Page 25

Leanna Avery

The last couple of weeks have been stressful. It’s been one thing after another. Cedric coming back, clearing up our misunderstandings, trying to figure out my next step…It’s been hectic, and I haven’t had one minute to myself. But with Finn out of the house and Cedric having returned to the North to deal with some emergency, I have the chance to sit alone with a bottle of wine and think, grieve the friend I lost, and consider the changes in my life.

I won’t ever truly get over the guilt I feel for George’s death. But with Cedric providing me the means to financially support his family, I am relieved. George’s death also opened my eyes to something else, something far more profound: my own mortality. My future. I want a new life with my mate and my son. Suddenly, this house feels like less of a home and more of a temporary abode.

In the silence, loneliness creeps in. I’m always on the go, tiring myself out so that I don’t have to think about the emptiness within me that throbs and aches. Even now, as I’m patching things up with Cedric, I can still feel a chasm between us. He’s holding himself back. His words are careful, as are his actions. When he touches me, he treats me as if I’m the most delicate thing in the world.

I don’t like it.

I understand that he has changed. Of course he has. We both have. But it feels like he’s deliberately keeping some distance from me.

I know things won’t automatically become perfect between us, and we both need time, but impatience is brewing within me. Especially tonight.

I miss Cedric.

With each glass of wine, the feeling is reinforced within me.

There is no anger or hurt any longer. Just loneliness. My wolf is miserable, and so am I. Tonight, I want the comfort of Cedric’s arms. I want the safety that only his presence offers. I want to lose myself in him.

The only problem is that, with the way he has been treating me, I don’t think he’s going to make the first move. That is why I have to seduce him. Or be brave enough to tell him what I need.

Which is where the alcohol comes into play. Glass after glass.

There’s a well-cooked meal on the table for us, but he never comes. I throw the wine bottle away, tired and aching inside.

All the online blogs suggest feeding him and then getting close to him. None of them accounted for the fact that I would pass out after drinking an entire bottle of wine, though. Of course he shows up when I’m passed out. It’s his scent that wakes me up. I don’t know where I get the courage to convince him to come lie next to me. My body moves of its own accord when I straddle him.

And when the words come out, I can’t seem to stop them.

There’s a reason why I don’t drink very often. Because I tend to be blunt and say what’s on my mind. What I don’t expect is for Cedric to react the way he does.

His hand reaches out and grabs a fistful of my hair before flipping us both over. When his mouth descends on mine, it’s to deliver a forceful, heated kiss that has my toes curling.

He doesn’t ask any more questions. He doesn’t stop. He simply stakes his claim.

The kiss is fierce, a clash of tongues and teeth, a desperate hunger in it. His mouth moves against mine like a starving man finally getting to eat. His body presses into mine as if he wants to take me right now. I can feel his hard length against my stomach, and I’m instantly sent back to a bedroom surrounded by stone walls, the shadows of the flames from the fireplace dancing along the ceiling as this man ravaged me, his body sweaty and strong as he held me, moving with me at a pace that left me breathless and delirious.

I can smell the musky scent of my arousal in the air, and Cedric groans as his tongue pushes its way past my lips. I sigh as he licks the inside of my mouth, tasting every inch of me. His grip in my hair is tight, and his body has mine pinned to the bed. My nipples are painfully rigid, pressed against his hard chest.

His touch, his kiss, everything feels far too familiar. It’s almost like coming home. I hear something tear, and then there’s a breeze upon my legs as the fabric that was my pants is pulled off. Cedric’s hand comes to fondle my chest, his fingers twisting and pulling at my hard nipples, causing me to moan into his mouth.

He releases my lips, his mouth trailing along my jaw as he forces my head back, settling on the spot where the mating mark is supposed to be. His voice is a throaty growl. “You want to claim me? I never took you to be so possessive.”

My wolf paces inside my head, baring its teeth. “Well, I am.” My nails dig into his biceps, drawing blood. “I’m not going to share you with anyone. Do you understand?”

He lifts his head to give me a feral smile. “Good.” His hands run down my naked body, leaving a trail of blazing white heat across my skin. I tremble at his touch, and my back arches. His thick finger probes my lower slit, and he growls, “Even after all this time, you get wet so easily.”

I whimper when he inserts not one finger but two, plunging them deep inside me. It’s an uncomfortable intrusion, my pussy too tight. It doesn’t stop him though, and as he pulls his fingers out at a punishingly slow rate, I gasp.

