Chapter Five Kodessa POV

I yawned and rubbed my tired eyes as the sunlight beamed through the gaps in the curtains.

Sleep did not come easily as Fenis Grey crept into my dreams. I could not get the image of him out of my head.

Stretching, the dull ache from my ankle starting radiating up into my calf. 

“Good morning Miss Kodessa” Elsie, our maid, exclaimed as she entered the room, promptly throwing open the curtains. Daylight flooded the room.

“Morning, Elsie”, I replied, smiling at the woman that had nurtured me for the last sixteen years. 

Elsie was the only mother Gwen, and I have known, well, her and Grandma Ulfred.

Ever since we lost our mother, it was Elsie that wiped our tears, fed and clothed us, told us fairy tales, taught us to cook. 

She was a stern, no-nonsense kind of woman. With a weathered face and kind green eyes. A mop of curly grey hair and a homely body. Quick to chastise or comfort when needed.

“Letś have a good look at that ankle child” “I heard about your escapades from your father”.

“Oh, itś nothing. I think I damaged my pride more than anything”.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack when you did not return,” she said crossly, as she gently unwrapped the poultice to inspect my injury.

The swelling was subsiding, but a deep purple bruise wrapped around the side of my foot.

“Do you think I will be a good wife to Lucian ? Elsie”.

The thought had been troubling me. Would a good loving wife be having intimate thoughts about another man? Imagining the taste of his lips on mine. His hands were caressing my body, and the way his firm, muscular body would feel as I ran my hands from his face, to his neck and down his broad chest—our naked bodies pressing against each other.

“Kodessa, Kodessa … KODESSA, I have answered your question, and you have not heard a single word I have said!”

“Oh…  I am sorry, Elsie, I was daydreaming”, 

What in the world is wrong with me? I need to forget about Fenis Grey and focus on the man I am to marry. Lucian deserves more than this. He would be so hurt if he knew the scandalous thoughts I was having.

“You will be a fine wife to Lucian, Dessa.” “Just as your mother was to your father”. 

“I have never seen two people more in love than Tobias and Lillyarna Keneally”.

“Letś get you dressed and down to breakfast”.

I quickly dressed. Elsie rewrapped the poultice around my ankle and secured it into place. Then, taking my mothers silver hairbrush, she ran it through the tangles in my hair. 

“Ouch”, I shrieked as she tried to glide the comb through the matter of knots. I clutched my hair with my hands.

“Kodessa Keneally, stop acting like a child and hold still”.

“You are rough, Elsie”, I sulked as I put my hands back down on my lap.

This was a fight I would never and had never won.

Thank goodness that was over. I commiserated as Elsie handed me the wooden crutches, and I started to make my way across the room.

Elsie looked around at the chaos, shaking her head in frustration.

“When you heal Dessa, you are to clean this pigsty of a room, and It is unbecoming of a lady of your standing”.

“It is perfectly fine, Elsie and I know where everything is”, I replied as I made my way out the door and started down the hallway.

I could hear Gwen and Father laughing as I approached the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked bread wafting around the room made me realise how starving I was. The kitchen was warm and inviting, and Mary had been cooking up a feast all morning. Piles of eggs, bacon and sausages filled the old oak table.

“Good morning Father, Gwen”. I said, smiling as my father stood up and pulled out my chair.

“Morning Dessa, How is your ankle?” he replied as he gently tousled my hair and kissed me on the cheek”.

“It feels much better, thank you”. I smiled at him and then turned to face Gwendolyn, who had not spoken a word since I had arrived.

“Good morning, Gwen”, I exclaimed, looking right at her. “I hope you’re not being childish and not speaking to me”.

Gwen shifted in her chair uncomfortably and looked down at the table, her face flushed red.

I glared at her getting angrier by the minute. Finally, she crossed her arms across her chest as tears starting forming in the corner of her eyes.

“Gwen”, my father admonished. You could see his frustration growing. “Stop being childish”.

Gwen pushed back her chair, the heavy legs scraping against the kitchen floor. She stood up abruptly, getting ready to flee.

“I hate you both”, “And I cannot wait to leave this place”.

                       

“Why ever would you say such a hurtful thing, Gwennie”.

Tobias looked a Gwendolyn. The pain of her words was visible. 

He wondered how different it would be if Lilly had been her to raise her daughters.

As hard as he tried over the years, he could never fill the need. His daughters had been robbed of a lifetime of love and affection from their devoted mother, and it broke his heart to see Gwen hurting his way.

The pain never went away, the yearning for her indescribable, and in times like this, the red hot rage for the person responsible made it hard to breathe.

