Chapter 39

LLOYD

I hadn’t told Misty the whole truth and wasn’t planning to. Yes, the first time I’d seen Lou-Anne was on my birthday, but I’d gone back several times after that. After all this time, it didn’t matter, and I wouldn’t exacerbate the situation.

I couldn’t wait for Misty to return with dinner and hoped a little dessert was on the agenda. All I wanted was to kiss her and hold her again, and I hoped she’d come alone.

The meeting was in full swing, and I forced myself to focus; even from here, I could pick up on the conversation.

Tanner’s plan was solid, but it irked me to sit on the sidelines and wait, especially since Misty was joining them—something she hadn’t bothered to tell me. From the way everyone was talking, it was clear she already knew.

~“There’s nothing we can do, Lloyd,”~ Vetus stated, his tone matter-of-fact. ~“The minute we leave this circle, I’ll be hunting her.”~

~“I know,”~ I replied, frustration gnawing at me. ~“But I still hate the idea of her going off with Adam.”~

~“You’re jealous,” ~Vetus chuckled.

~“I guess I am…”~

I had tonight with her. Tomorrow, they’d drive to Knox and regroup, a considerable distance from Monolith.

Tanner wasn’t wasting time; he wanted to strike while the iron was hot, and I agreed. Who knew what Axel was planning? Maybe this would catch them unawares, but the palace had well over eight hundred guards.

It was killing me that I wasn’t the one at her side—the one protecting her—but mostly, I wanted to kill that arrogant, conceited, twisted tyrant myself. To make him beg for his life while I broke every bone in his body, not just for me but my entire pack.

I wanted retribution—a reckoning!

I caught the scent of a she-wolf, her smell mixed with Tanner’s, and immediately knew who was approaching—Chelsea, Misty’s best friend. I had pictured her differently, but she was striking with her long platinum hair and willowy figure—Misty’s complete opposite.

None were in any danger from me if they stepped into the circle, but Chelsea held her ground, her eyes scanning me before she smiled.

“Hi Lloyd, I’m Chelsea. I wanted to introduce myself and thank you for saving us from entering the palace. So, thank you! But how did you know I’m Misty’s best friend?”

Oh, fuck.

The last thing I wanted was to annoy Misty further. She might be offended if she knew I’d been spying on her. How could I phrase this without lying?

“Hi Chelsea, nice to meet you. I overheard Misty on the phone and gathered you were her best friend. I’m glad it worked out.”

Chelsea nodded, her blue eyes narrowing. “You spied on her, didn’t you? And you mistreated her because she smells like a witch—a witch you needed desperately to break the curse. It makes no sense…”

It warmed my heart that Misty had such a fiercely protective friend.

“You’re right. I was prejudiced and stupid,” I admitted, hoping she would be happy with that explanation.

“If you ever treat my friend with anything but the utmost respect, you’ll have me to deal with,” she said, tilting her head to the side, one hand on her hip.

I couldn’t help but grin at her stance and rebuke. She must have topped Misty by five inches, but I still dwarfed her.

“You have my promise. I’m glad she has a friend like you,” I replied placatingly.

“Well then, enjoy dinner. Misty is on her way, and she doesn’t know I’m here, so I’d prefer to keep this between us…,” she trailed off guiltily.

I laughed outright. “I won’t breathe a word.”

I leaned against the Monolith and kept an eye out for Misty. I liked watching her walk—fluid and sensuous. I’d never noticed anyone’s gait before, but Misty’s was downright sexy, her posture perfect with those hips swinging from side to side.

I didn’t bother lighting the kerosene lamps and waited for her to appear, drinking in every movement until she got close.

By then, I had a raging hard-on, and the clothes I’d been given were a little too tight and showed everything.

Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and she wore a dress that, while less revealing than the one I’d torn, was more flowing, ending just above her knees.

I did a double take when I noticed she was barefoot. She kept shifting the cooler from one hand to the other, and I narrowed my eyes. What the hell did she have in there?

“Hey,” she smiled and dumped the cooler on the blanket. “Do you drink beer?”

