Page 9

Cedric Raine

I’ve taken Leanna out several more times to run in her wolf form and build up her stamina. She’s getting stronger, but after she shifts back to her human form, she’s still a little dizzy and queasy, and mostly flustered by her wolf’s behavior.

The full moon is drawing closer, and I can feel my own wolf’s restlessness. The close proximity between Leanna and me is making it harder to keep my hands to myself. The night of the full moon is the only time a female shifter can conceive, so I don’t know why I’m so reluctant to touch her. Maybe it’s because there is something incredibly fragile about my mate, and I know how brutish I can be. Even when I hold her in bed, sometimes it feels like I might snap her in two. But my wolf’s desire to get closer to our mate is becoming overwhelming.

As a result, I’ve started to come in later and later at night. She doesn’t complain. She never does. It doesn’t matter what I do, Leanna never complains about it. When I’m kind to her, she’s baffled. When I treat her well, she looks at me as if she doesn’t quite understand why I’m behaving that way. There’s a distrust of me deep within her, a wariness that I wanted there from day one but doesn’t sit well with me anymore.

The castle staff, all the way down to the chefs in the kitchen, is determined to win her over. Meals are carefully prepared, snacks sent to her, new recipes tried every day to suit her taste.

I can understand the enthusiasm behind these efforts. It has almost become a game to the staff, and wolves are nothing if not playful. Leanna is the first queen to make such dramatic changes to the castle and the kingdom. They want her to be happy. But my mate still withdraws into herself as if she cannot comprehend kindness or gratitude.

I never know what to say to her when I see her standing on the balcony, looking out, a forlorn look on her face. She’s not trapped here, but she doesn’t leave the castle unless it’s work related. I don’t even know what she does in her free time aside from read. Ever since I got the greenhouse fixed up for her, if she has any time to herself, she spends it there.

This afternoon, Leanna is not in the dining room where lunch is being laid out, and I can’t find her anywhere else. I decide to take a stroll over to the greenhouse to find her. I’m sure she will be there. I’ve never once set foot inside there. I want it be her sanctuary, a place where she doesn’t have to worry about anyone intruding.

I make sure to knock on the door before entering. She has cleaned up the area very nicely. To my surprise, I see all sorts of flowers blooming. I didn’t even think such plants could grow in the North. On closer inspection, I realize these are all flowers that my mother had when she was alive. I don’t know where Leanna got the seeds or how she managed to get them to bloom so quickly.

Maybe she got help from the witch in the village to grow these plants. The same witch who has been helping her accelerate the growth of the vegetables. The seeds from the Human Wolf Kingdom that I gave her have turned out to be quite suitable for the weather here. Leanna has placed an order through me for more seeds. The farmers are all excited.

I touch one of the thick, luscious roses and wonder if Leanna sees the changes she’s bringing to my kingdom. I remember how she approached me to ask for more seeds, nervous and anxious as if she fully expected me to say no. It bothers me.

I call out her name.

She’s not here. Her absence gives me the chance to look around and see what she has done with the place. There’s a small shelf in a corner with different books. I find one paperback on the small table in the center of the greenhouse, in which Leanna has placed a bookmark. I open the book, curious to see what she’s been reading.

It’s a novel. A romance. The bookmark is at a page with an explicit scene. As I flip through the book, I realize that she has dogeared all the pages that contain sexual situations. Almost as if she’s trying to learn.

I put the book back down the table, feeling strange. If she has questions, why not come to me? Why is she seeking answers in some silly romance novel?

More determined than ever to find her, I make my way to our bedroom. I don’t expect her to be there, but to my surprise, she’s coming out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Her hair is piled on top of her head and appears to be dry. When she sees me, her eyes widen. “Cedric?”

Just like I’ve started calling her Leanna, she has begun using my name more frequently.

“What are you doing taking a bath in the middle of the day?” I ask her.

“I slipped in some mud outside the greenhouse,” she admits. “I didn’t want to wait for Harriet, so I took a bath by myself. Did you need something? Just let me change. I’ll be ready in a minute.”

I remember the explicit scene she had been reading, and my eyes linger on the curves the thick towel is hiding. Is it just me or has she become a little too comfortable without clothes on in my presence? Almost as if she doesn’t expect me to touch her.

