Olympia opened her eyes, wincing as she stretched her aching body against the rumpled bedding. Moaning, she began to run her hands down her body, causing a flashback of another’s hands moving over her, leaving in its wake more pleasure than she’d ever known. The distant memory of Xavier’s possession renewed her hunger, and she knew she had to get out of there fast.The mild confusion that came with waking in a strange place was gradually replaced with bits and pieces of realization until the puzzle was complete. Olympia got up, bringing the sheet around her body. Her gaze landed on the brownish spots staining the bottom sheet. She looked away, recalling how eager and willing she’d been in Xavier’s arms, how brazenly she’d given him her virginity. Well, it had been bound to happen sometime.Bright sunlight streamed through the open windows, as well as a cool breeze that carried the alluring scent of fresh pine and springtime. She went to the window and inhaled deeply, filling her lungs
Chapter 52When Xavier entered Savage Hills Hall the heated argument he’d heard outside while parking his vehicle had escalated into some kind of a physical altercation. He picked up his step, opening the door to the conference room in time to see Clive hurl a chair across the room in a rage. It crashed against the wall and splintered."It's not fucking right!" Clive bellowed.A hush fell upon the room when Xavier entered. He stood there for a moment, assessing the situation. The elders were already in their seats at the head of the hall, their expressions revealing their disgust at something that had apparently already happened. It didn’t take a genius to know that it had something to do with his half-brother, who had lately been a topic of discussion. It appeared that his uncontrollable temper was getting the best of him as usual."I suggest you calm your shit down, brother," Xavier demanded with a tight mouth. "Before you make more of a fool of yourself."“There’s no way you can ex
Olympia took Connor up in the shower, changed into clean clothes, and then made her way to the kitchen for something to eat. She was a vegetarian, and she wondered if she’d find anything suitable in his fridge. Xavier looked like a meat and potato kind of man. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the man actually had a couple of yogurts to choose from. After finding a spoon, she went to the front entrance. Xavier had left the main door open, and she peered through the screen at Max.He’d refused her invitation to come inside, preferring to stay outside sitting on the porch steps. Olympia had to wonder if he was there to keep her company or to keep her from leaving.“Would you like some coffee, Max?”He glanced over his shoulder at her. “No thanks, I had my quota for the day.” He offered a smile before turning back the other way."Are you Xavier's cousin?" she asked with heavy skepticism in her voice."Yes," he said simply and without hesitation.Olympia snorted, opened the door,
Xavier, wait!” Max put a strong hand on Xavier to keep him from moving. “Maybe you better take off again until you get your wolf under control.”Xavier turned golden eyes on his cousin, breathing heavily through his nose. “How could you stand this?” he asked Max, gaining a new respect for Max’s strength and power to ignore Olympia’s overwhelming scent.Max grinned. “When I couldn’t get away from her I just kept my thoughts on Rose. Besides, cousin, Olympia’s heat scent doesn’t exactly affect me as strongly as it does you.”Both men glanced at Olympia, where she stood motionless at the top of the porch. “Look at her, Xavier, her body recognizes you as her mate, but she doesn’t know how to react to it.”“Well, I do.” Xavier attempted to walk around Max, but Max gripped his upper arm even harder. “If you want to keep that hand–”“Listen to reason, man. You could tear her to pieces in the state you’re in. She's frightened and confused.”Xavier looked back at Olympia, running his gaze over
"Yes! Yes!" Olympia cried out, offering herself to Xavier. "Fuck me!"Olympia, unaccustomed to her wolf, didn’t know how to handle the raw animal needs coursing through her blood. Xavier recognized that the state she was in could easily turn deadly if he didn’t give her some relief, and now. Her she-wolf was trying to make an appearance and Olympia was confusing it with her desire for him.As she twisted wildly beneath him, Xavier nudged her thighs apart with his knee and prepared to penetrate her. A soft growl traveled up Olympia’s throat, surprising her as much as it did him. Their gazes locked, and when she opened her mouth to pant he saw the tip of her fangs descend. Fuck! She was beautiful, flushed with wild color, and almost ready to meet her wolf. Almost.Acting fast, Xavier thrust forward, burying his dick all the way until he met resistance. Oh, God! She felt fucking good, and she was so fucking tight. She bowed up with a sound of loud pleasure, forcing him even deeper. He gr