“Is a pig’s ass pork?”

I lifted the cooler to test its weight; it wasn’t that heavy, but schlepping it all the way here…

“That’s a yes, I guess.” She giggled. “We better drink all of them ’cause I’m not carrying them back.” She smiled and plopped herself on the blanket, giving me a glimpse of her underwear.

Wait a minute—that wasn’t underwear—

My heart started thumping, my cock straining against the fabric of my shorts, and I hastily lit the kerosene lamp, wondering if she would notice.

I opened the cooler and found four bottles of beer and two bottles of water. Dinner wrapped in foil that smelled like heaven. She’d brought paper plates, cutlery, and napkins.

Twisting the tops off two beers, I handed her one, and she gulped half the bottle.

“Thirsty?” I asked, shifting uncomfortably.

“Yup.” Holding out her bottle to clink with mine.

Ok-ay, something was going on. Was she intending to get drunk? Or was this a seduction? I hoped the latter…

Clearing my throat, I placed the plates and cutlery on the blanket, carefully opened each wrapped dinner, and set them on the plates, breathing in the delectable aroma of the pork and Misty.

“It smells divine. Did you prepare this?”

She hugged her knees, crossed her ankles, and smiled coquettishly while I almost had a heart attack glimpsing bits of her bare pussy.

“I did. Pork medallions in a paprika cream sauce,” she boasted. “Hope you’re hungry.”

She licked her lips and swiped her finger through the sauce before sucking it, and my mouth went dry. I took a sip of beer, and my thought process deteriorated.

“Would you like me to feed you?” I asked. My father often fed my mother, and they would disappear as soon as they were done, and we’d hear their lovemaking.

“No, that’s fine.” She moved her knees apart and slowly tucked her dress between them while I stared, mesmerized. She was clean-shaven, and her clit protruded slightly from her pussy lips.

Picking up her plate, she started eating, turning the fork in her mouth like a lollipop before taking the next bite. I gaped, completely blindsided by her actions. I never expected her to be so—so suggestive. And bold…

As if on autopilot, I picked up my plate and ate, barely looking at the food as I watched my little temptress.

~“Oh, she’s good,”~ Vetus said hoarsely.

“When did you have time to cook? You were at the meeting, weren’t you?” I asked, curious whether she would tell me the truth.

She smiled coyly, batting her eyelashes. “Oh, it’s one of those dishes that practically cooks itself. There’s not much prep work required. But yes, about the meeting…,” she trailed off as if lost in thought.

I leaned in slightly, encouraging her to continue. “Go on,” I prompted, running a finger along her silky thigh, tingles zapping me like lightning.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking more seriously. “Adam and I will handle retrieving the item. There’s a gallery where the crown, scepter, and everything tied to the Sayelle-Moreau bloodline is kept. The plan is to secure it during the chaos of the attack.” Her eyes locked onto mine, a flicker of determination in their depths.

I had been in that gallery before to look around. All the items, including the robes, were encased in glass, relics from my era. There were also old swords, knives, and spears. One of the swords, I suspected, had been used to decapitate my father.

“Did you find something in the grimoire? The room is packed. You’ll never be able to grab everything and carry it out, especially with most of it sealed in glass cases. Honestly, I don’t like that you’re going; it’s dangerous, and I…”

“No,” she interrupted. “Can you feel the power coming off the Monolith?”

“Uh, no.”

“I can. That’s why I have to go. We cannot clear out that room and get everything out of the palace. But I think I’ll be able to sense which object was used, which will make it much simpler,” she explained. “I wish things were different, but it is what it is. And I’ll have my protective barrier,” she reassured.

I suggested, “Maybe you should accept Knox’s link again so you can link with your dad.”

“Ugh, not you too. Adam is going to accept the Knox link tomorrow, and he can link my dad. It will be fine, you’ll see.”

She set her meal aside, her face unreadable, a mask of thoughts I couldn’t penetrate. Our eyes met, and in that instant, something unspoken passed between us. Without warning, she launched herself at me, her movement swift and forceful.