“I went looking for you in the greenhouse. You left a book there.”

She frowns at me, as if trying to remember which book it was, and then color bursts into her face. “Oh. You didn’t happen to read it, did you?”

“What if I did?” I question her, liking the way the blush crawls over her neck.

She clutches the towel closer to her. “I—Well, it was educational. I don’t have much knowledge about—”

I cover the distance between us. “You should’ve asked me. Experience is the best teacher, after all.”

For a moment, she stares at me with an uncomprehending look, and then she stumbles back a couple of steps. “That wasn’t my—”

I catch her before she falls to the ground. She’s so light. Those soft, brown eyes of hers are filled with embarrassment and a hint of shyness.

“How about a lesson?” My wolf was already hanging by a thread, but after discovering her choice of reading material, I don’t have the patience to keep my hands to myself anymore.

“A lesson?” she repeats breathlessly.

I walk her backward to the bed. “Yes. I am your mate, after all.”

“But—” She looks tense. “I heard you don’t want a child from me.”

“What?” I frown. “What’re you—”

The backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed, causing her to lose her balance. Her arms flail, and she loses her grip on the towel.

She’s lying on the bed now, her whole body bared to me, her pale skin flushed, her creamy white breasts perky and soft. I lean down, caging her with my arms on either side of her head.

“If you need to learn, I’m right here.”

Her lips part, and my nose twitches when I catch a familiar scent in the air. Her arousal.

“I—” she begins, trembling. But there is no fear in her eyes, only desire and confusion.

I touch her stomach with one hand and she squeezes her eyes shut, shuddering. The scent of her arousal grows thicker. I watch her face carefully as my hand climbs higher, curling around one of her mounds and squeezing it. She makes a gasping sound before I lower my mouth against hers.

I kiss her deeply, my tongue probing past her lips, seeking entrance to her mouth. When she lets me in, it takes all my willpower not to move too aggressively. I toy with her hardened nipple, eliciting soft, wanton moans from her. The sounds she makes are enticing. My hand travels down the expanse of her flat stomach and reaches her pussy. She immediately squeezes her legs shut.

A virgin’s reaction.

To be fair, she is essentially inexperienced, so her response don’t surprise me. But patience doesn’t seem to be my strong suit when it comes to her.

I release her lips and press open-mouthed kisses along her jaw, her neck, trying to make her feel more comfortable. She begins to relax, but when I reach her stomach, she grows tense. I grab her by the thighs and force her legs apart, lifting them in the air till I hook her knees around my shoulders. Her eyes turn wide.

“Wait—What are you—”

She doesn’t get to finish because I press my thumb against her hardened clit and lick the slit of her pussy. She’s wet. A mewling cry escapes her lips, and I thrust my tongue inside.

Her fingers dig into the towel that is trapped under her body. As I fuck her pussy with my tongue, her gasps turn into whines and whimpers.

“C–Cedric! Please!”

I can feel her muscles tensing. She’s on the edge. I pinch her clit, and she screams, her back arching, a gush of her juices spilling into my mouth. I lap them all up before carefully lowering her legs to the bed.

She looks boneless and satiated, her eyes half-closed.

I remove my shirt and get rid of my pants.

When her gaze lands on my hard cock, I see the panic fill her. “I can’t—That’s too big!”

She tries to scramble away, but I pull her toward me, easing her fears with a kiss. “It’s meant to go inside you. It’ll fit.”

She looks doubtful. I reach down, scoop some of her juices from her pussy, and hold my hand up to her face. She trembles and parts her lips. I place my fingers on her tongue, and when she begins to suck obediently, I groan.

My mate doesn’t seem to realize it, but she’s a bit of a tease.

Her hot little mouth wraps around my fingers as she licks them clean. When her eyelids part, she looks dazed, as if she doesn’t quite realize what she’s doing. I remove my fingers from her mouth and proceed to sink them into her pussy.

She’s tight.

Maybe she has a point. I may very well rip her apart if I enter her right now. I’ll have to loosen her up first.

The idea of fucking her with my fingers has me licking my lips.

She’s making gasping sounds as I pump my fingers in her cunt. Her breasts bounce with each movement, and I reach my head down to torment them.

