~ CASIMIR ~I sat on the throne, fuming, as two of the ancient alphas from the regions beyond the city argued in front of me about a territorial dispute.Both males were aggressive, bristling at each other, stifling growls, but unwilling to do more than bare teeth in front of me.They were still fit though they were both old enough for their hair to be mostly gray.Bringing the issue to me for judgment was better than tearing each other’s packs apart. But today of all days? Neither had been in the Palace last night. They were clueless as to what had happened, though they’d heard that I’d claimed my mate. And they approved.So generous of them…“…Sire, the river is an appropriate border—it makes things very clear so no wolves can claim they were unaware—”“And grows your reach without battle for it,” Aleric, the second alpha snarled. “Sire, you must see that we cannot simply allow a wolf to take what he has not earned. In my day—”“In your day I could take your throat for speaking out
~ CASIMIR ~By the time I backed him into the wall, he had both hands up in surrender, but his eyes hadn’t left mine, and he snarled through his teeth as well. I shoved him once, making his head clunk back against the cave wall.His body tensed, but he didn’t touch me, left both hands up at his shoulders. And never dropped his eyes.It was a challenge—one another King probably would have taken as a threat.“Submit,” I growled, letting my teeth snap on the t.“I haven’t fought you, Cazz.” His tone didn’t soften, however. And he still didn’t drop his eyes. “It’s my job to challenge you. And to advise. It’s what you instructed me to do. So here I am.”“Then give your challenge and your advice, and leave.” I shoved him back against the wall again and he grunted, but he didn’t fight.His eyes flashed with righteous anger that pissed me off even more.“You never touch her in anger again. Ever. You vowed you wouldn’t be your father—told me to press you to recognize when you were showing colo
~ JESSE ~I don’t know what I expected from Cazz when he next showed up, but it wasn’t that he would storm into my room in a rage.“What the fuck are you doing baring yourself to the fucking cleric!?”He’d surprised me, throwing the door open and stalking in. I jumped and whirled, hand to my chest. It took a moment to realize there was no threat, he was just standing in front of me, snarling.I took a deep breath. “It’s great to see you too, Cazz.”He growled and pursed his lips, but he folded his arms and lifted his chin.I swallowed hard. “Thank you. You don’t need to loom to get me to answer a question, you know. We’re mates. And claimed. Apparently that’s… that’s important,” I said carefully, because that yawning chasm in my chest now inhabited every inch where he used to be. And I wasn’t sure if he’d actually removed that bond, or was just so shut down that I couldn’t feel it.His eyes narrowed. “What happens between us is between us. Even I don’t speak of it. Why would you share
~ JESSE ~“You cornered me. You forced my hand. We would not be here today, except for you and your… agenda,” he snarled.“Agenda? Cazz, I didn’t even know what the claiming was!”“So you say…”“Seriously? That’s what you’re telling yourself? That I’ve got some kind of master plan?”“There are countless females who would give their lives to be claimed by me,” he snarled.“Good for you.”“I’m not going to indulge you if you’re just going to be sarcastic.”“Indulge? Cazz, you haven’t indulged me for a second since we met.”His jaw flexed. “I made no claims on you, I made no promises beyond our agreement. Yet you weep your way through the Palace this morning, crying on the shoulder of my cleric and revealing intimate details—”“Your cleric is the only person who gave enough of a shit to come for me because he was worried—which is more than you did!”“I sent you clothing and food, which is exactly what you needed!”“Are you fucking kidding me?” I gasped, pushing to my feet. Because he was
~ CASIMIR ~“Cazz… you’re safe with me.”A ball of feeling detonated in my gut, an eruption of need and heat that roared through me in a flood, coursing through my veins until my entire body trembled. And as that flash-flood reached my extremities, as the first surge of tide eased and the waters settled, the fading of power revealed something fragile in its wake.A string, a thread tying me to her. So tenuous, so delicate. It glowed and sizzled, turning water to steam. And yet, one wrong move and it would snap.But it pulled me in, twisted me up in her, tied me to her… undeniable.When I took her mouth it was so electric, I twitched, gasping. My body quaked, unable to contain the rush.“God, Jesse.”She felt it too—that was the thing about that little thread. It was delicate, but it conducted—taking the explosion in me and feeding it to her, coursing in her veins, crackling where I touched, then rushing back to me expanded with her need to tumble me, head over heels until I could bare
