Annas SavoieBesides my panting moans of pleasure, our house is perfectly silent in the wee morning hours. It’s the type of silence I’m craving all week long, missing Leon when his job takes him miles from home. He’s here now, his massive bare body stretched out below me, strong hands lifting me above his hungry mouth. I relish our private time together without interruptions, only bliss, where I don’t have to think beyond my mate’s tongue lapping across my most sensitive parts. I grip wads of hair, thick hair that covers Leon’s head. His thick curls pick up at chest level. I peek over my shoulder, following his navel and the trail that leads to perfection. All wolf-shifters are well endowed. The pure sight of his maleness pitches me toward climax, and I desperately want him inside of me.“You can have that when I’m done with you, baby.” Leon grips my ass, stilling my movement.He reigns in my concentration. Almost. It’s Leon’s way to see me sated first and foremost. On Saturdays. On S
“I’d like to burn it. Everything is perfect except for the shit inside. It’s not dream material, it’s a dollar-store disaster. You deserve so much better.”One of Leon’s lingering issues from his childhood is money. Or rather lack of it. It’s why I’ve cut corners on our budget. “I’ve made adjustments so that we keep the cost as low as possible—”“And not only make me look commitment phobic, but also a cheap ass?” He jabs a hand at the book. “Paper plates? Fake flowers? BYO chairs? Christ, Annas, I don’t want this for you.”Tears well in my eyes. Is he saying he doesn’t want me or that he doesn’t want a wedding I worked a year to design? I sigh.I only get a weekend with him. Not even that after he sends me off with my sisters to shop and have lunch, giving me a break after a long week without help. I don’t want to waste these few hours arguing, but he’s left me no other choice when it comes to following my dreams to have a festive wedding. While I’m not looking like I’m wearing a wate
Leon Elsecick“Leaving, now wait a minute.” I chase after Annas all the way to the car, Tate crying and trotting after me. Annas is a badass, and just sassy enough to teach me a lesson and push my boundaries at the same time. One thing about her, she doesn’t go back on her word. I have to take her threat seriously, all five feet of her, curvy hips and all. But fuck if I’ll pretend to like it. Maybe it’s her Savoie-colored glare or the thought of her removing my name tattooed on her ass that has me considering her ultimatum. “I proposed. I promised we’d plan a wedding together. But not like this. How am I supposed to pull off a wedding and reception without more than a day’s heads up?”She slides behind the driver’s seat, giving me a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “The bank closes at one p.m. I have a thousand dollars stuffed in my undie drawer that I’ve pinched from the food budget by clipping coupons. Stores open at nine. You’ll figure it out. I have faith.”Before I can stop her
It’s closer to one p.m. by the time we load the tables and chairs. “It’ll take us an hour and half to drive back home. Another hour to get the tables set up, check with the caterer, etcetera.”“We’re having meat, right?” Jaxson pokes his head to the front seat.I grip the steering wheel, white knuckles forming. “Yeah, I tweaked Annas’s hotdogs and potato salad potluck. I added ‘formal’ to BBQ, but it wasn’t easy.”Sitting upfront on the bench seat, Maxon elbows me. “You’re doing a great job. We pick up the cake, grab the ring, and head home. Plenty of time before you wed your bride.”Again, unease strikes me. I haven’t realized how Annas’s importance in my world goes beyond words. Her loss would kill me. I have to confront my fears, even if that’s not easy. I love her that much.The cake is no less of a masterpiece than expected. It’s three tiers, with pink and white peony flowers placed in a spiral pattern. “You say these candied petals are edible?”“That’s right,” the baker confirms