Her fingers release the blanket, choosing to seek purchase in my hair. She pulls at it, mindlessly sobbing out my name as I coax another orgasm out of her. Her eyes glaze over as she cums, her fingers clenching my hair in desperation.

Seeing this normally elegant and composed woman unravel into this needy, lustful mess, sweat clinging to her body, her legs spread for me, satisfies the darkest part of me. If I could, I would keep her like this in our bedroom. Her sobbing cries make my cock throb.

I insert another finger into her, and then another, widening her hole, and when her back arches, a long, drawn-out moan ripping from her, I decide I can’t wait any longer. Removing my fingers, I line up the head of my cock to her entrance and begin to push.

Her passage is slick, and I manage to get in, but she’s incredibly tight. I hear her groan, but I know the slower I take this, the harder it will be for her. With one thrust, I fill her.

Leanna makes a strangled sound, and I wait, letting her adjust to my size. Her wet muscles are like a tight fist around me. I watch her face as I start to move, waiting for the discomfort to fade away. When a small nudge has her twitching, I decide it’s time. I slowly pull out my length till only the tip of my cock is still inside her and then thrust again.

She whines, her legs spreading wider for me.

I study her, wondering if she knows how brazen she looks at this moment. A smirk forms on my lips. I like her this way, begging, indecent, and shameless before me. A sight meant for my eyes only.

I try to control my pace, but it is difficult when she whimpers my name, her eyes filled with desire and need. Her claws dig into my arms, and I know she wants it harder. I can feel her strain against me.

So, I give her what she wants.

Hard and fast, I fuck her, the room filling with our intermingled scents, Leanna’s screams of ecstasy bouncing against the stone walls. I never thought she’d be loud in bed, but it excites me. Every sound she makes drives me on. I want to push her more, hear her cry for me over and over.

When she shatters, I follow suit, filling her with my seed.

Her body goes limp, but I’m not done. It’s like a dam has opened, and I want her in every way possible. I turn her over on her stomach and enter her once again. As she weeps my name, her fingers digging into the covers, her hips moving in tandem with my thrusts, I realize that maybe Harriet was right.

Leanna was built for me.

“No more,” Leanna gasps out from under me, her hair fanned out around her head, her naked body bruised and littered with bite marks. She’s covered in sweat, her legs wrapped around my waist as I fuck her in long, deep strokes. “I—I have to wake up early tomorrow.”

The room is dark, the flickering flames from the fire the only source of light. Her torn clothes are scattered on the rug next to the fireplace. I fucked her there first, on her hands and knees, right after she was done sucking my cock.

“You can sleep later,” I grunt, and she throws her head back after a particularly punishing thrust. “And you don’t have to wake up early tomorrow. Sleep in if you want. You’re the fucking queen.”

“Oh!” she moans as I ravage her breasts with my mouth. “I—I can’t. Cedric—”

I seize her mouth in a hungry kiss. “I like it better when you scream my name.”

My chest is covered with her claw marks. So is my back. I watch her expression twist as she cums, and when she tightens around me, I allow myself to release inside her.

When I cage her between my arms again, she gives me an exhausted look. “Enough. You’ve barely let me sleep this whole week. Go away.”

She was never this mouthy to me before, but intimacy has altered our relationship significantly. She knows that unless she shows me her teeth, I won’t back off.

I lean forward, and she snaps, “Stop. Or I’ll go sleep in my room!”

Sighing and admitting my defeat, I gather her in my arms. “This is your room. And when I come back next month, you’d better be sleeping here.”

I pull the sheets up around us, and she snuggles against my chest. “A month? That’s a long time.”

“It is. But the presence of the monsters is increasing, and we have to make sure they don’t start attacking the villages nearby.”

“Is it safe?” She’s not looking at me, and I can feel her body tremble.

I kiss the top of her head, amused. “Are you worried about me?”

“I just want you to come back in one piece.”

“This isn’t the first time I’m going to fight on the border.” I feel the need to reassure the woman in my arms. “And there will be plenty of soldiers with me.”

She doesn’t respond at first, but I sense the tension within her small frame.

Finally, she whispers, “This is the first time you’ll be away from me. I feel safer when you’re around.”

I look down at her, my heart tightening with a strange emotion. “This castle is your home. You’ll be safe here, whether I’m around or not.”