~ CASIMIR ~The sheer joy of watching her slowly fall apart was a drug. The control it took not to plunge all the way into her, to roar my own need and pump into her, was stunning. And addictive.But she was clenching, sweating, whimpering, getting so close to climax. She was gasping for it, her eyes hooded, pupils dilated, but locked on me.She couldn’t get her tongue around words anymore, only guttural cries and calls. And that was how I wanted her, I realized: Surrendered, begging, wordless, and waiting… on me.My chest heaved with my own panting. She was, without doubt, the hottest thing I’d ever seen. But I was back in control, thrilled and turned on, and ready to break her in half when it was my turn, but first…First she had to come—whether she wanted to or not.Well, fuck. Who was I kidding?Of course she wanted to.So, I would dance that line until she had to… or she might die.*****~ JESSE ~Torture. Cazz was torturing me.When he’d first kissed me, everything in me swelled
~ JESSE ~The couple weeks after the claiming were some of the most confusing and unsteady of my life.In the days immediately following that harrowing night, I was dragged to several meetings in which my duties as Queen and the ways I would need to be trained were discussed.Time and again, with different audiences each time, my education, intelligence, and physical strength—or lack thereof—were discussed in perfunctory tones and analyzed with a ruthless eye. Cazz would list my deficiencies in a way that, had they been spoken with any tone at all, would have felt like he had nothing but contempt for me. Yet, he seemed… unconcerned. Listing off my failings like they were merely points on a board to be identified and then crossed off.To hear him speak about it, these were simply the challenges of mating a human—I would be educated. I would be trained. And my physical weakness would be protected for me.He didn’t curl up his lip in a sneer when he mentioned the fact that I hadn’t gone
~ JESSE ~I tipped my head, considering telling him to go fuck himself since I hadn’t seen him all day. But in the end I was curious about why he was here. And if he was asking me to get up, maybe we were going to go do something?So, hating myself a little bit for not challenging him, I stood up and put my book down on the table next to my chair, then turned to face him with my arms folded.“Now what?”His lips curled up on one side like I had pleased him. “Now take off your clothes, please.”My breath got faster. I tried to keep my face firm and unaffected, but by this time, the bastard knew that all he had to do was stare at me with those ice-cold eyes and I was already shivering. So, knowing that he could hear me, I muttered to myself about what a pain it was to submit to a narcissist as I started taking off my clothes.I considered turning it into a tease, but I’d never stripped for a man before. And knowing me I’d end up tripping over my skirts and falling at his feet, or someth
~ CASIMIR ~I was pretty sure if I didn’t get inside her, I was going to eat her alive.Scooting with her in my lap, still straddling me, I got her so both my knees and her back were flat against the wall. Then I flipped open the wide, leather cuffs that had been secured directly to the wall and first lifted one of her hands, to strap it in so her hand was levered above her shoulder, but with her arm comfortably bent so she could relax. Then I did the same with her other hand on the other side.So I straddled the banana-seat, while she straddled me and her hands were secured to the wall behind her.Her breasts rose and fell with her heavy breathing, and her eyes were bright with desire.Overwhelmed again with how much thought she’d put into this, for a moment I just took her face in my hands and kissed her. But that drew us together—my cock pressing against her, and I couldn’t resist rolling my hips, teasing
~ CASIMIR ~“I made a new Den,” Jesse whispered, her hands over her mouth, staring up at me—those beautiful eyes wide, but also a little fearful. “I know it’s not the same, but I got Ghere to help me because he remembered what things you’d had before and… I hope you like it.”Like it? Was she serious?My heart was slamming against my ribs, and I was having trouble breathing.The room seemed smaller than I remembered because the walls were painted a dull black. But the tighter space than what I’d had down next to the Den just made it feel more intimate.There were two lamps, one on each end, and a chandelier high above. Candles everywhere, though she hadn’t lit mo