Before I could react, she drove me to the ground, her body pushing mine flat. I barely had time to set my food aside as her soft breasts pressed into my chest.

Her mouth found mine, and I groaned in appreciation, running my hands up and down her sides. Daringly, I stroked up her thigh underneath the dress, finding a firm bare butt to squeeze.

“Goddess, I want you,” I whispered. The kerosene lamp wasn’t bright, but it cast beautiful shadows over her form, and any wolf in the area would get an eyeful. Turning us sideways, I covered us in shadows so no one could see my sexy mate.

She hooked her leg around my hips and shimmied closer. “Me too, but you know I’ve never had sex, right?”

“And this isn’t the best place for it. I envisaged a nice comfortable bed,” I said, stroking her thigh.

“Are you saying no?” she asked, trying to sit up.

“I said nothing of the sort.” I kissed her possessively. “Tonight, you are mine.”

Soft, small hands stroked my chest before she grabbed the bottom of my T-shirt and tried to pull it up. “Take it off,” she demanded.

Sitting up, I removed it, and her hands roamed, spreading tingles until they fastened in my hair, and she pulled me back to her lips with a sigh.

“Put your leg around me again, sweetheart.” She did so without hesitation, and my hand wandered down her butt cheeks and between her legs to find her wet.

Slipping my fingers between her folds, I rubbed in concentric circles till her clit went hard, and she moaned needily, pushing her pelvis into mine.

Swallowing, I closed my eyes to regain control. “Turn so your back is against mine,” I instructed.

“What? Why?”

“Because you’re a virgin, and I believe it’s less painful like this,” I explained.

“But, I want to mark you…”

I laughed softly. “Did you think we’d only do it once?”

“Oh,” she said and turned while I quickly stuck my fingers in my mouth, a shiver running down my spine at her taste.

I yanked my shorts down in relief, and my cock sprang free and nestled against Misty’s back. Clutching her hips, I shimmied down until I was in position.

Grabbing the inside of her knee, I fitted her leg over my hip and let her feel the tip of my cock, running it between her folds and nudging it against her clit until she moaned and squirmed.

She was so wet and ready. Slowly, I pushed into her, feeling her stretch around me, and Misty stiffened. I sucked her marking spot and caressed her till she relaxed against me before pushing in a little further.

“Okay?”

She angled her head, and I kissed her gently.

“It burns a little, and you’re bigger than I expected. I thought it would slip right in…,” she whispered, grabbing my hand.

“It will once I’m seated fully, and I’ll try not to hurt you,” I reassured, holding back as much as I could, but her arousal was so pervasive I just wanted to thrust into her velvety depth and warmth.

~“Probably better,”~ Vetus remarked.

Jesus, I’d forgotten Vetus couldn’t seclude himself…

Moving slowly in and out, I wrapped my arms around her and thrust in forcefully, shredding her maidenhead, and stopped.

She didn’t scream, but her breath whooshed out. “Fuck, Lloyd. You could have warned me…”

Holding her tightly, I sucked on her marking spot, “Sorry, sweetheart, but there is no other way around it.”

“I know that,” she said and wiggled her bum suggestively.

I eased out slowly and back in, keeping my tempo slow until she started moving and straining against me.

I sped up, wholly entranced by her smell, satiny skin, and supple body. She twisted her arm around, nails digging into my back as if to encourage me.

“Oh yes. This is how I envisaged it,” she said breathily, her movements becoming more urgent.

Slipping my fingers between her folds, I put pressure on her clit, and she arched her back and moaned softly. I felt the telltale sign of her impending release and savored the feeling as her inner walls hugged my cock.

I closed my eyes in bliss, my balls drawing up and my stomach muscles tightening.

I couldn’t hold back any longer and pounded into her slick depths. She tensed and shuddered with a soft, surprised moan, her pussy like a vise around me. I came in a rush deep inside, the feeling incomparable to anything I had experienced.

Angling her face, I found her lips and kissed her with a passion that was unmistakably love.