Cedric uses those fingers to loosen me up for him, and remembering his cock like I do, I know I’m going to need it. I shatter on his fingers, crying out as he elicits orgasm after orgasm with ease.

My lips are parted as I struggle to breathe. My body is shaking, sweat clinging to me. I feel Cedric hold my legs open as he pierces me with his cock. I can feel every inch as it enters me, and I call out his name, clutching him for dear life.

How did I live without him for all these years? Every part of me that he touches feels like it’s coming alive. With his cock fully inside me, Cedric begins to move. My hands dig into the sheets for purchase, his sweaty skin too slippery. I meet him thrust for thrust, both of us chasing our pleasures. But I forgot about my mate’s stamina.

His cock still in me, he grabs me by the waist and twists me around. I yelp at the sharp pleasure. My stomach barely hits the bed before he has my bottom lifted up, his thrusts becoming harder and rougher. I find myself getting closer and closer to the edge, and when I cum, I scream out his name. But Cedric isn’t done. My insides feel raw, and yet, I want more.

Panting, moaning, I feel his hand circle my neck and squeeze as he fucks me relentlessly. And then, he releases. His soft growl is followed by a red hot, piercing pain where my shoulder meets my neck. I can smell the metallic scent of my blood in the air. The agony gives way to an intense pleasure, and I collapse with Cedric, our bodies writhing with the aftershocks.

He holds me to him, his teeth still in my flesh. Tiny electric pulses pass through the most sensitive parts of my body, pushing me to the very brink. My eyes flutter shut, and then suddenly, I feel him.

All this time, the fated mate bond has been there. I could sense it, a soft, throbbing presence deep inside me. But now, I’m overwhelmed with this inexplicable warmth, this desire, this love so deep that it makes me want to weep. If there were any doubts in my mind about Cedric or how he feels about me, about my safety, they’re washed away.

I can sense his emotions, each and every one of them. His love for me and his profound, unwavering loyalty humble me, and tears drip from my eyes. Our bodies are still throbbing from the force of the mating bond, and Cedric silently gathers me in his arms. He holds me, hiding my face in his chest.

Is this what it is like to be loved? How is it possible that someone could love me so deeply? The truth is that even after Cedric came back, even after we sorted things out between us, the most vulnerable and broken part of me still believed I wasn’t worthy of receiving love. That nobody could care about someone like me.

To be proven wrong, to see the evidence of how precious I am to Cedric, shakes me to my very core. I didn’t know a mating bond could be like this. I never knew that I would be able to feel how he feels about me, that his existence would completely mesh with mine. We are two individuals, but we are also one.

After a prolonged silence, with Cedric simply holding me, he finally asks, “Are you feeling better?”

I nod, sniffling. “That was intense.” I look up at him. “Are you okay?”

Cedric wraps a strand of my hair around his finger and tugs it lightly. “All this time, I had certain misgivings, doubts. When I found out you were alive, the initial relief gave way to feeling hurt. It seemed like I was the only one who cared. Like I was the only one who had been bereft. I didn’t realize how you truly felt about me. But I can feel it all inside me now, the things you don’t say. I will try to change for you, Leanna. I’ll try to become a better man. I will give you everything you could ever dream of.”

I wriggle my arms free and wrap them around the neck of this big, hulking man who is feared by all and yet whose heart is soft when it comes to me. “I never want you to change. Who you are is perfect. And if I haven’t said it before, I love you. Despite what happened, despite what I believed had happened. Even when you found me, I could deny the truth to everybody but myself. I loved you back then, too. When you held me at night, I felt secure and safe. When you made sure I was fed and taken care of, I felt happy. But I didn’t know what those feelings were because I had never felt them before. I understand them now. I love you, Cedric.”

My mate presses his lips to my forehead. “I love you, too, Leanna. But I’m not good with words. If this is something you need to hear frequently—”

I give him a warm smile. “No. You don’t need to say it all the time. I know how you feel.” He searches my eyes, and I tilt my head back to kiss him. “I will tell you enough times for the both of us.”

His response is a fierce kiss, and as he pulls me under him, I laugh, knowing he’s about to ravish me all over again.

I have a feeling I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.

For the next two weeks, I’m forced to keep a low profile. The murder of the deputy commissioner of the police is no small matter. Fortunately or unfortunately, there were no cameras at the carnival. And with all the people coming and going, nobody noticed him. There is an active investigation, but I’m confident no one is going to link his death to me. No matter what Cedric says, though, I still feel guilty.

But there’s nothing I can do.

