’t make me rock hard again.
“Finish Silas’s beer,” he said, gesturing at the drink. “I don’t want to waste it.”
“Why don’t you finish it?” she countered. “Try tasting it, Edon. Suck it all up and swallow. I hear it’s fun.” With that flippant remark, she stalked off, leaving him smirking in her wake.
“Oh, I adore her.” He finished his beer and picked up mine. “If neither of you is going to accept my gift, then I’ll enjoy it myself.” He licked the rim, his gaze holding mine. “You’re staying here.”
“I didn’t argue to the contrary, did I?” Turning down shelter and protection seemed like a pretty stupid thing to argue about, even if it did infringe on my independence. But I could still look out for myself under his roof.
“No, you didn’t.” He sounded satisfied, a tone that oddly provided a sense of relief. I liked knowing I’d pleased him. Which was strange because I usually didn’t care about anyone other than myself and those closest to me. I supposed he qualified for the latter, being my maker and all.
His throat worked as he swallowed, drawing my attention to the thick cords of muscle along his neck and shoulders. While we were roughly the same height, he definitely outweighed me. That explained why the jeans I found in his room were just a little too big for me in the thighs and waist. I still wore them today because they were in better condition than my sole pair. If Edon had noticed, he didn’t seem to care. He had told me I could help myself to anything in his cabin. It seemed he’d meant it.
“I don’t want you to run alone either,” he said after a bout of silence. “That applies to you both, I mean. I’d rather you both sort of stick together.”
“Is that why you had her acquaint her mouth with my cock?” I wondered out loud, arching a brow. “To help us bond?”
He chuckled. “No. That was purely for my enjoyment.” He set the half-finished bottle to the side and placed his palms on the countertop, leaning forward. “Watching her suck you off was hot as fuck. Maybe next time you can watch her do it to me, or maybe she’ll watch as I come down your throat. What do you prefer, Silas?” His gaze dropped to my lips. “Because I’m eager to try both.”
And I was hard again.
Really, really hard.
Because both those scenarios? Yeah, they both aroused me. Which was so utterly fucked up, but here we were.
Luna chose that moment to join us, fury and lust riding the air around her. “The bathroom is swept up,” she said, her tone as cold as ice. Yet it did nothing to alter the temperature of the room, the heat brewing between me and Edon resembling a churning tornado of temptation waiting to suck us all down to hell. “Anything else you need me to do, Your Royal Fucking Highness?” she asked.
I couldn’t look at her, Edon’s gaze captivating mine, but I suspected she was glowering at him.
“Yes,” he said, his tone laced with command. “I’m famished, Silas. You?”
Catching the innuendo underlying those words, I smiled. It seemed we were moving on to the next stage of his lesson. “I could eat.”
Edon broke our connection to glance at Luna. “Come feed us, little mate.”
Her cheeks blossomed into the most delectable shades of red. “Are you fucking serious?” She glanced between us in utter disbelief, her fury seductive as hell. “Yeah, you both can go fuck yourselves.”
She turned on her heel, only to freeze at Edon’s growl. It was low and menacing and reverberated through the room in a wa
y only an alpha could.
“Get over here,” he demanded. “Now.”
Luna bristled but didn’t move a step in either direction.
“You can run if you want, but we’ll catch you,” he warned. “And you know what will happen when we pounce.” He waited a beat, watched as she stole a calming breath, and smiled. “What’s it going to be, Luna? Are you going to behave for us or make us work for it?”
16
Luna
Trapped.
That was how I felt.
Both males watched me with predatory expressions, awaiting my decision. And something told me that, regardless of what choice I made, I was about to be devoured—by both of them.
I’d been so pissed after Edon and Silas left me in that bathroom all hot and bothered. My first time going down on a male, and he couldn’t even say Thank you. No, instead he left with the alpha who’d commanded me to my knees.
I wasn’t a toy but a lycan. An alpha lycan. And Edon was treating me like some omega bitch in heat.
Probably because I was acting like one.
But hell, these two males were messing with my head. I couldn’t think straight around so much testosterone. There was something acutely unfulfilled between me and Silas—a dominance that had yet to be established.
And Edon… So much between us was definitely unfinished.
The alpha in question lifted one arrogant brow. “Luna?”
Run or play chef.
Except something told me it wasn’t food they wanted to eat, but me. Which meant he was giving me the choice to accept it or play hard to get.
After the hell he just put me through in the bathroom? There was only one real option. “Come get me.”
The words were tossed over my shoulder, my legs already moving.
Growls sounded behind me—Silas and Edon leaping from the kitchen to give chase.
The shirt flew over my head as I fell into a shift, my wolf ready and waiting, and bolted from the house into the surrounding courtyard.
I knew exactly where I wanted to go—the river’s edge where Edon had chased me before. It was secluded and peaceful. And perfect for the activity I had in mind.
Because I was done playing submissive to these two males.
They wanted me to suck their cocks? Fine. But they were going to fucking return the favor.
My paws pounded over the earth, the silence behind me unnerving. I knew they were close, could feel the presence of their dominance gliding across my fur, but they moved with a precision and skill that seduced me even more.
Especially Silas.
Not only should I be able to best him in a race, but I should also be able to sense him. However, he was just as stealthy as his maker.
It sent a thrill down my spine, had my wolf preening in response. No one in Ernest Clan had ever appealed to me like this, not even Volk. And he’d been the only one I could stomach touching me before.
But now… now I desired a lot more than touching.
I blamed the mating bond. It had changed me on a level, exciting my hormones into a frenzy only the alpha could tame. Except that didn’t quite explain Silas.
Mmm, maybe it was the sire bond confusing my wolf, forcing me to yearn for them both.
