“I’m going to allow the growling to slide, considering that you are nearing your first shift, and your emotions are in overdrive right now. But I will not tolerate defiance, Rieka. I no longer want you as my servant. I just want you to be mine, and I want to be yours.” I wanted to look up at him, but his aura kept my eyes forced down. Conri bent down and grasped my hands to help me to my feet, his purr vibrating through his chest. He placed two fingers under my chin to force my head up to look at him. “I do not like commanding you and forcing you into submission. If you’re having difficulties with your instincts, let me help you. Do you understand?” “Yes.” I chewed on my bottom lip to keep myself from saying, my king. He raised an eyebrow. “Yes, what?” I lowered my eyes, my eyelashes fluttering and my cheeks heating. “Yes, Conri.” He growled in satisfaction at the sound of his name on my lips. “Let’s go and try to get some sleep.” I allowed him to guide me out of my room and a
“Do you trust me?” I nodded my head without hesitation. “Lay down.” I fell onto my stomach, kicking my legs out down the bed as Conri straddled me. The intensity in the apex of my thighs grew stronger as he hooked his fingers under the seam of my pants and began to pull them down along with my undergarments, tossing them to the floor with my other clothes. He ran a hand up the inside of my leg toward the apex of my thighs. “Just like the first time, Rieka, relax. Don’t fight your instincts. Your body knows what it wants.” Between his gentle words and his purring, I would have let him do whatever he wanted to me. A moan slipped between my lips as he brushed the apex of my thighs, and my hips involuntarily bucked, wanting more. Conri chuckled. He leaned forward to trail kisses down my spine, nipping at my shoulder blades as he passed them. I groaned. He cupped my pussy, and I moaned again as he placed little nips along my skin. Not enough to break the skin but hard enough to make me gas
A hiss sounded from Conri as he stirred awake, his hands running up my arm. Something told me I was a lunatic for biting the King of Guardians, but my instincts wanted more. They told me to mark every inch of him so everyone would know that he was mine and only mine. I bit his other pectoral, my claws kneading his sides. He groaned and hissed through his teeth as he rolled over on his back. I straddled his waist, sinking my canines into his collarbone. His blood with a perfect concoction of metallic and sweetness that was like a drug to me. I ran my tongue up his throat, and he moaned just before I bit into the junction of his shoulder and collarbone on the other side. “Rieka…” Conri moaned as both his hands grasped my hips. He was probably going to throw me out. Send me packing. I was biting the King of Guardians, but the harder I tried to stop, the stronger my instinct became to bite him. I did, over and over and over—Conri sat there and took every bite; he let out a mixture of h
“If we keep going, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop,” I growled at his words as I wanted to continue. Or at least my wolf side wanted to continue; my human side kept telling me this was moving too fast. I raked my claws down his biceps as the war began to rage inside me again. His fingers hovered over my skin, barely touching me as it electrified my nerves. His hand traveled lower—and lower—and lower—and just when I thought I could burst into flames from the heat in my core, a knock sounded on the bedroom door. Conri’s head snapped up, his eyes flashing blue as he let out a vicious snarl in the direction of the noise. Sighing, he dropped his head down to my chest, kissing my breasts tenderly. “I have to leave.” I let out a loose breath, despair twisting in my gut. “Do you want to come with me?” I bit my lower lip and thought about it before shaking my head. “I think I had enough adventure for this week,” I informed him, and he let out a chuckle before pressing a kiss on my foreh
It felt good to let loose and feel like a pup once again. My carefree puppy days seemed like ages ago. Cody had a knack for pulling my playful side out of dormant. It was well before evening when we arrived at the pack's border, which was a tie. We both panted heavily as we paced the perimeter, playfully shoving each other. It wasn’t until I heard leaves rustling and branches snapping that I grew serious and straightened. Cody presumed the same posture as me, his carefree side locked away for now. Wolves appeared out of the thicket, and like the Wolfsbane Pack, they all bowed in our presence. A magnificent golden wolf stepped forward, Keeping his eyes cast down. “The Alpha Devil sent word that you might be stopping by.” The young Shifter spoke. “My name is Yukon, Gamma to the Blood Moon Pack. Allow me to take you to our camp.” I grunted my response and allowed him to lead us across the border. I would have been tense with any other pack that wolves surrounded us, but the Blood Moon
“Conri, before you jump to any conclusions, listen to what else Navajo has to say.” I snarled at him, rage coursing through me. “I don’t have time to listen, Cody.” I snarled viciously at my beta. “There’s a traitor living in my manor.” I rounded on my paws and raced out of the camp without saying goodbye to Navajo or waiting for Cody. My paws grew numb as they pounded over and over the earth. My lungs ached as I panted heavily, the trees a blur around me. My mate—why did it have to be my mate? I cursed the Luna Goddess under my breath at the cruel and wicked joke she played. She gave me my mate only to have her kill me and take over my pack. I could barely make out Cody’s paw steps behind me as he struggled to catch up to me. I wasn’t stopping. Whatever feelings I had for Rieka were null and void at this point. She was a traitor, and she must be dealt with. RIEKA’S POV I spent the day wandering the property, enjoying the outdoors without having to be running for my life. As the
“She’s the Malikah. A traitor. Born to do one thing. Kill me and take over my pack, my throne.” I was sure that my heart had stopped at his words. I had no intention of killing him. Why would he think that? Even if I wanted to, I didn’t know I could bring myself to do it. There was something in my gut, in my soul, that pulled me to him. I couldn’t go an hour without thinking about him. I craved his touch. My entire essence revolved around him—and then the realization hit me. Was the King of Guardians, the Alpha King, my mate? Did he honestly think that his mate would kill him? Cody took a cautious step forward. “Conri, she’s your mate.” He reminded him. The King stared at me for a long moment as he bared his teeth. He looked like he was deciding whether to kill me on the spot. “I don’t care.” Conri finally breathed. “Get her out of my sight. She’s no longer welcome in my home or under the Guardians’ Protection.” “But, my king, she’s your mate,” Cody repeated. “She’s the future q
Connor had brought me to a little room in the west wing on the other side of the manor from Conri. I curled under the bed, the only place I felt safe. I curled into a ball with my back pressed against the wall. It was secluded under the bed; no one could hurt me there. Or hurt me more than I was right now. I laid my head on the cold wood floor and stared into the darkness as Connor left, promising he would return. Silent tears streamed down my cheeks as my chest tightened with sorrow. He just tossed me aside like it was the easiest thing he ever had to do. I was so stupid. So incredibly stupid and naïve to think that this would last. Whether we were mates or not, it didn’t matter. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. The bedroom door opened again, and Connor’s scent flooded the room. His face appeared on the side of the bed, but I continued to stare past him, slowly disconnecting from this world. “What did I do wrong?” My question came out hoarsely, but Connor heard m