Not two days after George’s death, two police precincts receive a bomb threat. The buildings are cleared, but before the bomb squad can enter, the buildings are blown up. The attacks happen at night, and there are no casualties. According to the information that George gave me, both precincts contained evidence that I needed access to.

When I watch the footage on the news, my heart sinks. There’s nothing left of the buildings. Somebody is covering their tracks. And I have a feeling they’re going to try to come for the flash drive that George gave me next.

It is a fount of information. Between the flash drive and what we already knew about the kidnappings, the conclusion I come to is the same as George’s. The individuals who were taken were not chosen at random. They were carefully selected.

Aside from Harold, they all worked at human establishments and had little to no family, or if they did have family, they were not in touch with them. These were very socially isolated individuals.

It’s not uncommon for some shifters to prefer to stay away from their packs. In the human world, I’ve seen it happen a lot. Unfortunately, it makes them easy pickings for these kidnappers. The only people who would raise any alarm would be their colleagues or bosses from their human-owned workplaces. Now we know that one day after each kidnapping, a letter of resignation was diligently sent to the employer, and there was no further contact.

Harold’s autopsy has been completed, and his blood is being tested, but Maya is still working on her report.

I’m at the palace today since I have to get some information from Cassian. I frown at my laptop as he enters the office.

“These people had enough information about the individuals they were going after to know who they worked for and what their routines were,” I murmur. “Harold had no close relatives, either, only extended family. But he worked for the royal family. His kidnapping doesn’t make sense to me.”

Cassian comes to stand behind me. “Are these the case files you got from that human?”

I nod.

“Maybe Harold was a victim of opportunity,” he suggests.

“No.” I pull myself away from the screen and walk over to the board I’ve been setting up. “These people are too methodical. But the kidnapping of the two teenagers also doesn’t make sense. They’ve never grabbed two people at the same time before. Plus, one of those kids had a family.”

“One was an orphan?” Cassian checks the file before nodding. “Yup. No parents. He lived by himself in an apartment complex. He was going to a trade school and a human high school.”

“That’s odd. Isn’t there a welfare program for orphaned shifters?” I ask. “He should’ve been going to a shifter-run school. Why was he going to human high school? Why was there no adult looking after him? I thought there were establishments in place that are run by shifters who raise and teach these kids to make sure they land on their feet.”

“There are.” Cassian goes over the victim’s file. He looks bewildered, adjusting his glasses. “This boy should have been in our welfare system. Who let him attend a human school?”

“I know that human children sometimes slip through the cracks when it comes to the foster system. I didn’t realize it was the same with our kind.”

“It’s not. Each orphaned child is usually accounted for.” Cassian rubs his temples. “I’ll have to find out what happened in this case.”

I glance at my watch. “I should go check on Finn. Why is the palace so busy these days?”

“It’s the ball,” Cassian replies. “The annual royal ball is in a month. Surely, you must be attending.”

I blink. “Ah. That. No, I never go to it.”

“Oh.” Cassian looks awkward. “I thought that now, with King Cedric here, you would…”

Cassian is among the few people who is aware of my true identity since we have to work together.

My hand goes to touch the mating mark on the side of my neck, and I hesitate. This is something I should probably discuss with Cedric. During the previous annual balls, Erik always instructed me not to leave my home for the entire week. I had enough working knowledge of royal events to know why. He wanted me to avoid running into anyone from the North. I always thought that Cedric and Vivian came together.

I ignore Cassian’s comment and direct my attention back to the laptop. I wish I could print out all these documents, but the flash drive is encrypted, and I can’t seem to print anything. Yawning, I take a few photographs of some of the documents on my computer screen without really looking at them. It’s not like I can carry my laptop around constantly. And I can’t even copy the documents from this flash drive to my laptop. I have to insert it every time I want to access what’s on it.

What kind of security is on this thing?

Checking the time once again, I decide to go grab some lunch with my son.

It’s odd not having Finn around at home. He’s been having a blast here at the palace with Harriet keeping an eye on him. According to Erik, the palace staff is thrilled. They enjoy having a child running around and filling the otherwise silent halls with his laughter. The royal chef is constantly coming up with new recipes to please him. The kitchen has never been busier, according to the butler. There is never a dull moment in the palace with Finn around.

I’m glad that my son is happy here, but it doesn’t change the fact that I miss him. On the other hand, with Cedric and me in the house alone, we have been quite busy. Apparently, after a couple shares a mating mark, they retire to their bedchamber for weeks on end. I don’t really know much about this matter, and I’m a little suspicious of Cedric’s insistence that this is customary.

