*EDEN’S POVEden clutched Ian’s arm. "The bride. I am now Lady Hadleigh." Her veil lifted and she saw her husband's face approaching, grave and very pale. His eyes were a dark brown as he contemplated his features. "He's realizing he's done something irrevocable," Eden mused as he leaned in to kiss her. She wished the passionate kiss would last longer, to reassure her, but Ian was already getting up. An elegant but bewitching kiss, adapted to these solemn circumstances. Ian always knew what to do, on any occasion…***"And I don't, not at all." Eden had thought she was perfectly in control of herself , until Ivan entered her life. She had been an obedient daughter, an accomplished householder, a strong supporter of the parish. Which of these different talents would be useful to her in her new life? None. Now she would have to learn to behave like a viscountess. Eden proudly raised her chin and placed her hand on Ian’s arm. She took her bouquet from Alexis’ hands and followed
The hall of the castle was filled with servants, gardeners, and grooms, and their entrance set off a cheerful and amused hubbub. For a moment, Eden felt as if Ian was going to run up the stairs without stopping and take her straight to his room. Her heart was pounding with fear and excitement. But he dropped her off in the hall, keeping his fingers entwined with her own.“Three cheers for milord,” said Jackson. Hip, hip, hip…The assembled staff didn't really need the butler's encouragement, and the cheers shook the walls of the old house. Eden felt his eyes fill with tears. All these people seemed genuinely happy to welcome her. Eden untied the ribbons from her hat, and one of the maids came and put it aside, along with her gloves.“-Deni, I insist on being the first to kiss the groom on the threshold of her new home,” Logan said happily, taking Eden by the shoulders. He kissed her on both cheeks.“You're a very lucky man, Ian” he said happily to his cousin.“I know,” he answered
It was 10 p.m. Ian was escorting his guests out, thinking that the end of this kind of evening was always tricky: if you left too early, you seemed to heavily emphasize that the bride and groom were waiting for their wedding night; and if you lingered, you became awkward. Not easy... slyly, he looked at Eden, who was smiling at Iris. She had done very well. Confidence would come with experience, but Eden had a kind of natural grace, as well as a genuine interest in others, that made all the difference. Right now, she looked visibly tired. Her complexion was pale, underneath the slight redness from the excitement of the evening, and the way she leaned back in the chair, a sign of obvious weariness.“-Good night, Jasper... He shook his friend's hand. Thank you for being with me today.”“ -It was a pleasure. Eden is charming.”“Yes, I think so,” Ian replied thoughtfully.” His friend gave him a surprised look. “I mean, I didn't know she'd fit in so quickly,” the viscount said quickly
Should she go to bed? Eden couldn't take her eyes off the monumental bed, wondering what Ian wanted from her. The bed was topped by a vast canopy of pale pink silk, which a sort of crown connected to the ceiling. She would never have chosen such a color, nor those rococo friezes that adorned the walls. And all those mirrors. As for the paintings, engravings and knick-knacks, they were all very suggestive and made her feel uncomfortable, without her knowing very well why. The adjoining boudoir was a real bonbonniere, filled with hangings and cushions. There were no shelves to put books on, no bookcases in sight. As for the bathroom, it was of a purely Byzantine luxury. There was a large marble bathtub, where two people could fit comfortably, topped by a tank with a shower head. All you had to do was pull a chain, and the hot water would rain down on you.Other, smaller tanks topped basins with gooseneck taps. Everywhere there were soft pink towels, a voluptuous chaise longue to li
He looked happy about it. But Ivan also seemed satisfied, until he realized that Eden was inexperienced…Ian entered her with a firm push, and once again Eden felt as if her whole body was contracting in fear. "...am too tight...I have to move...I'm supposed to move and hold on to him and..." But she couldn't find the strength within herself to do so. Eden lay there, motionless, like a wooden doll. Inert under the heavy, hard body that weighed on her, filled her. "Stop thinking about it. It is his right and it is your duty. Dictated her omega, “remember what Ivan told us last time? Do you want the same thing to happen again?" Eden opened her eyes and caught the intense look Ian was giving her. He was on the verge of an orgasm, already very far from Eden, and yet he felt that something was wrong, that something was missing.“Eden…”Ian closed his eyes, his face suddenly frozen, then he let out a deep sigh and his body convulsed on top of her, Ian pulled out of her. Eden thought f
Ian woke up at the first light of dawn, his body vibrating with desire. It took him a moment to understand where he was and who was resting with quiet abandon, against him. His omega. He thought that he was the only one who was relaxed. Eden must have moved during the night, because she now had her arm across his body, and her hand by some coincidence? Her hand was precisely on a part of his cock... which was almost painfully erect. The night had been very frustrating. Ian had thought she was willing, ready to give herself to him, but something had gone wrong. Was she still hurt by Ivan’s betrayal? Or had he not understood anything, and had not realized that Eden was too nervous to respond to his caresses? The temptation was great to send her nightgown waltzing, lift his and take her in a half-sleep, before she had time to be afraid."No, you can't do that," his alpha had whispered, Ian resisted the urge to move his hips under her hand. No half-asleep lovemaking. Eden had to be
