“I’m sorry… she said what?” I asked, doing my best not to let the irritation and creeping anger seep into my tone. It wasn’t this messenger’s fault that he had been waiting two hours to tell me how my gift was received, because I was too busy to take a break… and now his news wasn’t what I wanted to hear.
“She said, let him know I received it and I’m grateful.”
“Those exact words?”
“Yes, Sire.”
With a disgruntled growl, I dismissed the messenger and turned away.
Rake and the others were all gathered in clusters around the room. The Gammas had been sent off with instructions and now we waited to see if ou
~ JESSE ~ Cazz’s brows drew down sharply over his nose and his eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, you don’t know how to feel about it?” I looked back and forth, up and down the tunnel. I hadn’t planned to have this conversation with him so soon. I’d been busy hunting down my new friends. But Cazz’s appearance had frightened Wylde, who thought he was going to be angry with her for talking to me while she was supposed to be working, so I didn’t call her back when she darted away. I knew I could find her later. The truth was, feeling that sudden tug behind my ribs, that call that could only be him, had excited me—then stepping into the hallway to see Cazz prowling towards me had been thrilling. He was hunti
~ JESSE ~Cazz was right. My heart did pinch. For him. My heart went out to him. I wanted to gather him in and hug him and pat his chest and soothe him, and promise him that it wasn’t his fault. But the way he bristled, it was very obvious that he had exactly zero interest in my pity.“I am royal. I do not have the luxury of any relationship for the sheer joy of it,” he seethed.Dear Lord, this poor man.So much of how he dealt with me—and with others—was becoming clear.
~ CASIMIR ~ Jesse was still talking. Something about connections being about a lot more than just having sex. No kidding. There was all kinds of play and anticipation that could improve the bond between a pair when both wolves were engaged. I had always prided myself on never compelling an orgasm. I may have eased the path for females into my bed, but once they were there… Well, I learned fast, and applied myself to learning them. I had had no complaints. But my mind was only half on those thoughts—they flitted through, barely registering. Because I was too busy analyzing the bond to really hear her or want to argue. There was something strange going on in her, something I had never sensed before and I was struggling to identify what it was. A warm, solid strength—but not from her. As if the bond itself was growing thicker. But that was the wrong word… The bond was growing more… resilient. Interesting. As she continued speaking earnestly, her pretty brows jumping up and down, h
~ CASIMIR ~ “Promise me you won’t hurt me, Cazz.” “Kitten, I’m going to give you nothing but pleasure so that the next time we’re together, you’ll remember. And you’ll ask for more.” Her heart raced even faster, but there was a simmering heat in her too. “Okay then. Okay. Show me.” To answer, I took the curtain rope and wound it twice around the bedpost, then yanked it tight, before folding the long end in half and reaching for her arm. Jesse’s eyes widened, but she gave me her hand, extending it so I could loop the fabric around her wrist in quick efficient tugs that ended with her wrist knotted expertly in the curtain-rope, positioning her hand higher than her head, but still able to move the limb up and down so it wouldn’t grow too tired. Then I turned her to face the foot of the bed and reached for the curtain on the other side. When I looped that around the opposite post, Jesse watched me nervously. So I slipped up behind her, warming her back with my body as I extended her
~ CASIMIR ~ For a moment I stood there, gathering my self-control. She was beautiful—open and trembling from her orgasm, her skin flushed and warm, her breasts rising and falling with her heavy breath. I stroked her slowly, but with full palms, playing hands up and down her body, kissing her neck and shoulder. I was preparing to change our position… But first I had to steady those weak knees, make certain she was ready to take her own weight again. When she’d found her feet again and her legs were no longer shaking, I began stroking her body again—though staying away from anywhere too sacred. I didn’t want her overstimulated. “Are you going to untie me now?” she asked hesitantly, turning her head though she was still blindfolded. I chuckled, filling both hands with her breasts and giving her peaked nipples a gentle pinch. “Not yet.” She sucked in a breath and arched into my touch. “But… I can’t touch you.” “Yes you can,” I said, my voice deep and rough with growing desire. “Use
~ CASIMIR ~ I had to hold her thighs tightly, sliding and teasing rapidly with my tongue until her breath rushed out of her and her knees tightened against my jaw. “Stop! Stop!” she hissed, jerking and bucking. I chuckled and pulled back far enough to speak. “That’s only two. We’re still—” “Cazz, please… please…” she panted. “I want to touch you.” “Soon, Kitten,” I rasped, fighting my own battle then. The scent of her was rich and heavy in the room and my body was urgent. Demanding her. I’d wanted women before, but there was something about her—each time she gave up her own will, each moment she trusted me… the power that coursed through me grew. And the need for her increased right along with it. She was trembling, shaking in my arms, her skin flushed and rosy. Her hands gripping the restraints. With whispered reassurances that she was safe, I lifted her enough that she could unhook from my shoulders and lower her legs, then helped her stand again on knees as unsteady as a newb
~ JESSE ~ My entire body hummed, pulsing in time with my heartbeat that was pounding rapidly, thudding in my ears and thrumming in my skin. I’d never felt so alive—or vulnerable. It was a strange and heady mix. I wanted to be there with Cazz. There was something different in him today. Because of the night we’d had last night? Or because we were doing… this? I didn’t know and that bothered me. But when he took off the blindfold I was reassured because his eyes were bright and his expression awed. He stared, drinking in the sight of me. With my hands bound, he pawed all over me, teasing, tasting, making every inch of my skin tingle. It was incredible. He sat on the end of the bed with his knees wide. He had pulled me to stand between his feet and for a while he’d just been playing and kissing. But the truth was I’d come twice, but I still didn’t feel satisfied. I wanted him. I wanted him inside me. I wanted his kiss on my mouth. I wanted him to hold me—and I wanted to hold him. A
~ JESSE ~“Cazz… please,” I hissed through my teeth minutes later, my head sinking back as I fought to speed him up, but he resisted.He chuckled mercilessly—and breathlessly—holding my hips tightly and keeping the steady pace, lifting and guiding me, thwarting all my attempts to force him to move faster, digging my heels into his back, pulling him with my legs. But he was too strong.He was fighting for control, though. I could see it. Feel it in him. His hold on the bond had slipped and I was feeling him clearly—I could measure the rising tide of his pleasure—which only increased mine—his determination to hold himself back, and his battle with the call of something primal in him that wanted to give me exactly what I wanted.But so far, he was winning that fight.Both our bodies were slick with sweat, and the only sound in the room that was louder than my ragged breath was his. As we moved together I could feel the glittering promise of another orgasm blinking on the horizon, but I’d
~ 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