Perrin
The hours of the night I spent with Lo passed too quickly. While my mind told me that we’d have forever and then some to spend together, my body felt otherwise. Wrapped in each other’s arms until the quiet hours of the early morning were the most alive I had ever felt.
We drifted at some point to sleep, awakened by the abrupt and pointed coughs of Marge as she opened the Archives, doubtlessly having a clear understanding of what the books had seen last night in her absence.
We giggled like little kids, stuffing our limbs into clothing and running out the front doors like little kids, hand in hand and nearly tripping over each other. But bursting outside into the morning light didn’t give me the fresh air my lungs needed; only Lo could do that. Breathe into me the life I hadn’t been living until now.
Deidre“Well, that was unexpected.”Jason looked at me, his face flush and his eyes bright. I hadn’t seen him this proud in… in years, really.“May the Goddess continue to bless us,” he said, leaning back into his chair, the worn leather creaking under his warm weight. His hands spread wide and rested behind his head, elbows stuck out behind.Now that we were alone, I got up and rounded his desk, sitting on it and gazing out the window behind him, my back to the door.“She works in mysterious ways, doesn’t she?”“Indeed,” he said. We sat in silence, taking in the implications of the last twenty-four hours. It had been a whirlwind. Neith
JustinEthan’s texts were short and to the point. A clear sign that he was angry. Really angry. And if I hadn’t picked up on the tone, it was clear he wasn’t interested in any type of physical interaction; like I deserved any. After what I did to him? I didn’t deserve any part of him. He wanted to meet in an hour, and I didn’t have a choice but to sit here and wait.I had struggled most of the night, figuring out what to say, how to justify what I had done. The simple answer is that there wasn’t a good answer for any of it, apart from the fact that I was a coward. And angry.My hands still balled into fists anytime I played over the conversation in my head that Jesamine had sold out my mate’s best friend to kee
Justin He had requested the obstacle course in the back of the Lodge. I vaguely admired Ethan’s ability to think under strain. The Lodge was public enough where we couldn’t let our physical attraction to each other get in the way of our conversation; private enough outside where we wouldn’t be overheard; and if we were seen, we’d both be looking like we were still invested in our physical training, regardless of the press conference this morning. He looked as disheveled as I felt; hair askew, golden eyes bright with emotion but dark bags beneath. So he hadn’t slept, either. He stiffened when he felt me approach; whether he scented me or sensed me coming, it didn’t matter. He had already been in the middle of a workout; his chest was glistening with sweat, his shirt discarded somewhere in the midst of his exertions. I couldn’t take my
PerrinI couldn’t tell anyone what Seth did to me earlier in the morning. It was grueling, and I had been pouring sweat within the first twenty minutes. But that was hours ago, and I was grateful for muscle memory and was blissfully happy to let my body push itself while I was busy thinking about my mate.My mate.I wasn’t real. Couldn’t be real.But the blissful soreness of my thighs convinced me otherwise. And in a second I realized that I was hardening beneath my shorts as I lay on the bench, weight pressed to my chest. I managed to cough convincingly enough that Seth let me rack the weights and take a quick lap of the weight room to calm my body down. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed.
LoPerrin had looked too sexy not to touch; the moment he had returned to his room I had fought every urge not to jump into his lap and ride him like I had last night. I had the fortunate excuse to start the bath for him to calm myself, taking advantage of the privacy in the bathroom and wiping the drip between my legs that had started at the sight of him.But as he had said, he was in no shape tonight for lovemaking. Or fucking. Or both.But a little kissing couldn’t hurt, right?Like last night, our kiss had started slowly; passionately, the warm water welcoming our bodies into its depths. He had spread his legs for me under the water, welcoming me to float lightly on his lap as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me to him so I wouldn’t drift away. The tub was deeper than I
Lo“That wasn’t what I had planned,” I whispered quietly into his neck, several minutes later.We both lay beneath the surface of the water, floating lazily, buoyant and breathing in the scents of our bodies, once distinctive and now mixed together in a way that couldn’t be undone. I was cradled in his arms, back to his chest, his arms over my breasts in a needlessly protective manner. “I don’t want you to float away,” he murmured into my hair. The bubbles were long gone, the soapy residue skimming the surface and blurring our forms underneath. The mirror of the bathroom was still fogged; but whether from the bath or our lovemaking, I didn’t know.I was subdued in the blissful way that only erotic sex could make you, but I was keenly aware that the slippery place between my legs was neither
Perrin“Any clue what she wants?”“I don’t really care,” I told Lo, devouring a massive plate of eggs and bacon.“It’s not like she can grovel for your forgiveness,” Kira added, digging into her own plate.Kira had knocked on my door early this morning, itchy and frustrated. She needed to run, I knew. And I had no idea where Ethan was to help her exercise her cravings out. I had hoped he mustered the courage to confront his mate. But Kira needed help, and trusting my mate to understand, I had tiptoed out of the room, Lo still sound asleep, and went for an easy six miles with her. I was still sore, after all.We were enjoying a late breakfast with Lo in the kitchen now. She looked completely at
PerrinLO: I don’t really feel like going out to dinner. Is that ok?PERRIN: Sure thing. I’ll be back from the Lodge in an hour. Want me to grab takeout?LO: Yes please.Easy enough, I thought. On the way home Charlie and I swung by and picked up several dishes from my famous tapas place. Ethan picked up a few for him and Justin, though there was a mutual agreement between the two of us that we’d be eating separately tonight.“How did the training session go?” Lo said, placing the containers of food on her kitchen table. We were eating in her suite tonight, my bed and bathroom still a delightful mess from our exploits the night before.