Or perhaps I’d finally found two males worthy of my attention.
One of them nipped my back leg. I responded by pushing myself even harder, my need to reach the river a palpable presence in my mind.
They could have me there.
But only if they agreed to my terms.
A low growl vibrated my spine, teeth clamping on my scruff to pull me to the ground. I rolled with it, allowing the much bigger body to nearly pin me—and used my back paws to kick him off.
Only to have a second, even larger male on top of me.
I squirmed, then whined, my goal of reaching the riverbank so close yet so far.
Edon merely tilted his head above me, his muzzle so much bigger than my own. He nudged my head, forcing me to reveal my neck.
Surrender, he was saying.
I wanted to, but not here. I wanted the water. The tranquility. The peace.
And somehow he knew, because he let me go with a soft growl of patience. It said he knew I was his, that I could run wherever I wanted and he’d still have me, so if I wanted to play, he’d play.
I was on my feet in a second, sprinting again.
This time he allowed me to hear his presence as he ran alongside Silas, their pursuit a wave of heat at my back.
They had me and they knew it. This run represented foreplay, a way of drawing out my eventual capture. Anticipation heightened, our pants music in the wind, and finally I reached my desired location.
Edon circled me one way while Silas moved in the opposite direction, their prowls sexy as fuck. No wonder they were drawn to each other. Sexual energy oozed from them both, leaving me in a puddle of need between them.
I shifted back into human form, my thighs already soaked with my expectation. Acceptance formed on my lips, a plea to have them both, when howls sounded in the distance, causing Edon to still.
He listened intently, as did Silas, as a wave of warnings littered the air.
Ice drizzled through my veins, severely damaging my aroused state.
That was the sound of a furious alpha male—Edon’s father. It was underlined in a demand for blood. For retribution.
Edon and Silas seemed to be communicating, their eyes locked on one another.
And then the alpha heir took off, leaving us by the stream.
Silas shifted, his expression grim. “He told us to stay here.”
“I gathered that by his departure,” I replied, noting Edon’s speed. “He’s fast.” Like, really, really fast. He’d clearly been toying with me and indulging in my pace, because holy fuck, that wolf could run.
“Yeah, he is.” Silas palmed the back of his neck. “Luna…”
I swallowed, meeting his wary gaze. “Yeah?”
“Something’s wrong,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Like, really fucking wrong.”
The hairs along my arms danced, my stomach churning.
He wasn’t talking about us or what had been about to happen. No. He meant with the pack.
“I know,” I whispered. “I feel it, too.” A depraved sickness, a calling for death.
And I suspected one of us was the target of that call.
17
Edon
Bianca.
Her vacant blue eyes stared up at the tree above, while the rest of her body lay several feet away.
Someone had chewed through her neck. A horrible way to die that required strength and skill to accomplish.
And Luna’s scent was all over the scene.
My teeth clenched as I stayed just out of sight, careful to keep my scent from the others. Not even my father had sensed me yet—a testament to my growing gifts and his weakening ones.
Fury emanated from the pack, words being exchanged that made my blood boil. They’d already taken a vote, not giving a damn that their alpha heir—me—wasn’t in attendance. If I had any question as to pack loyalty before, I had my answers now. Everyone standing in this clearing was allied to my father. And it would be in my best interest to remember that.
“Where’s your son?” one of them demanded.
My father howled again, the call meant for my ears.
But I didn’t move, too furious to take a step.
This was a fucking setup. But I couldn’t say a damn word because I was Luna’s alibi. Not exactly a winning case, even with Silas on my side. Because everyone would see it as me protecting my mate and progeny. And going against a pack vote would render my relationships irreparable, which was the last thing I needed right now.
The pack demands retribution, I told Silas after describing the scene.
But she’s innocent.
That’s not the point, I replied. My father’s making me choose between the pack decision and my mate. It’s his fucked-up way of forcing me to
prove my loyalty to Clemente Clan.
Failure was not an option here. If I chose Luna, the pack might very well try to kill me.
And you can’t choose Luna? Silas asked, his mental voice holding a note of incredulity.
I sighed. The male might be an impressive wolf, but he was still so new to pack politics. Luna would at least understand this. I hoped she would, anyway.
The pack has already voted, I explained. If I ignore the vote, I risk a mutiny. Which, I suspected, was my father’s goal.
That doesn’t make any sense, he growled. We know she didn’t do this.
I palmed the back of my neck, eyeing the restless wolves a few yards away from me. If I didn’t make an appearance soon, they’d go looking for me. Or worse, they might accuse me of being an accomplice to the crime. I wouldn’t put it past my father to try.
Let me explain this another way, I said, focusing on both Silas and the antsy wolves. Luna’s new. She has no allies here. However, Bianca had several. Those who knew her want revenge, and they don’t care about innocence, not after witnessing Luna punch her the other day.
So they won’t even bother figuring out who did this.
In their minds, Luna is already guilty. And my saying otherwise will just make me look like a male protecting his mate. This trial was designed to hurt one of my perceived weaknesses—Luna. My grandfather had warned me that this would happen. I just never expected it to be so blatantly obvious.
I don’t have a choice, Silas, I whispered, stepping into the clearing with a bored expression. I’d already phased back into human form, leaving me naked. But anyone who mistook my nudity for vulnerability would have one hell of a wake-up call.
“Seems my female has been busy,” I said, eyeing the remains with disinterest. “I suppose Bianca shouldn’t have run her mouth with falsehoods.” Because the last time I’d touched her—aside from the casual hug or in taunting Luna—was well before the mating ceremony.
“Are you implying Bianca deserved her fate?” my father demanded.