Annas SavoieTears stream down my cheeks when I look in the wedding boutique mirror, spotting the woman I haven’t seen for a while. I used to wear dresses and heels instead of slippers and messy buns. I used to adorn the jewelry Leon gave me, wearing it like a trophy. Since Tate, I’ve traded multiple layers of gold and silver for rainbows of unknown forms of baby goo. And I love it. Don’t get me wrong. But seeing myself in my wedding dress, tingles of joy seem bittersweet. What if I’ve overstepped, and I lose Leon forever?“You look beautiful. The gown fits you perfectly, which is great, since we really don’t have time for alterations.” My sister, Bree, flips over the price tag and smiles, her hazel eyes dancing. “Another bonus.”I’m a new mom with a beautiful healthy son. A grieving mom, who misses the child she lost. A mom of a rainbow baby on the way. It’s all too much, and I’m feeling awful that I’ve pressured Leon, that I’ve kept my pregnancy from him, all because I’m scared. I’m
“He’s not coming,” I announce, feeling heartbroken. “You and mom should go. You have to be hungry, at least for more than crackers and cheese.”“We’re fine. The stars are beautiful tonight…” mom croons.I glance at Sadie. “Can you call Mamma Jean and tell her to put Tate to bed if he’s not already sleeping.”Mom sidles up to me, giving me a nudge. “Marriage is a test of patience. Its timing is not to be rushed if the true focus is love. Leon is a proud man. He may not have taken kindly to your threat of leaving him, but he’s not one to walk away. Neither are you.”Mom is my constant reminder of who I’m supposed to be. Not a restless soul but filled with faith and patience. Which is hard when you’re sitting in a lawn chair, waiting for your fated mate, who appears to have left you standing at the altar. I’m hurting, embarrassed, feeling stupid for forcing him to marry me, when, after all this fuss, I would rather be with him at home. I let my ego get the best of me. I let tradition tak
This is nice.No!My beast wasn’t impressed.I’d stopped just outside a mid-sized town and was eating a picnic lunch on the grass beside a small lake. The sun was shining, and the dappled light filtered through the leaves of a birch tree onto the blanket I’d laid out.There was no one else nearby as it was midweek; kids were in school, and adults were at work. But on the far side of the lake, there was a playground and a small restaurant, and elderly couples were enjoying a meal or just a coffee at the outdoor tables while young children played on the swings, watched by their parents or carers.While eating the quiche I’d picked up at a local bakery, I studied the families enjoying the pleasant weather. With my time consumed by work and keeping my beast happy, or if not exactly happy, then content, there was no space in my life for romance or a relationship, not even a one-night stand. Well, okay, maybe a couple of no- questions-asked romps after late-night drinking sessions at whatev
We developed a pattern. I’d give my leopard three months of what I referred to as roaming time. He’d take the lead, telling me to switch from a highway to a back road or vice versa. If he hadn’t found our forever home, a town or region in that time, I took control and we’d rent a place of my choosing. As renting required a commitment, I insisted we stay a minimum of six months. He agreed as long as we shifted frequently.The few shifter friends I’d made on my travels came up with suggestions as to why my beast was anxious. Their reasoning ranged from him wanting to be with his own kind, to returning to the place where I’d first heard him during puberty, and even him searching for our mate.My leopard’s answer to the first was a resounding no. Snow leopards didn’t grow up in packs or prides, much like their wild cousins. We’d met another snow leopard at college but apart from having the same beast and being students, we had nothing in common.He first revealed himself at my folks’ home