His stamina has not faded in the last eight years. My body is much healthier now, and I can handle him, but there has to be a limit. I rarely order in, but these past two weeks, I’ve constantly been having meals delivered since I don’t have the strength to cook, much less walk. If I didn’t know about only being able to conceive on the full moon, I would think he’s trying to knock me up again.

As I head out of the office to search for Finn and Cedric, I think back to the conversation I had with my mate a few nights ago. Neither of us understands how I managed to conceive a child on a night other than that of the full moon. A part of me believes that the poison Vivian had been feeding me constantly over the course of my youth probably had something to do with it. It messed up my insides profoundly.

Finn is with Erik and Cedric, and when I enter the dining room, all three of them look up.

“Mom!” Finn is out of his seat like a bullet, throwing his arms around my waist as if he didn’t just see me this morning when I arrived at the palace. “Are you free now? Can you play?”

I kiss him on top of his head. “Play? Haven’t you been playing a lot these days? I heard you’re running everybody ragged here.”

“No, I’m not!” He clings to my arm as I walk over to the table. “When can I come home?”

Erik immediately intervenes. “Why? You’re not having fun with me here?”

“Well, I am,” Finn says thoughtfully. “But what if Mom misses me? I don’t want her to be sad.”

Erik smirks, looking between me and Cedric. “Don’t worry. I think your mother is too busy with other activities to miss you too much.”

My face instantly heats up. “Erik!”

Cedric just looks proud, as if his prowess has been praised.

“Sit down, Finn.” I pull out a chair for myself next to his as the staff begins to serve the meal. “Cedric, I wanted to ask you about the ball that’s coming up.”

“What about it?”

“Is Vivian going to be attending?”

His eyes tighten on the corners. “Yes.”

That word is like a punch to my gut, and my blood goes cold. “Oh.”

He rises half out of his chair. “That’s not what I meant.”

“What Cedric means to say is that it is necessary for Princess Vivian to attend this time,” Erik cuts in smoothly. “Cedric has not attended a single ball in the last eight years. However, this year, you two will be announced together, and Finn will be introduced as the heir. To force the noble families of the Northern Kingdom into a difficult position, it is necessary that at least one of the other kingdoms recognizes your legitimacy as the queen, Leanna. The Human Wolf Kingdom will do that. The Eastern Kingdom is going to cause problems, anyway.”

“And what if Vivian and the elders go after Finn?” I demand, furious that their little plan was not communicated to me before now.

“Finn will be protected,” Erik says calmly. “Since he has spent eight years in this kingdom, and it is well known that you and he visit the palace often, a lot of rumors have surfaced. Not only will they be put to rest, but it will be implied that the king of the Human Wolf Kingdom is fond of the young heir of the Northern Kingdom. That means your son will be under the protection of two kingdoms.”

They’ve clearly thought this through. Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare at them. “And when were the two of you going to clue me in? On the day of the ball?”

My mate has a wonderful heart, but he is dense as a rock sometimes. Instead of sensing my anger, he says, “I was going to tell you once Harriet had the dresses ready.”

“Dresses?” I stare at him. “What dresses?”

“The ones you will wear to the ball.”

“Don’t you think you should have let me know so that I could mentally prepare myself in advance?” I growl.

“Prepare for what?” Cedric asks, confused.

I let out a sigh. Dense as a rock when it comes to some things.

Erik is trying his best not to smile.

“Okay, so, who will be at the ball aside from Vivian?”

“The heads of the noble houses, the elders,” Cedric tells me. His expression grows serious. “You will be announced as queen, and there will be backlash.”

“But I will be there to deal with it,” Erik interjects.

“And so will I,” Cedric adds.

I look between the two men, raising my eyebrows. “I’m not some fragile little bird that has to be protected. If Vivian says anything to me, I will reply in kind.”

From the look on Cedric’s face, it’s obvious that he’s worried.

I smile at him. “Trust me, I’ll be fine. You’re my mate, and I’m your queen. I can take care of myself.”

“But your history with Vivian—”

My heart warms as I realize what he’s worried about. “It’ll be fine. I’m not the same little girl Vivian picked up on the street. I have a mate who loves me, a son I have to protect, and friends who care for me. I’ll be fine.” Cedric looks tense, but I reach out and touch his hand. “Trust me, Cedric. I’ve got this.”

I’m not going to let that woman get her way.

Cedric is mine.