God, but the Night of the Stag is…disgusting. Auden’s mother had always hated it – had forbidden it, actually, after she participated in it once first-hand.
But Mahl had only banished it for her sake. It had only come back into style and favor with Angeline, and then Beth.
This is the first time, though, that Auden has been at court to participate. He watches as several of the Alphas smile gleefully, clearly looking around at all the women before them with avarice in their eyes.
Yes, as usual, his mother had been right. It’s all just…wildly disgusting.
This entire practice should be banished – a King doesn’t need a celebration of his virility before he dedicates himself to one woman for the rest of his life. Especially when it’s his fourth wife, and he already has four children, and he has absolutely no intention of staying faithful to his Queen once they’ve wed.
A gong sound
A series of tinkling bells sound out in the room – probably from the musicians in the corner but echoing enough that they sound like they’re everywhere – filling the air – filling Auden’s damn mind with the clanging as his mouth falls open and his eyes narrow only to her –Her –The fucking…vision slated to marry his damned father.And who should – again! – not fucking be here!Mahl smirk and glances at his son. “Seems that you do seem something you like.”Auden sucks in a sharp breath and straightens, glancing at his father, hoping to hell Mahl didn’t see the precise direction of his gaze. “No. You’re mistaken.”Mahl laughs – a loud, booming sound as he briefly puts his arm around his son’s shoulders, pulling him tight to his side for just a moment. “There’s no shame in a love of women, boy! You got it from me. Now. I have a role to play.”Auden watches his father stride toward the women gathered together at the front of the room – the shyer, younger, and sweeter of the Celestials gi
He takes a deep breath, his eyes suddenly roving over her, worried she’s going to collapse. She must have hit her head – it’s…the only explanation. Which means she’s injured, and something’s wrong with her poor brain if she thinks that she’s Margot and she’s used magic –Everleigh cackles with mirth, her head tilting back again and Auden blinks, again thrown by the uncanny quality of that laugh.Because it is not Everleigh’s.She never laughs with that abandon, and never that deep.Shit. Shit.Her laughter fades and she cups a hand to her cheek, grinning at Auden like she’s delighted with his reaction and thinks he’s adorable. “God, she’s really good at this spell,” she murmurs. “You look so confused.”Auden shakes his head roughly, denying it. “That’s impossible.”“Well, go on then,” the woman says, shrugging and again glancing at Mahl, her face falling a bit. “Though you haven’t got much time left. Ask me a question – something that I’d know the answer to that our sweetheart Queen-t
The Celestial girls are panting by the end of their dance and not an Alpha in the room moves, their eyes latched on the women before them. Auden is a little ashamed to admit that he’s one of them, though his eyes don’t rove as the others’ do.No, they stay quite focused on one figure before him.Unfortunately, so do Mahl’s.It’s only his father’s snarl that breaks Auden from his reverie, his eyes snapping slightly left to see his father’s fangs extended, his hand reaching for the woman before him –Auden’s wolf hacks and shakes himself, disgusted at the idea that he’s lusting after the same woman as his father. It’s against his rules – though he’s well aware that his father is the one making it difficult by choosing a woman half his age as his fourth wife instead of marrying a nice, settled woman from his own generation. With four children and three so
Auden just sighs, looking away, wishing he knew what time –“Auden!”His head snaps up, meeting his father’s gaze.“You have no cup,” Mahl growls. Margot half turns to him, lifting the wide bowl to her lips and taking a long sip from it, angling it so that she can watch Auden as she does.“I have no need of a cup,” Auden says with a sigh. “I am…enough in spirit as it is.”“I did not raise you to be dull, boy,” Mahl growls, holding out a hand toward him and then reaching for the bowl still at Margot’s lips. He snatches it away and she stumbles a little, some of the Elixir sloshing down her front. But she just laughs – either good-natured about it or pretending to be.Auden starts to shake his head but Mahl strides close, shoving the bowl at Auden’s chest.“You will drink.”“Father –“
“And so the Doe ran!” The Bard shouts – his robes sweeping wide as he flings his arm toward Margot, banishing her. Margot shrieks with delight, turning and dashing toward the door through which she entered. The remaining Celestials go too, shouting and laughing as they disappear into the hall.“And the Sacred Stag chased her down!”Mahl throws his head back, a long and echoing howl soaring from his throat. Auden blinks hard, staring at his father as his form flickers in and out of its wolf – his fingers curling into claws – his skin flashing to dark grey pelt and then back –Auden shakes his head, frowning – because that’s not how it works – it –But before he can think on it more Mahl surges forward, dashing for the door after his Doe, yanking the wood nearly off its hinges as he rushes through it.The room fills with more snarls and howls, more shrieking shouts and laughter as other Alphas grab the woman nearest them, or give chase to any who have likewise decided to give them a bit
