(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
(Briana POV)It’s chaos all around me. Members from both packs are down and the sheer volume of blood being shed is alarming. The primary thought in my head is to get to Raul’s side. He’s my mate, the man I love, and I have to help him. And because he’s our Alpha, he’s being targeted by a large contingent of werewolves from the other pack.I’m far smaller than the other werewolf, but I’m fast and I’m very well trained. “Bria!” he shouts at me and his voice is like a beacon, pulling me towards him. “There are too many, you can’t fight them alone! You have to run!”Instead of following his orders, I cross the final few feet between us and make my way to his side. “If you die, I die, I won’t accept anything in-between,” I tell him resolutely, anxiously scanning his body to see which of his injuries are the most pressing.“Go,” he whispers again, but there’s no real command in his tone. He knows me too well. I’m very happy-go-lucky most of the time, but I have a stubborn streak a mile
(Briana POV)Seeing everyone rushing around makes me feel ill. They’re working their butts off to make this the perfect day for Valerie’s Luna coronation, as if they didn’t fully expect me to fulfill that role a measly year ago. I should be the one bound and promised to Raul today.Nobody so much as glances my way when I slowly make my way through the courtyard. I’m weak from lying still for so long, but I’m determined to rebuild my strength. I also won’t hide away in my room while this travesty takes place.Maybe seeing me will bring Raul to his senses. Or at least remind our pack of my existence. The latter seems less and less likely as I walk along, ignored by everyone. One of the bustling maids even knocks me over and doesn’t bother to apologize or help me struggle back to my feet.Everyone is in a festive mood. Faces shiny with joy, as if this was what they’d wanted all along. Betrayal bubbles acidically in my stomach.It’s always been me and Raul. Inseparable since childhood. Lo
(Briana POV) “Get your hands off me!” I screech, fighting with everything I have. Which sadly isn’t much. After a year of inertia, I’m not exactly fighting fit.I’m not above using my teeth and muscle memory kicks in, but it only serves to highlight how weak my attacks are compared to what they used to be. A far bigger problem is the fact that Vesper’s men are starting to recognize me as the former Beta of the pack.“This bitch killed Aaron!” One of them shouts and this seems to open the floodgates. “Kill her! She was their Beta during the war. She took out a lot of our warriors.” I strangle the urge to comment that they’d still be alive if they were better fighters.Fear is engulfing my mind and I’m entering that dangerous zone where panic takes over. It never leads to anything good and I don’t have the agility and power to back it up with a few lucky strikes.“Alec,” I mumble, head ringing from the random punches raining down on me. I’m on my knees, trying to make myself as small
(Briana POV)The cell they’re keeping me in is small, damp and dark. They feed me once per day, miscalculating how unused I am to solids. I easily eke out the food to last me all day.I move as much as I can. Walking in tight circles, doing push-ups and sit-ups. Working and stretching my muscles to remind them how to operate.I have no illusions. The likelihood of making it out of here alive is infinitesimal. Vesper didn’t bring me back here for a friendly little visit. I would die a warrior’s death and go down fighting. Hopefully taking one or two of them with me.My sense of time is all out of whack and I’m not sure how many days have passed when the door to my prison is yanked open and a grinning man tells me, “You’re free to go.”For the duration of a single heartbeat I believe that Raul negotiated my freedom, before I come to my senses and pay closer attention.This isn’t mercy, it’s a game. One where I will be the prey. They’re giving me a head-start, because I’m weak and slow
(Briana POV)He’s covered in blood and I can smell it coming from many different sources. He killed Vesper’s men and saved my life. Risking himself for me when nobody else would. Now he’s cradling me to his chest and staring at me in wonder. Whipping my emotions into a tumultuous mess.My heart and mind are in chaos and I feel like I’m losing my grip on reality. The only thing I’m absolutely certain of is that I want more of the tenderness he’s offering me. I want to spike my fingers into his chestnut hair and lose myself in him.His eyes widen, nostrils flaring, and I know he can smell my arousal. I can feel my cheeks flaming and he smiles gently at the sight of my blush. With infinite gentleness he repositions me so I’m straddling his waist and our chests are pressed together. He’s still taller than I am and I have to tilt my head back to look into his eyes.“You’re mine,” he says quietly, his fingertips lightly stroking my face, pushing my fiery red hair behind my ears, before h
(Briana POV)I must be hallucinating. Maybe this is all just a fever dream and that’s why I’m so damnably hot. “Excuse me?” I ask, aiming for outrage in spite of how weak-kneed his proximity is making me.I try to convince myself this is only because he’s so physically imposing, towering over me and dwarfing me, but I’ve never been scared of bigger opponents. I loved telling everyone they simply fell harder.“I am not your concubine,” I tell him firmly. His smile is slow and lazy and he doesn’t allow me to break free of his grip, despite my best efforts. “Would you feel better about sexually assaulting me if you were?” he asks conversationally.“You-you, I did not assault you!” I sputter furiously. King or not, he was beyond exasperating. His grin widens. "That much is true. I was a more than willing participant. In fact,” he steers me backward until my back hits a tree, “I’m quite eager to continue where we left off. Before we do though, please tell me your name.”“Briana,” I chok
(Briana POV)Aiden pretends to stagger back under my assault, landing smoothly on his back with me still on top of him. For several blissful minutes my mind shuts off completely. His lips and hard, lean body is all I need and want from the world right now.“I really, really want to take your clothes off now,” Aiden tells me in a low growl. Awareness slowly trickles back into my mind and I go still on top of him. For the second time in less than an hour, I’m on the verge of getting it on with a total stranger. At least I know his name now, but this was still a bad idea.“What’s wrong?” he asks with a surprising amount of insight, seeming to sense my sudden distress. I sit up slowly, wincing when my engorged vulva presses against his erection. Feeling the way he pulses at the contact nearly has me diving back into wanton lust, but too much has happened to me recently.After everything I’ve endured these last few days, I’m an emotional wreck. I can’t blindly jump into an entanglement wit
(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.