~ JESSE ~It was Cazz’s turn to plan the monthly date. But I was humming about this one. Things were finally ready, and impossibly, Ghere had helped me successfully pull off the surprise. But I still had to figure out how to get Cazz there without ruining it.He’d taken me out to the meadow again—my favorite date. Though we’d enjoyed several others now too—and we’d just finished eating. He was leaning back against the cab of the truck, looking out at the city lights, his brows a little heavy.“What are you thinking about?” I asked him, though I had a hunch.He had his arm around me and I was leaning on his shoulder. His hand trailed up and
~ CASIMIR ~I came out of the bathing room after a long bath rubbing my hair with a towel, to find my mate standing in the middle of the chamber with her arms folded and looking sternly at my daughter, who sat on the floor in nothing but a diaper, with her chubby legs straight out. She, too, had her arms folded and her lips pursed in the perfect reflection of her mother.The two glared at each other and half my heart went cold, while the other half wanted to splutter with laughter.“Abigail, I have told you—”“No!”Our daughter could only get her tongue around a few words so far, but
~ JESSE (a few weeks later) ~I had just finished nursing Abigail and was holding her on my lap while Reeca sat with me on the couch.Her eyes were bright and she was beginning to smile, so I was tickling her cheeks to see if I could get her to do it. But she was sleepy because she’d just eaten and only yawned and cooed.“She’s a very calm baby,” Reeca commented from the other end of the couch, smiling. She loved babies, and had been so helpful when I was tired—and just for reassurance for me.She was a calm presence in any room, and with Abigail, she showed a lot of delight and joy that she seemed to stifle in other areas of her life.“Reeca,” I said carefully, because I’d b
~ JESSE ~I was too tired to do more than lift my hands to his neck, so I just curled my face into his chest and let him settle us into the chair, cradled in his arms with my ass in his lap.When he’d sat, I had my head resting on his shoulder and my body curled in his arms.“Do you hurt?” he asked quickly.“No, just tired, like I said.”I felt him relax a little then and another chill started in my blood.“Cazz… what’s happened?” I asked quietly.He turned his head to meet my eyes and lifted his hand to comb hair back from my face. His throat bobbed, but his touch was g
~ JESSE (Hours later) ~My dreams were disturbing—my body in pain, screams of terror, darkness, the floor shaking, the mountain falling, humans fleeing and wolves…I tried to break free, tried desperately to open my eyes and to speak, because I knew I was asleep. But all I did was fade… in and out. The nightmares, or nothing.And through it all, his voice.“Heal… live.”My heart ached. My body hurt. My chest didn’t want to expand. It was as if my flesh fought his words, and I didn’t understand.But finally, the dreams faded and I could hear a heartbeat. Little, and quick. And feel warm flesh. And the breath of my m
~ CASIMIR ~I felt the moment the power went out of Jesse. The entire mountain felt it.I howled with triumph and shifted, sprinting towards the room, ecstatic when there was no sense of Maya gripping my mind or stealing anything from me. But of course, there was no power left for her to steal.I prayed and pleaded and ran, Rory and the others coming in my wake. And the moment I broke through that door in my wolf—the only power left to me anymore—everything slowed. Though my body whipped and my mind was singularly focused, it was as if everything happened in slow motion.I caught a bare glimpse of Jesse on the bed, and at first my heart leaped. She was moving, awake, aware,
~ JESSE ~Maya had me sitting up in the bed, curled forward, gripping my knees. Reeca on one side, helping prop me up, a guard on the other.My body was nothing but a conduit for pain. Wave after wave, my entire lower body condensing, contracting, pushing to get this baby out. I could barely think.Cazz was there, so quiet, so distant, but there, calling his encouragement and pushing love at me through the bond.There was a moment when I thought I wouldn’t make it, when I thought my body would give and I would just drift away.But then I caught Maya smiling. Leaning forward between my legs, reaching, grasping, for