EPILOGUEMarge shuffled through the archive, her shoes making the only sound in the quiet stone building, echoing all the same through the high vaulted ceiling of the church building above. She raised a gnarled hand to the shelf and deposited the book after two tries, her hands shaking slightly with the cold. There were only a few books to return tonight. Far fewer than there had been when Leila had been here.So why had she waited until this late in the evening to do it? She just shrugged and pushed on, the slow creaking of the cart’s wheels punctuating the silence, her old watch on her pale wrist noting the time; 1:45 a.m.She really had no business being there so late. But she had gotten caught up in one of her research projects, spread out across her circulation desk and totally lost in thought until the rumble of her empty sto
Perrin“How long is it going to take?”I sat on Lo’s bed as she shoved clothes into her suitcase. “Maybe a week? I’m not sure.”“Why don’t you just leave all of that stuff here?” I pointed at the suitcase. “It’s not like you’re not going to bring it back.”She heaved a heavy sigh, full of fake exasperation. “I still have to pack it to move it down the hall. It’s just easier if I do it all at once.”“Nah. Let’s just throw it all in some garbage bags and unpack later.”She laughed. “Hand me those shoes?”I strode over and picked a pair
Perrin “Because I never want to create a monster like my father.” Silence hung in the room. I digested each word, the implications of it. “But you’re not…” I said, more for myself than for her. “No, I’m not. He never got his hands on me. My little brother made sure of that.” And even though she spoke in a viscous, quipping way; there was a hint of something grateful in her tone. “So he won’t be anything like him!” I said, assuring myself more than anything. “Does it matter?” She snapped, regaining her typical composure. “If my father’s insane lust for power is hereditary, then it’s best that the blood line ends with me. At least my brother won’t be breeding any offspring considering he’s gay–” sh
Perrin I glanced at my phone, then at Lo. We had made love for several hours, refusing to stop until we had our fill of each other. But each time hadn’t felt like enough, leaving us drained and happy but wanting more. After one particularly hot session in the middle of my bed involving whipped cream, I pulled her close to me, blissfully peaceful with her cradled in my arms. I felt her stomach growl against my hands. And apparently hungry. I swept my mouth to her ear and felt her shiver against me, goosebumps appearing up and down her body. I fought the impulse to warm her with every inch of mine. “Do you want me to get you a snack?” I said, and waved the small can of whipped cream in front of her face so she could see. She hummed lazily in my
PerrinAnd it had happened like that.I recalled the broad strokes for my friends.“You what?” Ethan said, shocked and nearly angry. “You can’t make that kind of promise!”Justin shook his head sagely. “That’s free reign, Perrin. And a dangerous move, backing out of every challenge. It puts you at a huge disadvantage if anyone trespasses on your territory.”“Or attacks on your land,” Ethan said.“Or poses a border dispute,” said Kira.“How will you expand?” Ethan asked, c
PerrinI tried to cover the nail marks she had left on my shoulder with a spare set of scrubs from Deidre’s office. It was no use. The scrubs were too small, tugging comically at my shoulders and Lo’s pink cheeks and ruffled hair couldn’t be fixed.We had retreated long enough to ourselves, and I pulled us back into the world of the living and down the hall, walking hand in hand as we rejoined our friends.Ethan smirked when he saw us. “Nice.”Kira rolled her eyes, glancing at her imaginary watch. “Couldn’t you two wait?”“At least get a shirt,” Ethan added, eyeing my bare chest. I had ditched the scrubs, unable to get them over my chest.
PerrinWe didn’t talk as much, even though that had been the plan.I had taken one of the chairs opposite Deidre’s desk, hoping to keep my brain thinking platonically for as long as possible. But part of me was still in shock. I could smell the smell of her coconut shampoo. See the glimmer of her earrings in the desk lap. And I had felt the tips of her fingernails as I held her hand; the short ones that she chewed on when she was reading and lost in thought.But I knew it was definitely her the moment I felt my head slightly dizzy with the draft of warm honeysuckle, intoxicatingly perfect.I wasn’t shy, needing to have her by my side. I pulled her easily into my lap, and she didn’t protest, as if still quite unsure that all of this was really happening either. She swun
PerrinAs soon as Mark dismissed the crowd, the crowd had begun to descend from the stands in droves. It hadn’t taken long for Lo to find me, fighting the current and pushing her way against the flow of teaming bodies and up to the platform.I sensed her, long before she ran up the platform stairs, Justin hot on her heels. I dove past my father, darted behind Mark and ran to meet her, not caring for any protocol or public indecency. I needed her.Her scent hit me first. It made my blood sing and my heart beat so fast I thought it would stop.And then there she was. The sight of my home and my heart, running and slipping across the wet platform towards me.My weight almost buckled beneath me, the unexpected reality of seeing her here st
Justin The arena was packed. I could hear an excited roar from the crowd from behind the Lodge, drifting over the top of the massive building and floating through the chill evening air. Lo parked illegally in front of the entrance to the building. Now was not the time to point it out. A series of battered and limp-hanging banners and signs showed the way around to the back. It had rained today, apparently, and we made progress towards the arena as quickly as we could, sludging through mud and the trampled pathway. A stadium had been erected, filled to the brim with stands of onlookers, cheering and applauding in a range of darkened colors, soaked from the rain. Despite the bad weather, it hadn’t dampened their spirits. The crowd had been here all night, awaiting the results. Colored tents for each challenging pack were spaced ou