“Không, nhưng tôi nghĩ tối nay anh ấy sẽ cầu hôn,” Liam nói. “Nó chỉ hợp lý thôi. Hôm qua, tôi tình cờ nghe được cuộc trò chuyện qua điện thoại của anh ấy với ai đó - tôi nghĩ là một nhân viên PR nào đó. Westcliff nói rằng nhà vua sẽ đưa ra thông báo sau vài ngày nữa - ý tôi là về Hoàng tử Haydn. Westcliff cũng muốn thông báo về việc đính hôn của chúng tôi vào khoảng thời gian đó. Nó có ý nghĩa. ”Jules đã nghiên cứu kỹ lưỡng về anh trai mình.Khuôn mặt đáng yêu của Liam rất khó đọc, nhưng đôi mắt của anh ấy không hẳn là ánh lên hạnh phúc.“You don’t have to say yes,” Jules said, feeling painfully uncomfortable. He was so damn torn about the subject he didn’t know what advice to give. He didn’t want Liam to marry an alpha he didn’t love for the sake of their family, but… He was scared that if he told Liam not to marry Westcliff, it would be selfish advice.To make things more confusing, there was a small, horrible part of him that did want Westcliff as the alpha of their family. That
Except even that fantasy wasn’t enough. Thinking about the Xeus just made his broken bond ache. Ache and hurt like an old wound that was starting to bleed again. The pain somehow amplified the desire, and soon Jules was half-sobbing into his pillow, his hips pushing greedily onto the dildo. Need him, need him, can’t need him, need him. Gone, need him, gone. I need—I need—I need. It was fucking horrible. Jules had never felt worse in his life, his muscles trembling, his cock sore, his body oversensitive and needy, and his bond aching.So he tried not to think about his Xeus. He made himself think of other alphas, trying to tell himself that any alpha would do. Any alpha with a thick, hard cock would do. He was desperate enough to almost believe it.He imagined going to a ball, his cock stiff and his slick dribbling down his leg. He imagined alphas turning toward him, their nostrils flaring and their cocks straining their pants. He would be attractive to alphas for once. They would want
Julian flushed. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, after…”After sex.Devlin gave a clipped nod, clasping his hands behind his back. His fingers and his jawline itched, as they did when he was on the verge of transforming. Through sheer willpower, he managed to keep his claws in.It was a normal enough reaction, to feel protective of a young omega he cared about.It was.“But the bond took?” he said, his voice very neutral.Julian nodded, not looking at him. “We were naturally compatible.”Devlin’s claws dug into his palm. He turned away and walked to the window.He took a deep breath, staring at Dainiri’s nearly full disk, and then another, until he had his claws under control.“I see,” he heard himself say. “The risk still exists, then. Medical intervention might be needed.”“What do you mean?” Julian said. “More suppressants?”“Increasing the dose again might do more harm than good,” Devlin said stiffly. “I’m hardly a doctor, but even I know that you can’t keep changing yo
Ignoring the question, Devlin studied him carefully. “Do you feel better?”“What?” Julian said, his brows knitting together.Devlin looked at him sharply. “Your brother said you didn’t feel well.”Julian averted his gaze. “Right! Of course. I feel better now. Much better—”“You didn’t want to go with us.”The omega winced, but he didn’t even try to deny it. So it was true.It shouldn’t have bothered him. It really was none of his business.“Why?” Devlin said.Julian shrugged. “It’s not exactly fun being a third wheel.” He still wouldn’t meet Devlin’s eyes.“You’re not telling the truth,” Devlin said, becoming more certain of it the longer Julian avoided looking at him. Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him.It shut with a click.“What are you doing?” Julian said. “And I’m not lying. You think it’s fun—”“Julian,” Devlin said quietly. “Look at me.”After a moment, the omega finally did as he was told. There was a half-scowl on his face but some other emotion in his eyes
“All ri—” Liam started saying, but Devlin cut him off.“Your brother can’t leave the ball with me,” he said, looking at Julian. “You don’t want any nasty rumors to start flying around, do you?”He could actually hear Julian grind his teeth.“Fine,” he said, still sounding a mix of annoyed and bewildered.The helicopter ride to the Blake house was a strange one. Liam was the only one talking, chattering non-stop about the perfection that was Viscount Nasr while Julian determinedly didn’t look at Devlin.Devlin bored his eyes into him, his fingertips tingling, his claws itching to come out. He curled his hands into fists and breathed shallowly, trying to ignore the way Julian smelled. It was impossible. Julian fucking reeked. He reeked of another alpha. Devlin wanted to fix it, run his hands all over the brat, until he smelled right.It was probably a good thing that Julian was the first to jump out of the helicopter when they arrived, because Devlin didn’t trust himself.Tearing his ga
