(Bria POV) I can hear the regret in his voice and I know I shouldn’t allow him to see me this conflicted, but he’s my mate. I can’t hide the pain I’m feeling, or the monumental confusion. Just as I can sense echoes of his emotions, he feels mine.He’s having a hard time meeting my eyes and I know immediately that he’s hiding something from me. I’m hardly in a position to judge, considering I haven’t told him about the threat to his life yet. We’re both keeping secrets. I wonder if his are as dangerous as mine.I would never have believed that it’s possible to be this close to my mate and still feel so lonely. We’re supposed to balance and strengthen one another, to bring out the best in each other, yet here we are, each suffering in a secluded corner of our hearts, refusing to share our emotions.He takes a seat beside me, elbows resting on his knees and head hanging down. “I’m an arrogant prick. Bria, I don’t know how to make this up to you, but I’ll do anything. I know that hurt yo
(Bria POV) I need comfort and a break from the constant weight of sorrow. Those golden threads between us become so apparent when we touch. I wish they were there the rest of the time as well.The rush of emotion when Aiden kisses me is intense enough to knock me over. Only his strong arms are holding me up, keeping me from drowning. “Bria, I need you,” he whispers brokenly between kisses. He caresses my cheeks with his palms, “There will never be anyone else for me,” he says tenderly, before molding his lips to mine again and kissing me until I’m limp and trembling.I feel the truth of his sentiments and how much he needs me. I suspect he doesn’t often allow anyone to see behind the mask of a cocky, self-assured leader, but he’s allowing me a glimpse into the most fragile parts of him. He’s insecure about my feelings for him, yet willing to make himself vulnerable by admitting how much he cares about me.He’s not being his usual dominant, swaggering self today. I like that facet of
(Bria POV) “No,” he growls. “I will never fuck you, Bria. I will make love to you until you forget your own name. I will ride you until you forget you ever met Raul. I will use my last breath to bring you to orgasm, but I will never fuck you. You mean too much to me.”“Please Aiden. I want you. Inside. Take me, please.” He gently lowers me to the mattress, kissing me until I’m swooning again. “I want to make you so happy, Bria. Every day. Every minute of our lives together. I’m bound to fuck up sometimes, but I’ll learn. I swear.” His voice is husky with emotion. His fingers trace along my jaw and I gasp when he flexes his hips, running the silken steel of his cock up and down my slit, over my clitoris repeatedly, his gaze trapping me.My hands slide into his hair and I moan vulnerably when I feel him prodding at my entrance. “Yessss,” I gasp pleadingly, trying to arch my back and lift my hips to meet him. Aiden shakes his head at me, “Calm down love, I’m not going anywhere. I’m goin
(Bria POV) “Please don’t look so worried love. This week is all about you getting to know mother, so it’s good that we’re going to see her. I’m sure she’s going to love you once she gets to know you. As soon as she sees what a wonderful person you are and how happy you make me, she’ll give us her blessing immediately.”Yeah right. And then we’ll braid each other’s hair and become best friends. Aiden’s doing his best to lift my spirits, but I’m just dying to ask him what he’ll do once she tells him she’s sorry, but I’m not the right one for him. Will he hand me over to her, or will he find a way to cast off her hold and fight for my freedom?We find her sitting in the drawing room, drumming her long, red nails on the arm of her chair. She’s dressed in a formal gown, with her hair swept up and shoes that look horribly uncomfortable to walk in. Her expression as she looks me up and down is haughty. Clearly I’m not making a good impression in my flat sandals and short sundress.“Thank yo
(Bria POV) The conversation feels interminable. Adrienne grills me about my background, harking back to Raul again and again. She deftly deflects every question I ask about her, not revealing a scrap of personal information. It’s stilted and awkward and Aiden is like a ghost beside me.I want to pump my fist in the air when she finally dismisses us, saying, “This has been most illuminating, but some of my more delicate flowers aren’t doing so well lately. I need to get to my garden so I can tend to them. You can rest assured that I’ll be seeing you again very soon, my son’s dear mate.”Her words are ominous and she’s making no attempt to make them sound like anything other than a threat. Aiden rises, pulling me up with him, waiting until she’s out of the room before he leans down to kiss me. “I think that went very well,” he says happily.I want to snap my fingers in front of his face and beg him to wake up, but I know that would be futile. I have questions about Tyra, but before we
(Bria POV)“Bria, I swear on my life, I haven’t done anything to hurt her,” Aiden says, his voice full of bewilderment. Tyra is trembling in my arms, hiding her face in my neck to avoid looking at Aiden. He sounds so sincere and I long to believe him, but I can’t gamble Tyra’s life on it. If I was the only one in danger, I’d follow my gut and give Aiden the benefit of the doubt for as long as possible.“I know,” I say soothingly, “But for some reason Tyra is afraid of you right now. Something must have happened to confuse her. I’m going to take her to my room to try and calm her. Please give me some time alone with her. Maybe you could ask Lucille to bring us some chamomile tea?” I look at him imploringly and he nods.Right now it feels like I’m walking a tightrope, stretched over a river filled with crocodiles, carrying a small, but feisty, jewel-toned dragon, who I’m very protective of, even if I’m not sure whether he’s good or bad. Occasionally he wriggles wildly in my arms, makin