Allowing me to see Auden standing in the doorway to the suite, his hair and eyes wild, his chest heaving with his panting breath as he stares right at me.My eyes flare wide. Wider. I go very still.What…the fuck is happening.Auden slams the door shut.The crashing sound makes me jump and shriek as I snap my eyes first to the door and then back to him. But something breaks in me when he reaches for the lock and flicks it, sealing us in.“What are you doing!?” I shout.He just growls, slowly starting to prowl toward me.“Auden! Are you fucking high!?”He reaches the end of the bed, still wordless, glaring down at me.Not – not mad –But the fucking heat in him right now –I shriek and roll to the far side of the bed as he starts to bend, reaching for me. My feet find the ground and I whip myself up, spinning to face him, my book going sprawling.“Get over here,” he growls.“Auden, you asshole!”He just starts around the bed and I shriek again, jumping up onto the bed and then down to t
There is nothing soft and sweet about what happens next.Auden grabs the ends of my skirt, hiking it high over my knees and pushing it back even as his lips part mine, his tongue sweeping into my mouth in a kiss that makes me dizzy with its absolute assurance, its claiming.I give myself over to him completely, one hand wrapping around his neck and the other smacking down hard on the bureau so I can lift my hips when his hands move all the way up my thighs and reach my hips, his hands wrapping around the edges of my panties and yanking them firmly down.A pathetic little whine breaks from my lips when he steps back for a second – but Auden just snarls, pulling the dainty scrap of fabric down over my knees and letting gravity do the rest of the work. His hands move fast to his belt and I move on impulse, a creaky moan sounding in my throat as I lean forward, grabbing fistfuls of the fabric of his shirt, tugging upward –He snarls, low and fierce – a wordless command to leave him be as
Auden again shifts back, his cock withdrawing slightly, the sensation against my inner walls agonizing and fantastic at once, and then he starts to pound into me at a steady, punishing pace, fucking me hard and fast and relentless – just the way I want him to.My face turns hard to the left as my hands slam down on the wood of the bureau, balancing me as Auden wraps his hand around my back and pulls me further forward so that my ass is no longer on the wood at all. Instead, he holds my body tight against him, my lower back pressed painfully to the edge of the bureau as he picks up his pace, thrusting himself deep into my core again and again with a fervid need that makes me dizzy.My mind spins as my body tenses, as heat and some fucked-up need builds within me. Because this is all wrong – all of it is fucking wrong – I hid from this man for years, I’m keeping secrets from him that would break his heart, I’m engaged to his goddamn father –But none of that – none of that fucking matte
“It went off without a hitch, Ev!” she says, laughing and smacking my shoulder, delighted. “Seriously, you are a skilled woman – both in terms of using that powder and…what I convinced Mahl you could do in the bedroom, when properly incentivized.”I burst out laughing, letting my head tilt back with it, relief rushing through me as much as humor. I mean, I figured everything went okay when I didn’t receive any drastic summons this morning. But hearing it from Margot’s own lips is its own relief.“The powder lasted all night?” I whisper, leaning closer.She nods eagerly. “I had to scrub it, Ev, you put it on good. Honestly, do you think my hair still has a bit of a blonde sheen?”I glance at it and then give her a playful shove on the shoulder as I laugh, realizing that she’s kidding. “Don’t be silly.”“Oh, I’ll be as silly
I yawn as I walk slowly through the halls, heading for the great hall where the majority of the Lunas of this castle will be gathered, alongside their children, as is traditional after the Night of the Stag. Some Alphas will come too, but most will stay in bed.And it’s not that I’m necessarily dragging my feet to get there because I’m dreading it or something. I’m just still quite tired after an eventful night.Luckily for me, the day after the Night of the Stag is a long and lazy day where everyone in the palace takes it easy. The children play with their toys together in the hall, Lunas hang out and lounge around gossiping, and Alphas take the time to sleep off their drug-fueled orgy.Everyone just takes the day to do what they need, which is very nice.Viv and I took a long cozy nap after our extended chat about why kindness matters even when it doesn’t reflect your inner feelings. It wasn’t enough, c
I laugh, looking around at my family, eyebrows raised. “Finally?”“Yes,” she murmurs, Niall nodding in agreement. “You finally let daddy scent mark you and you smell much better.”I straighten in my chair, my eyes flashing to Auden, who laughs low and rich, shaking his head at me.Shit. I – I didn’t even put together that of course the kids were going to notice that I smell all over of Auden now until I get a chance to wash it off.God, thank heavens the children are the only ones I’ve seen so far.I laugh too, shaking my head, suddenly anxious to get in the tub even as I lay my cheek on my daughter’s hair. “I didn’t realize I smelled so objectionable before.”“Not ob-jection-bul,” she murmurs, taking a deep and happy breath, turning her face to bring her nose closer to me. “Just better. Daddy s