Julian glared at him, his cheekbones a little pink. “That was a dick move,” he said, glancing back at Nasr, who was left standing in the middle of the dance floor.“He’s much too old for you,” Devlin said, stroking his thumb against Julian’s wrist.“Stop scent-marking me,” Julian gritted out, his color heightening. “And he isn’t too old. He’s half Korf’s age.”“That shouldn’t be your measuring stick,” Devlin said. “I told you I wouldn’t allow your uncle to give you to Korf. You deserve better.”Julian chuckled. “Better? Who?”Devlin’s lips thinned. “Someone better than Nasr.”“There’s nothing wrong with Viscount Nasr. He’s perfectly nice and pleasant, and he actually sees me for being me. I’ve known him forever—he has a neighboring estate. He was always nice to me when I was a child.”“That hardly says good things about him, does it? What a creep.”Julian stomped on his right foot. “You’re being an ass,” he said, his voice a mix of annoyed and bewildered. He blinked a few times. “I do
Their date that day was unexpectedly tedious.Devlin found it difficult to keep his attention on his date, his mood sour and distracted. He was aware that he was acting like a dick, his attitude probably too cold and unapproachable. Liam seemed to have given up on trying to strike up a conversation with him after a few hesitant attempts and focused his attention entirely on the aircar race. When Liam spoke, he spoke only to the beta chaperone who had accompanied them to the race.By the time the race was over, Devlin had a headache once again, his body brimming with tension and anxiety, the source of which he couldn’t pinpoint. He barely had the patience to smile for the paparazzi as they left the track, and his smile was probably very strained. Hopefully he didn’t actually look like he wanted to punch someone.He dropped Liam off, and then he hesitated, looking at the Blake house. It would be only polite to inquire how Julian was feeling.Devlin pulled his phone out of his pocket and
Several weeks passed like that. Westcliff called on Liam and took him out on dates, putting on that disgustingly charming mask he wore in public. More often than not, Jules accompanied them, serving as a chaperone, for appearances’ sake—officially. Unofficially, he kind of… he went because he wanted to be around the duke. It freaked him out that he felt addicted to the way Westcliff made him feel, but he couldn’t help himself. It felt so good, especially when Westcliff allowed him to rub his face against his scent gland—the euphoria was beyond his ability to express properly. Afterward, Jules felt so embarrassed, but thankfully, Westcliff didn’t make fun of him and always acted as if there was nothing weird about his behavior. “Better?” he would say in a quiet murmur, and Jules would flush and nod and look anywhere but at him. Every time he told himself it was the last time, but his resolve melted into a mass of goo the next time he saw the duke. It was horrible. Horribly addictive.
Jules ôm lại anh trai mình, nhưng cảm giác lo lắng, bất an dưới da anh không thể biến mất. Ngược lại với ý muốn của mình, anh thấy mình đang nghĩ đến cảm giác an toàn như thế nào trong vòng tay của Westcliff ngày hôm qua, như thể không gì có thể chạm vào anh hay làm anh bị thương. Có lẽ có Westcliff làm alpha của họ sẽ không phải là một điều tồi tệ. Có lẽ anh nên cho anh ta một cơ hội. *** Quyết tâm của Jules để cho Westcliff một cơ hội kéo dài chính xác cho đến khi Westcliff gọi điện cho họ - trên Liam - vào buổi chiều. Anh không biết điều gì ở người đàn ông này đã khiến anh nổi gai ốc, tự ý thức và chỉ trích thái quá. Đó là một sự kết hợp kỳ lạ giữa các cảm xúc, nhưng anh không thể không nhìn Westcliff bằng ánh mắt dò xét, hoài nghi khi công tước đang nói chuyện nhỏ với Liam và chú Wayne. Thằng khốn thậm chí còn chưa liếc nhìn anh một lần kể từ khi bước vào phòng. Jules khoanh tay trước ngực, sau đó không bắt chéo chúng. Nhặt chiếc máy tính bảng trên chiếc bàn trong góc, anh n