(Bria POV) Who is that? Raul asks, What’s going on? I ignore him for a moment, worried that Tyra may panic if I don’t answer her right away. “It’s okay, I’m talking to Raul. He’s going to help us.” Raul explodes in my head, Dammit, Bria! You can’t just tell people about our plan.Calm down. It’s not just anyone, it’s Tyra. She risked her life to try and help me escape. I found her wandering in the hall just now. I’m planning on getting her out of here too, so she has to know about the plan. I can feel Raul seething and in my mind’s eye I can picture his face. Jaw set, muscle ticking in his right cheekbone, light blue eyes frosty under his pale blond hair.It seems you’ve neglected to mention rather a lot of things, he says measuredly. Why don’t you start with why you were running away? I turn to Tyra, who seems to be taking my news quite well. “I can help, Bria,” she says excitedly. “I dreamed about the garden, I think I know where it is.”Briana, tell me everything right now! Ra
(Raul POV) I don’t want Briana going anywhere near Adrienne on her own. I certainly don’t like her doing it with this new friend of hers. A woman who’d been in Adrienne’s clutches for days, but miraculously managed to escape and just happened to be wandering down the exact hallway Bria found herself in. It all just smacks of a trap being laid.I also know how poorly Bria responds to being forbidden to do things. At least if she lets me know when they’re going, I can track her and intervene if necessary. I know she believes Aiden really is her second chance mate, but I still have my doubts. He’s doing a piss poor job of keeping her safe and ensuring she doesn’t act impulsively.Briana needs someone steady, who can calm her wild side and give her structure. I ignore the provocative little voice that whispers in my head that she needs someone like me. Our bond dissolved and I acted in the best interest of the pack, I can’t regret that. Do I miss her sometimes? Hell, yes.Bria, you know
(Bria POV) “Stand down,” I shriek, dropping my bow and sliding down the tree so I can reach the ground faster. I don’t feel the bark biting into my skin, or the cuts opening along my arms and cheek.Aiden. I have to get to Aiden. If I thought there was any possibility of her turning on him, I never would have allowed him to set foot in there. He’s my heart. My life. He’s her fuckin son, how can she do this?“Don’t hurt him! Please, Adrienne, I’m begging you. Take me, put me in your tree, just don’t hurt him.” Aiden roars at my words, the wicked knife slicing deeper into his throat. “No! Run Bria. Run away right now. I won’t live without you!”Adrienne laughs cruelly, but her face is distorted in anger. “You turned my son against me,” she hisses. “You won’t be leaving here alive. Don’t worry darling,” she jeers when Aiden struggles against her grip, “You won’t miss her. Most of you will be erased and replaced with what I’ve always wanted you to be. I kept clinging to the hope that you
(Bria POV)She’s gone! Adrienne has her. I’m on my way there. I’m going to tear her apart! Raul bellows into my head. He’s in a blind panic, something I’ve never witnessed before.Did Tyra take her? I ask. There’s a beat of silence and then a roar so full of misery and pain follows that I sink to my knees as it overwhelms me. No. She was with me. I was there and I failed to protect her. It’s all my fault, Raul keens.There’s no time to find out details right now. I need to get to Adrienne’s garden and stop her before she does anything irreversible. She’ll have a full complement of 12 again now. I’m going there right away, I tell Raul, who hesitates only a moment before agreeing.The knowledge that he’s fully let go of me is bittersweet for only an instant, before it melts into pure, creamy milk chocolate from a master Swiss chocolatier. No guilt or uncertainty holds either of us back anymore. The memories will always be beautiful, but not as enticing as the future.I’m going to do eve
(Aiden POV)Mother seems less than thrilled to see me. It appears I’ve interrupted something. She’s doing her best to hide her irritation, but pretending to be patient has never been a strength of hers.“Now that you’ve come to see the garden for the first time it seems like you can’t keep away,” she comments with barely masked annoyance.She keeps glancing at where I know that horrific tree stump is and that worries me. Has she found a new victim? If so, the girl’s absence hasn’t been noted yet. I’m keeping a very close eye on missing persons in the kingdom.I’m back to not being able to see the tree, but I can feel her in my mind, willing me to see what’s not actually there. She’ll never be able to root around in my brain without my knowledge again. Bria’s love, and our mating bond, is making me stronger than I would have believed I could ever be.For the sake of Bria’s safety I keep every trace of mistrust and hatred from showing on my face and I bury my emotions deep. Projecting o
(Adrienne POV)“I have the woman here my lady,” Niall tells me in his annoying, nasally voice. He was my first little experiment with mind control and things had gone very awry. I squashed his faculties like an overripe grape in my eagerness. I’ve learned to exert self-control since those days.At the time I’d been furious at my failure, but it turned out to be very fortuitous indeed. Niall’s single-mindedly devoted to me and follows my every command without thought or complaint. The perfect weapon when I need a more physical approach to solving my problems.If Aiden doesn’t give up his ridiculous infatuation with Briana soon, Niall will be dispatched to take care of her. I’ve attempted to ride her mind, but while I could plant concepts of blindness and fear, I’m stymied when it comes to taking over her thoughts. I suspect the mating bond she shares with my son has something to do with that. The sooner I break it the better.One side of the wispy little blonde’s face is a bloody mess.
