Chapter 23: Chapter 23

RAGE

I could smell her through the door. I stood in the bathroom, staring at myself as I straightened my tie in the mirror. Her heartbeat had been hammering for ages. My wolf wanted to comfort her, but I felt she needed privacy.

We had ten minutes before it was time to leave.

I couldn’t wait to see her in the dress Mom picked out.

I cleared my throat and slid my palm against the side of my hair. My adrenaline soared when I heard her take a step toward the door.

My fingers twitched in excitement.

She hovered over the knob, her heart thumping wildly before she twisted the knob. The crack in the door put too much space between us. I lifted my gaze, seeing her in the reflection of the mirror.

My hand dropped from my tie.

“Can I come inside?” she asked politely.

I nodded once, unable to put my thoughts into words. She shut the door behind her. The small space between us felt like a football field.

She cleared her throat and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “You look nice,” she whispered.

Laughter spilled from my throat in sheer disappointment that I couldn’t get my mouth to work. I stepped forward, my gaze sweeping her perfect face to the dip in the front of her dress.

My wolf was salivating like the animal he was.

Slowly, my tongue swept out over my bottom lip and I stepped one step closer. She backed into the door, looking up at me with a parted mouth.

“I’m sorry. I think you literally took my breath away. You,” I reached up and touched her mouth with my fingertips. “Are so damn beautiful.”

She smiled and angled her chin upward. “Why don’t you just kiss me? I’ve been dying for it.”

“That I think I can manage.”

I braced my palm against the door and leaned into her. Everything about her scent, her waiting mouth, it soared me higher than I’d ever been. The kiss was innocent enough, until she opened her mouth and moaned my name.

The wolf inside of me slipped and I had no way of catching him.

Tangling her hair into my fingers, I kissed her deeper and gripped the skirt of her dress in my other hand. She slid her palms up my chest to my deltoids and climbed her way up to my hips.

I chuckled and slid the skirt of her dress to her hips.

“Better be careful, Ever. They may have to come looking for us.”

A mischievous chuckle slipped from her. “My door is locked. It’ll buy us some time.”

Turning, I sat her on the edge of the bathroom cabinet and leaned forward. “I want to taste you so badly that my wolf is aching.”

She gasped softly. “What’s stopping you?”

I fisted the skirt of her dress, lifted it to her hips, and stared down at her lacy panties. Her scent wafted upward and drowned me in the promise of fulfillment.

I dragged her to my chest and lowered her to the bathroom floor. The lush white rug brushed her skin as I laid her down. She sat up on her elbows with lust and nerves swallowing her.

Hooking my finger into the hem of her panties, I pulled them down, keeping my eyes on the shock on her face. I wanted to do so much more than I was allowing my wolf to do.

It would take strength to walk away from this after I hear her cum.

Grabbing her hand, I placed it on top of my head. “You guide me, Pretty Girl. Tell me what you like.”

She watched as I lowered my head between her legs and spread her thighs with my palm. I felt my wolf vibrate with anticipation as I licked her from back to front.

Ever arched her back, and her finger tangled roughly in my hair.

I’d never tasted anything more perfect in my entire life. Unable to stop myself, I buried my mouth into her. My name slipped off her tongue as she grinded herself against me, using my tongue to push her closer and closer to my goal.

I pressed one palm against her thigh to keep her wide for me, and the other I sank into the sweetest heat. It was pushing my limits to run my tongue over her most sensitive spot.

None of this was safe. I’d made a promise not to mark this girl, and I wanted to slide deep inside, and mark her throbbing neck with my mark.

Ever pulled roughly on my hair and she moaned my name deeply. One of her hands reached toward her breast, and she pinched her nipple through the fabric.

My name felt like a mantra sliding off her lips.

Her orgasm built and built. More obscenities formed on her tongue when I pressed the pad of my finger against her clit. She fell over into a blissful cry that slammed into my stomach.

Her cry turned into a chuckle, and she opened her eyes to look at me. I licked her juices from my mouth, watching the red color take rest on her cheek. “Dear God,” she whispered, crawling over toward me.

Her panties were still on the floor next to me. Grabbing them, I slipped them into my pants pocket. “I suggest you sit with your thighs closed tonight.”

She leaned in and kissed me softly, tasting her juices on my mouth as she traced the outline of my dick in my pants.

“I want that,” she said.

I laughed. “I want you to have it.” I grabbed her wrist and stopped her. “But you know we can’t.”

She nodded. “I know. But I want you to know I want it.”

She stood up slowly and offered me her hand. I took it and leaned her against the wall. “You taste good,” I whispered. “Just in case you wanted to know.”

Someone knocked on the guest bedroom door. I grabbed the knob and opened the door as my mother walked inside. “You two look amazing!” she said, clapping her hands.