“And then,” Vivi murmurs, sitting on my lap with her mouth full of toast and butter and jam, reaching for her glass of juice. “Aurora’s mother took my bow away and said I wasn’t allowed to play with it anymore if I was going to keep scaring Aurora –“I grimace and look over at Auden, who sighs and cocks his head to the side, clearly regretting his choice of gifts for the Night of the Stag.Niall stares daggers at his sister from his chair, shaking his head at her. “You were so mean to Aurora and now we won’t be invited back!”“Even if they invite me back, I won’t go,” Vivi murmurs, turning to offer Coco a whole sausage from her fork. “It’s boring there.”“Vivs,” I murmur, reaching out to stop her from giving him so much food at once – but Coco gobbles the sausage down fast, the meat folding in half and going
Auden glances at me one last time as he reaches the door and I pull the dress over my head, hastily standing and tugging at my laces. I duck down next to his bed, ready to hide as instructed, and he nods to me, pulling his bedroom door open and then heading for the main door.I sit down hard on the floor on the far side of the bed, ducking my head so that I can’t be seen above the mattress, my arms twisted behind my back and tugging as best as I can at the stupid strings that will tighten my bodice.When? When will they invent dresses that women can put on without aid so that they can keep their clandestine night adventures to themselves!? “Papa!” Vivi cries. Auden laughs and says something back as Niall likewise shouts his hellos. I smile – I can’t help it – the sound of their voices going right to my heart.My sweethearts, my cuties. God, I haven’t thought about them in…hours.I
Auden lifts his hips fast and rough, pressing his cock up into me one final time. I moan, grinding myself down, my hands pressed to his chest beneath me, my arms trembling as I go to pieces around him, my inner muscles clenching hard as the tension within me comes to its breaking point and begins to unspool.I gasp again and again as that heat pounds through me, my arms giving out and my body pitching forward as my eyes fall shut. Auden’s there in a moment, catching me against his chest and turning me slightly so that I lay on my side. He murmurs something soft but I don’t hear it – or can’t comprehend it – or something - whatever. My brain is again mush and I can’t find the energy to care.Auden shifts behind me for better leverage, his hips slapping hard against my ass a dozen more times before he, too, groans and stills, coming to his end as a few curses slip from his lips. My body responds, my back arching painfully as I press my ass more ti
We lay there for a long few moments in silence, I think just letting our bodies learn the feel of each other in repose, basking in this new warmth. He ducks his head slightly, rubbing his stubbled cheek against my hair in a very fond, wolfish gesture. I can’t help my growing smile, raising a hand to his chest and letting my fingers spread out over his soft skin.God, who knew it would be this soft?Or maybe I did.Maybe I dreamed it.My wolf gives a scanty little howl of joy, curling up in a little crescent shape with her nose tucked under the edge of her tail, completely content.“I’ve thought about this,” he murmurs, letting his body curl around me more completely, pressing a kiss to my hair.“Really?” I whisper, lifting my face a bit to look up at him, grinning.He stills for a moment, frowning down at me. “You’re going to break my heart if you say you haven’t.”I laugh, smacking him lightly on the chest and lowering my face to press my cheek again to his nice warm skin. “So, what
My breath deepens as I keep my eyes on Auden, my fingers deftly working at the leather of his belt, sliding the end through the metal clasp and then tugging it, working it free of the pin. When I slide the buckle free, my hand moves to the button beneath, quickly popping it free of the fabric.Auden watches my face as my hand works, his expression very serious, very…solemn.Like this is some kind of great ceremony.Like this is…a point which when crossed we cannot go back. Which, I suppose it kind of is.But we’ve already crossed at least three of those points already. Honestly, I’m so far in with this man that…this tiny step? This last little leap?It just feels inevitable. Natural and right.Auden’s hand moves slowly up my arm as my fingers work at the series of little buttons on his fly, slipping each one free. He keeps his eyes on mine, even as my hand slips around to his side, my thumb again running along the waistline of his pants. When I reach his hip, I press the fabric down.
“What are you doing?” I gasp.“It’s easier this way,” he murmurs, settling down on top of my legs. He pauses for a second, but then his fingers wrap again around the edges of my dress, pulling it down a little lower so that half of my booty is exposed.“Auden!” I gasp, my head flying up.“Calm down, Everleigh, this is strictly medical. I just need to see the extent of the bruise.” His voice is low, entertained.“Oh, I hate you,” I murmur, tucking my head back down against my arms, my cheeks flaming.“No, you don’t,” he murmurs, making me smile. A soft scraping sounds, the lid of a jar being unscrewed, and the balmy scent of mint and eucalyptus fills my nose. “This will be cold.”I sigh and nod, consenting to it, thinking that sounds quite nice against the hot ache growing in my lower back. But I still gasp at the first t