(Raul POV)I’m going out of my mind with worry about Valerie. I cannot lose her. It seems there’s nothing quite like a bit of mortal danger to clear the mind and straighten out the heart. Bria will always be dear to me, but Valerie is my mate.I have to get to her before Adrienne tries anything. I know the pain of losing a mate, I never want to suffer that way again.Guilt churns in my chest, relentless and heavy. I know my long history with Bria makes it difficult to just put aside the feelings I held for her for so many years. She’s dazzling and exciting and a fantastic woman. I’m glad she didn’t die. I’m sorry we didn’t have time to say goodbye to each other properly. I don’t regret having my new mate.Valerie’s love is the warmth that fuels me now, she’s the place where my soul finds peace. I can’t be too late. I owe Bria for this. Anything she asks will be hers, as long as Valerie is safe.“Where the hell are you running to?” Vesper asks, sprinting after me. I have no time to sto
(Bria POV)To my chagrin I yelp and jump in fright. I’m immediately furious with myself for not hearing Adrienne’s approach. The amused smile on her face mocks me relentlessly. “What would my poor Aiden think if he saw you spying on his mother?”“I wouldn’t call it spying, Adrienne. I was out for a walk with my guards and decided to come in for a quick soak. Then I heard a voice speaking and wanted to make sure it was safe before I entered the chamber. You really shouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusions.”“Oh, Briana. You think yourself witty and sharp as a whip, don’t you? I know you have my son pussy whipped right now, but it won’t last. I’m his mother. And your pathetic excuse holds no water. You were mind linked to someone when I came upon you and I’m willing to stake your life on it that it was your dearest Raul you were talking to. It won’t be long before Aiden sees through all your deceptions.”“Oh you’re one to talk! What did you do to Christopher? It must have killed you
(Bria POV) I wake up to hungry kisses in my neck and Aiden’s hands roaming all over me. My body is exhausted from the night before, but more than willing to push past its limits. “Good morning love,” Aiden says gruffly, taking my nipple into his mouth and grinning devilishly at my helpless moan.“Good morning baby,” I respond tenderly, pulling his head toward mine for a deep kiss. There is no more duality or uncertainty. I love Aiden and nobody else can ever make me happier. My love for Raul was very real and nothing will ever detract from that. It’s in the past though and I’m happy to be living my future.He must see something in my eyes, because he cradles my face between his hands and tells me emphatically, “I love you, Bria, with all my heart.” My eyes glisten with tears as I nod and choke out, “I love you too,” before burying my face in his neck.His joy is palpable, wrapping around us like a cocoon. He makes love to me slowly and thoroughly, before fetching us coffee and breakf
(Aiden POV)Bria’s golden gaze spears me to the bed as her tongue curls around my balls and her lips gently brush over my inflamed skin. She doesn’t look away from me when she sucks them into her mouth one by one, rubbing her tongue across the throbbing globe and suckling softly.I am on the verge of losing control. My fangs have started to come in and my nails have grown sharp as the beast roars inside of me, demanding to be let out to mate freely.I’m fighting to remember that this is the punishment I agreed to. Losing control would negate exactly what I’m trying to prove to Bria. But I’m a werewolf. An Alpha. A dominant male with extremely strong desires and she embodies all of them to me. The drive to claim, breed and protect her is stronger than anything else. Except my love and respect for her.Fuck. She’s moving that delectable mouth in a northerly direction now. Her tongue lapping firmly at the underside of my swollen cock. Long, slow licks running from base to tip repeatedly,
(Bria POV)I’m doing my best not to let Aiden see how shy it’s making me feel to masturbate in front of him. I’ve never done anything like this in my life. Embarrassment is quickly making space for an electrifying thrill as I watch his body and eyes reacting to me.I am Aphrodite in his mind. Goddess of love and sex. Ripe and delicious and out of his reach. He can look, but he can’t touch. One hand slips down to my vulva, my middle finger rubbing over my slick, swollen flesh. My hips arch into the touch spontaneously and a sigh bursts from me when my finger presses against my clit.“I’m so wet and needy, Aiden. Do you see?” I dip two fingers into my well of moisture and slowly drag them down the length of his cock, between his expanding testicles and down to his perineum. Aiden chokes on an awestruck gasp and his penis seems to be vibrating. It’s rock hard and fully erect, pressed against the soft skin of his abdomen.Soon I’ll indulge my desire to lick that gorgeous, velvety sheath.