Nothing caused an erection to deflate faster than when your mother came around. Xavier instinctively knew why she was there, too, and he dreaded the upcoming conversation. She’d always favored Clive, had always given him anything he wanted, and now she was going to beg for him. Only this was one time Xavier was going to remain firm in his decision, even if it meant alienating her.He had to think of his mate, his future as pack alpha.He glanced at Olympia as she quickly buttoned her blouse, her complexion a rosy glow and a spark in her eyes that he’d put there. Damn. He couldn't wait to meet her wolf. It was a good thing he’d heard the car coming because he’d been within seconds of taking Olympia’s jeans off and bending her over the railing.That was coming.Olympia glanced his way when she was done. “I still have questions.”“Somehow I knew that. We’ll finish our talk later.”“Is that all we’ll finish?” she teased with a promise in her eyes.Surprise filtered through him at her unex
Xavier was slipping his phone back into his pocket when the door opened and Olympia walked in. Meeting his eyes, she offered him a smile. He had to wonder what she and his mother had talked about.“Your mother, Anne, is a nice lady,” she said, walking further into the room. Xavier nodded but remained silent. “So, you have three brothers?”He nodded again. “Julian, Dominic, and Clive. I’m the oldest.”“I understand the whole alpha thing, but why does Clive want to hurt me?”He held his hand out, beckoning Olympia over to him. She slipped her hand into his, letting him lead her to the leather loveseat that matched the sofa. As he sank down onto the plush cushion, he pulled her down onto his lap. He liked keeping her close, liked her slight weight against him, liked taking in her scent with every breath he took.“He wants to hurt me,” Xavier admitted reluctantly, realizing that Olympia deserved to know the truth. “I don’t think he would have killed you the other night, but he would have
Olympia remained quiet as they made the ride to Max and Rose’s place, contemplating the changes that had taken place in her life in such a short span of time. She’d left her normal world and beliefs behind, entering a world of dark fantasy and darker desires. Something told her she would have to embrace everything about Xavier and Savage Hills, and that going home was impossible. This was her home now.She still had questions, but right now Olympia was trying to come to terms with her insatiable lust for Xavier. What else could it be? The image of the sex act she’d performed on him earlier wouldn’t leave her head. Olympia had been innocent when they met, but something she couldn’t explain took over when they were together, causing her to act like a woman with sexual experience. She blushed thinking about how shameless she'd acted.Casting a sideways glance at Xavier, she wondered what he was thinking. He seemed on edge, and deep in thought. Is he wondering what his mother and I talk
Chapter 79Coral guided them to the dining hall under the escort of the royal guard and as they entered the hall, everyone that had been seated stood instantly and bowed their heads in their direction."I'm not gonna lie, I kind of miss having a quiet breakfast without the audience already," Olympia murmured to Xavier, who chuckled in response.Olympia motioned for them to sit as she took her seat and the breakfast dishes were brought out."Goddess, is it going to be like this every time we eat?" Olympia frowned as she watched plate after plate of dishes being unloaded onto the table in front of them."I mean, at least we know you'll never be short of choice." Xavier chuckled.The seating arrangements were the same at the Royal Table as they had been the night before and Olympia found herself seated next to Bartholomew once more.She had already spotted Greyson and a few other faces she didn't recognize seated at one of the tables closest to theirs. Judging by their similarity in dres
The next morning with the haze of sleep still sitting over her, Olympia had briefly forgotten the events of the night before as she stretched languidly under the cloud-like duvet that enveloped her completely.As the reality of her situation intruded rudely on her blissfully unaware state, she groaned and threw the covers off, before carefully extracting herself from under Xavier's arm that had been lazily thrown across her stomach."Leaving me so soon?" Xavier murmured, his voice still thick with sleep."There's too much waiting for us, my Alpha." Olympia chuckled as his eyes opened wide suddenly and darkened as he gazed at her half-naked form perched on the edge of the bed."There's always time to squeeze in a little..." Xavier protested playfully as he lunged to catch hold of her and pull her back into the bed, but Olympia cut him off with a laugh."Little? Xavier, you know as well as I do that there's nothing little about you, or the time that we spend wrapped around each other."