“It’s not the same,” she says quietly, burrowing into me.

I’ve always detested weakness, but my mate’s reluctance to be apart from me and her dependence on me feel oddly satisfying.

“A month will pass without you even noticing it. Besides, you have plenty of things to busy yourself with. But you’re not to leave the castle until I return. Not even to visit the nearby villages. And Rothan will be here with you. Both Rothan and Harriet.”

“Are you really going to leave Bella as your delegate?” she asks after a few minutes.

“If you don’t want her in that role, I can reverse the decision.” Since when have I been so desperate to please the small woman in my arms?

She shakes her head. “I trust your choice. I’m just being paranoid.”

I play with her hair, and as her breathing begins to deepen, I wonder how I’m going to last a month without her. I have become so used to her existence, and ever since we consummated our relationship, it has grown by leaps and bounds.

I’ll have to make sure to tell Rothan and Harriet that one of them has to stay with Leanna at all times, even if that means Harriet has to sleep in the same room as her. I don’t want my mate alone. I’m sure she’ll be safe here, but…

I glance toward the fire. Maybe I should increase the number of guards.

As I follow her into sleep, I tighten my hold around Leanna. Just one month. It’s not that big of a deal.

The day of my departure arrives. If it weren’t for Derrick’s urgent letter, I wouldn’t be going. But one of my duties is to protect the Veil. It’s a responsibility that I’ve always honored happily, but now, for the first time, it feels like a burden. And before I leave this afternoon, there are some things I must do.

Bella enters my office in response to my summons. She closes the door behind her before saying, “I thought you were heading out this morning.”

“I’ve been delayed.” I get to my feet. “Before I go, I want to remind you of Leanna’s importance. Nothing should happen to her, Bella. Without her, we cannot investigate the rebels in the Eastern Kingdom. As long as the royal family there believes we have Princess Vivian, we have control over them.”

She rolls her eyes. “I understand, Cedric. Why do we have to have the same conversation again and again?”

“Because you’re a hothead, and you’re petty,” I snap. “I don’t want anything happening to her. She’s an important tool. We need her as Princess Vivian.”

“Fine. I get it. Can I go now?”

I gesture toward the door with my hand, and when she opens it, Leanna is standing on the other side, her face pale.

I feel a sense of unease for some reason. Did she overhear our conversation?

She gives me a trembling smile and steps aside for Bella to pass by. Bella nods at her, but I can sense her irritation.

“I wanted to give you this,” Leanna says, holding a small box in front of her. She doesn’t meet my gaze, and I wonder if she’s unhappy over what she may have just heard.

“What is it?”

“Something to eat on the way.”

Her voice is almost listless. I round my desk and walk over to her, taking her in my arms. My kiss is heated, and she responds as she always does, matching my desire. I could take her right here on this table.

“Make sure you listen to Healer Pat,” I order her once I pull away. “And eat properly. Don’t skip your meals, and don’t overwork yourself.”

She nods. “Okay.”

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Okay.”

She’s still not looking at me. I lift her head by her chin. “Leanna?”

“We’re going to miss the full moon,” she says, a shaky smile on her lips. Her eyes are glistening with tears. “I guess it worked out for the best.”

I frown. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” she almost whispers, handing me the box she brought with her. “I know it’s silly, but I was just thinking about whether you would have something nice to eat during your trip. I asked one of the chefs to make some of those meat biscuits you like.”

“Thanks.”

“I should go.” Without another word, she hurries out of the room, leaving me staring after her.

I look at the small box. Carrying it in my wolf form will be a hassle. Maybe I should just leave it here. I set it down on the desk, and after gathering my things, I begin to walk out. Pausing in the doorway, I glance at the box again before sighing and retrieving it.

As I leave the castle, I see Leanna standing on the balcony of her room, looking down at me. She meets my gaze, and for a moment, I think I see tears in her eyes.

“Look after her, Harriet,” I say quietly to the head maid, who is standing by me. “Not even a scratch should be on her when I return.”

Harriet nods, a soft smile on her lips. “Your mate will be fine. Go. Safe travels.”

With one last look at the woman standing alone on her balcony, I transform. As I start to run, my wolf lets out a mournful howl.