Chapter 40

MISTY

I let the feelings rush over me and now understood why wolves were so obsessed with mate sex. It was indescribable.

I could barely keep my fangs in check, the urge to mark him overwhelming, even though my orgasm had waned. I lay in his embrace, Lloyd still buried inside me.

That first thrust had been painful, but it didn’t last, and a deep-seated need had welled up inside me, clawing for release.

I felt him shoot his seed, which was unexpected and explosive, setting off fireworks that ran up and down my body. All of a sudden, I was glad he had some experience.

Lloyd moved, and his cock slipped out, followed by a rush of liquid which dripped down my thighs onto the blanket. He turned me, and his mouth found mine, kissing me gently as though I was the most precious thing in his life.

“That was beautiful, sweetheart. How do you feel?”

I couldn’t really describe it. It was a satisfaction of sorts, but not the type I felt after eating a good meal. It was more like when I did magic, and it hummed through me. That’s how I felt now: my body hummed.

“It feels like I’m an instrument,” I said, not wanting to use the magic analogy, “like a pianist who plays beautiful music when he strokes the keys.”

“And you are the piano in that scenario?” Lloyd asked.

I nodded and cuddled up. He did have pianist’s hands, and every touch heightened my desire.

“I’m hungry.” I sat up and grabbed my discarded food, trying to distract myself and dampen the urge to mark him, which was becoming harder to control with each passing second.

“Wait,” Lloyd said, grabbing a bottle of water and wetting his T-shirt liberally. He knelt between my legs and lifted the dress while I looked at him askance. “Let me clean you; there’s bound to be some…” he trailed off.

“Blood?” I asked.

“Hmm.”

He wiped gently but didn’t shy away from spreading my pussy lips, and I hissed when he touched my clit, which felt a little swollen and bruised. But Cammy would heal me shortly. She’d have to—I wanted to do this again and mark him.

He cleansed himself, wiping away the slight discoloration on his length. I’d seen many nude males; it was nothing untoward in a pack, but Lloyd’s cock, even flaccid, was quite long and thick.

I grabbed my beer and took a sip, only to grimace as the warm, stale taste hit my tongue. Disgusted, I stuck my tongue out in a futile attempt to rid myself of the taste before tipping the bottle and letting the rest of it spill onto the ground.

“Want a fresh one?” Lloyd offered, pulling up his shorts.

I shook my head, opting instead to unscrew the cap of a water bottle and take a long, cleansing gulp. Meanwhile, Lloyd popped open another beer, taking a deep swig that nearly drained half the bottle.

“Talk to me,” he urged, his voice gentle but insistent.

Talk? About what? Compared to Lloyd’s, my past felt as dull as dishwater. He had seen so much more—his stories were a thousand times more interesting than anything I could share.

“What was it like living in the eighteenth century?” I finally asked, genuinely curious.

Lloyd shrugged casually, then settled beside me and pulled me between his legs. “It was different,” he began, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia. “Simpler, with none of the distractions like cars or phones.”

“Or TVs…,” I added with a giggle.

He chuckled, the warm sound enveloping me. “You really had me going with that story about Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” he admitted, shaking his head in amusement.

“I know,” I said with a grin, remembering how focused he’d been.

“I have a question. Why wear a brassiere and no panties?” He palmed my face and dropped a kiss on my nose.

I shrugged. Good question. “You think I should have left my ~bra~ at home?” I emphasized the word with a giggle.

His gaze went straight to my breasts, and his cock hardened, digging into my back.

“I think…you came here to seduce me and didn’t want to make it too obvious. And I know why too. If something happens tomorrow, you want this memory. I understand that—I have precious few of you, and I treasure them. I wish you wouldn’t go…”

I leaned against his solid and warm chest and sighed. I had to go, and there was no other option if I wanted a life with him.

“If the attack is successful, you can search through the palace at leisure,” Lloyd continued, his voice slightly desperate.

“~If.~ Everything hinges on if… I’m going tomorrow and will break this curse if it’s the last thing I do.” I turned in the circle of his arms and straddled him. “I want to mark you.”

I didn’t want this to end in heartache, but I was wary of the results once I broke the curse. What if age did catch up on him, and he crumbled into nothingness?

“You have the ability to defend yourself, and I urge you to think only of yourself. I know magic costs energy, and I saw how your protective barrier was weakening. Promise me,” he said sternly, his brow furrowed.

“I promise,” I sighed and kissed him, pushing my tongue into his mouth and tasting the beer he’d so recently sipped. His lips were firm but soft, and his arms tightened around me as he responded more passionately, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth.

This time I took the lead, pulling the waistband of the shorts until his cock was free. One day, I would taste him, but tonight, I had this overwhelming urge to sink my fangs into his neck.

Fingers trailed along my arm and cupped my breast. “You have the most beautiful breasts,” he murmured and pulled the dress and bra down to expose them. He licked my nipple before sucking it into his mouth, and I felt an answering pull from below.

He squashed them together and gave each nipple the same attention while I rubbed my pussy against his rock-hard erection, my fingers aching to touch it.

I casually pushed my hand between us and trailed his length with a finger, surprised at the velvety feel. I boldly fisted it, moving my hand up and down, and he groaned into my mouth.

One arm wrapped around me, the other grabbed my ass. “Sit on me,” he requested urgently, sucking on my neck.

I let him guide me, feeling the tip penetrate, but this time there was no burn, and his cock glided in smoothly, touching every nerve ending. I threw my head back, letting Lloyd support and hold me in place.

I built up a rhythm, and this time, I could feel his cock swell inside me and instinctively knew he was close. Bending forward, I found his marking spot, sank my fangs all the way in, and kept them buried, letting my venom run deep.

Lloyd’s body stuttered before he picked up the pace and ejaculated deep inside me, fangs sinking into my neck and triggering explosions like a bomb with numerous aftershocks.

I sagged weakly against him, licking the drops of blood that ran down his neck and shuddering as his labored hot breath hit my shoulder.

I sighed in relief. Now that I’d marked him, it solidified the bond, and I felt much lighter in the knowledge that he was mine. For a second, I considered staying here in his arms and not going to the palace.

No words were necessary, and again, I wondered whether mates became one being. Lloyd lay flat and pulled me with him. Now that I’d marked him, I was beyond tired, my eyelids drooping.

“Sleep,” he encouraged, and I cuddled into him while his fingers trailed along my side and back. I was vaguely aware he caressed me through the night and didn’t sleep.

At dawn, we kissed passionately, and I walked away, purposely not saying goodbye. I had every intention of returning alive. This time, I was taking no risks. In and out—no stops other than the gallery.

I showered before my parents woke and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, tying a hoodie around my waist.

I scrounged for batteries, replaced them in the mini flashlight, and added the small pocketknife Tanner had given me. I packed my backpack with the grimoire, intending to study it during the long drive there.

Adam and I would take his car and regroup at Knox.

More than thirty packs were sending warriors, and Tanner estimated we’d have at least four hundred, still less than the palace, but with any luck and Tanner’s ambush, the palace would be ours.

A meeting was scheduled with all the participating alphas to discuss the final plans, but they didn’t concern Adam and me.

Only once we received the signal would we enter the palace through the servant’s quarter, taking back stairs to the first floor of the gallery.

I rushed down the stairs and turned on the coffee machine, hoping the coffee would dispel the butterflies in my stomach.

My thoughts drifted to Lloyd, and a flush heated my body. How wonderful would it be to stroll around with Lloyd, arm in arm or holding hands with no sword hanging over our heads…