Olympia and Xavier made their way back to their quarters under the escort of the Royal guards and once inside, Olympia gratefully closed the door behind her.It was glaringly obvious that they wouldn't be able to return to the palace anytime soon, so Xavier set about making arrangements to have some of their personal effects sent over whilst Olympia got herself changed out of the ceremonial attire and into something a little more comfortable.She wasn't sure that leggings and an oversized T-shirt were what constituted acceptable attire for a reigning Alpha Queen, but she was past caring at this point. She just wanted to be comfortable and free of distractions so that she could think clearly.She settled herself on the edge of the bed and sent a quick message to Mimi, requesting a few items of clothing that she knew she was lacking for official functions, diplomatic liaisons, and possibly for the meetings within the Enclave too. If at all possible she would much rather reserve the imp
The air positively hummed as her aura rippled through the room and the people dropped to their knees in front of her, including those that had done no wrong. Olympia felt a pang of guilt but did her best to brush it away. It was less than ideal, but if it was spoken of outside of this room, then it would be widely known that Olympia was no pushover, and would happily act before the Elders got a chance to do so.Perhaps Maeve was right and more direct action was necessary. Her father had been a weak ruler in later years and perhaps he had allowed them a little too much freedom in dictating how things were run.The Enclave was an ancient institution that protected the Kingdom from tyrant rulers. They were never meant to make the decisions for the Kings and Queens, merely to ensure that justice was upheld and that the Royal line did not abuse its power to the detriment of the general population.Olympia calmed her raging fury and did her best to speak calmly. Though her tone was laced
"The 12th Garrison?" Xavier asked, his expression one of deep thought, "How were you alerted to the convoy's demise?" "Generally we track the progress from the 11th garrison at the receiving end through the Ravine with spotters from our garrison. We hadn't heard from the spotters for longer than was normal, and had begun to mobilize a search party." Greyson explained calmly, "They were about to leave when a group of Aurochs, that we know are used for transport there, entered the bottom of the valley in a panicked state."Xavier nodded thoughtfully as Greyson explained, scrutinizing his face subtly and checking for any trace of dishonesty."As soon as the lookout at the Garrison reported it, we mobilized a force to intercept and conduct reconnaissance in the area. We knew that it meant nothing good as there was no trace of the guards or the convoy that they were supposed to be attached to, so support was requested from the 11th Garrison as well.""Did they call the wyverns in to help
Olympia and Xavier followed the senior Elder in front of them, with the Enclave guard contained on all sides by the Royal guard as they made their way to one of the private rooms available. "I'm terribly sorry for this outrageous intrusion, my Queen. He should have been stopped by the guards before he ever got this far..." The Senior Elder grumbled. He had briefly introduced himself as Bartholomew, one of the Senior Elders that oversaw the Enclave, before offering to escort them to a private room to receive whatever news it was that the man had brought. "It's not a problem, Bartholomew. If it is as important as I think it may be, then the sooner we hear what he has to say, the better."Bartholomew turned to look at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes, and she didn't miss the curious look that Xavier gave her either."Do you know what he's here for, my Queen?" Bartholomew asked as casually as possible, but there was a definite hint of suspicion in his tone.Olympia smiled
The hum of chatter faded as soon as the Steward announced their arrival and every person in attendance stood and turned to watch the newly instated royal couple with interest. Olympia took a deep breath to steady her nerves as unobtrusively as she could. She forced a demure smile on her face as she and Xavier made their way toward their seats and tried desperately to ignore the countless judgemental eyes now focused solely on her.The Royal Table sat at the far back of the room, elevated slightly above the others on a beautifully sculpted dais. Two ornate chairs, crafted in Silver and decorated expertly with reliefs of the Moon Goddess and her first children sculpted into the metalwork, sat central to the table, flanked on either side by additional chairs for the most senior of the Royal Enclave.As Olympia and Xavier passed the many faces of the wide array of dignitaries assembled in the banquet hall, they held their heads high as the surrounding shifters bowed their heads or bared
Olympia and Xavier stood side by side on the balcony, waving down to the crowds that had gathered below.The noise from the crowd was almost deafening. It almost seemed as though they were fighting with one another over whose voice could shout the loudest and reach the newly crowned Alpha Queen's ears first.Xavier chuckled softly."All this is for you, my Queen." He murmured as he took her hand and brought her fingers to his lips, kissing it gently.Olympia giggled lightly, her nerves getting the better of her as loud cheers echoed through the air."Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for their excitement and the more than warm welcome, but I've done nothing to prove myself to them yet." She replied with a worried smile."Is that really what you think?" Xavier murmured quietly, "Olympia, take a step back and think about it for a second. These past few months have thrown so much at you and the accusations and lies that were thrown in your direction put you under intense public scrutiny.
The ground beneath them seemed to erupt as vile, twisted creatures emerged as far as the eye could see, bringing with them a stench that was so overpowering that a multitude of hands flew upwards to cover their faces with the masks of their attire as they gagged violently.The rotting flesh of the gargantuan beast that seemed to detach itself from the mountainside rippled disgustingly as it lumbered towards them, vile fluids oozing from the open sores and dripping down onto the mass of creatures swarming below it.The entire convoy seemed to freeze momentarily in pure, unadulterated terror as the scene that looked as though it had been ripped straight from a horror movie unfolded before them.In seconds, the Enclave's guards sprung into action. Those that couldn't shift readied their weapons and offensive magic as the sound of breaking bones whilst the shifters changed filled the air. An eerie symphony rippled through the landscape, filled with the cacophony of grunts and otherworldl