Everlee smiled and walked over to my mother. “You did amazing with the dress.”

“I did, didn’t I?” she looked Ever up and down. “What do you think, Rage?”

“She’s perfect,” I said, sliding my hand into my pocket, feeling her panties pushed down deep. “We’re ready to go.”

Mother grabbed the skirt of her white dress and led us down the stairs. I kept close to Everlee while we walked toward the banquet hall.

She wasn’t as nervous as she had been before.

Mother greeted some of the servers at the door and walked us inside. The auditorium was decorated elegantly with vases of white lilies on each table, and room to dance after we ate.

Numerous wolves stared at us.

I felt Ever become restless, but I settled her down by pulling her closer to me. Her hazel eyes turned upward toward mine, and I saw so much perfection looking back at me.

Mom led us toward one of the front tables and toward our name plates.

Ever picked it up and smiled. “Fancy.”

I chuckled. “Mama can go over the top sometimes. Are you okay here?”

She inhaled deeply. “I’m fine, especially after what we just did. I swear I lost most of my nervous on the bathroom floor.”

My wolf whined at the memory. He wanted to go back. I wanted to go back.

She scooted her chair closer to mine and grabbed a glass of tea from the table. “I forget you aren’t twenty-one yet,” I chuckled, grabbing the stem of my wine glass.

She looked at it. “You won’t give me a drink if I ask?”

Remembering the sweet taste of her, I knew I’d give her anything she asked for. Leaning forward, I bent down to the shell of her ear and whispered, “I’ll give you whatever your heart desires, Ever.”

She smiled and grabbed my wine glass. Inhaling it, she smiled and took a sip. “Fruity. I like it.”

Someone tapped the microphone, and everyone made their way to their seats. Mother sat on one side of Everlee, and Aunt Michelle on the other side of myself. Dad’s Beta and a few other high-ranking wolves sat with us.

Dad stood on the stage with the alpha of the neighboring pack.

“Thank you all for coming,” Dad said. “We are excited to welcome the new pack into our district. We’re happy that Alpha Lucas is such a good leader.”

His pack hollered and clapped for him in the back of the room.

“Our food is being served, and then we’ll be squared away to dance the night away. But before we eat, I would like to welcome Everlee Allaire. She’s my son’s mate, and the soon-to-be luna of our pack.”

Mother gasped and spilled a bit of her drink onto the table.

My fingers tightened into fists on my lap. He did not just say that aloud. And the entire auditorium hall clapped and yelled their applause.

I slid my palm over Everlee’s thigh and whispered, “I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “I don’t know why he said that.”

She nodded and hid herself behind her glass of tea.

Mom exchanged glances with Michelle, and I glared at Dad who seemed oblivious to the fact of what he did. Or he didn’t care.

“Thank you all. Enjoy your food and the night.”

Mother reached over. “Don’t overreact, Rage,” she whispered.

Dad walked over and sat down beside Mother. His gaze swept toward mine. “Son, you both look great.”

“Why did you say that?” I hissed out.

Most of the table turned their attention toward the servers bringing out our food.

Dad’s posture stiffened. “I suggest you think about what you’re about to say before you say it, Rage. You may be next in line to become alpha, but that doesn’t mean you step out of line with me.”

My wolf didn’t want to submit. Alpha, Dad, or not, he’d stepped out of line. “You shouldn’t have said that.”

Dad stood abruptly and walked outside, which was a silent invitation to join him. “I’ll be right back,” I whispered to Everlee.

Her face was ashen, but she nodded in agreement.

Father stood far enough away from the building that I knew he was pissed and had words in store for me.

He chuckled humorlessly when I stepped toward him. “You think you can tell your alpha, your father, what to do, Rage?”

“You’re pressuring her.”

Dad pointed his finger at my chest. “Good,” he hissed. “I’m trying to help you out, son. You need a luna to become alpha, and if you don’t take control of this situation—”

“I am doing the best I can!” I shouted. “I’m doing all I know to do. I can’t conk her over the head and drag her to my room. She has to fall in love with me. Don’t you get it? I’m competing with someone she already loves. You shoving positions and pressure onto us is not helping me. So stop.”

Dad’s jaw tightened, and his gaze shifted toward the door. I glanced over at Ever standing in the doorway of the cracked door.

“I’m…I’m not feeling well. Can we go?”

“Of course,” I said, before looking back to my dad.

I hoped he understood my silent warning. We wouldn’t be back if he continued this way. Everlee followed me around the pack house.

I felt her heart hammering and her emotions scurrying around her. I abruptly turned to face her. “I’m so sorry about that.”

Ever placed her palms on my chest. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For standing up for me.” The moonlight brightened her face.

I interlaced my fingers around the back of her neck. “I’ll always stand up for you.”

“I know.”