(Bria POV)Aiden is so drunk he staggers when he gets up in shock at seeing me walk into his office. Seeing him in this state is gut-wrenching. I want to wrap my arms around him just as much as I want to scream at him.I can understand how traumatic all this has been for him, but he has people relying on his leadership. A mate who’s suffering because of his continued absence. I don’t mind his wrath. I’ll take every harsh word he wants to throw at me, as long as he just lets them out.“I know you’re going to be furious with me and I’ll accept my punishment,” Conner says behind me, “But you can’t keep going like this, Aiden. She’s your mate, I hope she can get through to you. I’ll wait outside to take her back to her room.” Aiden snarls furiously, hurling his whiskey glass at the closing door. It shatters into pieces and he laughs quietly, his voice low as he says, “An apt metaphor for my life.” He’s slurring his words slightly and his eyes are bloodshot and swollen. “My mate,” he c
(Aiden POV)She’s sitting here in all her radiant beauty, which shines magnificently even while she’s still frail, telling me things that should make my heart sing. If I could get past deploring myself, perhaps I’d be able to believe her and rejoice. Conner had no right to bring her here and he could bet his ass there would be consequences. I never wanted Bria to see me in this state. The drunkenness is bad enough, but the real issue is the self-pity I’m wallowing in. It’s like being stuck in quicksand. The more I struggle to get out of it, the deeper I sink. I don’t deserve her, no matter what she says, and hating myself makes me lash out at everyone around me. I want to pull her close and never let her out of my grasp again, which is abominably selfish when I know what a wreck I am. Mother broke me and then pasted me back together with cracks in all the right places so she could pour her venom in. I am the perfect vessel for her to manipulate.A mess of bad self-esteem and the
(Bria POV) Blood is running into my eye from the cut and I scramble away from Aiden when he reaches for me. I’m no stranger to injuries and fighting, I was a warrior after all, but I’ve never been physically harmed by someone I care about.A hollow, desolate look clouds his eyes and I want to tell him it’s fine, but it’s not. In my heart I know it was an accident, but his reaction was out of proportion to what I said. I can’t stay here with him right now.He hasn’t said a word. No apology or explanation has crossed his lips. Getting to my feet stiffly, I walk to the door and leave, closing it softly behind me. I don’t want to see his deathly pale face or the self-recrimination in his eyes. I don’t want to feel bad for him when my head is throbbing and I’m the one bleeding.“Please escort me back to my room,” I ask Conner, who’s staring at me in horror. “It was an accident,” I tell him quietly. He says nothing while passing me a clean, linen handkerchief. I realize that’s what all bat
(Bria POV) “Oh dear, Briana, that cut on your face seems fresh. What happened?” Adrienne asks with mocking sympathy. I keep my smile in place, but don’t respond. She’d be absolutely thrilled to hear that Aiden was responsible. The fact that it was an accident is unlikely to temper her exhilaration.“His father was also prone to outbursts of violence,” she tells me. “I have a story for every scar on my body and an expensive piece of jewelry to go along with it. Sometimes we have to pay a high price for choosing to be with powerful men.”For a moment I almost feel sorry for her. Is that why she turned to the dark arts? Perhaps she was only hoping to find a way to protect herself. She was his mistress, her position had to be tenuous at best before she found a way to cement her position at court. The magic may have taken control of her, warping her mind and forcing her on to a path of darkness.“Save your pity for your own pathetic life, I don’t welcome or need it. I courted his loss of
(Aiden POV) “What do you mean my mother is in Bria’s room?” I ask Conner, fighting the urge to attack him. He looks at me in confusion. “Uhm, she’s there. With Bria. In her room,” he repeats, like I’m an imbecile.“With the door wide open and all the guards watching them, right?” I enquire softly, my heart missing several beats when he shakes his head. “No. I thought it should be that way, but then I remembered you said your mother was an exception to that rule.”I want to punch him, but he’s been manipulated by the mistress of mind games. I can hardly judge. “When did you remember that?” I ask carefully and he blinks a few times, as if he’s struggling to recall. “Once she was in Bria’s room.”Fuck. Double fuck. I can’t go storming in there, it will rouse mother’s suspicions. Maybe I can hear what they’re talking about. I need to know what’s happening in that room.I don’t think I can ever face Bria again after last night and she’s probably ready to request our mating bond be severed
(Valerie POV)It’s been almost a week and I was starting to lose hope that Abigail would recover her wits, when she suddenly murmurs, “Lucille?” while we’re feeding her. Lucille grabs both of Abigail’s hands, her voice shaky with repressed emotions when she responds staunchly, “I’m here Abby. You’re safe. We got you away from that awful place.”Abigail’s eyes slowly swivel to take in the strange room. “Where are we?” she asks in a broken whisper. “We’re with Alpha Raul’s pack. This is his Luna, Valerie. She’s been helping me take care of you.”Abigail stares at me, then drops her eyes bashfully. “Thank you my lady,” she says croakily. “You don’t need to thank me and please don’t call me by any titles. You’ve been through so much, I’m only happy we were able to help. I’ll leave the 2 of you to talk for a while.”I know that Lucille and Abigail were both servants in their old pack and no matter what I say, Abigail is bound to feel uncomfortable in the presence of a Luna she’s never me
(Raul POV) When I find out who told Vesper about Abigail coming to, I’m going to rain hell down upon them. Valerie is right, the girl needs to get her bearings. If we push her too hard immediately, she may slip back into her fugue state.The best I can hope to do now is make sure Vesper doesn’t slip off his leash. With Valerie’s help of course.I wish there was something I could say to put her mind at ease about Bria. We all needed more time to come to terms with Bria surviving.If only she’d woken up a month earlier. Even a week would have helped. As things stood there was no time for all of us to talk. For Valerie and Bria to get to know each other a little. For me to explain how angry I was with her for abandoning me in the middle of a war and how happy it made me that she wasn’t dead.We needed time to see what would happen if I spent any significant amount of time with Bria. Would our bond have rekindled? It’s not something I’m hoping for, but the thought has occurred to me and
(Bria POV) Aiden hasn’t been by to talk to me and I’m worried about him. Opening the door to ask Conner whether he’s alright, I’m shocked to find that all of Aiden’s soldiers are gone. In their place, I find my personal guard.My heart aches at Tyra’s absence. She should have been my Beta. At least she’s safe wherever she is now. Sadly she’ll never be completely out of Adrienne’s grasp until we manage to remove her from the picture permanently.“Lady Briana,” Eric says, stepping forward. “Is there anything we can get for you? Or would you like us to accompany you somewhere?” It’s clear he’s been appointed as their leader. “Eric, it’s so good to see you. Please drop the Lady, I’m never going to like being addressed that way. Has the king given permission for me to move about freely?”Eric offers me a small smile, “We do not answer to the king. We follow only your orders.” I like the sound of that and enjoy the sense of safety it affords me. This isn’t something they could simply have
(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.