“Good morning! What time does my lord usually have breakfast?”“Good heavens! Ah... forgive me, Milady, you scared me... I didn't expect to see you here..” The chef put down the basket of eggs in her hand.“Usually, at 8 o'clock, when he comes back…”Eden, who was standing on the threshold of the kitchen, entered the room quickly. “Comes back? Comes back from where? Excuse me, can you tell me your name again?”“Mrs. Cole, Milady, and this is Betham, with the coffee grinder, and Annie, by the pantry."Milady... my goodness, there goes my title now."“Good morning to all.”There were a few clumsy curtseys and tilts of the chest in response…“-Milord Boyle goes to inspect the estate every day at six o'clock, Ma’am. Before leaving, he only has a cup of coffee. He usually returns at 8 o'clock and sits down to breakfast. This is very different from the late lord, who had his in bed, and never before ten o'clock…”The cook pursed her lips a little, as if to indicate that she did not approv
“-Down!” The two dogs stopped dead in the middle of the hallway and looked submissively at their master. Toby, the terrier, who took orders as mere suggestions and enjoyed being able to reject them, trotted on and sat down in front of the dining room door, his short tail wagging happily. Ian tossed his hat, whip and gloves on a cabinet, then sniffed the fragrant air. Bacon?“-Henlow?”“Milord?”“Why does it smell like Bacon?”“Well actually, my lord. Yes, it does. Milady the viscountess is in the small dining room.”There was no question of avoiding Eden, that would have been discourteous. But bacon? Certainly not the choice of an omega suffering from morning sickness... Ian pushed open the door and entered the room, the dogs at his heels. Eden stood in front of the sideboard, a silver bell in his hand. Mouthwatering slices of golden bread lay on a large platter, next to a pile of scrambled eggs.“Good morning, Ian.” “-Good morning, darling”A servant appeared and placed a pot o
March 26th “These flowerbeds are going to look great this summer.”Eden leaned against Ian by the window of the large living room, above the flowerbeds that Johnson and his men, including young Trubshawe, were preparing, burying the flower bulbs.“Amara is growing, too. It's late March, spring is in the air.”Ian put his arm around his omega’s shoulders and drew her closer. It was still a shock for him to know she was his.“Do you think it's possible to be this happy?" asked Eden.“No, not usually," he replied, smiling. Then he leaned over to tickle Eden’s earlobe with his tongue, watching for her reaction. “But I know lots of ways to enhance the sensation.”“Oh, I know that.”Eden tried to react like a respectable viscountess and show a little reproach towards her rascal of a husband, but she hardly succeeded.“As it happens," Eden whispered to him in an engaging voice, "we have no obligations either this afternoon or this evening. I've kept us a few moments free, since we're packi
Ian made it his own, sensing that this was their real first time. The alpha forced himself to control his desire and keep an eye on Eden’s, which rose and rose, until the final conflagration, the simultaneous deflagration.“My love…”Ian gasped again. “Forever and ever. Forever and ever.” “My omega,” Ian whispered, stroking the back of her neck.Ian looked at his omega with such tenderness, as if he couldn't believe he had it all to himself.“You're mine, aren't you Eden?” The alpha asked, looking tall and majestic above her“All yours” Eden nodded vigorously, her breath catching as she felt Ian’s hands wrap around her ankles, caressing her calves before spreading them apart, making more room for between her thighs“Yes," Eeen murmured, "yes, all yours, mark me.”“Are you sure?”“Yes, I want to be yours, completely”Ian let out a tiger-like growl just before he bounced on his prey, before leaning in, his mouth hot and heavy as he rubbed his lips across Eden’s cheek, up to her chin,
“Sir”It was Philips' voice that brought Ian back to earth; he'd just lost the most important person in his life.“Sir." Philips insisted in the face of his master's silence. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but we await your orders. It's getting dark, the current is preventing us from crossing and continuing our search, so I think it's best to go back inside, get warm, regain your strength and start again tomorrow. Also, you'll have to prepare for the worst, sir, with the low temperatures and the cold.”“Are you mad?” Ian asked, his voice full of fatigue but above all full of bitterness. “Excuse me, sir?”“My wife has just been carried off, I don't know where she is or what state she's in, and all you can tell me is to go home, get warm and prepare for the worst. So I repeat, ARE YOU CRAZY?”“I'm sorry, I…”“Enough... Send Jem to tell my Aunt and Alexis to take care of Amara. Then gather all the men near the clearing with the best hunting dogs you can find. I want everyone to get to work,
