Was it Ethan?Had he come back?Did he change his mind?Did he want to take me and do what he said he wanted to do now?Had I lost my chance to avoid this?Would I fight?Could I fight?Or would that be a stupid move?No. I don’t care what would be smart or what would be stupid. I didn’t even care that my fighting would most likely be futile. I wasn’t just going to take it. I was going to be dragged off like a sheep to slaughter as Shane sometimes said.Shane.Just the thought of him caused tears to well in my eyes. I had forced myself not to think about him while Ethan was in the room with me but now that I was being dragged back, I couldn’t help it. I wanted him. I missed him. I wanted to be with him. Something flipped in my mind and I couldn’t help it. I was fighting and kicking though my screams were muffled. I bit, scratched, and elbowed my attacker. I grabbed and scraped at the walls as I was dragged back into oblivion. I wouldn’t be taken. I wouldn’t go down without a fight. No
He didn’t say anything but his hand patted the top of my head before he blinked and the glowing eyes were gone. Shane was back. He wrapped his arms around me tighter and I wrapped my arms around his waist.“I’m sorry,” Shane whispered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”“You can’t protect me from him,” I said.“I protected you last night.”No, he didn’t. He only prolonged the inevitable.“You can’t protect me forever, Shane. Last night was amazing. I’m thankful for this time we have here together in the dark but I can’t stay. The longer we stay here, the higher the chances are that we will be caught. We need to leave.”I try to pull out of his embrace but he doesn’t let me go. If anything he holds me tighter, closer. His scent engulfs and warms me. I want to stay here, I want to get lost in the false sense of security I have here with him but I can’t. I won’t stay here, the longer I stay here, the harder it is for me to leave.“Shane,” I start.“Don’t. Not yet.”“Shane. I have to go.”“No, y
“I want what my Alpha wants and you are promised to him. Not me,” she said.“Why don’t we talk to father about it? Maybe he would make an exception.”“And go back on his word?” Ava said shrilly. “Never. An Alpha who goes back on his word isn’t meant to be an Alpha at all. Since when do you question your duties? We’ve been raised for this. You’ve known longer than I have that you were promised to the Alpha, to Alpha Ethan. Why are you…. it’s that boy, isn’t it?” Ava asked.“Man. He’s a man.”“He’s no man. Ethan is twice the man he’ll ever be. I saw you with him. Who is he?” Ava asked. When I didn’t say anything, she was up off the bed and behind me in a minute. I didn’t look at her, I only continued to stare at my reflection. “Tell me who he is, Adealine!” My lips were closed.“Ethan is your mate, Ethan is your Alpha. Ethan is our King. Let’s not forget that! I need to know who the boy is, Adealine!” She was yelling in my ear now. I could feel spittle as it splashed across my cheek.“G
Thunder rolled and lightning crashed, ripping me from sleep. There was a warm body by my side and I sighed. Thank Goddess. He came. I don’t know when I fell asleep. Looking outside, it was pitch black. The moon and stars barely shone through the angry clouds. The candle by my bed had long gone out. How long had I been asleep? The thunder flashed again and I came face to face with Shane. He was looking down at me and I lifted my chin to look up into his eyes. Lightning flashed and lit up the room again.Goddess. His hair was soaked and dripping. His shirt was gone and so were his pants. Was he naked? I dared not look down. I stared up into his eyes as he looked down at me.“What’s wrong?” I asked.“I’ve been sitting here. Staring at you.”“How long have you been here?” I asked.“Not long.”“There’s something I want to tell you,” I started.“There’s something I want to tell you too. You go first.”“I want to do something.”He just stared at me. He didn’t say anything so I went on.“What
ShaneWe sat in silence and I watched as the wheels churned in her head. She stared at me and I could read her like an open book. She was trying to figure out how to get me to change my mind, but I wasn’t, I wouldn’t. I wasn’t asking her. I already made up my mind. She was mine and as much as I would love to feel her quivering around me, I didn’t have to claim her for her to be mine. She was mine.“That’s the second time I’ve heard those words today, but from you, they mean so much more. Your words are a comfort, a promise,” Adea murmured.“Just knowing he’s tried to claim you, calls to a very dark place inside of me, Princess. I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got at the moment. No one else will touch you but me. Do you hear me? No one. You won’t so much as look at another man. I am it for you. I am all you need and I am all you will ever have. If you speak to another man I will kill him. I’ll kill any man who even looks at you. Ethan is on my list and he’ll get what’s coming t
A few months later Adea Shane comes into my room almost every night. He usually climbs into my window after sunset. The nights that he doesn’t come are colder and darker than the nights that he does. He stayed true to his word and he hasn’t done anything. We hold hands, or when he comes in late, he crawls into bed with me and cradles me as if I were the most important person in the world. I feel the crazed flutter of butterflies whenever he’s near. My mind races when he touches me, hugs me, holds me. I feel valued, I feel precious. I do my best not to rouse suspicion. Even though I want to skip dinner, if I do it too much I know Ava would make it her life’s mission to find out why. It was hard not to bounce my leg anxiously underneath the table. I couldn’t even taste the roasted chicken and potatoes. When my father finally got up and walked out I excused myself and slowly exited the Dining Hall. It wasn’t until I passed a window in the hallway that I started to quicken my steps. Th
*Two years later* Adea “Oh, fuck.” Shane’s groan was all the encouragement I needed. My knees were rubbed raw, but I sheathed and bobbed enthusiastically. Little pebbles of rocks dug into my skin and pierced flesh, but it didn’t hinder me. Nothing could, especially not when the God standing above me had my full attention. My thighs clenched at the way his face grimaced with pleasure and the muscle that pulsed as he clenched his jaw. I didn’t miss a single detail, like how he was fighting the urge to drop his head back and lose himself in the pleasure that I was giving him. His eyes flew open as he stared down at me. Dark obsidian orbs threatened to steam me away in the night and promised to do dirty things to me. Light flecks flashed and I knew Maximus was present for this. I’ve had a chance to get to know Maximus over the last two years. Despite him being ornery, I have come to love him as much as I do Shane. He wasn’t present every time, but he was welcome whenever he came forwa
“Hey,” Shane murmurs as he grabs my hands and pulls me to my feet. I don’t say anything as he lifts my chin. It’s too late to try and hide it, he knows and when he sees my face, he’ll know I’m upset. When our eyes lock again, he laughs. He actually laughs.“I’m glad you think this is funny.”“Of course, I do. You’re jealous of something I cannot control,” he says between laughing.“What did you think of me the first time we met?” I asked.“I thought you were an angel,” Shane said. He said it way too serious to be a joke.“That’s funny,” I laughed. “Honestly though.”“I am being honest. I thought you were the prettiest person I’d ever seen. You took my breath away.”The sound of rainfall filled the room. It was loud yet soothing. I wasn’t sure if I was enamored with his words or the way he was looking at me.“You could have controlled it!”“I was a young kid. The girls didn’t even know what they were doing. They are nothing in comparison.”I exhaled deeply as if that was going to make