“If you keep this behaviour up, Gwen, you will be not attending the Regency Dance tonight”.

“I will do as I please, father¨, she lashed out as she turned and ran out of the room.

“I do not know what has come over her father.”

 I was shocked and appalled by her outburst and the venom in her words.

Gwen had always had a gentle, sweet nature, and something was not right in her world to make her attack in this manner. I just could not put my finger on it.

Gwen stormed out of the house and headed towards the town square, and tears streamed down her face. She walked past the rows of houses, ignoring the greetings of people passing by. 

The townfolk of Briarwood had no idea that there were wolves amongst them. The pack had strict laws in place to ensure their anonymity. The most important being no harm was to come to any humans, and they could never know of the pack’s existence. Tobias was the Lord of Briarwood, as was his father and his father before him. He ensured they were well fed and looked after. And in doing so, the village ran in harmony.

Lucian Radley walks past the butcher shop and waves to the people inside. He quickly rounded the corner, making his way to the edge of the forest. He looked behind him, checking he had not been followed. He heard her sweet soft voice singing before she came into sight. Her long blonde tresses were gently swaying in the cool summer breeze.

She heard him approaching, and a smile broke out across her dainty face. Her sapphire eyes were sparkling in the sunlight. She ran as fast as she could, leaping into his outstretched arms.

They were spinning in circles until they fell to the ground in fits of laughter.

“Oh Lucian, I have missed you so much”, Gwen proclaimed. Looking into Lucianś grey eyes.

“I have had the most terrible night and morning.”

“Well, I am here now, my beautiful Gwen, tell me all about it”. 

“Lucian, Kodessa and I argued about dancing with you at the Regency Ball”.

“She has sprained her ankle, and I told her not to worry. I would dance with you”.

“She and father said I was too young to dance with you, Lucian. They made me so mad”.

Lucian tender ran his fingers through her hair, tracing her soft neck and reaching the top of her slender shoulders.

“We have to tell them, Lucian, we must”. “You cannot marry Kodessa, and we must tell them that we are in love”.

Tears streamed down her face, and the whole situation was so unfair. How could the man she loved be fated with her sister? Overwhelmed and scared for what would happen next, she clung tightly to Lucian.

“It will be alright, Gwennie, and we will tell Kodessa and your father at the dance that we are in love and wish to marry”.

“And if they do not allow us to be together, we will leave this place and find a new home”.

“We will be together, Gwendolyn, forever, for always”.

Gwen closed her eyes and leant in as Lucian’s sweet, warm lips met hers. She slowly opened her mouth as his tongue swept gently across her bottom lip, and then, pulling her closer, their tongues met, dancing with each other, sweeping from side to side.

His hands are caressing the small of her back. Her hair smelt like flowers. She arched her back as his touch gave her goosebumps. She heard his breathing quicken as his hands made their way to the top of her shoulders, and following the curves of her body, his fingertips traced the outline of small, perky breasts.

He undid the buttons of her dress, and as it fell to her waist, her pink nipples hardened as he ran his fingers back and forth, teasing her. He felt himself harden, throbbing in anticipation. Gwen moaned with delight as he squeezed her soft pink nipple, and then when she thought she could not take anymore, he moved his hand to her waist and brought his head down between her breasts.

Lucian ran the tip of his tongue from the middle of her chest until he reached her budding breast. He slowly flicked his tongue back and forth. She squirmed with delight. 

“Now Lucian, please take me now”, she begged, opening her legs.

Lucian slid his fingers between her thighs. Gwen squirmed, her body aching for his.

And as his finger slowly touched her delicate flesh, she let out a moan of pleasure.

He moved it in and out, starting off slowing and then faster and harder.

‘Oh, Lucian”, Gwen cried out.

 He unbuttoned his pants, his hardness pressing against the fabric.

He undid the final button using one hand, and his pants fell to the forest floor below. His hand encircled her waist. He climbed on top, and with gentle thrust, he was inside her. Her body convulsed as she felt him enter her. 

Slowly Lucian started to thrust in and out. Their bodies moving as one. Gwen hands holding tightly onto his shoulders. She digs her fingernails into his muscular arms, the tension builds in her body, and then it violently releases as her pleasure hits its limits. He starts to move more quickly, as he feels her tighten around him in the grips of her pleasure, as his breathing gets heavy, and with one final thrust, he reaches his climax. His whole body shakes, and he groans from exhaustion.

Lucian collapses on top of Gwen, kisses her on the lips, carefully lays down beside her, holding her hand tightly in his.

“I love you Lucian” she purred 

“Not half as much as love you Gwendolyn Keneally” he replied taking her into his arms.