Ian first saw the shattered pillars of the bridge, then a wavering figure stepped out to meet him, a small dog barking frantically at his heels. Ian jumped down from his saddle and Toby leapt into his arms. A baby's cries could be clearly heard over the roar of the river.“Where's my omega, Philips?”“Still in the car, milord. With the maid and the baby. The footman's a little hurt, but he'll be alright. I sent him for help. It was the floodwater that caused the bridge pillars to collapse as we drove over...If we make any sudden movements, it'll cause the rest of the bridge to collapse.” Ian put the dog down and ran along the bank, the coachman on his heels. When he reached the carriage, Ian had to fight the urge to jump straight into the water to save his family.“We need ropes, horses and... Ah, thank God, there's Murrow!”The carpenter galloped down the hill, pulling his wagon team along. When he reached the bank, he braked with the reins. The men with him jumped down from th
We'll go down to the hotel, Mary," she announced to the maid, pulling from her bag the London guidebook she had taken from the library. Let's see which one is the most suitable..The horses slowed as they took the path that led to the bridge over the river. Eden glanced out the door at the fog-shrouded landscape, then back to her guide. “The Pulteney looks to be the most comfortable and central," she explained, trying to keep her tone light, "but it's certainly very expensive. Let's see.”The sedan lurched forward and, at the sound of hooves on logs, Jimin realized they had reached the bridge. There was a terrible creak. The coachman screamed and the sedan pitched sideways. Eden tried to grab hold of Amara, but her hands could only clasp Mary's dress as Icy water invaded the darkened cabin. They had fallen into the river.Ian waded to the edge of the torrent, the water almost completely submerging his high boots.“Too late," he announced. The dam's already broken. There's no way
Breakfast the next day was more tiring than Eden had imagined. Ian behaved with impeccable courtesy. He smiled at her, spoke to her politely, and when Eden sent the servants away so she could talk to him about what had happened the day before, Ian simply shook his head.“Let's not talk about it anymore, Eden. We've got to put it behind us. Your nerves were on edge after a few days at the reception.”Eden wanted to apologize, to explain why she had lost control of herself. If Ian pretended that nothing had happened, would she be obliged to leave for London and let this unspoken issue hang over them forever?There was a knock at the door, and Jackson entered. Behind him, several men in working clothes could be seen gathered in the corridor.“Lord and Milady will excuse me," he began, "the rains have caused the river to burst its banks. Turner sends word to the lord that he fears the mill dam may break.”“I'll be off then”Ian put down his napkin, stood up and walked into the corrido
What had happened? What had gone wrong? Ian contemplated in the deserted corridor, as stunned and shocked as if someone had just cut open his chest and ripped out his heart. He'd thought he'd made Eden happy and brought her security. But that had only been an illusion, which had now been shattered. He didn't know how he was going to make things right, or even if it was possible. No doubt Eden was in her room. Toby stood at the door, whimpering miserably. Ian knocked on the door, then turned the handle. To no avail. The bolt was pulled. Swearing muffledly, he tried to open the boudoir door. Locked too, as was the door to the baby's room. He knocked again.“Eden?”SilenceStriding to his own room, Ian tried to open the connecting door. It too was locked. Exasperated, he pounded his fist on the panel.“Eden, my angel, will you please open the door?”Through the wood paneling, he heard the child's startled cries, which put an end to his anger almost immediately. Amara must b
The day after the christening, it began to rain heavily, much to Eden’s dismay. With her brief experience as mistress of the house, she wondered what he was going to do with all her guests, on a rainy Saturday, after matins and lunch. But her worries proved futile. The bishop retired to his room to read his sermons, the older ladies took up their embroidery, telling each other the latest neighborhood gossip, while the younger ones obligingly kept the children occupied and did a thousand favors for Amara, as well as for Leon, Iris and Jasper’s baby. The alphas had disappeared. Some of them had withdrawn from the bishop's sight to play cards or billiards, while others had gone to visit the stables. As for Eden, she sat quietly, sometimes making sure the babies weren't too tired, sometimes simply enjoying the rain drumming on the windows and the crackling fire in the hearth. Jasper entered the room, his hair soaking wet, and leaned over to whisper something in Iris’s ear. She loo
——6th of January——— “Your Grace”Eden gave a deep curtsy like Alexis had taught her to do. Immediately her hands were grabbed, and one of the most handsome young men she had ever seen helped her to her feet.“Please, call me Alastor, " replied the Duke of Avery, kissing her on both cheeks. “Ian,” he exclaimed enthusiastically, “where did you find such a pretty omega?” “Just looking at her to know you don't deserve it.”“You can let go of her now, Alastor,” Ian said quietly, smiling. The look on his face, however, indicated that he was ready to slay any man who got too close to Eden, whether he was a duke or a prince.Eden felt overcome with excitement. She was a little apprehensive about this baptism reception, but, for the moment, everything was going wonderfully. The only downside in recent weeks was that Ian avoided sharing her bed, probably to let her rest a little after giving birth. Since Amara’s birth, however, the alpha seemed more distant than Eden would have liked. W